GIFT GUIDE | A Gift Guide for Travellers & Adventurers

30 November, 2015
Buying a gift for someone with a nomadic lifestyle can be a bit of a challenge as they tend to leave all material possessions behind in favour of seeing the world. With more and more people opting for the globe trotting lifestyle, I've put together a list of ideal gift ideas for the person that wants nothing else other than to go on the great adventure!



There's no better way to record globe-trotting adventures than with a simple pen and paper. This little travel journal set from IWOOT is perfect for either gender and has that lovely homemade feel about it. Make sure no traveller leaves home without a suitable journal to document EVERYTHING.

Wherever your traveller may be flying to, it's more than likely they'll need a pair of sunglasses. Ray Ban Wayfarers are a classic, iconic piece that actually suits any and every face shape! Sunglasses R Us have actually created a sunglasses buying guide, which proves pretty useful if you're buying sunnies for someone other than yourself.

A world map where you can scratch off the parts of the world you've visited! Every travelling fiend needs this in their life.

There is something charming about film photography and something even more 'in the moment' with instant photography. A budding traveller can develop their visual memories there and then, rather than waiting to find somewhere to develop their film which can be difficult in certain parts of the world. 

iPad Mini 2 32GB, John Lewis, £229:
An iPad mini is the perfect way for an adventurer to stay connected with the world back home. It can also prove a useful tool in finding hostels, booking flights, finding maps... the uses are endless! Also, the iPad mini is compact and light enough to carry around even if you're travelling all over the world! 

Eat, Drink & Be Cosy Hipflask, Urban Outfitters, £15:
Hip flasks are not just for sneaking alcohol into clubs to avoid paying overpriced cocktails behind the bar - we've all done it before! In fact, it can be quite handy for a traveller going on a trek for the day or just to keep in their pocket.

This book is a great little addition for those first time travellers wanting to learn hints and tips for those who have done it all before. Of course, we all learn the best from experience but a little friendly advice never hurt anyone.

Personalised Travel Notebook, Not On The High Street, £12.75
Another notebook suitable for any explorer, but this time it's an adorable personalised piece with their name on the front.

Sass & Belle Passport Holder, Amazon, £4.90
Passports can take a battering when they're carried through endless amounts of airports, so a passport holder is a great stocking filler that not only protects a passport, but keeps it looking pretty too!

Back Me Up Portable Phone Charger, Urban Outfitters, £35:
Whether you love or loathe the idea that smartphones are becoming essential in this digital age, they're also important to have with you at all times whilst travelling. Should there be an emergency where you need your phone to contact someone, especially during treks, it's important to make sure you always have something to keep your phone charged. Portable chargers are becoming a necessity in a traveller's kit and make an ideal present for someone who is about to embark on a global journey!


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V I D E O | Figleaves Secret Santa Present Unboxing

27 November, 2015
Around a month ago, I was asked by Figleaves to take part in their Blogger Secret Santa campaign. Now, I LOVE Secret Santa; I love giving presents and I love receiving presents, so it's as simple as that! 

When it arrived I decided to film a super quick video of the unboxing without much preparation, hence the low-lighting and hugely out of focus video. Sorry about that, I'm a bit of a newbie at this video malarky! I'm investing in some lighting equipment, so it will get better... just bare with me a little longer! Also, I didn't even think to use my remote to focus. What a dick.


ANYWAY, sit back, chillax and grab some popcorn for five whole minutes of awkward waffling from none other than myself:




Also, you can read about the Blogger Secret Santa campaign, including interviews with myself and all of the other bloggers, over in Figleaves' digital magazine.

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W A N T | Winter Swimwear Wishlist

18 November, 2015
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

You may have seen that me celebrating on social media recently as I won a holiday to Tenerife through Thomas Cook Airlines thanks to my #CarnivalFiesta blog post! I found out the news whilst I was bed bound with an absolutely horrendous throat infection, so it made my week all the better! James and myself are headed to the Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival at the beginning of February, which is a little over two months away. 

With this in mind, it's got me both excited and terrified of the prospect of having to strip down on a beach. I'm usually a city break kinda girl, so I've never had to face the prospect and nightmare of swimwear shopping. Being blessed cursed with a pear-shaped frame (I'm all hips and bum with no tits, but not in a good way!) makes bikini shopping all the harder. For example, I have to buy separates as my bottom half is two sizes bigger than my top, so if my dream two-piece comes as a set then it's a 'no go zone'. Also, being quite tall means a lot of swimsuits are usually far too short in the body. It's an absolute nightmare, I tell you!

Thankfully Blossom Lingerie have come up with a genius interactive guide for styles that suit pear shapes. One of the tips recommended it to wear fringing on your top half to lengthen your body. As I'm a huge fan of anything with fringing, I'll definitely be keeping this in mind!

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*This is a sponsored post, but all words and opinions are my own.
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S P O T L I G H T | The Top 5 Christmas Adverts 2015

17 November, 2015
Top 5 Christmas Adverts of 2015

And, the countdown to Christmas is on! With just 37 more shopping days left, the festive themed adverts have started craftily creeping their way onto the telly between our Saturday serving of Strictly & X-Factor. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I'm the type of person who starts the Christmas countdown from July. I JUST LOVE CHRISTMAS SO MUCH, OKAY?

Without a shadow of a doubt, it's John Lewis who usually steals the crown for the most well-remembered Christmas advert year after year. The beginning of the Christmas adverts in November is becoming a traditional, 'cultural event in it's own right', as these ads mark the unofficial beginning of the festive season. No longer are retailers throwing their products in our faces with a 'sell, sell, sell' attitude. The aim is simple: to get the consumer talking about their advert and to remember it in the sea of every other festive themed adverts. Thanks to the ever-growing power of social media (particularly sponsored hashtags - thanks Twitter!) and YouTube allowing us to view the ads whenever and as many times as we please, there's become an unspoken rivalry between retailers concerning who can build up the biggest social media conversation.


Sainsbury's: Mog's Christmas Calamity

Now, I wasn't familiar with Mog the cat before Friday. Maybe that's because I grew up in a dog orientated family, so found myself as an infant reading Spot the Dog instead! However, Sainsbury's got everyone (except me) feeling a little nostalgic as their contribution this Christmas featured a little, CGI, grey tabby named Mog from the popular children's book series by Judith Merr. I've got to admit, I really enjoyed this advert... maybe, even more so than John Lewis' festive offering this year; I do prefer animals over people.



John Lewis: #ManOnTheMoon


I couldn't not include John Lewis in the run down, could I?

John Lewis dominate the Christmas marketing every single year with their high budget and usually emotionally exhausting television adverts. In fact, nowadays the John Lewis festive ad is as much anticipated as the famous 'Holidays Are Coming' advert from Coco Cola. God, who knew a red truck could bring so much excitement to the nation? 

Does the launch John Lewis advert now officially signify the start of the festive season? It would seem that way as the #ManOnTheMoon advert exploded across social media upon it's day of release (which caused a bit of a stir for this unfortunately named gentleman on Twitter). In it's first hour of release, the #ManOnTheMoon received more than 16,000 mentions on Twitter alone*.



MyVoucherCodes: Christmas Doesn't Have To Cost The Moon


Did you know the John Lewis advert actually cost a staggering £7 million to produce?! SEVEN MILLION POUNDS.* MyVoucherCodes cleverly took it upon themselves to have a little bit of fun and re-create the advert on a much smaller budget. Costing only £700, here is the result... 




Burberry: Celebrating 15 Years of Billy Elliot


British fashion house, Burberry, pays homage to Billy Elliot in their festive film this year in honour of the movie's 15th anniversary (come on, who DIDN'T love Billy Elliot?). The cast stars some huge and well-known British names including the likes of Sir Elton John, Julie Walters, George Ezra, James Bay and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley alongside a bright-eyed Romeo Beckham.

Burberry is on my list simply because a Burberry scarf is top of my Christmas list. Santa, please take note.



Sky Movies: Christmas Ad 2015

There's something about the Sky Movies advert that corresponded with my overactive imagination as a child. The main character, Rosie, loves Christmas but absolutely hates eating sprouts. Instead of eating them, she decides to dispose of them underneath the dinner table which leads her on an incredible, movie-inspired adventure! It reminds me of the time as a child I tried flushing my vegetables down the toilet - whoops!






What are your favourite Christmas adverts this year? Are there any I've missed?


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* This post was sponsored, but all words and opinions are entirely my own.
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R E V I E W | My Geek Box 'Afterlife' Edition

16 November, 2015

My Geek Box Afterlife October 2015

That's right. A subscription box for geeks.

