Making A New House Feel Like Home

I've moved house a fair few times throughout the years, I think this is possibly my twelfth home now! The last move being in November, we moved into a brand new apartment, I was so excited at the prospect of everything being fresh, airy and new, with all white walls, an office and fluffy grey carpets... 

I didn't quite expect things to feel (and be!) quite so cold. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love having white walls, but they can be quite flat and uninviting - not really cosy or homely, especially if they're blue toned. Normally after a move things for me usually tend to just fall into place and feel like home in the end, this time I really had to work to make things feel cosy and like home.
Here's a few things I focused on to make things feel a little more homely, ideal if you just want to switch up your home too!

Add Greenery

Not only will adding plants help to improve indoor air quality, they really bring a place to life too! Cacti and Succulents are great no fuss plants to have around the home, perfect for adding a pop of colour with fresh bursts of green in every room!

Fresh blooms are always a good idea when trying to feel at home, I'm obsessed with buying cheap bunches of pink tulips at the moment, they instantly bring life, vibrance and brighten up the home.

Put Your Faves On Display

Fill the home with your favourite things - whether it's arranging a shelf with pieces from a hobby that you love, piling and stacking books or putting ornaments, trinkets or crystals on display. Make sure that there's something that you love out in every room, several things if you can! That way, when you go to grab a great read, or pick up a calligraphy pen or knitting needles, you discover new nooks and spaces for reading and doing the things that you love.

Light Candles 

If you've just moved, I wouldn't opt to light a brand new candle straight away, instead, choose an old favourite, a familiar scent that's stuck with you for years or that reminds you of home. Diptyque Baies ticks those boxes for me, a heavenly scent with delicate rose and fresh blackcurrant leaves, the warmth and depth feels like my home at spring to me, it's just so appealing!

Set Up Areas In Similar Ways To Recreate That Feeling Of Home

My dressing table is pretty much the same set up as in my last home, everything's just how I like it and it feels familiar - like home. Whether it's styling your shelves, bedside table or setting up your kitchen in way that you know, settle in and then make any necessary changes later on!

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Christmas Home Updates

I'm not sure whether it's my recent move, 2016's generally grim vibes or this sudden mild weather but I've felt a lot less festive this year. With our apartment finally unpacked and embellished with tinsel, candles and festive decor, I'm hoping that things will start to pick up a bit and I'll begin to feel a little more excited for Christmas soon!

To get me in the festive mood I've started burning The White Company's Winter candle, a divine pick with warming notes of orange, cinnamon and clove - it smells like Christmas in a jar! A cosy treat to light on an evening, the scent fills the whole room. It's ideal for burning whilst watching a Christmas film or two!

I've also decorated my dressing table for the occasion with candles, baubles and trinkets. I've pulled out a few festive beauty faves too - red lipsticks, sparkly eyeshadows and glittery nail polishes for the party season (see my festive beauty picks here!).

The shelves are adorned with bells, lights and yet more candles (I'm obsessed with this dreamy soy Anthropologie set!), I have my Roberts Radio playing HeartXmas and I've been whipping up cinnamon hot chocolates to sip on in my favourite new Anthropologie mug whilst the tree twinkles merrily in the corner.

My bathroom is still smelling incredible, thanks to my Lush Christmas Stash! My top picks this year have been the Magic Wand, a heavenly, candy sweet bubble bar and Sleepy, a dreamy, soft lavender body cream. I really need to pop back to stock up on some more bits, or perhaps splurge on a gift set!

Here's to hoping that things will start to feel more christmassy from now on, I think I'll pop on Elf or Arthur Christmas later and crack open a tub of Quality Street to try and make things more festive still!

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A Wintry Home Wishlist

Lately I've been pining for wintry picks for my new home, there's something about an upcoming move that just makes me want to invest in new pieces! M&S currently have some incredible Anthropologie/West Elm style decor for just a fraction of the price and the Anthropologie Christmas collection is a dream! Here's a little round up of my current favourite picks...

Crisp Mornings And Spooky Nights

With a little over a week to go before Halloween, it's certainly feeling quite festive around here. Pumpkins scattered in front of stores, dew-dripped cobwebs draped over almost every surface, early morning mists and clowns...let's not talk about the clowns *shudders*.

The crisp autumn mornings call for steaming mugs of cinnamon tea, laced with honey and with a splash of fresh almond milk for a comforting brew. I've been bundled up in cloud like robes, enjoying early Lush baths (the autumn leaf bath bomb is divine!) and marvelled at the rainbows and light dances in my home as the tree's whip wildly in the biting breeze and multicoloured leaves drift past the window panes.

The evening's are spent wrapped up in blankets, reading by candlelight and indulging in Halloween treats. I've revelled at the return of vampy make up and splurged on glittering rose gold eyeshadows, stocked up on Lush treats and filled my home with festive decor!

My shelves are decorated with pumpkins, candles and my beloved Quiddich Harry. The West Elm brass Love object and rifle paper co print aren't really too fitting for Halloween but I thought they looked cute nonetheless!

With plans to carve pumpkins so that they can flicker eerily on our balcony, re-watch stranger things and bake butterscream cupcakes this week, I'm really looking forward to Halloween!

Autumn Dressing Table

As you can probably see, I've been getting into the Halloween spirit quite early this year! I normally throw up a few decorations on the week of Halloween but with an upcoming move on the horizon I'm enjoying the decorations before they have to be tidied up and packed away.

I bought the cute gold Trick or Treat banner for a steal from paperchase in the summer sales (they're available now here), I cut mine to size before hanging it above my dressing area - I love the way it looks!

I've also planted a few diptyque candles atop my dressing table, they look beautiful flickering in the low autumn morning light and help to brighten up the space. Pomander is a favourite, with orange, cinnamon and clove it's ideal for frosty autumn mornings!

For beauty, I'm still so drawn to blush and gold's but I've also added burgundy tones, berries and hints of copper for autumn. 

The Nars blush in Dolce Vita is a beautiful pigmented berry red blusher that packs a punch, you only need a small amount for rosy, flush cheeks!
I'm all about dewy skin this autumn and the Topshop Glow in Polish is a heavenly pick - it's a gorgeous iridescent highlighter, the pearl pink/peach tones lift the complexion and give a divine, luminous glow. 

My eyes are made festive with a smudge of purple along the lower lash line, ideal for the lead up to Halloween. Or, for an every day pick the silvery, sparkly rose gold tones of the Illamasqua eyeshadow in Jubilance brightens up tired eyes and looks unreal paired with a berry lip!

Lastly, I've pulled out my favourite nail polish picks for this time of the year, Essie Sole Mate, a glossy vampy berry is an autumn staple and Essie Summit of Style is a gorgeous bronze glittery pick, ideal for an accent nail! 

What do you think of my autumn set up?

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Blush & Gold

The light, hazy summer days are slowly coming to a close and finally cooler days, crisp autumn mornings, cinnamon spiced hot chocolates and squashy blankets are on the horizon! It's that strange time of year where the weather feels unsettled and leaves me reaching for sunglasses and a scarf (plus always an umbrella, typical British weather!). The anticipation and excitement of the cooler months is real, I'm torn between wanting to crack out deep, vampy hues and clutching onto corals and pinks as the summer fades. This year, I've settled somewhere in-between, falling in love with warm golds and cool blush pinks that pair well with both coral and burgundy hues.

Before switching things up for autumn I thought that I would share some snaps of my dressing table and a few things that I've been loving this month!

A few beauty loves include the heavenly Sleek Solstice Palette, a shimmery quad for a dewy, radiant glow, the Lush Popcorn Lip Scrub - a saviour for dry lips and Mac Mehr, a creamy mauve pink, the perfect transitional lip shade. The H&M Pure Velvet cream blush in Hot Pink is another great pick, ideal for for glowy, flushed cheeks. For nails, I've been drawn to glossy, polished nails with a touch of gold glitter. Although it may seem a little early to crack out the glitter polishes, Essie Sugar Daddy with a ombre glitter accent nail creates a gorgeous mani without looking too festive!

For style, I picked up a couple of blush pieces from Primark last weekend - the softest, cosy jumper and a cute bralette. I also made a few Asos purchases this month, I picked up this beautiful embroidered dress for autumn and this cute necklace trio too! The photo's really don't give justice to just how pretty this necklace set it, the longest one reminds me slightly of the Missoma x Lucy Williams gold fang necklace, such a great pick!

