Zara Home: Black Vanilla Reed Diffuser

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ZARA Home - Black Vanilla Home Fragrance £15.99 (on sale)

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I bought this on the day I went to afternoon tea (if you haven't read the post, you are missing out on sugary goodness) and thought I would give it a test run for a while before I reviewed it!

I LOVE home fragrances! Anyone who knows me or has entered my room clearly knows this! I love scented candles and reed diffusers as I find that it helps me relax after those long, stressful and tiring days! You know, where you just want to lay in bed, or in the bath with nice cup of tea and some soft music in the background, while the scent starts to set the ambiance for a cosy night in... that's what I love to treat myself to! 

So trust me when I tell you that this is heavenly! It has a luxurious smell that doesn't become overpowering but remains subtle and delicate, a scent that leaves a faint smile on your lips! I have to be quite honest in saying that this has beaten my all time favourite smell NEOM: Moroccan Blush Rose (I still do love that with all my heart). 

The first thing you smell is that sweetness of vanilla and praline! Oh it's so delightful and warming! Which then is followed by a slight citrus scent (this would take away from the overpowering sweetness you sometimes get with vanilla) and it makes it so addictive and intoxicating! It's scent is seductive and classy, as the name suggest!

The bottle itself if elegant and simple which I love as it would suit any place in the household! I have been using this product day and night as I have become that addicted to it! I absolutely love it!

Main Aromatic Notes: Praline, milk, musk, citrus fruits, vanilla.

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Have you used any of ZARA home fragances?

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Holi Festival of Colours

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I think I love my new blue mascara more than I thought I would! It definitely is perfect for events like this. 

This was my first festival experience and I absolutely loved it! When we arrived, literally as soon as we walked through security, it started to pour down with rain and it was heavy rain! This was definitely not enough to dishearten the mood let alone kill it, in fact we were all kind of enjoying it! It was fun being in the pouring rain with friends, loud music, people excited and having a good time. 

Some photos may have come out blurry/not great quality due to the paint powder being everywhere including on the camera lens!

I cannot even begin to describe how much fun it is being in an environment where everybody is having a good time and there is a mad amount of colour being thrown around! I mean the powder paint was so much fun. Getting that first hit of colour to your white outfit is probably one of the best parts. At points it was as if you are swimming in a rainbow. Literally, you are only surrounded by bursts of colour.

Powder all on my camera lens :(

Holi is the festival in India where people celebrate the victory of good over evil and the coming of spring. This is also where everyone gathers together under vibrant coloured powders thrown into the air to express their freedom!

That vibe and atmosphere was certainly present on this day! Everybody was so friendly and happy, celebrating life and with colours thrown in the air, everybody was a colourful mess :)

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The music was incredible, it was one song after the next that makes you wanna move! From drum&bass - dubstep - trap music it was just so good. I mean the line up included ESKEI83 and BBC Radio One's Zane Lowe what wouldn't there be to love? There was definitely a lot of Shazam-ing!

I had such an amazing day! I couldn't have wished for a better first festival experience and had an amazing time with the people I went with! Thank you!

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Here's a small video of the day:

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If you haven't been before, you should definitely look to go next year! It is an experience one should experience at least once in their lives!
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What was your favourite festival experience?

Sweet, Sugar, Candyman! - Afternoon Tea inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

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"Who can take a sunrise
Sprinkle it in dew
Cover it in chocolate 
and a miracle or two?"

. . .

"The candyman can cause he mixes it with love 
And makes the world taste good

And the world tastes good cause the candyman thinks it should"

What I Wore

Shirt: Zara - Vest Top: H&M - Trousers: Fenn Wright Manson - Shoes: Carvela - Bag: Zara - Bracelet: Tatty Devine

Afternoon Tea at One Aldwych Hotel was ...well ...to die for! Everything was so much fun that it brings out your inner child! I mean for starters it was one of my childhood dreams that Willy Wonka's delights would be real and this was pretty close to living that dream!

Everything was just so playful that it had us reeling in delight. The menu was absolutely perfect and a true reflection of Roald Dalh's classic story. The savoury and sweet part of the menu complimented each other brilliantly. Everything was so light and delicate. There wasn't one thing that was either too sweet or the base of a tart overcooked/under-cooked. Everything was in the right balance!

The Menu

My favourite things from the entire menu were the Leek and Stilton Quiche from the savoury and the Chocolate Caramel Milk, Homemade Candyfloss and Golden Chocolate Egg filled with Vanilla Cheesecake and Mango Puree! Everything was so light and fluffy! It didn't leave you feeling bloated or sickly! We chose to have the Smooth Caramel tea which had a hint of vanilla in it! It complimented everything so beautifully, I can still taste the aroma now (far far away in my bed)! On top of everything being so yummy, the service was exceptionally friendly and caring.

They serve the savoury part of the menu first and then once you have finished they bring out the sweet menu, however we requested to have the sweet alongside the savoury and within 5 minutes they brought out the (best part) sweets! 

When presented with the sweet part of the menu, our host told us to try and guess what flavour the candyfloss was! When we took a bite into it, we were shocked because it wasn't the candyfloss sweet you expect it to be. Instead it had a tangy kick to it! It was almost refreshing for something that is meant to be so sweet! The flavour was Rhubarb and Custard! I don't think I can enjoy normal candyfloss as much after this one!

