The perfect prep for Race Week

Hello!
Happy New Year! It may be Feb already but as my last post was in 2017, I feel I should say it!
This year, for me, has started with a busy Jan but I have finally got everything under control 'life admin wise' and I am back to the blogging!
So last week, I was invited down to the Cheltenham branch of Molton Brown for an evening of pampering in collaboration with The Stuart Holmes Salon, (if you didn't catch my blog on my salon experience there click here!), the lovely girls from Beards Jewellers and the very talented Lisa Von Hallwyl; who designs the most beautiful fascinators & hats - popular amongst the Royals & celebs!

Now, one thing that everyone thinks of when they think of Cheltenham - it's the races. I remember when I first thought about moving here for a job opportunity and all I knew was that Cheltenham was where the races were! 3 years later, I feel very much invested in the run up to race week and race week itself. The Cheltenham Festival brings a buzz to this town and rightly so. Ladies day is the one us girls look forward to the most; the outfits, the hair, - it's a real showcase of fashion and trend - albeit freezing round a muddy racecourse is not quite as glam as it looks at times, but that's all part of it! Most people would agree with me when I say the getting ready part is half the fun of it. So as we are only just over a month away from ladies day - here's my tips and tricks on how to prep and feel like a queen all day - even if you don't make any money on the horses!

1. Prep your body! - Just as you would for a holiday or a wedding, looking your best in your outfit is key. With 5 weeks to go there is plenty time to do few home workouts in the evening or even better get out to the gym and work hard to look your best! Aside from getting toned up to fit in your fave dress, give your body the TLC it needs by pampering your skin. If you start now you will have a most beautiful glowy skin come race week! Exfoliate weekly, moisturise daily or every second day and if you are really committing, then a body brush works wonders for increasing blood flow and circulation. See below some of my favourites from the Molton Brown range. My favourite scent is the coco and sandalwood, it gives me serious holiday vibes! The body polishes come in 4 fragrances, they are great for a luxurious scrub but I wouldn't recommend mixing the scents, so if I'm using the Gingerlily polish (my 2nd fave scent!) then I'll moisturise with the Gingerlily body lotion afterwards too! On the left is a body brush which you can pick up from a number of stores fairly cheap! This one is the body shop, it's handle is ideal for brushing in circular motions as you should on your arms and legs. I was going to go in to detail on fake tanning here also but I think it warrants it's own post so look out for that soon!

2.  The hair. Now we all know that you're not fully dressed until your hair is done, and the races is no different! Whether you go for a lovely bouncy blow dry, loose curls or a full on up do, I think we can all agree it always looks amazing when you walk out the salon! Stuart Holmes offer a great range of services for the day but book in soon to make sure you get a space. Here's a few pictures of my favourite race day hair inspo, all of which would look fab with a fascinator;

3. Finally the best bit, the outfit! Pastels are back in big way again this Spring which is ideal if you are attending a summer wedding where you can recycle an outfit time and time again and don't need to feel any guilt buying a new dress for the festival in March! Here's a few of my favourite dresses that have just launched on the high street this Spring, I have a thing for Navy so I've picked my favourites alongside the pastel colours;

4. Accessorise the outfit! Once you've picked the perfect dress, it's time to choose the bling, the shoes and the fascinator! I absolutely love coloured stones in necklaces, rings and bracelets so this is something I always look out for when choosing jewellery to wear to an event. In terms of the hair piece, I love feathers, flowers and quite natural looking pieces but love adding a pop of colour to my blonde hair. and finally the shoes, my one piece of advise is pick the comfiest pair! An outfit only looks fabulous if you can last the day in it! I usually go for a wedge or a platform heel, or even a mule - anything but a stiletto!

I think that's my top 4 tips! I had the loveliest evening chatting to the experts from the salon, the girls from the jewellers, and in awe of Lisa's beautiful head piece designs! We enjoyed lovely hand and arm massages from the Molton Brown team and felt truly relaxed! Here's some pictures from the event;

Thank you for reading part 1 of my race week prep, I look forward to sharing part 2 including my full (fail safe) tanning routine!
Until then,
L x

Black Friday Glamour, Premium Service, Bubbles and Perfect Hair - The Stuart Holmes Salon

Black Friday is very much a 'love it or hate it' day in the calendar. A manic week in the world of retail, constant emails and busy streets, so when Stuart Holmes asked if I'd take part in their #BlackFridayBloggingWeek, I of course accepted the offer to visit the salon and relax, all the while being treated to a colour refresh, cut, and blow-dry at the hands of the colour experts that are 'Team Holmes'.

