Marc Jacobs Daisy Delight Edition


Marc Jacobs have done it again. They've released yet another gorgeous fragrance to expand their collection. This time, it's a more vibrant spin-off of the fragrance 'Daisy' that - since it's release way back in 2007 - has become an iconic scent. 'Daisy Delight' is a limited edition fragrance for the Summer, which first hit stores back in February along with the 'Daisy Eau So Fresh'.

I spotted it at Heathrow Duty Free back in July and after just one sniff, I just couldn't resist taking it home.

'Daisy Delight' is a slightly lighter and fruitier scent than the original, although the floral notes in this fragrance are still clear. This makes it perfect for the spring and summer months, but I also think I'll continue to wear it going in Autumn. It contains top notes of apple, quince and freesia, heart notes of iris, gardenia and peony, and base notes of musk, cedar and sandalwood.

I absolutely adore this scent, it's everything I personally look for in a fragrance. Fragrances are such a tricky product to review, what with everyone's personal scent preferences being so different, so I'd definitely recommend popping to your local department store or perfume shop to see what you think.

I'm a sucker for a Marc Jacobs perfume bottle and with this one I definitely wasn't disappointed. The fragrance has been poured into the signature Daisy bottle, but it now contains stunning shades of pink, magenta and turquoise. It just looks darling on my dressing table!

As usual with Marc Jacobs' fragrances, Daisy Delight isn't the cheapest perfume on the market. And I always find myself spritzing it a lot, so I know it won't last forever. But it truly is a gorgeous scent so it's well worth parting with your pennies.

The fragrance retails at £44.50, but you can currently purchase it online at Boots for just under £30. I may just have to treat myself to another bottle!

What's your current favourite perfume?


Ten Facts About Me | *Teen Blog Series*

"Teen Bloggers Anouska Millar and Beth have decided to start a project called #TeenBlogSeries. Its aim is to bring together lots of the teens/young adults in the blogging community. For the next ten consecutive weeks, over 80 bloggers will be writing every Monday at 6:30pm about many different things, all beauty, lifestyle or fashion related. You can view everyone's posts by going to the hashtag on twitter "TeenBlogSeries". If you would like to get involved email: anouskateenblogger@googlemail.com."

Week one of the Teen Blog Series (#teenblogseries on twitter for all you social media nuts') has finally come around and I'm rather excited. I'm up for any opportunity to show off the brilliance that is the teen blogging community, so this series is right up my street.

This weeks post is a Ten Facts About Me post, so all of you who have found yourselves in my lovely corner of the interweb can get to know me that little bit better. Let's get crackalackin!

I can't go a day without listening to music.

My favourite film has to be Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows part two. I cry every time I watch it.

I could spend hours just sitting and mentally planning my future (wedding, home etc).

I'm a huge fan of all things vintage, particularly from the 50's and 60's. Fashion was so much better back then!

I'm a huge Beatles fan and have been all my life.

My favourite meal has to be a good ol' roast dinner. You just can't beat it.

I'm roughly 5"9 and although I'm starting to really embrace my height, I used to hate it.


I'm a bit of a musical theatre geek. Wicked is my all time favourite show (and my renditions of defying gravity are always en pointe, of course).

I can't go to the cinema without getting a tango ice blast; they're so yummy!

I have a bit of a thing about guys with lovely accents.

I'll see you back here this time next week for round two of the series! If you're taking part, let me know, I'd love to have a read of your posts.


The Revival of the 1960's Mini Skirt

At some point in our lives, we've all been asked the 'if you had a time machine, what time period would you travel back to?' question. My answer? The 1960's. I'd love to be able to witness the births of fashion trademarks such as shift dresses, mini skirts, big hair and cat eye liner.


If you can't already tell, I'm absolutely smitten with the 1960's fashions. I'm all about channelling my inner Twiggy with mini skirts and shift dresses. But I thought for this post, it might be a nice idea for us to look at mini skirts in a bit more detail.


Let's have a history lesson shall we? The iconic mini skirt was born when, in 1965, London fashion designer Mary Quant raised the hemline of her skirts to several inches above the knee. Here's something you may not know: the name of this new fashion statement was derived from Quants' favourite car; the Mini. The flirtatious mini skirt was such a distinctive breakaway from the fashion of pre-60's Britain, when young women were expected to dress in the style of their mother (and young men in the style of their father), and it became an expression of a womens' individuality.



Mini skirts have been a fairly prominent figure in fashion for the past five decades. After the original mini skirts in the 60's, there was the 70's punk revival of the skirt (aided by the likes of Debbie Harry of the group Blondie who regularly wore mini skirts on stage) and the 'Corporate' mini skirt in the 80's. The 90's saw stars such as the Spice Girls and Saved By The Bell's Kelly Kapowski sporting the look. And now - after a brief disappearance from the world of fashion in the noughties - mini skirts are back in force. Spring 2013 saw a return of all the 60's fashion trademarks (not just mini skirts, but also A-line dresses, kitten heels and pointed shoes) on the catwalk.


One of my favourite places to pick up gorgeous mini skirts has to be vintage fairs and shops. I could honestly spend all day looking through all of the beautiful pieces you can find. There are so many hidden gems at amazingly low prices. But, of course, you can also find some stunning pieces on the high street. I thought it would be a great idea for me to share with you lovely people, some of the high street gems in the mini skirt world.






1: Topshop
6: New Look
10: New Look
11: New Look
12: Topshop

Are you a fan of the 60's fashions?

Lots of Love


P.S: Do you like this style of post? If you'd like to see me discuss the revival of other vintage pieces, let me know x

Where I've Been: Naxos, Greece


 
After months of countdowns and holiday preparations, on July 25th we hopped on a giant metal bird and flew to Greece. 'We' consists of myself, my parents, my little sister, my aunt and uncle, and my two cousins (strictly, they're not my official aunt and uncle, but slightly more distant relations that we're very close to, but I'd just get into a pickle if I tried to explain the family tree, so those words will do just nicely). This is our third trip to Greece as a party of eight and we always have a rather spiffing time.

 

Considering my passion for photography, and the fact that my DSLR rarely leaves my side, few photos were actually taken during this trip. Although part of me wanted to capture every moment, I also wanted to experience it all through my own eyes, rather than through a camera lens, so I tried to resist the temptation to pick my camera up at every single moment. But this post is still going to be pretty darn photo heavy, as well as rather wordy, so why don't you grab yourself a good ol' cup of tea and a slice of cake, and settle down on the sofa before you begin to read my ramblings.




Greece is a country of exquisite beauty, incredible food, glorious sunshine and the loveliest of people. It has such a calming effect of you (something that I welcomed with open arms after the stresses of year 11), and there wasn't a moment of the trip where I wasn't blissfully relaxed. The island we visited this year, Naxos, is the largest of the Cyclades but surprisingly quiet as its lack of 'swimming beaches' means that it remains largely untouched by mass tourism. Our home for the holiday was 'Villa Bella' a four bedroom villa towards the south of the island. The villa had it's own pool which was a total luxury, as well as incredible panoramic views from the roof terrace (something I definitely took advantage of when I was in need of a backdrop for my Airport OOTD photos).




We spent thirteen perfect days sunning it up on the island, and most days were spent blissfully relaxing by the pool - stealing some time in the sun whilst engrossed in one of the many books I took on this adventure with me - or lazily swimming in the pool. When the evenings hit and the sun began to dip behind the mountains, we'd potter over to one of the local tavernas to sample some of the Greek culinary delights. Our starters always consisted of Greek Salad and Tzatsiki (a heavenly dip consisting of Greek yoghurt, cucumber and garlic), along with any other Greek appetisers that took our fancy that particular night. Main course-wise, it varied from night to night. A particular favourite Greek dish of mine has always been pasticcio, a baked pasta dish that contains ground beef and béchamel sauce. I could honestly live off that stuff; it's honestly heaven in a little clay pot.




