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Weekend wishlist: seasonal sparkle

Weekend wishlist: seasonal sparkle

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You know me, I’m a minimalist at heart, and a scruffy one at that. If I could go through life in grey joggers and a black jumper I’d be very happy, but I do also have a secret penchant for a bit of sparkle. I hesitate to say that it’s got to be tasteful (is sparkle ever really tasteful?), but done right, a touch of glitter here and there - especially at this time of year- can be a wonderful thing. I thought for this weekend’s wishlist, I’d have a little ferret about and pick some of the sparkly loveliness that’s about right now. Here, then, is my minimalist’s guide to seasonal sparkle.

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Hiker boots

Weekend wishlist: hiker boots

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You know me, I’m all about the investment purchase. I don’t want to buy something rubbish that lasts five minutes and then has to be replaced (yes, Mr E, I’m looking at you and the questionable shower purchase from Ebay). I work hard for my money (sing it, Donna), and I want to invest my hard-earned cash in beautiful, useful items that will last me years. This, my friends, is my excuse for why I am currently drooling over a pair of hiker boots that cost over £300. I know, I know. But this very much brings to mind the story of my Dad and the donkey boots - have I ever told you that one? Every winter, my Dad would bring out these weirdly hairy boots that he said were made of donkey, which made us all do theatrical barfing noises and entreat him to throw the bloody things out. But honestly, we have pictures of him wearing the boots on a skiing trip with my brothers when they were tiny, and as far as I know he was still wearing the boots while he was watching footie on a Sunday morning in his 80s (thank god I didn’t inherit them). Now I’m not suggesting you rush out and invest in a pair of donkey boots, but wow, that’s a seriously sustainable purchase, right?

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new hush autumn winter 2019

New hush autumn winter 2019

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So I’m not going to lie, committing to #secondhandseptember has been tough. In fact, because of my work I didn’t quite manage it. Let me explain: if you follow me on Instagram you’ll know that I’ve been out in Orlando filming a really exciting project with Attraction Tickets Direct. I’ve been presenting a video with my gorgeous co-presenter Emma Jo Real-Davies which will be a huge guide to all the Universal Orlando resort hotels, and while this was an opportunity of a lifetime, we had to look the part, which included a brief to wear bright colours on camera. ARGH. I don’t own any brightly coloured things so I’m afraid some shopping was in order, and while I kept it to an absolute minimum, I’m afraid I still broke the no shopping rule. I’m going to try and make amends by reselling all the items I’m not going to keep on Ebay, so at least they’ll go to a good home. Another thing that’s tested my resilience has been the release of over 150 new hush autumn winter 2019 styles, which as you would imagine, are all gorgeous.

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Gorgeous green beauty brands

Gorgeous green beauty brands for you to try

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You know me, I love a luxurious beauty product. But more and more, I’m finding myself drawn to skincare ranges that promise natural ingredients and those that are vegan, cruelty free and organic. I’ve been trying out a whole range of different products and I’ve found some absolutely gorgeous green beauty brands for you to try.

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Student discounts 2019

Student discounts for 2019

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This time of year comes around so fast, doesn’t it? We’ve got piles of stuff in the hall and I’ve got a bit of a lump in my throat because I know it will soon be time to say goodbye for another year, but it’s always mixed with that feeling of excitement, new beginnings and great times ahead. This list of student discounts started as a few notes for Charlie when he started uni, and ended up being a massive post with all sorts of information about student discounts, shopping, bank accounts, ID cards and more. As usual, you might be an old hand at this, in which case much of this won’t be news to you (thanks to the people who put ‘I knew all this already’ on my Facebook page last year - all the eye rolls for you), but you might also be a new student, so I’ve listed absolutely everything you need to know. Do remember that some of the discounts will only be about for a limited time, so if you’re thinking of buying something, it’s best to do it now. Remember, you need to prove you’re a student and the first thing you’ll need to do is register with the NUS here: National Union of Students.

