Hydration Heroes

Autumn is really setting in now, the clocks go back soon meaning cold dark nights cosied up under the blankets with a hot cuppa are fast approaching. And for a lot of us, the change in weather also signals changes in our skin. When the cold wind starts whipping away at my face, my skin can get very dry, particularly on my cheeks and forehead, so I'll be really upping the hydration in my skincare routine. Firstly, I'll be making sure to use Hydraluron before my moisturiser. This serum has a clear gel-like consistency and is packed full of the purest form of hyaluronic acid that holds up to 1000 times its weight in water, meaning the hydrating effects of your moisturiser last longer. This product also has long-term skincare benefits as with prolonged use it can reduce the skins need for topical moisturisers. Thanks to Caroline Hirons, this 30ml serum is now a must-have for all skincare lovers.

One moisturiser that I've found to be particularly effective in the colder months is Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich, which is specifically targeted to dry and dehydrated skin. This non-greasy cream is lightweight and fast-absorbing whilst still being rich and moisturising enough to soothe dryness. It's also been specially formulated for sensitive skin (like mine). This stuff smells lovely and comes in a blue-tinted glass jar, making it seem a lot more expensive than it's £16.00 price tag (Escentual is currently selling this with 15% off making it £13.60! Link above). 

On a Sunday night, or even mid-week there's nothing better than running a hot bath and smothering on a face mask to really up the hydration. For a quick skin boost, the Superfacialist Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask is a great 10 minute treatment. Another product that is suitable for sensitive skin, this mask includes white willow extract, Vitamin E and marshmallow extract for a plumping and refreshing effect. If you're not a fan of rose scents, this may not be the mask for you as it is quite strongly scented, but I don't find it too overwhelming and the creamy mask does a great job at boosting my skin. This mask only costs £8.99, so I can't wait to try some of the other affordable Superfacialist products by Una Brennan. 

For a more intense moisturising mask, the one and only Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask is the one for the job. This mango-scented mask contains hyaluronic acid, avocado oil and Japanese seaweed to quench the skin and prevent further moisture loss. I like to use this mask in place of my night cream at least twice a week, and in the morning my skin always looks plump, healthy and hydrated. 

Another problem for me when the cold weather sets in is dry chapped lips. Highstreet lip balms just don't really cut it for me, as they tend to be petroleum-based, meaning the hydration they offer is very temporary and just leaves my lips needing more product once it wears off. So this year, I've invested in the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm in the hopes that it will keep my gob looking soft and moisturised rather than like a half-peeled orange. So far, I am really impressed. I love the sturdy glass packaging, the honey scent and especially the thick balm texture. This feels more like a treatment than a balm on the lips. It contains shea butter and plant oils to really nourish the lips and restore smoothness. I'll be smothering this on day and night throughout A/W as its such a pleasure to use and really feels like it's treating the dryness rather than masking it!

Finally, I couldn't write this post without including a body moisturiser! Even though I'm not one of these people that needs to religiously moisturise post-shower to avoid scaly limbs, I do love the way my skin feels after a good session with a body butter. The one that tops the list for me is the Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter. Oh my God. This stuff smells amazing. I think I've mentioned before that orange is one of my favourite smells, and basically if I open this, it takes all my restraint not to rub my nose in it. Like all the Body Shop Body Butters, this has a creamy texture that absorbs quickly and doesn't leave any greasy residue. They also come in great big 200ml pots (or smaller 50ml pots if you fancy trying before you buy), which are colour-coordinated to the fruit/plant/food they smell of. There will definitely be a body butter in the collection that you will love as much as I love this one, so I recommend having a good sniff of them all in store to find your favourite. Some of the most popular body butters include Strawberry, Mango and Coconut. 

What are your hydration heroes?

Holly xo

Garlic Sweet Potato and Spinach Mash || Autumn Recipes

Last night I cooked up this nutritious alternative to traditional mashed potato and it went down a storm on Instagram and Facebook so I thought I would share the extremely simple recipe with you lovely lot.

Sweet potato is one of my favourite foods - it's so versatile. It can be chopped into wedges to make fries (my boyfriend's favourite), baked and served with a variety of fillings, or boiled/steamed and mashed to create the ultimate in comfort foods. Not only are these orange spuds packed full of fibre, Vitamin C and potassium, they also taste amazing - just as nice as their white counterparts if you ask me, and according to experts, regular potato will cause blood sugar to rise around 30% more than sweet potato!

This recipe also contains spinach which, at only 7 calories per cup, is an excellent way to get one of your five a day as well as loading up on various nutrients - there's a reason why Popeye swore by this stuff. 

