Basic B*tch

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion.

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Guys, I need to admit something. I’m a ‘basic b*tch’ – a popular internet term that means someone who enjoys classic sartorial basics. Well, I presume that’s what it means. I won’t bother looking it up.

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Coat, Hobbs | Dress, Gap | Denim shirt, GapBoots, Zara | Bag, Michael Kors (partially c/o Sarenza) | Necklace, Whistles

Today’s attire is entirely made up of basic staples from classic brands – the Hobbs navy peacoat (an excellent sale find), the Gap stripe dress and denim shirt (Gap is my absolute fave for basic bitchiness), the black suede boots (that I’ve worn almost every day since purchase) and the box bag (still my baby), brightened up with a rose gold necklace from Whistles (loving long chains at the moment) and a flash of red lipstick (Revlon’s new Matte ColorBurst Balm in ‘Standout’). And this basic b*tch is ready to go.

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What are your favourite basic staples?

Home Comforts

Posted in Home.

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January is a horrible month. It’s freezing cold, you feel sluggish after overindulging at Christmas and pay day seems like a far-off concept from the future. Awful.

Rather than go out and spend money I don’t have, I’ve been cosying up inside and just enjoying home. Here are a few snaps from around the Allison Place.

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Beautiful Ugg slippers c/o Sarenza, perfect for keeping toes toasty on chilly afternoons. The Missoni-esque rug is a TK Maxx find. 

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Orla Kiely sheets in the sun. 

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Prints waiting to be hung. The illustration is by our friend Rabbit Portal, and the Brooklyn map is part of the Herb Lester series. I’m slightly obsessed with them and now have 10 from around the world! 

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My beautiful baby girl.

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A good book to read. This is The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. SUCH a fantastic book. 

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Hanging out in the kitchen. In our old place we had a tiny kitchen, so it’s a real luxury to have so much space and room to display my kitchenware. The boards are from TK Maxx (again), the pot is Le Creuset and the vintage scales were a car boot find.

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Pretty trinkets. I use this engraved plate to keep my wedding and engagement rings safe when I’m asleep.

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Spring clothes. This stripy crop is from H&M and I can’t wait to wear it in warmer weather.

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Views like this. I could look at this forever.

Have you been enjoying home comforts this month?

New Year, New Skincare

Posted in Beauty.

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Towards the end of last year, my skin was looking decidedly dull. Two months of partying, drinking, eating and generally living the good life had taken its toll and was written all over my face in the form of breakouts, congestion and oiliness. Attractive.

On New Years Day, while slumped on the sofa recovering sans makeup, I decided to take action and rejig my skincare regime. Great foundation and an over-reliance on blusher can only get you so far, and as I’d been loyal to the same products for many months I figured it was time for a change. And as I know healthy skin comes from within (just coined that phrase), I also vowed to improve my eating habits.

A bit of online shopping and a trip to Space NK later and I was ready to face 2014. Literally.

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I’ve been using Origins skincare for about a year now, and although I love it dearly, my skin had got used to it and it wasn’t as effective as it had been. I needed something that worked deeper and more efficiently, so I invested in a Clarisonic.

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£120 is a steep price to pay for what looks like a glorified electric toothbrush, but Caroline Hirons’ words rang in my ears as I clicked ‘add to basket’ – you’d spend £120 on a handbag you use for one season, but not on the face that’s yours for life?! Too true. Plus, I’m still sort of enamoured with Amazon Prime, so my shiny new gadget arrived the next day.

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I needed new products to go with my Clarisonic, so I headed to Space NK and asked for advice. The lady I spoke to also used a Clarisonic and she recommend Nude’s Perfect Cleansing Oil for Face & Eyes. I snapped it up along with their Radiant Day Moisturiser. I’m still working my way through my Origins stash and I’ve loved this Purifying Tonic from their Organics range, so I’ll stick with this until it’s done.

My new routine starts with a quick removal of my eye makeup – I use L’Oreal’s Absolute Makeup Remover Eye and Lip. I massage the Nude Cleansing Oil into dry skin, ’emulsify’ it with a little water and get to work with the Clarisonic, working in circles across my chin, forehead and cheeks. It’s a clever little thing – the head vibrates rather than rotates to work product deep into the skin and cleanse 6 times more efficiently than your hands. It also gives you a little beep when it’s ready to move to a different part of your face – 20 seconds for chin, 20 for your forehead and 10 each for your cheeks.

I then use a little more Cleansing Oil with a hot flannel to sweep away residue and any stray mascara. A splash of water, a towel dry and then it’s time to tone with the Purifying Tonic on cotton wool. My final step is a touch of moisturiser – I apply lightly as I have oily skin, concentrating on my T-Zone. Done!

