August 2016 Favourites
I'm finding it harder and harder to believe that the year of 2016 is already in it's 9th month. I hate to sound dramatic, but I'm being totally serious when I say "where is the year going?!" I'm not sure, but time flies when you're having fun, right?
August has been another photoshoot packed, magazine filled, fun month, and I felt like it really needed a bit of a summary. Well, not so much a summary... this is more of the standard "I've loved these things this month and I wanted to tell you about them" post. I read these all the time, because when someone writes a blog that I love to read, more often than not I'm pretty curious what they're loving in their lives. So I figure it's probably not a bad idea to do these sorts of things more frequently myself! So let's get down to business with August 2016's favourites "à la Olivia" aka a mix of very random things.
Book
Let It Out by Katie Dalebout: If you read this post a few weeks ago, you'll have seen me mention this there already. Well, it's getting a second mention because I finished this book last week and I adored it! "Let It Out, A Journey Through Journaling" is basically a step by step guide into how to get the thoughts in your head (the good, the bad and the really ugly) into a journal. Katie talks about the many ways in which journaling (or keeping a diary if you're British like me and feel like "journaling" is quite an American term) can be so therapeutic. I used to write diaries when I was in my teens, but I never really stuck to them. "Let It Out" is fully of different activities and exercise you can do to feel more productive, heal your body (yes, seriously!), feel better in your own skin or just feel more positive about life in general. I've tried a few of them so far, and they've been really helpful already. If you're interested in self help books, and stuff along these lines, look into this! I highly recommend Katie's weekly podcast as well.
Fashion
Skater dresses ASOS: I found myself searching for the perfect skater dresses on ASOS the other day, and when I saw this one (photographed above) and this one, I knew I needed to see how they fit. I love them both so much! The blue one sits above the knee, and the pink one is more of a midi length, which is something I didn't have in my wardrobe but wanted/needed so badly. You can't beat the price, and I've already worn them both so much!
Half Moon Necklace from Uneeka, Truro: I was between meetings the other day whilst in Truro so ventured into Uneeka, one of my favourite shops on the main high street. I had no intention of purchasing anything at all, but when I saw this little half moon necklace, I couldn't resist. It's so simple and delicate, that it really can be worn with everything. I've not taken it off since I got it!
Hair
Braiding My Hair at Night: If you hadn't already noticed, I love it when my hair has a bit of a curl in it. It's naturally a bit wavy, but in my dream world, it would be much wavier than it naturally is. Being so long, and having so much of it, after a while it does go a bit limp, heavy and... not so nice. I don't like using too much heat on it (to avoid damage) but let's face it... the real reason I don't curl it is because I can't be bothered! My solution? I've been french braiding it at night while it's still very slightly damp. The results when I wake up are amazing! All I do is take the braid out, give it a swish about, spray a tiny bit of hairspray on it, and I'm good to go!
Technology
The Apple News app: I'm not sure how I missed this, but have you ever checked out the "News" app on your iPhone or iPad (if you have one)? I hadn't. Man, was I missing out. Tom has adopted my old iPad, and he ventured into it and urged me to have a look. I love reading articles and blogs, but I tend to miss out on the more educational, or "newsy" type articles because I never go on those websites (like Who What Wear, Vogue, Elle, etc). This app takes the hard work out of it and selects articles for me from news websites that it thinks I might like, based on my topic preferences. Genius! Check it out if you haven't already (or am I just the only one who's been oblivious this whole time... do tell me if I am)
Skincare
Boots Botanics Moisturisers: If you follow me on Twitter you may have seen me post about the fact that for the first time in my life I have dry skin on my face. After years of acne problems (still suffering in the chin area mind you, stupid hormones) and oily skin, I never really needed moisturiser. But recently, my face has felt rough and dry! I did what all girls do when in a situation like this and head to the nearest Boots. Not wanting to spend an arm and a leg, I bought Boots' own brand "Botanics" creams, the Hydrating Day Cream and the Hydrating Night Cream, and they've both sorted me right out. They smell good, and feel good. Win win!
Elizabeth Arden Superstart: Still on mission "hydrate" I dug this product out of my box in the bathroom cupboard. I was given this by my lovely friend Estée almost a year ago and I'd used it, but proceeded to forget about it. Remembering how nice it had been, I've begun to use it again. This leaves you skin feeling SO SOFT (yes, that soft it needs capital letters). It also makes the best make up base ever. Try it!
Blog
Un Fancy: I discovered Caroline's blog "Un Fancy" about a year ago, and I loved it then. But back then, she was on a blog break, so there were never any new articles to read. I sort of forgot about it, but the other day Anna favourited a post of her on Bloglovin, and I found myself browsing and reading her blog for hours again. Based all around a capsule wardrobe and Caroline's ability to create outfits out of her minimal selection, I love it! The photography is great, her outfits are stunning, and her posts are fascinating. I highly recommend.
I hope August has been as wonderful for all of you as it has been for me. Here's to an even better September! :)
