Pinstripes & Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

This time a week ago I was drinking sangria, looking out on stunning views and soaking up the sun in Barcelona, and now I'm under blankets with multiple layers on in a not-so-warm-England.

One of the places I explored whilst there was the infamous Sagrada Familia Temple, designed by the historic architect, Antoni Gaudí. Who has a number of stunning designs dotted all over the city! I would recommend paying this attraction a visit, although, we, unfortunately, didn't explore the interior, the exterior was just as breathtaking. From the intricate detailing to the sheer size of the building, it's an odd design- resembling a sort of sandcastle mixed with a futuristic style rocket ship.

Where one finds Barcelona's biggest tourist attraction, finds an onslaw of guided tours all walking into you as they view a piece of history through their camera lenses. A million ice cream shops (which I am not complaining about) and just a LOT of people. I would advise visiting early to avoid the queues and crowds, although the parks either side of the temple were peaceful- the perfect place to sit and enjoy an ice cream.

I wanted to keep my look simple and above all else comfortable for exploring the city, so I opted for this light, short pinstripe dress. The bows and slight open back kept it playful whilst the length and frill kept it moveable and airy so, there wasn't any chance of me becoming too hot in the spanish sun. Also, for under ten pound this Primark dress was a real winner in my eyes, I've since worn it with a leather jacket and black boots to the pub in the evening- such a transitional piece.

I kept my accessories to a minium, sticking to my favourite Chloe style bangle bag as my Barcelona bag of choice, due to it's size and accross body option it was perfect for wandering the streets without worry of pickpockets. As for my shoes...aren't they just amazingly mad, I couldn't help myself when I saw all the tassles. Great for jazzing up any outfit!


Outfit Linked Below |

Dress Primark
Sandals Topshop (in black)
Bag Mango (in black)

Seeking City Comforts | The Ultimate Nude Dress

It's now September the seasons are changing; Fashion Week is upon us and I've received the all-important September issue of Elle magazine through the post, but I'm not ready to leave behind summer, just yet. This outfit was inspired by Liv Blankson, I saw it on her Instagram and immediately ordered! Go check her out. 

Keep a cool head in the heat of the city with this simple and uber comfy outfit. This is the ultimate nude dress, it's a bit riskier than my default of black and baggy but I wanted to try something a bit different. The dress is figure hugging which accentuates the figure, something I don't usually do, however, it's a nice balance because the longer hem means it's not exposing too much skin. 

The outfit is made even comfier when paired with a baggy fitted denim jacket. The looser fit jacket with a fitted dress adds another dimension, and the uncomplicated colour palette and shape keeps the outfit understated, suited to exploring the city in comfort.

In typical British fashion, the weather has changed from summer to winter in a matter of days with no warning, but I can imagine this dress being a great transitional piece if layered under a loose fitting cream roll- neck and a pointy black boot for an uber stylish look. Hopefully, we have a few more sunnier days though! 

Outfit Linked Below |

Dress Missguided

Denim Jacket Bershka

Sandals New Look (similar)

Bag Zara

Festival Inspired

It doesn't take much to connect short shorts paired with boots with festivals. Shorts are the ultimate essential when standing in a crowd of people in a field, cider in hand and music blaring.

Festivals are weird, aren't they? I went to my first festival a couple of weeks ago and I was not prepared for the sheer volume of people, not to mention the amount of times I heard 'Alan', 'Steve' shouted around the campsite - (if you don't know, watch this). It's 4 days of drinking endless cider (starting at 10am), becoming overprotective of home (your tent and camping area) and listening to great music with 49,999 other people. It was great- apart from the obvious no showering and the dreaded portaloos.

What I loved other than the music, was the outfits. Festival fashion is second to none- it's fabulous. The outfit above was one of the more toned down looks I saw but none the less it was perfect, comfy and transitioned from day to night with ease.

These tropical print shorts are such a nice shape, the slight outward frill along the bottom is a great way to make your thighs appear slimmer. The wider leg makes for a more movable and comfy wear- essential at a festival. Pair with studded boots to move away from beach holiday and more to festival, with the added bonus of being comfy!

Take inspiration from Tommy Hilfiger and customise your denim jacket with badges to add fun and personality to your outfit. Shop Wild Violet do some really cute pins and badges! If you would like 20% off use the code - SAMXVIOLET at the checkout.


Outfit Linked Below |

Top Hollister (put a white vest underneath)
Shorts Zara (similar)
Denim Jacket COW Nottingham
Boots Misspap
Bag Mulberry (similar)
Necklace Topshop (similar)
Sunglasses Quay Australia (similar)

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SUN- Day Best

SkinnyPop Popcorn have shared their exciting flavour combinations with me- that are set to tickle your taste buds. So, invite your mates over set the table and enjoy your last summer nights with cocktails and popcorn!

Cocktails at home normally take a back seat to Pimms or cider, due to their many ingredients and sometimes hard instructions. However, these aesthetically pleasing Blueberry Mojito's take less that 10 minutes to make- they look great, and taste even better.

Blueberry Mojito's are said to mix perfectly with the sea salt and pepper flavoured SkinnyPop Popcorn.

"The Rum cuts through the sat, quenching your thirst and allowing the pepper to dance on your tongue"

How to -

1. Crush a handful of blueberries into a jug, along with the mint.

2. Add a sprinkling of sugar and mix until dissolved.

3. The main attraction comes next - the Rum. Add as much as you feel like, depending on your alcohol preference.

4. Fill the jug with crushed ice.

5. Top up with soda water.

6. Lastly, if you want to make it Instagram worthy - Garnish with mint leaves, a scattering of blueberries and some pomegranate to make it pop.

7. If your drink is not sweet enough sprinkle a little more sugar and mix.

8. And, enjoy.

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What to Expect, SmoothSkin Bare: Product Review

I was lucky enough to be sent this device to test out after meeting a few of the girls at the #BloggersBall (thank you SmoothSkin Bare) and I am so excited to let you know what I thought. 

SmoothSkin Bare is an ultrafast Intense Pulse Light (IPL) hair removal device, it is designed to break the hair cycle and prevent regrowth. 

It's easy, fast and you can see up to a 92% hair reduction after just four weeks of treatment. How does it work? Hair grows in three distinct and consecutive phases, IPL treatment is only effective in one of those phases, the Anagen 'growth phase', which is why you should use the device until you see the results you want. The more you use (I'd say once/twice a week) the more you will see a difference in the amount of hair that grows. The device puts out 100 flashes per minute, this light energy is absorbed by the hair follicle which heat up and stops them from growing back. 

I have always wanted to try laser hair removal but have been put off by the price of the sessions... SmoothSkin Bare is the perfect alternative and you can treat your whole body in just 10 minutes and you don't even have to leave the house. 

So, does it work? I definitely recommend this product, I have been using the device for six weeks now and use it once or twice a week. It involves shaving the areas beforehand and then pressing the device on to your skin and simply pressing the button. It doesn't hurt, however, you can feel a slight warmth which can cause discomfort but that surpasses after a few seconds. There is nothing I can fault. It's great to start using before a holiday- no one wants to worry about shaving whilst relaxing on a beach! 

Things to remember- Always do a patch test! You need to make sure you can continue to use the device safely! It takes two seconds- just shave an area of your skin and use the device only on that area, then wait 24 hours before using it all over.

More info - 

SmoothSkin Bare