I’ve been loyal to my new routine for about 2 weeks now and I’ve noticed such a difference. I’m still in the ‘purging’ stage with my Clarisonic, so I am getting breakouts but they’re becoming less frequent and disappearing quicker. Overall my skin is so much smoother, more refined and looks brighter. My makeup goes on much better and stays put longer, while shine is kept under control all day.

I’m so impressed with the Clarisonic – reviews are very mixed and I think it’d be too harsh for sensitive skin, but for my oily complexion it’s really helping. Have you overhauled your skincare recently? Any product recommendations to share?

Baby It’s Cold Outside

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion.

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I think today is one of the few proper, chilled-to-the-bone cold days we’ve had this winter – we’re a hardy bunch up here in the north and we’ve practically been sauntering around in t-shirts. Luckily I was sartorially-prepared for the sudden cold snap.

whistles c'est la vie sweater
Parka, Whistles | Sweater, Whistles | Denim shirt, GapJeans, Topshop | Boots, Zara | Necklace, Primark | Bag, Michael Kors (partially) c/o Sarenza | Sunglasses, Orla Kiely

When the January Sales started with a vengeance back in, er, November (!), I had one thing on my list, and one thing only – a navy blue parka. I’ve wanted one for ages and after chasing the hugely-reduced Hobb’s version across the country, I finally gave it up as a bad job and bought a wool peacoat instead. Then, as often happens when you’ve spent all your money and should probably pay the gas bill instead, I spotted this piece of perfection in the Whistles sale. Navy, nice and heavy, faux fur trim and drawstrings like a proper parka should have… all for £85. SOLD! Let’s just turn the heating down a bit…

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As I’m on the Navy Train at the moment (not unlike the gravy train), I paired my parka with my favourite Whistles sweater, a dark denim shirt and my trusty Topshop Leigh jeans. I’ve repeated this outfit combination countless times – now we’re officially allowed to wear them together, I don’t think I’ll ever tire of black and blue. J’adore (my sweater is teaching me French)!

Moving Home With Cats

Posted in Home.

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Just before Christmas, Rob and I moved into a new house. We upgraded a little – bigger house, bigger rooms, nicer area, cat flap. The move itself was relatively painless (although unpacking was a different matter) and we even managed to get a Christmas tree up… our cats, however, were less enthusiastic.

We have two kitties – Travis, our cuddly black-and-white fella who is entirely spoilt and often cradled like a baby, and Lilian, our skittish tabby with supermodel good looks and a butter-wouldn’t-melt attitude. They’re outdoor cats, King and Queen of the Street, used to the routine of coming inside every evening and sleeping on our bed. So moving them from their happy, settled lives in our old house has been quite a challenge.

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We were lucky enough to have a bit of crossover between the end of our old rental and the start of our new one. We let the cats outside while loading up our van – lots of hefting, banging and swearing is is surely very unsettling when you don’t understand what’s happening, so keeping them away from this meant they were blissfully unaware.

Similarly, when unpacking at the new house we left the cats behind and got all the big stuff in place. We then went back to the old house and slept there for two nights with the cats, before bundling them up in their carriers and introducing them to a whole new world.

feliway cats moving home

Our first few days in the new house were spent mostly in the living room – this was the only room fully set-up, and having a finished space without boxes and bubble wrap helped keep the cats calm.

Pets at Home kindly sent me some vouchers before Christmas, so I spent them wisely and bought a Feliway plug-in diffuser. The diffuser works by mimicking the natural pheromones cats produce when they feel safe and secure, creating a sense of calm and wellbeing. We set up the diffuser in the living room and kept the cats in this room until the rest of the house was more organised.

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With the Feliway in place, we started making the rest of the house more cat-friendly. One of the main problems with moving cats is the sense of ‘newness’ – new furniture, bedding and carpets are just as confusing as new surroundings. We got a new sofa when we moved, but we kept cushions and blankets from the old place so the cats could pick up their scent, even in an unfamiliar environment.

We also created ‘Cat Corner’ – using our vouchers, we bought this Kitty Activity Centre (highly unattractive but they love it) and covered it with blankets and toys they’re used to.

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We kept Travis and Lily inside for three weeks before letting them roam free. Before we moved they spent most of their time outside so keeping them in was very difficult… we had a number of ‘dirty protests’ which were NOT pretty. So after three weeks, when they were climbing the walls and trying to sneak past us at the front door, we unlatched the cat flap and watched as they made their first ginger steps outside.

They’ve been going outside for a week now and it’s slow process, but they’re getting there. Lily is a timid lady so she’s still not sure, and Travis has had a few yowling conversations with the cat next door, but they’re getting braver and going further. Give it a few more weeks and they’ll be King and Queen of the Street again.

Have you ever moved with cats? Any tips to share?