Friday Favourites

A little spotlight on three things contributing to my happiness this week...

I spent a morning with my super talented & gorgeous friend Katie of CMYK group, who captured some photos I can't wait to share with you! The first two pics below are just two of many...{more to follow}

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So pleased to finally have gotten around to framing my new prints from Jess LC. Bright, beautiful & inspiring, they are the perfect addition to my office space. 

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Pretty flowers on my desk...the fresh, sweet perfume from the freesias (centre) is strong enough to scent the entire room.  

Spending cold winter nights tucked up in bed drinking hot chocolate & reading Vicki Archer's 'My French Life'. Perfectly married with lavish photography by the amazing Carla Coulson, Vicki's story is one of daydreams. She & her family spent years restoring an old French farmhouse that is situated on the grounds of an abandoned orchard. Here, she documents her personal journey through her 'french life', telling her story in such a way that all you want to do is pack your bags & head over for a cafe au lait & a croissant with her. Pure, unadulterated escapism. 

Wishing you a beautiful weekend. 

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Wedding Notes:: Fragrance

I've written before about the power scents have to stir memories & the emotions tied to them. With fragrance playing such an integral role in so many of my favourite & most precious memories, I knew that the scent I will wear for my wedding would be high up on the list of things to consider (dare I say it, even above shoes and jewellery!).

Here is a selection of some of my favourite wedding-day fragrance options, each befitting of an occasion where all eyes are on you & yours are on one person only. They are each unique & distinct, but all equally worthy of a supporting role on your big day.

Creed Fleurissimo
A delicious, fresh floral fragrance fit for royalty, Fleurissimo is the perfume Prince Rainier III had commissioned for his bride, Hollywood beauty Grace Kelly, to wear on their wedding day. With notes of tuberose, Bulgarian rose, violet & Florentine Iris, this is perfection for a spring garden party wedding.

Ralph Lauren Romance
An exquisite fragrance featuring light florals of rose & violet balanced with ginger, oak & musk, this perfume is a cult favourite amongst Ralph Lauren fragrance fans & also holds a special place in my own heart! Classically romantic, it's best suited to an ultra-feminine bride looking for a suitably pretty scent.


Narciso Rodriguez For Her
I first experienced this perfume when I met a friend for dinner & she announced that, after years of searching, she'd found her signature scent, vowing never to stray from Narciso Rodriguez. Like her, I was smitten from the start; the powerful blend of orange blossom, osmanthus, rose, solar musk & peach on an amber, vanilla & soft musk base is different to anything I've ever smelt. Dripping with sensuality & sophistication, For Her is a fragrance for a modern, glamorous bride (I imagine her wearing a Johanna Johnson gown).


Chanel Coco Mademoiselle
Surely no fragrance collection would be complete without a mention from Chanel. Coco Mademoiselle is a luxurious, oriental fragrance that exudes confidence & sophistication. This is one for an elegant bride who requires a fragrance that will hold its own at a black tie, formal wedding.

Vera Wang Vera Wang
An alluring, fairytale fragrance developed by the Queen of fairytale wedding creations herself! Vera Wang is a fresh fragrance rich in floral blooms. With pretty notes of mandarin blossom, Bulgarian rose & gardenia, this is definitely one for the princess bride who has been dreaming of her big day since she was a girl. 


If there is a fragrance that simply must be added to my list for wedding-day consideration, please do let me know! 

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AEOS: Beauty With Intent

A clever friend of mine once taught me that if you do something with the right intention, success inevitably follows. She was talking about decisions & actions in business, but I think it's a truism that applies to all areas of life. Something {be it a decision, an action, even a product} created out of genuine intent is formed on such solid bedrock, it's only a matter of time before it flourishes.

It is with this belief in mind that I was keen to experience AEOS - Active Energised Organic Skincare, a collection of luxurious products created with careful intent & impeccable attention to detail. AEOS products contains natural, organic & biodynamic plant extracts, essences & essential oils. As if this wasn't delicious & considered enough, the clever AEOS creators have further fortified them with crystal energies & the waveforms of colour. The result? A cutting edge, holistic & luxurious range of skincare that delivers not only a radiant complexion, but significant wellness benefits too.

