A White and Gold Affair

Hello lovelies,

I've been looking around for a new spring wardrobe, and as much as i'm loving pastels and navy stripes, I think my favourite look for spring still has to be white and gold.

There's something just so classic about a white outfit with a hint of gold.

I saw this photo on Pinterest the other day and it inspired me to have a look around for some new white and gold accessories for this season

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I decided to have a little play around on Polyvore and put together some outfits that i'd love to wear this spring

White and Gold by amylouisesugden featuring a white shirt

I love my white lace skirt, and I love the infinity rings from Tiffany and Co. I think I would maybe prefer the ring in white gold or rose gold, i'm not a huge fan when it comes to yellow gold jewellery and i'm really loving rose gold at the minute! A cute pendant pearl necklace is always a classic too, so beautiful.

White and Gold by amylouisesugden featuring a white outfit

I need to get some new gold sandals for this year, and how beautiful are these from Oscar de la Renta?! A little out of my price range unfortunately, but still so nice, i'll definitely be looking for something similar! I also really want to get the Charlotte Tilbury perfect nude set,  I have the vintage vamp set and I wear it all the time, such good quality and beautiful colours.

What do you think of the white and gold theme? Do you prefer a bit of colour in your spring wardrobe?

Love Amylou x

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For The Office - Rose Gold

Hey there lovelies,

If you're anything like me, you'll constantly be looking for accessories for your rooms, or planning on  re-decorating completely. 

I've had the biggest obsession with rose gold and copper since around christmas time, and it seems everyone else has too!

There are so many cute rose gold and copper things that you can get for your office right now, so I thought i'd share some of my favourites with you, as well as a few inspirational photos i've been loving too!

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How cute is this copper vase with white peonies in!? Peonies have been my favourite flowers ever since I was a little girl and I would walk past my neighbour's garden full of them with my mum. I would love to have a vase like this on a little table by a window or mirror in my office.

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I really like these two, the tall one for longer stems and the mason jars if you just use the heads of the flowers :) The first one is from Oliver Bonas, there are so many cute things on their website I want so much! The mason jars are from Etsy, and doesn't everyone love Etsy?! 

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Both of these are from Kate Spade at Selfridges and are so pretty. I'm loving perspex and acrylic accessories at the moment, i've been investing in some clear drawers for my make up and I love them.  The hint of rose gold keeps it subtle but still beautiful, I definitely want both of these!

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There are so many cute rose gold notebooks and other stationery, I get so carried away with it! I don't know why, but i've always loved the start of a new year/term at school/sixth form/uni as it means I can buy all new folders books and new things for my pencil case. I still get them when a new term starts, but I like the excuse of just having them around for my office too!

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How adorable is this letter holder from CB2?? I wish it was in England i'd be buying this tonight. I'd probably use it to organise different note cards for my statistics equations for uni, but it would make them look so nice, maybe it would inspire me to write them!

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Of course no office would be complete without an inspirational quote of some sort in foil on the wall! I really like this one, she believed she could so she did. Reminds you that if you put your mind to it, and really believe in yourself, you can do anything you want to, and achieve anything you set out to!

That's just a few of the things that i've been loving. I can't wait to decorate my own office in gold, white and rose gold, so pretty.

Are you loving the rose gold and copper trend?

Love Amylou x

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Latest In Beauty - The Glamour Party Beauty Box

Hey guys!

This post is well overdue! I've been loving so many of the things I got in this Latest in Beauty box, so I thought i'd share with you what I thought of it all, and which full size products i'll be buying now! :) I won't be reviewing everything as I haven't tried all of them, but there aren't many I haven't used.

The box is still available on the Latest in Beauty website too if you want to get one!

