DRESSING TABLE SNIPPETS

In keeping with my plan to stay clutter free and organised this year, I've started off by spring cleaning my dressing table. I've had a huge clear out of my make up, giving some away and also selling a few things on depop. This year I'm hoping to keep everything fresh, clean and organised with my most loved products close to hand.

After my make up overhaul I took a trip to Muji to invest in some more acrylic drawers, they're so convenient and make reaching for my make up a dream! I originally wanted to pick up a single drawer but they don't seem to be available anymore, instead I picked up another two drawer, this time with a flip top for easy access to my everyday make up.

My Malm dresser drawer holds my seasonal Essie picks and a few favourite eyeshadows including the dreamy iridescent rose gold Nars Outer Limits and it's more affordable dupe Topshop Shuffle the Cards. I've also popped a couple of eye pencils in there to remind me to use them more often, the H&M Eyeliner in Grand Cru has such a creamy and pigmented formula, I really need to pick up another shade!

Fresh flowers and spring candles are a welcome addition to my dressing table this month, Diptyque Baies fills my home with a divine scent of blackcurrant and rose and the pink roses help to create a bright, fresh feel.
I also can't be without my Denman brushes, always having one close to hand. The Denman grooming brush is a current favourite, it helps to give me silky soft, shiny tresses and transforms tight curls into effortless soft waves with just a few strokes.

Lastly, I've toying with the idea of replacing my mirror, I love this copper hexagon mirror, something to make the centrepiece of the dressing table. Although I do adore the princess-eque feel of my mirror, it can get a little lost to the side.

What do you think of my dressing table set up?

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A DREAMY NEW CANDLE FROM DIPTYQUE

The luxe packaging of Diptyque Rosaviola completely drew me in to this dreamy candle. With a divine scent, pretty pink packaging and fabric label designed by Olympia Le-Tan, this is a real treat to own.

Rosaviola combines the divine mix of roses and violets, it smells fragrant, floral and reminds me of early spring - heavenly! There's a hint of a powdery parmaviolets aroma too, which makes this the perfect addition to my dressing table.

For me, this is the ideal candle for Spring, with England normally staying quite drizzly and with April showers on the way, candles are always burning in my home throughout the milder months. Cosy home comforts are a must for me and so having this flickering in the background with blankets and a mug of peppermint tea in hand is ideal!

Rosaviola fills my whole living room even whilst unlit, the exquisite quality and impressive burn time make this a real luxe treat to own. The pot is definitely a keeper once burnt down, something to treasure and store make up brushes, cotton pads or bobbi pins in once used up!

What do you think of this limited edition packaging?

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A WARDROBE OVERHAUL

Following on with my de-cluttering plan for the new year, I've started off this month by tackling my wardrobe. 

Out of everything that I own, I find my clothes the most difficult things to sort. Sequined dresses are packed away just incase, items for potential halloween costumes are stored away (even though I haven't gone out for halloween in about 6 years!) and red velvet skirts saved to be whipped out at Christmas. I just can't let go! I've pulled together a plan that will hopefully lead me on to a fresh, clutter free wardrobe, hopefully they can help you too!

Change the way I store my clothes:
By following the Marie Kondo method of folding and storing my clothes in drawers, it's really helped me to streamline my them, 1000 black tops don't all fit when stacked neatly in a line and so it's really helped me to prioritise and organise my stash.
I've also invested in a clothes rail from Ikea, new copper hangers and drawer dividers. Keeping my clothes minimal, neat and clutter free makes the whole area look a lot more appealing and makes for the ideal dressing area.

Organise into piles:
I've found it best to gather all of my clothes into three piles; Keep, Maybe, and Donate/Sell. I place the Keep pile, which consists of clothes I wear every week, new clothes and clothes I want to make an effort to wear more back into my drawers and closet, the Maybe pile gets stored in a box. This way if I miss anything too much I can always pull it back out again, if by the end of the year I haven't missed anything, then I can go through it again and donate most of it! Lastly the Donate/Sell pile gets sorted out straight away and put up on depop/ebay or whisked off to the charity shop so that I can't change my mind!