Subscriptions boxes are everywhere nowadays. It's obvious that beauty boxes dominate the market, but more and more themes are appearing to cater for everyone. There's something enticing about ordering a surprise box of goodies every month. It's comparable to the feeling you had as a kid opening a lucky dip bag; it's technically a lucky dip for adults. 

Back in the day, I used to be subscribed to Glossybox, however that was rather short-lived as it didn't really cater to my needs; I wasn't interested in the anti-ageing products they were sending me at 20 years old. 

When I discovered My Geek Box, I was curious. I was all the more curious when I realised October's themed box was 'Afterlife'. I don't discuss it much on this blog, but I AM OBSESSED WITH ZOMBIES. I'm also a horror movie buff. The Afterlife theme coincided with the month of Halloween, so for someone like myself, this was bloody exciting!

The box arrived towards the end of the month, in fact, I think it was a few days before Halloween. This meant I was pouncing on the postman everyday in October until it arrived! Again, it's the anticipation of not knowing what you're receiving that builds the excitement.

Upon opening the box I was greeted with six spooky afterlife themed goodies, which were in the spirit of Halloween. It included a t-shirt with a 'BOO!' slogan written across it. Whilst this was perfect for Halloween season, I think for the rest of the year I'll wear it as a pyjama top as it's rather fitting for how I look in the mornings - scary!

It also included a zombie warning metal sign, a zombie outbreak sticker, and a Dracula themed puzzle. My two favourite pieces in the box had to be the novelty blood-stained tea towel and the graphic novel: Twisted Dark. Whilst I hadn't heard of Twisted Dark before it arrived in my box, I'm always open to reading and appreciating a graphic novel.

My Geek Box Afterlife October 2015

I've got to admit I was hoping for a bit more from My Geek Box. Whilst some of the items were freakin' great, others unfortunately were just not to my taste. That's both the risk and charm with subscription boxes is that they really can be 'hit or miss' depending on personal preference. Whilst the October box may not have been my cup of tea, I've seen some other YouTubers absolutely loved it!

It may be because I built it up so much in my head before it arrived and it had quite a lot to live up to. After seeing some previous boxes with incredible Star Wars surprises, I was hoping for some kick ass Walking Dead merch or maybe some apocalypse survival tools! Whilst I love the idea of a 'geek box', I just wish October's offering had a few more branded cult items included. 


Saying that, I'll be rocking my t-shirt all year long and drying my dishes with a 'blood-stained' towel!

However, the box works out more than worth your money as the graphic novel is worth £9.99 on it's own and a subscription box only sets you back £17.99 per month - bargain!

November's box is movie and television themed, which sounds pretty promising, don't you think?

What do you think of the 'Afterlife' box?


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S T Y L E | How To Style Wellies For Winter

12 November, 2015
Gold Hunter Wellies
Gold Hunter Wellies
Jacket*: Superdry // Jumper: Forever 21 // Wellies: Hunter Boots

For a lot of people wellies are strictly for festivals, farm work and walking the dog. However, when you've got a pair of Hunter wellington boots, you might want to show them off a little more often! If you pay around £80 for some footwear, they deserve to be showcased more than once a year.

Let's face it. Wellington boots are practical, especially if you live in the UK, where it rains around 98% of the time. Now, I am without a doubt the queen of impractical winter boots considering a large percentage of them are either velvet, suede or have a ridiculously high, 70's platform. Sadly, due to the British weather most of the time my collection of kick-ass yet impractical boots are left at the back of the wardrobe in favour of reaching for the same old black, leather ankle boots. With only a singular footwear option for when the heavens open, it got me thinking how I could possibly style up a pair of vibrant, metallic gold wellington boots for day-to-day wear.

For once I decided to keep it simple when styling the wellies and threw on a pair of black jeans *shock horror*, but decided to balance out the vibrant gold with this similar coloured mustard, roll neck jumper. I think they key is to keep a basic palette when styling a slightly eccentric pair of wellies. What do you think?

Gold Hunter Wellies


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O U T F I T | A Casual Christmas Day Outfit

11 November, 2015
George Paisley Smock Dress
George Paisley Smock Dress
Dress & Boots*: George at Asda // Waistcoat: Vintage

Yes, I'm mentioning the C-word already. C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. It is November after all, so I deem it acceptable to start thinking about what I'll be wearing on Christmas day! Anyone who knows me will know how much I love Christmas. In fact, I think I love it more now than I ever did as a kid. The lead up to the 25th really is the most wonderful time of year as everyone's spirit is lifted and there are fairy lights EVERYWHERE and I'm a big fan of fairylights! The atmosphere, albeit a little stressed, really is magical.

Christmas day itself, for me, is a little more relaxed than the initial build up. It's a day of rest, booze and food with my mum and sister. If we're feeling a little adventurous we'll wander up to the pub that's around a 30 second walk from our house! It's not much of a glitzy affair, which is why I usually dress for comfort.

I'll be entirely truthful with you. The first half of the day is probably spent in my pyjamas or onesie, because it's Christmas day and you can get away with lazing around in your PJ's! Before dinner is served up, I'll get dressed into something comfortable that'll keep my inevitable food baby under wraps. This 60's, paisley smock dress from George is actually the perfect disguise to keep that extra serving of roast potatoes hidden! I teamed them with these pull-on, knee high boots to add to 60's vibes.

During the lead up to Christmas in December, George will be showcasing 25 different bloggers' Xmas day style over on their brand new blog including lil ol' me! Be sure to have a nosey every day in December.

What do you usually wear on Christmas day?

George Paisley Smock Dress
George Paisley Smock Dress


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B E A U T Y | Chroma Gel LED Lamp & 1Step Gel Polish

10 November, 2015
Chroma Gel LED Lamp*: Beauty Hair Products (available here) // 1Step Gel Polish: Amazon

When it comes to painting my nails, I'm lazy. I also happen to possess the manicure skills of a six year old boy who is at the peak of a sugar rush. The polish ends up going as far up as my knuckles and has been known to find itself on my forehead. Being a girly girl is just not my forte, hence the reason I usually avoid beauty reviews on my blog.

When Beauty Hair Products offered me the chance to review the Chroma Gel LED Lamp, I'll admit I had to Google what on earth it was. I told you, I'm a beauty novice! After reading a little up on gel manicures and the fact they could last at least a fortnight, I was curious to give it a go. I have absolutely no patience when it comes to painting my nails; I can't deal with waiting an eternity for them to dry and then they're chipped by the next morning. Also, why is it you always need the toilet straight after you've painted your nails? JUST WHY?! It seemed like this gel polish could be the answer to all my manicure woes.


It was a lot easier than I had anticipated. After applying one coat of the 1Step Chroma Gel polish to my nails, I placed my hand under the lamp for 30 seconds. There is different time settings on the back of the lamp and you simply click whichever time setting you require. Once you place your hand into the lamp, the LED light comes on and the timer begins. It then switches off automatically after your desired time.

Once you've finished curing your first coat, apply a second and then put under the LED lamp for a further 60 seconds. Andddd voila, you are done! It's really as easy as that. With the Chroma 1Step Gel polish, there's no need to apply a base or top coat. Being an impatient so-and-so like myself who doesn't like faffing when it comes to painting my nails, this is could be the answer.

The only downfall is the price of the gel polishes which are usually between £15 - £17. As someone who doesn't usually pay anymore than £5 for a nail polish, this is a bit off-putting for me. However, if you compare this to the length of time your manicure will last with a gel polish in comparison to an ordinary drug store polish, it probably works out about the same for your money. If you don't mind investing a little, then the Chroma LED Gel Lamp and 1Step Gel polishes are definitely worth your time and money.



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E V E N T | Homesense Hedge End Southampton Preview Night

09 November, 2015
Homesense Hedge End Southampton
Homesense Hedge End Southampton
Homesense Hedge End Southampton
Homesense Hedge End Southampton
Location: Tollbar WayBotley Road, Hedge EndSouthampton, HampshireSO30 2QY // Website

A couple of weeks back, I attended the preview night of the new Homesense superstore opening in Hedge End, Southampton along with the rest of the Soton Bloggers gang

I've been a fan of Homesense for years, ever since one opened near my hometown in Essex. The Romford branch actually opened around the time I was moving away to Southampton for university and all of a sudden homewares had just become all the more exciting.

Homesense is TK Maxx's sister company, so just imagine all of the magnificent homewares in TK Maxx x 1000!  The charm of Homesense in comparison to other homewares stores is that everything they stock is in limited quantity with only one or two per store available; it's an almost identical set up to TK Maxx. Even though the products on offer are technically mass-produced that are being sold across all of their stores, the limited quantity and mismatched merchandising in the shop creates a thrifty feel. When you pick up a product, you really feel like you've found one-of-a-kind. If you are a thrifty shopper like me you'll understand the sense of urgency and panic when you find item you love, but can't leave it behind in fear of someone else buying it if you leave it behind!