Collection Lengthening Mascara

I'll be honest, I actually don't love this. It has a good colour, but it didn't make my lashes look any fuller or longer, which is something that I look for in a mascara. It's ok if you're just looking for a mascara that just makes your lashes darker, if you're already blessed with long eyelashes, but unfortunately i'm not :(

Skyn Iceland Cool Firming Eye Gels

I used these this morning! Love them. Eye gels aren't something i've ever really thought to buy before, they are like two cotton pads with gel on one side that you place under your eyes and leave for 10 minutes. I didn't really think they'd make a difference. I don't really get puffy eyes and I didn't think my skin looked any firmer, but they are so relaxing.

I was up until about half past midnight last night writing out notes for uni, then I was back up doing it again at 8am and I didn't realise how tense I was. I put these on and it was like having a really relaxing face mask or a facial. My whole face just relaxed and I just felt so much better for it.

So even if that isn't the original purpose, I will definitely be buying some more for when I need a little relaxation!

Wild About Beauty Eyeshadow - 02 Rowan

I really like this eyeshadow, the pigment isn't very strong, I tried to do a swatch but you couldn't really see it, but it's just a nice shimmer for when you want something subtle. I've been using it to blend out my darker eyeshadows and it works great for that. I wouldn't use it everyday, as it's very similar to my naked and MAC palette colours which have better pigmentation, but it's not something i'd put down and never use again. I don't think i'd go out and buy another one, but i'll definitely use this one whilst i've got it! Plus the little bee design is so cute :)

Popband London

These. Are. Amazing. I know that's quite a big statement for what it essentially just a tied piece of elastic, but I love them. My hair isn't exceptionally long, but if i'm at uni or in the office it just gets on my nerves so much and I have to tie it up, but the bobbles or hairbands I use always kink my hair, so if I take it back down it doesn't look great, or they are always sliding out.

Popbands aren't like that. I was skeptical when I first got them and just thought it was a gimmick and they look nice but won't work as they are a lot more stretchy than my hairbands, but they are actually so good. They don't slide out at all, once you tie your hair up, they stay there until you want to take it out, they look nice - I've been using the gold one nearly everyday for the past 2 weeks - and they don't leave kinks in your hair. They didn't in mine anyway, I straightened it, tied it up for a few hours in the workroom, took my hair down to meet my friend in the bar and it was still straight.

Definitely buying more of these.

L'oreal Elnett Satin

I don't really have much to say about this! I love Elnett Satin hairspray, i'd say I use this 95% of the time? It's just a brand that you know is good, it always works, and why change something when you've got a good thing! I haven't used this yet as I still have a big can in my bathroom of the same thing haha but when that's gone i'll be using this!

Philip Kingsley Shampoo and Conditioner

If you've read any of my favourites posts before you'll know how much I love the Philip Kingsley daily damage defence spray. I use it every single day to blowdry my hair so I was so excited when I found out the shampoo and conditioner were in the box! I've actually completely emptied both of these bottles now, they smell so good and my hair is so soft after using them, I am definitely buying full sized bottles of these!

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer

I'd never tried Burt's Bees before this and I can't believe it took me so long. The one i've got is Rhubarb and it's 100% natural and I love it. It tastes slightly minty and makes your lips tingle a bit and it's so moisturising. I love the colour too. It's the same colour as the lid, and when you put it on it doesn't have a deep pigmentation like a lipstick it just gives your lips a subtle red tint and it's so nice. Definitely getting another one of these when it runs out, which I imagine will be soon!

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Black Amethyst

Another brand i've never tried is Stila. This eyeliner is so soft and so easy to put on. I stopped using pencil eyeliners a while ago after I got the YSL shocking liquid liner as it's just like using a pen and makes life so much easier, but I actually really liked this. It's a brown/purple colour and just goes on so easily. Long lasting too as it's waterproof and they tend to stay on longer I find, but still easy to get off with a good cleanser. Don't think i'll buy another one as I still prefer my liquid liner, but maybe i'll change my mind after i've used it a bit more!