On a couple of occasions we opted for a change of scenery and hopped in our rented cars (one of which was a jeep; perfect for travelling around the island) to drive over to Naxos town. The town simply oozes charm and is full to the brim of quaint little shops and cute eateries. I could honestly have spent all day exploring all its' nooks and crannies. There was also a lovely selection of cafes/bars next to the harbour where I consumed far too many cold chocolates (my beverage of choice when I'm in Greece, if you ever get the chance to try one please do, they're truly indulgent). As with most Greek towns the walls were all white-washed and the endless labyrinth of cobbled back streets twist and turn like there's no tomorrow, so needless to say we got lost many a time.


 

On one of our last nights on the island, we headed on over to Naxos Horse Riding Club. As the name suggests, it was a (British-run) horse riding centre, offering treks around the island. As none of the party had any particular amount of experience riding a horse, we were very lucky that the club catered well for all abilities. I was given one of the oldest - and the largest, might I add - horses and Lemar and I became the best of pals during our two hour adventure together. As part of the trek, we rode on a whole load of different terrains: fields, roads and on the beautiful beaches. We even had a brief ride through the sea, which was an incredible experience.




Although the post holiday blues have now well and truly kicked in and I seem to be spending most of my time daydreaming about being back on the island, Naxos was definitely one of the best holidays I've ever been on. The location, food and company couldn't have been better and I really can't wait for our next excursion to Greece, which will - fingers crossed - be in the not so distant future.

Have you been anywhere on your holidays recently?

What's In My Holiday Makeup Bag

Today, I thought I'd share with you lovely lot, what products I've packed in my holiday makeup bag. I'm currently sunning it up in the gorgeous country that is Greece so thought a holiday-related post would suit today perfectly. This is a post that has been requested a fair few times recently so hopefully it will be right up your street. Let's get cracking...

Makeup wise, I've tried to stay very basic and only take products I would actually get some use out of. Because my skin is pretty rubbish when it comes to blemishes and all that malarkey, I don't have the confidence to go facially naked when I'm on holiday but I do try to keep my makeup as minimal as possible during the day, by limiting it to just something that will give me some well-needed coverage. When we pop out for a meal in the evenings, I tend to put a bit more effort into my makeup and use a few extra products, so I'm a bit more dressed up.


For my face, I tend to go for a good BB cream, concealer and a mattifying powder during the day, and I swap the BB cream for foundation at night. My BB cream of choice this holiday is the Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream, in the shade Light. From what I can see so far, this provides a great medium (yet buildable) coverage, without looking all horrible and cakey. Also, thumbs up to Maybelline for selling a BB cream that isn't bright orange, as it seems like most brands think that 'Light' means oompa loompa (yes Simple; I'm looking at you and your supposedly 'universal shade'). For the evenings, I took my Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in the shade Vanille. I picked this foundation because it's just so lovely and light on the skin and it also stands the heat so I won't have makeup dripping down my face by 10 o'clock. It also provides fantastic coverage so I don't need to pile on the concealer. Talking of concealer, I took my usual one: the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in the shade Fair. I don't think I need to justify why this is my favourite concealer; I've mentioned how much I love it far too many times on my blog. Although I forgot to photograph it, as I don't want to have a crazy shiny face all holiday, I also packed my Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Primer in the shade Transparent, which I'll apply whenever I need it (which will most likely be fairly regularly).


I try to only wear eye makeup in the evening when I'm away and on non-swimming days (the panda eye look really isn't cool), so I didn't take a ton of that sort of makeup. Mascara-wise, I took the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara and the No7 Intense Volume Mascara. Both products help me achieve an amazing false-lash style effect without the faff of applying actual lashes. I also find them to be fairly waterproof, which will work well if I end up taking a late night dip in the pool. To cover my eyeshadow needs whilst I'm away, I packed my MUA Undressed Palette. When on holiday, I always tend to go for a natural look with a bit of shimmer here and there so this palette should fit my needs perfectly.


I'll put my hands up and admit: I may have gone a tad overboard on the lip-product front. But I promise I'll make sure I use each product at least once so I can justify it. I took the Revlon Colorstay Matte Balm in the shade "Elusive", the Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm in the shade "Demure" and the Topshop Lip Bullet in the shade "There She Goes".


I also took two of my favourite Benefit lip glosses in the special mini sizes: "Dandelion" and "Coralista" for days where I just want something that's light on my lips but has a bit of a shimmer to it too.


And now we have my makeup brushes (apologies for the horrendous state they're in, I did clean them afterwards, I promise). The brushes are all being packed away neatly in one of the Real Techniques brush cases, which protects them and isn't too bulky as well, so I don't have to worry about struggling to fit it into in my already over-packed case. I have my Real Techniques Powder Brush to cover all my powder-related needs, my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush for foundation and BB cream application, my Real Techniques Stippling Brush to help me achieve a flawless high-definition finish for my foundation and my Real Techniques Multitask Brush (from the travel essentials collection) for powder application when I'm out and about (it's much less bulky than the powder brush so it takes up less space in my bag, but it still provides the same amazing results).


For eyeshadow application, I took my Real Techniques Domed Shadow Brush (from the travel essentials collection) and my Teeez Beautiful Flat Stiff Brush. To complete my brush collection for the trip, I took my Real Techniques Detailer Brush to help me apply my conclealer, and my Emite Makeup L312 Brush for lip gloss application. I also took my Real Techniques Lash/Brow Groomer and my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, but they seemed to miss the photo op for some reason.

So that's all of the bits and pieces I have taken on holiday with me in my makeup bag. Let me know what you are/would take with you!


400 Followers Giveaway



This morning, after a dip in the pool and a sunbathe on the terrace, (I'm in Greece by the way; not attempting to sunbathe in the rain of the UK), I opened up my laptop to an oh so lovely surprise: I'd hit 400 followers. We're talking GFC and Bloglovin combined as I know different people have different blog following preferences.

I won't bore you with the usual blogger 'When I started my blog I never expected this many people to read it...' routine, but I do want to say that I am so incredibly grateful to every single one of you for clicking on the little blue follow button. The fact that four hundred of you want to read my ramblings three times a week, is just something my little brain will never be able to understand but I just want to say thank you so so much.

I've been mentally planning my next giveaway for a fair while now but I wanted to wait until I hit a new milestone on my blog, and that time is now upon us. As much as I'd love to be able to give every single one of you a gift to say thank you, I simply do not have the funds, but I am able to give one of you a little gift, in the form of a lush gift box.
The gift box in question is the 'Happy Daze' box, which contains four of their most popular bath bombs and bubble bars:


-Granny Takes A Dip (Bath Bomb)
-Fizzbanger (Bath Bomb)
-Brightside (Bubble Bar; and my personal favourite)
-The Comforter (Bubble Bar)

To ensure the winner of this giveaway receives products that are as freshly made as possible, I won't be purchasing the box until the end of the contest so you'll have to make do with some photos courtesy of Lush.co.uk.

To be in with the chance of winning this lovely selection, all you need to do is enter via the Rafflecopter widget, ensuring you follow the rules as laid out bellow. Easy as pie.

Rules:
1. The giveaway will run from Saturday 2nd August 2014 until midnight on Tuesday 2nd September 2014.
2. This giveaway is only open to residents of the UK.
3. There will only be one winner.
4. I will contact the winner directly via email within 24 hours of the contest ending. They will then have 48 hours to get back to me before a new winner will be chosen.
5. Entrants must be 16 or over, or have a parent/guardians permission as you will need to send me your address if you win.
6. All entries will be moderated and false entries and entries from competition accounts will not be counted.



Thank you again and good luck!

Disclaimer: This giveaway is in no way associated with Lush, the prize will be purchased by myself.

TEMPLATE DESIGNED BY PRETTYWILDTHINGS