Tuesday 13 November 2018

REN ATLANTIC KELP & MAGNESIUM MINI GIFT SET {AD}


We’re coming up to my absolute FAVOURITE time of the year: Christmas!! Cue all the Christmas movies, tree decorating, yummy treats and, of course, shopping for Christmas presents. With Christmas shopping in mind, I have one of REN’s new Skincare Gift Sets to share with you from their holiday offering for this year.

For years now, REN has been one of my go to brands for skincare. I have very, very sensitive skin. I’m talking allergic reactions to the sun and vitamin injections kind of sensitivity (yes, seriously). It’s something that developed from having Fibromyalgia and it’s made looking after my skin that much more difficult. After doing my research I came across REN and their range designed specifically for sensitive skin. I use a few of their products now as part of my everyday routine, and they’ve truly made a big difference. So I’m always interested in trying more from them.



A few weeks ago I was very kindly sent their Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Mini Gift Set to try. Featuring mini versions of some of their best-selling Atlantic Kelp range, this Christmas gift set includes their Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Body Wash, Body Lotion and Bath Oil. Formulated to ‘lift your senses while cleansing and nourishing your skin’, with ‘a blend of anti-fatigue oils that’s perfect for men and women’, I was excited to try everything.

I’ve been using all three of the products for a few weeks now in order to really test them out and I’ve loved each of them. They have a nice, uplifting scent to them, nothing too strong or offensive. I’m 100% the wrong person to try and describe a smell, but it’s very pleasant, and it’s neutral enough to make this appealing to both men and women as described. The Body Wash is lovely to use, creating a good lather and leaving just a slight lingering scent afterwards. A little goes a long way, and despite constant use I’ve still got a good amount left in the bottle which is great from mini sizes like this. The Body Lotion is similar, you don’t need much. It sinks into the skin well and provides moisture and nourishment. I actually used more than usual on my legs after shaving and coming up in a bad rash and this lotion really helped to soothe it. The Bath Oil just requires a small amount poured into your bath water to create a nice, relaxing scent. It made my skin silky and soft afterwards and the scent remained lightly through the day which was nice.

The anti-fatigue aim through the use of magnesium oil was especially intriguing to me. I suffer from quite severe fatigue and exhaustion through my illness and it’s difficult to deal with. In the past I’ve tried magnesium oil to try and help combat it, but with having such sensitive skin I couldn’t continue as it caused a lot of itchiness and irritation. With these products my skin reacted perfectly fine with no irritation at all. I can’t say whether it helped my fatigue or not, it’s far too bad and up and down to tell whether these helped, but they did help me relax, and that’s always a win for me.


I tend to love gift sets like this for Christmas presents, both to buy for others and to receive for myself. The packaging for this year’s collection of REN gift sets was designed by renowned Swedish stationery designer, kikki.K. I’m a bit of a sucker for designer gift boxes and I love the design for the gift set I received, it definitely makes for a stylish present.

I suppose what’s considered the most important part of any review is would I recommend this product? The answer for me is yes, I definitely would. However, I think the better question to ask is would I buy it? Yep, I really would. I’ve loved each of the products included in this gift set. As much as I wanted to look for a negative to include as a downside to give a fair review, I just couldn’t find one. It’s a lovely gift set with great products inside. What’s not to love? Now bring on Christmas!

Katie xx



This gift set was kindly gifted, however this review is my own honest opinion. 
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Sunday 14 October 2018

NEW SEASON, NEW STYLE



One of the best things about a new season for me personally is the opportunity it gives me to reinvent my style. There’s no better time to try something new, embrace a new trend, step outside of your comfort zone. The beginning of a new season brings with it new colours and prints, new shapes, and new styling ideas you may never have thought of. It’s hard not to get motivated and inspired to try something different.

For me, no season brings about this spark more than autumn. I’ve said it time and time again that it’s by far my favourite season for fashion. Summer style for me is always a bit meh. I just don’t really have much of an idea of what I want to wear or how to make the trends work for me and my personal style. Autumn, however, I come into my element. There’s nothing I love more than playing with layers and textures, wrapped up in knitwear and big faux fur coats. But still, I always want to change up my usual autumn style to suit the season’s trends and fresh approaches.