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the best new autumn jumpsuits

Weekend wishlist: the best new autumn jumpsuits

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So while I’m taking part in Oxfam’s #secondhandseptember, that’s not going to stop me adding to my wishlist of gorgeous new autumnal clothes by some of my favourite brands. My goal, as always, is to shop wisely and invest in pieces that are going to work well with the other clothes already in my wardrobe. I feel like jumpsuits are such a good investment, as they’re brilliant transitional pieces. They’re easy to layer up, with a shirt or polo neck underneath, and/or a jumper or jacket over the top, and they’re just such easy pieces to wear: throw them on and look instantly stylish - nothing else required. From gorgeous pieces for evenings out, to brilliant everyday staples, I booked in for a styling session to find the best new autumn jumpsuits and I’ve found you some absolute belters (I’ve tested my #secondhandseptember pledge to the max, but I’m determined to stick with it). Read more

Oxfam's #secondhandseptember challenge

My top tips for nailing Oxfam’s #secondhandseptember challenge

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Did you know that the UK sends 11 million items of clothing to landfill every week? There are loads of reasons why this is happening, the biggest of these being our disposable, fast fashion culture. Fast fashion means production needs to be fast and cheap and that often means corners are cut, resulting in excess waste, the use of toxic chemicals and - inevitably - water pollution. And when we buy fast fashion, we perpetuate the cycle: it’s cheap, but not well made, so it doesn’t last, so we throw it out and buy even more. Wait though, I hear you ask, isn’t clothing recyclable? Yep, but studies show that we throw things in the bin because we don’t think clothes that are worn out or dirty can be recycled (our local tip has a textiles recycling bin), or even just because we couldn’t be bothered to sort our clothes and/or take them to a charity shop. Oxfam are asking us all to take a pledge to say no to new clothes for 30 days, so I thought I’d give you some top tips for nailing Oxfam’s #secondhandseptember challenge.

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Ten products to give your skin a gorgeous glow

Weekend wishlist: 10 products to give your skin a gorgeous glow

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Recently, I’ve been researching products that are (paraphrasing William Morris), both beautiful and useful. As a consumer, I want to feel pampered and uplifted when I spend my hard-earned cash, so I tend to look for skincare products that feel like a treat - ideally I’d like them to be effective, smell delicious, and have beautiful packaging (or at least two out of three - if it’s a cracking product, I can forgive a plain bottle). I want a skin product to really earn its money: do wonderful things for my skin, make it feel plump and soft and revived and, yes, glowy. I’m incredibly lucky, because generous brands often send me their products (although some of these were purchases), and I thought I’d collate a little top ten of the very best, so especially for you, here are 10 of my favourite products to give your skin a gorgeous glow.

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new hush autumn collection 2019

Weekend wishlist: the new hush autumn collection is here (and it’s divine)

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Well, I guess we’ve just got to be realistic and accept that the small glimpse of sunny days and blue skies we had was our summer and now it’s only a matter of time before we’re grabbing our favourite woolies, lighting a candle and turning up the heating. Joking, but seriously, what happened to summer? I’m feeling a bit sorry for the families who have kids off school and who’ve booked holidays to the seaside (or - eek! - camping). Let’s hope they’re good with crafting, or can find a castle or two to visit. You know that autumn is my absolute favourite season: it’s that back to school, fresh notebook, new uniform, clean start feeling that makes me so happy, and oh.. knitwear, and then pumpkin spice and Halloween! Happily (for me, sorry if you’re a summer person) a few of the brands are already launching their lovely autumn pieces, and I popped to John Lewis in Milton Keynes to take a sneaky peek at the new hush autumn collection which had literally just hit the shelves.

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Weekend wishlist super flattering swimwear

