Life, Lately | July 2017

Well, it seems like this is it. Summer, I mean! Finally here in full force, just when we least expected it.

Of course, this being the UK there has to be the odd day where it plummets back into midwinter after a week of blazing sunshine, so it’s never quite safe to pack away your winter woollies entirely. But generally, it's been really nice.

Have you been making the most of it? I feel like there is a pressure to be doing stuff because it's so uncertain that summer is actually here to stay.  We need to do ALL OF THE THINGS before the sun abandons us!

OOTD | The Metallic Mini

As parents, it's not often that we get a night out. I could definitely count on one hand all the times we've been out since Theo was born- and he's almost two!

That is our choice though. Having babies certainly changed my priorities - I used to love my nights out but I'd sooner spend time with my son now. Plus, hangovers aren't great when you're likely to get woken at 5am by the baby!

It is important to let your hair down sometimes and reconnect with friends though - and remember who we are when we aren't being mummy and daddy. Theo is old enough to stay over at his Granny's house, which makes things a lot easier as we're not worried about getting back to relieve a babysitter and we can get up a little bit later than if he was at home!

Of course, I couldn't resist the rare event of getting my glam on to do an outfit post - when you're normally covered in mashed biscuit and sticky handprints you have to make the most of a night off!

The Dyson Supersonic | A Game Changer Turns One

Sometimes, a beauty tool comes along that redefines the way we do things, it’s just that darn good.

And when fashion and beauty bible Vogue describes something as a ‘game changer’, you know it’s serious! Global technology company Dyson, who pretty much revolutionised home appliances, have turned their hand to hairdryers, and the resulting best-in-class product – the Dyson Supersonic – is celebrating its first birthday.

So I was excited to be invited along to an exclusive party at John Lewis Grand Central Birmingham to find out more.

Soap & Glory Thick & Fast HD | Review

Being a beauty addict means being constantly on the watch for the next big thing - the cult product that's going to make it big, or the under the radar item that's set to be a new hot favourite. 

So even though I definitely have my holy grail items when it comes to beauty, I'm always keeping one eye open for the latest to see if it becomes my next must-have.

One area where my head is easily turned is mascara. I think it's fair to say I'm lash obsessed. Long, fluttery lashes are an essential for me- an instant mood booster and something I don't feel right without. 

As a lash addict, I wear subtle falsies almost every day, but I'm always hoping that one day a mascara will come along that really will live up to the hype a lot of them have about making you throw your false lashes away! 

Six Game-Changing Summer Beauty Buys

Before I begin to talk about makeup, I just want to acknowledge that there’s been a lot of dark and horrific things happening in the world lately.

Of course, there’s always been evil out there, but in the last year or two it seems to have ramped up to epic proportions, and not a month is going by without news of something unimaginably dreadful.

Sometimes, writing about beauty seems like too much levity when things out there are hateful. But so much of the internet is full of catastrophe, that I actually think this is what’s needed. Let’s reclaim the internet for its higher purpose – the world needs more cat memes, more videos of babies dancing and dogs skateboarding, and definitely more pretty, sparkly things.

It won’t take away from the darkness outside the window, but it is a sort of two fingers up to all these unhinged extremists who would seek to crush any joy from the world and make it a sad, drab place. Let’s become their worst nightmare – educated, independent and wearing all the lipgloss we damn well please!

We seem to be hitting what might almost be summer (I live in Britain, it’s never a definite here…), so I thought I’d share my newest beauty essentials, products I’ve discovered lately and have been really enjoying using.

The change of seasons is always a good cue to change up your routine and discover some new products to love. And the best part? All the products below are effective and kind to your purse…

Discovering Stella & Dot | Accessories Haul

Have you discovered Stella and Dot yet? The on-trend jewellery and accessories brand has been on my radar for a while, but I’d never actually ordered anything until a few weeks ago.

I took the plunge and ordered one piece, then got another couple for my birthday at the beginning of the month and all of a sudden I’ve started to develop a little collection.