My holiday to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Ciao ♥ At the beginning of this month I managed to escape the constant hustle and bustle of London life to the serenity of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. I went away for just under two weeks with one of my closest childhood friends. As it was her first girls' holiday we really wanted to make the most of our time away together by exploring and taking on as many excursions as possible.

All of ours were booked via Sharm Excursions prior to flying out. This site offers a range of excursions at affordable prices which work out to be a lot cheaper than those prices offered in Egypt. Better yet, at checkout you’re only required to pay a 10% deposit as the remainder of the cost will be collected upon your arrival. This is a great benefit for those who are slightly weary about making a payment with a site they’re not familiar with.

Our first excursion took place in the desert on the outskirts of Sharm and consisted of camel riding, dinner with a Bedouin tribe and star gazing. Despite doing this excursion the last time I was in Egypt, I just had to do it again as it's such a fun experience.

Our next excursion was a trip to Cairo which, as you can imagine, is bustling with character and has a history so rich it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. Our first visit was to The Egyptian Museum which was absolutely phenomenal and my favourite part of my trip to Cairo. Yes! Even more than the pyramids. I was in awe of the many different artifacts which are more than a thousand years old. You wouldn't dare think it as they're in immaculate condition and preserved exceptionally well. My favourite part of the museum has to be the section displaying an array of mummified animals, including a crocodile the length of a double-decker bus, if not longer. Amazing, right? Unfortunately, I'm unable to show you guys any of this as you're not allowed to take photos inside of the museum (wah!). Here I am in the museum's garden...

After visiting the museum we then had a boat ride along the River Nile before stopping off for some lunch.

After filling up our bellies it was finally time to pay the magnificent pyramids a visit.

For our final excursion we went quad biking in the desert.

On two separate occasions we managed to drag ourselves away from the hotel's pool and head into town to visit the old market. The old market is flowing with merchants sitting on stools as they smoke tobacco and sip on glasses of hot chai, infused with mint. Handmade jewellery of a wooden and mother of pearl composition can be found dangling from metal fixtures affixed to shop windows and doors. Stray, lounging cats take refuge during the hottest hours of the day as the sun beams down, unforgiveable to those who dare get in its way.

I put my haggling skills to good use as I bought a ton of souvenirs for a fraction of the original asking price. This was helped massively by the fact that I can speak some Arabic and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Trust me, haggling is my thang. One shop owner even called me ‘big mafia’ as I refused to back down. LOL! I rest my case.

Some funny-ish things to expect when in Egypt:

• Taxi drivers transporting you to your chosen destination at a speed of 80-100mph.
• The constant honking of car horns for no apparent reason. 
• Camels parked up at the side of the road. 
• Merchants mimicking English expressions (i.e. lovely jubbly, cheap as chips and etc.).
• Being offered herds of animals as a dowry for marriage (I was offered 50 cows LOL)

If you want to see some more of my photos from Egypt then make sure you follow me on Instagram. Also, do let me know if any of you guys went away this summer? If so, where to? :)

Ciao ♥ Xx 

Follow

Wish List | July

 

Premium Suede Trench Coat - £250 from Topshop (click here to view)

Cronometro Sandal - £322/£161 from Pinko (click here to view)

Suede Midi Skirt - £85 from Miss Selfridge (click here to view)

Invidia Sunglasses - £180 from Taylor Morris (click here to view)

Leather Fringe Saddle Bag - £65 from Accessorize (click here to view)

Multistrand Necklace - £14.99 from H&M (click here to view)

ASOS Fedora With Wide Brim - £25 from ASOS (click here to view)

Striped Wood Drop Earrings - £8.50 from Topshop (click here to view)

NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette - £45 from Selfridges (click here to view) 

Ciao ♥ Xx

Follow

Wish List | June

Striped Midi Slip Dress - £36 from Topshop (click here to view)

Sudan Bag - £125/£87 from Pinko (click here to view)

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow - £49 from Harvey Nichols (click here to view)

Sunglasses - £5.99 from H&M (click here to view)

Mini Oyster Shell Drop Earrings By Patricia Nicolas - £15 from Topshop (click here to view)

Nike Roshe Run Flyknit - £94.99 from Office (click here to view)

Khaki Fedora - £25 from Miss Selfridge (click here to view)

2-Pack Bracelets - £12.99 from H&M (click here to view)

Tom Ford Lip Colour In Sable Smoke - £37 from Selfridges (click here to view)

Chloe Love Story Eau De Parfum 50ml - £64.50 from John Lewis (click here to view)

Ciao ♥ Xx

SS15 Fashion Trend #3

Ciao ♥ Welcome to the third and most exciting instalment of my SS15 Fashion Trends blog post series. In this post I will be focusing upon the upcoming festival season which will soon be in full swing. Eek! How exciting! Before I begin, if anyone is interested in having a read of either of the first two instalments, simply select: Flared Trousers or The 70s, but do hurry back though as I can barely control my excitement #FestivalJunkieAlert.

When it comes to fashion, festivals are the perfect place for y'all to go all out and experiment as much as your wee heart desires. There are no restrictions as to what is considered fashionable or stylishly correct. You can be as adventurous and wild as you want. All within reason of course. I certainly wouldn't want my encouraging words of wildness to be responsible for anyone roaming around topless. "Don't be silly" you mutter under your breath. Ha! You'd be surprised by the things that go down at festivals :P In all seriousness, don't be afraid of wearing something that is outside of your comfort zone. Give it a go. Festivals are a great way of enabling you to express your creativity as you can be as bold, flamboyant and daring as you'd like.

 

Festivals are usually correlated to a bohemian/70s vibe and are the perfect place to channel your inner flower child. Isabel Lucas, Nicole Richie, Rachel Bilson and Vanessa Hudgens are just some of our generation's style icons who perfect this look on a day-to-day basis. If this is a look you are hoping to replicate then simply incorporate some of the following into your outfit: fringing, tassels, suede, lace and crochet. It really is that simple. You can also add some character and edge to your outfit by accessorising it with floral head pieces, layers and stacking of jewellery, body art (i.e. temporary tattoos), bindis and a statement floppy hat or a pair of sunglasses. Accessories really are a girl's best friend at any festival. Oh and it's very much the more, the better.

One of the main factors to take into consideration when choosing a festival outfit is the weather. Fingers crossed the sun will be on its best behaviour as I certainly don't want my festival weekend to be plagued with the stereotypical British weather. However, if worse comes to worse and it's pouring down (definitely something to consider but let's not jinx it), do not let this dampen your mood. Sod it! All you have to do is switch your outfit up a little bit. Swap your distressed denim shorts or flowy mini dress for a pair of high-waisted jeans, flares or culottes. Not only will these be kinder to your legs and keep you warm but you will also still be bang on trend in the fashion stakes.

Gah! There's so much I could talk about but we'd be here all friggin' day so I'm going to quickly speed through some of the best festival hairstyles. Plaits are always a winner as they can be styled in several different ways (i.e. fish or french plait and halo braids), are hella easy to do and require very little time and effort. They're particularly favoured by those attending a weekend festival as they can be kept in for the duration of the time and still look tidy. Loose waves are another festival staple and look great with a floral headpiece, head chain, turban or a floppy hat. Finally, a messy chignon and top knot bun are great for those ladies who want their hair whipped back and out of their face.

Having popped my festival cherry last year I've already experienced the whole "Omg! What do I wear?", "Do you think this outfit is okay?" and "I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO WEAR" kinda dilemma. I know what works and what doesn't so allow me to offer you some helpful tips.

• #FestivalTip1:  When it comes to footwear ensure you wear something that is comfortable as you'll be on your feet for the entire day. I'd also suggest you wear something that you don't mind getting dirty as there's likely to be mud and you're likely to get your feet stepped on at least once. Why not opt for a pair of biker boots, chelsea boots, wellington boots (that's enough of the boots, I promise) or trainers.
• #FestivalTip2: Whether you're festivaling for a day or a weekend ensure you only pack the bare necessities. Also, don't forget to choose a style of bag you wouldn't mind carrying all day long. Last year I wore a rucksack and let's just say, never again. I found it to be slightly annoying as all I wanted to do was have a good ol' boogie so I had to constantly take off my rucksack and rest it on the ground. This year I've chosen to wear a small-medium sized cross-body bag as it won't weigh me down as much. Remember, DO NOT overpack as you'll regret it.
• #FestivalTip3: Make sure you bring enough money to see you through the duration of the festival. It's sensible to bring that tad bit more rather than not bringing enough as you will not be able to leave and re-enter the festival grounds.

Below is a collection of my favourite festival season finds from the high-street and online stores, all of which are currently available to purchase. I've fallen head over heels in love with the suede dungaree and 70s bell sleeve playsuit ♥ What are your favourite pieces from this selection?

