SO SWEET

I'm always in two minds about Valentines Day.  Part of me feels we have only just finished Christmas so why should be splash out on more gifts for a day invented by Hallmark?  The other part of me loves the pretty pink and pastel gifts filling the stores and wants them all!  Who doesn't like receiving flowers or lingerie?  

I thought I would pull an edit together of beautiful, Valentine worthy presents that I for one would love to receive all for under £30.  A little super pretty, thoughtful gift that will brighten your week and won't kill his bank balance.  Whether you adore the Coco Chanel Print, the lace lingerie or the Diptyque solid perfume (my fave) just send this post over to him.  Because all the best gifts start with a hint!

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Frilled Lace Bra - £17 & other stories

Frilled Lace Briefs - £12 & other stories

Agate Bottle Opener - £16 Anthropology

Fleur De Lys Tumblers - £6 Each Anthropology

Diptyque Rose Mundi Mini Candle - £28 John Lewis

Diptyque Rose Mundi Solid Perfume - £30 John Lewis

Huile Volupté Tint-In-Oil - £23.50 YSL

The French Beauty Solution - £21 Amazon

Coco Chanel Perfume Print - 11x14'' £21 PeachAndGold @ Etsy

Spring is about getting back on track after a busy, indulgent season of festivities.  This means getting back to healthy eating, fixing tired skin and restoring over-styled hair.  I've never been loyal to one haircare brand and to be honest I don't spend as much time on my hair as I do on skincare.  I have a few favourite products but I am easily swayed by some pretty packaging or a good deal.  

A few weeks ago the lovely team at Lee Stafford sent me over a selection of their Arganoil from Morocco products.  The next time I washed my tired, over-processed hair I used Lee's Nourishing Shampoo, Conditioner and the Deep Nourishing Treatment.  I was left with supersoft, hydrated, silky locks after the first wash!  After 3 or 4 washes with the Arganoil range my hair felt healthy and restored.  

Although all the products worked wonders, my must have was the Deep Nourishing Treatment which I have purchased again since and am completely obsessed with.  After shampooing just coat hair in an egg sized scoop of the thick conditioner and leave for a few minutes for amazing results.  The treatment is currently £9.99 in Boots (usually £14.99) and will last you ages!  Give it a go and beat the January hair blues.  Shop this and more of my favourites below now.

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DIP YOUR TOES INTO SS17

What better way to update your look for the new year than to treat yourself to a pair of new season shoes?  One of my favourite looks for Spring is the naturally wild trend filled with woven textures, suede, canvas and tribal prints.  Khaki jackets, cream linen shirts and blanket knitwear is key along with a pair of hero forever shoes.  My must-have favourite pieces are sketched above and ready for you to shop below.  Which would you chose?  Wear now with jeans and a natural knit and in the Spring with a linen shift dress and tan leather belt.

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Brr.  It doesn't matter how much I keep wishing that Spring would start it just doesn't seem to get any warmer.  The days fluctuate between between icy, snowy and just plain cold.  All of my favourite shoes are just looking at me from the shelf but it is far too cold to wear ANY of them.  

Then these gold, embroidered, fur lined beauties arrived at my door!  They are so cosy it feels like I'm wearing my slippers out of the house.  They brighten up the most monochrome outfit including this simple all black ensemble.  If you haven't checked out Shein.com before then hop over and take a look.

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Gold Loafers - £29.73 Shein.com

Scarf - Oak & Fort

Coat - New Look

Hat - Primark

LOVE YOUR SKIN IN 2017

One of my New Year's Resolutions for 2017 is to look after myself.  This includes looking at my skincare and finding some great products to simplify my beauty regime and save time.  My beauty cupboard dream is to have a carefully edited collection of products that work brilliantly and I can throw on in around five minutes.

Nothing beats the excitement of a fresh beauty box landing on my desk during a long day in the office.    Beauty boxes give you the opportunity to experiment with different brands without committing to a full sized product that may not work for my skin.  My recent favourite is by London brand Latest in Beauty and is customisable!  You heard it, you can actually select which products you want to try.  No more of that slight sadness when you get a product that you already have.  You start by filling out a few questions and then you can choose to shop from an edit that is aimed at your skin, hair and general concerns.  From there you select to receive either 3, 6 or 9 products.  There are so many to choose from with a new item launching daily.  

For a special event or a midweek treat there is even a choice of one off special collection boxes where LiB collaborate with some great brands.  I am lusting over the new Refinery29 box which includes  Smith & Cult lip lacquer, Finery London bangles, Living Proof 5 in 1 styling treatment and lots more.

For my first Latest in Beauty box I chose the 9 product box and spent a very fun 10 minutes filling my it with goodies.  I chose a Bubble T Macaroon lip balm, Dr Hauschka night serum, Nip + Fab cleansing pads, MUA face palette, Dr Organic dead sea mineral face scrub, Burts Bees lip shimmer, Rodial superfood balm, Lanolips and Burts Bees hydrating serum.  

When my box arrived I was really impressed with lots of the items being full sized.  I won't run through them all but here are a few of my favourites.  The Burts Bees lip shimmer is amazing and I have wanted to try it forever.  It's butter soft and leaves lips hydrated whilst having a strong colour.  The red shade looks as great as a good red lipstick and lasts for hours.  Another product I loved was the MUA face palette which has been my go to since it arrived.  There are some easy everyday shades including a sheer apricot alongside darker aubergine shades to create a beautiful smokey eye.  The creamy contouring colours are perfect for easy highlights.  

If you haven't been on the newly launched Latest in Beauty site hop over and take a look now at www.latestinbeauty.com.  

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Treat yourself and your skin this Spring with a Latest in Beauty Box here.