It can be hard work looking and feeling good all the time. And let’s face it – spending a lot of time on a beauty routine can be the last thing you want to do in the morning. It doesn’t always have to be that time-consuming. We have come up with some top beauty tips that will have you feeling glam in no time.
Every Man’s Guide to Dressing to Impress on a First Date
Have you recently managed to finally land a date with the woman you’ve been interested in for quite some time now? If so, you’ll obviously want to make a great impression. Taking her to a special location and making sure she has an enjoyable time is only half the battle, though, as you also want to make a great first impression with how you dress. Putting in the effort to put your best foot forward always bodes well, especially on a first date.
50 shades of Beige for Spring
As much as beige gets a lots of bad rap and is considered by many lifeless and unexciting, I love wearing it in all its varying shades and this season (luckily for me and maybe you too if you share my love for neutrals) there is no shortage of gorgeous beige/neutral pieces all over the high street since beige made into the most wanted trends for Spring 19 after all the SS19 fashion shows.
The trend was championed by the major designers all over the runways not only by the usual suspects like Max Mara and Burberry but also by much bolder designers that normally steer away from such neutral shades.
For me, and many others out there, beige is a classic and always chic. Beige is versatile and can be paired with most colours and it works well if you want to wear it head to toe too. In fact, head to toe is the word for SS19 but of course we always have to make trends our own and wear them whichever way they work best for us in our daily lives.
This season beige is no longer boring in fact quite the opposite. If you still have your doubts just keep scrolling down and get inspired by some of my favourite beige looks.
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Love, P
How To Add A Personal Touch To Your Decor
Styling your home to meet your need is part of the joy of interior decor. Whatever you want to change, your options are unlimited. So let’s take a look at what redecorating your home means and some of the ideas that you might want to implement. Your home is your castle and making the most of the space and rooms that you have will come down to getting as much out of it as you put in.
Paint the walls
One of the ways that most of us update our homes to get a fresh look is by painting the walls with a new colour every so often. But have you ever stopped to consider what the colours you are using mean to you? A growing trend in interior design is to acknowledge and understand
colour psychology
5 Steps To Building Your Perfect Wardrobe
What’s one of the best ways to refresh your style and your life ready for the arrival of spring? It would have to be revamping your closet, having an epic decluttering sessions and freshening up the space you store your clothes in. There is a lot to be said for the power of organisation to streamline your life, buying lesser and better quality, taking care of the things we love, and paring everything back to the essentials. Your perfect wardrobe is a matter of individual preferences, and matching your clothes to your aesthetic and lifestyle. Here’s how to get there in five easy steps…
Organise Your Space
You may be lucky enough to have a space that you can use as a dressing room, or a walk in closet that you can organise exactly how you like. The area where you store your most treasured belongings is definitely worth some time and effort. Start with the basics like repainting, adding shelving or extra rails, buying sturdy shoe racks and the like. You want your room to be comfortable so don’t forget things like ac unit repair or proper blinds as well.
Declutter What You Have
Most of us own far too many clothes which never get worn – either stuff we have bought in the sales that doesn’t suit or perhaps doesn’t fit, things we’ve outgrown or pieces which no longer fit our needs. Commit to paring down these items to key pieces and donating things which haven’t been worn in months. Then when you have a clearer idea of the clothes you really have to house, you can plan out storage solutions much better.
Define Your Signature Look
Anyone who is truly stylish has taken the time to work out a signature look which works perfectly for the life they lead, their body shape, and how they want to present themselves to the world. Make a list of your daily situations, the events you go to, the colors you’re drawn to and what qualities you would like to see in your clothes (practical? feminine? high quality?). Your style needs to inspire you and allow you to express yourself, but also to be appropriate for the life you lead – there’s little point in having hundreds of cocktail dresses if you very rarely go out at night!
Know What Works For You
You also want to work out which shapes suit your body and come up with two or three combinations that work for you which you can then recreate in different colours and finishes. A session with a personal stylist can be really useful for this, or find a celebrity with a similar body type to yours and take a look at their best outfits for some quick inspiration.
