The Elephants of Pinnawala ...

November 2015 I was fortunate enough to go on the holiday of a lifetime. An Azamara cruise from Dubai to Singapore. Now, to do one blog post on the whole trip would be near on impossible as there was so many amazing things to explore. So this post is dedicated to the wonderful Elephant Park, Pinnawala, Sri Lanka. 

This big guy kept whacking me over the head with his ear!

Now you may notice that some of the elephants have chains on. About 5 out of 60 had chains on. The one above so he would eat his food and not wander off. Others because they where a bit aggressive, but only when their Mahout (A mahout is a person who rides an elephant. Usually, a mahout starts as a boy in the 'family profession' when he is assigned an elephant early in its life. They remain bonded to each other throughout their lives) was out of eyesight. The rest of the time they were free to wander and explore. 

Little baby learning how much fun his trunk is!

LUNCH TIME!!!

After the elephant's lunch, they are taken out of the park, over the road and down past the shops to the river for their daily bath. Witnessing 50+ elephants charging down the street to the river was a once in a lifetime sight. It was magical.

STAMPEDE!

Getting in the river to help shower this GIANT!

Naughty fighters!

Strike a pose.

This last picture has to be my favourite. It shows the bond between mother and baby, and the fantastic work this elephant sanctuary does. These animals are hunted and without the work of the carers this photo wouldn't be possible. They keep mothers and their babies safe from harm. I cannot thank them enough for this experience.

Missguided Autumn Wishlist ...

Autumn might just be one of my favourite times of year. The main reason for this is... THE FASHION! No season is quite a chic as the season of crunchy leaves and pumpin spice lattes (I'm not about the PSL life, sorry). The chance to layer clothing means more interesting outfits which you can change throughout the day. Hats, coats and scarves for the morning chill, and you can be prepared to strip off a little when the surprise afternoon warmth hits!

Here are a few things I've been eyeing up from Missguided.

Tops... 

I love wearing bodysuits in the colder months as it takes me back to feeling like a child with my vest tucked into my trousers to keep me warm! Your outfit stays perfectly polished in a bodysuit, no untucking and retucking!

From left to right... 
Ribbed Capped Sleeve Bodysuit White £15, Long Sleeve Turtle Neck Top Burgundy £10, Off Shoulder Fluffy Jumper Cream £25


Bottoms...

I am completely obsessed with leather trousers at the minute. They make every outfit that little bit sexier, more refined and interesting. These are a must buy for me!

From left to right...
Longline Jersey Midi Skirt Khaki £12, Vice Highwaisted Skinny Jean Coated Black £25, Premium Crepe Wide Leg Culottes Teal £30


Jackets/Coats... 

 I do love me a good coat! You can't go wrong with a smart, tailored duster. But to bring a bit of fun and glamour to an outfit? Faux fur will always do the trick.

From left to right... 
Mongolian Faux Fur Longline Gilet White £55, Long Sleeve Maxi Duster Coat Grey £35, Oversized Wool Coat Camel £75


Shoes...

I am the biggest shoeaholic ever. I am still loving the lace up trend and these thigh high boots take that Summer trend right through into Autumn. Also I've been lusting after the fluffy sandals since foreverrr... the berry colour seals the deal for me!

From left to right (middle shoes top to bottom)... 
Lace Up Feather Heeled Sandals Berry £30, Fringe Detail Heeled Ankle Boots Tan £35, Lace Up Pointed Ballerina Flats Cobalt Blue £18, Peep Toe Lace Up Over The Knee Heels Black £60

Accessories...

I love wearing sunglasses with a massive coat, I think it looks so classy. These are very similar to the Dior ones I've been craving, but a fraction of the price! Tassels are definitely in this season and this bag give a subtle nod to this trend without making you worry about untangling them every 5 minutes!

From left to right...
Top row, Fringe Suedette Shoulder Bag Tan £22, Cut Out Cuff Silver £8, Dory Bow Detail Floppy Hat Rust £15
Bottom row, Metal Frame Sunglasses Silver £10, Phiphi Over Knee Socks Grey £7, Pom Pom Rib Beanie Red £10

HARRY POTTER LIPSTICKS, WHAAAAAT?...

My two obsessions. Harry Potter and lipstick. Combined, and you have my idea of heaven. 

I saw on Buzzfeed that LA Splash Cosmetics where bringing out a Harry Potter line of lipsticks and I was straight away googling how to get them to the UK. After much research I found them ... on Amazon! Duh! I went on the LA Splash website to pick my colour (hardest decision everrrr!) and finally settled on 'Sirius', a deep blue, for me, and 'Nagini', a forest green, for my (also HP obsessed) bestie. 