Lastly, I've loved having pops of greenery scattered around my home. These pieces from my Bloom and Wild bouquet have lasted so well, they brighten up my mornings whilst I put my make up on!

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Summer Home Details

There's a definite summery theme to my home at the moment, I'm loving pinks, corals, gold and brights to display! During the swelteringly hot days we've had lately I've spent my evenings pottering about, slowly tidying, re-organising and getting my home in order - I've also spent a LOT of my time binge watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix too (it's SO good)!

These dreamy H&M gold New York mugs (similar here!) are ideal for a morning cup of tea. I often switch on my Roberts Radio and sip on a chamomile tea (or if it's too hot a mug full of orange juice!) whilst getting ready in the morning!
Although I'm still so in love with my ampersand print (similar one here), I've actually ordered a new print to switch things up a little, something minamilistic and simple, I'm so excited for it to arrive!

My home has been filled with greenery this summer, after propagating succulents I've ended up with lot's of succulent babies (SO cute!). I have chilli plants, a Poinsettia and now Stanley, my Hawthornia looks like it's having babies too! My windowsill has turned into a bit of a mini garden! I've also been buying peonies as often as I can, they're my favourite flowers, such a pretty way to add a pop of colour in each room!

Wedding planning has been a top priority this summer, although I don't seem to be making much progress, we've kick-started the planning process again. Everything from the location, to a date to my dress is still up in the air, I can't decide whether I want a full on wedding dress or something a little more casual if we get married on a beach! I'm spending far too much time lately browsing Pinterest for the perfect ring, it's so exciting!

Lastly I've pulled out some summery beauty essentials, a few picks include this gorgeous Hourglass perky coral blusher, the heavenly coral pink Charlotte Tilbury Kissing Lipstick in Coachella Coral, Lush's Dream Cream and my favourite everyday shade the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Cannes.

The This Works Deep Sleep spray has been a bedside table must-have during this heatwave, it's made such a difference to my sleep, I honestly dont know how I managed without this divine lavender and chamomile sleep spray, it's made  a huge difference to my sleep!

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Dressing Table - Summer Snippets

For a while now I've been switching and swapping pieces on my dressing table, trying to get things organised. It's slowly coming together - I'm aiming for a light, airy feel and whimsical vibe by adding trinkets, crystals and dreamy hues! I've added a few gold accents too, this beautiful hexagon mirror, cute love sign and gorgeous Denman Hairbrush.
Peonies are quite probably my favourite thing about summer (I'm more of an A/W girl at heart!) and so I've been popping them around my home and keeping myself surrounded by these pink blooms throughout the warmer months to lift my spirits and brighten up my home.

For beauty, the typical rainy British weather hasn't left me reaching for the usual bolds and brights this summer, instead I've been favouring blush pinks, red-browns and dusky mauves. MAC Whirl, Soar and Brave are my current go to lip picks and Essie Merino Cool, a gorgeous muted mauve and Essie Ballet Slippers, a glossy pale pink are my preferences for a polished mani.  

I have pulled out a few perky corals for the warmer days, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat is ideal for pretty, flushed cheeks. This coral blush is a heavenly pick with swirls of radiance boosting ambient lighting powder for a dewy glow. Another favourite pick for summer is the NYX soft matte lip balm in Antwerp, a budge-proof flattering peach pink.

On my eyes, I've been reaching for my Nars palettes, in particular the Nars And God Created the Woman palette and Nars Alhambra, a gorgeous champagne rose and gold duo. Nars eyeshadows are beyond amazing, buttery soft, pigmented and the shades are unreal. The new long hot summer palette looks like an incredible pick, I'm so tempted to splurge on one!

Lastly, I've been keeping Lush's Dream Cream close to hand, this has been a total saviour for my parched skin. With oat milk, rose water and chamomile blue oil, this soothing, hydrating cream clears up sore, dry skin with ease, I'm so impressed with this dreamy cream!

What do you think about my dressing table set up?

Kitchen Picks

My kitchen is one of the hardest areas to tackle in my home, as it's a rental flat we can't really replace the speckled beige countertops, so it's a little hard to re-vamp. A little update on my kitchen planning post - I've been adding pretty new pieces, gold accents, cute mugs and trivets (mainly from H&M Home) to decorate. Hopefully if we own our own home one day, I'll have everything ready to fit right in!

