Mid-Week Masking

   

I am very much in favour of a weekly pamper session, in fact, I encourage any little moment when you can treat yourself, especially when it comes to your beauty routine.

If you want some tips for a longer pamper session, for those days when you have a little more time on your hands, here are some ideas.

For a spot of mid-week masking and general hair pampering, I have recently been loving this hair mask from Garnier. Not only is it Vegan, with natural goodies inside it, but it is also a 3-in-1 product for less than £10! I picked up the Coconut and Macadamia ‘flavour’ but there are lots of others to try out.

It's quite brilliant for a few reasons; firstly you can use it as a mask; perfect for when your hair needs a more intensive pick-me-up. Leave it on for three minutes and wash it out for wonderfully smooth hair that smells like a perfect mix of coconut and macadamia nut. Trust me, after using this I can confirm; macadamia goes surprisingly well with coconut. 

You can use it as you would an ordinary conditioner; it is much thicker and creamer than other formulas and works wonders for creating silky, soft, princess-like hair. 

You can also use it as a leave-in conditioner, for those moments when you are in a hurry! Take a smaller amount, rub it in your hands and smooth throughout the hair (concentrating on the mid-lengths and ends) for an on-the-go fix for those dry, frizzy moments that we all get, especially in the summer time.

What are your favourite pamper products? Let me know in the comments!

A Weekend in Paris

I have butterflies writing this post. I have been keeping this to myself for a while now, but I am very excited to finally share it here on my blog. 

In May, just before the late bank holiday, my parents had invited Alex and I to dinner, at one of our favourite places – Ziani’s. Nestled into one of the quieter roads behind the Kings Road, it’s a delightful, traditional Italian, that you must try if you are ever in the area. We tucked into delicious Italian food and discussed the weekend ahead. It was a wonderful evening full of smiles, laughter, wine and a lot of pasta. 

Exhausted, I was just about to fall into bed, when Alex let me in on a secret. We weren’t going to my parents for the weekend, we were going to... Paris! My only other instructions were to make sure I had a dress for dinner and a bikini. Staring at him in amazement, I began to throw things into my bag, packing my way through the excitement, hardly able to believe what he was saying. I finally fell into my bed, too excited to sleep.

I was woken up the next morning and bundled out of the door as we made our way to the station. Breakfast at Granger & Co, complete with their perfect pancakes, coffee and excited Paris talk followed – ideal pre-train fuel. A few hours later we stepped off the train, blinking in the sparkling Parisian sun at the Gare de Nord, before a car whisked us through the city and straight to our hotel. 

A chic retreat from the streets of Paris, the beautifully boutique La Damantin is Parisian perfection. It is small enough to be wonderfully personal, with every kind of luxurious extra you could think of. 

We dropped our bags in our rooms and headed straight out into the shimmering sunshine, wandering to the Champs Elysees, to window-shop and people-watch. The light grew steadily more golden as Alex whispered something about dinner reservations, and we raced back to the hotel to get dressed.

A wonderfully warm early summer evening greeted us, as we strolled hand-in-hand down to the river and our restaurant. Perched right on the water, we took our seats at Restaurant le Club and watched boats glide past us in the golden evening light. A hidden gem, Le Club offers the most wonderful view the Eiffel Tower and being seated closest to the window, with no other tables near us, it couldn't have been more romantic.

 We had a front row seat as the evening light faded and the French lady lit up and glittered, on the hour, every hour, as we drank rose and enjoyed sumptuous French food. Once we had eaten our fill, finishing with a mouthwatering dessert, we took to the streets - wandering to the Champs de Mars, to see the tower glitter at midnight. We strolled through the gardens, and found a secluded seat to watch her twinkle in the starlight, gazing at her in all of her glory. 

We made our way through the streets of Paris, back to the hotel and bed. 
Once we were away from the streets, in the privacy of our room, he took me by the hand. After a lot of tears, on both sides and some very emotional words, he bent one knee and I said yes to forever. 

