MSH Backup

It always feels a bit back to front to start looking ahead to spring when there's still a nip in the and it's getting dark by 5pm, but forward planning is always worth spending some time on, especially if you're willing the warmer months to arrive sooner rather than later. With that in mind, I popped along to the Oliver Bonas SS18 press preview last week, prepared to make a mental wish list of almost everything in sight. Suffice it to say there was an array of fantastic homeware and fashion on display: It is always lovely to have a sneak preview of what's about to hit the shops, and after casting my eye over the new season selection of fashion favourites, I'm resolved to book a summer holiday if only for the reason that it'll give me the perfect opportunity to snap up all of these goodies! It was lovely to see an array of contrasting styles, from palm prints to bold block colours, delicate embroidery to characterful patterns- and I'm pretty sure that I'l...

As I've grown older, and have started taking skincare a bit more seriously, I've come to the conclusion that there's no such thing as a 'quick fix'. I shudder to think about how much money I used to fritter away on a post-Saturday job splurge in Boots, hoping against hope that *this* £5.99 tube of face wash would be the one to finally give me miracle skin. Spoiler alert, it didn't happen, but what I learnt from all of those futile shopping trips was that taking time, investing in products which agree with your skin, and being patient is the only thing which pays dividends in the long run- that and drinking lots of water. With that in mind, I must confess that I was somewhat skeptical when I read about Glossier's latest launch- a chemical exfoliator aptly named Solution, which comes with a promise of a reduction of redness, spots and pore size.  However, having gotten on really well with the products which I've purchased from them so far, I added it to my...

It's been a while since I've posted about my adventures in brunching, primarily because it's seemed like an eternity since I've had the opportunity to enjoy a leisurely weekend morning! Luckily all of that changed last Saturday when Amelia and I met up for some food ahead of a trip to the theatre, and, making the most of the opportunity to sample something new, we braved the rain and ventured to Kingly Court to sample the menu at The Good Egg: There's something wonderfully comforting about being able to enjoy a relaxed weekend brunch trip, especially when the weather outside is grey and gloomy. Hot on the heels of the original Stoke Newington restaurant, this Carnaby-centric branch of The Good Egg is the perfect bolthole if you're looking for a calm couple of hours, with the pale pink walls, teal tables and rose gold accents offering an instantly relaxing atmosphere. In such comfortable but well considered surroundings, you might expect the menu to suffer at the...

I don't know about you, but I always tend to forget just how much my poor skin tends to struggle through the winter. Contending with the cold, central heating and general depletion of Vitamin D definitely takes a real toll- and it's one which I always underestimate at the start of the season. With that in mind, since the start of the year, I've been making more of a concerted effort to take care of my skin, battling dryness and cracking- especially at the extremities. As well as being more mindful of what I'm using in the shower (switching to fragrance-free is a game changer!), I've been keeping things nourished with a beautiful new selection of goodies from a very special collaboration: Regular perusers of these pages will be well aware of the fact that I'm a bit of a Rifle Paper Co. fan girl, so when I spotted their specially designed range for L' Occitane, it will probably come as no surprise that I snapped most of it up on the spot! Whilst I'm yet to...

Whilst braving the January sales can sometimes seem like a truly thankless task, if you're well prepared it's an endeavor which can yield some excellent rewards. I've posted in the past about how to be as sales savvy as possible, and the philosophy of bookmarking and buying at a later date is one which has really paid off for me over the years, ensuring that I only spend my hard-earned pennies on pieces which I've been after for a while. This year, it's a strategy which I've deployed to snap up some new essentials which are definitely pepping up my January wardrobe:  Coat- c/o Very Blouse- Whistles  Trousers- Espirit (via ASOS) Shoes- Adidas (c/o Spartoo)  Bag- & Other Stories  This blouse from Whistles is a piece which I spotted at the start of the autumn and have been keeping a beady eye on ever since...for good reason! Just before Christmas it made it into their end of season sale, so I snapped it up in a flash- at half price it was a no-brainer. The star...

*Peeks out from underneath the duvet...* is it the end of the month yet? I know, I know, it's shameful to wish the time away, but January feels like an eternity- especially as the gulf between last payday and next feels absolutely enormous. All is not lost, however, as I've been rummaging about in my stash of beauty goodies to pep the month up a little bit- and have uncovered some complete gems in the process:  This & Other Stories nail polish was a Christmas gift, and the shade (Vivant Ciment) is a wonderfully subtle hue for everyday- drawing on those grey January vibes in the best possible way. So far I've been really pleasantly surprised by how well the formula is holding up too, so I'm definitely going to pop back to my local shop and see which other colours they have on offer. Another beauty goodie which I found under the tree on Christmas morning was this Chanel Coco Eau de Parfum, which is a wonderful scent for winter. Sitting just the right side of musky, wi...

Whilst I've never really bought into all of the 'New Year, New You' hype which accompanies the start of the year (seriously, it's January, you'll be lucky if you can extricate me from underneath the duvet), the promise of a fresh twelve months in prospect does bring with it a certain sense of optimism, which I suppose is best capitalised on early doors. With that in mind, over the last couple of weeks I've tackled a batch of tidying up in an attempt to be a little bit more organised during the year to come, and have also been on the lookout for some fresh style staples to bridge the gap between winter and spring in my wardrobe- and have been bowled over by what Marks and Spencer have on offer at the moment:  Striped Round Neck Jumper, £35/Floral Print Long Sleeve Shirt, £35/Striped Trousers, £27.50/Wool Rich Peacoat, £159/Leather Block Heel Brogues, £49.50/Round Sunglasses, £15/Printed Cross Body Bag, £27.50, all Marks and Spencer.  This round neck knit offers t...