happy new home

i’ve spent the past few days getting used to my lovely new flat and being a woman of property. it’s all been rather surreal.

thanks to my (absolutely amazing) parents i have managed to get a toe onto the property ladder and am now fully moved in. i love it, so much. IMG_0526this weekend was spent scouring shops, making endless decisions about cutlery, bedding, curtains, furniture. the list goes on and on. i’ve moved 10 times in five years, across three continents, and the constant changes in location meant i have never invested in any homewares, so i have had to start from scratch. it’s been exciting but, at times, a daunting prospect.

i know i am among an extremely lucky (and small) proportion of people living in london able to buy, my parents managed to work out a way for us to do so and i am heavily indebted to them (and the bank, of course). they have been unbelievably helpful and happily traipsed around shops and hell on earth itself (ikea!), giving up their weekend to make sure i settled in ok. i would not have known where to start and cannot thank them enough. they are complete legends.

it’s taken around six months from when the offer on the property was accepted to completion which seems to be much longer than average. there were a number of issues with leases, contracts and legal mumbo jumbo, i couldn’t even get my head around some of the problems. and it caused considerable frustration and patiences were tested. still, we are now there and i could not be happier or more grateful.

i have an admin to-do list as long as my arm and i might have minimal furniture, but i can’t wait to start making memories with my favourite people in my new home.

this is my favourite purchase so far, bitches welcome…IMG_0524

i’ve stocked up on the essentials, champagne and pb (what else?)IMG_0525

i received a sweet housewarming gift from my first visitor IMG_0521

and cards from my besties wishing me well  IMG_0523p.s. i would love to hear your suggestions or tips on cute furniture shops or decor ideas if you have any. i’m enlisting the help of several of my friends but would welcome any advice

travel beauty essentials

whenever i receive beauty samples, i try to save them for travelling to avoid having to haul heavy full-size shampoo and moisturiser with me. i have a few new goodies waiting to be tested out, so they’ll be in my bag on my work trip later this week, along with my tried and tested travel beauty essentials.travel beauty essentials

before heading off, i’ll be doing a little prep with a base tan from ldn: skins self tan mousse.  i’ve tried out most fake tans under the sun, but since discovering this brand earlier this year, i’ve been a convert.

i’m excited to try out some new additions to my beauty cupboard: spf50 antioxidant-infused sunscreen mist by supergoop (i adore their anti-ageing city sunscreen serum and their acai infusion spf30 lip balm already, so i’m expecting greatness from this), and thalgo frigimince spray, which claims to revive tired legs after a long day – judging by my itinerary, this baby will be getting plenty of use.malin + goetz travel essentials

malin + goetz is one of my absolute favourite beauty brands – their candles are to die for. i received this handy travel essentials kit recently. it includes cleanser, face moisturiser, body wash, body moisturiser, shampoo and conditioner – everything you need, and in a carry-on friendly pouch. sold!

cult product swimcap by philip kingsley will be slathered on my hair to protect from the effects of chlorine or salt water, while vichy eau thermal water mist will hydrate my skin in the heat. a bright and punchy nail colour is a must, so i’m bringing one of my current staples, barry m papaya.travel beauty essentials

finally, my makeup. i like to keep it fresh and simple in hot weather, and these new samples from pb fave smashbox will be all i need. spf20 photo finish primer, spf35 bb cream for just enough coverage without the heavy feel of foundation, a touch of mascara and my new best friend: o-glow is an intuitive gel which transforms from clear to a natural flush when applied to your cheeks. i’m obsessed with this product at the moment.travel beauty essentials

and i’m ready for the sunshine! can’t wait to see if any of the new products will be making the migration to my permanent collection. i’ll let you know!

what are your travel essentials?

six spoonfuls

this week, sarah…

toasted getting the keys to her new home with some bubbles!bollinger champagne

got into the gatsby spirit at a party at annabel’s with stephgatsby at annabel's london

had a cocktail or two at new haunt mr fogg’s in mayfairMr Fogg's Mayfair London

while andrea…

learned how to make a ‘rose’ with frosting on a cupcake. almost too pretty to eat! almost…cupcake frosting rose

brought back a few french skincare staples from parisbioderma crealine h20 embryolissa lait-creme concentre

drooled over the dessert table at the launch of summer party at bluebird chelseabluebird chelsea summer party

we love: topshop festival collection

currently digging the new topshop festival collection, in collaboration with our ultimate festival fashion crush, kate bosworth.

