March Life Update / A Love For Krakow & Polish Vodka!

March has been one fun month - I had a great family weekend away to Krakow in Poland and it was great to chill, see Krakow and drink Polish vodka..!

Ten of us went away for a long, family weekend and I was so excited to visit Poland as I had never been before.  We stayed in gorgeous apartments on a little street just off of the main square in Krakow's Old Town, which had a lovely market running through the centre in the Krakow Cloth Hall and gorgeous buildings dating back to the 13th century.  The square was much bigger than I had expected, and have since found out it is one of the largest medieval squares in Europe.  St. Mary's Basilica is also on the main square and is such an impressive building, I wish we had the time to see inside the basilica!  We also passed by the gothic Wawel Castle while on our way to the Jewish Quarter.

The nightlife and bars in Krakow were great too, so many bars to choose from and all quirky little bars down cobbled streets off of the main square.  There were jazz bars, karaoke bars and a bar playing 90s pop music - from n*sync through to Samantha Mumba - I was in pop music heaven!

We had a great trip away and I feel like I laughed from start to finish!  Below are some of the photos from our weekend...

Town Hall Tower, Main Square Krakow

Group photo! 

Sister, Sister...

Wawel Castle, Krakow

Me & my little sis :)

First night of the trip..cosmopolitan of course! 

Best breakfast ever...

Town Hall Tower, Main Square Krakow

Having drinks (& a breadstick) under a blanket and heater outside :)

Cloth Hall, Main Square Krakow

Tourists ✌️

When I got back from my trip I spent a weeknight catching up with my close friends and we got to meet my friends new puppy, Daisy - isn't she the cutest!  She is so soft and fluffy and was so playful with us that I think she tired herself out by the time I took this photo..!

Towards the end of the month I got to see Ellie Goulding at the SSE Hydro, the show was amazing and she is so, so talented - what a voice! Beforehand we grabbed some Mexican tapas from Topolabamba in Glasgow, the chicken tinga quesadilla...mmm...
Really if you get the chance to go see Ellie Goulding I'd definitely recommend it.  My boyfriend and I got to see her playing in a square in San Francisco while we were on holiday last year and it was brining back lots of great memories!

I hope you have all enjoyed March and it is now officially SPRING! 🌸
Did you get up to anything exciting or had any trips away too?  I'd love to hear about them!

♥︎

High End Fashion Favourites

Fashion accessories are some of my favourite things, accessories can last so much longer than clothing as we move through new trends and styles and they can easily dress up or down an outfit - I love mixing and matching my accessories and outfits.  

Recently I've had a few high end fashion favourites that I am obsessed with, first being the Manolo Blahnik Drawings book.  Ok, so this is maybe a bit of a cheat fashion accessory but I've been loving it!  It's the perfect little coffee table book, one you can pick up every so often and enjoy insights from Anna Wintour on Blahnik's shoe designs while swooning at the drawings throughout the book.  It definitely makes you dream about buying a pair which is dangerous for my bank account..! 

From my dream shoe collection to one of my favourite pairs in my actual shoe collection - the gorgeous Alexander McQueen velvet embellished slippers.  They are black velvet with beading and embroidery across the top of the shoe creating a star emblem, I absolutely love how sparkly they are! They dress up so many outfits with the sparkles and they are comfy little slippers.

Ahhh the love of my life, my Burberry scarf.  This gorgeously soft cashmere scarf is made in Scotland, lightweight and beautifully designed.  I adore the colour of this, a beautiful plum purple with black and white detail, perfect with so many looks and light enough to still get away with wearing it in Spring and Autumn - it's so dreamy.

What are your favourite high end accessories at the moment?  

♥︎

The Body Shop / A Few Favourites

Skincare products with gorgeous scents have always made me swoon and recently I've been introduced to more products from The Body Shop which I'm loving at the moment.

Before Christmas I had The Body Shop advent calendar and I received a few gifts at Christmas too - lucky girl that I am!

Probably my favourite range from The Body Shop is the Fuji Green Tea collection, it's a lovely fresh, cleansing scent and not too overpowering so you could use the products daily.  The body scrub is a miniature I received in my advent calendar and it's a great travel size.  The scrub is really great and not too drying or irritating on the skin.

Another favourite miniature I have is the Shea Body Butter - mmm I love body butters, they are so soothing on your skin and The Body Shop have lovely creamy and rich products in so many scents!  Some body moisturisers and butters can irritate my (annoyingly sensitive) skin but I'm a-ok with The Body Shop Shea Body Butter...yay!

If you're looking for something fruity to remind you of those lovely winter scents then Frosted Plum is your guy.  It's such a lovely and warm yet refreshing scent, I love the small love heart soap I have and this scent really reminds me of Christmas - so what's not to love..!

If you're looking for a hit of moisture then the Wild Argan Oil collection is definitely worth checking out, it has a lovely fresh scent and unlike some shower gels it doesn't dry out my skin which is perfect!  Let's be honest...if Argan oil is good enough for our hair then it's definitely good enough for our skin.

Last but not least, another Fuji Green Tea staple in a lovely shower gel.  It cleanses and purifies and combined with the refreshing scent it's a perfect wake up call in your morning shower.  

What are your The Body Shop favourites?  Any products you just can't live without?

♥︎

My Everyday Make Up Routine

This post seems to be an oldie but a goodie with beauty bloggers so I thought I would join in!  Recently when I was clearing out my make up drawer I realised I have been sticking to the same everyday products for a while now and thought I'd share them with you all as they must be doing something right.

These are the products I tend to use during the week for work.  They keep my early morning make up routine quick and easy while helping everything to stay in place throughout the day.

Base Products

Primer / Benefit POREfessional Balm

Foundation / L'Oreal Infallible 24H Stay Fresh Foundation

Brush / MAC 190 Foundation Brush

Concealers / MAC Pro Longwear, MAC Studio Finish, Collection Lasting Perfection

Brows / Benefit Instant Brow Pencil

The Benefit POREfessional balm is something I've only just recently started using but it's great across the front of my cheeks, nose, forehead and chin.  It blends gently with a lovely velvet finish.  

Next it's my foundation I've previously posted a review of my L'Oreal Infallible 24H foundation here and I still really like it.  It has the perfect medium to high coverage for me without looking at all cakey so it's great for my everyday base, the MAC foundation brush is also a goody at blending the product across my face nicely.  

All three concealers I love - MAC Pro Longwear for blemishes, MAC Studio Finish for redness around my nose and jaw line and Collection Lasting Perfection for under my eyes.  They are all creamy and last for most of the day which is perfect for me!  

For easy-peasy everyday brows I've been using Benefit's Instant Brow Pencil for months now.  It takes me about 30 seconds to sort them out with this during the week so I definitely think it helps to give you, as they put it, instant brows!  

Eye Products
Eyeshadow / Zoeva Taupe Eye Palette
Eye Brushes / MAC 217 Blending Brush & Zoeva 227 Luxe Soft Definer
Mascara / Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara
Eyelash Curlers / Shu Uemura

I tend to keep my eyes neutral during the week, I really only try and brighten them up with a light, cream shimmer or a light pink or taupe purple eyeshadow.  The Zoeva and MAC eyeshadow brushes are great, it's so easy sweep colour on and blend to make it look super natural.
Chanel's Inimitable Intense Mascara is perfect.  It adds length and curl to your lashes without clumping, the product is also well distributed along the brush - I told you it was perfect..!
The Shu Uemura eyelash curlers are so highly raved about and for good reason, they are great at creating and holding a curl without catching your eyelid.

Setting Products
Bronzer / MAC Bronzing Powder
Bronzer Brush / Victoria Jackson
Blush / Benefit Dandelion Brightening Finishing Powder
Powder / Laura Mercier Translucent Powder
Powder Brush / MAC x Elie Goulding 129 Powder Brush

The MAC Bronzing Powder has lasted me sooo long!  It's a lovely shimmer bronzer which helps to warm my face and neck.  I use the Victoria Jackson brush which I received as a gift a few years ago but it's a lovely large brush so it's quick to apply bronzer in the morning.  My blush is a perfect amount of nude pink to add some colour to my face (which is especially handy on those early mornings!) it's such a lovely, natural blush with a slight sheen to it.
To finish my look I set the front of my cheeks, nose, forehead and chin with the gorgeous Laura Mercier Translucent Powder.  The MAC x Elie Goulding powder brush is the perfect size for this to sweep the product across your face, easy peasy!

There you have it!  The make up products I use on a daily basis, mostly during the week and at work.  

Do you love any of these products or have any recommendations?  

♥︎

February Life Update / Wedding Planning!

It's the end of February already, say whaaaat.  It's the shortest month of year yet it still went in far too quickly!  But in this short month I've managed to cram in a few bits and pieces, such as lots of blog prep, a few nights out and wedding planning - it's time for my February life update.

So I've had a couple of big blog planning days, which have really helped me to stay organised and stay ahead of my blog schedule.  I find having a block of time to work through all my posts and emails really makes a difference and keeps me in the blogging zone!

Behind the scenes...

Most of my time this month has been spent on Pinterest looking at lots of wedding inspiration and doing some wedding planning, exciting times!  I've definitely started to annoy my mum and my sister with all the ideas Graeme and I have, we have booked a few key things for our day so we're getting there, slowly but surely.  Pinterest has made me realise I love metallic golds and blush pinks together, so beautiful.  This could end up being our theme (ahh!), we shall wait and see!

Major wedding inspo!

Me & my mumma at the vintage wedding fair ♥︎

Sending dress ideas to my bridesmaids..!

Relaxing days out and in have also been amazing this month (but let's be honest, a relaxing Lush bath is always amazing!), one of my favourite days was going to a great little cafe with handmade tea cosies - there's always a new one to see and this month I had a cute little Scotty dog.

Scotty dog tea cosy!

Bath time - Lush of course..!

Finally, I've ended the month with some fun nights out with my friends ♥︎ a lot of us went for an old school night and decided to go bowling, I wasn't great at it but it was so fun.  Afterwards we headed out for a few drinks and there is nothing better than going into a bar and bumping into one of your best friends!  We all had such a great night - one of those when you can't stop smiling and laughing.   

Bumping into my friend on a night out

I hope you've had a great month, what are the highlights of February for you?  

♥︎

My Beauty Wish List / Make Up Forever, Charlotte Tilbury & More!

Lately I have been lusting over some lovely beauty products, watching YouTube tutorials and reading blog posts gives me so much beauty inspiration!  These are a few products creeping to the top of my wish list...

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette The Vintage Vamp
You really can't go wrong with Charlotte Tilbury in my opinion, I've only tried a couple of her products so far but I've loooved them - they feel like a real treat!  Charlotte Tilbury has various eyeshadow quads (9 I believe) but I think The Vintage Vamp would suit my paler skin, the brown/red/cranberry shades against the gold and light shimmers would look beautiful.

Oh and of course - Charlotte Tilbury packaging brings out all the heart eyed emojis in me.  ♥︎

Make Up Forever Ultra HD Stick Foundation
This one is purely down to my sister raving about it so much!  Stick foundations always remind me of the horrible pan sticks you used to get which wouldn't blend easily and leave your face looking a bit grubby.
Stick foundations have definitely moved on since then however I've never tried one, this Make Up Forever Ultra HD Stick claims to create a flawless finish with medium to full coverage with a lightweight texture.  My sister loves it, saying that it's so quick and easy to apply and blend out, giving you a flawless complexion.

Debenhams now stock Make Up Forever which is a very dangerous move for my bank balance..!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer 
Now we all know Anastasia is the queen of eyebrow definition (honestly, how does she manage to make the most perfect products?!), so understandably everyone including myself has been eager to try her latest brow definer which has been 2 years in the making!  This is a retractable triangular pencil which is designed to be used in various ways to achieve the perfect brows, it's able to create thin hairs and also thick strokes for bolder brows.

Have you already tried this?  I'm currently using the brow wiz and I'm in love!

Artis Oval Brush 
I say this is on my beauty wish list, but I probably wouldn't buy one because they are so expensive, it's really just because I'm so intrigued by them - Jaclyn Hill I'm looking at you and your YouTube videos!  The Artis brushes use CosmoFibre which claims to produce a more uniformed and blended finish to your make up without holding onto so much of the product you're applying.  Since the face brush can be quite large I'd imagine it would take less time to apply your make up too.

They look like an old school hair brush (and some eye brushes look like toothbrushes) but I'm definitely interested to see what they're like.  Have you got one of these brushes?  What do you think?

Let me know what's on your beauty wish list this month!

♥︎

Lush Haul / Million Dollar Moisturiser, Rose Jam & More!

A classic blogpost this week...a Lush haul!  Having some Lush products always feels like a treat and one of life's simple pleasures.  There are always so many new products to try or classics which I haven't even got to yet.  

This weeks post is full of products I haven't tried before (I know, once you see some of them you'll be wondering why it has taken me so long!) and surprisingly enough, no bath products will be appearing in this haul which is definitely new for me!  

Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub

This shower scrub is sooo refreshing and the most beautiful shade of blue.  It's packed with sea salt and has an uplifting and cleansing scent, the scrub is gentle on the skin and can also be used to add shine to your hair - I've still to try it in my hair right enough!  

Million Dollar Moisturiser Bionic Facial Moisturiser
This is such a beautiful, creamy moisturiser that's perfect for the cold winter months, the moisture is intense and really lasts - which I love - as I'm prone to dry skin during winter.  A combination of almond, sesame seed and oatmeal makes this a soothing and nourishing face moisturiser while the addition of reflective pigments add some glow and highlight to your face - pretty, pretty!

Shine So Bright Hair Balm for Split Ends
This is a product I didn't even know Lush had!  I've only ever seen split end oils in bottles but never in a nifty little tin combining coconut oil, olive oil and shea butter.  I've only used this a few times so far but find it handy to keep in my handbag as I do have pleeenty split ends which can be doing with some love every now and then!

Rose Lollipop Lip Balm

Another handbag essential, a lovely light rose scented lip balm.  More shea butter is packed into this along with rose oil and it's hydrating and nourishing for my lips - a nifty little lip product.  

Rose Jam Shower Gel
Ok so this one I know so many people love, the lovely rosy shower gel with vanilla, goji berry and argan oil.  Sometimes I find rose scents overpowering but this is a gentle fragrance and the shower gel is actually nice and hydrating on your skin - I'm sold on this one!

 

Have you tried any of these Lush products?  Let me know what you think of them!  

♥︎