Hollywood & Vine from Guess

Last week an e-mail popped in to my inbox announcing the SS15 collection from Guess Jewellery. I always get a little bit excited when these e-mails arrive as Guess never fail to impress me with their range of jewellery and watches. I really think they have out done themselves with their latest offerings, with a collection named “Hollywood & Vine” which draws inspiration from where else but Hollywood and it’s walk of fame?

With it’s bright colours and dramatic drop shaped crystals hosted on silver this collection has more than a hint of old school glamour about it and I’m smitten.

Prices range from £45.00 – £150.00 and the collection is available from GUESS stores, House of Fraser and soon to be available on the House of Fraser website too. Which piece is your favourite? In a move away from my current obsession with statement necklaces I’m 100% coveting the daintily dramatic piece from this collection.

Degustabox- The February Box

Another month and another delivery from Degustabox. I’m sure that by now you’re all familiar with what the box is about, but just in case you’re not, it’s a monthly food subscription box that delivers a selection of new and surprise products to your door for the cost of £12.99 per one off box or £11.99 per month when you take out a bi-annual subscription. I’ve been reviewing the boxes over the last year and they never fail to impress me and get me eating outside of my comfort zone.
As ever the box contained a real variety of products, most of which were entirely new to me. The first product I pulled out was the Melba Thins which claim to be perfect for both night owls and early birds. These are pre-packed in to portions and at £1.39 for ten sets they are pretty good value. I really like this as an accompaniment to soup or a salad at lunch time- I wouldn’t find them very substantial for breakfast but they might make a good alternative to biscuits of an evening.
Also in the savoury selection was a couple of Beet It bars (£1.85 each) which I haven’t braved trying yet, apparently there are a lot of benefits to eating beetroot and of course I do not doubt this, but the idea of it in a snack bar rather than fresh in a salad doesn’t sit right with me. I might brave one of these soon though all in the name of blogging. The Jack Link’s meat snack was a bit more up my street, at least you know where you stand with meat (if you eat it). This was moist and protein packed and was perfect to tide me over between lunch and dinner.
Before I developed an allergy to nuts Whole Earth was a brand I was very familiar with so it was nice to see a new product from them- a peanut butter enriched with sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds to add even more goodness. I can’t eat this myself, but I will use it I think to make up some healthier three ingredient peanut butter cookies soon.
The Schwartz Flavour Shots have featured in boxes before and are always good for a quick meal that tastes great. At £1.40 each they probably work out quite cost effective and are great for getting me thinking outside of the box.
On the drinks front there were inclusions from Laimon Fresh and Peanut Hottie both of which I have seen before but never purchased. I know in particular that people rave over Peanut Hottie but I’m undecided as to what I’m going to do with it. It’s one of those things that I might not react to, allergy wise, but what seems to be basically hot peanut butter isn’t necessarily something that appeals- do feel free to weigh in on this one!
My favourite section of the Degustabox is always the sweet stuff and this month’s goodies were some of the best yet! The gluten free brownies from Americal Muffin Company are amazing, just so good. Individually wrapped and super moist these are just the right size for a mid-afternoon treat. The box is going down at an alarming rate (and they are only 150 calories each, score!). The Lily O’Brien’s cocoa cookie crunch has been on my radar for some time as my local Waitrose stock it, but at £2.60 per bag I couldn’t really bring myself to buy it. I almost wish I hadn’t tried it now as I love it so much repeat purchases will be made. I’ve been enjoying a piece or two in the evening with a cup of coffee…perfection!
Have you signed up for Degustabox yet? If you fancy signing up you can grab a generous £3 off your first box with the code 0LCHE. Happy eating! There’s also a competition on the Degustabox Facebook page where you can try your luck at winning a box for free.

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The Happy Boots

It’s fair to say I own a lot of shoes- they take up all available storage in my bedroom and then some. Although I love each and every pair (my justification for inability to cull my collection) there are some pairs that I am more drawn to for whatever reason- it could be comfort, it could be practicality or it could just be because they make me smile.

Dress: The Whitepepper | Boots c/o Missguided (last year) | Necklace: Chelsea Doll

I’ve had these boots about a year now and although they don’t go with everything, when I do find a combination that works I wear it to death. There is something about the combination of the pale pink and bold black that I love with this pair of shoes. They also have THE bounciest soles so I feel like I’m walking on air.

