Christmas Wish List

Finally work has calmed down and I can finally start thinking about Christmas, even though there are only TEN days to go - jeez I need to get organised! I've compiled lists of pressies for everyone else and am spending today Christmas shopping (wish me luck). However I haven't given much thought to what I'd like prior to writing this. 

So here are my top 10 things I'd like Santa to put in my stocking...

It's been a crazy busy year work wise and I'd really like nothing more than to lie on a massage table and get my entire body pummelled for an hour or two so that all the knots, aches and pains evaporate.

Prestate Sea Salt Caramel Truffles £11.99 from Selfridges BUY HERE

I've got a massive sweet tooth and would like to indulge it with some sea salt caramel truffles.

TRX Pro Suspension Training Kit £238 BUY HERE

To counter balance my cravings for everything sweet and laden with calories, the brilliantly convenient TRX system would be a helpful present. I tried it out on a job recently and was amazed at how much I hurt for days afterwards. And I only did like 5 press ups. 

Frank Original Coffee Body Scrub £11.95 BUY HERE

I am a massive fan of exfoliation and have heard so many great reviews about this Coffee Body Scrub that I think it would make a good stocking filler for me. 

The Art of Eating Well £12.50 from Amazon BUY HERE

And after all the mince pies and stollen I am likely to eat during the festive season a little healthy eating inspiration in book form from the brilliant Hemsley & Hemsley sisters would be a welcome addition to my book case and for my waistline.

Graham & Green Book Ends £48 BUY HERE

I've been searching for vintage pineapple book ends on eBay for quite sometime but recently discovered these beauties from Graham & Green which would prop up my new the Hemsley & Hemsley book rather nicely.

Fifi Lapin He Loves Me He Loves Me Not Poster $50 BUY HERE

I'm always looking for new art to add to my hallway walls. I adore Fifi Lapin's cute fashionista bunny prints and would love to add one to my collection.

True Rocks Safety Pin Pendant £235 BUY HERE

When on photo shoots I'm never without my trusty 'stylist necklace' which is laden down with bulldog clips and safety pins which I use to clip and pin clothes into place and look the best they can. When I came across this pendant from True Rocks I thought it would be very fitting for me to wear around my neck to remind me just how much I love my job (and of all the times I've accidentally stabbed myself)! 

J Crew Sequin Shirt £89.50 BUY HERE

If this simple but sparkly shirt from J Crew appeared under the tree I'd wear it with black tuxedo trousers on Boxing Day.

Louis Vuitton Keepall 60 Personalised £1050 BUY HERE

And last but not least, my monogrammed Louis Vuitton Speedy bag that I treated myself to at the beginning of the year makes me happy each time I wear it. So I'd like to upgrade to a larger style to use when I go away for the weekend or as my carry on luggage. The epitome of chic!

Please Santa I've been a good girl this year!

Images: Fifi Lapin, Frank Body, Pinterest, Selfridges, Prestat, Amazon, True Rocks, J Crew, Louis Vuitton

Life Lately

Argh! It's December already! How the frick did that come about so quickly? Time is just whizzing by and before I know it it will be 2015. Here's a little of my life lately.

Prepping For A Job

Spending many hours on Pinterest putting together mood boards for the many jobs I have coming up before Christmas. Pinterest is genius and you can follow my boards here.

The Divine Dessert List At Balthazar

Meeting up with friends for dinner at Balthazar. I've wanted to visit this restaurant ever since Carrie Bradshaw tried to get in during an episode of Sex & The City. I ate about a week's worth of calories, sipped too much prosecco and had a fantastic evening.

Stella McCartney Phone Case BUY HERE

This has been my best purchase recently, a phone case in the shape of a shark with fins and eyes and teeth! Anyone who knows me knows how fascinated I am with sharks, I am terrified by them, but I respect that they are incredible creatures. This phone case brightens my day and is quite the talking point.

Homemade Pizza

Now that we are in winter I am craving lots of yummy carb-ey food and tried making homemade pizza recently. The base is stupidly easy to make and I've been experimenting with lots of different toppings, my favourite being spinach, goats cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.

