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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WISHLIST #3 - NET-A-PORTER EDITION

 Bikini Top - Bikini Bottoms - Sunglasses - Nail Varnish - Bag -  Shoes - Watch

I was planning on posting my June Favourites today but as my room has been completely boxed up, (it's being decorated while I'm away next week, hurrah!) I stupidly packed everything, including my camera. So instead, here's a wishlist of all things Net-a-Porter that I've been seriously lusting over. This wishlist really is a wishlist, what with paying for my holiday and leaving full-time work next month, I can't really go splurging on another bag (can I?!).

This bikini by J.Crew is bloody gorgeous. I love the high-waisted fit of the bottoms as they look super flattering but I tend to avoid them as I think a high-waisted tan would look abit odd. The yellow is the perfect summer shade and with a tan, would look gorgeous. I love the monochrome floral print as it's feminine but not too cutesy. Winner.

I'm a bit of a fiend for sunglasses lately. Despite having a decent pair that will last me for years, I managed to buy another pair today and I've still got my eye on these Marc Jacobs beauties. The pretty peachy-pink frames and gold polka-dot arms have drawn me in. Spare £100 anyone?

Nail Varnishes are definitely something I don't need any more off. I have every shade under the sun...but this Deborah Lippmann one in the shade 'Video Killed the Radio Star'. This electric blue would look great during the Summer and in the Winter as a bold pop of colour for any neutral outfit. 

I've never realised how great Victoria Beckham's range of clothing/bags were until roaming Net-a-Porter and now I could have an entire VB wishlist. This bag is such a stunning colour (still obsessed with orange if you hadn't noticed) and I think this would look amazing with so many outfits. I love the zip detail and I'm longing for this bag hard.

Leopard print has never really been 'my thing' but these Charlotte Olympia espadrille pumps are so cute. I'm not a fan of the calf-hair but I love the metallic cat embroidery over the toes. These would look great with a pair of blue Leigh jeans and a loose-fit, v-neck white t-shirt for a casual but fun outfit.

The final thing on my wishlist is this Larsson & Jennings watch. I made a big mistake when buying my last watch. A beautiful rose-gold Marc Jacobs beauty...with a white leather strap. Within a couple of months the strap was looking a bit worse for wear and finding a replacement is proving hard. So, this black Italian suede watch is exactly what I want...need. Basic but beautiful; a black & gold watch that would go with pretty much everything.

Whats on your wishlist lately?

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P.S I'm now on holday until the 15th so posts will resume after! Have a good fortnight x

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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