I couldn’t help but love this outfit, it involves all of my favourites. I remember being really reluctant to splurge on a dress from The Whitepepper but it’s paid for itself by now, several times over. Their Spring/Summer collection is just incredible, I have my eye on this dinosaur print dress, I’m trying to scrape together another funds to make a purchase as although it’s not the most subtle of pieces I can see me getting wear from it for years to come.

What shoes make you happy? I love anything bright and fun! I do really, really need to sort through my collection though and earmark a few pairs for listing on eBay though…if it starts to feel too painful I’ll just think of that dinosaur dress!

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A Touch of Luxury with Kai

Now, it’s probably not escaped anyone’s notice that I’m not a beauty expert, but I do appreciate a good product as much as the next girl- and if it’s entirely luxurious then that’s even better!
I was recently contacted by a high end beauty brand named Kai. I wasn’t familar with the name but a little bit of research revealed that it’s a global beauty brand with a devout celebrity following. To celebrate the fact that some of the products are newly launching in the UK (available from Cult Beauty and Liberty) I was sent a package of goodies to try out.
I feel I should preface this review by saying that ordinarily these products would be far, far out of my beauty budget and I feel incredibly lucky that I have been able to try them out and fall in love with them. I do however appreciate that they will also be above and beyond what most people can afford for every day beautification, but if you’re in the market to splurge out then this is the brand for you!
One of my favourite products was the body buffer which retails at £33. This is a really innovative product that cleanses, exfoliates and moisturises all in one. It comes in two compact sponges each containing enough product for around 30 uses. My skin feels amazing after using this and like the entire Kai range it has an amazing, fresh scent that lasts all day (without being over-powering).
There was also a reed diffuser in the package, which is beautifully neutral and adds a touch of class to whatever room you place it in. This costs £60 but will give four months of continuous scent. The signature Kai scent is gardenia wrapped with white exotics which is just perfect for bringing a touch of Spring in to the home.
I’m really enjoying the Shampoo and Conditioner (£29 each!) that came in my package, my hair just feels amazing from the combination of argan oil and glycolic acid. Again the signature scents lasts and lasts without being obtrusive and I am convinced the condition of my hair improves with each wash. Sadly once I’ve used these up I won’t be in a position to re-purchase so I’m eeking them out and enjoying them whilst they last!
Last but not least there was also a dry oil spray called body glow (£25) which I have taken to spritzing on after a bath of shower to restore my skin and add a clean scent. I am really getting in to dry oils as I can’t stand my skin feeling greasy and this is just wonderful.
I can’t help but feel it’s typical that I have fallen head over heels for a brand I can’t afford to buy and use all of the time, but when I do have some spare money I will be indulging myself and also popping items of birthday and christmas lists. Are there any brands that you love but can’t afford on a regular basis? I can’t be the only one out there!

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Defying Gravity

As the title of this post might suggest I finally got a chance to see Wicked at the theatre the week before last. It’s been on my “before 30” list for the last few years, ever since I first read the book so as soon as it announced it was going to be coming to the Bristol Hippodrome (where it’s on until 21st March if you fancy seeing it) I knew I had to go! Thankfully my best friend is far more organised than I and sorted out tickets for myself and a couple of other friends. I was blown away by just how good the show was, I mean, I had high hopes to start with but this exceeded expectation- if you’ve ever been wondering if you should go or not, then trust me, you should!

Dress c/o Goddiva | Boots: Jonak via Sarenza | Earrings and Bracelet c/o lolaandgrace

Best friend and I decided we’d dress up a little for our theatre trip, although with no grand plans beforehand bar a cheap and cheerful Wetherspoons dinner (won’t lie, I love it!) I didn’t want to go too OOT! This dress, made a little more casual with some flat boots was just the ticket, I last wore the dress for the Christmas before last so it was long overdue an airing.

I’m really getting in to statement jewellery again, having been very lazy with it for far too long. These pieces that lolaandgrace kindly sent me are just stunning, and I’ve been wearing them for work, rest and play. Hands down my favourite jewellery brand available on the high street I’ve been lucky enough to build up quite a collection over the last year or so.

What’s the last thing you went to see at the theatre? I think the last time I went was to see Peter Pan at another Bristol theatre, the Old Vic. I wish tickets weren’t so expensive, I’d see a show every week if money allowed!

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