The Libby Kimono - £45 from Oasis (click here to view)

Bead Drop Tikka Hair Slide - £6.50 from Topshop (click here to view)

Hairband With Flowers - £9.99 from H&M (click here to view)

Tile Border Print Culottes - £36 from Topshop (click here to view)

4-Pack Ear Decorations - £7.99 from H&M (click here to view)

Mid Wash 70s Button A-Line Denim Skirt - £35 from River Island (click here to view)

Women's Original Short Fringe Wellington Boots - £130 from Hunter (click here to view)

Suede Dungaree - £75 from Miss Selfridge (click here to view)

Neutral Suede Rucksack - £62 from Next (click here to view)

Brown Smart 70s Bell Sleeve Playsuit - £45 from River Island (click here to view)

Metal Bridge Sunglasses - £17.99 from Mango (click here to view)

Watermelon Across Body Bag - £29 from Accessorize (click here to view)

Stone Stripe Floppy Hat - £12.99 from New Look (click here to view)

Metallic Temporary Tattoos - £3.47 from TotesU (click here to view)

Pearl Mini Bindi - £4.50 from Topshop (click here to view)

Arid Fringe Ankle Boots - £78 from Topshop (click here to view)

 

Are you going to a festival this year? Have you guys got any festival tips? If so, leave them in the comment box below :) Also, make sure you follow my blog as I'll be putting together a bunch of festival outfits over the next two weeks. I'd honestly hate for you guys to miss out.

Ciao ♥ Xx

Primark SS15 Collection Sneek Peak Preview

Ciao ♥ How are you? I hope you've all had a fantastic Christmas and are ready to start the New Year off with a big fashionable BANG. If you are then I'm sure you've already made the most of the Boxing Day sales and treated yourself to a tad too many bargains. Oh well, it happens. If not, what the bloomin' heck are you waiting for? Go ahead and treat yourself. Lol! Ah now am I a bad influence or am I a bad influence? :)

Hmm! I wouldn't be surprised if the whole 'bad influence' thing hardly came as a surprise to some of you as I'll be the first to admit that I just love to shop. So much so that I scroll through the many columns of my favourite high-street and online stores on a day-to-day basis. Within the last two or so weeks I've noticed that SS15 stock is slowly starting to make an appearance. Oh yeahhh! A few days ago I came across a sneak peek preview feature on Primark's SS15 collection. Obviously it was a no-brainer as I just had to share it with you guys. Everyone loves a bit of Primark after all.

 

My favourite pieces has to be the two dresses, especially the first one featured. So pretty! What do you guys think? What's your favourite items?

Ciao ♥ Xx

SS14 Trend #3

Ciao ♥ Today I present to you the third and extremely long overdue installment of my SS14 Fashion Trends blog post series. I've just checked the date in which I published the installment prior to this one and it has been almost three months. Goody gosh, now that is a long time. To be fair I had been meaning to get this blog post published for quite some time but eventually gave up in doing so as life and work simply got in the way. For those who wish to recap and have a read of the first installment, click here. As for the second installment, click here.

The third trend I will be discussing happens to be a personal favourite of mine and one that I've had in my wardrobe for many years. It is a trend that has had the blogger and YouTuber, Leanne from LLimWalker, talking about in her latest videos. Do you guys have the faintest idea on what it could be? Yes! No! Okay, I'll give you one more clue. It is something that you could create in the very comfort of your own home considering that you have mastered the skill of it. That skill being crochet.

Personally, I don't believe that this is a trend that initially had people rushing out to get their hands on. Instead I feel that it is something that a lot of people have been on the fence about as many refer to crochet as being grandma-like. Some also consider it to be a thing of the past, more specifically a thing of the 70s. This couldn't be further from the truth as the runway experienced a revival of crochet this season as it was incorporated into the collections of designers such as Roberto Cavalli. Shown below are a few of the looks from Cavalli's collection.

For those ladies who are not so keen on wearing an outfit that is fully or heavily crocheted there are several ways in which you can still rock this trend. For instance, several garments have a crochet embellishment whether it being a t-shirt with crochet front detailing, a playsuit with crochet panels or a pair of denim shorts that has a crochet trimming. There are also several accessories and jewellery pieces that are made from this pattern.

• #FashionTrendTip: Due to the delicate nature of crochet it's often advised that extra care be taken (i.e. when wearing jewellery) to prevent the garment from snagging. 

• #FashionTrendTip: If the remainder of your summer consists of going to a festival then this is a fashion trend that will help to give you that carefree and bohemian vibe that many festival-goers attempt to replicate.

