The sun is shining, drinks are flowing and there are so many pretty sandals on the highstreet right now to keep your feet looking stylish throughout the summer months. I've selected my favourite summer sandals available online, perfect for those summer holidays. Just click on each link to get more information, you're welcome! ;)
Last summer, me and my friends decided to go on an adventure. We were all in dire need of a couple of days escape from the busy hustle and bustle of the city, and so we decided to pack our bags, load up the car and drive. Personally, I would have loved it if we ended up driving to the airport and hopping on the next plane to fly someplace exotic, however instead we decided to stay in Scotland and explore some of our own country. We decided to plan an adventure up north, where it's particularly rural and isolated. We researched and found a beautiful house in the area of Caithness and stayed for a couple of days.
We rented a beautiful house (with an amazing indoor pool!) in the middle of nowhere... and it was bliss! With little signal on our smart phones, we were surrounded by only countryside and beautiful nature. We spent a few days exploring the area and even made it the most northern point of the UK - John O' Groats!
During one particular sunny day, the more adventurous of the group decided to climb one of Scotland's many mountains. We persevered and made up Maiden Pap in glorious sunshine. On our final day, we decided to visit the famous Whaligoe Steps, an ancient set of steep steps that were once used by the local villagers to transport fish from the sea to the mainland. After one tough climb of the steps myself, I'm amazed at how the ancient villagers managed this, it was bloody tough!
This trip reminded me how important it is to explore your own country/ area, and it made me really appreciate quality time away with friends. It just goes to show that you don't need to go far to have a great time, and I definitely came home with the travelling bug.... Where to next then?!
Entering the big bad world of work is hard enough, but if like me, you struggle to come to terms with the early mornings, life can be a big old biatch. During my university days, I had a tendency to become owl-like at night, forcing myself to stay up late to complete a piece of coursework, or most likely, binge on a TV show I was currently obsessed with. Over the years I've had to train myself to become a morning person, and I thought I'd share some of my tips with you today:
Move the alarm clock across the room - sounds silly, but this works. I like to keep my alarm clock at a far enough distance so that I am forced to get up out of my warm bed and engage in movement. Yes, it's tough and makes me want to cry most mornings but I find the movement can energise me and force me awake - the distance stops me from constantly pressing the snooze button, which can be very dangerous!
Have a Hot Shower - without fail, stepping into a hot shower when you've just woken up and feeling like a zombie will guaranteed help to literally wipe the sleep from your eyes and get you ready to start the day right. The hot steam will help to clear your head and waken your eyes. Remember to moisture when you step out, and get your body ready to start the new day ahead.
Drink Water - I honestly can't talk about the benefits of water enough. Not only does it help your brain function, but it benefits every other part of the mind and body and gets you energised to start the day. Here's a top tip: invest in a water bottle that you like and will want to carry around with you all day - you can get some real pretty ones these days with fancy water filters and everything!
Drink Coffee - sadly, I rely on coffee to help me function in the morning. I've conditioned myself to need it and I can really feel the caffeine working through my system as I drink my morning cup. I tend to limit my intake to 1/2 cups of coffee a day, so I don't think it's too bad - nothing wrong with a little caffeine kick to help put a spring in my step.
Exercise in the Morning (if possible) - I know some people will struggle to find the time and motivation to exercise first thing in the morning but try to incorporate some exercise into your early routine, even if it means walking to work instead of taking the bus. I recommend leaving that little bit earlier so you can stretch your legs and blow the cobwebs out your head.
As you might be aware from some of my previous posts, I have a serious crush on Daniel Wellington. This brand has fast become one my all time favourites, and I'm always impressed with their attentive customer service.
I was never really much of a 'watch' person, until I discovered The Classy Sheffield. This beauty encompasses everything that I have been looking for in a watch - stylish, understated, timeless, unique, elegant, glamorous. Yes that's a lot of words and very different from one another. It's hard to be both understated and glamorous, whilst also unique and timeless - however, Daniel Wellington just gets it right every time.
The Classy Sheffield is the answer. This gorgeous watch is the real deal - the timeless design and elegant leather strap exudes elegance and style, the sparkling swarovski crystals make the clock face shine in a glamorous, yet understated way, making this truly the watch of my dreams.
