What a strange time we all live in now! "WFH" has become a well-used acronym, "social distancing" and "furlough" are used in our everyday conversations, and hugging your friends and loved ones is a thing of the past. For me, working from home instead of an office is now the norm and I've learnt to appreciate lots of small things in life that I used to take for granted. 

One thing in particular that 2020 has taught me is the value of good working-from-home attire. This has consisted mostly of leggings or soft trousers and a baggy top, or occasionally a blouse and a bit of mascara if a video call is on the cards. This extreme comfort during the day has in turn made me appreciate my nightwear even more. I was kindly sent a beautiful satin nightwear set from IDentity Lingerie which has completely upped my pyjama game. The material is perfect if, like me, you've gotten used to living in comfortable clothes or if you just fancy waking up feeling like a satin goddess. 

IDentity Lingerie sell a huge range of nightwear, lingerie and now in our new normal, they're selling a great range of handmade face masks. I've been wearing this one (in between a couple of others while it's being washed) and I can vouch for it being really comfortable and breathable. Check them out for the full range.

Despite all the bad going on in the world right now, I'm trying to see the positives and make the most during this ambiguous time. What will you take away from 2020 - good and bad? Let me know in the comments below!

It's that time of year again when students-to-be are packing up to fly the nest and start a new adventure at University. As a student blogger, I've written quite a few posts now about the do's and dont's of Uni, but not many that focus on fashion. I would say my true personal style really evolved in my first or second year of Uni. It absolutely is a crucial period in terms of finding your sense of identity in terms of how you feel in your own skin, and loving what you're wearing will give you that all-important confidence boost about yourself.

If you haven't heard of PrettyLittleThing yet, firstly where have you been? And secondly, you really should! They have a student style section which gives you a huge catalogue of inspiration and cool pieces that can really make an outfit. More importantly, you can get 10% off all year round with your student discount at Unidays - bonus! PrettyLittleThing kindly sent me some pieces to style for different occasions and scenarios that will no doubt occur multiple times during your time at University. Check out what I chose below:

1. A look for when... you're out shopping with your new flatmates
Crop top: https://www.prettylittlething.com/basic-khaki-roll-sleeve-crop-t-shirt.html
Cropped jumper: https://www.prettylittlething.com/prettylittlething-grey-trim-cropped-hoodie.html
High-waisted Mom jeans: https://www.prettylittlething.com/light-wash-mom-jeans.html

You know the feeling: you've had a great Wednesday night out but perhaps aren't feeling too fresh for your 9am lecture the next day. You can't sack it off but all you want to do is stay in your cosy pyjamas. Here's where Get The Label come to the rescue! They offer super comfy athleisure wear (as well as much more) which makes it look like you've made the effort even if you're a little bit hungover still.

If you're local to Exeter or the surrounding areas, there's no doubt you'll have heard of Darts Farm. It's a beautiful farm shop boasting local produce and so much more. A hidden gem around the back of Darts Farm is its spa & beauty facilities, including the likes of Energy Hair.
I was kindly invited to receive a wash, cut and blow dry with Luke, one of Energy's newest recruits. He finished his training with Sassoon in London earlier this year, and his enthusiasm and talent for hairdressing really showed. He also makes a pretty good cup of tea!

The process began with the hair wash - quite possibly my favourite bit! A relaxing head massage was exactly what I needed after the stressful weekend I'd had at work. The massage chair they provide at the basins definitely helped too! These little touches just go to show how luxurious and relaxing Energy Hair is - it's not just a place to get your seasonal haircut, but somewhere you can unwind and enjoy.


Post-wash, Luke asked how I'd like my hair cut. I wasn't looking for a drastic hair change - just a couple of inches off and some subtle layers cut back in. Luke listened well and did a great job. He cut and blow dried my hair exactly how I like it and I couldn't have been happier with it. It was great to see Nathan, the owner of Energy Hair, checking in on Luke and I during the process. Luke is still learning of course, but it was clear that Nathan had full confidence in Luke's abilities - as did I! The whole staff team seem really friendly and were a joy to be around. 