Below are some of my current favourite crochet finds from the high-street. What are your favourite pieces from this selection? I'm loving the crochet patch dress and think it would look amazing with the choker necklace :)

Carly Crochet Bikini Top - £19 from Accessorize (click here to view)

Carly Crochet Bikini Brief - £15 from Accessorize (click here to view)

Crochet Flower Bracelets - £6.50/£4.50 from Miss Selfridge (click here to view)

Crochet Patch Dress - £60 from Topshop (click here to view)

Crochet Sandals - £39.99 from Bershka (click here to view)

Daisy Crochet Hoody - £110 from Little White Lies (click here to view)

Crochet Shorts - £24 from Topshop (click here to view)

Limited Edition Crochet Tassel Choker Necklace - £10 from ASOS (click here to view)

Crochet Paper Stetson - £22 from Accessorize (click here to view)

New Look Crochet Skinny Belts 2 Pack - £8.99/£5 from ASOS (click here to view)

What are you views on this particular fashion trend? Is it something you would consider rockin' or is it something you would avoid? Do let me know in the comment box below :) X

Ciao! & lots of love ♥

SS14 Trend #2

Ciao ♥ Today I present to you the second installment of my SS14 Fashion Trends blog post series. I'm super pleased to say that so far I've had an amazing response as you guys seem really fond of the Pineapple Trend that I talked about last week, which you can view here. Before I get started I would just like to point out that all of the trends featured in this series are in no particular order in regard to popularity but instead posted randomly. Okay, so let's not waste any more time :)

I feel quite positive in saying that the trend I will be discussing in this post will come as no real surprise to you guys as it's been dominating the fashion world as of late. It has already experienced a huge success on the catwalk and has been introduced into all of our favourite high-street stores. Any guesses as to what I might just be on about? Ah you see, I knew you were somewhat familiar with this trend. Of course it's none other than pretty pastels. After all I have no doubt in the fact that several of you were unknowingly sucked in by the latest pretty pastel must-have, a pink coat. Did any of you surrender to that pestering voice in your head telling you over and over again that you needed to have such a coat? Phew! I too am guilty as charged :P

Pretty pastels does nothing but ooze femininity, contrast well against all skin complexions and helps to incorporate that much needed colour into our wardrobes. It has been incorporated into the SS14 collections of many iconic fashion designers and proved to be a huge success on the catwalk. One show in particular that I know I will not be forgetting in a hurry is the Burberry Prorsum show. Oh Christopher Bailey, you never fail to amaze me. I mean to describe what he managed to pull off as spectacular is a bit of an understatement as he literally took the fashion world by a storm and left everyone wanting more. Gracing the catwalk were the likes of Cara Delevingne who looked effortless in the many different pastel hues. Shown below are a few of my favourite pretty pastel looks from the night.

Fashion consists of trends that you're either going to love or hate. There's no such thing as in between as you're either going to work with it or decide that you'll never be seen dead in it. Pretty pastels is definitely a trend that helps to diminish the latter from happening as we're spoilt for choice with colours. This is quite rare as fashion trends don't usually come in variations that enable us fashionistas to choose from. I feel that this helps to cater to the many different preferences and styles that us ladies have. For instance, if you're someone who isn't very fond of looking overly girly than you can avoid wearing a powder pink pastel hue and instead go for a garment that is of a peppermint shade or a buttercup yellow.

Below are some of my current favourite pretty pastel finds from the high-street. What are your favourite pieces from this selection? I think mine has to be the leather shopper bag from Zara and the Bobbi Brown lipstick. Both are gorgeous!

Light Green Croc Panel Cropped Biker Jacket - £60 from River Island (click here to view)

Looker Cork Platform Sandals - £55 from Topshop (click here to view)

Light Blue Mesh Panel Smart Jumpsuit - £45 from River Island (click here to view)

Aleena Box Pleat Scuba Skater Skirt - £12 from Boohoo (click here to view)

ASOS Large Face Slim Strap Watch - £20 from ASOS (click here to view)

Leather Shopper - £79.99 from Zara (click here to view)

O.P.I Nail Lacquer 'Mod About You' - £11.50 from ASOS (click here to view)

Peplum Fit and Flare Dress - £46 from Topshop (click here to view)

ASOS Satchel Bag With Scalloped Edge - £18 from ASOS (click here to view) 

Bobbi Brown Uber Pink Lip Color 'Blondie Pink' - £19 from John Lewis (click here to view)

Triangle Bra - £5.99 from H&M (click here to view)

Blue Gold Filagree Flower Disc Earrings - £3.99 from New Look (click here to view)

ASOS Felt Fedora - £20 from ASOS (click here to view) 

What are you views on this particular fashion trend? Oh and what is your favourite pastel colour? :) X

Blue Gold Filagree Flower Disc Earrings

£3.99
Read more at http://www.newlook.com/shop/parentcategory/product%3A308354210/white-gold-filagree-flower-disc-earrings_308354210#IfYw681bOUaOu5sz.99