Photo Diary #01 - My Weekend in Cambridge

Today I'm dipping my toes into a lifestyle type post. I've never really done one before, but I'd love to do more as I know they're my favourite kinds of posts to read. I spent the weekend in Cambridge with my best friends, Brooke & Giorgia, visiting family and thought I'd bring you along. It's going to be a very picture heavy post, just a warning...but, if you're as nosey as me you won't mind.

 We woke up bright & early on Saturday (9am is early right?) and had a little drive into Ely. We started by having a wander around the market and maybe buying one of these cute hand-painted mugs for, errr..make-up brushes?

 By then we were melting, it was so bloody hot! So we stopped by Caffé Nero to grab a mid-morning snack & a nice cold drink and went to sit outside in the gardens of Ely Cathedral. The Raspberry, Orange and Green Tea fruit booster is amazing.

Saturday afternoon was spent at the village Beer Festival drinking cider, picnicking and eating an abundance of icelollies. After a nice afternoon relaxing in the sun it was time to get a very drunk Uncle home & attempt (unseccessfully) to sober him up enough to do the barbeque. We spent the night playing card games in the garden with the chimnea burning. 

Sunday morning was spent having a stroll around the orchard at the back of my Aunt & Uncles' house, still in our PJ tops and last night's plaits. This orchard is one of my favourite places, it's so calm and relaxing and looks beautiful all year round. We even saw a baby bunny having a hop about.

We decided to spend Sunday in Cambridge city centre having a mooch about the market (look at those cakes!) and cute little shops, stopping by EAT for some grub to sit on the green with.

 One last thing we wanted to do while in Cambridge was punting. Despite visiting Cambridge at least 5-6 times a year for the last 14 years or so, I've never been punting. So we grabbed an icecream (2 scoops of mint choc-chip, mmmm) and headed for the river. We sat at the front and enjoyed an hour of floating along the river, taking in the scenery and wishing we didn't have to come home and back to work.

To see more pictures of my weekend in Cambridge click here or just follow me on instagram @picksxxx

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Coral Crazy!

L-R: Rimmel Salon Pro (Hip Hop) - Ciate Mini (Play Date) - No7 Stay Perfect (Cheeky Chops) - Angelica (Bondi Beach) - 17 Fast Finish (Pink Lemonade)

Now my holiday is just over a week away I'm getting in pamper mode to ensure I'm all ready and in the Summer spirit. I've been trying to decide which polish to use whle I'm away and rounded up a few of my favourites to choose from and lo and behold, they're all various shades of coral. I'm abit coral/orange crazy at the moment (if you hadn't guess from my May Favourites post). Coral is just the perfect colour for the Summer as it's bright, fun and looks amazing with a tan. There's also so many different shades of coral that everyone is guaranteed to find the perfect coral for them.

The darkest of the bunch is the Rimmel Salon Pro in the shade Hip Hop, kind of a burnt out orangey/red but definitely part of the coral family, this is the shade I opted for on my holiday last year and managed to last a week before chipping, which after long days in a pool of chlorine is pretty impressive.

Play Date by Ciate is the newest member of my coral clan as, like a lot of you, I picked it up free with a copy of Marie Claire (bargain!). It's pretty similar to the Rimmel one, but a little more pinky. I'm not too sure of the staying power yet, but I've only ever heard good things about Ciate. One coat of this and it was opaque which is great for me as I'm so lazy and impatient while painting my nails.

My all time favourite nail polish is Cheeky Chops by No7. I've featured it before here, and it's just the perfect, bright pinky coral. I just love this stuff. 

I'm not too sure where I picked up this Angelica polish in the shade Bondi Beach from, it may even have been Primark, but I like it. It stays on without chipping for abround 4-5 days which isn't bad considering I'm typing all day. The colour is gorgeous and is a slightly more orangey coral than Cheeky Chops and it looks amazing with a tan. I think this might be a winner for this years holiday!

Lastly, Pink Lemonade from Seventeen. This is a neutral coral for those of you aren't into brightbrightbright nails or need to wear natural/nudey tones for work. It's very sheer so needs a couple of coats to be opaque but the end result is super light and peachy. This is quite a nice shade if you chip your nail polish easily as the chips are hard to see. This is a your-nails-but-better kind of colour. 

What nail colours do you opt for during the Summer?

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Beetlejuice

I spent my morning having a wander around the shops with my Mum when we came about this maxi skirt. I'm not usually one for a maxi skirt as I can never find one the perfect length but when we saw this one it was too nice not to atleast try on.

I originally picked up a size 8, my usual size, but I ended up actually buying the 12. I'm not sure if my bums had an overnight growth spurt or the sizing of the skirts is just a bit off, but once I got the right size it hung perfectly, skimming over any lumps and bumps. I love the two splits up either side of the skirt, as it flows nicely but mainly because it's easier and more comfy to walk about in (old lady, I know!)

Once I got home I had a look through my wardobe for tops to pair it with and thought this striped crop top from H&M looked pretty nice with it. I'm abit obsessed with striped tops at the moment, having around 5/6. No-one needs that many! This skirt also looks great with my white v-neck t-shirt and a loose fit checkered shirt thrown over the top.

 

For just £22 this is a steal, especially when it's the perfect basic to wear with pretty much anything and the ideal staple to take outfits from day to night. I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for more maxi-skirts as this little number has converted me already!

What's your current wardrobe staple?

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Fathers Day Gift Ideas

 

I don't know about you, but I really do struggle to buy my Dad presents, usually because he goes and buys what he wants before anyone else can, but I think men in general are so hard to buy gifts for. With Father's Day just around the corner (the 15th for those of you who totally forgot..you're welcome), I thought I'd put together a little gift guide with a few ideas you can get your old man.

My Dad is addicted to Youtube, and spends alot of time laughing at funny videos or watching the videos of his favourite songs, but he's not great with computers/laptops so the Ipad Mini would be great for him to be able to simply get the app and watch away to his little hearts' content. If only I had a spare £300 eh!

The Daniel Wellington watch is both smart and classic, and if my Dad wore watches I'd be tempted to get him this.

I tend to hoard cards like a champion and still have a box full from over the years. Pointless, I know, but I like having that little something to keep for memories sake. So when I'm buying cards for other people I like to take my time and find the right one, y'know just incase anyone is as weird as me and keeps them. When I saw this card I couldn't help myself. My dad isn't one for soppiness so a funny one will be a winner!

A joke book. Simple and will get atleast a few laughs out of anyone, even if it's just laughing about how bad the jokes are.

Last up, Desert Boots. My Dad has several pairs and still eyes up new pairs now so this bargain pair  from ASOS would be warmly welcomed.

What are you planning to get your Dad for Father's day?

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Sunday Spa

So, there was no usual mid-week post this past week as I've had a bit of trouble with this blog and have had to re-upload every, single photo on every single post (sob), but I also spent the week in Cornwall, which was absolutely beautiful! Tomorrow is my first day back at work (double sob) and so I'm in need in a bit of a pick-me-up, and what's better for that than a face mask?! These are my Top 3 Face Masks that I use time and time again, and even better, they're all drugstore bargains!

The Botanics 'Shine Away' Ionic Clay Mask is the first kind of tube face mask I had ever purchased and I love using masks in this kind of packaging because it's so easy as there are no messy sachets. This mask includes willowbark which works on clarifying the skin and as it's rich in minerals it helps to absorb any excess oils and leaves my skin matte, but not dry thanks to the deep-cleaning oceanic clay.

My most recent face mask purchase was another clay mask specifically for red/sensitive skin by Quick Fix Facials. This mask includes aloe vera which helps reduce inflammation and also keeps the skin moisturised. Then the chamomile soothes and calms my skin, which is great for those pesky breakouts. There are various

other Quick Fix Facials avaliable and I'm tempted to try out their Charcoal Mask. I'll tell you why...

