It doesn't feel as though theres even been much of a summer here in the UK, but it doesn't stop me from wanting to make the most of it by getting into the summer mood. I decided to make a summer drink that would be perfect for a hot day, and this is what I came up with. I've been obsessed with fresh brewed mint tea at the moment, so this is a Fresh Mint & Apple Mocktail.

Ingredients-

Fresh Mint
Boiling Water
Cloudy Apple Juice
Elderflower Presse
Ice


Method-

Boil some water and then pour it onto a handful of fresh mint. Leave to brew and cool down slightly before pouring over ice. Top up with a third of apple juice and a third of elderflower presse. Add some fresh mint and stir. And that's it. Simples.

This is a beautiful drink perfect for hot summer days. (P.S it looks cutest when served in a jar/cup like this one from John Lewis!)

It's only through having a blog that I realise how much I complain about the weather. It's a typically British thing to do, but it's so true as the weather really does affect a lot of my life! Because it's so sporadic at the moment, one minute you could be throwing on a dress, and the next a raincoat. However, it is still quite mild. To cater for this I've been wearing light layers. A pair of jeans and a tee   is my go-to look, and paired with a denim shirt and a leather jacket, you can kind of be prepared for a multitude of weathers. I have to say though that by the evening of this rainy day, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. So please Britain, make your mind up!

Jacket- Jennyfer // Shirt- Beyond Retro // Top- Cos // Jeans - ASOS // Boots- Topshop // Bag - ASOS

I feel that all beauty lovers are always on the hunt for the perfect base. I have many foundations that I love, but I wouldn't say I've found my holy grail. However, the other day just by chance I decided to mix together two of my favourite foundations, as I was only intending to lighten the colour of one slightly, but in turn created what I would regard as an incredible base! Rimmel Match Perfection is one of my all time favourite bases, and mixed with the DiorSkin Dior Star Foundation, you get a beautiful, radiant, medium coverage, long lasting finish. I feel both foundations compliment each other really well. I know it's a bit of a faf to mix foundations, but you might be surprised by what you can create. Do you have any foundations you like to mix?

Since discovering the beauty that is MAC 'Brave', I have been converted to nude/pink lips. They are so effortless and cool and go with so many make-up looks. I had heard many people talk about another muted brown/pink shade by Rimmel called 'EastEnd Snob'. It had been compared to the likes of Charlotte Tilbury's 'Pillow Talk' lip pencil, so immediately I thought I needed to give it a go! After tracking it down (it took a while), I was eager to open it and try it on. Instantly though I thought 'This looks a lot like Brave' - and I was right. When I got it home and swatched it next to brave, I was amazed at how similar they were. I would say the Rimmel one is slightly darker, but not too much, and it has a slightly more matte looking finish. On the lips in this particular photograph they look identical, but in real life 'EastEnd Snob' is like I said just a tad darker. For more than half the price though (£3.99 compared to £15.50!), Rimless offering is fab. It lasts well and is really creamy and easy to apply to the lips. A complete steal!

When you think of a leopard print coat, it's usually something pretty vile that comes to mind. The look on my friends faces when I told them I owned one was not the greatest I have to admit. Like any bold, statement piece though, it all depends on the one you choose and how you style it. Because it's such a loud print, I like to keep the rest of the outfit simple and plain. When kept classy and tasteful, I think a bold animal print can be one of the best 'pow' additions to your wardrobe!

Coat- H&M (Depop) // Jumper- ZARA // Jeans- Topshop // Boots- Topshop // Jewellery - UO // Bag - Primark

It's safe to say I am one of those people who will carry around the kitchen sink in their bag. It's got so bad that I'm actually now suffering with shoulder pain because of it - oops! I decided it was time to get a new bag though, considering the change in the weather (any excuse really).  I opted for this light weight white shopper bag from ASOS. The bag itself is pretty light and I am being careful not to fill it too much as I really need to get better at bringing just the essentials. It fits everything you need from study books to everyday necessities. I think a white bag is a really nice addition to my spring wardrobe, as as we all know I have magpie like tendencies towards anything black. And for those of you interested, below is a little peek at the kinds of things I carry with me on a daily basis.