Be Ruthless:
Try things on, wear them for a day - are they comfortable? Do they make you feel good? If not, then give them to a better home, someone who will enjoy and appreciate them!

Buy:
I've found that planning a shopping trip or a cheeky Asos haul (this LBD is such great staple!) can help me to part ways with some of my pre-loved but no longer needed items. If I get rid of 10 pieces, selling and donating, then I can treat myself to a new item that I'll make sure I love and get a lot of wear from.

How do you de-clutter your wardrobe?

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HOME GOALS

After passing the two year mark for our rental flat this year, I decided to note down some home goals for the year ahead. I'm so grateful to have a lovely light and airy flat but it still doesn't completely feel like home, I've mapped out a few plans to hopefully make it feel a little more so.

Update our Living Room:

Our old, tiny, battered chocolate brown sofa has long seen it's best days and so we've decided it's finally time to invest in new seating arrangements, my dream loveseat from Made is still a little out of reach and so we've settled on the more budget friendly and affordable option of the DFS Angelic sofa in grey.

I've also fallen head over heels for this copper floor lamp from Made, I love it's simplistic design! Lighting brings so much to a room, it's certainly an investment piece but one to treasure for a long time.

Create a Workspace Area:

Having a nice work space with everything organised and close to hand really helps to up my productivity levels. I'm currently on the lookout for a new desk, something along the lines of this Graphix white desk, or a cheap ikea one like this that I can personalise a little with copper or gold spray paint. 

I'm also keeping an eye out for inspirational prints and pretty decor, I love this Gold Alphabet Letter from Oliver Bonas!

Colour schemes: 

My current plans are for a crisp, clean, white canvas with pops of colour (mint, corals, pinks), metallic's and greys. For the kitchen I'm aiming for marble, gold accessories (cutlery, serving spoons), white, wood & grey. My living room is attached to the kitchen and so will hopefully follow a similar theme with a hint of copper/rose gold and pop's of colour. Lastly my bedroom is a little more airy and light with wintry tones and cool hues -white/cream, silver, teal/mint and grey.

Add Greenery:

Not only do plants help to improve indoor air quality, they brighten up the home with fresh bursts of green. After successfully propagating my first succulent (succulent babies are so cute!) I'm planning on creating a little terrarium succulent garden, this terrarium looks like the ideal place to start!

I'm also planning on making a windowsill herb garden, hopefully filled with basil, thyme and rosemary. Tiger have some affordable organic seeds in at the moment, so I might try and start completely from scratch! 

Decor Plans:

My plans are to invest in a set of new bedding - love this ikea set, I'm also planning on snapping up this copper lampshade for my office/dressing table area, Lastly I'm on the hunt for some bathroom storage, I love these gold and copper baskets from H&M home!

Do you have any home updates planned this year?

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SPRING GOALS

With lighter mornings, spring blooms and sunnier days ahead it's the ideal time to refresh and set out a few new aims and goals for the upcoming months. I've listed a few spring goals below, hopefully I can tick them off over the next few months!

De-Clutter

My first goal is to de-clutter and organise my whole home. I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying last week in record time and it's completely motivated me to have a huge clear out. Old books, DVD's and clothes have been bundled up into bags and sent off to be donated. Even though I've only just started and it's such a big job I'm already feeling inspired, I've been Pinning away my dream home details, it's amazing how much a clear out can make you feel better!

Clean Eating

Another aim is to jump back onto the clean eating wagon, as the days get warmer I'm hoping that I will no longer crave comforting carb heavy meals, instead I'm planning on swapping them for healthier options like soups, veggies and salads. I've been trying to improve my snacking habits too, sipping on lemon water, snacking on dried fruit and veggie sticks with houmous. I've even ordered some almond butter with this weeks shop to spread on rice cakes and dollop on my morning porridge - yum! I'm on the lookout for some good recipe books too, I'd love to know your recommendations!

Bathroom Re-vamp

A goal high on my list is to re-vamp my bathroom. One of my favourite, relaxing rituals involves a pampering skincare routine followed by a long Lush bath. I'd love to create the perfect space filled with fluffy towels, gold accents, a little greenery and as many Lush products as I can gather to relax and unwind in. I've actually placed a huge H&M home order (a haul will hopefully be up later this week!), I've gone with a white, blush pink, grey, gold and marble theme!

Lighter Bases

Lastly, after slathering my dry winter skin with rich, nourishing creams for a while now, I'm hoping that Spring will allow me to switch up my skincare routine. I'm aiming to find a good, fool-proof skincare and make up base routine for the warmer months, I'll definitely carry the dreamy Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel through with me to spring (I just can't get enough of the stuff!) and possibly invest in a tinted moisturiser from Nars, the Origins Ginzing energy boosting moisturiser is ideal for Spring too!

Do you have any goals for Spring?

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SPRING HOME SNIPPETS

Around this time of the year I like to have a huge de-clutter, spring clean and an abundance of fresh blooms scattered around the home. Everything is organised and tucked away neatly in it's place, coral and pink lipsticks pulled out and darker tones and autumnal hues tidied away for later in the year.

It's that strange time when bitter cold days combine with bright sunshine. Bobble hats and sunglasses are paired together to compete with the fickle weather and pastels, brights and florals start to trickle into stores again.

After completing a huge spring clean (whilst listening to my dreamy Roberts Radio) I bagged up and sent off many of my old books. I've recently taken to reading from my iPad instead, it's so convenient to store so many books on and gives me plenty more shelf space for trinkets and Diptyque candles! I'm currently reading The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy, so far is pretty captivating!

These rose gold hangers were a steal at just £3 from Primark, they're beautiful and add a luxe feel to my dressing area. I've already stocked up on 4 packs of these gorgeous hangers, they're such an affordable treat!

Lastly, after a clear out of my old make up, I've filled my Muji drawers with my favourite picks. The Charlotte Tilbury Kissing Lipstick in Coachella Coral is my current favourite lipstick, a perky coral pink, it's ideal for spring!

Have you added any spring touches to your home?

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FESTIVE HOME UPDATES

I'm not ashamed to admit that each year, as soon as December 1st hits I turn my home into a winter wonderland. With tinsel draped over the doors, candles flickering, fairy lights twinkling, SmoothXmas playing in the background and the Christmas tree heavy under the weight of as many baubles, lights and bead garlands as I can manage, it truly feels like Christmas for me.

I've even decorated my dressing table for the occasion with silvers and golds and have pulled out festive red lipsticks and glittery eyeshadows to wear over December. My new Charlotte Tilbury Make up bag has taken pride of place on my dressing table, it's so festive and holds my everyday make up perfectly!

My bathroom is currently full of Lush treats, making it smell incredible. My favourites from the festive selection so far have been these dreamy Lush wands. The Magic Wand creates a heavenly bath full of pink bubbles, with swirling glitter and the sweet scent of candyfloss, it's the perfect winter treat. I'm saving my The Magic of Christmas Wand for Christmas week, with orange, cinnamon and clove it smells divine and just like Christmas to me! 

With my home feeling so festive and with plans to watch Elf, The Holiday and Arthur Christmas with cinnamon hot chocolate in my favourite Harry Potter mug, it's definitely my favourite time of the year!

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WINTRY HOME TOUCHES

Autumn/Winter is when I buy most of my home decor, I love the style and colour palettes, frosts, metallics, burgundy's and wintry tones.

With the Halloween decor placed aside for another year I've started the slow transition into winter, pulling out fairy lights, silvery tones and buying blankets to make the home feel cosy and welcoming until I can decorate for Christmas in December. 