The moment you arrive at the salon you feel like a VIP, walking up the red carpet steps and in to the warmth, only to be greeted by smiling staff; it's the beginning of a great experience.
After checking in for my 1.30 appointment, I was offered a refreshment straight away, as the lovely receptionist took my coat and showed me through to the waiting room. At this point I just want to share with you the importance of customer service; I know some people suffer bad hair experiences in their life, much like those who fear the dentist. - Although I have luckily never felt this way, I have had my fair share of hairdressers I wouldn't go back to; Mainly because they aren't accommodating to individual customers. They book appointments, cut hair, and send you on your way expecting you to book again - just another customer through the door. At Stuart Holmes, you are made to feel so important; from the attentiveness of the staff to the salon look and feel, you are there to be treated to a wonderful experience and nothing less.

Hannah collected me from the waiting room (more like a lounge - complete with Christmas tree, sweets and all the gossip magazines you can name.) with my latte on a silver platter - okay tray, but I'm still feeling like a queen at this point!
We talked through my hair colour and what my ideas were; every customer is entitled to a free 10 minute hair consultation ahead of their appointment which would put anyones mind at ease and allows you to be clear on what you want from your appointment.

We chatted away as she applied the foils for my full head of Smartbond highlights, I was offered further refreshments throughout this process, and was provided with several magazines which I didn't even end up reading one page of as we were too busy nattering! I mean, I'll be honest, I'm not the quietest of people so of course we spent the whole time talking, but if you prefer some more 'me time' then the team at the salon happily leave you to read the mags or just chill, as I mentioned before, it's all about you!

After I had sat under the rotating heater (so cool, didn't even have to move seats!) I was ready to have my hair rinsed and washed. Up another flight of beautiful, garland decorated stairs and in to the room filled with sinks. Feet up, height adjusting sinks (no awkward neck pain) and an optional head massage all contributing to the luxurious feel of the salon, even getting your hair washed is glamorous here! Hannah applied a toner at this stage too to bring out the bright ash blonde colour I had asked for. After the allotted time for the toner, apprentice Sam washed my hair with Shu Uemura colour lustre treatment shampoo which they also sell in the salon, ideal for coloured hair - it prevents fading, is sulphate free and balances the hair's natural fibres. - Sam was very knowledgable and talked me through the whole rinse, toner and wash process.

When I returned to my seat in the main part of the salon, my complimentary glass of fizz was waiting for me, if that's not service I don't know what is!

Jacob was cutting my hair for me, so as with the colour part of my appointment, we discussed how I wanted my hair and ideas that would give my hair type the most volume (I mean I didn't think it possible!) I had a little taken off the length, and a shorter look at the front that framed my face how I liked it. He then blow dried it, giving it some amazing volume and added some curls to the back.
I left the salon feeling so happy with my hair and thoroughly relaxed.

I also vlogged my afternoon at the salon which you can watch below to give you a real feel of the salon!;

If you would like to book in with the team for Christmas, you'll have to be quick, you can book online here!
Follow the team on their social platforms for more details of services available;
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And it wouldn't be Black Friday blogging week without a discount for you all, so here's what's currently on offer;
£10 off your first appointment when you sign up to the newsletter
20% off colour when you book in on a Tuesday for a colour, cut and blow-dry package.
If you are looking to treat someone or yourself this festive season, buy a gift voucher in salon or online now and it can be redeemed between Jan 2018 & Nov 2018 with 20% off your treatment!

Thank you Team Holmes, another happy customer!
L x

Autumn Lookbook | YouTube

Hi guys,
Hope you enjoy my first ever lookbook video, I love this time of year; especially days like this one where the sun peeps through the autumn trees. We filmed these clips at the beautiful Westonbirt Arboretum, if you are in Gloucestershire I'd definitely recommend a visit! Outfit detail, still shots & inspiration post to follow this one, please do subscribe to my Youtube channel if you would like to see more!

