Survive with Courage, Grace and Humour

Be the Queen or King of your own life 🙂

A Style Board

Here are some looks and accessories I spotted that I love 🙂

Happiest Moments

Be Grateful For NOW

True Beauty

5 uses for Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream

I have used 8 hour cream for years but since travelling I really appreciate its multi-functionality. I think everyone should have a tube of this magic cream. It does the job of so many products and has made my make-up and beauty kit so much lighter. It’s very rich and one 50ml tube (£25) generally lasts me a year or so…and that’s with me using it frequently. I love the whole range so always try to pick up multi-packs at duty-free.

The lipsticks come as a clear balm or in a couple of natural shades and they are really moisturising. The product has existed since the 1930’s however has since been improved and is popular for its fragrance free option which is great for people with sensitive skin. Here are the 5 ways I use this product:

1. The texture is similar to Vaseline and it is very hydrating packed with vitamins and minerals, It is great for dry cracked skin. I often use it on my lips or feet to keep my pedicure fresh.

2. I love using 8 hour cream to complete a make-up look, its great for creating that fresh dewy look. I just brush a little on the cheekbones and lips and sometimes on the eyelids, you will notice a lot of make-up artists use this product on the runway or for high fashion shoots

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3. Its a very soothing product and restores skin over a 8 hour period, I  use it for cuts and burns to heal quicker and minimize scarring.

4. I’m currently in Peru and its mosquito season, this product is great for soothing insect bites and stops the itching while reducing redness.

5. I travel often and hate how dehydrating the air is on aeroplanes, I use this product to feed my skin on long-haul flights to ensure my skin stays moisturised and fresh.

In conclusion its a moisturiser for dry skin – it can be used on the face and body, a highlighter, a lip-balm and a healing cream for cuts, burns and bites.

Such A Good Feeling

Ever experienced the notion of serendipity?

Carnival in Cajamarca

  This blog post also appears on the Academia Superior de Idiomas’ blog I spent one of the best weekends of my life celebrating the carnival in Cajamarca. I heard about it when I arrived in Peru, it takes place throughout Feb but the main celebrations take place during the first weekend of March. If you don’t mind getting completely soaked, the celebrations are not to be missed. I thought I was prepared, armed with my water pistol, but after getting hit by a water balloon I realised I was going to lose this fight as I ran away from a guy who was trying to pour an entire bucket of water over me. Locals here are intrigued by tourists and often ask to take pictures with you, this happened right after one of them threw a water balloon at us but I took the opportunity to make friends. Its always nice to have locals in your circle, firstly they are generally really nice people, secondly you get exempt from “gringo tax” and thirdly had we not met them we wouldn’t have known about a lot of the things that were going on. They were also better prepared with bags of water balloons, and as they lived nearby they kept going home to get refills. We had formed an alliance and literally had a war against the entire square. It was so much fun, it ended with a downpour of rain which I danced in, firstly I missed the rain and secondly…nothing beats dancing in the rain 🙂

Throughout Peru every town and city has a small park in the centre and by 10am it was  full of revellers. Some people woke up in the square from the previous nights festivities. Groups of friends gather with their drums and all play the same beat and sing the same song but somehow nobody gets tired of it! You can spot Llamas dressed to the nines wondering around the square and you should constantly expect to be thrown water at. Their is a daily parade and then the final Monday is the main parade which went on for hours and included huge floats. Although Peruvians travel far and wide to attend the carnival, spotting tourists is rare and it’s a very authentic experience that you can really immerse yourself in. We stayed at a good hostel, Hospedaje Jesús Trabajador Manthoc, it was centrally located so we could walk everywhere. They are one of the few hostels not to triple their prices during carnival, they also let us check out of our rooms at 10pm, gave 8 of us a 16 people dorm and didn’t charge us extra. It was clean with basic facilities…I wouldn’t plan on staying their longer then a weekend but for it was perfect for a short time. It was such a beautiful city and I missed out on a lot of the highlights such as the famous hot springs so I will be going back their before I leave! Toodles for now x

The suits in Suits …and Harv

What’s in a name? Everything…The suits worn in the series Suits make half the show, the other half is the man wearing the suit, Harvey Specter. From the moment I started watching, I knew those wide curved lapels had Tom Ford’s name written all over them. Harv (as I like to call him) takes power dressing to a different level, his look just screams “Bawss!”. His beautiful physique obviously contributes as Ford is notorious for that impeccable body skimming cut.

There are very few things more attractive than a man in an immaculate 3 piece, he opts for 2 buttons over the more conventional 3, razor sharp trousers with a flat front and a single pinched pleat is just the icing on the cake. Obviously it’s his swag too, the one liners, the fact that he’s the best at what he does and that he has those sentimental moments beneath his beautifully toned exterior.

The casino episode was my favourite, the only thing that can beat a perfect suit is a perfect tux. His diamond tipped bow-tie demanded attention and those details are what give him his edge. He always completes his suits with his trademark Windsor knot and his cutaway collars zone in on his perfectly centred tie dimple (and of course his face). You can tell the fabrics are Italian because of the quality, you never see the outline of his tie under his collar, when he’s not sporting Ford he’s in Canali, Brioni or Hugo Boss. He has definitely earned his style icon status!

I know he’s not real but I think I love him…can you tell? here’s some of my favourite pictures: