#6 Life as we know it

This week I have been...

• Wearing white lace - this Topshop dress I found in the sales - with Models Own "Champagne" nails and a Forever 21 statement ring

• Eating salmon and prawns from cute little shells

• Treating my sis to cake - yes, this is really a cupcake!

• Back to my favourite cafe for chorizo hash browns on my day off

• Out for the most delicious surf 'n' turf

• Having some lovely - and cider filled - nights out

• Bacon cures everything the morning after

• Today I have been out in the garden in the sun building furniture - a table, two chairs, and a sofa to be exact. Although I can be quite the girly girl at times, I also like to get my hands dirty and make things!

• Tonight we're staying in with cans of Stella Artois cidre and watching episode after episode of Breaking Bad - sounds perfect! :)

What have you been up to lately?

ASOS SALE HAUL

You know what? Up until recently, I'd hadn't bought any clothes in ages. I'm not sure why. I guess I just haven't been feeling it. Suddenly there are sales left, right and centre and I find myself heading over to so-and-such website telling myself it's purely to browse. LIES. Items magically start to appear in my basket. And once in my basket, there's a 95.8% chance they're there to stay.

A "browse" on ASOS soon turned into an order...

Coatigan (noun) A confused item of clothing that doesn't know whether it's a cardigan or an outside jacket. This aside, it looks nice & light for this time of year.

Tartan playsuit: Possibly a little on the short size.... but we shall see! Definitely something for weekends and nights out rather than 9-5 in the office!

Pepe Jeans playsuit: Although reduced in the sale, this lovely little playsuit still costs a pretty penny. I thought I'd give it a go because if I didn't and it sold out, I'd be kicking myself! Check out that gorgeous neckline:

Not a huge fan of the waist... but nothing that a thick waist belt can't solve!

Cut out blouse: Any bra recommendations for a top like this?! I imagine a plunge bra would do the trick. Alternatively I could brave going braless I guess...

Tie dye sweatshirt: I wasn't 100% sure on this one - do I really need another over-sized jumper? - however I do love the mint accents of the tie dye print.

Galactic sweatshirt: I only discovered Polish label Mr Gugu & Miss Go through ASOS and their printed sweatshirts are bold and eye-catching to say the least! Their popcorn sweater is quite out there but cute!



Any other sales on at the moment that you'd recommend? 

My Topshop sale picks

Why hello there Topshop sale! I woke up optimistic as their sale preview was quite promising yesterday - but in all honesty, I haven't exactly been blown away today. It's also been a highly frustrating morning as their site kept crashing and deciding that I wasn't allowed to view my basket or go to checkout. At one point I very nearly gave up. But I never give up. I'm a determined little cookie. 

My top picks:

White lace dress: White lace... a timeless classic - the long sleeves rendering it perfect for all times of the year come rain or shine.

White jeans: White jeans aren't meant to be the most flattering of trousers... but how do you know if you don't try?! LET'S DO THIS.

Khaki trousers: Not what I'd usually go for but I love how they look with the rolled up leg. So I added to my basket. Along with the shoes (non sale). Oops.

Macrame dress: Chances are this will be far too short on me. But hey, I can always wear as a top. Dress, you WILL be loved.

Underwear set: "Duck egg" is such an odd sounding colour but gawd is it beautiful! The colouring makes me thinks of Alice in Wonderland. WIN.

Sister Jane blouse: Last but not least, I picked up this Sister Jane blouse. I love a simple white shirt / blouse and the embellished neckline was too beautiful to ignore!

Have you found any good sale bargains lately?

REVIEW: Lisa Shepherd London

Going to the hairdressers is a bit like marmite. Some love the pampering, that lovely scalp massage you get during the hair wash, and feeling like a whole new person at the end of it all. For others, that hairdressers appointment is a time of anxiety. From the very moment you sit in that chair, all trust is placed in your hairdresser. You detail how many inches you want to lose, but under your breath mutter; my hair is - literally - in your hands. Please be kind. And we have reason to worry. Ask them for a trim and you will lose most of your locks. Ask them not to cut any more layers in, you will have layers galore. From my own personal experience, hairdressers rarely seem to listen and just go with whatever vision they have at the time.

A couple of months back I was lucky enough to win a Groupon voucher from the lovely Sarah. Seeing as I hadn't had my hair cut since the end of 2011 - no joke - I couldn't wait to treat myself. I scanned Groupon's Beauty section and joy behold, found a 65% off offer - a whopping £126 discount - at Lisa Shepherd London:

Entering the salon:

A hectic May meant I was only able to validate my voucher last weekend. Upon entering the salon, I was given a stack of magazines and a glass of orange juice whilst waiting for my consultation. As a non tea and coffee drinker, other salons usually offer me a very watered down orange squash which I always regret asking for. Here, fresh orange juice was a lovely change from the norm and perfect for a hot summer's day.

The consultation:

With other salons that I've been to, I feel that the consultation process is very rushed. Your hairdresser asks what you would like, interrupt you when you're mid-sentence, flick your hair a lot, and make suggestions of their own, before frog marching you over to the sinks to have your hair washed. At Lisa Shepherd, they really took the time to listen and I didn't feel rushed or pressured in the slightest.

The colour:

My stylist did a really thorough job with my highlights. Admittedly it did take a little while, but there was a whole lot more foil in my hair than when I've had highlights in the past. I didn't mind this in the slightest - it felt like you were getting more value for money. Once prepped, they led me to their "chill out area" which had a coffee machine, water dispenser, fridge, lots of reading material, and very comfy sofas.

