ESTEE BRIDE

A peak into what my bridal beauty routine will look like!

Disclaimer: This video was sponsored by Estee Lauder.

FENTY BEAUTY NEW LAUNCH

this post is Sponsored by Harvey Nichols and ShopStyle

‘Bronze’ isn’t one shade fits all. 8 shades of instant warmth to bring your look to life

I always get so excited when rihanna drops a new product for fenty beauty. This time its her new bronzers, the ‘killawatt’ extensions and the bronzer brushers! I’ve included a few images of the products above and again she kills it on the shade range and the packaging. Who knew that we could have this many shades for bronzer. I always assumed there was either a warm golden tone or a ‘grey’ undertone bronzer but fenty again educates us that there are more benefits in choosing the right warmth of bronzer for your skin tone. You can get your hands on these beautiful bronzers exclusively at harvey nichols & I’ve even popped my favourite products and shades down below for you guys! Just click on the images to go straight to the products!

MY SKIN ELIXIR

Ever since I shared my skin elixir recipe on my instagram stories I've had many requests to do a blog post on it! So here it is! I actually learned this recipe off Violette from her youtube channel. If you haven't discovered her, then cancel your day because you'll going to get hooked on all her videos!

INGREDIENTS

•1 TBSP SUN POTION TOCOS

•1 CUP OF ALMOND MILK OR WATER

•1/4 TSP OF HE SHOU WU

•1 TSP OF ALMOND BUTTER OR COCONUT BUTTER

• AGAVE NECTAR TO SWEETEN IF YOU WANT!

STEP 1. ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS, ALMOND BUTTER & A SQUIRT OF AGAVE NECTAR INTO THE NUTRIBULET

TIP - A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY WITH THE HE SHOU WU! SO DON'T OVER USE IT.

STEP 2 - HEAT UP THE ALMOND MILK (OR WATER) & ADD IT TO YOUR MIXTURE

STEP 3 -WHIZ FOR ABOUT 1 MINUTE AND POUR INTO A MUG! THATS IT! ALL DONE!

I've been having this skin elixir everyday since the beginning of November and its helped maintain my skin to look youthful and glowing! I'm a big believer in nourishing beauty from within too & this is the perfect delicious drink that encourages healthy skin, hair & nails. The benefits of tocos is the boost in vitamin E, promotes healthy skin & connective tissues may facilitate removals of toxins from the body. Also with the he shou wu there are so many benefits too - helps with the nervous system, blood building, anti-aging, promoted red blood cells to name a few. If you would like to know more about the products then head over to the Sun potion website! At the end of the day I'm not a nutritionist but just thought I'd share with you guys a part of my skin routine! 

Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored by any brand. All thoughts are my own.

A LOOK INTO MY FAVOURITE SCENTS

I've been wanting to write this post for a while now as I always get asked what my favourite scents are or what I recommend! So I've put together a little post to share with you guys my favourite scents out of my huge perfume collection (I have about 30 or so currently!)

DIPTYQUE 'OLENE'

NOTES - JASMIN, WISTERIA, HONEYSUCKLE

 

 

 

 I'm a sucker for anything with jasmin flower in it and this is one of my favourite scents with the flower. Jasmin to me reminds me so much of Thailand and the memories I have with the flower is what draws me to the scent. Thats actually what draws me to a scent - that it could take you back to a memory and respark your emotions. This Diptyque scent is an ode to the flower, making it very distinctive and I always get compliments every time I wear it.

 

Diptyque Oleane available to by here

LE LABO

 

'BERGAMOT 22'

 

NOTES - VETIVER, ORANGE BLOSSOM AND CEDAR WOOD

I love Le Labo but I know it's quite pricey.  This is actually my first Le Labo purchase so I know I wanted it to be a scent that can carry me from day to night but also fun and refreshing. I've found that lately I've also been drawn to citrus scents which I've never liked before. I guess you change your preferences as you grown up. With Le Labo, I love how you can personalised the label which is one of the luxury touches the brand offers. I ended up naming this fragrance after my day tip to Malibu back in May (was one of the best days I've experienced) and it just holds such a special memory close to my heart.

 

 

Le Labo Bergamote 22 available here

TOM FORD 'JASMIN ROUGE'

NOTES - SAMBAC JASMIN & CLARY SAGE

 

 

 

Now this fragrance was one of my favourite anniversary gifts from my boyfriend. I've been wanting it for so long as the scent is very luxurious and powerful. I love pretty much every scent Tom Ford produces and was lucky enough to attend a scent consultation a few months ago to learn more about the fragrances. But by far, Jasmin Rouge is my favourite - the mix with the clary sage and spices makes it such a unique scent. You can easily wear this during the day and top up during the evening & it will sure not be un-noticed as everyone will be asking what you're wearing!

 

 

Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge available here

 

 

SJP 'STASH'

NOTES -  GRAPEFRUIT, BLACK PEPPER & AROMATIC SAGE

 A more affordable but smells super luxurious scent is this one by Sarah Jessica Parker! Yes, you read that right! This scent is very different to her other ones she's launched and its actually unisex. It's very raw and heavily scented around woody notes that tears down the feminine wall. It's a much more muskier scent (which I love!) and I love the fact that me and Oli could share the scent. We've done this in the past and it creates such a bond when we wear the same scent.

 

SJP 'Stash' available here

BYREDO 'BLACK SAFFRON'

NOTES - JUNIPER BERRIES, SAFFRON & BLACK VIOLET 

 

 

Byredo is a niche fragrance brand that has been a favourite of mine for years. From their packaging to their ethos nd range it's become one of my go-tos. My favourite of theirs is 'black saffron' - it isn't too powerful which makes it the perfect scent to wear day to day. 

BYREDO BLACK SAFFRON AVAILABLE HERE

MMM 'REPLICA'

NOTES - TOBACCO LEAVES, VANILLA & TONKA BEAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now this is one of my most sophisticated scents I've ever purchased and definitely in my top 3. After having a sample from Sephora I instantly fell in love. It was around the time I started transitioning into more muskier scents and this was THE one. I've shared this scent with Oli multiple times and every time it gets better with each spray. Some might say its a bit too much to wear in the day time but I love to be playful with scents and wear this out during the day a lot. When you wear the scent, it literally takes you to a jazz club, with the smell of cigars and the music... Other ones I love from the MMM range are the perfume oils which you can mix and match with other scents.

 

MMM Replica available here                                                 

 

CHANEL 'COCO'

NOTES - SICILIAN MANDARIN, JASMIN & YLANG-YLANG        

A classic for every girl is the Chanel Coco, or anything scent from Chanel! I never was a big fan of Chanel scents until I received this one as a gift and fell in love with it. It's a much more mature scent and I think whats lovely about this is you can purchase it today and wear it for years to come. The ultimate classic that you can share with your daughter and even granddaughter! A super chic scent that you can wear daily and smells super luxurious.

 

Chanel Coco available here

YSL BLACK OPIUM & MON PARIS

BLACK OPIUM NOTES - BLACK COFFEE,VANILLA & WHITE FLORALS                                                             MON PARIS NOTES - PEAR,  DATURA ORCHID & PATCHOULI

 

 

 

 

I was lucky enough to attend the launch of these 2 fragrances in Paris with YSL last year. It was such an incredible experience to learn about what goes into the perfume and the idea behind each one. Mon Paris for me is more of a day time scent, based around falling head over heels in love with someone and having your world spin upside down. Where as black opium is more of an adventurous night time scent - with black coffee and a much darker note behind it.

 

Black opium available here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Mon Paris available here

JO MALONE 'MYRRH & TONKA'

NOTES - TONKA, MYRRH & ALMOND

 

 I am new to the world of Jo Malone scents but I currently have 2 at the moment. Earl Grey & cucumber and myrrh & tonka. I love my early grey and cucumber one for so long but then I experienced this one and it blew me away. Again another unisex fragrance that is focused on a more musky and moody notes which is right up my street. Yet it still attracts me to it with the balance of muscular energy and hint of sweetness.

Jo Malone Myrrh and Tonka available here

 

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Let me know what scents are your favourite down below! 

Letting life in with Herbal Essences bio:renew

My schedule can get pretty hectic at times and I find myself bombarded with work and social life. So for this post I've partnered up with Herbal Essences to share some tips for when I need to unwind I tend to take a full day off - to really have some quality me time and not pick up my phone. 

1. Something simple like a face mask. Turning my home into a mini spa is a great way to unwind.

I'm using the Mario Basdescu collagen face mask and leave it on for a good 20 minutes. Then rinse off with warm water.

2. A home facial is the perfect de-stresser

It purifies your skin and makes you feel incredible. I always do a mini facial every time I put on my mask.

"I tend to use a lot of facial oil after the mask to keep

my skin hydrated"

3.Quality time...

I often spend a lot of my off days reading, planning new trips to take, watching movies and hang with my dog. The smaller things in life make me so happy and just to see his little face light up when we play together is my definition of letting life in. Putting down the phone, focusing on yourself and the surroundings around you is the perfect balance when you have a busy schedule.

4.Cooking

 

One of my favourite hobbies is to cook. I find it super relaxing and makes the day fly by. I tend to cook 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) but also a few snacks here and there. Granola bars are currently my go-to at the moment. You can create so many different flavours and really have fun with the ingredients.

5.Late night shower

For me, theres nothing better than hopping into the shower before bed. It really puts your mind at ease and your body to be zen. I've been loving the Herbal Essences bio:renew range as my go to shampoo & conditioner lately. Letting life in whilst washing my hair and having the cucumber and green tea scent surrounding me is such a dream as it gives off such a calming aroma. Click here to get yours.

I hope you found my way of unwinding from a busy schedule helpful! If there are any other ways you relax then feel free to let me know below.

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Disclaimer: This post was in collaboration with Herbal Essences. All thoughts and views are my own. 

Summer in the city with Black Opium

SUMMER IN THE CITY WITH BLACK OPIUM

IMAGES BY MICHAELA TORNARITIS

My scent of the summer is none other than one of my favourites, Black Opium. Even better, YSL has the perfect day and night combination from Black Opium Floral Shock and Black Opium EDP. Click read more to see how I spent my day in London alongside the Black Opium duo!

With my day starting off with a quick breakfast meeting, I got ready with my favourite YSL beauty products and created a soft and glowy look perfect for the summer. I added a sun-kissed finish with the YSL Sahariennes bronzing stone to my cheek bones and used it to slightly contour the face. I popped on my minimal jumpsuit which is perfect when I'm in a rush as it's super chic and classic. Paired with a leather jacket and white trainers and I'm out the door!

Make up products used:

Sahariennes bronzing stones

Couture contouring

Touche Eclat

Couture eye primer

False lash effect mascara

After my meeting finished I decided to head to my usual coffee place 'Kaffeine' to grab a bite to eat and a soy iced latte. I had the rest of the day free so decided to explore Soho a bit more on foot and did a little bit of vintage shopping. 

I took my Black Opium Floral Shock in my bag to top up during the day too. I love how light but fresh it is with notes of pear, citrus and freesia. I didn't have to keep topping up during the day as it clings onto the skin for hours. If you don’t really love typical girly floral scents for summer, this is a great alternative if you’re looking for something a bit cooler and interesting. I had to headed back to my hotel after a few hours exploring as I had to get ready for a friends gig in the evening. To transform my look from day to night I used the products below to create a light smokey eye finishing it off with a dark lip (Rouge Fur Couture in shade 14) and a classic cat eye flick. I normally create a darker more exotic look when I go out in the evening which really complimented the darker sexy scent ofBlack Opium EDP. 

Before heading out I had to stopped by the Long Bar at Sanderson for a cocktail with a few friends before we headed off to Shoreditch for a night of music and food! It ended up being such a great night catching up with friends and I even got asked a few times what scent I was wearing! You can get your Black Opium Floral shock here and Black Opium EDP here!

This post was in collaboration with YSL beauty. All thoughts are my own.

All images taken by  Michaela Tornaritis

Mate night with Selfridges

With Valentines day creeping up on us ever so soon I wanted to share with you a fun experience you can have with your bestie! It’s Selfridges version of ‘galentines’  day which is a perfect way to spend Valentines day with your bestie or even your mum! I experienced what they had to offer with my gal Chloe Helen Miles. We were in need of some pampering so this was a perfect way to spend the day! Selfridges take on a mate date night started off with a pampering session at Cowshed! We had the signature cowshed manicure and it was dream! Super relaxing that I tried not to fall asleep! It runs for about 45 minutes and you get a hand scrub included and massage which was the cherry on top.

Next stop on our pampering schedule was the Face Gym work out! Yup, it’s exactly how it sounds - a work out for your face! I unfortunately couldn’t have the full workout as I’m still recovering from my tooth operation but I still got to experience the facial and tried out the ultrasound machine! We also had the gold leaf mask put on and baked on our faces for 10 minutes. The thought of having 24k gold on your face was pretty cool to be honest and I loved how cool I looked! After the treatment, I definitely noticed my skin glowing and would happily walk out of Selfridges with no make up! 

After our treatments, we headed over to the YSL beauty counter for our make overs. You guys know how much I love YSL so this was a perfect match for us both! I went for something more natural and glowing and Chloe went for her signature look. We played around with some golden browns and nudes for my face palette and I ended up loving the final look! If you visit the YSL counter be sure to ask for Marcio! He is incredible! YSL are also launching a new Volupte Tint-in-Balm exclusively for Selfridges! Make sure to get your hands on them! I’ve already tried them out and they offer great hydration to your lips and a bit of a tint to create the perfect ‘no-make’ make up look. My favourite shades are 1 and 10.

Last on the pampering schedule was a blow dry and treatment at

Daniel Galvin

(located on the Body studio space). I’ve been for a treatment here before and really love the space. Really calm and open so you can relax whilst having your hair done. We ended up having the Fusio Dose treatment. Much needed after bleaching my hair. A specially created formula to transform your hair in 10 minutes!

We then headed up to the top floor where we were given a personal fragrance matching session with Bella Bellissima by Bella herself! It’s currently a mini pop up on the 4th floor that runs till 14th February and a perfect place to pick out a scent for your other half or yourself! Love yourself this Valentines day by discovering your perfect scent. I ended up choosing Velvet Santal . A timeless classic scent that could be worn day to night!

When we finished our perfume matching, we went for an early dinner at Aubaine which was much needed! You really do work up an appetite from all the pampering! We ended up ordering so much food we were stuffed! Also ate all the desserts! A perfect way to end our mate night!

For the night, we ended up staying at the London Edition thanks to Kiehls . Such a lovely surprise as well as they placed some pampering products around our room and also included some fancy chocolate! Of course we quickly changed into our pj's and put on some face masks! 

We were also surprised with a treat box from Selfridges which included a  'I heart you' valentines day bag! A collaboration with Alphabet bags and includes goodies worth up to £118 but only cost £35 only at Selfridges. A perfect treat if you are stuck on what to get your girlfriend or bestie for Valentines day! The set includes products from Molton Brown, Nail Berry and Zelens. The box also included a cute personalised MOET champaign bottle that had a photo of me, Chloe and Dexter on it! Such a great little touch! This personalisation service is available in store till the 19th Feb!

Once again thank you Selfridges for such a great day full of pampering and great food. No one I'd rather share it with than Chloe! I'm hoping to coming back soon for another round but I think with my  mum or sister this time! 

This post was in collaboration with Selfridges

Connecting with POP by Stella McCartney

Get your POP by Stella McCartney here

With Christmas coming up, it's time to reflect on the important things in life, family, friends. I'm so glad to be surrounded by family close and far and friends from here and across the pond. Unfortunately, this year will be a little different as my best friend is currently traveling around the world and I won't be seeing her until next year! I'm so happy and excited to see her grow though - into such an adventurous woman and taking everything by storm. Not having her here 5 minutes away from me is actually pretty difficult as we've been friends for 14 years. So to keep her 'near' me at times I wear the fragrance POP by Stella McCartney - it really reminds me of her! I remember growing up and getting ready to go out and we would share the same scent. Over the summer we both grew to love this new scent and bonded over it. Brings back such fun memories that we both made over the summer that I've even sent her the travel size bottle too so she can take it around the world! 

POP by Stella McCartney is such a fun, floral and adventurous scent. Every girl needs it in her perfume collection. I love how their ethos is all about women empowerment and being independent. Spraying some POP by Stella McCartney into your life to kick start the journey of finding yourself and coming into your own. Especially with Christmas coming up, why not add it to your wish list?! Share this buy now link with your loved ones to let them know what you want for Christmas! 