Add Interest With Accessories
Once you have the basics sorted you can add a little flair and individuality to your look simply by adding a few accessories. It could be a colorful silk scarf or perhaps some delicate layered necklaces. Maybe you’re a fan of a statement boot or some showstopping tasselled earrings? Work out what makes you happy and expresses your personality and go for it!
Love, P
**This is a collaborative post. For more information please head over to my disclosure page.
7 Easy Ways to Stop SAD In Its Tracks
The best thing about winter is that you can indulge in extravagant Christmas celebrations — including, but not limited to, humongous amount of chocolate, sweets and homemade eggnogs.
However, Christmas, for all its qualities, doesn’t last very long. You’re soon left to face the dark and grey weather without anything to look forward to. The days are too short. The nights are too long. And you, stuck in between, are beginning to feel drain, miserable and somehow a little depressed too. Every January, thousands of Britons face the winter with gloom and despair. Things are not so bad – honest, guv! – but unfortunately, when SAD counts you among its victims, it can be tricky to find some joy in your life again. SAD, short for Seasonal Affective Disorder, is a lot more common than you think. Rightly labelled the winter disease, SAD is the result of seasonal changes. In winter, it’s characterised by the lack of direct sunlight, which can affect your body ability to absorb vitamin D, and in the long term, can create a depressive state. Severe cases can receive treatments similar to long-term depression complaints, from light therapy to antidepressants. But for mild SAD patients, doctors advise to stick in there and look for effective distractions in your everyday routine. What are distractions? Little things that make you smile and break the monotony.
Distractions are precisely what you need if you’re feeling emotionally under the weather. Indeed, with the right approach and the desire to embrace all the little joys that life throws at you, you’ll be happy to know that you’ve got what it takes to stop SAD before it stops you. Make your January SAD-proof in 7 simple and sweet steps.
Buy yourself a new piece of clothing
Now that you’ve put the ugly Christmas sweater away, you need to find something fun to wear, and that can keep you warm. Indeed, the winter forecast for the UK is anything but mild and cosy this season, so you need to wrap up without feeling like a burrito. Indeed, feeling sexy in your clothes can make a great deal of difference in how you apprehend each day ] and how you can kick SAD back to where it belongs, aka far away. Cashmere and mohair jumpers provide a toasty and elegant alternative to the chunky and shapeless wool top for the days where you want to feel more feminine. Trendy fabrics such as velvet – and especially crushed velvet – let fashionistas decline vibrant and funky colours in their day-to-day outfits. Nothing like a bright gold velvet blazer to spice up your dark office outfit, for instance. If you want to wear a skirt without getting cold, try a midi length velvet skirt that combines trendy and cosy. In other words, now the best time to buy a new piece of clothing for your winter wardrobe. Make the most of the January sales and get yourself something that will make you smile every day.
Print out your favourite memories
Your last summer holiday might feel far away. You scroll through the pictures of sunny beaches, sandy toes and light cotton dresses on your Instagram profile, trying to remember how warm the sun felt on your skin. Patience, the sun will come again. In the meantime, why not select your favourite photos to put them in frames? After all, there’s nothing as powerful than happy memories to boost your mood during the day! Now’s the best season to go through your family pictures and create a fun accent wall with a snapshot album of your life together. There are plenty of ideas if you’re a talented crafter too. You could make your own photo coasters or even personalise your dull kitchen clock with a family memory. Or, if you miss your family when you’re in the office, why not make a personalised mug with a photo of your darlings? While these might seem to be tiny touches, they can significantly improve your mood.
Wrap yourself up and go out
Going outside in winter might be the last thing you want to do, but it’s by far the healthiest of all options. Research shows that a walk in the middle of nature – your local park can do the trick – visibly improves your mental focus. Consequently, if you find it hard to concentrate at work after the Christmas break, all you need to do is to take a stroll in the park to unlock your inspiration. Keeping your mind busy is also an excellent remedy against the winter slump, which leads to SAD complaints. But more importantly, and more to the point, winter SAD is all about lack of direct sun exposure. You need to expose your skin to the winter sun to help your body renew its vitamin D intake. Besides, contrary to the common belief, you won’t catch a cold by spending time outdoors. Viruses and infections are not related to the temperature. In fact, you’re less likely to get sniffy this winter if you go outside than if you stay inside!