                                                    WHITE SHOPPER BAG // ASOS 


                                                    My daily handbag essentials

Establishing some basics to have in your wardrobe is the base line of all dressing. It allows you to mix and match with other pieces and can give you such a classic look. Here I have compiled a list of my favourite wardrobe staples that I think everyone should own...

1. The Leather Jacket
This is the ultimate wardrobe staple. Throw it on over chunky knits, tees, jeans, dresses - the list is endless. This piece will take you through every season and will allow you to make the most of what you already have in your wardrobe. It can be worn girly, grungy, casual, dressed up. The leather jacket will be your ultimate wardrobe bestie.

2. The Black/Blue Skinny Jean
A good pair of skinny jeans is something I think everyone should have in their wardrobes. They are an everyday staple for me and I am constantly throwing them on with jumpers, t-shirts, blouses etc. If  I could only ever own 1 pair of jeans again it would be a black pair, but I think having a variation of denim colours is a good way of mixing up looks in your wardrobe. I recommend places such as Topshop and ASOS for finding medium priced, good jeans.


3. The Basic Grey/White/Black Tees
A basic tee will go with so many things in your wardrobe. Having one in black, white and grey as well as varying the neckline be it v-neck, crew neck etc. will mean you can pair them with so many different things. Throw on some skinnies, a leather jacket and boots and you are good to go.


6. The Black Boot
These are an all year round staple for me when it comes to footwear - I even wear them in summer. They are so easy to just chuck on with pretty much anything, I would even wear them on a night out with a dress! I often buy mine from Topshop and usually have to buy a new pair every year as I wear them to death.

7. The Bold Lipstick
I see lipstick as being part of my outfit and thus being part of my wardrobe. Nothing screams more classic chic to me than a matte red lip and my favourites are the likes of MAC 'Rubywoo' or 'Lady Danger'. A more recent favourite of mine though is 'Flat Out Fabulous', a vibrant matte pink. They add colour to a plain outfit and can turn a monochrome look into something special. 

 8. Arm Candy

I love a good few accessorises, and one of my favourites is my grey ASOS watch. As well as looking fab, it is also very practical!

Of course there are so many more things I consider wardrobe staples, but I think we would be here a very long time. What items would you consider to be your wardrobe staples?

Recently I've been crushing on pink lips. I think when done right they look so cool, and after seeing a few looks I liked on Pinterest I wanted to give it a go myself. I wanted a vibrant fuscia pink and felt I was missing a colour like this from my collection, so I headed to the lipstick heaven that is MAC and made a purchase. The minute I laid eyes on 'Flat Out Fabulous' I knew I had to get it. I normally spend ages dithering and trying on colours in MAC, but it took me all of about 30 seconds to decide to buy this. It's a retro matte colour but is not too drying. It still has a nice creamy slip to it when you apply it to the lips. In terms of the make-up look I've been wearing with it, it's very simplistic. The lips are the main focus of the face, the skin is flawless and the eyes are neutral. I think this is an uber cool look for spring and summer, and is one I will be rocking a lot.

Spring sun is quite intermitent in the UK at the moment, but when it's here I like to get out and seize the day. I had the most wonderful time walking around in the sun looking at views, and it really made me appreciate how beautiful this season is. Surprise surprise though, I wore a very typically me outfit consisting of the colours black, white and grey. I'm loving how muscle tees look at the moment so I whipped out my scissors and attacked a baggy grey top of mine to create this. Unless you want to flash your bra then putting a lace bra et underneath makes it a little bit boho but edgy. As per usual I also paired this 50 shades of grey outfit off with a bright lip - MAC's 'Flat Out Fabulous' to be precise. All in all this made me yearn for some more sunny days like this as they really do make me very happy.