5 Things: Life Lately

Happy Friday lovely people! Today I thought we'd just have a chat, cause it's been a while! I'm rounding up five things from my life recently that I thought were worth mentioning!

1. Pokemon Go. It seems only right to mention this since it appears to be taking over the globe. I've been playing since Carrie switched me onto it on Sunday and despite having never played/watched Pokemon before. I was late for a meeting on Wednesday because there was a Pikachu near my flat and I was running around like a lunatic looking for it. No such luck unfortunately, I had to give up after 40 minutes of searching!Despite not being a Pokemon fan, I'm enjoying getting out and walking, and spending more time with Con. We keep heading out after dinner and spending an hour walking, chatting and catching Pokemon! Here's hoping that the fact that it's now officially out in the UK means it'll be less buggy!

2. My new EC notebook! I'm going to do a little flip through of this soon, but I think I've finally cracked the perfect notebook setup! Yay for stationery based productivity! 

3. Since Gilmore Girls has finally been added to UK Netflix, I've been rewatching from the beginning again, and falling in love with it. It's perfect for having on in the background while I work, or for some lazy evening watching. Connor and I also watched The Propaganda Game recently, a really interesting documentary on life in North Korea. Any Netflix documentary recommendations much appreciated!

4. I visited the Paperchase Christmas Preview on Wednesday and man oh man does this make me excited for Christmas! I'm talking geometric bear baubles, felt gingerbread table scatter, gold honeycomb mugs and I'm just so excited. We don't have much in the way of Christmas decorations since we are never in London for Christmas, but stay tuned for a few changes in that department...

5. I think I've finally cracked the perfect Nandos order. Lemon and herb chicken wrap with halloumi, Peri chips and Macho Peas. And a little Peri Peri drizzle too. I honestly think I could eat this for lunch every day. 

What's new with you guys? 

A Farfetch Splurge

The easiest way to my heart is to offer me some kind of pampering service, so when the team at Farfetch asked me if I wanted to visit DryBy with them back in June for a manicure & pedicure, I of course said yes! I need no excuse for a good pampering.

Whilst sipping on prosecco and being primped, we had a good old chat about the site, and I was very generously gifted a voucher to spend on the site!

I decided to spend the voucher on something I’d never normally by for myself. After the month I’ve had I figured I deserved a treat! It took me a while to make my decision but last week a little box arrived with a pretty tissue paper parcel tied up with ribbon. The delivery was super speedy, despite the International shipping (a steal at a flat £10 rate with no import fees!). There’s such a vast range of designers on the site that you’re guaranteed to fall in love with something (and they do a fantastic sale to - a great place to bag some designer bargains!).

I picked out this beautiful Swallow print scarf from McQ by Alexander McQueen. I’d never normally spend so much on a scarf, but I fell in love with the pattern, and it felt like such a luxurious treat. It’s incredibly lightweight, and in the most beautiful white and navy with peach accents, I feel like I’ll get so much wear out of it since it perfectly compliments my monochrome wardrobe! 

A Minimal Travel Makeup Bag

I tend to strip my makeup routine right back in the summer, mostly because who wants their makeup melting off in the heat? I'm doing a lot of back and forth between London and Bournemouth right now, so I've edited my makeup bag down to the bare essentials - you guys would be impressed, I can fit all my makeup and beauty essentials into one bag now! 

My skin is super lacking in moisture right now, so I don't go anywhere without my Grown Alchemist Hydra Repair Cream. It's intensely nourishing but it also sinks in super fast, so it works for both morning and night. Base-wise, I've been falling back in love with my NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, it's lightweight and a good match for my skin. I can build it up if I need to, but it's also a great everyday option. I pack my Makeup Forever HD Concealer because I'm essentially in love with the stuff. It's high coverage, but not cakey looking, so it's perfect for both under eyes and any blemishes - you'll see that multitasking products are a theme here! I have been packing my Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Double Ended Foundation Brush too, because it's perfect for foundation and concealer. 

I've been stripping down the cheek product situation and just packing my NARS Blush in Daydream. It's a light peachy pink with a vein of shimmer, so it doesn't really need additional highlight! I love how pretty this is on the cheeks, it gives a really beautiful glow!

I've pretty much exclusively been using my Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil to fill in my brows. It's dinky and super precise, and a perfect colour match for me. I've been travelling everywhere with my new NARS Long Hot Summer Palette, which has four fantastic easy-wear lid shades, and two great matte crease shades, so it's perfect for quick and easy makeup looks. My current mascara love is the Makeup Forever Excessive Lash, which gives thick fluttery lashes super easy.

And the only lip product I've been using is the Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus which is a perfect everyday lip choice. 

And that's about it! 

What makeup are you loving right now?

The Video: Christmas In July

I'm totally aware that you probably all hate me for talking about Christmas already, but the truth of the matter is, IT'S COMING FOLKS. I've spent the last few weeks visiting Christmas press previews, and having a sneak peak at what will be hitting the shops for the festive season!

In this vlog I visit five different press days, for M&S, Rumour PR, Amazon, Oliver Bonas & Push PR. It was a busy week and I hope you enjoy having a look around with me!

Lattes + Laptops: Hej Coffee

 Whenever Ghenet and I get together we use it as an excuse to try out a new coffee shop, from our neverending list of coffee-shops-to-try. For our first reunion in over a month, we decided it was time to head to Hej Coffee, a cute scandi cafe/flower shop hybrid in Bermondsey Square.

Minimalist, cosy scandinavian design oozes from every decor choice inside the cafe, from stripped back wooden tables to tin jugs stuffed with fresh blooms on every available space.

Friendly faces behind the counter are happy to chat to you about the menu options, and service was super speedy.

 Normally, Ghenet and I are both a sucker for a chai latte, but this time we both opted for something a little different. Ghenet ordered a flat white, which came out complete with adorable latte art, and I settled for a pot of fresh mint tea, made with fresh mint leaves.

I hadn't had any breakfast, so I ordered a slice of Avocado Sourdough, topped with fresh rocket and drizzled with honey. I'd never thought to pair honey with avocado but it tasted delicious, and apparently it helps stop the avocado from browning!

Ghenet and I also both ordered muffins, she let me get the last apricot & vanilla, going for the chocolate chip herself. Both were fantastic - fresh and fluffy and super tasty!

So the food and atmosphere both get big thumbs up from me! If you're ever in the Bermondsey area I'd definitely recommend checking it out!