The hair wash:

Hands down, the nicest hair wash I've ever had. With most salons, I find the sink height to be really awkward - you end up straining your neck, then your neck starts to tremble after a while. At Lisa Shepherd, you sit in a really comfy chair that closely resembles an arm chair, and the sink was at the perfect height. And it gets better. The chair is a massage chair. There is nothing quite like having your hair played around with whilst your back - from neck to coccyx - is teased into shape. With my feet propped up, I was in heaven.

The hair cut:

Half asleep, I wandered back over to my station where I met the guy who would be cutting my hair. The cut took barely any time whatsoever. I found the whole hair appointment very dignified. You know when hairdressers blow dry your hair and they ruffle it like crazy and it becomes this big afro of fluff? None of that here. At no point did I ever look in the mirror and think: what have you done?! Hair all dried, he then brought out some Cloud Nines, taming my locks into sleek, glossy loveliness. 

Overall thoughts:

I really enjoyed my visit and will definitely be returning there again. And this is saying something - I never usually go back to the same hairdressers twice! I found the appointment really relaxed - I didn't feel pressured or rushed at any point. Also, I really admired the fact that when asked what I wanted, they listened. Normally when I say I don't want a lot taken off, I find salons can get a little scissor happy and I go home regretting making the appointment. At Lisa Shepherd, I had no nasty surprises in that department. My only complaint is that my Groupon voucher said that I was entitled to a complimentary sample of shampoo / conditioner and I didn't receive either of these. But as I received a huge discount on the appointment through Groupon, I guess I can let that slide...

The result in pictures:

What do you guys think?

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WORLDWIDE WARDROBE

Approaching the end of the financial year is always a busy time for our office. Early starts and late finishes mean that when I leave work, I rarely switch off. My mind is always buzzing and thinking ahead to tomorrow's tasks. Gawd, I need a vacation. Once July swings around, I'm free to travel. I dream of:

• escaping my desk
• sight-seeing
• actually having the time to sit and read a book from cover-to-cover
• having the chance to take my new DSLR out

But where to go?

Clutch (£15 - now out of stock) // Dress // Earrings // Ring // Shoes // Nail polish / YSL lipstick 

When going out for cocktails, I don't think you can ever go wrong with a LBD. I loved this lace high neck version from Lipsy as this is very "me" and the sort of style I usually go for. With that incredible lace detail, I wanted the high neck to remain the focus of the outfit - so would pull my hair back and instead of a necklace, would accessorise with statement earrings, a red lip, and nails of a similar shade. And obviously when going out for cocktails, a cocktail ring is a necessity! :) I fell in love with these heels as the embellishment reminds me a little of that beautiful Zara necklace that the whole world snapped up before I had the chance to! To inject some colour into the outfit, I chose out a neon lime clutch to compliment the gems in the shoes.

Trench coat // Lace dress // Ballet pumps // Rose gold watch // Bag

The French get the city look so right - effortlessly chic, yet comfortable for spending the whole day on your feet. Paris in particular brings out a romantic side to me where I am attracted to neutral colours. This lace dress from Next fits the bill perfectly. I would wear this Zara trench coat on top as weather wise, I find Paris to be a lot like London - there's sure to be a spot of rain here and there. For a day on your feet, flats are essential. I loved the lady-like quality of this bag and it's a good size for carrying everything around with you all day. Rose gold is a big love of mine and this Michael Kors look-alike from Next would ensure that I get to the Eurostar terminal on time! I would use some of my spare change for a very French accessory - a baguette - which I would sit with in my favourite park, Buttes Chaumont, watching the world go by.

Playsuit // Ring // Clutch // Jacket // Boots // Nail polish // Bag

Although I live in London, I feel so out of touch with the city. There's so many touristy things I'd love to do - like see the Tower of London - and I rarely get the chance to go shopping (I think I've only been to Westfield once!) I love a print, so this paisley playsuit from AX Paris really caught my eye. Also, playsuits are so easy to get out of in the changing rooms! ...pretty much naked in one swoop! ;) My look is usually quite monochrome so I paired the black and white print with... quelle surprise... a black and white jacket. I loved this one from Missguided as it's different to a standard leather jacket. I live in ankle boots because they're just so comfortable for all occasions - whether it be shopping, going to gigs, etc. Urban Outfitters do lots of cute wallets at the moment which double up as phone holders - very handy for clubbing as well as shopping. I chose this design in particular as I love a bit of Aztec print! I always wear rings and the more unusual, the better! I was stunned at how amazingly priced this one from Boohoo was. Lastly, so that this outfit wasn't too monochrome, I added this bag and a glittery nail polish for a splash of colour.

Body harness // Playsuit // Sunglasses // Headband // Wedges // Rose gold cuff // Clutch // Nail Wraps

I wanted to keep this look quite simple, so went for white as the main theme with gold accents from the accessories (gold looks amazing with a tan!). The clutch is perfect for going out but wouldn't look out of place during the day either. I loved the neckline of the playsuit so didn't want a necklace to distract attention away from this. During the day, I would wear this playsuit as it comes, with the sunglasses (how cool are these?!). Later when heading to a club, I would mix up the playsuit a little by adding this body harness - it isn't too "out there" so you can still see the cut out aspects of the playsuit through it. When clubbing, I also like to be wearing some sort of statement accessory which is why I chose out the Grecian style head band. I guess you could even wear the sunglasses in the club too! I chose wedges rather than heels because it's far more feasible partying until the early hours in wedges. Rather than appearing too monochrome, I added a splash of colour with the nail wraps. With £60.82 left over, that's useful extra funds for club entry and drinks!

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The above is my entry for Travel Supermarket's latest competition where a holiday for each of the above cities is up for grabs as well as £200 to purchase your winning outfit! To enter, you need to create a look for as many of the categories as you like, with a budget of £200 per outfit. To find out more, you can read all about the competition on their website: www.travelsupermarket.com/c/holidays/worldwide-wardrobe/ 

Which of my looks is your favourite?