  

Happy girls -  Karen and I are all smiles!

I definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys going for afternoon teas, anyone who has a sweet tooth, anyone who likes food and appreciates a touch of elegance with a quirky twist!

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Make sure you check out Karen's food blog Digestible Love for scrumptious recipes 

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Where is your favourite spot for afternoon tea?

KAWAII OVERLOAD - ♥ Artbox Haul ♥

(=^-ω-^=)

Since most of my closest friends have moved abroad/returned home! I find that the nicest way to stay in touch with them is by writing letters. It is more personal and for one thing, I LOVE receiving letters/postcards/parcels from my friends as they are filled with love, so I can only hope that they feel the same! As my letter set was running out I decided to purchase a new one .... 

.... but I kinda got sidetracked with the amazing overload of cute stickers, and when I say overload I kinda do mean over load!!!!  However, I did stick to my original purpose and purchase 1....2....3... ok... 4 letter and envelope sets aswell as ALOT of stickers. I mean there were so many to choose from and they were all so fun and cute that I couldn't decide, so decided to buy them all! 

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Artbox Letter Set: Folding Pink - £1.60

Crux Letter Set: Funny Funny Panda - £4.50

Artbox Letter Set: Bonjour Panda - £1.50

Q-Lia Lette Set: Slowly and Slowly - £1.60

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Q-Lia Stickers: Penguin - £2.60

Q-Lia Stickers: Salary Panda £2.60

Kamio Stickers: Mochi Panda £2.80

Q-Lia Stickers: Japanese Cat - £2.60

Crux Stickers: Penpit Animals - £2.40

Crux Stickers: Cute Ghosts - £2.40

San-X Stickers: Korilakkuma - £3.20

SuAtelier Stickers: Gamja - £1.50

SuAtelier Stickers: Mayor of London £1.50

SuAtelier Stickers: Kokeshi - £1.50

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Do you like to keep in touch with friends through letters?

Michael Kors Glam Jasmine

As the days are getting warmer and summer is slowly making its appearance in London :) I wanted something very young, fresh and alluring for the holidays, as the perfumes I generally tend to use are more mature, sensual and sexy. Now I don't know if it's because it is the meaning of my name but I have always loved the smell of Jasmine. When I was younger we used to have Jasmine flowers wrapped around the wooden garden arch, and when the flowers bloomed I loved passing through it and sitting under it! 

So as I was testing the different perfumes available, I was having a hard time choosing a new fragrance that matched what I wanted. The scents were either too sweet with cherry undertones or far too floral (in a sticky sweet kind of way). 

I then remembered that Michael Kors had brought out fragrances and somewhere in the back of my mind I had a vague memory of one being called Glam Jasmine. At this point my arms and wrists were covered in various scents and to be quite honest all the smells had fused together so I was having a hard time differentiating the perfumes in general. I sprayed it on my shoulder and it was love at first sniff. 

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The packaging is simple and elegant in white with gold details: 

 Glam Jasmine is in a tall, glass flacon with a golden stopper that has MICHAEL KORS EST. 1981 engraved into it and a stud in each corner:

They are available in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml. Unfortunately boots didn't stock the 100ml so I got the 50ml.

Top Notes

 White florals with a hint of sparkling citrus and cassis   

Heart Notes

 Egyptian jasmine, jasmine sambac and jasmine petals

Base Notes

 A deep seductive dry-down of creamy sandalwood and cedarwood

The perfume itself has strong staying power and silage. The smell only slightly lightens after 3-4 hours.

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I have only had my bottle for 4 days and I have worn it everyday since! It's alluring, indulgent and statement-making. Anyone whom I have had contact with, and on a couple of occasions, just walked past, have complimented and asked what I was wearing. This is definitely now my staple everyday, feel good summer scent.

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A Taste of Turkey

  I ♡ ISTANBUL

It had been near three years since my last visit to Istanbul, so I was super excited to be going for two weeks at the beginning of this new year! Istanbul is one of my favourite cities in the world! It is the perfect combination of old and new - East meets West. The history of this enchanting city spans over thousands and thousands of years, in fact there are findings which date back to the 3rd millennium BC by the Golden Horn.

My first week was spent with my family, catching up with my aunt and uncle, looking after my little cousins and helping my grandmother with the cooking. I love spending time with my family and especially playing with my little cousins. They are just so cute!!! On my second week in Istanbul, I went around sight seeing and mainly just looking for places with good wholesome food :P

For those of you who haven't been to Istanbul or are going soon, I have compiled a list of places for you of my favourite places to eat  and visit in the first part of this blog! Be sure to check out these places when you go!

Next Stop... BERLIN

 I ♡ BERLIN

As an early graduation present my aunt and uncle sent me to Berlin for the weekend! I never thought I would love the city as much as I did. The people were so friendly, the general atmosphere of the city was so chilled. It was so relaxing. The food was amazing, I would definitely recommend going to CHA CHA near Checkpoint Charlie, Aapka between Berlin Mitte and Berlin Prenzlauer Berg and Kartoffelkeller (Potato Cellar) in Berlin-Mitte was so good and filling.  

A weekend in Berlin is definitely not enough. The architecture, the people, the food,the nightlife,  the street art and chilled atmosphere leaves you wanting more. 

p.s You can't go to Berlin and not have a good pint of beer and world famous Currywurst (available in pork, beef and chicken)