So, for this recipe you will need: 

- 3 medium sweet potatoes

- 130g of spinach (washed and trimmed)

- 1 clove of garlic

- a tbsp of butter (you can miss this out if you're being extra healthy)

- a tbsp of oil 

- salt and pepper to taste

• First up, peel your sweet potatoes and chop them into small chunks (the smaller you cut them, the faster they will cook). Then pop them into a pan of salted boiling water and allow them to cook for around 30 mins. 
• Peel and finely chop the clove of garlic.
• When your sweet potatoes have around 5 mins left to cook (you'll know they're ready when they're nice and soft), add the tbsp of oil to a frying pan and cook the garlic for no longer than a minute - it will burn if you leave it cooking for too long on its own. After a minute, add in the spinach, making sure to coat it completely in the garlic oil. Your spinach should only take 1-2 minutes to cook.
• Drain the sweet potatoes and mash them with the tbsp of butter, and add your spinach. 
• Mash it all together and add salt and pepper to season.

Et voila!

I served the mash with some grilled cajun-spiced chicken and the two complimented each other perfectly! 

This recipe made enough mash for me and my sister, but we did have quite hearty portions so if you wanted to add a side of vegetables or salad and reduce the portions of mash, I'd say you could serve three or four people with this recipe. 

This is definitely the perfect Autumnal side dish, and will also be amazing comfort food on those cold Winter nights.

Would you like to see more of these kinds of posts on my blog?

Holly xo

Zara Sale Bargains // AW13 Prep

On a recent trip to the Metro Centre, I decided to have a rifle through the Zara sale. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much as the sale launched a fair few weeks ago and I thought that I'd only find the unwanted left-behind clothes as is usually the case with big highstreet sales. Luckily I couldn't have been more wrong!

About 3/4 of the store was made up of rails of sale clothes, with only a small section dedicated to their new collection, which made for a very happy Holly. 

It really must have looked like a scene from Confessions of a Shopaholic as I stumbled towards the fitting rooms with handfuls of hangers as well as various garments slung over my shoulders...

I left the shop with four fantastic bargains - it would have been more if payday hadn't been so bloody far away! - and all four will be perfect for the fast-approaching Autumn/Winter (sorry, I know we're still basking in an uncharacteristically hot Summer here in England, but I do love A/W fashion!). In honour of these beautiful clothes, I decided to try something different with my outfit photos involving a DIY camera stand made of boxes, books and DVDs, and the beginning of a fling with my camera's self-timer.. I know the background isn't exactly professional (hello Ian Somerhalder calendar making an appearance in the corner) but I'm hoping you'll overlook that as it is my first attempt at this style of outfit post :)

Jumper: £7.99 from £19.99

I love this chunky cable knit jumper, I can't believe it cost me less than £8! It is such amazing quality, it's quite heavy which makes it feel even more luxurious and expensive. I think this will be the perfect cosy jumper for Winter and will look great with leggings, jeans or even denim shorts and boots in Autumn/Spring when the weather is at that in-between stage.

Jumper: £9.99 from £35.99

This black jumper with 3/4 length sleeves is such a stand-out piece for AW13 as the colourful floral cross stitch pattern is so eyecatching. I think this will look great worn on top of a shirt or blouse with the collar popping out or paired with a gold statement necklace. I'm sure I'll get a lot of wear out of this at university when the cold, wet weather inevitably returns to Newcastle. It'll be nice to wear something bright, cheerful and festive to improve my mood!

Jumper: £7.99 from £25.99
(Disco Pants: River Island  //  Boots: New Look)

For the past few Winters, I have been in search of the perfect slouchy oversized jumper. I am a massive fan of the slouchy casual look, I just think it looks undone and carefree yet stylish and feminine - a perfect combination. I spotted this mononchrome stiped jumper in a size L and thought it might be exactly what I was looking for - and it really is! I love this jumper off the shoulder with the baggy sleeves rolled up for an almost jumper-dress look. I would pair this with leggings or disco pants and boots as above for a casual daytime outfit.

Trousers: £12.99 from £39.99

These trousers are not something I would usually go for, but I'm so glad I tried them on as I am totally in love with them now. They are camel coloured with black stripe detailing down the sides and an ankle cuff with gold stud fastening gives them a more dressy feel, though these could be styled for day or night. I love these paired with my black and gold ankle strap sandals from New Look and a black cami top. These trousers are the perfect style update for my wardrobe and I know I'll have fun styling them in different ways.

So, not only have I picked up some great bargains to carry me through to next season, but I've learned my lesson - don't write off sales after the first few weeks as there are still some beautiful pieces hiding away, you just have to brave the messy rails and tables piled high with jumpers to find them, but it's 100% worth it when you walk out with reasonably priced, on-trend items that you're really happy with!

What do you think of these Zara sale picks? 
Should I continue to take my outfit photos this way?

Holly xo