The Holy Grail of Face Creams...!

 'The Holy Grail of Face Creams.' That's a bold statement. One so bold that I'm able and willing to say after falling in love with The Organic Pharmacy's Double Rose Rejuvenating Face Cream!

For quite some time I have suffered from skin that often gets dehydrated (especially in the winter months!), with dry, itchy and rash-like problems particularly around my chin. Admittedly, my diet hasn't always been the healthiest due to being such a fussy eater but I have changed a lot over the past year or so about the things that I eat and the amount of water I drink. But still nothing changed.

I tried out a tester of Aromatherapy Associates' Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser which was the first cream I tried that actually made a complete difference to my complexion and made it a lot less itchy! I was SO happy to have finally found a product that my skin lapped up and that I saw benefits from almost straight away, I couldn't wait to snap it up. But that's when I realised that it was a whopping £58 for a small tube which was/is sadly out of my price-range (wah!).

Since finding my dream-cream, I tried to find an alternative Rose-based moisturiser as I learnt that Rose has calming properties which was probably the reason my skin loved it so much! I tried a few alternatives but found that they reacted with my skin, were too oily and thick and just didn't compare to the Triple Rose Renewing...

That is until I tried a sample of The Organic Pharmacy's wonderful Double Rose Rejuvenating Cream! (Hurrah!). It is still fairly pricey at £39 but if you have similar skin problems to the ones that I described, I can't tell you how much I would recommend this! My skin literally transformed overnight after using this for the first time! It leaves your skin feeling really fresh and moisturised without being greasy and it contains lots of organic natural ingredients such as Rose, Rose Hip and Bilberry. It also smells like you have just walked through the Chelsea Flower Show which is always a winner in my eyes!

Seriously, give this a go! It's for all skin types and I would highly recommend that everyone reading this tries it out as it will literally transform your skin (all of the reviews I read said the same!). It's not the cheapest of products but the way I look at it, it means I won't be wasting money on buying and trying different products over a period of a few months - I'll just be sticking to one, safe in the knowledge that my skincare needs are under control :)

Which products have you been trying recently? What would you recommend?

X

Lace is more...

(Outfit: Top, Skirt and Sandals - Topshop. Bag - River Island)

I admit it. I wear too much Topshop. But when you're a part-time employee and you get a discount, it'd be rude not to abuse it, right? Right. So when I visited my sister and her beau (not bae) last weekend in sunny Fareham, I thought I'd give this outfit a spin for dinner and drinks. I wore head-to-toe Topshop with the exception of this amazing fluffball of a bag from River Island. (Who needs a Cat?!...)

I was looking at this lacey/crochet top for a while, (it comes in navy blue too), but I had no idea what to wear with it as it seems a little risqué, yet the back is a jersey material so I thought a slip might get a bit uncomfortable. However, after much thought I decided that for a girl as pale as myself with as much in the boob department as two aspirins on an ironing board, a skin-coloured bra would suffice as it didn't seem so see-through that way! (Or at least in the light I was standing in! haha). I love the 60's feel that it has to it with the floral woven pattern and the high neck and I decided to team it with a worn-black denim button-up skirt and some sandals for a daytime-in-to-nighttime look.

Enjoy the sunshine this weekend!

Shannon X

You've got the silver, you've got the gold...

SO. As we all know, the 70's are back, and boy am I glad! There are so many seventies-inspired goodies around at the moment from floaty bohemian dresses and fringed suede jackets, to sporty classic 70's tees and battered old converses! There's something to suit everyone's inner 70's goddess and I for one intend to lap it up! And the good news is - it's here to stay for Autumn/Winter '15 (wahoo!)

I spotted this amazing vintage 70's bat-wing cardigan from Sulking in Silk Vintage when I was browsing through my instagram news feed a few weeks back. I instantly knew I had to have it! I'm not usually very quick to make purchase decisions but something about this little gold number had me at hello (maybe it was that the gold discs reminded me of a certain Jane Birkin dress from way-back-when!), and at a bargain price of £26 I'm so glad I snapped it up! It's a great little piece to style for a few cocktails, (or a gig in my case) or to chuck over something less spangly at a festival and stand out from the crowd! I decided on this particular day to team it with a classic 70's style slim-fitted California tee from Zara and some Topshop sunnies!

