July's Throwback Faves

It feels like 90's vibes are everywhere at the moment, from choker necklaces, crop tops to TV revivals, it all seems to be coming back! I'm certainly not complaining - although it feels a little strange to remember what it was like actually being a child in the 90's! I've totally fallen back in love with that 90's/2000's vibe, muted pink brown lips, TV picks and accessories galore!

I've been bubbling with excitement pretty much all month over the new Harry Potter releases, with the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child script drawing ever nearer (out today!!) and with the incredible Fantastic Beasts trailer cropping up, I'm seriously fangirling right now. (I got my cute Quidditch Harry here!)

July's heatwave left me with little energy, I must have spent a week living on fresh salads and vegan ice cream, slumped infront of my laptop with Gilmore Girls on repeat. It's up there as one of my top favourite this month - such a feel good, enjoyable series that makes me laugh out loud a lot! It instantly hooked me in at the first episode, it's such a charming, witty, sweet series.

My last lifestyle favourite is Robot Wars, such a throwback! Popped on in the background on a Sunday evening, it's the ideal fun watch - I really hope that they bring back Hypo-disc!

A couple of style favourites include cute velvet scrunchies - ideal for throwing hair up on lazy at-home days. I also love this velvet choker necklace, a little halloween-esque but can look so chic paired with winged liner and a 90's lip shade! 

For beauty, I'm all about 90's lips - the dreamy muted pink brown picks that look unreal, so flattering on. My top picks this month are the NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Soft Spoken, a wearable rosy brown, the Tanya Burr Cosmetics Soft Luxe Lipgloss is Martha Moo - a must-have, budge proof liquid lipstick and MAC Whirl Lip Liner, a creamy rose brown cult shade.

On my eyes, I've been reaching for the Tanya Burr Birthday Suit Eyeshadow Pallete practically every day. A dreamy quad filled with neutral picks - matte browns, a shimmery champagne and glittery brown it's ideal for everyday and I love the slight 90's feel about it. 

Lastly on my nails, aside from the occasional bright I've been drawn towards muted pink mauve's and flattering red browns, Essie's Ladylike is perfect for a pretty polished mani and Essie Bordeaux, a divine burgundy hue is quite possibly my favourite ever nail polish shade!

What were your favourite things in July?

10 Things To Do This Weekend

1. Pick up, read and rejoice at the new Harry Potter and the Cursed Child release! Check out the new Fantastic Beasts trailer too, it looks amazing - I've just preordered the book/filmscript!

2. Have a peek at the new Nars Fall Collection, the vampy red lip pencils and shimmery eyeshadows look divine.

3. Start watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix, ready for the new series in November. It's a sweet, lighthearted comedy that's charming, engaging and hilarious!

4. Snap up this cute Topshop Ombre Jumper for chilly summer evenings, it looks ideal for the transition into autumn too.

5. Bake a batch of cookies, I'm planning on trying to make these dairy & gluten free ones!

6. Top up on vitamin D whilst playing Pokemon Go, maybe try to take over a gym - or like me just stick to being a casual playing, Jigglypuff/Eevee pokemon hunter!

7. Treat yourself to a little something from Space Nk, whilst there's double N.dulge points, I'm going to try and stock up on my favourite Oskia Cleanser!

8. Paint your nails with a summery pick, like Essie's Fifth Avenue, a gorgeous orange red.

9. Swoon over this delicate, blush pink Blouse, the gold detailing and draped back looks so so pretty!

10. Pick up some fresh flowers, with peony season sadly over now (sob!), I'm definitely going to be on the lookout this weekend for some fresh new blooms to brighten up my home!

Tanya Burr Soft Luxe Collection Picks

My passion for make up has taken a bit of a back seat up until fairly recently when I've completely fallen back in love with it again! I seem to go through phases - from being completely obsessed with homewares, to being hooked on skincare and now, finally I'm head over heels about make up once more! There are so many beautiful new products being released at the moment, dreamy 90's picks, autumn/fall collections and liquid lipsticks galore! 