The lipsticks them selves are called 'Smitten Liptint Mousses' and they are waterproof. I am pretty sure that they are old colours just renamed with Harry Potter names, but who the hell cares?! 

Here is what 'Sirius' looks like on... 

This is what it looks like in bright light!!

One thing I will warn you... it is a pain to take off! Because it has a waterproof formula you need a really good makeup remover and a lot of scrubbing! Still worth it. 

SCRUB SCRUB SCRUB

Disclaimer... Yes I edited these pictures. I did so because I took these on my iphone and I edited them so they were true to the colour I was seeing in the mirror :)

I Bought a Pair of Louboutins...

... And I'll never wear them.

Why?? I hear you scream. I bought them for my mum. For my best friend. For the woman who has been obsessed with Christian Louboutins for as long as I can remember.

Now of course I myself would love a pair. No doubt about it. But seeing the look on my mum's face when we arrived at the shop was worth a thousand pairs to me. She deserves the world.

It all started in January 2015. The year of my mum's 50th birthday. I knew I wanted to go all out, which meant saving, saving, SAVING!!! Her birthday was Sept' 3rd so I had time. I tried to put away £100 a week (I was also saving for holidays).

By the time August rolled around, I had reached my target and started planning the massive surprise day. I chose to go before holiday rather than on her birthday so she could take them with her. I knew I wanted to go into a boutique to buy them rather than get them delivered, just for the experience of it all. The only problem with this was that the ones I knew she wanted were classics and there was a chance they would be sold out. I called the call centre (very helpful!) the week before and again the day before we went, to confirm where they had them in stock in her size. Luckily for me Motcomb Street had them! But I wanted to make a whole day of it!

We started off at Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards (super busy but still amazing), then I couldn't wait any longer so decided it was time. I told her we were going somewhere special but she had no idea where. The walk was about 10 mins and she kept guessing the whole way but never got it. As we turned onto Motcomb Street I wondered if she would figure it out. Luckily not. The shop was at the end of the street and on the other side of the road. We reached the end and I crossed ahead of her and turned to watch it all fall into place. She was confused at first. Then she saw it. The red soles in the window. I think she almost screamed! She just kept saying, 'no, you can't!' over and over. But yes I could!

We walked into the shop and she was a mess! Almost crying bless her! I kept trying to take pictures but she wouldn't look at me!! I explained to the shop assistant and asked for the shoes, all while the security was trying to keep from laughing at mum! It was pretty funny! She tried the shoes on, and they were slightly tight!! Thank God, they had a 1/2 size up available too!

She was walking around that shop in her shoes for about 30 minutes I swear!! They were perfect! She still kept saying, 'you can't!!'. HA! I made sure they were perfect and then paid. The shop assistant was so lovely and really made the experience that much more special.

Next we went to Harrods, had lunch at Bubble Dogs (a champagne and hot dog restaurant, OMG!) and had rather a lot of cocktails!!

It was the best day ever and I couldn't think of a better way to show my mum just how special she is and how much I love her.

GlossyBox vs BirchBox July 2015 || Chyna Berry ||

What's In My Bag Challenge || Chyna Berry ||

Birchbox Vs Glossybox ...

I first discovered beauty subscription boxes when I subscribed to Kathleen Lights on youtube. She gets Ispy Bay and Boxy Charm. The idea is brilliant, such a great way to test out products that you may (or may not) love without wasting money! I started with Birchbox (check out my unboxing videos here) and I loved it! ... However. They seemed to be sending less make up and more lotions and potions, which I am not overly happy about. So I have recently subscribed to Glossybox to see how they compare.

First up ... Birchbox.

This month Birchbox have gone for something new. Out with the old box, and in with a new bag! There where 4 different colours, yellow, blue, pink and red/orange. I got the yellow. It is a plastic-y clutch style bag that's perfect for holidays! Inside the bag I got ... 

Benefit Dream Screen

Cowshed Moisturising Hand Cream

Unani Aloe Vera Gel

Barley Beauty Sponge

Pop Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eye Shadow Palette

Balance Me Congested Skin Serum

And now we have ... Glossybox. 

I had never heard of Glossybox before until I saw a flyer in some magazine (maybe asos, but who knows) and read that is was the UK's number 1 subscription box. As Birchbox have been letting me down lately I thought I would compare the two for a couple month and pick my favourite. The box this month is so beautiful, here is what I got ... 

Vichy Aqualia Moisturiser

Lollipops Lip Balm

Noxi Doxi Serum Base

Teoxane Perfect Skin Refiner

Glossybox Travel Bag

Overall I did really like these boxes. Didn't love. My favourite thing is definitely the Pop Eye Shadow, the colours and shimmer are perfect for summer, so I would have to say Birchbox wins this round!

Check back next month for another face off!