2013|A Year in Photos - Part 1

So a second ago it was Christmas and New Year; now we are a week into February - how did that happen?! 2013 already seems like a distant memory but for me it really was an incredible year. Both personally and professionally I don't think I've ever felt happier; my relationships blossomed, I made some incredible new friends and got to travel to some beautiful destinations. Of course, it wasn't without its ups and downs and leaving the UK to move to Australia tested me in numerous ways but overall, it was an amazing year.

I've seen a few similar posts to these floating around and thought it was a great idea to document the past year and highlight some of my favourite moments. I hope one day, in years to come I'll stumble across these posts and all the memories will come rushing back. I don't write a traditional diary so this is the next best thing!

January started off with a bang in Edinburgh. I absolutely loved the city although I will admit the cold did get to me - I don't think I felt my toes for the whole 4 day trip. The rest of the month was like most Januarys - cold, wet and slow with limited funds left from Christmas! 

I did kick start a new health regime though; one which, although I did fall off the wagon a few many times, is still going strong. When I wasn't at work or in the gym, I lived in my onesie and lunched out with friends - an easy way to socialise on a budget!

February arrived and with it a new lease of life. I was promoted at work which was an amazing feeling and I also received a totally unexpected rebate from the tax man - cue a shopping trip and a new baby to hang off my arm! This was my biggest purchase of the year and one I still love to this day. I think it may have started a 'new year, new bag' tradition. I have an idea on what my 2014 bag will be but I'm not too sure just yet; it's a tough decision!

With my slightly larger pay cheque I also started to experience a lot more of London and fell deeper in love with the city. My friends and I discovered The Diner one rainy weekday night and it became a bit of an obsession - all of my cheat days were spent in this place! If you've never been, hot foot it to one of their locations (they have a few dotted around), order a BCC dog and a portion of sweet potato fries. You'll have to unbutton your skinnies but it will be so worth it.

Everyone in the UK knows that March is the month where you start praying for sunshine and warmth. The winter seems endless and all you want to do is walk to work without the need for 10 layers, a hat and a pair of gloves. 2013 was not much different but we kept ourselves busy with numerous selfies, an incredible night out at The O2 to see Girls Aloud and an amazing Alice In Wonderland party. I also jumped on the designer nail polish phone cover trend - I am a bonafide sheep.

April was a stand out month due to an amazing work trip to our company HQ in Austin. Everyone in the office had literally been counting down the days for months and when it finally rolled around, was one of the best 5 days of the year. We got to stay in The W which I pretty much jumped for joy over and had the opportunity to meet our international colleagues which was fantastic. We also went to IHOP for breakfast - need I say more?! 

After the gluttony in Austin, May saw a increase in the gym time and a new appreciation for the weights room. There was also plenty of time for fun and a girls weekend in Liverpool was another highlight of the year. We slapped on the fake tan and danced the night away - I definitely want to make time for more trips like this in 2014.

Finally June arrived and kick started a wonderful Summer. Mitch and I flew to Mykonos, an idyllic Greek island, to spend a week with my parents. It was probably the best holiday I have ever had - the crystal clear waters, pristine white houses and delicious local foods drew me in and I honestly think I left a little piece of my heart over there. Which means I'll just have to go back to retrieve it....

Up next - July to December....

Life Update|A Londoner on loan to Sydney

As you can probably tell from a) the title of this post and b) my recent Instagram snaps, I recently bid the beautiful London a very tearful and emotional goodbye. The decision to leave was not an easy one but with a rather handsome and wonderful Aussie boyfriend, the move was inevitable and one that I knew I would never regret.

It has been 5 weeks since we arrived now and after a shaky month of wondering if we would ever find a nice apartment, stressing about finding a job and, perhaps most difficult, attempting to survive on picking up free Wi-Fi (hence the radio silence here!), I think we are finally settled. It definitely hasn't been easy and we both miss the UK a ridiculous amount but, with the plan to stay here for a year before returning, I am excited for the coming months.

I can't wait to share with you all my adventures and, most importantly, my Aussie hauls and beauty finds. But for now, a round up of the last few weeks...

1 The absolutely beautiful Michael Kors purse that my wonderful colleagues bought me for a leaving present. They know me so well - I absolutely love it and it goes perfectly with my bag. 2 A mountain of goodies from a beautiful family friend. I packed these with me for the 24 hour flight and boy did my skin thank me for it. I landed in Sydney with skin that looked a lot better than I felt! 3 I had a few days at home after I finished work to spend time with my family and was surprised with these beautiful flowers from one of my incredible friends from the office. Cue another huge sobbing session! 4 If they hadn't been generous enough already, 2 of my team mates surprised me another present - An Australian survival guide. Mountains of chocolate, lots of Aussie paraphernalia and this beautiful palette. It has traveled the miles with me and it's now an everyday stable.

