Yes I bought another Zara bag . . .

I have a weakness for Zara bags. They are the first thing I search for when I visit Zara online (second is coats) & I'm always left lusting after at least two after a quick page browse. Everything about them is always so spot on - the quality, style, colour, size & price. I'd say they are the best affordable bags on the high street. 

The Mini City bag with zips is the newest addition to my Zara bag family. I ordered it online Wednesday night & it arrived yesterday morning - Zara always has such quick delivery & brilliant customer service. I got it in light pink (I call it dusty pink) & I also spotted it in red & light blue. This little beauty definitely looks more expensive than it's £39.99 price tag.

I thought the light, powdery colour was gorgeous for Spring/Summer but I can see myself using this all year round as it makes a change to my other darker bags. The size is perfect for all my daily essentials comprising of three zip pockets (the small one at the front is an ideal size for a phone), a middle compartment with three different size pockets, & a detachable shoulder strap. 

This beautiful bag will certainly be getting a lot of use over the next few months & already had its first outing today . . . 

FYI my absolute DREAM would be for Zara to do a collaboration (think along the lines of the H&M designer ones) but focus only on bags with the one & only . . . Chanel. Think about it - Chanel + Zara + bags + affordable prices = a very happy me, plus hundreds of others who would appreciate these creations. Seriously it's a collaboration waiting to happen. In my dreams . . . 

Lupita: Awards Season Sweetheart

My favourite from the red carpet this year was definitely Lupita Nyong'o. She didn't put a foot wrong with a rainbow of beautiful dresses and her custom made (!) Prada dress she was to the Oscars on Sunday was perfection. I love how she called the colour 'Nairobi blue'.

Some of Lupita's other red carpet looks . . .

Pinterest: February

A round up of my favourite pins from February:



1. Rebecca Minkoff Jules Cross Body Bag from Shopbop
I've been browsing the Rebecca Minkoff bag section on Shopbop a lot over the past couple of months waiting for the Mini Moto to come back in stock. When I saw this little gem added to the already beautiful bag filled pages I was won over. I'm also lusting after one of the Mason wallets. I think an RM purchase will be made. Watch this space. . . 


2. Kiwi Blueberry Mojito.
I love the original mojitos (my favourite alcoholic beverage) & I'm always keen to try variations on this classic. Strawberry mojitos will forever remind me of Ibiza. I'd never heard of this combination before but it sounds goood. The picture alone is mouthwatering. Roll on summertime!


3. Interior beauty.
Now this is my dream living room. Candles, flowers, pretty lights, neutral colour palette & cushions. LOTS of cushions. It looks so beautiful & cosy. Major home inspiration!


4. More interior beauty.
This bathroom...just wow! That cabinet is stunning, I have a feeling it was once an antique wardrobe. To just have a bathroom big enough for it would be amazing. Again, major home inspiration (for when I have my own house).


5. The Beach Life
This looks perfect. Can I be there right now please? . . .

If you'd like to follow me on Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/jessicaroses/

February skincare purchases

I heart skincare. I have for over 10 years & my love is still going strong. So every month when it comes to pay day I usually have a little list of items just waiting to be added to my basket. These range from the basics (cotton face pads, face wipes etc),  daily essentials (new moisturiser, cleanser, basically repurchases etc) and any new item I've had my eye on, researched and decided I want to give a go

On my February re-purchase list - Bioderma Hydrabio and the Origins Ginzing energy-boosting moisturizer. I first saw this bottle of Bioderma on Glamour magazine's Beauty Director Alessandra Steinherr's instagram, which she claimed was better than the famous red topped one. I completely agree! After reading the hype around the original Biroderma I purchased a bottle from Escentual but wasn't overwhelmed by it. I found the cleansing water made my skin feel quite uncomfortable immediately after use and it didn't seem ideal for my sometimes sensitive and dry prone skin. However, the blue topped version is very gentle on my face and eye area leaving my skin feeling moisturized, instead of tight, before going ahead with my evening cleanse.

Origins is one of my favourite skincare brands and the Ginzing moisturiser has been my go to day cream since last summer after it launched. It's lightweight with a slightly gel-like texture and is super hydrating and refreshing. This is helped by the fact it feels cooling on the skin and has a gorgeous citrus, fresh scent. Used with the Ginzing eye cream, my skin seems to be loving these radiance boosting treats.

My 'new item' purchase is the Indeed Labs Hydraluron serum which I first read about on Caroline Hiron's blog last year. It's a moisture boosting serum packed with hyaluronic acid which claims to significantly increase skin's hydration levels and ability to retain moisture. Over time it's meant to reduce the amount of topical moisturisers needed to maintain skin hydration (which means you use less of what you put on top of this serum). There is a lot of science behind this product and anything you really need to know about it is on Caroline's blog - she sums it up perfectly. Having only used this serum for a short amount of time (1 week so far) means I can't give a fair opinion on it yet but I have noticed my skin feeling significantly softer after using this post toner and pre-moisturiser in the mornings. Everything seems a lot smoother. Time will tell with this one but so far I'm impressed!

What's next on my 'new item' list? The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum in Oil which promises to replenish and recharge skin with moisture overnight. It sounds right up my street and it's only £12! I'm sold. 

Pinterest: January

I am a huge Pinterest fan. Having the app on my phone makes me browse through boards almost every day! I find it so inspiring and thought I would share my favorite pins from the month of January (This post is a little late I know, I'm still getting in the swing of blogging regularly again!).

If you'd like to follow me on Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/jessicaroses/




1. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Flights & hotel are booked to visit this beautiful & intriguing city in June with my friend Sophie. Last year Ibiza, this year we chose a city with a bit of everything. To say I'm excited is an understatement...I literally can't wait! Plus Game of Thrones is filmed here (it's Kings Landing!) which makes it even more appealing! Hurry up June 14th . .



2. It's safe to say that throughout January I was obsessed with Scandal. Obsessed. I got through the first 3 series very quickly and I've literally told everyone I know about it! It's a show that keeps you completely hooked in every episode, the acting is great and Olivia Pope's (Kerry Washington, who is just amazing & my new favourite actress) wardrobe is stunning!! That coat in the above picture . . . wow! Full of soft neutrals, luxurious fabrics and beautiful accessories she really does stand out in the very male dominated political world.



3. Kate from The Small Things Blog - http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/ , does some of the best hair tutorials (she also has a Youtube channel) I have found. This picture is from the Low Chignon tutorial which I have attempted a couple of times but it hasn't worked out exactly how I imagined. I think the secret is in the texture of your hair so next time I'm going to whip out my Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray & see what happens. Practice makes perfect.



4. I love everything about this outfit! Would you just look at that Celine bag!! My favourite has to be the Off Duty sweatshirt and I am now on the look for a similar piece! It adds a very casual/cool edge to an outfit which other than that is rather daytime dressy.



5. Not wanting to blow my own trumpet or anything but I do make very good cinnamon buns. It's all down to a recipe my mum recommended from one of her American cookbooks (the name of which escapes me) . My next baking project is to attempt this giant cinnamon roll cake (the recipe of which is also on my Food pin board). Gawwd it looks so good!!

Dreaming of Elie Saab Couture

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the King of red carpet dressing, Elie Saab and his divine Haute Couture S/S 14 collection. I certainly have, although my moment was more like an hour sat scrolling through pictures of his beautiful collection and daydreaming of what  it must be like to wear one of his creations.

If you haven't done so already then you can watch Elie Saab S/S 14 show here - http://www.eliesaab.com/#/en/home His past shows are definitely worth a look too for their timeless beauty.

Three of my favourites from the S/S 14 Couture show are below: