Givenchy Antigona Medium Sugar Orange Leather Tote

Have I finally found my dream handbag?! I think so...

My love for the Givenchy Antigona tote has come out of the blue and all at once. I've seen it around, after all, it's nothing new as it first launched back in 2012 but I think I fell slightly in love with InTheFrow's pastel pink Antigona when I saw it in the background of her blog pictures. 

It certainly wasn't love at first sight with this bag... I didn't fully appreciate the plain beauty it has. Now, I adore how simple and clean its structure is; it's very understated but totally unmissable at the same time.  Structured bags to me are everything - I'd always longed for a Celine tote but the price tag put me off. The Givenchy Antigona starts at £1,280.00 for a small or £1,365.00 for the medium style I own. I was lucky enough to purchase my Antigona in the Selfridges S/S14 preview event which gave me 50% off, I am SO glad I got up early that saturday morning!

At first I went straight to the pink Antigona but it was sold out. I looked at the orange bag as my next favourite colour and was in two minds as to whether I should bother purchasing but I did and I definitely made the right choice. The colour is so bright and bold which I love against the simple chic design. I was worried as to how I would pair it with outfits, I'm not usually a bright accessories kind of gal but a fashion savvy Twitter friend, @SJ_Selina, suggested wearing with blacks, browns, greys and green garments. I can safely say i own a lot of black dresses and some grey pieces. I love the grey and orange combos best I think.

 The only slightly negative thing I will say about the Antigona is that it is rather heavy for a bag with minimal hardware. The structuring of the tote and chunky (but super pretty) zip mean the opening to the inner of the bag is quite stiff and not very wide at all. I'm sure the latter will loosen over time but I don't mind. My Alexander Wang Rocco is heavy and I don't mind, it helps me to not over pack!

I wish I could own some of the other designs and colours but I am so lucky to have found this beauty in the sale! I'd love to know if any of you have your eyes on an Antigona - which colour? What do you like/dislike about the bag? 

xoxo

Summer Style Essentials

When summer is in full swing I always have a few key pieces in my wardrobe that I tend to opt for time and time again to keep me feeling stylish but cool at the same time.

1. A loose fitting quirky tee... My staple brand last year was Wildfox, the fit of their tees and sweaters are perfect for summer! But this year, I didn't need to splash out; H&M have got SO many cool slogan tees and vests this season that I have managed to update my summer wardrobe for a fraction of the usual price! I loved this "Meoow" top which was £7.99 I believe.

2. Summer sandals... These platform wedges are a little different to what I usually go for in summer in a sense that I have never really been into platforms before. They don't look massively summery but they are certainly a big hit for SS/14 and now that've tried them they give an edgier uber cool look to almost all outfits really! They were £27.99 from New Look.

3. Denim cutoffs... I love denim hot pants! They are definitely my no1 summer staple and I'm going to wear them whilst I can still get away with them ;) The ones i'm wearing in my outfit with the above items are from Hollisters, £40 I think from last September but they have the prettiest diamante embellishment on them.

Review: Benefit - They're Real! Mascara

I could't believe my luck one afternoon last week; I came home from a really tough day at work to be greeted by a little surprise parcel from Feelunique... I couldn't remember placing an order so I was quite perplexed but excited all the same! Upon opening it dawned on me that I had completed The Sunday Times 2014 Beauty Awards earlier in the year and must have been one of the lucky first 3000 voters! As you can see, the reward was a full sized mascara from the cult beauty brand Benefit retailing at £19.50.

I'd heard of it before but never bothered to purchase, preferring instead to stay loyal to my YSL Baby Doll or Lancôme Hypnose mascaras to avoid any disappointment if any new products didn't live up to my high expectations. This mascara lives up to the hype though - it gave me super fluttery lashes in just one coating. The main thing this mascara does for me is lengthen my tiny lashes by far more than any other i've tried. It doesn't clump easily and the brush literally grabs your lashes and applies from root to tip smoothly. Definition is achieved but

I didn't find it particularly thickened my lashes a great deal but it felt rather nice to have them super long and defined instead of thick and heavy.

I definitely recommend this girlies! x

Easter Update

I absolutely adore Easter, not just for the obvious reason that you can stuff your face with chocolate and not feel guilty, but because it symbolises the beginning of something new. Every where is in bloom and summer is just around the corner! 

Speaking of blooms, I was chuffed to see we had a small cherry tree nestled away in the corner of the garden recently... I hadn't noticed it before as we moved in over xmas when the trees were bare but now it is just full of pretty pink blossom swaying in the spring breeze.  I took the above picture on my way to work bank holiday Friday and it really made me feel much happier just from standing beneath it for a little while before my shift.

I've always dabbled with the idea of purchasing some Diptyque candles and never actually done it until recently. I thought they were very expensive and was worried I would't get my monies worth out of them - not being anywhere near a boutique that stocked them I couldn't even whiff the various scents on offer! Space NK had an offer on recently where you got £10 off a £50 spend so I picked the 2 scents that i had managed to smell on a trip to Manchester once and remembered.  I opted for Geranium Rosa in the larger standard candle size which is a very pungent floral scent of geranium and roses funnily enough! I love it, but the partner finds it a little over powering. The smaller travel size is Feu  de Bois which is very peculiar to me and not my usual type at all but I love the woody aroma is gives off. Very soothing. They both look absolutely beautiful on my dresser, makes me almost not want to use them just yet... I did purchase a lid topper for the standard size, it's meant to keep the candle scent for longer and protects from dust etc. The Standard 190g candle price is £40 and for the smaller 70g it is £20 - the lid is £12.
I've received 1 of 2 Melissa Odabash bikinis ordered via Brand Alley - below is the classic purple Dubai style and I just love the colour and the little gold charms... I'm not feeling quite as ready for summer as I was this time last year so getting this has given me a little push to upping the intensity now to make sure I do this beautiful bikini justice! I've been trying some green juices since the beginning of the year but I don't stick to any particular routine of drinking them, just as and when. They certainly make me feel healthier even if I haven't seen that much different in weight and or skin but I wouldn't when I counteract them with the rubbish food I keep eating...

Below is a stunning semi precious amethyst necklace from Asos.com thatI am just dying to get my hands on but it isn't stocked on the site just yet - I saw it in their magazine and I'm hoping I get an alert soon to say that it is live! It looks very magical :)

 

REVIEW: Paula's Choice - Hydralight Moisturiser, Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel and Skin Balancing Toner

Paula's Choice, formulated by Paula Begoun, is a range of wonderful skincare products that aim to take 'brilliant care of your skin' that never contain colouring agents, fragrances and have never tested on animals. So far so good! What I also find quite novel about Paula's Choice is the Beautypedia - not only does Paula recommend her own products but other well known and niche brands too! I've never really seen a company do this before, which makes me feel somewhat more assured that Paula's Choice is essentially very honest and has the customer's best interests at heart.

When I start using new products, I really like to try them for a good while before I do a review on them as I really want to give a true reflection of my experience. I implemented these three products into my routine just over a month ago now and my skin has never looked more even and radiant! I'm not saying i've been left with totally new skin without any imperfections or flaws as it hasn't miraculously cured me of the odd breakout, but my skin looks a lot fresher than before I started using Paula's Choice.

In order of usage, here's what I've been using...

1. Skin Balancing Pore Reducing Toner £19.25 190ml
This is super lightweight and mildly moisturising, aimed at normal to oily skin. It's fantastic for combination skin as it doesn't feel feel greasy but at the same time it isn't making problems worse by being too astringent like most toners i've tried before seem to do. It helps provide a bit of moisture to the areas that need it and doesn't sit heavy on the areas that don't. I think the price is very reasonable for the amount you get which is 190ml. I don't totally drench a cotton pad and use just a few drops so really this will last a VERY long time.

2. Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel £23.00 100ml

If you're looking for a brighter and more even complexion, look no further!This exfoliating gel is my absolute star product from the trio. I wasn't sure how my skin would react to this as i've heard mixed reviews about using BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acids) products but thankfully i've not had any problems and I link my radiant skin these days to this little gem. It's not an exfoliator n the normal sense of the word, to me anyway, it doesn't have any gritty bits that rub against the skin to reveal new skin underneath but uses salicylic acid (2%) to help combat blemishes and redness. Basically, BHA's work inside the skin, within the pores so are great for problem skin, whereas AHA's (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) work on the outside and are better for dry skin types generally. The only thing I dislike about this product is the sticky feel on my hands and face for a minute or so after applying. It does sink in to the skin pretty quick though and the sticky residue is gone without a trace afterwards. A word of advice... you MUST make sure you wear a minimum SPF15 when using BHA products, as they make the skin more sensitive to sunlight.

