August Moodboard

Hello again guys! Before we start this post I want to make it clear that none of the images below are owned by me and I am definitely not passing them off as my work or anything like that; I know it's a bit dodgy to name Pinterest as a source, but that is truly where each and every one of them are from. Literally, though searching for 'ear piercings', 'floral tattoos' and 'perfume bottles' was how I found such a diverse set of images. At the moment I'm absolutely loving cute and dainty ear piercings; I myself have a lot of ear piercings but I wouldn't call any of them cute or dainty, but after looking at these images I'm definitely lusting after some new earrings to redecorate my ears with. Similarly, I do have a tattoo but I'm thinking about another and it's likely to be floral but I have no clue of the placement or design so I'm enjoying browsing through scores and scores of images for inspiration. Finally, I've rekindled my love for beautiful perfume bottles; visually my favourite will always be the Daisy range by Marc Jacobs or the stunning female bodies by Jean Paul Gaultier. I'm on a budget for the next few months so I'm enjoying lusting after things and thinking about the kinds of things that I could have if I chose to spend my money in a few months time - fingers crossed! What kinds of things are you loving this month? Let me know in the comments :)

A month in instagram - December

Overall, I had a fairly lovely month of December and a lot of it was very positive; during this month I went to two job interviews and was offered both, which is why I posted the motivational quote 'she believed she could so she did' as I found it was something that encompassed what I felt at that time. I've tried hard to find some inner positivity as keep on going. I'm not usually one for looking at motivational quotes all the time but I felt like I needed to this month. 'Stars can't shine without darkness' was a mic one to keep me on a happier plane; sometimes you need to work through the darkness to find the light, which is something that I'm really trying to live by right now. Both of these quotes made sense to join with two of my favourite perfumes as they're something that make me happy.

 

This man has literally been my light in the darkness during a really hard year. He has a way of making me laugh and giving me comfort when I need it. In all honesty, I am actually hard to live with and be in a relationship with due to my mental health. One of the things that I love the most is how even just a walk along river becomes fun or interesting, it doesn't have to be all about spending copious amounts of money, its about having company that you really appreciate and enjoy. He's brought so much of my confidence back and everyday the love I have for him grows even stronger. Photographs are a fantastic way of keeping track of the memories that you make together.

 

I also have this thing about night time shots; I studied photography at A Level and University and my favourite shots were always those taken at night, or with heaps of shadows and darkness in. I always liked seeing how I could create a sense of mood and the contrasts between light and dark tones within an image and this interest have definitely pulled into adulthood. Oxford Circus at around 3am was lovely to walk along as it was empty at that time with all of the beautiful Christmas lights everywhere, it was a dream for me.

 

I've posted many different shots that I've taken for various blog posts this month all over my instagram and this month they seem to have become very pink and girly all of a sudden; I'm not that I'm very happy with my photography for my blog right now. Ideally in a few months I'd like to invest in a better camera as I feel like my iPhone is slightly limited. Although I'm not sure if it's the iPhone or the framing of the photographs. I feel like they're a little too busy. Seeing the images altogether in a feed does help you to determine what works and what doesn't and I'll definitely be using the less is more approach from now on, but it's also enjoyable to see how my blog is developing as I learn what I like and don't like.

  

I always try to make my instagram feed personal and not all about blogging, so I include images of what I've genuinely enjoyed in my day to day life; my boyfriend bought me some lovely flowers on Christmas Eve and although I'm not usually a fan of yellow, these gerberas were such a good way to brighten up a room from the dark and cold weather outside. They're actually still going strong two weeks later, which is amazing. I've been loving the smell of Yankee Candles recently, I've fallen in love with Red Raspberry, it's so fruity and strong; it literally powers through most of the house and I finally managed to find a Jean Paul Gaultier bustier perfume. It reminds me of a younger Madonna, but I also love how it celebrates the shape of the female form. Lastly, a picture of a bearded Piotr not looking like he loves the winter sunshine. Here's to having a good January!