Thanks for watching!
L x

How I fundraised for the London Marathon

A year ago to the day I found out I had been accepted by Cardiac Risk in the Young to be a part of their charity team to run the London Marathon. I posted the below photo on Facebook to announce my news to my friends and family, it's so funny to think the girl in that picture had no idea what lay ahead! 

I posted several updates on training and the challenges that comes with the physical aspect of running a marathon. You can read the training posts here! I didn't however really touch on the fundraising side of things as much as I would have liked. It is a huge part of the marathon, if not the biggest. The Virgin Money London Marathon is the largest annual fundraising event on the planet – runners have raised over £830 million for good causes since the race began in 1981. For some runners, the thought of accepting a charity place can be quite daunting. If you are given a place from a charity you have to commit to a pledge of usually around £1500 - £2000. This is partially why the ballot is so competitive, as a place in the ballot means you are under no obligation to run for a charity, although most do, but without the added pressure of a set target, anything they raise is just a bonus for their chosen charity. 
I applied to the ballot as well as to Cardiac Risk in the Young, but by June 11th 2016 CRY had offered me a place, with the ballot results not being announced until October, I decided I didn't want to risk missing out, so took my place. I was always going to raise money for CRY in memory of a school friend but as I mentioned before the charity place target is high and I had no idea how I was going to achieve that sum of money. That said, from the moment I accepted the place and posted the above picture to Facebook only to receive a whirlwind of love and support, I knew I could do it.

So, here's my top fundraising tips on how to hit that charity pledge and no doubt exceed it!;

• Social media - Use your social media platforms to make people aware, yes you will feel like you're boring everyone with marathon chat, but you know what; if they were running the marathon they would be doing the exact same thing! So have confidence that what you're doing is an amazing and inspirational thing and anyone who views it negatively, probably isn't worth your time anyway! Obviously try and keep things interesting, no-one wants daily updates on how many blisters you have or how sore your legs are. I posted my training runs via the Map my Run app to Facebook, again I've heard people moan about seeing workouts online, but it allowed me to show those following my journey that I was getting the miles up. Often you'll find people will see you've done a 12 or 14 mile training run and decide that's the time they'll sponsor you, so link your fundraising page in your MapmyRun posts. 

• Themed fundraising - Making use of celebrations, holidays and current occasions that everyone can relate to. For example, many people will want to go out or have a party at Halloween or bonfire night, you can use these to organise a fundraiser and you are guaranteed a wider audience than just throwing a party on a random weekend. A good idea for bonfire night might be to make a big pot of curry or chilli for your friends, get some hot cider on the go, you can charge people a set price for the meal and a drink and will definitely make a profit. I took the opportunity to make Christmas cards, I wrote a post on this which you can read here! 
  

• Involve the office! - Time is something we all find difficult to manage, no matter what it is, the moment you take on an extra challenge you have to adapt your time to fit it in. As we spend on average 40 hours at work each week, what better way to hit your target than by fundraising in the place you spend most of your time. My team moved office's last year and when we moved, much to everyone's horror, the new office didn't have a vending machine! So one of the girls came up with a great idea of creating our own charity tuck shop, all items cost 50p, each month whoever stocks the shop, takes home the profits for their chosen charity. I was lucky enough to get 2 months for my charity and made over £350. I also made pick'n'mix in addition to buying multipack crisps & chocolate. They were really popular and I was even asked to make 100 additional bags  last week for a supplier conference at work - it seems I've started a bit of a business!
• The classic bake sale is a always a fail safe if you work in an office, however they don't tend to make much money for the effort that goes in so maybe stick to one or two evenly spaced out over time. I also asked friends to bake for me too so I didn't have to do it all myself, you'd be surprised how happy people are to contribute their 'signature bake' if you give them enough notice! 
• Finally, be sure to check if your work offers a match funding programme, I was able to get £250 extra from work which was a great bonus! 