This is my first outfit post so apologies for its patchiness and lack of legs (haha). I will be posting lots of 70's and 60's inspired outfits, reviews on products and other general bits and pieces every week so please keep your eyes peeled and come back to read again :) 

Shannon X

Burberry Beauty Top Picks SS15

As a lot of you reading this will know, earlier in March I was lucky enough to be filmed playing one of my songs 'Medicine' for Burberry Acoustic! I have been a big fan of the brand for quite some time and regularly keep up to date with their collections (wasn't the AW15 show incredible?!), and the amazing videos that they do with unsigned and upcoming artists. To be be chosen to film one was an absolute honor and a bit of a 'pinch-me' moment! My live acoustic video is linked at the bottom of this post, set in the beautiful grounds of Cliveden, near where I live, so check it out if you haven't done so already!

Through doing the video, Burberry were generous enough to give me some vouchers to spend in-store which I was SO excited about! I took a trip to the flagship store on Regent's Street and went for a beautifully classic Kensington Trench Coat (future outfit post to come), a traditional Cashmere scarf, goodies for Fred and my family, and lots of smelly/beauty bits for myself. A few of my favourites I have decided to give my opinion on for anyone who is thinking of trying out some of Burberry's gorgeous products! Let me know below if you have tried any too and what you'd recommend!

 My Burberry Eau De Parfum

Seriously. If you haven't smelled this yet, you and your senses are missing out big time. Definitely one of my favourite perfumes around at the moment and I think it's going to be one of those that will stay close to the top of my list for quite some time! A little goes a long way with this as it's quite strong, but it also has the perfect mix of being quite sweet, sensual and uplifting too. If you go for the larger bottle, you can even get your initials engraved (available in Burberry stores and online), so it makes a really lovely present too...even if that means a present to yourself! (cheeky!)

My Burberry Shower Oil and Body Mist

These little beauties go hand in hand with the My Burberry Eau de Parfum and I cannot tell you how much I'd recommend getting the 3 products together if you're able to! I decided to use these products sparingly and only on special occasions as it would soon get pricey to keep re-purchasing, but using the combination of the 3 made my body feel so soft and moisturised, with that added gorgeous scent of My Burberry so I'd definitely recommend these. The oil turns slightly soapy when you wash with it, so there's no need for an extra shower gel. Again, a little goes a long way! I was a bit apprehensive about the Body Mist as I was ideally looking for more of a moisturiser, but actually this was really nourishing and soaked into my skin immediately due to it being so light and fresh. It also meant that I didn't need to wait around forever to put my clothes which was an added bonus! 

Fresh Glow Foundation

I don't know about you, but I really like my base make-up to be quite natural and dewy-looking, but when you're as pale as I am and have dry/irritable skin, it's often easier said than done to find something that ticks all of the boxes. On a day-to-day basis I tend to stick with Bobbi Brown's tinted moisturiser as I find it doesn't dry my face out and it gives a nice coverage without looking cakey, but when I go out I like to have a nice foundation to give me a bit more of a 'finished' look. So I opted for the Fresh Glow Foundation when I was browsing Burberry's beauty stand. I went for the lightest shade 'Porcelain No.11', which admittedly is still a bit darker than my usual shade of choice, but it blends in really easily, it's perfectly moisturising and dewy-looking, and will be perfect for the summer months being that little bit darker. Plus it has an added SPF 15 which is always a bonus. Hats off to you, Burberry - this is definitely my new favourite foundation!

SS/15 Runway Palette Blush Highlighter

I love this little compact! Not only does it look as pretty as a picture in its limited edition SS/15 sleeve, it gives such a lovely pop of colour with an added bit of shimmer. Perfect for ladies with fair skin! It also comes with a cute little velvet pouch with a teeny blusher brush, so it's great to pop in your handbag and touch up with throughout the day.

Burberry Kisses

I got this in the 'Blossom Pink No.29' shade and I really love it. It glides on really easily and is super moisturising! My only knock on it is that I don't think the color looks as bold on the lips as it does when you push the lipstick up, but nevertheless it still looks great and it gives a lovely tint-look more than anything else. Now to try some of the many other colours...!

X

Shannon Wardrop - 'Medicine' for Burberry Acoustic

HELLO 2015

A very happy new year to you all! Can anyone else believe we can actually say that already?! 2014 flew by in the blink of an eye and already we are back at the time of year when we all make drastic promises to ourselves about things to change for the new year like losing weight, giving up smoking, going on a diet, etc!
This got me thinking; why do we feel that we need to change so much about ourselves? I don't know if it's anything to do with social media (which of course has its pros aswell as cons), but over the last few years it seems that we are suddenly obsessed with pressuring ourselves at the beginning of January to make drastic changes and have the body of a supermodel by March. I too am guilty of promising similar things to myself when the new year begins, but I'm starting to realise that the goals we set ourselves are unrealistic and only set us up for a fall when we don't reach them. Why don't we take a step back and look at the things we do well and the things we like about ourselves to help set realistic goals instead? Like, ''I should do MORE of this'', ''I like (x) about myself so I will continue to IMPROVE on it''.
Sure, trying new things is always a good thing to do and will help us to broaden our minds, but surely by setting ourselves obtainable and realistic goals for each month we are far more likely to reach them and feel happier in ourselves without the need to want such drastic changes in our lives...

