Wiltshire

. July 20, 2016 .
This is a sponsored editorial in collaboration with Dorothy Perkins

Dressing up for festivals is one of the most fun parts about going along to these summer events. From pushing boundaries to smothering yourself in glitter, it's really a time to experiment with your wardrobe. I've just got back from FIB Festival in Benicassim, Spain (which was incredible) where the uniform was basically denim short-shorts and backless leotards. Granted, this is heavily influenced by the searing temperatures where you want to be wearing as little as possible, but to adopt it for some of our UK festivals would probably be difficult and probably a little chilly. 

Discounting the insane heatwave we've been having over the passed few days, I've teamed up with Dorothy Perkins to bring you a couple of alternative festival looks that I'd wear in U.K weather (not a hot pant in sight). Where wellies are often appropriate, there's a load of London festivals happening this summer where and ankle-boots or a pair of sandals are all you need, though I think this embroidered denim would look so good tucked into my pair of black Hunters. I paired them with a minimal but pretty spaghetti-strap body for a figure-defining silhouette, then layered this gorgeous lace scalloped kimono over the top. It's floaty shape is perfect for dancing at festivals and skin peeking through the sheer fabric is such an elegant but fun detail too. Finishing off the outfit with a velvet chocker gives the whole look a little 90's twist too.

Lace body, embroidered jeans, lace kimono, velvet choker - All by Dorothy Perkins



For the second outfit, I definitely wanted to have a play around with a cami dress. This look is definitely targeted at those festivals where you won't be covered in mud, but still want to have fun with what you wear and even try something pretty. The lace-trim camisole dress doesn't just have to be for the evening or for night-wear but can be made daytime and festival appropriate too. Layering the dress over a slogan tee is again a great twist on the 90's trend and there's no better place to experiment with a clash of garments than a festival. I'm so happy with how the pieces look together and used a super thick velvet choker to finish off the total look.

Thanks for reading as always girls, I hope you've enjoyed this editorial and I've given you some outfit inspiration for any of your up coming music festivals this summer - I'd love to hear your festival essentials below! 

Taupe slip dress, slogan tee, thick choker - All by Dorothy Perkins



Festival Looks for the UK

Notting Hill

. July 12, 2016 .

Nightwear as daywear has got to be one of my favourite trends of 2016, I mean who doesn’t love rolling out of the house in comfy pyjamas in the morning? It’s the ultimate lazy-girl, effortless trend and it looks oh-so-cool too. This top is from my favourite little Misguided pyjama set and works just as well as a daytime blouse as it does a cosy piece to wear to bed. Plus, it's only £30 for the set so you really can't go wrong, check it out in white too. The contrast white piping detailing is such an elegant touch and gives it a bit of a designer vibe – always a plus.

For an evening at the electric cinema in Notting Hill, I paired it with a white denim mini skirt to pick out the white details in the shirt, a mini black cross body and these new lattice sandals which I am living for thanks to the Mango sale – there’s still have a few sizes left here. What do you guys think of the pyjama trend? I'd love to hear how you'd style this shirt below!



The Pyjama Blouse

London

. July 08, 2016 .
This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Badoo


It's no secret I've caught a serious case of the travel bug. During the summer I'm constantly planning trips, searching for new places to discover or scouring Pinterest for the best travel inspo. Whilst I'm away, one of my favourite things to do is talking with locals or fellow travellers to get the low-down on the area, from incredible restaurants to hidden beaches I've found some really special places thanks to connecting who know the area well. In Sorrento, for example, Dave and I made friends with two lovely Italian guys who ran an Irish bar and not only did they help us discover a couple of amazing restaurants, but told us about these hidden ruins and lagoon on the cliff edge of Sorrento and our day there was actually the best part of the holiday.

Whilst we were lucky to meet our welcoming Italian friends, I've always thought it would be great to make these connections before I travel – especially as I'm considering a solo-trip to Indonesia in the next few months. It's great to have as much information and inspiration (I ususally create a Pinterest board for each trip!) before you go.

That's where social discovery app Badoo comes in. With over 300 million users to date, it's the fastest growing app for meeting new people. You can chat with people with similar interests, even use it as a social dating platform (I've already had my single girl friends to download it!), but of course if, like me, you're just interested in making new friends or connecting with people in a specific area then that's totally cool too. You can easily choose these settings in-app with the make new friends, chat or date options. What I also love about this app is it's verified photo feature. When you sign up you're asked to verify your profile by sending an image of yourself doing a specific gesture. Of course, you can opt our but it'll mean you won't be viewed by others who have chosen only to connect with verified users – super safe!