My stand out favourite was the AEOS Realive Serum, which is fragranced with heavenly essential oils of lavender & rose geranium and contains active hyaluroinic acid to promote skin repair. A little of the serum smoothed on my face, neck & around my eyes after cleansing left my skin feeling plumped & nourished.   

The AEOS philosophy is based on the belief that the sum of the parts (or ingredients in this case) is more effective than any would be individually. Each formula has been carefully created with the intention of optimal balance & performance for the skin. By introducing the products into your beauty routine, you can't help but feel that you're nurturing your skin & gaining not only a glowing complexion, but the greater wellbeing benefits of this unique range too!

AEOS can be purchased at Be Genki. While you're visiting, be sure to check out their amazing collection of moisturising & strengthening AEOS Nail Lacquers!

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Monday Musing

Wishing you an amazing week. 

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Friday Favourites

Three things making me happy this week...

Sparkly new cluster earrings. While most of what I wear is classic & understated, there is nothing like a hit of sparkle sometimes to lift an outfit! 

Burning this delish candle.Vanilla is an all-time favourite scent & this one's loveliness is compounded by lashings of caramel in the fragrance. Perfection for a sweet tooth like me. 

Channelling my inner child with sweet, jewel hair clips. 

Wishing you a sparkling weekend. 

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5 Tips To Looking Amazing When You're Feeling Anything But...

Winter has the tendency to rob us of our lustre. Blame the lack of glow-inducing sunshine, our permanently chilled fingertips & toes, the frosty mornings that keep us languishing in bed rather than powering at the gym, or (god forbid!), the dreaded flu. Whatever the cause, the 'winter blues' are a common affliction. Fear not though, the following quick tricks will have you looking (& feeling) back on top of your game.

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Start your days right. Your Ma was right when she told you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so make it a priority to have a nourishing, healthy breakfast that will warm you up & give you the energy you need for your day ahead. My winter favourite is a bowl of warm porridge sprinkled with nuts, cinnamon & a little brown sugar. Delish!

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Erase the tell-tale signs of a cold from your face. Nothing declares that you're feeling sub-par more than watery, tired eyes & a red, dry nose from all that sniffling! Hide nasty flu side-effects by replacing your usual dark eyeliner for a white kohl pencil instead. Line your lower inner lash line with the pale hue, which works to reflect light away, opening up your eyes & making them appear larger, brighter & clearer.

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Re-balance. Too many tissues left you with an irritated, glowing nose? Disguise discolouration in your complexion with a green-based concealer, just perfect for addressing & balancing redness. Bloom have just launched a Secret Weapon Concealer Kit, complete with all that you need to camouflage dark circles, uneven tone & blemishes. 

Spoil your skin. Give skin the added TLC it craves with a luxe, nourishing treatment. Decleor's Harmonie Calm Comforting Milky Gel-Cream Mask is packed with calming, nurturing botanicals designed to soothe  & protect, making it perfect for skin that has become sensitized from too many hot showers & the drying, cold weather.

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Take a sunshine break. Just 20 minutes of direct sunlight in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon onto your skin will boost your vitamin D levels & have you feeling a little brighter. Double the benefit by making this your time to stop, take a breathe & re-focus your energy. Prioritise your to-do's, use the time to daydream a little or just stop & smell the roses.  

What's your secret to restoring your glow mid-winter?

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Blissful Escape

If I was presented with a whole, blissful day to spend completely as I chose, part of it would surely involve curling up somewhere reading. For me, there is no greater escape. Set me up on a shady day bed somewhere quiet with a stack of books, a milky latte & I would be completely content.

My love for books & reading is eclipsed only by an obsession with glossy coffee-table books, which I am powerless to resist. Berkeleouw Books incites the same level of retail therapy giddiness that a stint on Net-A-Porter affords other woman.

Here are a few I'm loving this month...

The Goddess Guide by Gisele Scanlon

Move.Nourish.Believe by Lorna Jane Clarkson

Design Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney

The Dressing Table by Clare Press

Paris Tango by Carla Coulson

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