BEAUTY || LIP COLOURS YOU WILL LOVE THIS SUMMER

I can't be the only one who saves certain lip colours for specific times of the year, right? Especially when it's a bright orange or pink shade.

MAC Matte Lipstick in The Fashion Flock
This is definitely one of my favourite shades to wear in the Summer. I never go abroad without it as I believe that this is the perfect Peachy shade that goes great with a tan.

If you are after the actual lipstick, I found it on eBay. However, bear in mind that it might have been used/swatched or might be out of date if previously opened.

SS20 || BEST AFFORDABLE DRESSES YOU NEED THIS SPRING - SUMMER

It's so easy to decide on an outfit based on what the weather is like, but have you ever thought of a gorgeous outfit and then got annoyed when you couldn't find anything remotely similar in your wardrobe? I'm definitely one of those girls and try to really control my spending and up-cycle what I already own. In this post, I wanted to share with you my top picks of high-street dresses that are mainly under £35 (I tried to find the best and most affordable dresses across 8 different online retailers).

One of my favourite stores to shop for holiday/Summer outfits has to be River Island as they never fail to bring out gorgeous prints which I always keep in my Summer wardrobe ready for my next holiday. I particularly love this White Polka Dot Dress as you can wear it anywhere in the world either during the day or night and look super fabulous! For £36 I think it's a great bargain and that everyone should own a dress like this in their wardrobe.

I think that this White Leaf Print Beach Dress (also from River Island) is super cute and would be very flattering for all body shapes. The cut-out detail and the belt are nice additions to this dress, and for only £25 I think it's a great steal! It also comes in khaki.

I love H&M all year round, but I feel like they always up their game around Summertime. Neon has been a huge hit for the past couple of years, especially in the Summer, so it's not a surprise to see bright and colourful dresses making an appearance on the H&M website. This Smocked Mesh Dress is only £9.99 and is a part of a collaboration with the movie 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before Part 2'.

Another great bargain from H&M is this beautiful Polka Dot Lyocell Dress for only £19.99! This would make a great wedding guest or baby shower outfit.

Now, this dress is absolutely stunning. It's a gorgeous colour and a trendy print and style - what else could we ask for?! This Warehouse Satin Jacquard Midi Tea Dress is in the sale for only £25 and would make a great summer outfit.

Missguided is one of my go-to online stores for Summer clothing, and let me tell you when I say I found some amazing gems that I am not lying! For instance, this beautiful little White Satin Crochet Dress is currently in the sale for £17.60! It's everything you could ask for in a summer dress, especially for exciting cocktails with the girls once it's safe to go out!

I love this dress so much! It's super cute and flattering, and only £28! This Pink Floral Midi Dress is perfect to wear on a cold-ish Summer night and would look great paired up with little sandals.

So, these are my top dresses for this Summer and I really hope that we will all get a chance to have a proper Summer this year. This is a very difficult time that we are going through right now and I'm sending everyone my love and lots of positive thoughts.

*This post does not include affiliate links and is not sponsored. The images used for this post are not mine and have been saved from the retailers' websites.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || SANCTUARY SPA WET SKIN RADIANCE JELLY

I'm really bad at looking after the skin on my body. I rarely ever moisturise or fake tan as I find that these things take too much effort when I have to stand around for ages waiting for the product to dry.
I'm trying to be good and moisturise every time I shower now using the Sanctuary Spa Wet Skin Radiance Jelly.
In general, I love anything watermelon scented, so when I saw this product in Boots a few months ago I knew I'd regret not purchasing it. It was on offer for around £6 so I thought I was getting myself a little bargain! My initial thoughts were a bit all over the place. A jelly moisturiser to use on wet skin? What sort of sorcery is this?! Sounds like a perfect product for lazy people such as myself lol.

The texture threw me off a little bit as I don't particularly like slimy textures but I really wanted to try this product as I have heard many good things about the Sanctuary Spa Wet Skin Moisture Miracle. I bought this product just before going away to Alicante, so thought it'll be a great opportunity to try the product there as the watermelon scent will be associated with a holiday every time I use it. At first, I thought it was bloody cold to use on the skin straight after a nice warm shower, so I was a bit annoyed 😂. After I applied the product I dried my body as normal which was a bit weird as I felt like I was rubbing the product off my skin.

