Summer Style with Caravelle New York

Blogging has lead to some pretty awesome opportunities, and although I might not be “out there” at the top of the game I still strike it lucky for which I am forever grateful. I was recently contacted by the team at Caravelle New York to put together a look featuring one of Spring/Summer’s top trends paired with one of their gorgeous watches. I opted for a somewhat Seventies theme with flared denim and textured metallics. We initially took a lot more photos than this but I, for whatever reason had my eyes closed in the majority and quite simply ran out of time to get any more…but you get the idea.

Top c/o Valour & Valkyrie | Jeans: Mango at ASOS | Shoes: Sarenza | Watch c/o Caravelle New York

A Rose Gold watch has been on my wish list for the longest time, ever since everyone started going crazy for them I guess. What I really love about this one is the cut-out detail on the dial, I’ve never seen anything like it on a watch before and it makes it stand out from the crowd.
What do you think of this look, and the watch? If you’re as in love with it as I am then watch this space…

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A Thomas Sabo Wish List

Thomas Sabo is one of the few jewellery brands I don’t have much experience with. I’ve admired it from afar, in stores and on other people and based on the strength of their latest collections I’m going to have to take the plunge and treat myself soon. Here are just a few of the pieces I’ve been coveting lately- help me pick which piece I should give in to!

bangle | stud earrings | cocktail ring | hoop earrings | oval ring

If money allowed then I think automatically I would opt for one of the rings, the cocktail ring more specifically as it’s just stunning. Sadly my budget is more likely to stretch to a pair of earrings, a bracelet at best but I’ll be keeping this post for reference should I happen to hit the big time (that or save it for Christmas hint dropping)

Are you familiar with Thomas Sabo? Which is your current favourite piece? Silver Tree Jewellery are offering all of my readers a fabulous 20% off purchases (some brand exclusions apply) with the code BLG_ZQONWP4LNKKF so now’s the time to treat yourself!

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*post in collaboration with Silver Tree jewellery but I really DO want all of these pieces!*

Degusta Box- The May Edition

This month my Degustabox arrived a little earlier than usual. Timed to fit in with the most recent Bank Holiday it took on a BBQ theme. For once the sun did shine although our BBQ didn’t make it out of the shed, but still I’ve sampled most things from the box and have put together my thoughts below.

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.

The first product I pulled out of the box was some lasagne sheets from the folks at Slim Pasta (£2.49). Now I haven’t tried these as the idea doesn’t hold a lot of appeal for me but I can see how these would be really handy for people on things such as the 5:2 diet. I’m trying to convince my Dad that he ought to try them as I don’t really think it’s appropriate for me to at the moment when I’m trying to reverse weight loss…I’ll report back with his thoughts if he does and would love to know what other people’s experiences have been.

More up my street were some blocks of stir-fry noodles from Maggi (£1.49 each). I love noodles and these are the perfect base for a quick and easy meal. The oriental chicken noodles were really tasty, just add in some fresh ingredients and you have dinner in minutes!

9 Bars (£2) are a product I’ve known and loved for years, perfect for a substantial snack on the go. These were packed full of dried fruits and seeds, topped with carob and are really, really tasty.

Less healthy but undeniably still delicious are the Daelmans Stroopwafels (£2). Growing up with Dutch family means I already knew just how wonderful these are, but these are some of the best I have tasted and brilliant warmed up over a cup of coffee. The only downside to these is just how addictive they are- one is not enough!

On the BBQ theme front there were some really exciting looking products, although as mentioned above, I am yet to get my grill on. BBQ is my favourite sauce to add to food, aside from ketchup so the Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ sauce (£2.49) just sounds amazing. This is going to be added to some chicken asap for the ultimate summer feast. I also really like the look of the Schwartz marinade packs. Pop your meat, fish or veg in to the packet for 30 minutes and you have perfectly delicious food with no mess. I was sent the Honey and Soy flavour (£2.19) which I can’t wait to combine with some salmon and a huge salad…if I was less lazy I’d be on my way to the supermarket right now for supplies.

I love a good salad in the Summer so the addition of balsamic vinegar to the Sarsons family has been welcomed with open arms. This is really tasty and only £2.00 per bottle…this is a must have for the summer store-cupboard.