1 A final weekend with my oldest best friends from school was finished off with brunch at The Breakfast Club. It was truly delicious and a perfect way to say a short-term goodbye. 2 After an incredible leaving party with work, we made it to Duck and Waffle for breakfast at 5am. It was perhaps the funniest, saddest and most surreal meal I have ever had; not to mention delicious. If you're ever in London and get the late night munchies, this is the place for you. I'm already looking forward to a reunion night out followed by a trip here next year. 3 A perfect last Sunday spent with my family and dearest friends. My beautiful 9 year old niece is my favourite person in the entire world and when she started to cry when saying goodbye, it completely broke my heart. Lots of Skype sessions are getting me through until I can see her for cuddles again! 4 A photobooth snap from the aforementioned leaving party with the aforementioned Aussie paraphernalia. I think it sums up the night perfectly....

1 I made it! 2 A day trip to Manly polished off with a little pot of heaven. 3 More delicious food - this time it was heaven on a plate courtesy of Pancakes On The Rocks - an absolute must if you are ever in Sydney! Thankfully I have a gym in my new building as otherwise I might return to the UK a few stone heavier than when I left.. 4 One of my favourite days here so far. A perfect morning of watching the boys surfing at a deserted beach. It truly cemented the 'Aussie dream feeling', even after a 6am wake up call.

So, what's next? A 25th birthday, a sweet new job (literally) and a run in with Russell Crowe. Watch this space....

LookFantastic Haul ft. Benefit, Redken and Korres

I received a little performance related bonus through work a few weeks ago and as part of this I had a few pounds to spend at one of my favourite beauty sites - LookFantastic.  Along the lines of FeelUnique et al, this hub stocks a huge array of beauty products - the classics and newly hyped - with most at a reduced price compared to the RRP.  There are literally hundreds of brands and thousands of products to swoon over but these were the ones that worked their way into my basket:

Redken Extreme Anti Snap - £12.64 (RRP £18.85)

I spoke about this product way back in 2010 in my Hair Routine post and although my love affair with extensions has faded, my feelings for Anti Snap remain as strong to this day. Used post-shower after I've combed through my wet hair, this gorgeous smelling treatment helps to keep my ends in tip top condition, whilst leaving no sticky residue. For a hot tool addict like me, this is truly a holy grail product and one I will repurchase time and time again.

Korres Jasmine Lip Butter - £6.40 (RRP £8)

I have to hold my hands up here - I already have far too many lip products and definitely didn't need this but I'm a girl and have heard lots of good things about this so resistance was futile.  I was lured in by the milky finish and moisture enhancing formula and so far, it's living up to its promises. 

DUO Lash Adhesive - £7.95 (RRP £10)

After watching numerous YouTube videos, I purchased a tube of this on a whim many moons ago. What can I say?  Once you use this glue, the tiny vials you get in eyelash packs will never be the same. This stuff is of industrial strength and will ensure your lashes last the whole night, even if you don't. Try it; you won't regret it.

Tweezerman For Benefit Slant Tweezer - £19.50

I finally caved and spent £20 on a pair of tweezers. I haven't given them a whirl yet - Cara has inspired me to grow out my brows - but I am sure they will be as wonderful as everyone says they are. Fingers crossed.

Benefit Sun Beam - £19.50

Never one to get along with High Beam, I didn't think it's younger, sunkissed sister Sun Beam would work for me either. Oh, how wrong I was. This highlighter is a dream to apply, blends seamlessly and leaves the cheeks with a beautifully delicate, golden glow. Although a summer favourite to enhance bronzed features, it works just as well now my tan has faded and can tell this will be an all-year-round favourite.

Benefit They're Real - Deluxe Free Sample (Worth £9.50)

Although Benefit products aren't discounted on LF, currently when you buy any two products from the range you get a free sample of their cult mascara. I've wanted to try this for a while but I'm always a bit reluctant to splash out on new mascaras as I have a trusty MaxFactor favourite. Will this give me the eyelashes of my dreams?  I'll let you know...

A European Adventure| Part 2 - Nice & Monaco

After a few hours sleep in the world's comfiest bed, 5am rolled around far too quickly and once again we were on the road.  Baguettes and the most delicous pain au chocolat in hand, we boarded the 7am TGV bound for Nice.  The 6 hours passed quickly - with the help of a mountain of sweets and our iPads filled with rom-coms - and before we knew it, we arrived in Nice as the midday sun was beating down.  A quick change, a swift application of the all-important SPF and we were on the beach.

Mitch, the classic Aussie beach bum, was in heaven.

I have to admit, we were slightly disappointed with the beach.  It was nowhere near as pretty as we had hoped and walking along the promenade it felt like we could have been in Blackpool on a good day.  But the weather was incredible and after a nap in the afternoon sun, we freshened up and set out on a mission to find the best night life in town.  What we ended up finding was Wayne's and, if you're a backpacker in Nice, that's exactly what it is.  Hot, sweaty, and so much fun.  This place was packed to the rafters with people of all ages, from all walks on life, who just wanted a good time.  And as we stumbled out in the early hours, the walk home through the beautiful old town was a welcome change from the usual London sights...

The following morning we dragged our ourselves out of bed and onto the next train set for Monaco. 40 minutes later, we stepped out of the station and were immediately immersed in the billionaires' playground. With rows of yachts, each one larger than the other, it's incomprehensible how there can be so much money in such a small area.  Hands up who wants to chip in for one of these bad boys?!