Lola Nail Polish - 045 Bluebell

I think this nail polish is a little hit and miss. I love the colour, it's a light blue with the slightest hint of lilac, so cute. The first time I put it on it only lasted an hour until the ends chipped, but I wasn't using a top coat. I didn't have time to redo the whole thing so I just touched up the chipped bits and then it lasted about 4 days before it chipped again. I really like the colour, I think that in future i'll use a top coat with it to make sure it doesn't chip, but as far as nail polishes go it's pretty good. It took about 3 coats to get a solid colour too, as it is quite thin. I don't think i'd buy it again as I prefer the consistency and pigment of OPI and they have some similar colours.

I didn't use the Vichy products or the Xen tan, purely because I don't like using fake tan and I just haven't gotten around to using the Vichy products as I love my Kiehls and Clinique cleansers and don't really like to change as my skin can be quite sensitive!

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

Love, Amylou x

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Life Update - I moved again!

Hey guys!

It's been so long since my last post! But I have a good(ish) excuse as i've actually moved again! I've moved into a gorgeous cottage up near my uni and i'm here for the next 3 months! Woop! (I really like this one)

There's a garden centre next door (ish) and I got the cutest little planter for my kitchen window

So cute. I've been assured my room will smell amazing when they all flower!

I've moved a lot. Since starting uni this is the 8th (or 9th) time i've moved. So i'm getting pretty good at packing, though I still 'need' way too much, it took my car and a whole van to get everything here, and it's only 12 weeks haha! But then after I leave here into my next place hopefully that will be it for a while! But in the mean time, I can't wait to make this into my home for a while!

I have some cute new neighbours too

Though they look a bit angry if I take too many photos!

I need to go outside and pick up the chair that is on the floor in these photos, but honestly, those angry faces scare me! haha

Just a quick update, but i'm just getting settled in and now i've got my uni timetables all sorted I can hopefully get back into my blogging, i've missed it! Sorry this post wasn't saying much, i'm still trying to get sorted, but just wanted to share some photos of my cute/terrifying neighbours haha.

I don't really have a question for you guys today, just wanted to say hello!

Hope you're all having a wonderful day! :)

Love, Amylou x

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Asparagus, Pancetta and Cream Cheese Pastries

Hey!

Yesterday my sister baked some delicious pastries and I put up a photo of her asparagus puffs on twitter, and someone asked for the recipe so I thought i'd put it up on here! 

The recipes can be found here on the GoodFood website:

Gordon Ramsay's Rough-puff Pastry

Creamy Asparagus Puffs

But if you want them both in one place i'll type them out below too :)

Pastry Ingredients:

250g Strong Plain Flour (8oz or 1 cup)

1 tsp Fine Sea Salt (½oz or 5ml)

250g Butter, at room temperature but not soft (8oz or 1 cup)

150ml Cold Water (5fl oz or 2/3 cup)

Filling Ingredients:

Plain Flour for Dusting

150g Cream Cheese

400g Asparagus Spears, trimmed

1 Medium Egg

4 Thin Slices Pancetta

Method:

Prepare the pastry first!

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and add the butter in small rough chunks. Rub these together but make sure you can still see bits of butter.

2. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add about two thirds of the water. Mix together until you have a firm rough dough, you may need more water. Cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for 20 minutes in the fridge.

3. Sprinkle flour on a board and knead your dough on it gently into a smooth rectangle. Roll the dough in one direction only until roughly 20x50cm, edges should be even. Make sure you don't work in all of the butter, you should have a marble effect.

4. Fold the top third over the centre then the bottom third up over that. Turn the dough 90 degrees to the left or right and roll out again to three times the length. Fold over as before and cover with clingfilm to chill for least 20 minutes further in the fridge.

Now you can prepare your fillings and bake your pastries!

5. Heat oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6/392F and line a baking tray with parchment. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a square measuring 30x30cm, and cut into four squares.