 

Christmas Present Ideas For Him

- Herschel - Canon - Superdry - Beats - Converse - Hollister - Ted Baker - Jean Paul Gaultier - iPad - 

 

Personally, I find guys quite a challenge to buy for. But, that said I do like the pieces that I find, even if it takes a while. I tend to steer toward classic pieces, like bags or shoes as you can't go wrong with those, especially if you know the person well. You can tell a lot about a person from their shoes or their clothes as it's like a reflection of their personality. Herschel backpacks are so durable and able to hold a lot of stuff so seem to be a favourite with men. A bonus is that the backpacks come in neutral colours too so they go with any outfits, they're visually stylish and they hold anything so all in all makes for a good present and everyday bag. Another safe gift option is a wallet, as any man needs a decent wallet to store change, ID, bank cards and more. Like the backpack, neutral colours are a good bet so this Superdry tan leather wallet is perfect as it's visually pleasing with a lot of compartments, smooth leather which feels nice on the hand and is well made so will last being shoved in a bag or pocket.

Perfume is a little more tricky to buy as a surprise gift as it's not always easy to know which scent a guy will like, although most masculine scents tend to me quite musky and citrus smelling. Ted Baker do some really lovely smelling scents for men that not only look pleasant visually; the bottles are so nicely designed and elegant. They also are easy to use as the shape means that it's unlikely to smash being carried around as the bottle is hard wearing. Jean Paul Gaultier is more of a sexy, quite daring scent to buy for a man as even the bottle itself is very masculine with the muscly torso being it's feature. It's eye-catching and very seductive scent, which is good to buy if you're feeling brave or know the person really well. Either way, perfumes and aftershaves are a good bet as all men use them.

Electrical items are always popular too, as everyone is on social media or likes to keep memories now. A camera is a nice option if you money to spend, especially if the guy is into travelling or wants to start a new hobby. Canon make good quality cameras and the prices are getting more reasonable, especially with the Christmas cash back offers. An iPad is another good choice as it's something that can be used more or less all the time and has some customisable options, such as storage space, colour or adding an engraving. Although if that is out of your budget, a case is just as thoughtful and still very useful, especially if you're a naturally clumsy person. Headphones are another decent alternative as everyone likes to listen to music or watch films and the in ear headphones are usually the most comfortable for everyone as they fit any head or ear shape.

Lastly, another good option is some form of clothes or accessories like shoes, a scarf, a coat... There are so many different options, as long as you know the right size and taste. Trainers are a good bet as they're comfortable and fashionable, and coat or scarf keeps you warm which is an obvious bonus during the colder temperatures. If clothes aren't a good idea, then there are always easy options like chocolates, alcohol, a gift set or the traditional man gifts like socks (but again you need to know the correct sizing) and if they have a hobby you can always invest in something similar, for example if they want to start a new hobby, buy them something encouraging. If they want to learn a language, buy a phrase book. In all honesty, I'm not awful at buying presents for people of any age or gender but I do struggle more with my male relatives than female. If you have any other suggestions please let me know in the comments. See you soon! :)

November Favourites

I always seem to have a lot of similar Favourites every single month; I really love perfume, my iPhone as well as various different kinds of make up. This month I've gotten a bit more into make up again, although I'm still wearing much less than I used to. I've recently purchased a new Britney Spears perfume and I absolutely loved the packaging. I love the designs of perfume bottles in general, actually. Where it's getting colder no I'm thinking about keeping warm so my uggs have literally been a saviour the past month, however ugly they may look.

 

1. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose

2. Nina Ricci Mademoiselle Ricci L'eau

3. Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in Ivory

4. Britney Spears Island Fantasy

5. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in London

6. Vera Wang Preppy Princess

7. Maybelline Age Rewind Eye Concealer in Light

8. Britney Spears Hidden Fantasy

9. iPhone 6s 64gb rose gold

10. Ugg Australia Classic II Short Boot

My Perfume Collection #4

The last few bottles in my Perfume Collection (so far, I'm sure that it will keep growing) are by three completely different people, but I've grouped them together because they're scents that I usually wear in the summer months as they feel lighter and more summery, somehow. Ricci Ricci by Nina Ricci is genuinely one of my favourite ever perfumes, in terms of scent and bottle design. Purple is one of my favourite colours and has been since I was a young child, which coupled with the beautifully designed bow closure is more or less the perfect perfume bottle design for me. I love how it looks on my chest of drawers. I haven't worn this scent much recently, but I used it so much during the months of May to September, so it reminds me a lot of summer and nice weather. I have the 50ml version, as this perfume is actually pretty pricey, but I do think that it's worth it. It was around £40, so one of the most expensive perfumes that I own. However, the smell is so lovely with notes of rhubarb, bergamot, rose, sandalwood and patchouli.

