The Inspiration Post #3

Wow hasn't March went by so quickly?! I've been crazy busy with work this month but I have also been lucky enough to spend a long weekend in Barcelona at the end of March which was amazing.  I had time to chill out and enjoy spending time with friends and family in a beautiful city - and that's exactly what my inspiration is this month.

There really is so much to see in Barcelona, from Cathedrals and Gaudi's architecture dotted around the city to magic fountains and a relaxing beach to stroll along - it's perfect for being the ultimate tourist (yes, we were on the open top bus!) while also taking the time to chill out with some drinks and soaking up the atmosphere of the city.

Sights of the City

I really am so lucky to live in Europe and only be a few hours away from some of the most beautiful cities in the world.  There is a lot history in Barcelona and by just walking around the city you get to experience so much of it.

Sagrada Familia - Inside

Sagrada Familia - Inside

Sagrada Familia - Outside

Sagrada Familia - Outside

Gaudi has such a strong presence in the city, from the decorative lamp posts to the incredible Sagrada Familia.  The building is still under construction and has been in the works since 1882, with the expected completion date of 2026!  This famous structure was Gaudi's life work and he believed his client, God, was in no hurry to see it finished.  There is so much symbolism across the building, with one side representing God's life, and the other, His death.  Inside the Sagrada Familia is absolutely stunning, there are many columns which are similar to trees and branches with incredible detail and symbolism throughout - it really is amazing to see!

Catedral de Barcelona

I was staying in the Gothic Quarter of the city which is full of gorgeous buildings complete with strong balconies and beautiful shutters, I was also around the corner from the Cathedral de Barcelona, an impressive building which is in the typical Catalan Gothic style and structure.  We frequently had breakfast at a restaurant at the corner of this cathedral so we got to experience some lovely views in the square.

While we were in Barcelona we also had the opportunity to see more buildings across the city and the famous Camp Nou football stadium.

Camp Nou

Beautiful Buildings in Barcelona

Casa Mila

Quality Time with Friends and Family

While I loved seeing the beautiful sights of Barcelona, I really enjoyed spending quality time with my friends and family, ten of us were over in Barcelona and it was great catching up and really spending the full weekend laughing while having drinks and eating a lot of tapas!  

I feel so lucky to have great family and friends around me, some of my family have experienced a difficult time this month so it is really important to make the most of the time you have and to make sure you spend it with those who matter most to you, making every moment count.  

So there you have it! My time in a beautiful city and those closest to me are my inspiration this month, what are you inspired by at the moment? 

Leave a comment and let me know, I'd love to hear about how your month has been. :)

Have a great weekend everyone! ♥︎

Travel Beauty & Skincare Tips

I’m lucky enough to be heading off on a trip to Barcelona this weekend (I will be spending my time like an ultimate tourist while you are reading this post..!) and something I was trying to master this week before my travels was packing light.  

Now, when it comes to my outfits, bag and shoe choices I’m not great at packing light, however I believe I’m starting to make a breakthrough on the beauty front.  

I have some tips below that I try to follow when packing for a trip away.  

Miniatures and Samples are your Best Friend

This is something I always forgot about.  Every beauty lover out there must have the odd miniature hair care set, sample of foundation or shower gel from magazines and little pots of make up and skincare samples from beauty counters.  

I would usually have these things stored all over the place, some magazine samples under the bathroom sink, beauty counter samples at the back of my make up drawer and hair care sets in my cupboard waiting to be used.  I might be late to the party on this but recently I put all of my miniature products - no matter their category or purpose - into one of those large Boots bags and I never realised just how many handy, miniature products I had! 

Now whenever I pack for a trip I always start off with my Boots bag full of goodies I tend to forget about.  

Don’t Stop Decanting

An oldie but a goodie.  I recently invested in some mini clear bottles for some of my larger beauty products such as hair oil, heat protectant, cleansers and foundation (preferably one with a pump to save taking those heavy glass bottles away with you!).  

Another great space saver if you wear contact lenses (or know someone that does), is to use old cases for serums, primers, concealers and eye creams - anything balmy or with a creamy consistency which you really don’t need a lot of on your trip.  A couple of these cases can save you the space of 4 bottles in your skincare and beauty bag! 

Streamline the Collection

While you are decanting and pulling some of your favourite products from your own version of the ‘large Boots bag’, consider streamlining a lot of the products you need to use while you’re away.  Could you use the same moisturiser day and night?  Remember to pick one without SPF if you do this.  Consider taking a cleanser that is also great at removing eye make up, oils and balms are great for this.  Highlighters and bronzers can also look great as eyeshadows and cheek tints also work great as a lip tint.  