Drinks wise, well I haven’t tried the Green Coco juice with bananas as previous experience tells me not to even go there (personal taste only, I just can’t stomach this kind of drink!). The flavour combination sounds lovely though and would be perfect on a hot summer day- 80p per carton.

Last but by no means least come the Protibricks from Fuel10k (£2.69) a brand I have seen a lot about. I’m a huge breakfast lover and these have made a great change from my usual porridge and toast- I always worry about being hungry after an hour if I break away from my normal breakfast but there was no problem with these and they are pretty good for you all round, made from 100% wholegrain with fibre, low sugar and low fats.

If you received the box this month I’d love to read your thoughts- feel free to link to your posts below. If I’ve persuaded you that you might want to sign up then you can grab a cool £3.00 discount when you sign up using the code BQXK9

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The Denim Shirt Dress

Is there ever a season where denim doesn’t feature somewhere in amongst the hottest trends? Not that I can recall, although I don’t remember there ever being quite so much variety as there is right now. No complaints from me (other than from my bank balance). I love a bit of the blue stuff and it’s perfect for any off duty look. I was recently lured in by the New Look and came away with another piece to add to my collection.

Shirt Dress: New Look (here) | Sandals: Primark (current stock) | Bracelet c/o lolandgrace

These photos haven’t come out as well as usual, most likely due to me actually taking them myself for once. Laura + Tripod and self timer are not the best combination in the world, luckily I usually have Mum or Ben on hand to help out!

This shirt dress was reduced to £12 in the New Look sale and I love it for something easy to sling on after work. It’s a bit on the short side which I often find with New Look’s dresses but with flat shoes and a bit of careful placement on myself it’s not really an issue. I paired it with these wide-fit sandals which I picked up last month in the Cardiff Primark. I love that more places are doing wide-fit shoes these days- no more squishing my flippers in to beautiful shoes that really are too tight. Oh how I long for pretty, dainty feet.

I’m not really sure what else I can say about this outfit, it’s simple but I like it and I shall be wearing this dress well in to the next fashion season whatever the trends dictate!

Fellow denim fans, what’s been your favourite find so far?

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Five Minute Summer Makeup with Essence

As soon as the weather warms up I get very lazy with my makeup, eyeliner gets ditched and I prefer to wear as little on my face as possible. Essence recently asked me to create a Summer makeup look using some of their latest range and I jumped at the chance. I’ve raved about the brand before, having picked up some bits and pieces when they first arrived in Wilko- it’s so affordable but really and truly doesn’t compromise on quality.
This look really couldn’t be any easier, it literally took me five minutes to apply! I used the soft touch mousse makeup as my base which has become my go-to foundation at the moment. I’ve bad experiences in the past with mousse type products but this one isn’t drying and gives a lovely, matte and even coverage that feels really light on my skin. I’ve mentioned before that I’m a bit wary of bronzing products but the sun club 2in1 bronzing powder in sunshine works perfectly even on my super pale skin. It gives me a healthy, subtle glow without leaving me looking dirty or orange.

On my eyes I wore the metal glam eyeshadow in golden up which provides a really pretty sparkly colour without being over bearing or over the top for day time. The Essence eyeshadows are one of my favourite products for their rich pigment and longevity, not to mention the bargain price. I could have sworn I had a photo of the mascara I was sent but it appears not. Anyway, it was the plump no clump! volume mascara and I was really impressed at the natural looking lashes it left me with. I admit I wasn’t expecting much from a cheap and cheerful mascara but this will become a staple in my summer makeup bag.

On my lips I wore the long lasting lipstick nude in porcelain doll which is the perfect “your lips but better” shade for pale girls. The colour lasts for ages and doesn’t leave my lips feeling dry- although I could have done with a slick of lip balm pre-application.

I was also sent some gel nail products, the top and base coat plus a polish in the most gorgeous pale peach-pink shade. I haven’t had a chance to use these yet as I can’t regularly paint my nails but from previous experience of essence products they won’t dissapoint.

What does your summer makeup look like? Have you tried these products or any others from essence?

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