Year: 2017

Gili Teak Boutique Resort, Gili T. Review

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  I’m usually very much a budget traveller – I’m happy enough to be in the sun and not working. But I do love a good hotel (read my hotel reviews HERE). So while in Indonesia this year I thought I’d treat my boyfriend and I to a chi chi place in Gili Trawangan. My friends Grace and Sean put me on to this place, so thanks guys. Gili Teak resort is on the quite side of Gili T. – and island known for its parties and as the rowdier sister to Gili Air and Gili Meno. I love Gili T. and the fact it’s busy and you can party on a night, but there is a quiet part, so you get the best of both worlds. After getting off the boat from Bali, the heavens opened and there was a huuuuge tropical thunderstorm, which made the 20 minute walk to the hotel from the boat more like 40 minutes. And I was terrified I was going to get struck by lightening – not to …

Just Sauced Lula Bikini Review 

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After the first time I went to Bali, for a month, I realised that 90% of my time there was spent in a bikini. And as I only had a couple with me, it was basically the same bikini. So in all my photos I’m wearing the same one. Epic fail. So this time around I wasn’t going to be caught out. I wanted some sassy swimwear that no one else would have (always a risk if you head straight to Topshop). Enter Just Sauced, and independent swimwear label that I found on the ‘gram. Based in London, they make extra sexy bikinis and one pieces that draw inspiration from the 80s, Brazil and all things tropical. I chose the Lula, and OTT string triangle bikini with baby-pink ruffles, leopard print and really flattering cut. It’s very small, so not for the faint-hearted. But I often think, if you’re gonna show some skin, then commit to it. Anyway, check out their amazing range of ‘kinis for your next beach holiday. Just Sauced

The Cool Canggu Travel Guide

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  My first time in Canggu [pronounced chan-goo], Bali was such a blast. You know when you arrive somewhere and just instantly love the vibe. It’s definitely a more western part of Bali, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing – especially when the western bits are all the good parts I like from back home. There a surfer vibe, of course, being that the beach is supposedly home to some of the raddest waves (am I using that term correctly?) in Indonesia. Also there are lots of super cool clubs and bars to party at. Overall the vibe is super-chilled but there’s loads to go as well.   GETTING AROUND Canggu is a little more spread out than some places in Bali, so travelling on foot, especially at night isn’t a good option – like most of Bali, there are no sidewalks. Renting a scooter is the best option, you can usually do this for £2-4 a day, and petrol is a pittance (£1-2 a week). The taxis here are good too – reliable …

How to Choose a Bikini if You Have Dark Skin

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This may seem like a frivolous subject but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bikini article dedicated to us brown ladies. If you’re buxom, slim, curvy, apple, pear, ginger… yes. But not black, brown or whatever. My experience is that a black bikini doesn’t suit my skin tome at all – it just doesn’t pop. The brighter, the better – if you have dark skin then rejoice, because we can pull off a bright yellow, orange or pink bikini easily. Bold patterns and prints also look amazing – basically, if you have dark skin you can wear most things – especially notoriously difficult shades like white. If your skin is pale that’ll wash you out in no time but on a bronzed bod, it works. Colours to stray away from are pastels – they’re just not flattering. Or anything too dark. WHERE I BOUGHT MY BIKINIS Leopard print – Missguided Blue – ASOS Pink frill – Just Sauced Pink bandeau – Depop Orange – New Look    

Flower Arranging With Bloom &Wild 

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Flower arranging is the new hot hobby, seriously. So many of my girlfriends are forgoing wild weekends in favour of artfully arranging blooms. And I can see why. It’s an activity that is so relaxing it’s like meditation, plus it kind of involves nature (though the stems are cut and dead) which is never a bad thing. I first tried this new thing last year and now I can’t get enough of it. Bloom & Wild who you may know from ‘flowers through the letterbox’ fame hosted a class at West Elm’s beautiful Tottenham Court Road branch where we created a floral letter – which my friend pointed out was not dissimilar to something you’d see at an East End funeral. Morbid associations aside I am so proud of my colourful ‘S’. Find out about Bloom & Wild classes here.

Stuck in The Noughties: Why We’re All Nostalgic for The 2000s

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I recently had a mammoth ‘gram sesh which segued into a good few hours on Twitter and Tumblr… and I realised while in this internet-trance that a good proportion of what I was looking at was 00s nostalgia. My favourite accounts @Popculturediedin2009, @Shesvague and @partylikeits07 are all in the business of posting photos from the most iconic celebrities of the early 2000s. I’m not interested in what Emma Stone is up to today, I want to know which club Tara Reid fell out of in 2003, or the legendary feud between Paris and Lindsay ‘Firecrotch’ Lohan.   A quick poll of my friends shows that, they too, are all obsessed with the celebs of yesteryear. But why? Why are we all living so defiantly in the past? Well, firstly, these are the images of our formative years – we all came of age in the millennium – so Nicole, Paris, Micha and Hilary were our teen queen idols. And they ran things. Heat magazine was at its zenith and tabloid journalism was reaching new highs/lows …

Why I Love Making New Year’s Resolutions

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At the end of every year, I set aside a few hours, get comfy, grab a cuppa and the remaining Quality Street from Christmas and set to work on my New Year’s resolutions. Every year without fail. Some people laugh at this practice, “oh what’s the point, you’ll only break them?”, well, I actually try not to break them.  Each new year I treat as a reset, a fresh slate. I like to focus on what went well that year and things I achieved and enjoyed, as well as reflecting on the bad bits or where there is room for improvement. I find it really helpful to kind of soak it all in, we’re all busy, when do we ever take the time to to take stock of our lives? Apparently the most popular resolution for both men and women is to lose weight, no surprises there, and yes I’d always like to lose weight. But as I’ve got older, I’ve learned that these kind of abstract resolutions are designed to make you fail. Either …