Overall, I would really recommend Energy Hair at Darts Farm to anyone in the market for a new do or just a touch up. The salon is perfect if you're looking for a luxurious retreat and an hour or so's escape from reality while the team work their magic on your locks. And don't underestimate the talent and abilities of a newly trained hairdresser - Luke did a better job than a lot of more experienced hairdressers I've been to in the past! Definitely worth a visit! For more information, visit http://www.energyhair.com

The second part of my weekend of blogging events involved me getting up super early and making the long trek to Birmingham. I was slightly apprehensive having never really been to Birmingham before but I'm so glad I went!
The Blogger Tiki Party was hosted by Kirsty (@KirstyLeannee92 on Twitter) who I'd met before at another event she'd organised and again at the Makeup Revolution party earlier this year. I loved the last event she held so much that I had to attend the next one - even if it did take a lot of travelling! I arrived and saw so many bloggers I'd met before/recognised from Twitter, it was lovely to chat to everyone.
The day it was held was National Pina Colada Day which meant one free cocktail per person -  perfect! I went behind the bar and made my own like the natural I am (not). I'd made cocktails a couple of times before (see my post about Locke & Remedy in Cardiff where I whipped up a tasty rum cocktail) and it's quite clear I'm not the talented cocktail chef I wish I was. It was fun nonetheless!


At the event, there were several brands set up around the room and we were left to mingle and chat to the brand ambassadors about their products. These brands included TOAD diaries, Lipvir and Heaven skincare as well as so many more! Everyone was so lovely and generous, and were so passionate about their products.



I'll be trialling some of the products I received at the event over the next few weeks, so watch this space for reviews! As well as the brand ambassadors present at the event, so many brands also gifted us with some fab products, including Pink Parcel who I've worked with before - click here to see my review. We also received a mini beauty box from Little Bit Lavish. I was so pleased to see the box included a bath bomb from Miss Patisserie, which is a brand based in Cardiff whose events I've attended in the past (which you can read about here if you're interested). I love their products and I'm excited to use this one! 


Kirsty also held an amazing raffle (all proceeds going to charity) and I ended up winning a huge box of snacks from Tasty Little Numbers - all of the products are 100 calories so are perfect for snacking without feeling guilty. We were also given our goodie bags which contained so many amazing samples and full sized products - I love discovering new brands through goodie bags and you can see a few of my favourites below. 


After the event it was lovely to be able to catch up with Kirsty and a few others. I know Kirsty had a few problems during the event (which she talks about on her blog) but I hope she knows that she put on a fantastic event and there's nothing more she could've done to make it more successful - it's just a shame some people ruin it for the masses. Overall, my weekend of blog event-ing was fabulous and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!

So on 9th and 10th July, I travelled for almost 11 hours to get to two blogger events around the country - and I don't regret a thing! The first one I went to was in Bristol and was organised and hosted by the lovely Chloe (@BATGBlog on Twitter). The event was held at Bristol's Cosy Club, which I'd actually been to before for another blogger event (you can read all about that event here). The venue is small but beautiful - perfect for lots of photos! 

The event was attended by a local charity and two brands. Off The Record is a Bristol-based mental health charity for anyone aged 11-25. They organise a number of projects and provide therapeutic services to those in need of it. Chloe organised a raffle to raise money for the charity which was really successful. The two brands at the event were Weleda and Chelsea Candles. Weleda is a skincare and wellbeing brand that have been around for over 90 years. We were shown a facial using Weleda products, including their hero product Skin Food which we all received a sample of in our goodie bags. 


Chelsea Candle is a much newer brand which was founded late last year in Kent. It was clear to see that all of the products were of a high quality and the unique scents are beautiful - there honestly wasn't a scent I didn't like! The Chelsea Candle products were also so reasonably priced, unlike a lot of high quality soy candles on the market. My favourite was definitely the Latte scented candle!

