The Zara Knit

Like pretty much every other twenty-something female in Europe, I seem to have grown particularly fond of Zara. I’ve always liked their cool, casual Spanish style of clothes but more recently I've developed the inability to leave any Zara store without buying something. It's becoming a bit of an expensive habit so last week I promised myself I wouldn’t buy anything, just simply browse.

Naturally, I found my dream jumper. I'm not normally a knitwear kinda gal, however I was completely drawn in and began to instantly regret my promise. I decided to try it on – after all it will probably look hideous and I won’t want to buy it right?! Upon entering the fitting room I found that my theory was flawed. I loved it! I wandered around the store with the jumper in my hand for almost 20 minutes, arguing with myself whether or not to buy it. Then finally, I put it down and left. I’m not entirely sure where this moment of madness came from but it felt quite good... until that evening.

I woke up in a cold sweat questioning myself as to why I didn’t buy the jumper? I liked it, it fit well and it wasn’t overly expensive - I NEED that jumper! I woke up the next morning and hurried straight to my local Zara store to buy it. Ever since I’ve been finding any and every excuse that I can to wear it. It's really comfortable without looking too casual and the slightly fitted arms make it very flattering. I’ve even secretly happy that it’s been raining for the last two weeks, because now I have my perfect Zara knit to wear!

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What's In My Handbag: May 2013

So summer is finally here (well kind of) and my handbag has had a suitable summer makeover. Since posting about my Zara Office City bag last month I haven’t stopped wearing it. It looks perfect with whatever I decide to wear, plus it’s big enough to carry all of my essentials – it’s fast becoming my go-to handbag.

So first up for this month’s must-haves is the June edition of Vogue; one of my favourite issues so far this year, and going by the influx of tweets and instagram posts it seems you guys love it too! Kate Moss looks sensational on the cover and her Sail Away editorial by Patrick Demarchelier is one of my favourites to date.

Next up is an obvious summer essential, Sunglasses. With the weather being a little bit hit and miss this month I’ve been keeping these safely tucked away in my handbag for when the sun decides to make an appearance. I’m on the hunt for a new pair of Summer Sunnies but until I find the ones, this pair from H&M are serving me well. And while we’re on accessories, I can't get enough of my new Topshop iPhone case. I fell in love with the dogtooth print and at just £8 it’s both practical and pretty!

We all know that summer means manicured nails are a must and if you saw my latest Nail Care Routine post you’ll know I like to keep my nails in good condition at all times. I’ve been carrying around my ‘Mini Mani’ kit to make sure I’m prepared for any unexpected nail emergencies. Models Own in Nude Beige is the current colour of choice, you can’t beat nude nails with a natural summer glow.

Beauty wise I’ve been loving Benefit’s 'They’re Real' – this little sample came free with this month's Elle Magazine – if your quick you might just find one or two copies still lying around. It’s the perfect handbag sized mascara and so far I really like it. I haven’t had the chance to build it up for an evening look yet but I think it could do a pretty good job at rivaling false lashes. And last but not least is Mac Prep + Prime Natural Radiance. Perfect for the warmer months, it’s a lovely light formula that evens out my skintone and adds a natural glow to my foundation. I can’t apply my make-up without it!

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The Nail Care Routine

Until about two years ago I was always the girl with chipped nail polish, broken nails and unkempt cuticles. Deadlines, a heavy social life and a dodgy sleeping pattern generally meant I was never able to find the time to look after my nails properly - a quick coat of any old polish every other week was as far as my nail care routine went. After leaving university I decided it was about time I put in place a simple nail care routine and take the time to actually look after my nails. Two years on and I've never looked back!

Every Thursday evening I set aside a little bit of time to tame my talons so that I've got a fresh Mani ready for the weekend. I start by trimming my nails with my small nail scissors. I have fairly long nails so over-filing them can cause them to become weak and break easily. A good pair of nail scissors are much more affective at taking away any excess length, then I use my nail file to shape my nails. This is something I always used to struggle with, but with practice you'll find a natural nail shape that works for you. I tend to opt for  the 'squoval' look.

Then it's on to the cuticles, after soaking my nails in a cuticle cream or oil and warm water, I slowly push the cuticles back, removing any dead skin with my super handy cuticle nippers - I picked these up from Boots for about £20 and they are possibly one of the best beauty tools I own. Next I apply a base coat, at the moment I'm using the Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening base and top coat - I only ever apply a very thin layer of base coat, merely to strengthen and protect my nails.

The key to decent nails isn't always about an expensive nail polish. Of course having a higher quality product does help, but even basic nail care will help prolong pretty much any nail polish, high end or high street. Depending on the formula, I generally apply 1-2 coats of colour and then finish with a top coat for extra shine and protection. This is the step a lot of people tend to miss out, but it really does make all the difference in sealing the colour and preventing the nails from chipping. I finish with Jessica Quick Dry (nail miracle in a bottle) which helps to protect the polish and prevents it from smudging - because we all know that as soon as our nails are freshly preened something ridiculously fiddly seems to pop up!

I only spend around an hour a week on my nails but it really does makes all the difference!

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Zara Office City Bag

So unless you've been living under a rock for the last couple of months you'll be no stranger to this little stunner. The Zara Office City Bag. It's rare I fall in love with a handbag that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, but as soon as I saw this hit the blogosphere I fell fast and hard!

Having heard it was a complete sell out I instantly hit the shops like a woman possessed, I began calling every local Zara store I could think of and frantically looking online every morning; but all to no avail... Until a few weeks ago when I finally found one! The very last Zara City Bag within about a 50 mile radius! As you can imagine I left the Oxford Zara store feeling extremely smug with myself and my brand new purchase.

So what's all the fuss about? The Zara Office City Bag is definitely worth the hype. Unlike most other high street handbags - there's no fuss. It's a stylish and practical handbag that allows me to carry around all of my essentials and that little bit extra. If you're a sucker for pockets - and quite frankly who isn't? - this has a special little place for all of your most important possessions. Plus anything that's this pretty and makes being organised even easier certainly gets my vote.

Since buying it I haven't even looked at another handbag - I think it's true love!

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Today I'm Wearing: City Lace

This weekend the sun finally decided to make an appearance, so yesterday Tom and I took an impromptu drive down to a rather sunny Southampton. Having spent three incredible years there at University I always love going back, particularly in the sunshine!

Excited by the first sight of real sun we’ve had all year; I decided to wear my new Topshop Contrast Lace Trim Blouse. I decided to pair it with my Topshop Jamie Jeans, Topshop Ambush Boots and Zara Office City Bag.

We spent the entire day shopping, spending much more than either of us had planned - oops! I picked up a gorgeous little black dress from All Saints, a new pair of Sunglasses and another Topshop blouse. After a long afternoon of shopping we retired to Revs Roof Terrace for stone baked pizzas and ice-cold cider. After a couple of hours basking in the sun and reminiscing over our best Southampton memories, we took an easy drive home, soaking up the last of the sun. It was such a perfect day, made even more perfect by the beautiful weather.

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