Monthly Favourites: September 2014

Did anyone see where those 4 weeks of September went? A crazy busy month and these are the Top 10 items that made it a great month..



1. Boohoo Petites 'Kylie' Slinky Maxi Dress

Boohoo.com really came through for me with this fabulous slinky maxi dress. I had a black tie function to attend and seeing as I am really into more classic dressing at the moment, i knew that Black with a few pearls was the only way I could go. At a bargainous price of £12, this dress made me feel like a million dollars. It glided over my bum without being clingy, reached the floor without trailing on it, allowed me to show a bit of leg without being to raunchy and being so light, didn't make me sweaty on the dancefloor. Now to find another occasion that i can wear it!

2. Babyliss Boutique Soft Waves
So I found the perfect Black Tie dress and with only 30 minutes to get ready post work for the event I turned to the Babyliss Boutique Soft waves wand in an attempt to make my hair look... well, better. I washed my hair the night before and applied some Percy & Reed styling balm before blow drying smoother that I can usually be bothered to. The morning of the event, I didn't straighten  my hair to keep the volume at the roots in. With a good spray of Elnett hairspray all over my hair, I wrapped large sections of my hair around the wand and held there for around 30 second's on its highest temperature before spraying again to keep the wave in place. I was thrilled with the results which stayed in place for the entire evening (unheard of for my hagrid hair!).

3. Nivea Protect & Bronze SPF
Oh how i adore Nivea sun cream. For Dubai I purchased a factor 20 of this Bronze version (usually i wear factor 15) and boy was i happy with the results. It contains a natural plan extract that encourages your skin's naural ability to tan which, combined with the moisturising qualities of Nivea formula, made for one happy well protected and nicely bronzed skin. I won't be using anything else in future.

4. Savlon
Prior to my mini break, after month of stress and a few too many nights out my skin was not happy with me and so I had a good old breakout of acne. The kind that leaves my soft skin damaged and marked. I read somewhere that Savlon has been used for years to dry up spots and keep the area clean so in my desperation I applied to the blemishes before bed. When i woke up, I was impressed. My Spots had reduced in sized and started to dry up leading to quicker healing. I'll be turning to a tube in future!

5. By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Brown Perfection
Yep, I finally did it. No longer could i stand to read yet another rave review of this cult product. I can see what all the fuss is about. The formula is easy to blend (even for a novice like me), creates a super quick smokey eye and doesn't budge. Worth every penny of its £28 price tag, I am already eyeing up another shade for my Make up stash!

6. Steak Taco's from DF Mexico, Brick Lane
My new favourite food haunt. From the amazing brain that is Tomasina Miners (of Wahaca) this super cheap, Foodgasmn inducing pop up in Brick Lane has been rocking my socks and I cannot get enough of it. The steak tacos are made with Corn Tortillas and so are Gluten Free. The steak is tender and the flavours are well.... just go already. You'll see for yourself. (dribbles)

7. Purple Haze Nail polish by Cheeky
A favourite from a few months back, i have been seriously digging this gorgeous polish from Cheeky. It dries quickly, needs two coats for intense colour and provides a nice change from black. i can't wait to book another pedicure to purchase another shade in the range.

8. London's Ocktoberfest
being a lover of fancy dress, I jumped at the chance to attend a Ocktoberfest in London with the work crowd, A first the tent with benches made me think I had made a mistake but a stein or two later and we were all up on the tables dancing away to the bavarian band that was blasting out some classic disco hits. Brilliant fun and something I would happily do again.

9. 7 minute challenge app
A free workout that a friend of mine has been doing daily, I decided to give it a go. Initally I scoffed at the claim that 7 minutes of excercise would be a challenge. Halfway through, and i was no longer laughing. My body responded by giving me serious DOMS for a couple of days but after a couple of weeks I could already see improvements. I plan to do the challenge at least 4 times a week going forward and eventally add a few more at home routines to my winter exercise regimen.

10. New salads from Leon
Leon, a favourite lunch spot, has done it again. The new Kale Ceaser salad features Kale, chicken and Quinoa and is perfect for this time of year. The Chicken and Chroizo salad provides such flavour that calling it a Salad doesn't do it justice. Both Gluten free, Both make me very happy!

I cannot believe we are in October already. Yes, I know I say this all the time but seriously, 2014- SLOW DOWN! The temperatures are starting to drop and the weather forecast is looking gloomier, which means I need to hot foot it to the shops this month to select a few key clothing items to see me through the autumn season (What a shame,eh!).

Lots of Love

xxx TTN xxx