After a late night browse of the H&M home sale section, I placed an order for this beautiful copper and glass box and burgundy blanket. The blanket feels well made - substantial, warm and soft, so perfect to snuggle up under on icy winter days. I snapped up the copper and glass box straight away, I fell in love with it after spotting it in store a while ago, I'm tempted by the larger version too!

A hot shower accompanied by Lush The Comforter Shower Cream is the ultimate treat on cold autumn days. This heavenly scented shower cream has had a permanent place in my bathroom, the divine mix of blackcurrant, bergamot and vanilla combine to give an uplifting and warming aroma. It envelops you in a soft, comforting, fragrant lather which is the perfect fix to perk you up if you're feeling slightly under the weather. 

After seeing The White Company display an array of snowflakes against a frosted window pane for their winter campaign here, I had to pick one up. This sparkling Beaded Snowflake decoration gives the home a wintry touch without being too festive for November. 

Lastly, I've pulled out my favourite Gold Monogram Mug from Anthropologie. This dreamy white and gold mug is perfect for the colder months, topped with praline hot chocolate or peppermint tea it's the perfect afternoon accompaniment. Each year they make an appearance and after spotting them in store again recently, I'm tempted to pick up another initial!

Have you made any wintry touches to your home yet?

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THE LEAD UP TO HALLOWEEN

Each year, on the week of Halloween, I pull out all of my vampy make up, decorate my home with pumpkins and spooky things and indulge in as many Fiendish Witches Hat Fancies as I can manage. 

I've added halloween touches to my make up, opting for purple eyeshadows, berry lips and dark nails and have even decorated my dressing table for the occasion. Dark, vampy hues like MAC Rebel and Nars Cruella have had a permanent place in my make up bag and I've pulled out my favourite Zara flats (similar here) for the occasion!

In my home, my pumpkin garland is still hanging proudly above my bookcase with my Roberts Radio, Copper lamp, Harry Potter Funko and pumpkin and bat decor atop to give it a festive feel. 

Most likely, I'll be spending Halloween inside, with sweets at the ready for the trick or treaters whilst carving pumpkins before settling down for the night with a Lush bath using the Sparkly Pumpkin bubble bar. Then I'm planning on watching Harry Potter films on repeat whilst feasting on leftover sweets and chocolate.

What are your plans for Halloween?

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A FEW NEW THINGS FOR AUTUMN

With cosy knits, festive decor and beauty sets galore I find it hard to resist spending a little more throughout Autumn & Winter. I buy most of my homeware, clothes and beauty palettes during A/W as I just love the style, shades and decor at this time of the year!

Festive things have been streaming into the shops and I couldn't resist picking up a few things to decorate my home with. I have plans to hang this Sparking Snowflake Decoration from The White Company on my window, I love the way that the glittering beads catch the light and I think it will look so pretty in Winter twinkling on the window pane.

I also picked up these Copper Bells from Paperchase, I'm not quite sure what to do with them yet but I just couldn't resist them!

I love to spend my Sunday Autumn evenings with a cinnamon hot chocolate, flicking through magazines and painting my nails. I hunted high and low for this Rose Gold shade from Orly which is free with this months Elle magazine. After a week of looking (it seems like it's a popular shade!) I finally found it nestled away in the back of a store. It's such a pretty shade, you can't really go wrong with rose gold!

My skin has really taken a hit with the colder weather and my regular morning moisturiser just hasn't been cutting it on these biting, chilly days. After watching Lily Pebbles vlog I popped into L'Occitanne where they offered me a spiced apple tea, a complimentary facial and handed me a sample of the Precious Cream. I've been using it day and night and my skin has been drinking this rich, creamy moisturiser up. They've also popped in a £10 off code for skincare which I'm planning on using for the full sized version when I run out!

I've also been practically living in Lush, with hot bath's becoming a staple for me on cold autumn nights, Lush bath's are the ultimate comforting treat. I'm so excited to test out the Sparkly Pumpkin, with uplifting oils, soft bubbles and a hint of sparkle, it looks perfect for this time of year.

