OOTD: Feather Fever

Sometimes I get emails about the strangest things and sometimes I just can't resist saying yes. When an email from Novum Crafts dropped into my inbox asking if I'd like to review a Native American headdress, I knew I had no actual need of one but of course I still wanted it. Who can blame me; they're just so much fun!

Headdress: Novum Crafts* Top: Urban Outffiters. Skirt: Vintage. Belt: Primark. Rings and Necklaces: Primark

One of my first ever blog posts was a DIY to make your own headdress and it still gets a few repins on Pinterest, despite its horrible photography! However I've always dreamed of owning my own show-stopping headdress and this Turquoise 75cm Native American Headdress is simply perfect. It's dramatic without being huge and surprisingly wearable - for a feather headdress anyway! I think it would be perfect for fancy dress parties or festivals, but it also looks great hanging on my bedroom wall as a piece of homeware, 

Today I wanted to have a little fun with my outfit post. I teamed the headdress with a denim skirt and strappy summer cami. I picked up the denim skirt at Judy's Vintage Fair in Cambridge, one of my favourite vintage fairs which always has some hidden gems. I love the retro style, although I am still obsessed with suede skirts and I wish I owned one for this look. The cami top is an old favourite from an Urban Outfitters sale and it's a great top to sling on for a night of dancing; I love the folk embroidery and it's so comfortable and versatile. 

I was braver than usual with my makeup as I felt the headdress really deserved a strong look to go with it. I normally simply wear neutral colours on my eyes but I dug out my Storm palette by Sleek and decided to experiment with blues. It felt really out of my comfort zone, as I never experiment with my eyeshadow but I think the final look is actually pretty wearable, yet matches nicely with the beautiful turquoise feathers. 

I was seriously impressed with how well the headdress is made and also how comfortable it is to wear. Rather than a headband, it is structured around a cap-like hat which sits happily on my head without any slipping or tightness. The feathers are attached together by a long string of elastic, which gives the headdress some movement but also means nothing gets twisted or broken. Sometimes I just want something fun in my wardrobe and I really couldn't resist twirling around as my friend patiently photographed me. Hopefully you can tell that we had a lot of fun!

What do you think of the headdress? I'd love to hear some comments!

Jess

- Bloglovin . Twitter . Instagram -

OOTD: I Solemnly Swear

Oh look, it's another outfit post with a Harry Potter theme, and I'm not sorry at all! The unusual thing about this post isn't the Harry Potter top, but the fact I'm wearing jeans...

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters. Vest: Primark. Boots: Primark. Belt: Primark.

I've probably mentioned before that I am not the kind of girl who wears jeans. I am definitely a dresses and skirts girl - somehow jeans don't look quite right on me. However, when I recently went shopping with a friend and popped in to American Eagle Outfitters, I somehow found myself trying on jeans. They were a bargain at just £15 rather than the £40ish they were originally listed as and I picked up some skinnies and these mom jeans to try on. The skinny jeans were quickly rejected but I found myself loving these dark mom jeans. The rips are very 'trendy' but I don't think they look too daft on me - at least I hope not! I like the oversized casual style, the high-waist and the rolled bottoms. I think this fit suits my shape much better than standard skinny jeans - take note, short girls with thighs - and works well with an oversized casual top.

Today I teamed the jeans with my latest Harry Potter top from Primark. Since I was getting out of my comfort zone with the jeans, I decided to stick to something I love on the top half, so it had to be a Harry Potter top! I love the cute cropped vest too style and, of course, the Mauraders Map motto "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." It's great to chuck on with these jeans or some other high waisted bottoms. I added some chunky boots which I picked up for just £10 from Primark. They're great to 'toughen up' a look - a phrase which I always feel ridiculous and pretentious using, but it's the perfect description for chunky, slightly masculine boots.

I couldn't resist getting my pose on in my garden; I definitely got slightly carried away! However, these jeans might be the start of my conversion to the denim side of fashion. I am amazed by quite how comfortable they are, as the fabric is super soft and the slightly oversized feel means you don't have to pour yourself into them. They are simply perfect for casual days or drinks with friends and I love it when choosing something out of your comfort zone pays off.

What are your thoughts on denim? What do you think of the outfit?

Jess

- Bloglovin . Twitter . Instagram -

5 Senses of Turkey with Thomas Cook

Last week, I was kindly invited by the wonderful Talented Talkers to an event in London with Thomas Cook to celebrate Turkey. I've been really enjoying writing travel posts recently and I have actually visited Turkey once before, many years ago. I have to admit I didn't enjoy it - although to be fair to Turkey, it wasn't its fault. We had traveled there on a family holiday but a few days before our flight, mine and my brother's middle school, which was also my Mum's place of work, was burnt down by an ex-pupil. When your Mum has lost her classroom and your house is covered in smoke thanks to your school burning down across the road, it's pretty hard to enjoy yourself on your holidays!

Therefore I was excited to give Turkey another chance thanks to Thomas Cook and experience the '5 senses' on offer at Paradise by the way of Kendal Green, the wonderful location for the event. As soon as we headed up the stairs, we entered a Turkish world, full of beautiful pottery, incredible Turkish music and the scents of orange blossom and rose water. We explored our five senses; for scent, there were beautiful perfumes which spread across the room; for sound, we were treated to the wonderful upbeat traditional music from the talented Turkish drummer and violinist; for sight, we got to dress up in some vibrant embroidered Turkish costumes and for touch, we made ourselves our very own body scrub. Mine was made from sea salt, rose water and jojoba oil and, much like the coffee and coconut scrub I made with Preloved, it left my skin feeling smooth and nourished. I love making natural body scrubs as a cheap and wholesome alternative to exfoliating products and I loved that the rose water gave this scrub a Turkish twist.

That leaves one sense; taste. Unsurprisingly, I loved the Turkish themed cocktails, particularly the Turkish Delight Martini which was made from vanilla vodka, white creme de cacao and rose water. Thank you Thomas Cook for the lovely photo of the Turkish Delight Martini, since I drank mine before I thought to photograph it - rookie blogger error! A martini is always a great way to explore the sense of taste, but I was impressed with the local Turkish wines too. I also enjoyed the meze options, especially as 'picky' foods is on of my favourite ways to eat a meal, mixing and matching small tastes of different flavours and trying a little bit of everything. As you might have guessed, taste was my favourite of all the senses on offer - food and drink definitely makes or breaks a holiday for me! 

Michelle, one of the airline staff, looked as glamorous as you would expect as she explained the various locations which Thomas Cook fly to; Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum and Izmir. I particularly liked the sound of Antalya. Like the whole of Turkey, the beaches are stunning and the nearby Sime beach has both golden sand and Roman ruins, which sounds fascinating. After visiting Plitvice Lakes in Croatia and falling in love with the national park, I think the Duden Waterfalls sound incredible - there really is nothing more breathtaking than a set of waterfalls! I'd really love the chance to try Turkey again and truly enjoy the experience, without the worry of a fire in my mind! 

The event definitely left me craving a holiday full of sun, sand, beautiful scents and Turkish baths. Have you ever been to Turkey? Where would you recommend?

Jess

- Bloglovin . Twitter . Instagram -

Christmas 2015: Tesco vs Aldi

Yes, it's another Christmas post! I didn't want to overload you all with Christmas (I'm aware quite how ridiculous it is to be talking about Christmas in July) but I got some great comments and responses to my Waitrose Christmas post so I wanted to cover the other two supermarket press days I attended: Tesco and Aldi. Rather than split it into two posts, which might just be Christmas overkill, I decided to talk about both today and give you another insight into what's in store for Christmas 2015:

As the lift doors opened onto the Tesco Christmas Press Event, we were instantly transported into a Winter Wonderland. A fully laid Christmas table stood in front of us, looking like it was waiting for Christmas Day to arrive. I loved the use of wooden scrabble tiles to create placeholder names, and the dried oranges and cinnamon sticks were another cute detail to the table. Tesco were definitely pushing the 'DIY' approach to Christmas, which has become so popular, probably thanks to Pinterest. Although of course there was the option for a ready-made Christmas, I liked that Tesco were offering some flexibility in their products; you can either buy a certain item yourself, like a candle table decoration, or buy the individual elements to create your own personalised version, like we did - check out my attempt on Instagram.

Food wise, as soon as I spotted the Prosecco and Elderberry flavoured crisps, I headed straight over to try this unusual flavour. Prosecco seems to have found its way into a huge amount of products for Christmas, including the Prosecco Panettone from Waitrose and these crisps from Tesco. I for one am not complaining, as I love the stuff! The crisps were certainly unusual and the sweet taste slightly threw me. There was an undoubted 'fizz' aftertaste and I think they're a great fun product to try with a glass of Prosecco whilst watching the Christmas TV; they were actually quite tasty and will definitely be a talking point!

The adorable snowman cheesecake is again a fun addition to the Christmas range. I love these kinds of products, especially for a special occasion, and I think the snowman is just so cute! Another standout product for me were the cheeses, In particular, I loved the Red Leicester rolled in cracked peppercorns. It's presented unusually in a long oblong and you can buy it in slices. It's something slightly different to add to your cheeseboard, both visually and taste-wise, and I'm excited for it to hit stores.

I then headed to the Aldi Christmas Press Day. I must admit that I don't shop at Aldi, as my local town doesn't have one, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was really pleasantly surprised with the amazing quality and range on offer. My favourite meat dish was the 'easy carve stuffed duck' which looked delicious and is a great idea to avoid the faff of carving on Christmas Day. I also managed to try some of the turkey on offer and it was really tasty and not dry at all.

Aldi offer some impressively affordable gin. including a special litre bottle which is expected to cost just £13. This year, they have branched out to also sell Whitley Neill gin, a branded gin but still with a small price tag as you would expect from Aldi. Finally, you simply have to try the Salted Caramel Vodka - it tastes just like butterscotch and would be perfect with cream soda (think Butterbeer!) or over ice-cream; yummy!

All in all, I've been really impressed with the supermarket offerings for Christmas and I'm so grateful for, if slightly bemused by, the invitations I have received! Although I am a big lover of Summer, these events have got me so excited for Christmas and I am already mentally buying presents and stocking up on food and alcohol! What are you excited to try?

Jess

- Bloglovin . Twitter . Instagram -

Fitness Friday: A Suffolk Country Walk

Hurrah it's Fitness Friday! I know you might not all care about fitness but I like writing it and I hope you stick around to find out what I've been up to. This week I was sent some amazing Trespass walking boots to test out so I headed down to one of our favourite family walks with my parents and our dog. So even if walking boots aren't your thing, stick around for some pics of my dog and some local cows!

I am terrible at buying things which I actually need and walking boots are one of those things which have been on my 'to buy' list for ages yet somehow I just find myself buying heels instead. So when Trespass got in touch about their summer hiking range, I knew exactly what I needed. I must make a girly admission; I chose these boots purely because of the colour, isn't that terrible? However they also have some great practical points to them, like the capped toes to protect my tootsies and the waterproof fabric. The high style around my ankle felt slightly unusual at first, but it definitely adds some vital support when walking over uneven terrain. The laces were easy to tie up and adjust to fit your feet snugly and the sole felt sturdy and comfortable to walk in. Of course, I love the design and the purple makes them a little bit girlier- I can't pretend that walking boots are in any way sexy, but these ones are at least something a little bit different!

I was worried that I would be too hot wearing these boots in the recent heat but I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't overheat. Thanks to the glorious weather, I wasn't able to to test the waterproof capabilities of the boots but given how good the rest of the quality is, I don't doubt that these boots are a great all-round product. Most importantly, after a few hours walking, I didn't have any blisters. I hate the concept that new shoes need breaking in - if they are any good, they should be comfortable straight away in my opinion and these definitely were. All in all, these boots were good quality, good value and, as a bonus. prettier than most walking boots.

Anyway, I promised you cows didn't I. Check out this fella! I am such a country girl at heart...

Do you love walking? Where's your favourite spot?

Jess

- Bloglovin . Twitter . Instagram -

OOTD: A Free Elf

Today I’m sharing a Leeds based outfit post from my flying visit to my favourite city. I always tell you all how much I love the place and thanks to some beautiful weather, I spent one afternoon in the amazing Kirkstall Abbey, drinking Pimms and catching up with the amazing blogger that is Corinne from Skinned Cartree. Obviously, this resulted in some outfit photos (and a quick tutorial on how actually to use my DLSR by Corinne) which I wanted to share today:

Dress: Forever21. Shoes: Primark. Necklace: George at Asda* Earrings: Platform 9 and ¾

I picked up this dress in Forever21 and it has become my go-to dress for sunny days, casual drinks and dates. The elasticated waist is comfortable yet flattering and the extra layer on the top half is perfect is you are lacking in the boob department like me! I love the Aztec style print and the tassled tie waist adds a little something to the otherwise simple dress. I feel like my wardrobe is lacking pretty summer dresses at the moment, so this has been a perfect addition to my wardrobe. All I need is my favourite Primark pumps and a simple white necklace from George at Asda and I think it created a cute summer look – perfect for lazing around Kirkstall Abbey in the sunshine.

Have you spotted the Harry Potter trend throughout my wardrobe yet? Well this OOTD is no different, all thanks to a cancelled train. When leaving Kings Cross for Leeds, my train was cancelled as it was ‘too hot’ so I inevitably found myself in the Platform 9 and ¾ store.  I managed to resist the expensive keyrings, tshirts and jumpers but as I was trying to exit the store, I spotted these Dobby earrings. Dobby is one of my favourite characters, alongside Hermione, so I was more excited than is probably acceptable when I headed straight to the till with them in my hand. They have barely left my ears since and I have been wearing them every day during my internship at Bloomsbury, however geeky it may make me!

What do you think of this outfit? Am I weird for being so obsessed with these earrings? 

Have you entered my giveaway to win some hippy yoga pants yet? Well, head on over! 

Jess

- Bloglovin . Twitter . Instagram -

5 Tips to Keep Your Bedroom Tidy

I must admit, I am useless at keeping my bedroom tidy. I don’t like mess but somehow in the process of trying on half of my wardrobe to decide what to wear, hunting through my makeup for the concealer I want and emptying my bag from my previous outing, my room becomes a tip. However apparently bloggers are supposed to be good at storage and tidying so when Time4Sleep got in contact with me, I figured that it would be useful for me at least to offer both you and me some tips (and a little insight into my bedroom):

1. Get makeup storage

Despite the fact I wouldn’t really describe myself as a beauty blogger, I have a pretty big makeup collection and when I was at university it took up so much room. Of course, if you follow any big beauty bloggers, they always have beautiful storage and I finally decided to invest in some. I opted for Muji acrylic drawers and have slowly built up my collection to house all my makeup in neat separated categories. They are particularly good because they all fit into my top drawer of my chest of drawers and can easily be hidden away from sight.

2. Spring clean your wardrobe

I always try to clear out my wardrobe about twice a year for anything which I haven’t worn, is broken or I don’t fit into. I’ve been trying to sell my clothes on Depop (a not-so-subtle hint to check out what I’m listing) in order to clear some space in my wardrobe, but if I don’t sell it all it will be heading for a charity shop. I’m a hoarder of clothes so it’s hard to let things go but I simply don’t have the space for so many unworn things!

3. Decide on your outfit the night before

Most of my mess is wardrobe related so a great way to avoid this is to simply decide on my outfit the night before. If I’m running late for work or catching up with friends, I won’t take the time to hang up my rejected outfits but by choosing my outfit in the evening, I really have no excuse not to return everything to my wardrobe. Plus, it means more time in bed in the morning – bonus!

4. Schedule one day to clean

My worst habit regarding my bedroom is to let the mess pile up. However, the only bonus of this is I know that once I get to the weekend I will tidy everything I have let get out control during the week. This means that although it’s not a great place in the week, the weekend restores some order – ready for the following week. So if, like me, you struggle to keep your room tidy at all times, at least you know that it won’t get out of control for months on end.

5. Make a display out of your wardrobe

Pinterest is such a great place for storage inspiration and one of my favourite ideas is to turn your jewellery and accessories into a ‘display’ rather than hidden in a box. Whilst I was studying at York, I used a pin board to hang my necklaces and floral headbands on and it worked really well. I could easily see what options I had to pair with my outfit and it actually took up much less space than a jewellery box would have done. Sometimes being creative is the best way to keep tidy and it makes your room a little bit prettier too!

Time4Sleep are currently running a competition to findthe UK’s messiest bedroom. I don’t want to encourage your messy habits, but the winner will win an amazing new bed with integrated storage to help them keep their bedroom spotless. Are you untidy or a clean freak? What tips do you have to keep the mess at bay?

Jess

- Bloglovin . Twitter . Instagram -

Review: Pieminister, Leeds

My inner Yorkshire lass loves a good pie so as soon as I heard that a Pieminister had opened in Leeds, it went straight on my ‘to eat’ list. Last weekend, I got the chance to head there for lunch and indulge in some proper pie and mash:

The pies at Pieminister are probably seen as more ‘trendy’ if you like your pies traditional, but the menu includes some interesting and tasty flavour combinations. After some deliberation I opted for the Matador; a beef, chorizo, olives and butter bean pie as I am slightly addicted to chorizo and thought it would add a new element to a traditional beef pie. After umming and ahhing between the courgette fries, sweet potato fries and the standard mash, I decided to add a stick of courgette fritters on top of my pie as a compromise. I then chose the mash as my side as I felt that I really had go for a pie, mash and gravy combination.

Drinks wise, I ordered the vanilla milkshake as a slightly unusual choice. It was served as if we were in an American diner, in a long glass with a candy cane striped straw. It was extremely tasty, with tiny chucks of chocolate laced through the drink, giving you small bursts of sweetness as you drank. My friend chose the Monocle beer which he hadn’t come across before and was extremely impressed with it. It was nice to see that there was such an interesting range of beers on the menu to accompany your pie. Personally, I didn’t think the cocktails listed looked like they fit in with the rest of menu and I did feel like they were a slightly odd addition to the menu. It’s nice to have the option, but if you don’t like beer, I would recommend the milkshake instead!

Our pies arrived quickly and I initially thought there wasn’t enough mash. However, as I started to eat I realised that it was actually the perfect portion size and it was smooth, creamy and simple. I must admit that I was disappointed that there weren’t a variety of mash options on the menu, such as a sweet potato mash or onion mash, but the basic mash was still tasty. The courgette fritters were added to the pie literally on a stick which was stuck into the top of my pie. There were only four pieces, which cost an extra £1.50 but the batter was excellent; crisp, fresh and not at all greasy.

So, what about the pie? I was really impressed with the flaky pastry, which managed to keep a nice bite to it and not go soggy at all. The contents were really tasty; huge chucks of tender beef accompanied by the smoky spice added by the chorizo. The butter beans added a different texture to the taste and the olives added an occasional burst of saltiness. Combined with the mash and the beef and port gravy, it resulted in a very satisfying lunch which cost me just £12 in total, including my drink.

If you want a quick and filling lunch or something new to try in Leeds, Pieminister is definitely worth a visit! Have you ever been to Pieminister? 

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win an awesome pair of hippy harems from Adorned!

Jess

- Bloglovin . Twitter . Instagram -

treaclemoon: Those Lemonade Days

I love fun and exciting beauty products, so when I was offered an item from treaclemoon’s range I jumped at the chance to review a product. I’ve been a fan of their raspberry body butter for years and I was excited to be given the opportunity to try a different scent from the range; in this case, the 'those lemonade days' bath and shower gel.

I was drawn to the lemonade option as I love fresh and citrus scents and in the recent weather, a lemonade shower gel seemed like a great summer body wash. I love the positive and outgoing messages on all of treaclemoon’s packaging – they remind me of Innocence in the way that they evoke a feeling of happiness and their upbeat branding always brings a smile to my face. For me, beauty is something to have fun with – fundamentally, you can get clean using any product, so why not choose one that cheers up your shower in the morning?

The scent of the shower gel is similar to lemon curd, or as the name obviously implies, lemonade. It is bright, zingy and the right level of sweet. My skin felt fresh and clean, without feeling dry, and the gel lathered up well in the shower - I don't have a bath so could only try it as a shower gel, but it worked really well. Finally, the price is excellent and so affordable. This lemonade shower gel is just £2,99 from either their website or Tesco stores and a great addition to any bathroom.

Have you tried any products from treaclemoon? What would be your dream shower gel flavour?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a pair of hippy harems from Adorned!