Case in point, this outfit. There is so much about this that makes it completely different to anything I’ve worn before. I’m not really one to opt for formal pieces, but there was something about these navy tie-waist culottes from Asos that caught my eye. In the spirit of trying a new style, I decided to order them and just give them a try, and boy am I glad I did. They’re super high-waisted, which is exactly my style, and the loose shape makes them comfortable as well.

I’d normally pair this kind of outfit with some trusty block heel ankle boots. In March I really injured my back and I’m still having a nightmare with it (hence the lack of posting), so trainers have been my go to all summer long, and I’ve ended up actually liking the juxtaposition of their casualness against my usual style. Add in a colourful, patterned knit (Primark, by the way, who are killing it for knitwear at the moment) and a contrasting bag and I’m set.




This outfit is exactly why I love embracing new trends. I never would have thought I’d wear this mix of pieces together, but yet here we are and I loved the unexpectedness of the look. I always look for new pieces I can style, something that makes me step away from my style rut. There’s nothing like a new season to inspire me when it comes to fashion.

Katie xx

Tie Waist Culottes, Asos
Patterned Jumper, Primark
Checked Bag, Asos
Trainers, Adidas
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Sunday 18 March 2018

THE POWER OF THE BLAZER





Blazers have never really been my thing. I tried them when I was younger but I guess I always felt too young, like the style was too rigid and mature for me back then. But in the past few months, they’ve slowly worked their way back into my wardrobe. It started for work, having a blazer to throw on over a dress was a great way to smarten up the look and make it more formal, plus having that added layer kept me warm throughout the cold autumn and winter. Since then blazers have become somewhat of a hero piece for me. And not just for work, I find myself reaching for them more and more for my everyday outfits as well.

I can’t quite explain the feeling I get when I slip a blazer on, other than saying it gives me confidence. I think it’s that typical idea of the suit and the power that can often represent. I for one can in no way pull off a full suit, but a blazer is such an easy piece to have, you can add it to any outfit and it just adds that formal touch. They can look just as amazing with a pair of cigarette trousers and shirt, a colourful dress, or a simple plain tee and blue jeans.
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Sunday 4 March 2018

TALKING MONEY AND GIFFGAFF GAMEPLAN EVENT






Confession time; I am terrible with money. It’s probably no surprise given how much I love to shop, but I have to start being responsible. I’m going to get really personal with you all and give you a bit of background into the state of my personal finances. As many of you know, I spent quite a few years bed ridden from Fibromyalgia, and then a couple more years getting better at a tediously slow pace, but getting better nonetheless. It took a long time for me to learn to live with the pain and start working again.

Obviously, I had to start by just working part time a few hours each week, and as I continued to make progress I was ultimately able to increase how many hours I worked. After so many years of struggling and basically going through hell, once I started working and had an income again the last thing I wanted to do was worry about being careful with money. In other words, I treated myself. The thing I wanted more than anything was a holiday. I had 7 years without one, and all I wanted was to go back to Disney World once I knew I could handle it physically. This is where I was very naughty money wise. Yes, I got my dream holiday which I feel was highly deserved to Disney World in December 2016, and had the absolute best time. But then 2017 started, I had a really bad flare up of my pain (which is why I had to take a long break from blogging), I worked extremely hard to get better again, got a new job, and then thought I deserved to go back to Disney World AGAIN in November 2017, because if I haven’t said it enough in every other post, it’s my favourite place in the world and I LOVE IT SO MUCH!! I worked my butt off doing overtime at work to pay for it, and I was extremely careful with my money because I had something to save for, something I desperately wanted. And that was all fine. But then when I got there this time, I went a little bit crazier than usual, bought wayyyyy too much stuff, had to take out a 0% credit card and I’m now stuck with paying it off. And to worsen things, we’ve had to buy some big homeware purchases in the last few weeks such as a new bed, which was not cheap. So to sum up, we have debt.

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Wednesday 28 February 2018

CHECK MATE





I have always been partial to a check print, whether it’s a cosy tartan check for autumn/winter or a delicious gingham for spring/summer, I’m going to have some form of checks within my wardrobe. The SS18 collections had a variety of checks on show, and the high street seems to be following suit and spoiling us with an array of styles in a rainbow of colours.