And one year on from that first photo, here I am, a 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon finisher, and have officially raised Two thousand, four hundred and fifty pounds for Cardiac Risk in the Young. There is literally no better feeling, the marathon itself feels like months ago, when in reality it's only been just over 6 weeks! I didn't think I could beat the feeling of crossing that finish line on the mall, but seeing my final fundraising total this week has given me such a buzz! I'm honestly so proud and grateful to everyone who showed me support throughout the marathon journey this last year, it's honestly the best thing I've ever done. 
So if you have applied to the ballot and don't get a place, I urge you to still apply for a charity place, don't be put off by the large figure, it all comes together once you get going and it will be one of the best experiences of your life.

Massive thank you to all who sponsored me and supported me, reading back through messages to write the post today has been such a lovely reminder of race day and one I'll never forget!

L x

Homeware Lifestyle brand Hema | Wish List!

After popping in to the Hema in London Euston last week, I fell in love with the fun, vibrant, summer vibe of the store! As I was only in for a quick look before my train, I picked up a few bits I needed, which you can check out in my youtube haul below. However, I definitely could have bought so much more, so I thought I'd do a Hema wish list for you all to get some inspiration for the summer ahead! 

My favourite range by far is the Party range; from foil & confetti balloons to pineapple poms and watermelon confetti cannons - It's all so cute! Whether you're throwing a summer BBQ or a birthday party for some friends, there's a decoration for every occasion that guarantees to wow your guests. My top picks are pictured above, I particularly like the light up 'PARTY' letters, they just seem a little nicer than the latest craze; light boxes, now that B&M are selling them they have become a bit more mainstream! There is every letter in the alphabet available, at 20cm tall and only £5 each, you can buy several letters for the price of 1 or 2 from a higher end store. You can even decorate them with paint/tape/stickers etc as you can see over on the website here!

I also absolutely adore Hema's update of the classic paper plate - It's not just kids with the fun party sets these days guys! - You'll be spoilt for choice, from the watermelon set to the gold and white Kate Spade esq set, simple but gorgeous! Shop the collections here!

Finally, a party is not a party without something hanging from the ceiling! These paper poms are so colourful and really effective alongside bunting or lanterns - both of which you can also find on the Hema website. I love the fact that you can get ice cream shaped ones! All we need now is the sunshine!?

Oh unless of course you are one of the lucky ones who is jetting off to guaranteed rays - then you NEED one of these;

I mean, the pineapple rings sell themselves, but just imagine all the basic brits on their flamingos and donut inflatables (so last year right!?) and you float past on a caramel stroopwafel or even a cream slice! What's that famous saying? - In a world full of donuts be a caramel waffle! Shop all inflatables here!

There is such a variety of bits and pieces over on the Hema website. I'm so excited to have discovered a new budget brand that can be my 'go to' for; celebrations & birthdays, stationary, storage solutions, seasonal homeware updates and beauty bargains! 

As there is so much to cover, I thought I'd split this out in to a few blog posts and cover another wish list category another time, the stationary is so beautiful, that might have to be next, so look out for that!

In the mean time, please let me know if you pick up any great finds or even have shopped the brand for years and are thinking 'how is she only on this now!?' Let me know what you buy in Hema in the comments below! 

Happy Browsing,

Take me to Hema!

L x

Spring Fashion Edit: The Duster Coat

With another sunny weekend passing, comes the assurance that Spring is finally here!  Despite a bit of chilly start; I don't know about you, but I was starting to get pretty fed up of regretting a lack of sleeves popping out to the shop!
I've decided to put together a series of Spring/Summer Fashion Edits in the coming weeks.
I often get asked about items on my 'outfit of the day' (#OOTD) posts on Instagram. Unfortunately, as not everything is always current or brand new, (help me I'm poor), it's often hard to direct people to where to buy a version right there on the spot! Throughout the series, I'll pick my favourite outfit staples and find current versions that I love on the High street, and any updates that are on my wish list, that way hopefully, everyone will find something to spend on!

