Friday 17 June 2011

Dreams Versus Reality



From the sandals I want to buy, to the sandals I can actually afford... *sigh* Still, I do love both these pairs and feel confident I'll get lots of wear out of them. The black and white pair are actually jelly sandals and cost just £6 from this fab website I found recently called Fashion Union. I also ordered a nautical-style dress and a cute navy skater skirt. I got two different discounts as well as free postage and have been massively impressed with the quality of the clothes. I would say they are sized quite large though. I ordered the dress and skirt in size 12 and both were a bit big. I had to send the skirt back unfortunately.

Charlie was having a very relaxing time amongst the daisies on the lawn yesterday and I couldn't resist including a picture of his furry face.

The nude-coloured jewelled sandals were £8 from Primark. They didn't look like much strewn across the floor with thousands of other pairs but I had a feeling they'd be better 'on'. They have a leather footbed which is padded and comfortable and I think they'll be perfect for summer.

Review: Roger & Gallet Fleur d’Osmanthus


This might just be the perfect summer scent – light but warm; sandalwood tempering citrus essential oils to produce a scent that's much more than the sum of its parts. Every time I wear this someone tells me I smell good, but it's certainly not an overpowering or strong scent. Supposedly the Osmanthus flower is a rare plant that grows in the Guilin Valley in China; its scent is said to creat a stress-reducing and uplifting effect. It makes me feel stimulated and awake.

The top notes are mandarin essential oil and  orange zest. Heart notes include osmanthus, grapefruit essential oil and neroli. The base notes are tonka bean, sandalwood and benzoin essential oil.

Described as a 'fresh fragrant water spray' you might imagine the smell would be weak and fleeting but I've had no issues with its longevity. Certainly it's not going to be as strong after many hours' wear but its scent still lingers. I'm not normally a fan of fruity fragrances as I find them sickly and cloying but this is a citrus fruity floral for grownups, not a Britney Spears berry bomb. Definitely the scent of my summer.

Roger & Gallet Fleur d'Osmanthus Fresh Fragrant Water Spray is available from Escentual.com, priced £15–£30.

Thursday 16 June 2011

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Monte-Carlo


My bestie, Makeda, remembered my admiration for Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Monte-Carlo and gave it to me for my birthday! Is there anything better than being handed a Chanel bag? I think not. Anyway, it's as gorgeous as I'd imagined it would be – a juicy watermelon red that moisturises lips while providing lots of shiny colour. J'adore! 





Wednesday 8 June 2011

I'm in Love...


... with these Russell & Bromley 'Laura' sandals. The black ones are perfection – they even named them after me. Just need to find £69.99.

The Little Cupcake Company


Last month I turned 28 and had possibly the best birthday ever! I received gorgeous presents (more on those later) and my amazing boyfriend surprised me with a stay in a hotel in The Cotswolds... No man has ever done anything like that for me before. It was heaven! This gorgeous box of cupcakes arriving in the post was another highlight. My friend (also called Laura) sent them to me via The Little Cupcake Company. Aren't they adorable?! I squealed when I opened them. They tasted delicious too. A fab present idea if ever I saw one. Thanks Loz!

Monday 6 June 2011

My New Best Friend


This cream H&M linen blazer is my most-worn and favourite piece of clothing at the moment and I've just noticed it's on sale for half-price. Typical that I should scrape together my pennies only to see it reduced a few weeks later but at least some of you might benefit! It's such an easy jacket to wear and smartens up any outfit. Gets creased as hell but hey, that's linen for you. I hate ironing anyway. A bargain at £14.99.