6. Spread a quarter of the cream cheese onto each square, leaving 1cm clean around the edge. Wrap a piece of pancetta around 4-5 asparagus spears and lay on top of the cream cheese. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little beaten egg.

7. Loosely wrap two edges over the asparagus to meet in the middle, keeping the top and bottom of the asparagus showing. Brush the pastries with beaten egg and place on baking tray.

8. Bake for 20-25mins until the pastry is cooked, golden and puffed, and the asparagus is tender.

9. Serve hot and fresh out of the oven :)

And that's it! Sorry I don't have more photos for you! I didn't know I was going to be writing this post until after they had been eaten! Hence the presentation haha. 

If you want any help with the recipes i've put the links to the originals at the beginning of this post, both from the BBC GoodFood website.

The recipe says to use smoked ham rather than pancetta, but I think it's up to you what you use! :)

Hope you enjoy making these!

Do you like reading recipes like this? There would be more photos in future, as i'd be more prepared :) My sister has thinking about writing a food blog too (she makes some amazing things), so if you like these sorts of posts i'd love to hear and i'll let her know! :)

Let me know in the comments!

Love Amylou x

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Feel Good January

Hello Lovelies,

I decided to start off 2015 with a little post about little things you can do to make yourself feel good.

I don't know about you, but I feel like i'm going stir crazy when I stay in the house for longer than a day, and over christmas we've done a lot of staying in! So it's time to dust off our coats, and get outside to do things that make us feel good again!

1. Get outside and go for a walk!

It doesn't snow very often so we decided to make the most of it and headed up to Langsett for a walk around the reservoir, it was so pretty!

I felt so much better after this walk, we were only out for a couple of hours before our fingers and toes were going numb and we headed to the local pub for a roast dinner!

It doesn't have to be a long walk, just getting out of the house and getting some exercise and fresh air can make you feel so much better!

2. Eat healthy!

I'm not saying go crazy on a new fad diet, but eating excessive amounts of rubbish over the holidays can make you feel so sluggish, and it's time to get some of that energy back!

The amount of chocolate and desserts and snacks that i've eaten over christmas is atrocious, and I can feel it too. When I drink sugary drinks I just feel so tired all the time, and the same goes for chocolate too.

Today i've only had water to drink, had beans on toast for brunch, and then fresh vegetable pasta for dinner and I can't tell you how much better I feel. I feel like suddenly I have so much energy to burn, i'm going to the gym in the morning and I honestly can't wait. And I never thought i'd be that excited to burn off some energy!

3. Drink more water!

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I'm 100% guilty of not drinking enough water. It's such a simple thing, and it makes such a difference. Being dehydrated makes you tired, which means you're less active, it also makes you think that you're hungry, so that you'll eat to get water from your food. It makes your skin look tired giving you wrinkles, not exactly a process I want to speed up!

So if you drink more water, it will help keep skin looking great, stop you being hungry all the time and gives you the energy you've been missing over the holidays! Great!

4. Think good thoughts!

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This is one of my all time favourite quotes, and it is so true. Many see the beginning of a new year as a new start. Maybe instead of setting goals you have no intention of keeping (we all know how long those gym memberships last), maybe this year, we should set new years resolutions to think happy thoughts.

Being happy improves your health. It's that simple. It might not be that simple to have those happy thoughts in the first place though you might be thinking. If it's a struggle, just start with one happy thing every day.

There's a line in Alice in Wonderland that I absolutely love "Why, sometimes i've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Why not instead of six impossible things, tell yourself six nice things, or think of six things you're thankful for.

You'd be surprised how much better you feel after starting the day with good thoughts.

I love this time of year. I've eaten as much junk as I wanted over christmas, and now i'm ready to get back into being healthy. I want to wake up with energy in the mornings, ready to start the day, rather than rolling out of bed mid-morning wanting to go back to sleep!

What do you do to make yourself feel good? I'd love to hear!

All my love, Amylou x

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