I don’t know about you guys, but I am definitely starting to think about the warmer months ahead, especially with how insanely cold it is at the moment. I‘m putting far more thought into any purchases, asking myself if it’s going to be a piece that will take me through to summer and if I’m actually going to get my wear out of it. Enter this oh so pretty grey and white checked dress from Fashion Union. It’s very much a spring dress with the soft shades and feminine peplum shape, it has lovely ruffles on the shoulders as well. I knew it was a style I’d love as soon as I saw it but was reluctant to order it yet. Unfortunately I’ve had to learn the hard way of what happens when you wait to buy something and it ends up being sold out and completely impossible to find, so I figured I’d buy it now and save it. But of course that didn’t end up happening because I’m completely impatient and wanted to wear it straight away (anyone else the same, or is it just me?).

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Sunday 25 February 2018

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS SUGAR GLOW KIT REVIEW



It’s been quite some time since my last beauty post, but since I started blogging again I really want to start incorporating more beauty as it is such a big part of my life and something I love. With that said, I wanted to share a new (ish) palette that has become a go to for me.

Anastasia Beverly Hills is one of my absolute favourite make up brands. I use quite a few products from them, with their eyeshadows and highlighters in particular being completely amazing (I use them 99% of the time!). It’s a brand that never used to be that readily available in the UK, so I would stock up on favourites and new products to try when I or my family travelled to the US. The prices end up being cheaper over there too, so on my most recent holiday to Orlando, Florida, I took full advantage and added quite a few more bits to my ABH collection.

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Saturday 17 February 2018

BAKER BOY HATS AND PINK STRIPES





Do you ever see someone wearing something and love it on them but know full well you just couldn’t pull it off? Well, that’s my relationship with hats. There are so many styles I think look amazing on other people and then when I try them look like a total idiot that will attract an array of questionable looks from people if I were to step out in public.

This past season it’s been baker boy hats that have stolen the attention, and after a long time of wanting to try them I finally caved and ordered one from Topshop. And boy am I glad I did. I still feel very much outside of my comfort zone, but out of the oh so many hats I’ve tried this little baby is actually flattering on my small head. I decided to go for just a classic black option that I know will work with any outfit, in the classic baker boy style. They’ve been such a huge trend that you can find so many different colours, materials and variations on it, and I have to say I am quite tempted to order another one that’s more of a statement piece now that I’ve dipped my toe in this sartorial pool, so to speak.

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Thursday 8 February 2018

MY DISNEY WORLD WARDROBE



For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you will no doubt have seen that at the end of last year I was fortunate enough to go on holiday to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, aka my favourite place in the entire world!!! (Seriously, I would move there in a heartbeat.)

Despite actively trying not to spam overload my Instagram feed, I did inevitably share many holiday photos, and so many of you loved my outfits that I got lots of lovely messages and comments asking where things were from. So I thought it might be a good idea to do a blog post where I can share the links and talk you through them in a little bit more detail. A lot of these items went in the sale, which is always a good thing if you want to buy, although it also means a few have now sold out, so I’m apologising in advance!

Shopping for a summer holiday in the winter and vice versa can be a bit of a challenge, but I always find online to be the best option as they tend to have more choice and variety than in store. Asos is just my go to anyway, but with them having such a huge variety of pieces and brands they were a saviour for me in finding summer dresses in November, so I definitely recommend checking them out if you’re struggling with the same issue.

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Monday 29 January 2018

WELCOME BACK






Well, it’s been a while. I suppose I should start with a bit of an explanation as to why it’s been so long. It has literally been over a year since I last posted, and it was a hard year for me, not gonna lie. Not long after my last post, I had a really bad flare up of my Fibromyalgia after getting ill with the flu. Whenever I get ill, the infection has a bad impact on my pain, but this particular bout of horrid flu really messed me up. It took quite a few months and a lot of physio to recover. Pain is still a constant, daily struggle for me, but I’ve carried on with the physio and it’s really helped. I definitely recommend to anyone with pain or movement issues, it’s just a matter of finding the right physiotherapist for you.

Anyway, despite getting the pain back under control, I started a new job with more hours. And although I could finally handle it pain wise, it was then the tiredness and exhaustion that I suffer from as part of my condition that just made it impossible to do anything other than work. My days off are usually spent in bed resting and recovering, which leaves very little time to worry about blogging. But I’ve wanted to get back into it for such a long time. I finally feel like I have things under control and can make a go of it again.

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