Have friends around for food and drinks
Don’t let everyday routine dictate your mood. Every morning getting up for work and every night going back to bed before everything starts the next day again; that’s the typical cycle, and it’s easy to see how draining it can be when you leave and come back in the dark. But instead of counting the days left until spring, make the most of the long nights to create new memories. Inviting friends over is the perfect excuse to relax, break the monotony and take a break from the winter stress. If you’re not used to holding dinner parties, you can keep things relaxed and casual. Snacking all night long on crackers, cheese, olives and raw veggies is suitable for a layback catch-up. If you prefer something a little more dinner-like, you can rapidly throw a pasta dish that will keep everyone satisfied. Let your guests bring the wine, sit down, have a chat, have a laugh. In short, enjoy the moment and reconnect with those who matter.
Find fun activities to do and look forward to
Do you know why January is the best time of the year to start new hobbies? You might be thinking of how your new year’s resolutions affect your choice of activities, but in reality, the reason for the hobby-thrive at the start of the year is different. Your mind needs distractions after the countdown and excitement of Christmas. With nothing new to look forward to – the summer break is too far away –, you need to explore new horizons to make the winter days go quicker. Find something that gets you out of your home, such as escape rooms for instance. Escape games are being increasingly popular across the UK – with new places opening regularly throughout the country – so you should be able to find the right room for you. The idea to get locked in a room with 60 minutes to escape — and solve the mystery – is appealing. But more importantly, players report a rush of adrenaline towards the end of the game. Rooms are not only exciting, but they boost your satisfaction and happiness levels too – even if you fail to escape. If you prefer sweating over thinking, trying out new workout programmes and sports is crucial to maintaining your mood. Indeed, exercising releases endorphin, a hormone that is linked with your perception of happiness. To put it in other words, January is the ideal time of the year to try out this dance course you’ve been curious about; you’ll train yourself happy in the process!
Make your Home your Sanctuary
If the house feels empty without the Christmas tree and all the decorations, it can gradually bite off large chunks of your happiness. Ultimately, your home is your sanctuary of peace and joy. So, it’s easy to understand that if your interior doesn’t meet your emotional expectations, you will struggle to find comfort at home. You can, however, tweak your interior style to create more paths to happiness. Indeed, the presence of nature is soothing to the mind. Consequently, sourcing items from the outdoors and picking colour palettes that remind of natural landscapes can push your mind in the right direction. Nothing like a fresh coat of paint to transform a dull room into your happy place!
Look at your Diet
It can be difficult to go back to a healthy diet after the indulgence of Christmas, but you need to focus your attention on feeding your body with the right nutrients. The sweet sugar rush of Christmas is harmful both for your body and mind, and can encourage mood disorders. Instead, turn your attention to mood-boosting food, such as oranges, and strawberries that support mood stability. Omega-3 fatty acids, in fish and chia seeds, actively fight off symptoms of depression.
Love, P
**This is a collaborative post. For more information please head over to my disclosure page.
Finding the Best All-Inclusive Family Holiday for 2019 with Loveholidays
As 2018 draws to a close (only 11 days left!) I’m already thinking ahead to 2019 and as I’m not one to make lots of new year resolutions(for fear of not being able to stick to them) I have decided to focus all my attention on only one… Travel more as a family. Now this is definitely a resolution I can stick to!
My husband and I always loved travelling and pre children we did so quite often not only around Europe on smallish city breaks but also to some gorgeous and more exotic destinations like Malaysia and Singapore. Since having children though, our holidays have been resumed to visiting family which means we spend all our holiday time either in Portugal or the UK. This year I would like to change that. As much as we love our families I feel like we are missing out on some time just the four of us and we feel the children should be exposed to different cultures and environments which I feel is extremely important for children’s social and cultural development.
In 2019 I’m hoping to go on a couple of family holidays, starting with a wintery city break around February half term (I’m thinking somewhere in Italy, possibly Rome as I have never been myself) and a longer and more lavish Summer holiday once the kids break up from school (possibly Thailand or the Caribbean).