I hope you found these tips useful!

If you have any others (especially for clothing and accessories in my case..!) then I’d love to hear about them.  

Have a great weekend! ♥︎

Spring Perfume Picks

Don’t these lighter mornings and nights just get you so excited about Spring time?  It’s so refreshing after a dark Winter (as much as Winter is one of my favourite seasons!).  

  

As it’s coming into Spring I’ve been thinking about using different skincare, make up, nail polishes and perfumes.  

I’m set on some of my Spring/Summer scents and thought I’d share them with you, they are all a bit lighter, fresher and floral than some of my Autumn/Winter picks.

Marc Jacobs Daisy

I feel like this scent is quickly becoming a classic, I’ve also got Marc Jacobs Lola and Daisy Dream, but I always go back to the classic Daisy perfume.  

It’s a light, floral scent which is feminine and sophisticated, with top notes of strawberry and violet leaves and base notes of musk and vanilla infusion, I was surprised when I loved this so much! I initially thought that mix would be too intense for me, but it's definitely becoming a staple in my perfume collection.  

Chanel Chance

Another light, floral scent for Spring.  Chanel Chance has a vibrant fruity scent with notes of white musk, pink pepper, jasmine, orris absolute and amber patchouli - to name a few!  I really love this perfume and with it being a Chanel fragrance, it feels like a real treat when I wear it.  

DKNY Women

I’m sure I have worn this perfume since I was in my teens, and it’s one that has stuck with me ever since! I haven’t come across another perfume with a similar scent to it, I think it’s so unique.  The fragrance has an interested mix of blood orange, mandarin, vodka and tomato leaf top notes, which are complimented by yellow waterlily and green coral orchids.  The base notes are white birch and tulip tree bark.  You would never think these scents would work well together but they do, it creates a zesty, energising yet floral and feminine fragrance which I love.  

What scents are you thinking of wearing throughout Spring?

Are any of these scents your favourite too?

Tom Ford is my homeboy...

Happy Saturday everyone! ♥︎

I've been enjoying wearing more jewellery recently and thought I would let you know about one of my favourite pieces - it's a fun item I wear over the weekends and it's completely customisable!

It's this Tatty Devine Speech Bubble necklace which I purchased a few years ago, it's still available from their website and is currently £30.
It's a white perspex speech bubble on a gold chain with your customised message in black text, I opted for 'Tom Ford is my homeboy' as I love fashion and let's be honest - Tom Ford can do no wrong with his fashion, fragrance and beauty collections!

Why not think of your favourite movie or tv show quote?  Or is there a #beautybloggerproblems quote you love?  Let me know what you would opt for!

Do you have a favourite fun statement necklace, I'd love to find out about more items I could purchase!

The Inspiration Post #2

It's time for my 2nd inspiration post of the year!  I started off thinking of a few things that were inspiring me this month, and the first couple of the month happened to be women I look up to.  As the month went on I realised I have been loving more amazing women so this has become The Inspiration Post #2: The Women Issue.

Photo from US Magazine

Beyonce

So, what can I say about Queen B?  She is a powerhouse and a very inspirational woman.
Most recently she has been inspiring me with her energetic songs and powerful performances, just making me think WOW - if she can do it so can I!  She loves to break the rules, works so hard and does it all with so much confidence.  And not gonna lie, I still love watching her autobiographical TV movie, Life Is But A Dream.

As Beyonce once said, 'The most alluring thing a women can have is confidence.'

Victoria Beckham
What I love about Victoria Beckham is that she has such a strong work ethic which has got her to where she is today.  She is experiencing amazing success with her fashion company Victoria Beckham and it is one of the most talked about shows at New York Fashion Week.
This didn't all happen overnight for Victoria and she really worked so hard to make the company a success, initially introducing wardrobe staples such as a basic dress and making them effortlessly stand out.
And of course, she is a Spice Girl!!  Every girls dream.

'I want my kids to have a good work ethic.  I believe you can achieve anything if you work hard enough to get it.' Victoria Beckham

Photo from Elle UK

Emma Watson

Ok, this is one amazing woman.  I've loved her while watching my beloved Harry Potter movies, loved that she decided to go to University after her movie success and then of course, becoming a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador.  Her speech as part of the HeForShe campaign was incredible and I love that it got so much attention, really bringing the issue of gender inequality to the forefront.
If you haven't watched her speech yet, search YouTube for 'Emma Watson HeForShe Speech' and it will be a very interesting and thought provoking 10 minutes of your day.