3. Hydralight Shine-Free Daily Mineral Complex SPF30 £25.25 60ml

Moisturisers have always been a problem for me, I've always found them a chore as I find it hard to find one that provides enough moisture for my oily skin type without making my skin feel greasy within an hour or so. This moisturiser is definitely a good choice for oily skin types like mine as it certainly is shine free and very light as the name suggests. It provides a excellent sun protection with the SPF30 and provides a really good base if you're going to be applying makeup. However, if you are not going to be wearing makeup on top of this product it could leave you looking a little washed out - this is due to the mineral spf complex. For me it's not so extreme as I look like i've seen  ghost, it just leaves me looking a little paler than before.



Overall i'm so glad i discovered Paula's Choice and i've already got my eye on a few other products to try soon. One that recently arrived is the RESIST Multi Correctional Treatment which i'm going to use on top of the BHA gel for hopefully even better results! Full review to follow in the near future...

Tea India's Charming Chai Teas..

If you're a lover of chai tea like myself, then you really need to try Tea India's wonderfully tasty blends, trust me on this! 

I was lucky enough to be sent their full range of teas recently so I had myself a little tea tasting party over the weekend. Before I was sent the teas, I had already been purchasing Tea India's Masala Chai; I saw it on the shelves in my local Sainsbury's and decided to give it a whirl. The pretty packaging really caught my eye but I wasn't expecting it to become my new fave chai blend, at all. I was hooked on Teapigs chai tea at the time, so boy am I glad that I discovered Tea India as their 40 pack chai teas are priced at £2.20 instead of £3.99 for a pack of 15 from Teapigs.... 

There is no compromise on taste,    just amazing value for money! I was also sent a beautiful Scaramanga notepad and pen to make some tea tasting notes with.

Tea India and I both have the same belief that tea is one of life's 'simple pleasures' and if you're a tea lover and you drink copious amounts of tea every day, why not invest in the best quality blends? My favourite from the teas sent to me which were Masala, Vanilla and Cardamom chai teas and a traditional black tea is still the Masala overall but their vanilla blend is so creamy and fragrant; perfect for the end of the day I find. The Cardamom blend is really different to any chai i've ever tasted, really tasty and is something that I find myself reaching for more and more. 

The black tea is lovely and rich - perfect all rounder i'd say. It is priced around £2.95 for 80 teabags, again making it nice and affordable for a quality tea.

Tea India are doing lots of sample giveaways at the moment and I believe they are teaming up with ASOS next month to give away some delicious chai teas with orders.  To find out more and discover the taste of India visit TeaIndia.co.uk!

xoxo

Review: Sisley Phyto-Lip Twist (Nude)

Pout Perfection

Of all the beauty products I own (and I own a lot!), lip products prevail in my makeup bags and cupboards. I can't get enough of them, it's hardly surprising when you come to think of all the different shades and finishes that are available to purchase these days.

It's no surprise then that I got mega excited at the launch of one of my favourite luxury skincare brands; Sisley Paris' Lip Twists which aim to 'rewrite the rules of lipstick' in the sense that it acts as both a lipstick with concentrated colour in the form of a tint but nourishing and glossy like a balm. Amaze! And you know what, i'm going to put it out there - this is my favourite lip product to date! Here's why...

The main reason I love the Phyto-Lip Twists is the colour pay off. It's perhaps the most intense i've used for a balm, EVER. The colours are all beautiful and there is no need for anymore than the 6 offered as they are just perfect and offer subtle shimmer (like the nude shade I opted for) or all out glamour (try cherry), there's a shade for everyone and every occasion. The other fab thing about this product is the amount of time it stays put - for me it's hours on end and my lips feel conditioned for the whole day after just one application. Basically, it gives me everything I want from a lipstick and balm and mixes them into one 'do it all' chubby stick! It's all I carry in my bag these days. 

The catchphrase is "twist and shine" and it really is that simple. There's no getting your fingers sticky or having to sharpen the product once you've worn it down, you just twist it slightly to renew the length and apply straight from the stick. The nude shade is classic, buildable and has lots of shimmer unlike the rest of the colours. It just looks so beautiful on, perfect for everyday and even for evening if you want to dramatise your eyes and opt for a creamy nude lip.

At £29.00 a pop, they are very expensive but i've come across nothing that can rival the Sisley Phyto-Lip Twists... I took advantage of the John Lewis 10% event recently and picked up Peach but even without a slight discount, they are so worth every penny.

Hopefully you can see below from the lip smacking swatches just how shimmery and pretty this shade is... The shimmer is gold and tiny but it certainly is eye catching and lends itself perfectly to this nude shade.

Pucker up - kissably soft lips!

Utterly butterly... love this formula!