Grenson Sample Sale Bargains

We went to the Grenson sample sale this weekend and it was filled with flat shoe wonderfulness. Sadly I didn't find anything in my size, but the boyfriend lucked out with all of these for a bargain-ous £100.

Care Bear Stare!

I recently collected my old toys from my parents home and while lots of them have since been donated or were too damaged to keep I've managed to salvage some, including my beloved Roald Dahl books and some Care Bears.

Wreath of Dreams at Albion

When getting my weekend hot chocolate at Albion I came across the most beautiful Christmas wreath greeting you as you enter the establishment. I really need to start thinking about getting a tree soon.  

Hope you have a wonderful week and happy December!

Sx

The Beauty Review

Here's a round up of the beauty products I've been using recently.

L'Oreal Nutri-Lift Gold Foundation £14.29 BUY HERE

Now that my summer tan has faded and my skin has gone a little beserk with the change of seasons I need to use a heavier foundation. I was given some L'Oreal products on my trip to Australia back in the summer and dug this foundation out recently. It's a thick but not heavy formulation which looks dewy on my skin without setting in my laughter lines. Plus it provides good even coverage, so much so that I don't even require concealor for my lesser blemishes. One squirt easily covers my entire face and it's super easy to blend in with my fingers. It contains gold micro-particles to add 'radiance' to the skin and 5 anti-ageing ingredients; pro-retinol, pro-lastyl, pro-xylane, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C to help keep those evil signs of ageing away. It comes in 7 different shades (I'm using 150 creamy beige) and if it had an SPF it would be a 5 star product.

Noble Isle Sa of Green Hand Wash £18 BUY HERE

There's something about a luxurious hand wash in the bathroom that just lifts my day. It's like a cashmere sweater or a decadent candle, it just makes you feel better. Nobel Isle, a British company specialising in bath and body products, have created a range of divine hand washes. I'm using the Sea of Green hand wash and love the wonderfully fresh botanical fragrance that lingers on my hands long after I've washed them. It contains notes of lemon, thyme and rosemary and samphire extract rich in antioxidant minerals and vitamins to regenerate the skin. At £18 it's not for the kiddies to use, but we all need a little treat sometimes and this would make a fantastic Christmas stocking filler (hint hint!)

Dr Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Soothing Face Cream £50 BUY HERE

I've been using this little pot of goodness for over a month now and am only half way through. I use it as my day cream (I prefer to use oils at night) but you can use it for PM too. The formulation is designed for sensitive skins and those that suffer from redness. While I suffer from neither of those thankfully, of late my skin has been developing mean little hormonal spots and I've found this cream certainly calms them down. It contains sea buckthorn extract which has anti-imflammatory properties, and chaga and reishi mushroom extracts to help calm the skin. It also boasts narcissus lily bulb extract to help the skin's defences, thus preventing further environmental damage. It has a delicious herby scent and moisturises without feeling greasy. I just wish it came in a pump dispenser rather than a pot, such is my desire for hygiene.

What I Wore

Here's a little round up of a few outfits I've worn recently.

Topshop shirt BUY HERE, Gap jeans, Zara shoes, Louis Vuitton bag BUY HERE

Doing double denim and wearing my new dark denim shirt from Topshop with some old ripped up Gap jeans (Gap do the best high street jeans!) with a dash of leopard print in the shoe for a day of press appointments.

Uniqlo sweater, ASOS trousers, Miu Miu trainers BUY SIMILAR HERE

Wearing a monochrome look for a day working from home. As much as I'd like to just wear pjs when I'm at home, I find I'm much more productive if I get dressed properly.

M&S jumper, Mango skirt, Topshop boots, Anya Hindmarch bag

Styling one of my favourite people for his next TV commercial I wore a chunky knit with leather skirt and my fringed Anya Hindmarch Bicester Village bargain bag I scored a few years ago.

Hope you all have a great week!