Let's be kindER, healthiER, fittER,

HAPPIER

Thank You For The Days...

Just under two weeks ago, I was lucky enough to watch and meet one of my personal musical heroes, Ray Davies, live at The Royal Festival Hall on the Southbank.

When I was a little girl, my Dad used to play my sister and I bands like The Stones, The Who, The Small Faces and The Kinks in the back of the car while he was doing 'The Knowledge' to be a London Taxi Driver. (It all sounds very rock n roll but my sister and I must have looked like two funny little squirts pulling up with our Dad and walking into greasy cafe's for a bacon butty with a load of other budding cockney Londoners haha). I remember the sky always seemed to look grey and dismal, matching the typically Working-Class cafe that we would go into full of middle-aged men sipping on their builder's brews and Full English Breakfasts. But the soundtrack to our journeys there and back added colour to those grey days and gave me some kind of excitement that I still get today when I hear great music and play music of my own.

As I said, one of those bands was The Kinks. The electric guitar riffs played by Dave Davies and growling vocals from Ray were so exciting to hear, even for a kid born in the early 1990's, nearly 30 years after those songs were first around. I suppose that's the mark of a great band and a great song - when there is an element that is so charismatic that it speaks to young people for generations to come. Something that sparks imagination, passion and hope.

Ray Davies has been widely credited over many years for his songwriting ability and with the help of his band, The Kinks, his contribution to modern music as we know it today. I mean, come on - he gave us the likes of All Day and All of the Night, Waterloo Sunset, Lola, Victoria, You Really Got Me, Sunny Afternoon...(need I go on?!). These songs have become part of what defines us as being quintessentially British, and for that, we hail you King Ray...

When my Dad told me that his friend Paul, who is Ray's Nephew, had managed to get us tickets to see him live, I was so excited. I had never seen him play live prior to this so I was looking forward to it a lot!

The Royal Festival Hall was filled to the brim with fans, many of which were couples who would have been teenagers or young adults in the 1960's when The Kinks were in their prime. There couldn't have been a better venue for these fans to revisit their nostalgic youth than here, overlooking Waterloo's very own sunset on a sunny evening at the end of Summer.

Ray Davies gave an energetic and powerful set the whole way through, full of iconic Kinks songs, much to the audience's joy. There were also plenty of scissor-kicks might I add, proving that Rock n Roll has no age restrictions! (So there's no reason why you can't do the Splits, Nan! hehe). The band were super tight and really complimented everything that Ray played/sang. The gig felt almost like a Production, which if I knew before the gig, I would have turned my nose up at the thought of, but it worked so brilliantly with Ray reading certain stories from his life and book, Americana, between every few songs.

The band finished up the set and made their way backstage for a quick drink and rest before coming back for not just one encore, but TWO! Who'd have thought it? Certainly not them! The crowd were truly loving the set and clearly just didn't want the night to end. (Myself included!)
After the musician's finally got some well earned rest after the show, Paul took us backstage to meet Ray himself. Now I was extremely concerned that I would make an idiot of myself and go too 'fan-girl' on him by getting verbal diarrhoea and saying something stupid (haha), but all went very smoothly and I was extremely flattered when Ray told me that he liked my music! To think!!

So all is well and I am content in knowing that one of my personal musical heroes that I grew up listening to, likes my music...now off to write some more...!
Shannon

A Life in Stripes

If there's one pattern that never goes out of fashion, one that we revert to every time we have no idea what to wear, it has got to be the good ol' trusty stripe! Whether it's a Breton stripe tee, a pinstripe shirt or a monochrome striped dress, it just seems to be that one pattern that is timeless and never fails to please!

Let's take a look at stripes through the ages...

The 1920's

 

The 1930's

 

 

The 1940's

 

 

 



The 1950's

 

The 1960's

 

 

The 1970's

 

 

 

 

 

The 1980's

 

 

 

 

The 1990's

 

 

 

And even today in 2014, we are still crazy for a stripe! I guess it's a print that will be timeless forever more... so let's get investing in more of those trusty stripes!