'If not me, who? If not now, when?' Emma Watson

Photo from Emerson-Renaldi.com

Diane von Furstenberg

What a woman.
Introducing her infamous and forever-in-style wrap dress in the 1970's, creating a perfect balance of flattering and enhancing women's curves and being suitable for every occasion makes DVF's iconic dress such a classic.  Even when marrying into the House of Furstenberg (yes, she was a princess!), she knew she still wanted her own career and to be her own person.  She is such a strong, empowering woman and encourages this in other women through her support and commitment to philanthropic causes.

One of my all time favourite inspirational quotes comes from Diane, 'The success of every single woman is an inspiration for another'.  

These are just a few of the women currently inspiring me, there are of course so many amazing women to look up to - past and present.
I hope this post has inspired you to follow your dreams and go kick butt!  

Alpha-H: The Fruit Acid Exfoliator

Something I came across about a year ago was information on fruit acid exfoliators and how they are amazing for your skin.  Of course, being a bit of a skincare and beauty junkie I was looking forward to trying out something a bit different to help look after my skin.

After a bit of research I came across Alpha-H, an Australian brand producing skincare for males and females of any age.  They offer a lot of products with the key ingredient of Glycolic Acid - now I know what some of you might be thinking, we're told acidic products, foods and drinks are pretty bad for us - but don't be put off by this brand or the products, I believe they really do work and make a difference.  The gentle fruit acid in these products helps to lift away dead skin cells, keep your face feeling moisturised and really brightens up the skin.

To try out a few of their products I purchased the Alpha-H Exfoliation Experts Kit, which comes with a 30ml Liquid Gold Smoothing & Perfecting Mask, a 30ml Micro Cleanse and a 12g Gentle Daily Exfoliant.

They offer lots of different kits with similar sized products, so I would definitely recommend purchasing one if you're looking to try out their products!
I chose the Exfoliation Experts Kit because whenever my skin is in need of a pick-me-up, a good exfoliator tends to do the trick washing away my dry skin and any other impurities.

Liquid Gold Smoothing & Perfecting Mask
A weekly, lavender scented face mask which helps to brighten and clean your skin.  It has a tingling sensation and shouldn't be kept on for more than 10 minutes - it truly is a great product.  I see a great improvement in my skin when I use this mask and it helps to bring the natural moisture back into my skin.

Micro Cleanse
This one is a twice weekly glycolic exfoliator with micro beads to really give your skin a gentle, yet deep cleanse.  I dampen my face with warm water on a small sponge, then apply the cleanser in circular motions.  I then use a warm, damp cloth to remove the product afterwards - leaving my skin feeling super smooth!

Gentle Daily Exfoliant
This is quite a unique product which comes in powder form with papaya and pineapple.  Once my skin is clean with my standard daily cleanser, I'll add a small amount to my hand and add a few drops of water to create a paste, I then massage all over my face in circular motions and rinse well with warm water.  It works as a great product to wake up my skin and keep it feeling refreshed.

Have you tried any of the Alpha-H products and have a favourite?
I'd love to hear about other exfoliators you swear by!

My Everyday Drugstore Foundation

Towards the end of last year I was on the hunt for the perfect drugstore foundation for everyday use.
I had been using my MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW15 for everyday use as I'm so in love with it, however I was looking for a more affordable solution for everyday wear.

I paid a visit to Boots and spent a good amount of time in there (as you do!) looking at all the foundation options.  I ended up purchasing two Bourjois foundations as they were on a 2 for £15 or something like that (can't remember the amount of money sorry!), but individually it's usually £10.99.  I purchased the Bourjois Happy Light foundation in No 51 Rose Vanilla and also the Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation in No 51 Light Vanilla.

I have tried them both out and I'm just about finished the Happy Light foundation, however I must say my favourite of the two is the 123 Perfect foundation.

It claims to give a 'Flawless complexion, even to perfection' and I'd totally agree!  It has medium coverage, I usually have to put a bit of concealer on those pesky spots and under my eyes, but I really do believe it gives me a flawless finish which isn't too matte or too dewy - just a nice happy medium.
The great thing about this is it doesn't budge all day, my shade is pretty light and I love to pop on a flush of blusher and it gives a really fresh looking complexion.  On top of all that it has a handy pump - what's not to love?

What's your go-to everyday foundation?