I picked up these dreamy gold New York mugs here, they're the ideal size for a morning cup of tea. As you can see, I'm pretty obsessed with Pukka teas, the peppermint and liquorice tea is divine!

Lately I've jumped back on the healthy eating bandwagon, I'm obsessed with Deliciously Ella's cookbooks - the butternut squash risotto recipe is delish! I'll usually rustle up something fresh and healthy for tea whilst listening to my Roberts radio, then for a evening treat we've been having a Co Yo whilst watching GoT!

For the occasional treat day when I'm in need of something rich and chocolatey, I like to get my bake on and whip up a batch of Nigel Slaters Chocolate Brownies, this is quite possibly my favourite recipe EVER, they're unreal. I pick up most of my baking accessories from Sainsburys (the copper ones), Anthropologie or Tiger and get most of my inspiration from Pinterest - you can follow me here!

I still have a few more bits to pick up - a marble serving board, a new toaster - I'm also SO in love with these dreamy West Elm coasters.

Where is your favourite place to shop for Kitchen Accessories?
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New Home Details

I just can't seem to stop buying home decor at the moment! After yet another little H&M and Ikea spree, I think our flat is finally starting to come together. I've been working on replacing some worn/tired pieces along with adding a few new additions to our home too!

From H&M home I picked up a few essentials, fluffy new towels from H&M (pink for me, grey for Alex) and some trivets for the kitchen. I just love H&M towels, they're gorgeous, affordable and great quality! The pops of pink in my revamped bathroom have really brightened up the place, along with the gold details it has such a relaxing, luxe feel about it now. 

I picked up these whiskey style glasses from Ikea, I'm planning to use them for smoothies, fresh juices and mocktails on warm summer evenings. For now I've been enjoying an iced blueberry drink with sticks of apple, it's delish! They're the ideal size for sipping on a refreshing ice cold orange juice for a treat in the morning too! 

I couldn't leave Ikea without a plant, I instantly fell in love with this adorable hawthornia succulent - I've named him Stanley and popped him on my shelf for now, he fits in so well!

Crystals seem to be everywhere at the moment, they make a divine addition to coffee tables, bedside tables, shelves or bookcases. Whilst on a whirlwind trip to Chichester I stumbled upon an adorable little crystal shop and picked up two amethyst pieces to pop on my shelves and brighten up my living room. They look heavenly and the way that they reflect the light is beyond pretty - I'm already hooked, have you seen aura quartz? I'm in love!

Lastly, you may seen a peek at my new dreamy Oliver Bonas mirror in my latest dressing table post, I'm still so smitten with this hexagon pick, it's such a pretty piece!

Dressing Table Details

After a huge make up clear out, I wanted to revamp and switch up my dressing table a little. I've had the same Ikea mirror for the longest time and so wanted something a little different. After flitting between a few shapes and styles I settled on this gorgeous Large Gold Hexagon Mirror from Oliver Bonas. It's beautiful, a great size and is a step closer towards my Pinterest-esque dressing table dreams.

Next to my new mirror I've popped a few of my favourite brushes in a Muji acrylic pot. On the right are my MAC brushes, then my bdellium purple bambu brushes* and finally the dreamy Zoeva Rose Gold brushes. I'm still on the look out for a pot to place my everyday brushes and Real Techniques brushes in, possibly something from H&M home like this gold pot.

As summer is fast approaching I've pulled out a few perky corals and pinks to freshen up my make up. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blusher in Diffused Heat is a heavenly pick, a divine coral with swirls of radiance boosting ambient lighting powder, ideal for a dewy glow. Another top pick is the Charlotte Tilbury Kissing Lipstick in Coachella Coral which is creamy, long lasting and a gorgeous hue.

I've also pulled out a few of my favourite Essie shades for spring - Essie Cabana Boy, a soft pearl with a hint of lilac, the dreamy Essie Ladylike - a creamy muted mauve that creates the perfect polished mani and Essie Vanity Fairest, a shimmery nude pink.

Lastly, I've re-shuffled my muji drawers a little, pulling forward long lasting liquid lipsticks, creamy blushers and dewy highlighters for the warmer months.

What do you think of my new dressing table set up?