This week's post is all about the Duster Coat! You'll have seen my sand coloured Primark bargain that I picked up last year, - I wear it on so many occasions! Well, this week, my new obsession is the printed style kimono duster coats that have started cropping up again this Spring;

From Top left clockwise: River Island, Katie Piper credit:@katiepiper_ instagram, River Island, River Island, Primark credit:@primark instagram, Missguided

They are the perfect dress up option for what otherwise, would have been a casual day outfit. I often find I want to wear my favourite plain tops and jeans over and over again but struggle to make them look dressed up or exciting over time. - Enter the printed kimono duster coat!
Katie Piper has nailed this look; hair styled with a pretty natural wave, a basic white cami, light wash jeans and nude barely there heels. Her duster coat is the beautiful green printed kimono that has currently sold out on Zara online! There is still some stock in London stores if you're quick, otherwise you can get an email alert when they re-stock here! This style is £69.99 and looks so premium! If you've fallen in love with the print like the hundreds of other satisfied Zara customer's -(who you can thank for the lack of stock!!) Then be sure to check out their other kimono's as the beautiful tropical feel in print, can be seen across the whole range! Take me to Zara.com!

Zara Tropical Green Kimono, ASO Katie Piper.

I'm loving the 3 beautiful printed options from River Island at the top of the edit! My favourite is definitely the grey with the leafy palm print, I'm obsessed! River have a beautiful range and I actually like them all, which is unusual for me! I'm not edgy enough to like anything too out there, so a pretty commercial range overall which welcomes a £65.00 price point! Check out the full collection here!

Primark also showed off their girly pink printed kimono as part of a pretty outfit flat lay on Instagram last week. (Pictured above, bottom right) Paired with a simplistic combo of a white top and jeans, illustrating once again that this piece is the outfit game changer!

The beautiful silver kimono style, (pictured above bottom left on the model), is the Missguided take on the trend. This style comes in a package of two colours, silver and gold. Both with brilliantly dramatic sleeve silhouettes & an authentic oriental print. Shop both styles here! I'm torn between payday spending on the grey print from River Island or this longline kimono also from Missguided, pictured below;

Misguided (above) or River Island (below)!? Help me decide in the comments! :-)

So, moving on from print, to this season's take on the classic colours. Some beautiful new flowing silhouettes keep this piece a flattering staple for any occasion. This style also doesn't have to break the bank to be perfect for wearing time and time again. For example, top left of the below image is Boohoo's Katie Shawl Duster Coat (so sorry for pixelated image - it's killing me!) This coat is just £18 & the pantone strip is taken from this style alone which just goes to show there is a colour to suit everyone! 

I also love Boohoo's Eloise belted duster coat which is £15!! If I didn't wear my Primark one so often I'd 100% be snapping up the beige colour way of this style.

 The beautiful waterfall front styles on the right (grey,(pictured on model), and khaki below) are both from New Look, although the grey is taken from the Asos' New Look edit. It's just £34.99 and comes in the most beautiful, rich, premium grey colour that no-one would guess it was New Look!
I like the khaki option as a bit of colour interest for the summer. I'm not always the best at including colour in my wardrobe (your nodding and feeling the same right!?) It's hard not to go safe with outerwear, but khaki is a good compromise that isn't all singing, all dancing & still matches most denim washes!

The bottom left style is from Topshop, probably the most similar in colour and fabric to my purchase last Spring. It's a slightly higher price point than it's counterparts, at £59.99, it does however have gorgeous detailing on the back. This style also comes in Navy, if you fancy channeling your inner Kate Middleton it would look gorgeous over a long sleeve striped breton top and skinny jeans with a red lip or handbag (a la gucci - if you know, you know! If you don't, click this link!) ;-)

So finally, how I wear mine! I cannot express enough how easy this coat is to wear. I love it for a night out as the length is perfect if you are starting the party early afternoon, as most summer gatherings seem to be! I find it a great cover up for a short dress or skirt, for that awkward day to night atmosphere. I also love wearing it with jeans and boots with a cami or shirt for work, or with sandals and slim cigarette pants in the warmer weather. I find it's the perfect coat for weddings, it goes over every dress, especially in this chic beige colour! 

So here's my top places to check out and what to search to find your perfect Spring staple! 

Boohoo - Search Duster Coat

New Look - Search Duster Coat

Missguided - Search Kimono

Zara - Search Kimono

Asos - Search Duster Coat

River Island -Search Duster Coat

Topshop - Search Duster Coat

Primark - Website can be tricky and limited, but Instagram stories often shares new products and their feed does some great outfit flat lays. I actually found my coat in the Selfridges Primark concession, good one for the 'best bits edit!' Best thing to do is go in and have a rummage, but maybe not on a Saturday! - Good luck!