Lately I picked up a couple of bits from the new Tanya Burr Cosmetics Soft Luxe collection, they're a great cruelty free highstreet offering - affordable and with a gorgeous shade range too. Here's what I picked up:

Tanya Burr Birthday Suit Eyeshadow Palette: I must have visited at least four different Superdrug stores in the hunt for this coveted eyeshadow palette, they all seemed to be out of stock! In the end I took to my laptop and snapped it up online - with free delivery (on Superdrug if you have a beauty card)!

This versatile palette contains four warm neutral shades - two mattes and two shimmery picks, the texture, pigmentation and longevity is pretty great for a high-street product. The matte shades blend seamlessly when paired with a fluffy brush and when used with a flat shader brush, the shimmery shades can be built up to an opaque finish, Coco Sugar, the shimmery, pretty glittery brown has a little fallout but nothing that can't be wiped away easily! The shades create a gorgeous eye look - I've had so much wear from this lovely palette already and although the packaging is made from cardboard and so feels a little cheap, it's fairly sturdy and contains a mirror making it ideal for travelling.

Tanya Burr Soft Luxe Lipgloss in Martha Moo: This shade is heavenly, SO flattering - it's such a pretty matte 90's muted pink/brown suits all shade. Upon application it's slightly sticky on the lips but quickly dries down to a budge-proof dreamy matte lip that feels comfortable to wear and stays put for hours! The packing is gorgeous, how cute is the frosted matte tube and gold detailing!

Have you tried anything from Tanya Burr Cosmetics? 

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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Five Summer Reads

Summer is the perfect time to take a moment to press pause and take a little 'me' time to read. I've been catching up on all of the books that have been on my to read pile for far too long and it's been heavenly, so relaxing. I normally dedicate half an hour or so before bed, away from my phone to just read - or I like to spend a lazy summer weekend getting stuck into a book or two, bliss. My favourite reads are normally YA picks, fantasy novels and reads with a whimsical, magical vibe - I love a cookbook or two too! I've pulled together a few of my favourite picks to flick through this summer:

Red Queen: I read this in just under two days, it's such a captivating, gripping read! It tells the tale of a world that's divided by blood - red commoners against the silver blooded elite who have super-human abilities. The story follows Mare Barrow, a red who somehow ends up in silver court and finds that beyond all odds, she has an ability of her own. It's a great, entertaining read - I'm already half way through the second book Glass Sword! 

The Siren: I'm a huge Kiera Cass fan, her books totally hook me in - they draw in me for hours! Once I start one of her books, all I want to do is to finish it - everything else gets thrown out the window! They provide such an escape whilst I read them, despite the fact that they're a pretty light and easy read, I'm totally oblivious to the world around me! The Selection Series is one of my absolute favourites of hers but The Siren, a stand alone novel with myths, fairytale vibes and of course sirens, is the ideal summer read.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone: The flowing, entrancing style of this delightful read reminds me a little of Philip Pullman's books. It's beautifully written and it's a series that I'll re-read over again. The book completely draws you in, the characters are humorous, defined - so likeable and the story of realms at war filled with Seraphim and Chimaera is gripping!

Deliciously Ella: Right now, I need all of the summery/minimal cooking inspiration that I can get after this heatwave - this healthy cookbook is ideal! I highly recommend this book if like me, you have dairy intolerance's, are vegan or are looking for a good healthy eating cookbook! I hardly have to tweak or substitute any ingredients in this lovely cookbook, It's filled mouthwatering recipes - delicious smoothies, snacks and healthy treats galore!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Although its not out quite just yet, I had to give a mention to the next Harry Potter instalment. Quite possibly the most anticipated book of the year, the 8th playscript/book follows older Harry and his youngest son Albus. I've pre-ordered and secured my copy from Amazon and I'll be waiting with bated breath on the 31st July - I'm SO excited for it's arrival!!

What's on your Summer to-read list?

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Productivity Boosters

Hands up if you're feeling the summer slump too? With muggy, hot days, Pokemon Go tempting me to throw everything out the window (gotta go outside and catch that Jigglypuff!) and the heat seriously wrecking havoc on my sleeping routine, I've been totally lacking in energy and productivity. Here's a few ways that I've been able to shrug off that slump and pick up my productivity levels...

1. Plan

Nothing boosts my productivity more than a good old to do list. Noting down and prioritising your day can really help you to keep on track and organised. For an incentive, I like to schedule in a little treat as the last item on my to do list, it normally ensures that I work hard to tick off all of my tasks!