Lastly, I've pulled out my opaque black tights and over the knee boots and have been looking for the perfect skirt to pair with them, this Asos Jacquard number caught my eye in the Asos sale, it's monochrome and so will work perfectly with most of my wardrobe!

Have you picked up anything new recently?

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SWITCHING UP MY MAKE UP FOR HALLOWEEN

With Halloween right around the corner I've been pulling out some of my favourite vampy shades to wear for the lead up to Halloween. Although it's not always the most wearable type of make up, I love adding hints to my make up routine for a festive touch throughout October.

On my eyes, I've been smudging purple eyeshadow under my lower lashes for a soft, smoky effect. Mac Quarry is a beautiful muted plum brown which is perfect for every day wear and for something a little more bold I reach for MAC Nocturnelle, a deep aubergine frosted purple. It works well paired with berry lips and spidery lashes.

Each Halloween, Illamasqua Pure Pigment Powder in Static, a mesmerising pigment with violet and pink micro glitter, makes it into my make up bag. It's ethereal, iridescent pigments are perfect for Halloween, it looks great brushed lightly onto the tops of cheekbones, dotted onto the inner corner of the eyes or onto the centre of the lids.

On my nails, I'm still flitting between the idea of creating a halloween nail art design or sticking to a dark nail polish like Essie Midnight Cami, a dreamy dark sapphire blue or Essie Sole Mate, a glossy, vampy berry.

For lips, I've pulled out Nars Cruella, a rich deep scarlet red. It's creamy, matte formula delivers impressive staying power without drying out your lips too much and looks divine paired with champagne eyeshadow and winged liner.
Another staple for me in October and for Halloween is MAC Rebel, a gorgeous berry that lasts for hours on the lips.
Lastly, Sleek Mulberry* is the perfect shade for Halloween, it's the ultimate vampy shade and an intensely deep burgundy that feels light and moisturising on the lips. I love wearing this applied to the centre of the lips and paired with a fuchsia for an ombre effect. 

Do you like to add halloween touches to your make up?

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EARLY AUTUMN HOME SNIPPETS

I love switching up my home decor with the seasons and so I've been adding little autumnal touches around the home to make it feel cosy and ready for the colder months.

I've been burning candles non-stop and Diptyque Baies has been filling my home with the wonderful scent of blackcurrant and rose. I've also pulled out Diptyque Pomander, with it's divine scent of orange, cinnamon and cloves, it's perfect for autumn and for the lead up to Christmas!

I made the little pumpkin garland last year (using this tutorial for the pumpkins) and have hung it over my bookcase for a festive touch. The dreamy copper lamp, ampersand print and Roberts Radio are sitting atop along with a little succulent, candles and this cute cat ring dish.

There's an abundance of fluffy throws and blankets in my home as I love scattering them around for a cosy, homely feel. They're perfect for gloomy autumn evenings spent with a good book and a cinnamon tea. I'm smitten with this mug from Anthropologie, they normally bring out the gold version at Christmas, fingers crossed they bring out a copper/rose gold version this year!

Lastly, I pulled out all of my favourite berry, red and plum beauty products (including MAC Plumful, Essie Bahama Mama and Topshop Beguiled) and organised my dressing table - find a full post on my autumn dressing table up dates here.

Have you added autumnal touches to your home?

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AUTUMN DRESSING TABLE DETAILS

With autumn fast approaching I've taken a little time to reorganise my dressing table ready for the colder months. I've removed the summery decor (shown here) and pulled out my favourite berry lipsticks, glittery nail polishes and autumn blushers to give it more of an autumnal feel.

My muji drawers are the latest addition to my dressing table and are currently housing a few of my favourite blushers and lipsticks. I'm hoping to get another acrylic drawer to place on top for my everyday items as I love the way they look and it makes reaching for and switching up my make up a dream.

