A Wardrobe Overhaul

Following on with my de-cluttering plan for the new year, I've started off this month by tackling my wardrobe. 

Out of everything that I own, I find my clothes the most difficult things to sort. Sequined dresses are packed away just incase, items for potential halloween costumes are stored away (even though I haven't gone out for halloween in about 6 years!) and red velvet skirts saved to be whipped out at Christmas. I just can't let go! I've pulled together a plan that will hopefully lead me on to a fresh, clutter free wardrobe, hopefully they can help you too!

Change the way I store my clothes:
By following the Marie Kondo method of folding and storing my clothes in drawers, it's really helped me to streamline my them, 1000 black tops don't all fit when stacked neatly in a line and so it's really helped me to prioritise and organise my stash.
I've also invested in a clothes rail from Ikea, new copper hangers and drawer dividers. Keeping my clothes minimal, neat and clutter free makes the whole area look a lot more appealing and makes for the ideal dressing area.

Organise into piles:
I've found it best to gather all of my clothes into three piles; Keep, Maybe, and Donate/Sell. I place the Keep pile, which consists of clothes I wear every week, new clothes and clothes I want to make an effort to wear more back into my drawers and closet, the Maybe pile gets stored in a box. This way if I miss anything too much I can always pull it back out again, if by the end of the year I haven't missed anything, then I can go through it again and donate most of it! Lastly the Donate/Sell pile gets sorted out straight away and put up on depop/ebay or whisked off to the charity shop so that I can't change my mind!

Be Ruthless:
Try things on, wear them for a day - are they comfortable? Do they make you feel good? If not, then give them to a better home, someone who will enjoy and appreciate them!

Buy:
I've found that planning a shopping trip or a cheeky Asos haul (this LBD is such great staple!) can help me to part ways with some of my pre-loved but no longer needed items. If I get rid of 10 pieces, selling and donating, then I can treat myself to a new item that I'll make sure I love and get a lot of wear from.

How do you de-clutter your wardrobe?

Blog Photography

After a few requests to pop up a blog photography post and with such kind comments on my photos I thought I would write up a little post. I'd just like to add that I'm in no way a professional, this is just a little peek at my photography process - Kate, Carrie & Rebecca are my photography inspirations, their photo's are incredible, they have some great posts on photography too!

Realistically you're likely to find me teetering on the edge of a stool (5ft + flatlay is a difficult combination!) next to a big window and surrounded by a huge mess. Here's a few photography essentials for me, hopefully they will help you as well!

Equipment

The camera that I use is a Canon 600d and I shoot my photos using a 18-55mm lens or an 50mm f1.8 lens. The f1.8 lens is great for a blurred background, for beautiful close up's and for bokeh backgrounds. The 18-55 kit lens provides a little more clarity, it's crisp, sharp and focuses on a wider area, perfect for flatlays.

I sometimes use my iPhone 5s for photos too, it's more convenient to carry around when I'm out and about, and the quality is still pretty good!

I also have this tripod close to hand for when I dare to take a snap of myself, or if I need to shoot in low light.

Lighting

I take most of my photos next to a big window with lot's of natural light. I'm lucky to have big french doors and so that's where I try to take most of my snaps. I use my light reflector (that I DIY'd from this tutorial) to bounce the light back too, which helps to brighten up the whole area.

Editing

I use either Pic Monkey or Pixelmator to brighten, sharpen, colour adjust and up the saturation, I aim to make my photo's to look quite natural, crisp, clean and bright. I don't usually like to add filters, (the only exception being on instagram snaps!) as I like to manually edit each photo and tweak as I go.

Props/Background

Following on with my crisp, bright and clean aims, my backgrounds are normally light and airy. I love clean white surfaces, marble, white floorboards or blankets for added texture.

For props, I have candles, blankets, cushions, sequins, flowers, anything pretty, relevant or close to hand to add to my pics. Scattered petals, sequins or bells make a pretty addition to photos, home decor, make up brushes and bobbi pins too!

Valentines Gifts To Splurge On

One of things that I love most about Valentines day is all of the adorable themed products that are available and released each year. There are some real gems out there at the moment, I've already snapped up half of Lush's gorgeous Valentines day collection, Alex kindly ordered me the heavenly Diptyque Rosaviola candle and I've got my eye on this dreamy brass love sign to pick up next! Here's a little Valentines wishlist, 'To me, love from me'...

A Dreamy New Candle From Diptyque

The luxe packaging of Diptyque Rosaviola completely drew me in to this dreamy candle. With a divine scent, pretty pink packaging and fabric label designed by Olympia Le-Tan, this is a real treat to own.

Rosaviola combines the divine mix of roses and violets, it smells fragrant, floral and reminds me of early spring - heavenly! There's a hint of a powdery parmaviolets aroma too, which makes this the perfect addition to my dressing table.

For me, this is the ideal candle for Spring, with England normally staying quite drizzly and with April showers on the way, candles are always burning in my home throughout the milder months. Cosy home comforts are a must for me and so having this flickering in the background with blankets and a mug of peppermint tea in hand is ideal!