Once I dried my skin and put my pyjamas on, my skin felt super soft as if I used any other moisturiser but with a lot more lightweight feel to it.
After a few applications every time I showered for a few days, I have noticed that my skin felt softer and smoother than normal (I don't always moisturise my skin).

Overall, I think this is a great product for those who don't like the feel of a heavy body moisturiser and generally don't have much time to get ready after showering. It is great value for the quality of the product and lasts absolute ages as you don't need much to spread it evenly.

Have you tried this moisturising jelly before? What other products would you like for me to review from this brand?

*This post contains affiliate links.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

HOW TO MINIMISE SPENDING & SAVE MORE EFFECTIVELY

I'm very new to saving money and spending less. If you've been following my journey on Instagram or blog you'll already know that I'm not shy when it comes to spending money. In fact, I spend more than I earn - or at least I used to.
I kept a spending diary for a year which made me realise that I was spending way too much on things that I did not need. Did I need an extra coat this season? No. Did I buy one? Yes, I did.
After carefully calculating how much money I spend on unnecessary items I have decided that enough is enough and that I will minimise my spending to only things that I actually need.

As I work in the beauty industry I do get a fair amount of discount across many brands (most which I use). Occasionally, I receive free items from the brand that I work for as well as PR packages from some of my favourite brands. This puts me at an advantage to minimise my spending as I have heaps and heaps of makeup and skincare products laying around my house! So far, I haven't spent any money on makeup or skincare this year so I'm going strong 💪🏻

So far I have spent around £100 on necessities such as new tights, work uniform, toiletries etc. I have a holiday coming up and I have been very tempted to order new clothes specifically for the holiday - but why do I feel like I need a whole new wardrobe for a few days away? Instead, I have listed a lot of my old clothes that I haven't worn in a while online and whatever money I get from selling them I will allow myself to buy something new. My only rule is that if I really really want something, then I will treat myself to it as I do believe that we should award ourselves with nice things for working hard.

These are some of the things that I have done and that you can do to help you get better with money:
-> Open a savings account
-> Create a 'Save the Change' account
-> Declutter monthly - try and sell unwanted items
-> Cancel memberships you don't use/need
-> Recycle your old outfits
-> Use recycling programs to get free products - e.g. Back to Mac or Origins Recycling Program
-> Get insurance from Compare the Market to receive 2 for 1 cinema ticket and meal offers
-> Stock up on products you need when there are offers

I'm still learning how to become the best version of myself and to save up effectively. I want to have a constantly growing income, so I've started reading The Richest Man in Babylon. It's quite hard to read but the lessons it will teach you are very important.

Another thing I have started doing is buying multipacks of drinks, chocolate bars and crisps and keeping them in my locker at work. I don't always bring a packed lunch with me so this is a great way of trying not to overspend in shops when I'm hungry. On average I would spend around £5 on my lunch if I didn't bring one with me but now that I have snacks in my locker I will only spend £1.50 on a sandwich from the nearest supermarket. Still, the best option would be to make a packed lunch every day (it's best to use slow energy releasing carbohydrates as then you'll remain fuller for longer, but that's a lesson for another day haha 😂).

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post. Let me know in the comments section if there's anything you can relate to from this post 🥰

Do you have any tips on how to save money? Comment them down below for others to see! 

Lots of love,

Maya xo

FASHION || HOW TO STYLE A LACE BODYSUIT FT FEMMELUXE - AD

* This post contains gifted items. 

As some of you already know, I’m working with Femme Luxe on a gifted basis which means that I receive some items from them for free in exchange for a blog & Instagram post.

In my most recent order, I have picked this gorgeous Black Lace Long Sleeve Plunge Bodysuit and I couldn’t wait to wear it. I’ve paired it up with a white Primark ribbed high neck t-shirt, Primark mom jeans and Gucci belt. I’m not brave enough to wear this out on its own and I love the layered look in Winter.

The quality of this bodysuit is good, it also fits really well. If you wanted to wear it on its own then I would suggest getting nipple covers or wearing a bra underneath. I did find that it was slightly too small for me in the cup area so I'd suggest to size up if you have bigger boobs. It is also super high cut so is very flattering around the hip & waist area!

This bodysuit only comes in black, however Femme Luxe have a variety of gorgeous lace bodysuits in different styles and colours which you can find here.

*This bodysuit was gifted but the post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.

Lots of love,

Maya xo