as summer approaches, we’re starting to think about what we’ll be dancing the day and night away in. topshop’s edit of denim cutoffs, comfortable ankle boots and bohemian accessories are ticking all the right boxes!

i particularly heart the aztec miniskirt and tan western boots. bring on summer!

topshop festival collection

topshop circle broderie shell
£37 - topshop.com

topshop wide leg zig zag pants
£59 - topshop.com

topshop embroidered kimono
£98 - topshop.com

topshop aztec mini skirt
£89 - topshop.com

topshop dungaree
£50 - topshop.com

topshop bleached floral shorts
£46 - topshop.com

topshop western cutout boots
£92 - topshop.com

topshop peony garland
£26 - topshop.com

i’m finally ticking glastonbury off my bucket list this year, and also have my eye on london’s field day. which festivals are you going to this summer?

paris in the springtime

earlier this month i spent the weekend in paris for my friend dani’s birthday. one of my favourite cities in the world with six girls?

as audrey hepburn said, paris is always a good idea.paris in the springtime 2

all but one of us had been to paris a number of times before, so rather than lining up for the eiffel tower and spending hours inside the louvre, we were happy to simply stroll around the city, soaking up the atmosphere, sit in sidewalk cafés for hours, eat our weight in cheese, and stop by the occasional tourist attraction for a quick cheesy photo op along the way:paris in the springtime 29

we got in on the eurostar from london on friday night. there was just enough time to find our gorgeous little apartment in les marais, get changed and head out.

the birthday girl had a friend working at a very cool new bar in the 4th called sherry butt. it’s a hidden speakeasy of the experimental cocktail club variety, and he makes a mean pisco champagne cocktail. after two of them, the rest of the night was a bit of a blur, but there is a dim recollection of us leaving a club as the sun came up. this was the only decent shot i got from the whole evening:sherry butt paris

we managed to drag ourselves outside around midday, just in time for a hearty brunch to sort out our hangovers. the mild, sunny day that greeted us perked us right up. paris in the springtime 11paris in the springtime 12

we spent saturday happily getting lost among the winding streets, exploring the latin quarter and saint-germain. paris in the springtime 13paris in the springtime 16paris in the springtime 25paris in the springtime 17paris in the springtime 28paris in the springtime 15 paris in the springtime 14i had to snap this guy, casually standing on a corner reading his book. so parisian!paris in the springtime 8paris in the springtime 4 paris in the springtime 3paris in the springtime 1paris in the springtime 26

when it got really hot, we took a break at famed café les deux magots in saint-germain to get refreshed with fruit salad and sorbet. we long outstayed our welcome as we sat in the sunshine people-watching.paris in the springtime 21paris in the springtime 22paris in the springtime 24paris in the springtime 20  paris in the springtime 18

on our way back to the apartment, we passed by the louvre. there’s always time for a selfie…paris in the springtime 27

that night we met up with friends and had a few drinks at a little al fresco bar in les marais which i can’t remember the name of. they made a terrible caipirinha though, so i don’t mind forgetting them. paris in the springtime paris in the springtime on sunday, most of the shops are closed, so we decided to pick up food from an amazing food market near our apartment and head to the park next to the eiffel tower for a picnic. all being absolute food obsessives, we spent much longer than necessary browsing the goodies…paris food markets 3paris food markets paris in the springtime 7paris food markets 4we spent the whole day lying in the park, eating our impressive feast, drinking cheap rosé, sunbathing, laughing, photobombing a high school tour group, and taking endless photos of ourselves. paris in the springtime 42 paris in the springtime 40paris in the springtime 31paris in the springtime 33

and these guys…paris in the springtime 32

and more of ourselves… paris in the springtime 39

it was such a fun day that we managed to stay far too long, and had to literally run back to the apartment to get our bags, and made the eurostar home with a couple of minutes to spare. the rosé consumption made the whole near-nightmare seem hysterically funny, so we didn’t seem to panic. paris in the springtime 35

happy birthday dani! xxx           paris in the springtime 37