The rest of the event at Cosy Club was spent mingling with the other bloggers, grabbing some yummy food and drinks and finishing with the raffle in which I won a beautiful designer cushion courtesy of Katherine Fraser and a bottle of rosé (winner!). Chloe also gave us our amazing goodie bags which were pretty much full to the brim! I am always overwhelmed by the generosity of brands and the effort event organisers like Chloe put into getting together a goodie bag.

After leaving Cosy Club we wandered over to Chanii B - an independent designer shoe store. The owner Chantal talked us through her unique designs and fabrics, and let us try on any shoes we desired. I absolutely fell in love with a pair of holographic sandals. Chanii B have generously allowed me to offer any of my readers 10% off ANY shoes on their website https://chaniibshoes.com! Just enter the discount code 'BBM006' to receive this offer.




I'll leave you a picture of my favourite items from my goodie bag, which include products from Nanshy, Vita Coco, Derma V10 and Papier Poudre. Thank you to Chloe for a fabulous day! 

Contradictory to my blog name, the most recent blogger events I've been to have been fashion-based. As much as I love all things beauty, I'm also keen on keeping up with the latest fashion trends. I love seeing designer trends trickling down into the high street and seeing stores' own takes on the season's crazes.
On Thursday 7th April, I was invited to attend Bristol Fashion Week at Cribbs Causeway. It was my first ever fashion show so I was pretty excited about it. I invited my mum as my plus one as it was the day before her birthday (and she just happens to be more capable and experienced at driving than me so was designated driver also)! We did a bit of shopping beforehand and I treated her to her first ever Nando's.


We took our seats in the huge marquee which was absolutely packed! There was a canvas gift bag on each seat with a few goodies inside which was a lovely touch. The show was hosted by Denise Van Outen and morning TV's style guru Mark Hayes who kept us entertained and involved throughout the event. 

The catwalk showcased some beautiful Spring/Summer looks from high street store such as Marks & Spencer, Jack Wills, Warehouse, John Lewis and so many more. I loved that the models not only walked effortlessly down the catwalk, but some actually involved dance routines that really brought the whole show to life! Keeping with the seasons, each walk was themed around a different spring/summer scene, ranging from Wimbledon to the Royal Ascot, from the summer solstice to a country wedding.

The second fashion event I attended was the launch of Beyonce's sportswear line at Topshop, Ivy Park. The event started at 7:30am on Thursday 14th and as a Uni student with no commitments before 10am, getting up at that time in the morning was a struggle! However, I'd heard so many great things about the line, a couple of hours sleep was a sacrifice I was willing to make!

On arrival, we were given a glass of orange juice and prosecco and a breakfast muffin - perfect start to the morning! After a Beyonce-themed quiz and a chat about her new range, we were also shown some of the new make-up pieces at Topshop and how they can be applied. We then got to get up close to the range before the doors had opened and were asked to style up our own outfit. We were told the person who gets the most social media likes on their outfit photo would win a prize - go and check out my entry at www.instagram.com/charli1993



I ended up buying a top from the range, and no doubt I'll be back for more soon! The pieces are so well made and not crazy expensive as many celebrity lines tend to be these days. Most importantly, this line is set to be permanently in Topshop stores, so no need to miss out because of limited stock!
I think that's enough fashion for one week - over and out!

Located in the Old Library in the heart of Cardiff, Lan Llofft allows shoppers to escape from the rows of generic high street stores and offers up unique, bespoke clothing and accessories. All of the pieces immaculately on display have unmistakeably been carefully selected to provide only the best for their customers.
I was lucky enough to attend Lan Lloft's blogger event earlier this month and I'm so glad I discovered this hidden gem! The lovely ladies running Lan Lloft were so friendly, offering us complimentary soft drinks and pic 'n' mix (and anyone who knows me will know I'm an absolute sucker for sweets)!

I spent a good while eyeing up all the beautiful clothes, picking out some of my favourites along the way, and eventually deciding on a full outfit to try on. I went for a fun monochrome look with black dungaree shorts teamed with a pretty white top.
I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon, meeting other lovely bloggers and generally spending time with like-minded people! I'd thoroughly recommend popping in and having a look around if you're in Cardiff!