We didn't hang around the port for too long and hot-footed it to where the real action is - Monte Carlo.

To reach the town, you have to walk along the edge of a main road before entering into a tunnel which runs underneath the Maritime Alps. You then enter a strange, eerie corridor before being met with a lift. We were sure we had taken a wrong turn somewhere until the lift opened and we were thrust into this:

It was a blur of fast cars, beautiful people and the most incredible views. It almost felt like we were walking around a movie set - like everything was real but completely ridiculous at the same time.  We had a little flutter in the casino, sat & watched how the other half live and then did the only logical thing - sought out the largest ice creams we could find from Café de Paris and set off back for Nice. Italy was waiting for us...

A European Adventure| Part 1 - Paris

Way back at the start of this year, Mitch and I decided this summer we would partake in a little European adventure.  With M being Australian and itching to see more of Europe, we bought 2 inter-rail tickets and set about devising a route.  With only a 2 week holiday window and an almost daunting list of possible destinations, we decided that Italy, via France, would be our focus - endless sunshine, miles of beautiful coastline and an unlimited amount of carbs...it was the obvious choice.

I won't lie, the planning of the trip was quite time consuming.  We had to work out a few months in advance where we wanted to stop, how long we would spend in each place, what the transport links were like etcetc but this was all necessary if we were to secure accommodation in high season (mid August).  As such, we finalised our plan around the end of June and then all we had to do was count down the days.

Finally, August rolled around and we set off like two happy campers with our backpacks and travel pillows eager to reach our first destination...

The beautiful and magical Paris.

[Credit]

Unfortunately, our arrival was neither beautiful or magical.  We had chosen the day that the Parisian heavens decided to open and rain for the first day in six weeks.  Needless to say, we were not happy bunnies.  By the time we had navigated the way to our hotel, our backpacks were soaked through and our flip-flop clad feet (we had high hopes) were more than a little bit cold and wet.  However, after steaming mugs of hot chocolate, plates of syrup covered pancakes, a hot shower and a well deserved nap, the sun was (sort of) shining and we were ready for adventure.

With only 8 hours or so to explore the City of Love we had our work cut out for us - we tackled the metro system, avoided the pick-pockets and also managed to meet up with one of my oldest friends who is now a total Parisian glamour puss.  It was a grey but glorious day...

Arc de Triomphe

Champs-Élysées

Jardin des Tuileries

 
The Louvre

Pont des Arts - Lovers' Bridge

Sacré-Cœur Basilica

The Eiffel Tower

Every night, when darkness has fallen over the city, the Eiffel Tower is set alight with hundred and thousand of twinkling white lights.  On the stroke of the hour, the usually bustling Trocadéro stills and every single person is mesmorised by the sight.  To say that this was my favourite part of the day, would be an understatement.  For 5 minutes, everything was calm, the sky had turned into the perfect pastel backdrop and I got a glimpse into the magic of Paris.

The only thing to top this day?  A giant nutella crepe and a huge fluffy bed.  And you can see how excited I was about that..... 

New In|NARS Phone Case

For the past few weeks I've been searching high and low for a new phone case.  As a girl who knows what she likes, I was starting to get frustrated as I couldn't find 'the one'.  Until one day last week when I scrawling through pages and pages of eBay listings, I came across this beauty...

Link!

It's pink.  

It's beauty related.  

It's in homage to one of my favourite brands.  

I bought it immediately.  

Well, it would’ve been rude not to…

Since ordering this around a week ago, I’ve noticed that I’m definitely not alone and the nail polish/phone cover trend is definitely become a blogger favourite.  Most of the cases I’ve seen are Chanel – a quick Etsy search brings up thousands – and I can feel one of these may be in my possession sooner rather than later…  A designer beauty injection for less than £20?  What’s not to love?!

xxx

Product Rave|Soap & Glory Sugar Crush

Soap and Glory.  Three little words that will always bring a smile to my face.  I’ve been a fan for years and I’m yet to find a product I don’t love.  So when my sister gifted me their Sugar Crush Body Wash , I knew instantly it would be a permanent addition to my collection. 

If their original Clean On Me shower gel is the subtle, pretty and sensible one, Sugar Crush is the loud, brash and vibrant younger sister.  With lime extracts and secret ingredients such as ‘COOLCAPSULE™X’ and ‘Kiwi Water Juice’, this shower gel pulls an intense punch and definitely wakes you up in the morning.  It foams, it lathers and best of all, it makes your bathroom smell like a sweet shop – definitely a winner!  And my original fears that it wouldn't be as moisturising as its predecessor were unfounded - my skin was left just as smooth and soft due to a large helping of veggie oils which, although hardly sound glamorous, absolutely do the job.

It’s safe to say, Soap & Glory definitely didn’t disappoint again and at a cool £6.50 for 100ml, it’s a love affair that is sure to continue!   Sugar Crush, welcome to the family…

What are your favourite Soap & Glory products?  Could you start a shop with your collection like me? xxx