Up until now we have favoured self catering apartments/hotels because the kids were small and we didn’t want to have to deal with tantrums over dinner or be dependent on finding a good restaurant that offered both good food and was child friendly but now they are both older (4 and 6 years old) we feel that we are ready to try all-inclusive family holidays and believe they would be perfect for us all. Knowing that all our meals and drinks are catered for is a huge piece of mind not to talk about the cheeky cocktail and wine. It’s a holiday after all isn’t it?
To help with my search for the perfect all-inclusive hotels for our upcoming family holidays I have been using Loveholidays newest interactive all inclusive hotel finder which highlights the best all inclusive hotels for couples, families and adults only in the most popular destinations. Loveholidays identifies the top all-inclusive hotels based on both Trip Advisor reviews and the number of bookings to make sure you find the best all-inclusive hotels in your chosen destination. Now if this isn’t helpful I don’t know what is.
Where would you like to travel to in 2019? Let me know in the comments below.
Love, P
**This is a collaborative post. For more information please head over to my disclosure page.
Fashion Fix Friday: Luscious Velvet IRL
Velvet is a classic winter fabric but if I’m honest I have always associated it to evening wear and old ladies. Wrong! So wrong! How could I be so wrong? I was for many, many years but no more. I’m fully embracing velvet and I want to incorporate with my everyday looks not just save it for the occasional night out.
5 Ways to Make Your Beauty Routine Quicker and More Effective
Mornings are possibly the busiest time of my daily routine. I need to get up and ready, get the kids up and ready, prepare breakfast, eat breakfast, feed the kids breakfast, get the kids ready, prepare lunch bags…. You get the gist! So, as you can imagine a morning beauty routine is definitely not my priority. However, I still like to look good and hate nothing more than leaving the house looking like death. If this is you too read on for some tips on how you can make your morning beauty routine quicker and more effective.
Overnight Masks
If your skin needs a bit of TLC, you don’t necessarily need to weigh it down with heavy cream in the morning. You can use overnight masks that are easy to remove once you got out of the bed, and your skin will only need a bit of cleansing and vitamin serum before you apply the makeup. Choose the mask that is easy to apply and doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals.
Sleep In Curlers
In case doing your hair takes the most of your time up in the morning, you can find some sleep in curlers that are comfortable and will help you keep your hairdo in shape. No matter if you have natural curls that get out of control in the morning, or simply would like to add volume so you can style your hair accordingly, you will be able to save time without having to put up with uncomfortable curlers.
Microblading
We seem to be obsessed with our eyebrows, and getting the shape and strength right in the morning is a challenge, even for the most artistic people out there. It might be a good idea to get your eyebrows defined by a microblading artist, so all you have to do is tweak, go over them, brush them, and you are good to go. Your eyebrows give your face a great definition and should be the foundation of all your makeup.
Permanent Hair Removal
It is also a good idea to save time and effort when you jump in the shower in the morning. Shaving is a delicate task, and if you are not fully awake before your second coffee, chances are that you might suffer an accident. You should do your research on how permanent hair removal services work so you can find the right solution, whether or not you would like to avoid shaving your legs every morning, or need to tackle facial hair that is annoying.
Shower Multitasking
Multitasking is something we are good at. You can use your facial scrub in the shower to get a fresh glow in just a few minutes. You will also be able to wash your face with black soap to get rid of the bacteria and improve your complexion. After you have closed your pores, you can start applying your primer and once you are dressed up, you can start your makeup.
Love, P
**This is a collaborative post. For more information please head over to my disclosure page.
Fashion Fix Friday: A fresh look at Cowboy boots and how to wear them
I feel like I’m a little late to the cowboy boot party since they have been a thing since the Summer. However, I think this great 90’s western trend is here to stay taking into account they were all over the spring 2019 street style photos circulating during fashion month so I might be late but I’m certainly on it!
Recently I have become obsessed with the style and want to pair them with quite literally everything. I have one particular pair of boots to blame for it and they are the glorious Ganni pink and black marlyn 45 . From the minute I laid eyes on them I knew I was in love!
The thing about cowboy boots is that wearing them can feel a little bit like wearing a costume but I think the key is to make them work with your wardrobe and using them as an easy way to update some of your most basic outfits and add a super cool trendy twist to very feminine outfits.
Keep scrolling for some style inspiration from the streets and to shop my cowboy boot edit.
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