Do you guys have a scent that triggers a wonderful or adventurous memory? I'd love to hear them below! 

This post was in collaboration with Stella McCartney and Shopstyle

Scent of a dream

Photos taken with Panasonic Lumix LX100

So I was invited down to the Charlotte Tilbury store in Covent Garden for the new fragrance launch. As soon as I walked in I could smell such a mood lifting scent - of course it was the scent of dreams!  

Scent of a Dream is a first-of-its-kind ‘floral chypre perfume harmony that Charlotte calls ‘fleurotic™ frequency’ - a psychoactive scent pathway that attracts love, light, power, positivity and sex to the wearer.

 The story goes that she wore it out one night and caught the nose of a gentleman who was instantly attracted to it and asked if she ever had a scent of a dream. With such a major attraction to her signature scent - she decided to finally create her own fragrance and collaborated with Kate Moss who is the face of the campaign. Who better to collaborate with than Kate? Two icons combining their forces together to give consumers an incredible experience.

At the store, I also got to experience the virtual reality goggles which transitioned you into Kate, you get to explore the galaxy and hit up a kick ass party. There, you stumbled upon a man who is attracted to your scent and a love story is waiting to happen. It was such a cool experience and such an awesome way to combine technology with the beauty launch. It gave you the experience of wearing the scent on a night out. I love scents like this with such an emotional and mesmerising back story, as it truly connects you to another level when you are wearing the scent. Another thing I love about it is that it smells different on everyone and throughout the day the scent changes. Giving you such a personal experience with every bottle. I truly have fallen in love with this scent and can't wait to wear it in the next few days to really see what it can offer. Experience the VR here!  (view on your phone!)

With such a whirlwind mixture of lemon, black pepper, jasmine, fire tree and violet to name a few, no wonder I'm so drawn to it! You can get your hands on the fragrance exclusively at the Charlotte Tilbury store in convent garden store or Selfridges! 

This post was created in collaboration with Charlotte Tilbury

Falling in love with Mon Paris

So about a month ago I was invited back to Paris for the launch of the new YSL fragrance 'Mon Paris' inspired by the city of lovers, Paris. We were invited to see Paris upside down in 24 hours! (yes, you read that correctly!). To discover another side from the regular spots you would be familiar with and see the city upside down. The whole trip was inspired by the new fragrances back story of falling head over heels for someone that your world is turned upside down. It was such a world wind 24 hours but it honestly was one of the best trips I've ever been on. 

We started with a lunch visit to HAI KAI. A hidden organic dishes wonderland that definitely cured served up some amazing food. Highly recommend to go with a few friends and try pretty much all the dishes! Also don't forget to try the anchovy! Next it was straight into the perfume workshop where we learned about the ingredients that went into the production of this perfume. I never learned so much in an hour! All of the ingredients, how they are sourced and where they all come from was so interesting to me that it gave me another insight into the fragrance industry. I also learned that there was some jasmine flowers in the mix - that's why I was so drawn to this scent! You guys know how much I love jasmine! It's such a strong feline floral scent which is something I'm not used to but I quickly fell in love with it for sure. Such a great scent for summer thats totally going to turn your world upside down! I've never come across a fragrance so uplifting before! 

After our workshop - we headed straight out around the city on these moto taxis! Such an incredible experience and it was definitely the highlight of the trip. Something I need to do again when I'm back in Paris. We got to see a lot of the city and stopped at the Eiffel tower for 5 minutes for photos. I was happy as I finally got to see it close up! (deffo could of gotten closer but next time for sure!) I literally was riding around the city with a huge smile underneath the heavy but comfy helmets! I really record you flag those guys down whenever you're in the city next. I think from that experience, it just made me sure even more than I really do love Paris and it's for sure one of my favourite cities.

We finished the night with the YSL 'Mon Paris' fragrance launch dinner and the party on top of the Centre Pompidou! Such an incredible building, space and view all rolled into one! To see the whole city at night from the usual day light was definitely the goal of seeing Paris upside down. 

From this trip I've discovered so many new places, people and vibe that paris has to offer and I can't wait to go back! Already trying to see if I can squeeze in a quick weekend away! You can get your hands on the fragrance here...

Created in collaboration with YSL Beauty

Photos taken with iPhone 6 and Panasonic Lumix LX100