That was the exact mentality I had on the preview night as I spent a small fortune. We were kindly treated to a £25 complimentary voucher, but I went a little over budget - whoops!
I knew if I went back the next day everything I had in my basket that night would be gone by the morning during the official opening. I'll be sure to post a "haul" of what I bought at the preview night soon, because I managed to get my mits on 

Homesense is the perfect shop to browse if you're Christmas shopping, but have no idea what you're looking for! Every inch of it is full of inspiring gift ideas and their Christmas section will have any festive freaks like me shaking with excitement.

You can find a full list of stores on their website here. Have you visited Homesense before?

Homesense Hedge End Southampton
Homesense Hedge End Southampton
Homesense Hedge End Southampton
Homesense Hedge End Southampton


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O U T F I T | Pink Velvet (& a LUSH GIVEAWAY!)

06 November, 2015

I'm a pretty happy chappy right about now and do you know why? It's because velvet season is finally here. 

It means my excessive and impressive (if I do say so myself) velvet collection can come out to play. I couldn't help adding a few more velvet pieces to my wardrobe this season, particularly as I've been drawn to pink velvet recently after I invested in these romantic, dreamy boots. This dress from Missguided is the second rose pink velvet piece to grace my collection, even though I'm not usually drawn to pink. Annoyingly I was sent a size too big from what I ordered meaning I do kind of resemble a big pink, velvet sack. Better a pink velvet sack than a normal sack though, right?

If you want to shop what I'm wearing, if hover over the items in the photo below it should bring up a pop-up window for you to shop! Just click the '+" sign and you can shop the items without leaving this post. How futuristic is that? Maybe, I'm just living in the past. Why not give it a try yourself and let me know what you think?

SHOP THE LOOK:




As my last giveaway went down a treat, I've decided to host another for November!

When I was treating myself to a few purchases from Lush, I decided to pick up some extra pieces to give away to one of you guys! After all, who doesn't love a bath bomb or two? I've also thrown in this awesome SkinnyDip London phone case that I was recently given, but unfortunately it doesn't fit my phone. Believe me, if it did fit my phone then I'd be keeping it all for myself!


The prize consists of:

  • 1 x Snow Fairy Shower Gel
  • 1 x Granny Takes a Dip Bath Bomb
  • 1 x Big Bang Bath Bomb
  • 1 x Skinnydip 'Bat Shit Cray!' iPhone 5/5s Phone Case

To be in with a chance of winning simply follow all of the mandatory steps in the Rafflecopter widget below. 



T&C's: The prize is for the above listed. All mandatory steps should be followed for a successful entry. UK residents only. Entries are monitored and anyone who does not complete all of these steps will be disqualified from the giveaway. The giveaway will last two weeks ending at 12am on the 19th November 2015. One winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within one week, the prize will be forfeited and a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!


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W A N T | November Wishlist

02 November, 2015


I'm a sucker for anything that's star-printed right now and this jumper is just sensational, no? Star prints have a slight nod towards the 70's trend without having to commit to full bell-bottomed flares and 6 inch platforms, although that's something I'm definitely not afraid of.

This dress has 'Leigh' written all over it. GET IN MY WARDROBE ALREADY!

I've got a bit of a homewares obsession going on right now. If it's copper it gains extra points. If it's vintage inspired then it gains a million more points. 

Are these not the best slippers you've EVER seen? I've specifically requested them on my Christmas list. In fact, they're right at the top!

I have more than enough suede, more than enough fringing and more than enough capes. However, this one is screaming for a place in my collection. I think I'd live in it for the rest of winter time.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette //
Recently I've started changing up my make-up routine a little more. I never used to even bother applying eyeshadow, just because I'd end up resembling a panda after an hour of careful application. However, I think I've finally nailed how to apply eyeshadow properly - hurrah! The UD Naked 3 palette is next on my beauty hit list.

Olympus PEN E-PL7 Compact Camera //
Although I absolutely love my Canon 600d, it can be a little bulky when it comes to carrying it around. The Olympus PEN cameras seem to be the current blogger 'go to' camera and I'm full on jumping on the bandwagon.

Brantano Leather Ankle Boots //
My trusty leather Vagabond ankle boots are soon to meet their end, so I've been looking for a replacement to fill the space in my closet for when the day comes. This staple leather pair caught my eye that would go with almost any outfit.

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