Jess

- Bloglovin . Twitter . Instagram -

Giveaway: Win a pair of Hippy Harems from Adorned

Hopefully you will all remember my outfit post featuring some amazing hippy harems from Adorned. Well, after my post, Sarah got in touch and offered me the chance to give a different pair away here on my blog. So I’m running a Rafflecopter giveaway for the chance to win your very own pair:

These Hippy Harem pants are perfect for yoga, lounging around and generally feeling amazingly comfortable. They fit a size 6-14 thanks to their super elasticated waist and ankles, so they will look awesome on you or make a great gift. I am giving away a slightly different pattern to my pair, but they are just as good as you can see below. Check out Sarah looking amazing in the print which you can win! She's even throwing in a handmade necklace which she will create just for you: what a babe!

The competition is due to end on Saturday 25th July so you have a few weeks to enter and it’s so easy: just follow the instructions below. Also this is my first ever competition which is open worldwide - hurrah for all my international readers! You just need to enter the Rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Jess

- Bloglovin . Twitter . Instagram -

Waitrose Christmas 2015

Ok, ok, I know we are in July. But for this post, can we ignore the season and just pretend that it’s Christmas? Last week, I headed to London for an exciting press day; Waitrose Christmas. The sun was blazing and it was the week of the hottest weather on record, but I found myself surrounded by Christmas trees, desserts and turkey and it was just wonderful:

I wasn’t quite sure when to publish this post, as it does seems ridiculously early to be thinking about Christmas. Press days are traditionally for newspapers and magazines who are starting to put together their winter features now. With the rise of blogging which is so ‘in the moment’ and quick to publish, it almost felt like I should hold this post back for a few months. However I wanted to talk about the range whilst it was fresh in my mind and I had already shared some snaps on Instagram, so as long as you aren’t all glaring at me for mentioning Christmas already, I’m going to carry on!

I genuinely love Waitrose, despite how middle class that may make me, and I was excited to see some of my favourite products featured for Christmas this year. Heston’s Earl Grey and Lemon gin is a firm favourite of mine and I also finally got the chance to try the Cherry Bakewell Vodka which I have been eyeing up in stores. A vodka combined with cherries and amaretto, we were served the spirit as an espresso martini with iced coffee and chocolate liquor and the coffee really brought out the sweet chocolate tones to the drink. It was something which I would never have thought of combining, but worked amazingly well – a theme which was evident throughout all the range.

Waitrose’s big Christmas product this year is the ‘Signature Spice.’ Expertly blended and balanced, this spice is to be sold as a pot to cook with or a bag for mulling. After struggling to find an affordable mulling kit last year, this version is under £2 and I will definitely be stocking up on this genius idea. Sipsmith, one of my favourite gin brands, were also there and had made use of this mulling bag to create a mulled gin. Who would have thought of hot gin? Apparently it was popular during the London ‘big freeze’ when Londoners warmed themselves on hot gin and ginger cake and Sipsmith have taken inspiration from this to combine the Signature spice with cloudy apple and some sloe gin. It was delicious, even on a hot day, and I will definitely be recreating it in the cooler months. The Signature Spice will also be available in various cakes, biscuits and chocolates. It was even offered as part of a Greek yoghurt, which was topped with spiced biscuit – another example of an unusual pairing which actually worked perfectly as a healthier, alternative Christmas breakfast.

Heston’s range of course made an appearance and you can now buy everything you might need for Christmas dinner with a Blumenthal twist. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that the gluten free range had been expanded. I’m not gluten free myself but after trying two different types of turkey and stuffing, I genuinely couldn’t tell which one was the gluten free option; great news for anyone with a wheat intolerance this Christmas. There are some fabulous party ranges if you are looking for to get social and the gift range is also impressive. Waitrose seems to be slowly developing their own homeware and accessories separate to John Lewis and I can see myself picking up a couple of decorations whilst shopping this Christmas, especially as Christmas tree decorations start from just £1.

I’m excited for the Waitrose Christmas range to hit stores and already planning some fun recipes to create and share for Christmas 2015. Does this feel too early? Perhaps – but I couldn’t wait to share it with you!

Jess

- Bloglovin . Twitter . Instagram -