As he opened the little black box, I caught a glimpse of glittering sparkle. Once he placed it on my finger, Alex began to explain the story behind this most special of rings. He had hand-picked the diamond, then worked to design the rest, creating a ring that I never would have thought was beyond perfect for me. I still can't get over its joyous sparkle, glimmering in delight every day, on my finger.

We stayed up, too excited to sleep, laughing and crying with delight before our heads finally hit our pillows, dreaming of the best evening of our lives.  

We were woken the next morning to the smell of coffee and croissants, which were thoroughly welcome, before we reached for the phone and started calling friends and family, to share our happy news.

 The rest of the day was spent in a haze of delight. Stepping out for the first time as fiancée’s, we strolled in the Paris sunshine along the river to the Louvre. We took a moment, standing in the courtyard to watch the sun shimmering through the glass pyramid, before descending into the museum's depths to nose through statues and paintings. 

Meandering through the endless halls, we whiled away the hours enjoying the company of da Vinci and Michelangelo. We managed to fit in a quick swim at the hotel, before heading out to dinner - on the water.

 Wandering down to the dock, we climbed aboard the glamorous floating restaurant, Ducasse sur Seine and took our seats under the shimmering ceiling. We were treated to a sequence of delicious gourmet dishes, as the electric boat gilded soundlessly past all of Paris's blockbuster monuments.

We had the best seat in the house sipping wine, enjoying the delicious food and impeccable service as the golden sun dipped in the sky, turning ever so-slightly more pink as it sank.
It was one of the most wonderful evenings I have ever had. 

We returned home the next day, after the most perfect weekend I could have ever imagined.

xoxo

Brunch at Les Filles in Bayswater

Tucked away in the quiet streets of Bayswater, just a few moments from Hyde Park, is a new brunch spot that you have to try; Les Filles. One of my friends introduced me to it and I loved it so much that I thought I would share it with you.

You would walk straight past the entrance unless you were looking for it. Step over the threshold into the small, but charming space and you are greeted with a delicious selection of cupcakes, energy balls and slices of cake. Golden lights dangle from the ceiling and murals quoting inspirational words adorn the walls. The staff are wonderful and the menu has a spread of all sorts of deliciousness!

We started with coffee, of course.

 Black for him, Beetroot Latte for me. Wonderfully pink, and pretty as a picture.

The menu is simple and everything on it is wonderfully good for you. In my opinion this is how healthy food should be. 

I went for the Acai Bowl and Alex chose a classic; poached eggs with smoked salmon.

Topped with all sorts of lovely crunchy bits and pieces as well as fruit, mine was a wonderful, frozen bowl of berry goodness.

As always, I see it as my duty to quality control his plate too and they were eggcellent eggs (sorry, couldn't help it)

We choose to share the buckwheat pancakes, I had already tried them on another visit and suggested (ok, maybe insisted) that we have them to share!

Two pancakes with coconut cream in the middle, a generous drizzle of fruit coulis and lots of fruit on the side. So good, you forget they are heathy!

We left feeling very full and wonderfully content as we headed off to Holland Park, one of my absolute favourite green spaces in London, for wander through the trees.

Something New

I haven't written on my blog for a while, but I am back and today I am coming at you with a different kind of post. I have been a little lost for quite a while as to what it was that I wanted to write about. My life has changed a huge amount in the last year, especially in the last few months, which might explain the on/off blogging and YouTubing. For the moment though life seems to have settled down and I am so excited for things to come and some of those things include this blog! 

I have decided to fill these pages with my wanderings, mainly in London, but hopefully elsewhere too! I want to talk about things that I love, which is mainly travel, beauty, lifestyle and food. I am going to delve back into the world of YouTube too, sharing weekly beauty and lifestyle videos. 

I really hope that you find something you love here, whether its a new bucket list destination, an eye shadow palette to try, restaurant review or recipe.