This mask, the Sanctuary 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask is my absolute favourite mask ever. The thought of a charcoal mask didn't originally appeal to me but after reading that it's great for purifyng the skin and really deep cleansing I thought I'd give it a go. Once applied the mask warms up slightly, something that I love in a face mask (anyone else the same?!), and after just 5 minutes it's ready to be rinsed off. It leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean and super soft and I tend to use this when I have a breakout as by the next day I can already see a clear improvement.

What are your go-to masks?

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May Favourites!

May has been and gone and it seems I have a new found love for all things Orange.. So, here comes the obligatory May round-up!

First up is this gorgeous clutch. Ok, so it's not a clutch, it's an ipad case that I've taken out of this bag (they no longer stock this color, sorry!), but it's the perfect size clutch for a night out. I'm normally a home-body but May has been a busy month and this gem has come in so handy. My phone, keys, money and a lipstick (or three) fit in there comfortably without struggling to close it up.

 

Next, Orangeasm. I am a little obsessed with this stuff. The zestiness is great for waking you up in the morning and also after a workout to freshen you up (not that work out often..oops). You only need a pump or two at a time, so this is going to last a while but I'm already planning on re-purchasing this beauty. I. Just. Can't. Get. Enough.

I wouldn't think of Zara as a place to purchase perfumes, however I bought their Silk fragrance a few months back and have been seriously loving it this month. It's a foral scent with notes of yuzu, magnolia and musk. It reminds me a lot of the Chloé perfume, but at a fraction of the price. Although, I would say the staying power isn't amazing but a quick top-up spritz doesn't bother me too much.

I've mentioned this nail varnish in the shade Stop Sign before (here) but I seriously haven't stopped wearing it all month. I find it lasts 4-5 days without chipping on me and you only really need one coat as it's so opaque, which is perfect for me as I am so so lazy with painting my nails. It also matches my clutch perfectly so is a killer combo on a night out.

My last favourite is of course, a lip product, because yes, I am addicted. This Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in the shade Tutti Frutti is perfect is you want a moisturised yet colourful pout as it offers a sheer, but buildable, coral/orange colour. I love this shade for the summer months as it's bright and fun. They've also recently released a few new shades which I'm tempted to get my mitts on, especially Juicy Papaya & Pink Lemonade.

What's in your May favourites?

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On Wednesdays we wear pink...lipstick

When I'm having a bad day or just need a bit of perking up, a swipe of pink lipstick is all I need. There's something about a pink lip that's fun, girly and just makes me feel a bit more confident and a bit more sassy.

L-R: As You Want Victoria - Pink Passioned - Impassioned - Dreamy

My most recent purchase of the bunch is this L'Oréal Color Riche Made for Me Intense in the shade Pink Passion. As this is part of the Made for Me range it's actually one of the colors suited best to brunettes, but I loved this colour so much I decided to pick it up anyway. Although it's name would suggest this is pinkpinkpink, it actually has a kind of coral hint to it which I find is perfect for this time of year (if only it would quit raining!). I've only used this a couple of times but it's already a firm favourite.

As You Want Victoria by Rimmel is easily one of my favourite lipsticks of all time. I wore this shade alot in Autumn/Winter as it's quite a deep pink, but would still wear it all year round. I find this shade to be quite blue-toned so it makes my teeth look pearly white which is always a winner. The Moisture Renew formula is amazing as it contains polypeptides, hyaluronic acid and natural collagen which really nourishes dry lips so this lipstick glides on effortlessly and doesn't cling to any dry patches.

I've had this Lasting Fix lipstick by Seventeen in the shade Dreamy for so long but it's still one I go back to time and time again. Dreamy is a perfect bubblegum pink that gives a real pop to your lips while still remaining kinda natural. The formula tends to last 3-4 hours before a touch up is needed which is great when you talk/eat as much as I do..

Finally, good old Impassioned by Mac. I've spoken a bit about this already here so I won't go on but this 'amped up fuschia' is just gorgeous all year rounnd!

What lipstick do you reach for when you need a pick-me-up?

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