The black and rose gold combination is on point and makes for the perfect summer accessory to wear in the sunshine. If, like me, it's love a first sight - treat yo' self and take 15% off any Daniel Wellington watch you desire with the promotional code Electric15. Customers can also receive a free watch strap with any purchase, so what are you waiting for? Join the DW club now! Offer valid until June 15th.
* This post has been sponsored by Daniel Wellington but all words, thoughts and opinions are my own. I only work with brands that I truly love and DW fall into that category, thanks again! *
I’ll be honest – when it comes to beauty, I’m a rubbish girl. I’m far more likely to be excited by a new fashion range or flavours of donut at Krispy Kreme, than I am about the latest beauty craze. Needless to say, I was intrigued when I was contacted by Adriane from Jamberry Nails, who offered to send me some samples to try and naturally, I jumped at the chance to review these pretty products.
Since I have the nail painting skills to rival that of a two-year old, when I heard about these easy-application nail wraps, I was definitely interested. The hassle free solution of nail wraps has opened up a new beauty realm I didn’t even know existed. So let’s get stuck in:
What is Jamberry?
Founded by three sisters, Jamberry nail wraps were created to eliminate those expensive trips to the nail salon, and give ladies the confidence to get beautiful nails by themselves. The nail wraps are made with durable materials, so smudges and streaks are never an issue, and can last for up to two weeks on fingernails and four weeks on toes. With over 300 designs to choose from, you're spoilt for choice and able to apply from the comfort of our own home.
The Application
After carefully following the nail wrap instructions, I was quite happy with the end result. I found the process to be fairly straightforward and simple. The nail wraps covered my nails easily and neatly, which I was really happy about. I’ve just moved house and didn’t have a nail file on hand to help shape the wraps, so I did find this stage quite tricky, although I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem if you're more organised than myself right now. I was still able to use a pair of scissors to smoothen the end results but would recommend a nail file for future application.
The Verdict
My overall honest verdict is that these nail wraps are good. I haven't tried any other brand of nail wraps and so I'm not able to compare to others, but as a first time user with no prior experience, I enjoyed the process of Jamberry Nails. The application was simple and smudge-free, my nails looked pretty all week long and it was a lovely way to pamper myself after a busy, working week. I would have liked the nail wraps to look 'more natural', as it can be a little obvious that I'm wearing a wrap instead of polish, but overall, this product is the perfect solution for anyone with a busy schedule like mine.
I'd be really interested to know if any of you have experienced/ tried Jamberry nail wraps for yourself? I know there are opportunities to become spokespersons for the brand, and I'm becoming more and more aware of the brand across social media, so it's clearly gaining exposure online. Let me know what you think about these nail wraps in the comments below.
Let's talk about hair. Long, short, wavy, straight - hair is a huge part of our lives and personalities. Honestly, I've always been a bit boring when it comes to hair - long and straight is my 'go-to' and I've never really experimented and strayed away from my natural style.
I was recently contacted by the lovely Madison from Irresistible Me, who offered the chance to review one of their hair tools. Since I already have naturally, poker straight hair, I decided to opt for a curling tool, to give me luscious, bouncing curls. I particularly loved this style because the hair wand comes with eight interchangeable barrels, meaning you'll never get bored of the curls and waves it has to offer - the style choices are almost endless!
The tools arrived in a smart, sleek case, all neatly lined up inside. The practicality of the case means you can roll it up, pop it in your bag and you're good to go. The case is completely fire resistant too, so don't need to worry about starting a mini fire in your handbag...
Whilst on the topic of safety, the wands have fire resistant tips at the top of each barrel, meaning they stay cool throughout the hair styling process and if you touch it, you won't burn yourself. This makes it super easy when you want to wrap your hair around the barrel with ease. I was also pleased to see that Irresistible Me take it that one step further and also include a fire resistant glove, to make hot hair handling even easier. I personally love this because when I'm styling my hair, I tend to use my hands a lot - so this way, it means I can avoid toasting my fingertips!
Just look at all the wands! With such a wide selection to choose and use, a girl is seriously spoilt for choice!
It's always been a nightmare trying to curl my hair - it's sooo long and sooo thick, and at the same time, soooo soft which can make stylish a bit tricky. In my next post, I'll let you know how I got on styling my hair with these tools - can't wait to share the results soon! :)