Sx

Fun Fur

Helen Moore Scarf £120 BUY HERE

Now that the Helen Moore faux-fur scarf of my dreams is part of my wardrobe and attracting complementary comments wherever it comes out to play, I've started looking at other furry accessories to add to my stroke-able collection.

Eugenia Kim beanie £215 BUY HERE

I love a beanie hat in winter and this cosy wool version with colourful fur pom pom will ensure you are easy to spot in a crowd.

Topshop sandals £58 BUY HERE

An easy way to add some fur into your life with these budget buy fluffy high heeled sandals.

Jigsaw pom pom keyring £19 BUY HERE

For a little while now I've spotted fluffs of pom pom dangling off of bags. Attaching a little puff of fur is a simple was to do the faux fur trend.

MissGuided Scarf £15.99 BUY HERE

Now I haven't seen this scarf in real life so can't vouch for the quality, but it is a pretty good looking scarf at an incredible price point. I love the mix of burgundy, grey and white.

Whistles Mittens £45 BUY HERE

These cute mittens also come in pink and leopard print, but being a lover of all things grey I think the above are the chicest colourway. I love the mixture of textures and would happily sport these on a freezing day with a navy or black coat.

Zara sweatshirt £29.99 BUY HERE

I know a sweatshirt isn't an accessory, but I tried this on in store when the weather was warmer and instantly fell for the strip of fluff running down each arm. It's a really easy way to wear the trend and would add instant fun to a weekend outfit of jeans and trainers.

Shrimps Pablo Clutch Bag £185 BUY HERE

Oh yeah! I adore this colourful clutch. The mix of orange and baby blue is just perfection and I'd love to give this bag a cuddle on a night out.

Images: Shrimps, Zara, Whistles, Miss Guided, Jigsaw, Topshop, MATCHESFASHION

In My Bag

Clothes wise I've been a little underwhelmed by what's in store at the moment (or am I just all shopped out because of work!?!), so with the exception of a sweater, I've been stocking up on accessories to update my autumn wardrobe.

Zara sweatshirt £19.99 BUY HERE

Do I really need another grey sweatshirt? No, however this basic offering from Zara has become a welcome addition to my wardrobe. It's the perfect shade of charcoal and works with jeans a tailored trouser or a midi skirt. 

Helen Moore Scarf £120 from Atterley Road BUY HERE

I've been coveting this fluffy scarf for months thinking the high street would bring out a less expensive option and even deluding myself that I could try to make something similar. In the end I caved and I'm so pleased I did as it elevates every outfit I pair it with, plus it feels like a furry cuddle. I adore this scarf and will be wearing it all winter long.

Whistles Fedora £55 BUY HERE

Something to protect my hair and stop it turning into a fuzzy mess in the rain is this felt fedora in navy with a grosgrain sash. 

Zara Scarf £19.99 BUY HERE

Another scarf made it into my bag, this oversized khaki and grey style from Zara. I'm clearly feeling the need for cosiness. 

Accessorize Earrings £4.50 BUY HERE

Ending on a cheap thrill, I love the simplicity of these Dior-esque double ball earrings which work equally well for day or evening.

Life Lately

Life has been incredibly busy recently, work is non-stop. In between prepping for photo shoots I've managed to squeeze in some spring summer press days. It's always weird seeing summer clothes just as I've dug out my winter tights and I'm already looking forward to bare legs and summer sandals again.

Marbled jewellery at the Arcadia press day

It's all about the botanical print for next season

I'll take both please! Super furry sliders from Topshop

Perfect pineapple loveliness for your next summer holiday

Ideal for beach strolling

A gorgeous beach bag from Fiorelli

I also attended my first baby shower and made my first nappy cake which I was pretty proud of!

The vital ingredients for my nappy cake

The finished article!

It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas in London with the colder weather and street decorations popping up everywhere. I can't wait to put my tree up now!

Giant baubles in St. Christopher's Place

I made these delicious peanut butter cookies to help me get through a weekend of work. Suffice to say there are none left now!

Peanut better cookie time!

I hope you all have a great week!

Sx