Springtime Favourites...

Now that clocks have gone forward and the days are getting longer (yay to leaving work in the daylight), I thought it was about time I got round to sharing some of my recent Springtime favourites... 

Dusty Girls - Earth Cream*

When it comes to foundation I've always been a fan of light weight products and have been using a CC cream for the last year and a half. When I heard about Dusty Girls at #nyLDNmeet the first thing that drew me to their Earth Cream was the fact that it was made from all natural products and described itself as a 'tinted cream' (check and check). I opted for the light colour and have been using it for the last 2/3 weeks. It has great coverage, provides a lovely even/natural finish and it's made from soothing oils as well as ingredients especially for Acne prone skin - even though I personally don't suffer from Acne, I think it is a great thing for anyone's skin! The only slight negative is the scent. As it's made from natural ingredients, the cream has a slightly odd smell that does linger for a while after you have applied it (Ben did ask why my face smelt strange) but, it does die down after about 5/10 minutes so it's not something that would put me off getting another bottle once this one runs out!


Marc Jacobs - Daisy Dream
When it comes to perfume I'm very fickle and don't pledge allegiance to one particular brand; I like to have the option of changing things up depending on how I'm feeling that day. However, as the Spring months creep in I have found myself reaching for my bottle of Daisy Dream more and more regularly. I love floral scents and this one by Marc Jacobs for me is the perfect mixture of light and sweet scents. As well as spraying this in all the usual places, I'll always spritz a little in my hair (am I the only one who does this?) so that the scent stays with me all day. The packaging is also beautiful, who wouldn't want that standing on their dressing table?

MooGoo - Irritable Skin Balm*
I've suffered with eczema on my hands for the last few years and am always on the hunt for something other than a steroid cream to help me manage it. When introduced to MooGoo alongside Dusty Girls at #nyLDNmeet I was keen to see if this could be the answer to my problems. I often find that I'll start using a moisturiser and it works at clearing up my hands for about a week or two but then it'll stop having any affect. I've been using MooGoo's Irritable Skin Balm on and off for about a month now and I can safely say that it does what it says it'll do and works amazingly! It has not only helped keep my hands eczema free but I absolutely love that it doesn't leave my hands feeling greasy after I've applied it. Alongside Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour cream, this is the only cream that I've found to really work!

Essie - Ladylike
I love pastel colours in the Springtime but have been getting a bit bored of the usual mint green, baby pink and lilac that I always seem to reach for. Essie's Ladylike is the perfect solution! Not really a pastel but kind of due to the pinky mauve undertones, I love that it's a subtle and elegant colour but has just enough mauve in it to not make it a boring beige. It's one step up from a 'your nails but better' polish and is great for people like me who love to have their nails painted but need to keep it somewhat professional for work.

Tulips
If you read last week's post you'll know that one of my favourite Springtime flowers are tulips. You can't beat injecting some colour into any room by filling it with flowers!

What are your current Spring favourites? Anything you think I should try?

*I was kindly gifted these items after attending #nyLDNmeet

Columbia Road Flower Market...

What's better than a Sunday? A Sunday that involves a trip to a flower market! Now that the sun is making more of an appearance and daylight is staying with us for slightly longer, I've been desperate to inject some Spring colour into my room. Having heard about Columbia Road Flower Market, I knew it would be the perfect place to stock up on some in-season bouquets.

Ben and I got there at about 11.30am and it was heaving. We had to shuffle along at a snail's pace but it gave me time to be extra snap happy without annoying anyone! There were so many wonderfully colourful flowers to choose from but in the end I settled for one of my firm Spring favourites, tulips.

If I lived closer to Columbia Road, I'd be there every week picking out new blooms to fill every vase I own! Have you been to Columbia Road Flower Market? Are there any others in London that I should visit?

For My Mum...

Five things only my Mum could have taught me

- Embrace the frizz ball that calls itself my hair

- Men may think they wear the trousers but that's because women let them believe that

- No matter how old your are, Mum knows best

- Retail therapy is a girl's best friend 

- Stay true to your dreams, even if others try to persuade you otherwise

For The Women...

A bit of a different post from me this week. Today is International Women's Day and normally that would just slip past without me paying any attention to it. That changed this year mainly due to the company I now work for holding their annual charity lunch in aid of IWD on Friday. Being involved in helping set the event up and running the social media got me thinking about all the women who inspire me and how I'm definitely a woman's woman.

My Nan - Having lost my Granddad many years ago, my Nan continually inspires through her adventurous side. For the past 10 plus years, she has visited more places in this world than I can remember! She's jetted off to South Africa, Uzbekistan, Cuba, Peru, New Zealand, America... the list honestly goes on. She makes me want to travel and push myself to do more even when I'm feeling at my worst. 

My Mum - When she left school, my Mum knew she wanted to be a teacher but for one reason or another it didn't happen at that time. Fast forward a few years and when I was about 8, she went back to uni as a "mature" student. As cliched as it sounds, she didn't give up on her dream and she let me follow mine. I'll forever be greatful to my Mum - and Dad - for supporting me in my descision to follow my heart and do what a lot of people consider a "soft" degree. My Mum taught me to be strong and follow your heart. 

My Sister - Being an older sister is something that I think defines who I am. I'm Sophie, granddaughter, daughter and sister. Em and I follow the typical stereotypes, I'm the bossy older sibling, she's the more carefree one. As we've become adults, her attitude to life has inspired me to be a bit more chilled and less of a control freak! 

At my work's charity lunch, I was lucky enough to sit and listen to four incredible women speak about their lives and how they'd succeeded in each of their respected fields. Being at the beginning of my career, it can sometimes feel very daunting. One of the speakers' closing statement was "you can make your own luck" - I think it's important to remember this when life or work or relationships aren't going to plan. 

In the past, I wouldn't have classed myself as a feminist but I do passionately believe that there should be equality between men and women. Not just women being paid the same as men in the workplace but also men being treated the same as women in female heavy professions (coming from a dance background, I've seen and heard some ridiculous prejudices).

Now that I've rambled on forever (well done to anyone still reading!), I think the main point I'm trying to make is unfortunately women are still getting a raw deal more times than men are. Being born a certain gender shouldn't disadvantage you, not when the year is 2015! We shouldn't need a day to inspire and celebrate women's achievements - it should happen every day...

Source: Pinterest

The Breakfast Post | #11...

I've been wanting to have breakfast at Dishoom ever since I started this series nearly a year ago. Last Sunday, Ben and I finally got our act together and headed to the King's Cross branch and boy am I glad we did! Having a naan bread for breakfast may not be the first thing that springs to mind for many but now that I've had it once, I will definitely be heading back soon...

The menu has a lot to offer and if I hadn't been so set in wanting to try the sausage and egg naan I would have struggled in knowing what to pick - the assortment of cooked breakfasts sound incredible! The best bit about the naan was the sausages spiced with black pepper. It was enough to give the breakfast that unique edge but not overpowering or too much like a spicy evening meal. Ben went for 'The Big Bombay' a dish reflective of a typical breakfast fry up but so much better - the menu describes it as "too good" and they're definitely not wrong. I'd describe myself as adventurous when it comes to food so this breakfast was right up my street; the only disappointing thing is that it took me so long to get my bum in gear and actually try it out!!

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