 

I had lusted after ME by Lanvin for what felt like years; ever I smelled the scent one day when I was in Selfridges with a friend during university, actually. I had purchased one of those small taster style mini bottles of the scent at the time as that was all I could afford but I never forgot how much I wanted it. You can only imagine my excitement when it was finally mine! The bottle design is super classy, with a black top covering the spritzer and featuring an embossed Lanvin logo. The bottle is is a gold shade in a rectangular shape with ME written in sparkly gold which matches the neck of the bottle. It also features a diamonté with hanging gold chain. I paid roughly £20 and I don't regret it at all, I absolutely love this scent. It's both fruity and floral with tones of blueberry, tangerine, rose, licorice and sandalwood. It's a scent that I wear on days that I need an added confidence boost.

 

The final scent is Amor Amor L'eau by Cacharel, which I'm really glad to have bought when I did as it was a limited edition scent for summer 2014 and as a result is almost impossible to find now. I do like how Cacharel have a set bottle design, the circular, streamlined shape with the signature Amor Amor font on the bottle itself, with a cute spring tucked around the top of the bottle and the spritzer. As this was a summer edition, the shades of blue and green coupled with the pink spritzer have a very girly feel and the smell only adds to this. I have the 100ml bottle and paid around £25, so it was excellent value for money. For me, this scent epitomises the feels of a summers day. The scent is of cola, citrus, vanilla, floral, musk and amber. It sounds like such a random mix of ingredients but the smell is really lovely and I wore it so much during those long summer days.

My Perfume Collection #3

My last two Perfume Collection posts have detailed perfumes by specific creators, which were Britney Spears and Vera Wang. In this posts there is actually a slight mix of designers, but the reason for coupling them into a group was so that these posts literally don't go on forever! I've come to the conclusion that perfumes are almost a means of self expression; the scents you like differ from person to person, I'm definitely someone who prefers floral scents, although sometimes I do surprise myself and go for something a little more unexpected with more musk and exotic fruits. I also have a penchant for pretty bottles; the bottle designs definitely influence my purchases.

 

I currently own two perfumes by Anna Sui and in all honestly, the designs of the bottles are the biggest pull for me. They're so attractive to the eye; the first that I purchased was Dolly Girl after seeing the bottle and thinking how lovely it would look displayed next to my other perfumes, shallow as that may sound. I have the 50ml version as I'm realising that with so many perfumes it's not only more affordable to purchase smaller sizes but also more sensible as otherwise I have a lot of perfume to wear and it feels a little excessive. I paid around £15 for this perfume which is amazingly affordable; it's very fresh and feminine using mostly florals to encompass the overall scent. Smelling of lily, cinnamon, melon and bergamot mixed in with notes of apple, magnolia, strawberry, jasmine and raspberry. Plus the bottle itself is very pretty, featuring a pale pink head shape with darker pink facial details and a plain silver cap.

The second and only other perfume I own from Anna Sui is La Nuit de Boheme. It is, in my opinion one of the most aesthetically pleasing bottle designs that I have in my Perfume Collection. I chose the 50ml version again, mostly because the sensible part of my brain told me that I was only really buying it for the pretty gold bottle; made up of four large shaped roses and topped with a butterfly on the cap, it definitely is one that stands out from the mix. Costing only £25, it wasn't ridiculously expensive and is a lovely scent for the price. Comprised of mandarin, blackberry and apple, it has lower notes of sandalwood, plum, blossom and jasmine. Although I don't use either of the Anna Sui scents that often, they look and smell gorgeous so I tend to use them for more formal occasions.

 

The final Perfume to detail in this post is by Jean Paul Gaultier, who is famed for his classic torso shaped perfume bottles. My Perfume is one of the limited edition versions of Classique. It's actually from the 2014 Collector's Edition collection, the 100ml bottle, costing around £70 if I remember correctly. My mother has always loved the bottle designs of Jean Paul Gaultier (awkward because she hates the smell of perfumes) and I know that they're not to everyone's tastes, but I fully understand her love for them. They're so creative and simply stunning to look at due to the level of detail that surely must've gone into both designing and making the bottles. As it was a limited edition, it came with a necklace that has a 'JPG' and a mirror which I prefer to keep wrapped around the body of the bottle, I like how it looks as an accessory, of sorts. This is definitely the most expensive perfume that I own but probably my favourite. A romantic scent, with notes of orange blossom, tangerine and ginger alongside ylang-ylang, vanilla, amber and orchid. Possibly due to the design of the bottle, it's a very sexy feeling scent.