Happy Shopping!

As ever let me know if you buy anything as a result of reading the post or if it was helpful in your quest to find the perfect Spring coat!

L x

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Against the odds! This Girl Can - Marathon Update No.6

Today marks 22 days until the Virgin Money London Marathon.
I won't  lie, I did not expect to be in the position that I'm in with just 22 days to go. So let's recap:
I posted the below vlog on March 5th, I had picked up an injury and was really struggling, as with anything sports injury related, self diagnosis can be tricky and waiting for physio appointments, doctor appointments, X-Rays, and eventually an MRI scan is not a quick process!

I was up to 14 miles and feeling good about my training when I got injured, I think running a marathon gives you the drive to keep going, no matter what happens! When it happened, it never once crossed my mind that I wouldn't run on April 23rd, my instant thoughts were what can I do to keep training and get better! The anti gravity treadmill was amazing, but I was experiencing a lot of pain even running with only 20% of my bodyweight! As time passed I saw my physio twice, worked on exercises for suspected tendinitis and reduced my impact training with the cross trainer & cycling. - I still to this day refuse to ever go running in the pool and look like a drowning cat splashing around!
I saw specialist Dr Rod Jaques (He works on team GB's sport injuries!!) on March 14th and he was the 3rd professional that advised I probably wouldn't be able to run the marathon as he suspected I had a stress fracture. Now, as Dr Jaques is such an expert in the field, I honestly couldn't have seen a better man for the job, I presumed his diagnosis would be correct. Having to pay for a private MRI is pricey and I was tempted not to do it given the pain was still making walking difficult never mind running! He did however say he wouldn't treat me without a stress fracture being confirmed by an MRI despite his suspected diagnosis as he of course doesn't have X-ray vision! I had my MRI the following Monday. In the time I waited for the results, my foot was feeling much better, I started to feel no pain walking and was eager to try running again. Finally my results came through on Monday this week and against all the odds - it was clear! I've never felt so elated in my life. I didn't even realise how much the marathon meant to me until I thought I was going to have to pull out.

I just want to take a moment to mention my beautifully kind friends and family. In the week that I had to tell people I wasn't able to run, I was overwhelmed with love and support. From my manager and work colleague leaving me cards, mini eggs (my vice in life) and little presents on my desk, to my mum and sister sending me cards and sweets. - My sister even sent me one of those little 'winner' party medals as a consolation and I actually cried when I opened it! So sweet! I also received so much love in texts and messages from people who I told and each and every message of support kept me smiling so thank you!








So enough of the emotional stuff - what a roller coaster it's been! Its here, Its happening - I AM RUNNING THE LONDON MARATHON 2017! I'm honestly so excited, if anything, this injury scare has just made me even more motivated!
Let's be real, some goals have had to be reassessed! My half marathon time was sub 2 hours so initially I was keen to run in 4.15/4.30 hrs. Now I'm just looking to get round and finish, I have my final long run tomorrow and it will most likely be around the 15 mile mark. Most of my fellow runners will have done 20 - 22 miles by this point but I'm focussing on me and me only. It's time to be selfish, mind over matter, ignore the panickers and the doubters and just smash it like I set out to do all those months ago when I signed up for this challenge.
You may have seen the This Girl Can campaign in the media in the last year. If not here's what they aim to do;

This is a campaign that I always admired and believed in but never really thought it applied to me personally. I have always been involved in sports and never been afraid to join in. Running, however, was completely new to me which made it the perfect challenge to raise money for a very worthy cause. I've always been able to push myself in sports and perform well, never feeling judged or worried about getting stuck in because anyone who knows me will know I don't do things by half! The campaign has been a massive motivation for me since getting injured and losing nearly all of March from a miles perspective. I know I won't finish in the best time, nor will I breeze through the whole thing but I'm confident I can get through it and finish feeling proud for doing the best I can. This girl can!
Sponsor me to keep me going by clicking HERE! Now you know how much your support inspires me!

You can make your own 'This Girl Can' poster on the app on your phone http://app.thisgirlcan.co.uk

Thank you again for all your support, I look forward to updating you all come marathon day! My race number is 36998 which you can put in to the marathon app to track me on the course!
Until then,
L x