Weekend wishlist: super flattering swimwear

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Swimwear is weird, really. If you think about it, wandering around on the beach in your bikini is kind of the same as stripping down to your bra and pants in public. It’s no wonder we all feel a bit self conscious. Nobody needs to add to that uneasiness with badly fitting swimsuits that cut you in half, and knickers that ride up your bum. Happily, there’s a whole load of wonderful brands out there who are designing super flattering swimwear whatever your size. And here’s another thing: I actually feel better about my body since I’ve got into running - even though I’m pretty sure I’m probably heavier than I’ve been for a while. In the Couch to 5K app, one of the things that the lovely Jo Whiley says that really stuck with me is ‘think about your body, and think about this amazing thing that it’s doing’ and I do think that it’s given me more respect for my bod - wobbly bits and all. So back to the super flattering swimwear then. Here are my top picks. Read more

new hush early autumn 2019

Weekend wishlist: new hush early autumn 2019

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I know it’s really British to obsess about the weather, but isn’t it weird at the moment? We’ve gone from 39 degrees back to 15, with rain, thunder - oh wait, a bit more sunshine - then back to rain, hideous mugginess and everything in between. You never know quite what to wear from one day to the next. I do love a nice autumn launch in the summer though. It’s always been my favourite season - it’s that back to school freshness/new pencil case thing - and I’m always happy to dream away a rubbish summer day planning new autumn looks. Happily, the new hush early autumn collection doesn’t disappoint. It’s a cute little capsule to give us a taste of autumn loveliness to come. There’s leather and dark denim, plus a couple of gorgeous dresses in case the sun does show up. Here are a few of my favourite pieces.

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Linen dresses for hot days

Weekend wishlist: linen dresses for hot days

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Although it’s actually raining right now, we’ve had a few days of really hot weather, which also coincided with me needing to go to London and use the underground. Argh. There’s nothing like being squished into a sweat metal tube with lots and lots of other people in high temperatures to remind you that you really have a gap in your wardrobe for a simple, breezy dress or two (and also that this wasn’t the correct time to try a new aluminium free organic deodorant, but that’s another story). When the weather is super hot, I don’t think you can beat linen. There’s something about it that always looks chic, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a bit crumpled either. Add a simple pair of sandals (or my standard white Converse) and you’re good to go. So here, without further ado, and adhering to my new policy to only buy something that’s fab quality, will go with everything else in my wardrobe and is from a brand that I trust, are my favourite linen dresses for hot days.

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simple summer wardrobe

Weekend wishlist: a simple summer wardrobe

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So my gorgeous friend Amanda (you probably know her as Online Stylist) has recently gone through a total rebrand and has emerged, like a beeyootiful butterfly (spot the A Bugs Life reference) as SimplySTARTLiving. The blog is stunning, and as always, Amanda’s made me stop and think about my own style, and how I’m just not happy with it at the moment. Another fab content creator who talks a lot about capsule wardrobes and investing in clothes that last is the lovely Anna Newton over at The Anna Edit. She’s one of the few YouTubers I watch religiously. She also wrote a fab book called An Edited Life which, if you’re a massive walking mess like me, will help you declutter and organise everything in your life. Anyhoo. I nodded along with Amanda’s latest post about minimal pieces for summer where she said that for some reason, all her minimal, monochrome habits are challenged in the summer, when everything is awash with brights and pompoms and stripes, etc. So I decided to have a massive wardrobe clearout, and start again. See, what I really want is a simple summer wardrobe. Is that so difficult?

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SPFs with a USP

SPFs with a USP - my top sun protection picks

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FINALLY it’s warm enough that we’re not just talking about SPF because we’re off on holiday. I’m a bit of a sun protection addict - I wear SPF50 every day (hello Ultrasun - tinted, moisturising but not sticky or greasy, full of brilliant technology, reef friendly, anti-pigmentation… you name it - read my full review here) and I recently took a few new ones I’d discovered out to Orlando with me to give them a proper test. I like my sun protection to multi-task, so all the SPFs listed here have something clever or different about them that makes them really stand out. Here we go, then, with my top sun protection picks: SPFs with a USP.

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What's in July's Glossybox?

What’s in July’s Glossybox? And 20% off for you!

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Now you know me, I LOVE anything that’s mini or travel sized, so when the lovely people at Glossybox sent me their June box to review, I was pretty much in tiny travel size heaven. Last month’s box contained all sorts of cute goodies, including a flattering pale bronzey eyeshadow pencil, a Hask hair mask, a super-luxurious Avant Pro Perfecting Collagen Touche Éclat Primer, a Model Co lip cream and a Sleek Makeup contouring and blush palette. So what’s in July’s Glossybox? Read on to find out!

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