Rosaviola fills my whole living room even whilst unlit, the exquisite quality and impressive burn time make this a real luxe treat to own. The pot is definitely a keeper once burnt down, something to treasure and store make up brushes, cotton pads or bobbi pins in once used up!

What do you think of this limited edition packaging?

Dressing Table Snippets

In keeping with my plan to stay clutter free and organised this year, I've started off by spring cleaning my dressing table. I've had a huge clear out of my make up, giving some away and also selling a few things on depop. This year I'm hoping to keep everything fresh, clean and organised with my most loved products close to hand.

After my make up overhaul I took a trip to Muji to invest in some more acrylic drawers, they're so convenient and make reaching for my make up a dream! I originally wanted to pick up a single drawer but they don't seem to be available anymore, instead I picked up another two drawer, this time with a flip top for easy access to my everyday make up.

My Malm dresser drawer holds my seasonal Essie picks and a few favourite eyeshadows including the dreamy iridescent rose gold Nars Outer Limits and it's more affordable dupe Topshop Shuffle the Cards. I've also popped a couple of eye pencils in there to remind me to use them more often, the H&M Eyeliner in Grand Cru has such a creamy and pigmented formula, I really need to pick up another shade!

Fresh flowers and spring candles are a welcome addition to my dressing table this month, Diptyque Baies fills my home with a divine scent of blackcurrant and rose and the pink roses help to create a bright, fresh feel.
I also can't be without my Denman brushes, always having one close to hand. The Denman grooming brush is a current favourite, it helps to give me silky soft, shiny tresses and transforms tight curls into effortless soft waves with just a few strokes.

Lastly, I've toying with the idea of replacing my mirror, I love this copper hexagon mirror, something to make the centrepiece of the dressing table. Although I do adore the princess-eque feel of my mirror, it can get a little lost to the side.

What do you think of my dressing table set up?

A February To Do List

1. Pick up these adorable Valentines heart socks,

2. Organise Everything. From make up to kitchen cutlery, I want to streamline and organise it all!

3. Splurge on this dreamy limited edition, Pink Diptyque candle.

4. Saviour the last of the cold, cosy winter days before Spring arrives with Lush baths, hot chocolates and cosy knits.

5. Nail the perfect pancake recipe ready for pancake day on the 9th. SO excited for lemon & sugar, nutella and maple syrup toppings- what's you're favourite pancake topping?

6. Take a trip to Ikea for storage, plant pots & maybe a cushion or two!

7. Treat myself to the second Harry Potter colouring book, those pygmy puffs!

8. Also pre-order the Yule Ball Hermione Pop Vinyl.

9. Start an honest weekly food diary, inspired by Lily. It's seems like such a great way to discover how to improve my diet and to see whether I need to add more water, fruit or vegetables.

10. Try and resist these dreamy Flying Pony Pyjamas, I dont need any more ASOS pyjamas...do i?

Valentines Pink & Red Lip Picks

With Valentines day right around the corner, I've been reaching for my favourite pink and red lipsticks. I'll probably just be spending Valentines day at home, in my favourite Asos pyjamas with Netflix and popcorn (I'm addicted to Reign!), maybe in the evening we'll rustle up a candlelit homemade meal to mark the occasion. Although we don't ever really do too much on Valentines, I love to wear a red or pink lip on the day!

The Pinks

I've given up hope for snowy winter days and so I've decided to embrace pink lips again and let a few spring picks creep their way back into my make up bag for the lead up to Valentines day. A current favourite and the one I'll probably end up wearing on the day is Revlon Sultry Samba. This pigmented creamy fuchsia packs a punch, it's a bold shade that pairs well with lots of mascara, a champagne highlighter and a nude pencil in the waterline.

Another favourite and strong contender for the day is Nars Yu, a shocking pink with an impressive formula. This budge-proof lip pencil feels soft and creamy on application and is a universally flattering shade, worn with dewy make up it's ideal for a fresh, healthy look.

My last pink pick Revlon Showy is a dupe for Chanel La Diva, this cool toned pink is remarkably similar to its high end dupe, albeit a little less long lasting. Luckily, the crayon style applicator means that it's easy to pop in your bag for application on the go and the pigmented formula means that you just need one swipe for lasting colour.

The Reds

Moving onto the reds, Nars Velvet Lip Pencil in Cruella is another top pick for Valentines day. I have only the highest praise for Nars lip pencil formula's, they're something else! Creamy, long lasting and pigmented this deep scarlet red is so comfortable on the lips and it's such a gorgeous shade!

L'Oreal Exclusives Lipstick in Blake is the one for dry, parched lips as the addition of Jojoba oil in this classic red lipstick helps to keep lips soft and hydrated. Great for date nights and paired with a shimmery highlighter dusted on the cupids bow this sophisticated red gives an effortless, polished pout.

Lastly, Clinique Cherry Pop is the latest red to my collection, a bright blue toned red with an inbuilt primer this perky bold red lasts well on the lips. It's the perfect shade for winter and Valentines day, how dreamy is the packaging!

What's your favourite pink/red lipstick?