A dreamy array of stationery helps me to stay motivated too, I love browsing the Rifle Paper Co for all my stationery needs, their To Do lists are just heavenly!

2. Get Inspired

One of the best things that I've done this year is to really take the time to find out what inspires me. I've worked out a few sure-fire ways to instantly boost my inspiration, spark my creativity and motivate me to get stuff done. It could be anything from stepping outside for an hour or yoga to baking at home. For me it's the excitement of a new season, browsing Pinterest, pretty interiors and home decor, reading Harry Potter, anything autumnal, festive or listening to coffifity or rainymood.com whilst I'm working!

3. Be Happy.

It's sometimes hard to be productive if you're feeling a little blue. To pick up my mood I try to create a happy, calm environment by surrounding myself with positive, mood boosting things. Whether it's lighting my favourite Diptyque candle, giving myself an Essie mani (love this duo - Essie Ladylike & Essie Summit of Style) or popping on some fairylights, anything that lifts your spirits should help you to work that little harder.

4. Hydrate & Energise 

Another way to up your productivity levels is to fuel yourself with a healthy, nutritious breakfast. I like to stir a little almond butter into my morning porridge to help keep up my energy levels and prevent a mid-morning slump in energy. Try making protein balls to snack on and keep you going till lunch, I love Deliciously Ella's energy ball recipes, these are next on my to make list! 

Sipping on water is also key, I like to make up a jug of fresh fruit infused water and pop it in the fridge to keep cool, focused and hydrated.

5. Tidy & Re-shuffle

Lastly, for a fail safe productive streak, I like to clear, clean and de-clutter my workspace. A little re-jig of your space to switch things up is a great way to keep inspired. There's nothing better than a tidy desk, it helps to de-stress and clear your mind leaving you ready to knuckle down and be productive!

Have you been feeling pretty un-productive lately like me? I hope these help!

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Seven Make-Up Brush Must-Haves

When it comes to make up brushes, I'm quite picky. I like a brush to pick up just the right amount of product, help me to achieve an effortless, flawless finish, clean easily and last well too! I have a few picks that do just this for me, these are my fail safe, couldn't be without, must-have make up brushes!

Sigma 3DHD Kabuki Brush: The latest addition to my collection, this gorgeous brush has already made it to the top of my list as one of my favourite picks. The combination of the dense supersoft bristles and blunt, angular shape of this Sigma brush works to buff foundation in seamlessly and reach every crease, making skin look super flawless and polished. It's completely changed the way that foundation looks on me, I'm seriously in love!

Real Techniques Setting Brush: This gorgeous setting brush is ideal for everyday highlighting, it picks up the perfect amount of product for a wearable glow. I also sometimes use this multitasking brush for a bit of light powdering too, it fits so well under the eyes and around the nose to touch up and mattify the skin.

Bdellium Tools 925 Fan Brush*: Another hightlighing pick, this handy tool is my go to for sharp, precise highlighting. I like to dab the brush into my highlighter and distribute a light dusting on the brow bone, cupids bow and cheekbones for a divine, dewy complexion and a gorgeous runway glow.

Spectrum Tapered Finishing Brush: How dreamy is this mermaid-esque brush?! I love using this for contouring, it's super soft, the perfect size to fit the hollows of your cheekbones and the tapered edge means that it blends like a dream - leaving you with beautifully sculpted cheekbones.

Zoeva Luxe Brow Light: Probably the prettiest brushes I own, these blush pink and rose gold Zoeva brushes are heavenly! This flat shader brush is ideal for packing on eyeshadow, glitters and cream eyeshadows.

Zoeva Luxe Pencil: This is one of my top picks for smudging out eyeliner or blending eyeshadow under the lower lash line. I also love using this for applying highlighter to my cupids bow and inner corner of my eye for a spot of precision highlighting!

Zoeva Luxe Soft Crease - Lastly, an everyday pick, the fluffy soft crease brush covers all of my daily eyeshadow brush needs. It picks up the right amount of product, sweeps over the eye with ease distributing a good amount of colour whilst blending effortlessly. I really need to pick up a couple more of these, they're divine!

Which are your favourite Make up brushes?  

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