Candles are a must for autumn and although Baies is typically a summer scent, the warmth and depth of blackcurrant and rose is also great for the transition into autumn. I've got my eye on this Sweet Vanilla Cinnamon Candle to place on my dressing table next!

I've also been trying to incorporate copper and rose gold touches, copper feels quite autumnal to me and so the hair pins, Zoeva brushes and the mirror all help to hint towards autumn.

My dressing table drawer currently holds some of my most used eyeshadows, mascaras and nail polishes. As you can see, I have a bit of an obsession with L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara and always have a back up or two on hand!
The Essie polishes that i've pulled out are all autumnal shades, my favourites for autumn are Essie Bahama Mama, Essie Sole Mate and Essie Bordeaux.

I really love adding autumn hints to my home and I'm sure as the months go on i'll be adding more autumnal things and maybe a few festive pieces too!

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LITTLE HOME THINGS #2

Lately I've been making small changes to my flat in an attempt to make it feel a little more homely and welcoming. During the warmer months I love having flowers around the home but it can get quite expensive buying fresh flowers so often! My landlady popped round with this beautiful potted plant last weekend, it was so thoughtful of her, the perfect solution and a great way to display flowers!

If you're following me on twitter or snapchat, you probably know that I've been spending a lot of my weekends at Ikea browsing the aisles (and indulging in a few cinnamon rolls!). I picked up this soft, squishy cushion, this beautiful candle holder that I'm planning on using to store all of my Lush products in and the Billy Bookcase after seeing it on Kate's lovely blog (finally some shelves to style!).

I spotted this cute Pineapple Plate in Paperchase, I thought that it would be perfect for storing jewellery or beauty products on. It's the perfect size to fit on my bedside table, or to style onto my new shelves.

Following on from my Copper Home Wishlist I picked up this dreamy Copper Lamp, I also fell in love with this Soft Mint Desk Lamp, it's such a pretty shade and would be the perfect light for my desk!

Lastly, I love these little copper cookie cutters, mine are from Sainsbury's but they don't seem to be available in every store, you can find similar ones here. I'm planning on using them to make cinnamon spiced shortbread or gingerbread biscuits (which are amazing when dipped into hot chocolate!).

Have you bought anything for the home recently?

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WHAT'S ON MY DESK THIS SPRING

Here are a few things that have been on my desk this spring. I've added some decorative touches to brighten up the space and I've switched out the darker winter shades for something a little more bright and colourful.

Rifle Paper Co Cards: I picked up a few of these beautiful cards in Waterstones, I've been looking for some pretty postcards to pin up and they're such lovely designs. I love the way that they look on my wall, I just need to get some nice frames or pretty washi tape for them now!

Jo Malone Perfume Sample Cards: After visiting a Jo Malone counter for the first time last weekend I came away with three scent sticks that I misted with Nectarine blossom & Honey, Blackberry & Bay and Wood Sage & Sea Salt. I've fallen in love with the Wood Sage & Sea Salt cologne, its such a fresh scent and different to any other perfume that I own!

Berries: My current favourite snack, I always try and have some berries in the fridge as they're packed full of antioxidants, vitamin C and fibre. As the weather gets warmer I like something sweet, light and fresh to snack on throughout the day and I just can't get enough of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries at the moment.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir: This refreshing spray contains organic balm mint, rosemary, grape, rose and orange blossom to smooth the skin and give the complexion a burst of radiance. I've been spritzing this on my skin daily to help give my skin back a healthy glow after the dull winter months.

Essie Cute As a Button Nail polish: This pretty coral pink nail polish is one of my favourite shades, it's been brightening my nails and desk this spring.

Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Yu: A slick of this dreamy blue toned pink lipstick brightens up any make up look and has been close to hand on my desk this month. It works so well for the warmer months and can be worn as a bold pink lip or dabbed on and rubbed in as a pretty pink stain to the lips. See it swatched here.

What's on your desk this Spring?

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