WISHLIST #4 - MONOCHROME EDITION

Top - Bag - Shoes - Jeans - Lipstick - iPhone Case

Despite us having probably the nicest UK Summer in a long time, I've been finding myself drawn to mainly monochrome things while shopping, rather than bright bits fit for the Summer season. 

I've been a tad obsessed with stripes for a while now, and while I've already got too many striped tees, I'm still eyeing up this basic black & white Breton box tee. I find stripes so easy to wear, and in monochrome too, you can't go wrong.

Kate Spade is a brand that is always on point and I can roam the website for hours, lusting after pretty much everything including the Cedar Street Maise bag. I've mentioned this bag before, only in the colour dark geranium, but I feel like black would go with absolutely everything. Dream bag.

Dare I say that I actually like Birkenstocks? I've always thought they were, well...ugly. But I've somehow been converted into thinking they're actually pretty okay. I've seen them styled in ways that look cool rather than frumpy and now I've found myself wanting a pair. I love this two-strapped pair, especially in white.

I'm jumping on the bandwagon now, with this pair of ripped Jamie jeans. Topshop are my favourite for jeans as they always fit me perfectly, although I've never had a pair of Jamies before.  Ripped jeans seem to be everywhere at the minute but this pair are ideal as they're not too OTT. I think I'll be taking a trip into town tomorrow to get myself a pair.

Nude lipsticks are my go-to lately and this YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick in the shade Beige Tribute is perfect. With a bronzed face and a casual smokey eye this lipstick would look amazing. 

Lastly, another Kate Spade item. I already have one too many iPhone cases (okay, maybe 5 too many), but I'm a sucker for pretty things so when I saw this cute scalloped case I obviously put it in my mental shopping basket. As it's made of silicon this would be ideal for me as I drop my phone more times than I would like to admit. 

What's on you wishlist?

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What's in my bag?

I'm a bag lady and always have been. I used to strut around my house, aged five, with at least 4 bags strategically hung over me. I'm also, as I've mentioned before, a bit of a Mary Poppins, cramming everything but my kitchen sink into what ever bag I've chosen that week. Sometimes, obviously, I'll just quickly grab my purse, keys and phone and dash out of the door but most days my poor bag will be stuffed. I'm still mostly using this bag because it is the perfect size for everything I need plus a little bit more.

Here's a quick round-up of what you can usually find in my bag.. Go on! Have a nose:

- Purse: I got his little navy gem in Mango while on holiday as my one was knackered. I love the leather look of this purse and it's the perfect size, with a zip and enough card slots for all of my many (unnecessary) cards.

- iPhone: Obviously. I'm addicted to the Buzzfeed app at the moment, especially the animal section. This had me laughing and 'aww'-ing in equal measures.

- iPod: A necessity for any stroll or train ride. I've been listening a lot to George Ezra & Warpaint lately.

- Sunglasses: 'Cause we're actually having a proper Summertime this year!

- Diary: I'm trying to cram a lot of things in to my month off so keeping this moleskin diary in my bag keeps me nice and organised.

- Keys: No-one likes being locked out.

- Water, a snack & some chewing gums: It's hot, I'm always hungry and sometimes snacks are smelly.

- Hair bands & Kirby grips: My hair is wild and will mostly do as it pleases, so sometimes a quick top knot is needed.

- Concealer, deodorant and hand cream: All hand-bag must-haves. Period.

- Lipbalm: This Burt's Bees lipbalm has recently become my favourite balm ever. It really moisturises my lips and stays on for ages despite my frequent snacking and constant chattering. 

What's in your bag?

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5 Things: Make-up Staples

I'm obsessed with make-up. There's nothing I don't like about it; buying it, organising it, wearing it. But lately, I've become abit lazier with applying my face and I've actually been kind of enjoying it. While I've still got a bit of a holiday glow going on I gather I can get away with wearing minimal make-up and I've been making the most of it before Autumn sets in and my foundation makes a come-back to cover the dreaded red nose and not-so-cute rosy cheeks.

I've been mainly sticking to these 5 staples lately:

Seventeen Va Va Voom Mascara - I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love Seventeen Mascaras. They always make my lashes look long & thick and never seem to budge (until cleansing time). Hurrah! Va Va Voom is a favourite that I've re-purchased at least three times.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - This is the concealer for any under-eye issues as it instantly perks up & brightens and as it's reasonably full-coverage it also hides any blemishes perfectly. 

No 7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Eyeliner - I've been using this in the shade 'Brown' to lightly fill my eyebrows and it's working better than most prodcuts I've tried. I also double up and use this if I want a little something more on my eyes. I just glide it along my lashline and smudge a little for an easy, casual smoky eye.

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Collection Privée - For someone who is usually all over a bold lip I've been really loving a nude lately. This shade 'Barely Peach' is the perfect pinky peach colour that really is a my-lips-but-better colour. This looks amazing with a bit of a tan and stays put for a good few hours.

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder - I recently picked this up while there was a 3 for 2 going on...Instablur & another Camomile Cleansing Butter were my other purchases for those wondering. I picked up the shade '02 Fair Matte' and it blends perfectly giving a warm glow with no orange hint in sight. I cannot stand shimmery bronzers as they looks so un-natural so this matte bronzer is perfection and is now definitely my favourite bronzer. Also, can we just admire how it looks?! SO pretty.

 What are your top 5 staples?

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My July...according to my iphone

 Up, up and away // Driving up way above the clouds // Best Bitches bracelets for my Best Bitch's birthday // Roses from my favourite // Palm tree views from the poolside // Early morning (hungover) dip // Sunsets over Adeje // The 'Boresome Foursome' // Coming home.

Reunited with my little woof // Double date night // Sunday chills // A freshly decorated room & new bedding will always excite me // Dinner date // Leaving drinks // My kind of breakfast // Catch-ups with my little loves // Gerberas

My last day at work felt like Christmas morning // Finally perfecting 'dippy egg' // Soaking up the sun & admiring VB.

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What's your July been like?

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July Favourites!

 July has been such a good month, but like every other month, it has flown by! Having handed my notice in at work so I can go to Uni and holidaying in Tenerife for two weeks, I've been feeling very happy and very Summery.

I've been after a pair of cat-eye style sunglasses for so long and when I found this pair in Topshop a week before my holiday, and they actually fit my tiny little pea-head I was a happy bunny. The tortoise shell frames are gorgeous and these were practically glued to my head for the entire holiday. For £16 these were a bargain and will serve me well for a good few more years yet.

After drinking water all-day, every-day on holiday and seeing what a difference it made to my skin, I've come home wanting to keep it up. When I saw this cup in Sainsbury's (similar here) last week I picked it up straight away in a bid to persuade myself to drink more water and I know it's silly but since I've had it I've been drinking alot more water than usual. It's funny to think that just having a cute cup has turned me into an avid water-drinker. The little things eh?

Another thing I've been going mad for are lemons. I've been slicing them up and freezing them to put in my little blue cup with my water and a bit of ice. It gives it a nice refreshing kick and is perfect on a hot Summer's day. I'm addicted.

I've been laying off of make-up this month as it's just been too hot. I don't like any product on my face in the heat other than a quick slick of bronzer, a bit of mascara and a nude lip. This NYX Butter Gloss in the shade Crème brûlée and MUA Lipstick in Bare have been the perfect combo. I've been patting on Bare and giving a slick of Crème brûlée over the top and viola, I'm ready.

After hearing great things about The Rosie Project I decided to pick it up to take on holiday and I'm so glad I did. This is the perfect light-hearted read for a day by the pool and I was hooked by the endearing and hilarious main character who had me laughing out loud. If you're off on your holidays or just looking for a new book to read, I couldn't recommend this enough!

What have you been loving this month?

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Shiny, soft locks in 30 seconds

Since coming back from my holiday I've noticed by hair is a bit dry, especially at the ends, from all of the sunshine.  Luckily, while I was away my lovely Mum ordered me a new Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil, since I ran out just before heading off. Argan Oil is a well known beauty must-have as it hydrates the hair as well as healing split-ends with the help of Omega 3 and essential fatty acids.

I use this oil after washing my hair while it is still damp. All you need is 1-2 pumps (depending on how thick/long your hair is), which is great as it means this stuff lasts for ages! I think my last bottle last me around 6/8 months, so for £5.50 you can't go wrong. Simply massage into the bottom half of your hair and as this is a leave-in treatment, you can then dry as normal. I use this pretty much every other day and my hair feels smooth, tamed and nourished.

Simple, shiny, soft locks in 30 seconds. What your hair must-have?

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Sun-Kissed Essentials

So after two weeks lounging by the pool in the sun and eating copious amount of (delicious) carbs, I'm home from Tenerife and have entered the usual 'Holiday Blues' stage. Although, all this beautiful weather in England has made it a little easier, and I just love watching the storms of an evening. One thing I love about being on holiday, besides the weather and relaxing, is getting a bit of a tan. Here are a few tips/products that I found great for my tan before, during and after my holiday.

Before

Before going away my Mum lent me this Elemis Tan Accelerator which I used daily 1-2 weeks before heading off on holiday. The lotion contains Tyrosine, an amino acid that is naturally present in the body, used by skin cells to form melanin, as well as Jojoba Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil and Shea Butter. The main idea of this lotion is that it moisturises your skin, leaving it supple and in great condition, therefore enhancing your tan. I love the smell of this lotion as it's not too strong but leaves a lovely clean scent on your skin after use.

During

Some people have the misconception that if you use suncream on holiday you won't tan, but this is not true. You will tan, but your skin will be more protected so you'll be able to be in the sun longer. Although I was applying factor 30 suncream religiously I still burnt on the first day and ended up with a pink chest and nose (painful and unattractive). So every night after being in the sun, I was using the Boots Soltan Moisturising Aftersun with tan prolonger, enriched by Cocoa Butter. This lotion soothes the skin while reducing any dryness which helps prevent any peeling . It also lasts around 12 hours so you wake up still feeling silky soft and moisturised.

After

Now, I've been home almost a week (sob) and I've been applying The Daily Smooth body lotion by Soap and Glory daily, smothering myself from head to toe. Moisturing daily is a must-do after a holiday if you want to keep your sun-kissed glow for longer. Keeping your skin hydrated will prevent peeling and stop your tan from fading so quickly. I love this lotion as I find it sinks in quickly, which is great as I'm both lazy and impatient when it comes to moisturing. It also smells amazing as it contains fragant notes of Magnolia, Vanilla & Freesia.

So far I've not peeled since being home and my tan is still as golden as it was last week. So if you're heading off on your Summer holidays, give these things a try and make sure to use SPF to keep your skin happy.

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