Zara

Above image from TRF Lookbook email

I absolutely love Zara. 

I wish everything in my closet was from Zara. 

I wish I had an unlimited clothing tab at Zara. 

But obviously, this is not the case. Yet....

Payday is just around the corner however, so think I'm going to treat myself to one of the following:

Zara Cowl Neck Rib Knit Sweater (£45.99)

Zara Combined Striped Dress (£59.99)

Zara Polka Dot Dress with Peter Pan Collar (£35.99)

Zara Wedge Ankle Boots (£29.99)

Zara Synthetic Leather Pencil Skirt (£29.99)

Zara Long Sleeve T-Shirt (£15.99) 

Is anyone else looking forward to payday? What are you planning on buying? 

xx

Saturday Night Out

I recently learned that I earned a distinction for my MSc. Therefore, a night out was very much needed to celebrate! I went to the Grill on the Alley (lovely customer service although my steak was a bit overdone). And wore the following:

Green Leopard print maxi dress from Topshop (this is the Tall version) 

Necklace: Primark

Lipstick: Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick (in 05) (available here)

Eyeshadows: Bellapierre Shimmer Powder Eyeshadow in Earth (available here) 

Lorac Starry-Eyed Baked Eye Shadow in Movie Star (available here)

 Liquid liner: Bourjois Volume Clubbing Liner (available at Boots)

Foundation: RMK Liquid Foundation (available here)

What did everyone do this weekend? 

xx

Bloglovin'

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xx

November Birchbox

I took a brief hiatus from receiving my monthly Birchbox but I couldn't resist any longer. I love getting a box of beauty goodies every month! Plus most are surprises which make it even better.

This months box included: 

Matriskin Collagen MP Serum 

Weleda Replenishing Oat Shampoo

Chella Highlighter Pencil 

Laura Mercier Long Lash Mascara

English Laundry Signature for Her Eau de Parfum

Extras:

Pukka Herbs Selection of Teas 

Birchbox Pencil Sharpener 

I've used most of the products already (apart from the sharpener) and would say I am most impressed with the Chella Highlighter Pencil (probably going to end up using this one like every day) and Laura Mercier Long Lash Mascara (gives your lashes amazing definition). 

Highly recommend signing up! It's 12 a month (including shipping and worth it!)

You can learn more here.

Have any of you subscribed to Birchbox?

6am OOTD | 19.11.13

I feel like being a bit braver than usual with this OOTD post - after all the photos were taken at nearly 6am this morning! (Please be kind with comments.)

I am a morning person generally, but as it's been getting colder and colder lately my outfit choices have become less exciting due to the fact that I don't want to freeze shortly after leaving the confines of my flat.

One absolute must for me in the winter time are athletic leggings - absolutely amazing for keeping you warm!

I've had this pair for ages from Nordstrom (Zella brand) but Uniqlo also have some excellent quality ones for a reasonable £12.90 (available here)

Shirt: H&M (similar here)

Jumper: H&M (similar here on sale!) (Or from Missguided here)

Heeled Chelsea Boots: M&S (available here)

What was everyone wearing today?

x

Fitness Friendly Lunchtime Snacks- 18.11.13

I'm the type of person who would rather eat than workout. I do love engaging in fitness activities, it's just that if a baked good/amazing meal was offered to me vs. a 5k run, I'd definitely go for the former.

Working long hours at work has increased this. It's hard to get to the gym after a 12 hour shift!

Anyways, I've been experimenting with healthier options in terms of lunch to try and boost my fitness through diet (there are only so many salads you can eat...)

These are my top lunchtime picks:

1) MyProtein Double Chocolate Protein Cookies (£16.99 for a box of 12)

[Flavours available: Chocolate Orange, White Chocolate Almond, and Chocolate Mint]

These taste like eating a brownie but have 37.5 grams of protein in them. I'm not a huge protein-nerd as the thought of bulking up like Schwarzenegger scares me (the whole point of this exercise is to resemble Gisele not Arnold after all!) These are also a reasonable 320 calories per cookie. I normally eat half (and share the other with my desk mate) as a snack or have an entire one as a meal.