I hope you like this change if direction, I am really exciting to start this new chapter and I hope you follow along for the ride!

xoxo

The Best Of: Beauty Books

Whether you spend hours pouring over the pages of these beauty bibles or if they are simple coffee table accessories, beauty books are a wonderful thing to own and to give. Beauty is something that no matter how much you know, there is always more to learn and different ways to do things. I adore flicking through their pages, picking up new tips and marvelling at the gorgeous imagery. They are brimming with advice on everything from makeup and hair to skincare and nail-care tips, from beauty-industy experts and YouTubers. 

Here are a few beauty books that you should add to your collection: 

How to be Parisian: 

This is easily one of my favourite easy reads. Co-written by four girlfriends, Caroline de Maigret, Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan and Sophie Mas the book is a compilation of their thoughts on everything from dealing with troublesome men to "A Mother's Advice on Love" and Hosting a Dinner Party.

Their honesty and direct approach to life is so refreshing and kept me giggling from the moment I picked it up, to the second I put it down. It is a lovely easy read, perfect for all those times when you need a boost in self belief and maybe a different, Parisian, way of looking at things.

Pretty Honest: 

The Guardian's Beauty editor, Sali Huges decodes the mysteries of the beauty industry, in this wonderful beauty bible, with chapters on everything from dealing with beauty counter staff, to the advantages and disadvantages of waxing. There is a level of detail and honesty in the practical advice that Sali provides, which combined with her humour and wit, makes this book my go to for expert  beauty advice and product recommendations.

Bobbi Brown's Makeup Manual: 

This is a wonderfully presented makeup manual that is perfect for everyone from professional makeup artists to the complete makeup beginner. Although all the products mentioned are, of course Bobbi Brown, the tips and tricks she shares can be applied no matter what brand you use! With tips on everything from applying eyeshadow perfectly, bridal makeup and fake tanning to breaking into the industry as a makeup artist, this is a lovely addition to any beauty obsessed bookshelf.

Face Paint:The Story of Makeup: 

I have been watching Lisa Eldridge's YouTube videos forever, so when I heard she was releasing a book I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Face Paint offers a fascinating insight into the history of makeup. Detailed research, combined with gorgeous images make this the perfect book for both the beauty obsessed and those with even a tiny interest in cosmetics. Eldridge explores the reasons behind why we wear makeup, how it has changed throughout history and the impact that it has upon our lives today. She also talks about her own beauty icons, from Cleopatra to Kate Moss. It is a book that is joy to have on your coffee table, because of the amazing photography and one that you will actually want to read from cover to cover.

The Glam Guide:

Having been a subscriber to FleurdeForce's YouTube channel since she first started making videos, I would have bought this book just to support a wonderful woman who smashes everything she does. 

It is beautifully presented and discusses lighthearted topics such as "How to Travel in Style" and "Trends vs Investments". I love the simplicity and easy to follow nature of the beauty tips that Fleur shares, after all where are we without the basics? It is a lovely book to flick through for beauty advice whenever you are in need of it. It also makes a great gift for anyone you know who is an aspiring beauty junkie! 

What beauty books have you been loving recently? 

xoxo

Keeping Winter Skin Simple with an Old Favourite

This time of year can play havoc with your skin. 

One minute you are soaking wet, the next frozen and then you find yourself desperately tugging off layers in a coffee shop. In the last few weeks the weather in London has been so much colder and I am now struggling to keep my skin from looking duller than the grey skies that have been covering the sun recently.

 I have resorted to one of my holy grail skincare products to save my skin during the cold weather, a product that always works, no matter how dry my skin gets.

Aveeno has been my go to moisturiser for years. The key ingredient that makes this product so perfect, especially for sensitive skin, is naturally active colloidal oatmeal. Oatmeal is an ingredient that is known for its soothing effect, working to hydrate and calm the skin and is exactly what you need to fight the effect cold weather has on your skin.

Simple and no nonsense, with packaging to mirror its simplicity, Aveeno's moisturiser has no scent and a light texture that absorbs quickly into the skin. The after shower mist is super quick and easy to use, it makes daily moisturising the easiest thing in the world!

A simple solution that will have your skin hydrated and glowing again in no time. Remember to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, after all water is the best beauty product you will ever buy!