What makes it great for travelling is the location feature – you can search and select a location anywhere in the world to connect with fellow Badoo users. I'm off to Benicassim festival in Spain next week and still haven't booked my hotel (always leaving everything to the last minute), but in a few quick taps of the app I'm able to connect with local guys and girls in the area and I'll be asking their tips on where's best to stay! This tool I think would be so great on a solo trip too. Whilst I'm excited about travelling alone, waltzing up to new people and making friends still seems quite daunting to me, so making a few connections with like-minded people I could chat, meet up or share tips with before I go makes the whole process a little less intimidating.

I'd love to hear what you guys think – I'm so excited about using this app for my travels over the next few months! Badoo is free to download on the App Store, Google Play, and Windows Store.

The Social Discovery App For Connecting When You Travel

Marylebone

. July 05, 2016 .

When it actually decides to behave like summer, London can either be glorious (should you have time to bask in one of the royal parks) or humid and sticky. Running between meetings and events in the city or getting stuck on the central line means I'm often feeling the latter, so though I'm sadly nowhere near the beach – I find myself wanting to dress like it on these hot and sweaty days. I've no time for leather jackets or tight trousers when humidity hits, but I also need to look presentable too.

GO FOR COTTON
A light, billowing cotton blouse like this one is usually my go-to and if it's off the shoulder, even better. Cotton or linen is breathable and should keep you cool and won't make you sweat like synthetics such as polyester and choosing a loose style always makes me feel less hot and bothered.

SMARTEN UP
Cinching it in with a fitted skirt helps smarten up the look so a cotton-denim so a good option, try one in black for a smarter vibe. I'm totally in love with this lace-up black denim mini by Very and it's now just £11.25 in the sale! Minimal and smart accessorising is also key to making floaty, summer pieces more city-appropriate; these sleek leather Mango slides are a great smart-sandal and keep my tootsies cool and comfortable.

SLICK RICK
Sporting a slick hair do' will keep you cool and give your a look a chic update. This loose-bun took all of 60 seconds to do and is a great way to mange my second-day wand curls, but a straight sleek pony is also another of my favourite looks when it gets hot and sticky and I need to get my hair out of the way.

Shop the look: Glamorous blouse* | Very skirt (now £11)* | 
Mango sandals Accessorize sunglasses & necklace
Forever 21 bag


Dressing for Humidity in the City

Kings Cross

. July 04, 2016 .


2016 has been the year I actually stuck to some of my new year goals. I've transitioned into blogging full-time, completed my bachelors degree at university, finally got my butt into the gym on a regular basis and actually got fit. Seeing a personal trainer has played a big part in this (I'm working on super long feature about my fitness journey which will cover this) but with this new found love for fitness I've come to love experimenting in different types of exercise too.

So, when Swimwear 365 got in touch last month to invite me along to a reform pilates class at Move Your Frame, I jumped at the chance to try it out. Reform pilates uses springs and pullies (those funny contraptions you can see above) to add another dimension to regular pilates work outs, aiding the harder exercises and adding challenge when they're mastered. Improving tone, flexibility and even lengthening, it's a great work out with loads of benefits.

Different to anything I've tried before and what I'd been doing in training sessions, I was pleasantly surprised by how the slow, controlled exercises really tested my balance and endurance and I really did sweat! It was such a good work out and I was full of endorphins afterwards and so ready for a good breakfast.

The Kings Cross studio has it's own 'Fuel for Frame' cafĂ©, complete with a fuss-free menu packed with the perfect post-work out snacks. I went for a carrot and ginger juice, and between us we shared some delicious acai fruit bowls and stacks of delicious protein pancakes! Over the delicious brunch we had the chance to browse through Swimwear 365's summer look book which was full of so many – be sure to check out the whole collection here.  Thanks to Label PR, Swimwear 365 and Move Your Frame for a lovely experience and awesome work out – I will be back for sure.

I'm wearing: Topshop Ivy Park leggings, HM vest (similar)
Nike Flykint Lunar trainers, Missoma necklace

Reform Pilates with Swimwear365