2) Exante Chocolate Mint Diet Shake (£2.58 for one, or box of 50 for £64.50)

[Use discount code: FREECRUSH at checkout for a Free Raspberry Crush Drinks Mix]

I've tried a few of the Exante shakes and this one is by far my favourite. I wish it was a bit thicker but the taste is actually quite nice. Plus these fill you up! And they're quite low calorie too (think around 200 or so?) plus filled with protein/vitamins. All good stuff!

What's your go to diet snack/lunch?

Christmas Jumpers!

Christmas Jumpers! by bykaile 

As my first UK Christmas is quickly approaching, I think I need to invest in a Christmas jumper. The question is: which one?! I am utterly amazed at home many hilarious (and slightly tacky) options available.

I'm leaning towards the 'Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal' option from Boohoo.com (here) as I'm a huge Home Alone fan OR the Christmas Pudding with Pom Pom jumper from New Look (here).

What kind of a Christmas jumper is everyone going to be sporting this year?

REN Evercalm Skincare

I always buy magazines when there's a freebie involved (especially a beauty freebie!) The November issue of InStyle meant these three amazing REN skincare products. I've been using the Gentle Cleansing Milk and the Creme du Jour quite regularly and think I'm going to have to purchase both again.

The Gentle Cleansing Milk is formulated especially to remove "environmental aggressors" and helps prevent early signs of ageing. As I have quite sensitive and dry skin this is of course I think the favourite out of the three for me.

I have used the eye gel a few times but I don't tend to include eye creams/gels/products into my usual routine.

The Creme du Jour is great to layer under foundation/BB Cream. The only off-putting thing is the smell which smells a bit like newsprint...

REN Evercalm Gentle Cleanser (£16.00) and the REN Hydra Calm Global Day Cream (£27.00) are both available from Space NK

REN Vita Mineral Active 7 Eye Gel (£20.00) is available from Look Fantastic

What other magazine 'freebies' have you gotten lately?

xx

Casual Saturday Wearing Zara & ASOS - 17.11.13

Manchester has been quite chilly lately, but yesterday was a bit warmer than usual so I was able to get away with less layers than usual.

I went for a cosy knit with leather leggings as I was due to meet up with friends (for a girly cake filled afternoon) later after running errands in town. I've been wearing this wraparound coat from Zara a lot lately as I think it dresses up an outfit and makes me feel a bit more put together.

I'm a huge fan of Zara as I find the quality and uniqueness of their clothing a bit more than other high street shops. I swear anytime I go in there, I find loads of items that I can't wait to add to my wardrobe. Thank goodness the Zara in Manchester is open again!

Seen here wearing:

Zara Long Sweater with Turn-Over Collar in Mid Grey (£35.99)

ASOS Leather Look Leggings (similar here) (£16.00)

Cole Haan Jodhpur Boot (available from Zappos here) ($265)

Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac Leather Shoulder Bag in Black (similar here) (£161.00)

Zara Woolen Wraparound Coat (£89.99)

Eyeglass Necklace (old)

What has everyone been wanting to buy from Zara lately?

Shocked

Every year for my birthday, my mother gets me a book. I trust her taste (almost) completely when it comes to literature as she is one of the most voracious readers I know. It's known for her to read 3 books at a time.

This year, she gave me 'Shocked' written by Patricia Volk. It's a memoir about the authors' own memories of her well coiffed mother intertwined with comparisons and references to Elsa Schiaparelli. The author claims Schiaparelli (or Schiap) 's own biography 'Shocking Life' was the first novel that transformed her and resonated with her during the early stages of her life. I found the most interesting components of the book were in fact the intimate details she published about her mother and the photographs of Schiap's creations. The book itself is named after one of the most sought after Schiaparelli designs: her Shocking perfume.

This is a wonderful book for any daughter/mother/fashionista/or biography connoisseur. There's a number of fantastic artefacts that were photographed and included in the book as well which I always appreciate when reading something so descriptive. 

It's published under two different names depending on which part of the world you happen to be in. My copy was the US version, but it is available in the UK as well (the cover art is a bit different but still representative of 'Shocking').

Available for purchase in the UK under the name 'The Art of Being a Woman: My Mother Schiaparelli, and Me' from WHSmith here (from £10.34)

Available for purchase in the US from a number of bookstores including Third Place Books if you happen to live in Seattle (from $26.95)

Has anyone else read this?

What I Want from Coggles this Christmas: #CogglesChristmas

What I Want from Coggles this Christmas: #CogglesChristmas by bykaile featuring a merino wool crew neck sweater