PORTO MAO BOAT TRIP.

I had such a dreamy day with my boyfriend today that I just had to write a blogpost and tell you all about our little adventure. We went on a boat trip around the Algarve coastline and we had such an amazing day! 

We left from our hotel at 8:45 and got picked up by coach to take us to Porto Mao, where we then got on this large catamaran-style boat. Our trip was run by Sensational Sea Cruises and the staff were absolutely fantastic! The woman that looked after us was such a good laugh and made sure to make everyone feel welcome and ease on the boat. I got a coffee and Chris got some juice from the bar onboard the boat and then we set off out to sea! 

The Algarve has such a gorgeous coastline with steep creamy-coloured rocks, caves and lots of pretty little grottoes. We sailed for about half an hour out on the catamaran but sadly didn't see any dolphins as I had hoped! We were then put into small groups of six and transferred onto little speedboats which we went through the caves on! The grottoes and rock formations were absolutely breathtaking and so beautiful, with the little sandy coves and the clear turquoise water. 

Unfortunately, the photos below are just from We Heart It, as my boyfriend still has all of the pictures on his digital camera! 

After going out on the speedboats, we were then put back on the catamaran and sailed along to a beautiful sandy beach. Unfortunately, Chris got a little bit seasick which took the edge off the boat for him a little bit! We had lunch on the beach, where they did a lovely BBQ and we had some time to relax, sunbathe and do some swimming in the sea! 

We had such an unforgettable day and if you are visiting the Algarve in Portugal, I'd definately recommend going out on one of these boat trips. You wouldn't regret it! 

With love, 

Karen 

x

A LITTLE PAPAW SECRET.

I discovered Lucas Papaw Ointment when Boots started to stock it and I don't think I'll look back to be honest! It's a relatively new product as it's originally from Brisbane in Australia and it's used to heal minor skin conditions. However, what I like to use it for is chapped & cracked lips! 

This ointment can be used on loads of things such as burns, cuts, grazes and insect bites and it is very soothing and healing. Papaw ointment has the secret ingredient of papaya fruit in it which actually has antibacterial properties! 

The product has a relatively thick consistency and a light fruity/milky smell from the papaya. It melts into the skin really nice and easily and all you have to do is rub it in a little! At first, I thought it felt quite similar to Vaseline, but then I changed my mind as it doesn't feel as sticky and greasy! 

I like to put this on my lips before I go to bed and then leave it on overnight so that it can really absorb and moisturise them. I like to use it most nights and I'll apply a little bit during the day if I feel that my lips are particularly dry! 

I've also found that putting a little light coat of this on before applying a matte-based lipstick, such as my MAC Candy Yum Yum neon pink one, helps to keep my lipstick on for longer and also stops my lips from drying out as much! 

I know this is probably not what this product is intended to be used for, but I love it and it gives me great results!

Have any of you tried Lucas Papaw ointment before? 

With love, 

Karen 

x 

LOVE FOR SKULLS.

I have quite recently found a new love for skulls and I am being really drawn towards clothing with skull prints or jewellery with little skulls on it! They've become quite trendy recently, I got a lovely jade green scarf from New Look that has a black skull & rose print and I noticed that H&M have also had a few skull print scarves too. My New Look one is definately my favourite scarf at the moment though! 

One of my favourite brands Sabo Skirt have quite a lot of clothing items and jewellery on their website which feature a skull theme. I'm particularly loving their skull cut-out-tops in bright neon pink, black and white and if summer wasn't nearly over, then I would definately be purchasing one! 

As for jewellery, I'm loving the simple gold bracelets, necklaces and rings that have skulls on them at the moment. I decided to do a little lookbook of some of my favourite ways to incorporate skulls into your look! I hope you enjoy it... 

Do you like skulls and would you wear this trend? 

With love, 

Karen 

x

BOOTS BOTANICS MARSHMALLOW MOISTURISER.

I bought this lovely moisturising day cream from the Boots Botanics range before coming away on holiday and I now think it's one of my favourite moisturisers! 

I'd always fancied trying something from the Boots Botanics range as everything in these products are completely natural ingredients and they are so reasonably priced. They do a few different ranges such as Ultra Calm, All Bright and Radiant Youth, which each have own their selection of specially formulated products to choose from. 

I have combination skin (sometimes a little oily, sometimes a little dry) but I don't normally get too many spots, so I guess I'm quite lucky! I decided to try the Day Cream moisturiser from the Ultra Calm range as I thought it was the colllection that best suited my skin type. 

Here's what it says on the label! 'This comforting moisturiser immediately calms irritable skin and with continued use reduces sensitivity. The unique formula instantly boosts the moisture levels of delicate skin, providing all day hydration and advanced protection from the damaging effects of UVA/UVB rays. Marshmallow is nature's soothing star. The roots are packed with natural sugars and polyphenols that work together to help leave skin less reactive and calmer. Our beauty scientists use active plant extracts approved by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to bring you beautiful skincare that is proven to work.' 

I would say that this label is really accurate as I've found it to be a great product which really works for me! 

It's £4.99 for a 50ml tub which is a good size as it's a light & little pot that you can pop in your handbag or suitcase for on-the-go or it looks pretty sitting on top of your chest of drawers in your bedroom. The packaging is very simple to reflect the natural ingredients and the Ultra Calm range is a light blue in colour. 

The only little disappointment that I had with this product was that it didn't smell of marshmallows sadly! It's not really got a scent, but instead just feels lovely and refreshing on the skin. 

I use this product every morning as my main moisturiser and I always make sure to put it on before wearing any makeup to keep my skin hydrated. I just use my fingers to rub it in & it melts away in my skin which I love! 

Here is a little bit of the product swatched on the back of my hand (it looks quite a thin consistency in this photo but is actually quite creamy in real life!). You don't need to use a lot of this product to get a nice moisturised feeling and I also find that it doesn't make my makeup feel oily or greasy when it's on top, which some moisturisers can do. I really love this one and my next Botanics purchase is definately going to be the Ultra Calm eye cream. 

Have you tried any of the Boots Botanics products? 

With love, 

Karen 

x

MARC JACOBS DAISY PERFUME.

I thought I'd write a little post on the Marc Jacob's Daisy perfumes as in the fragrance section of duty-free in the airport, I had a little sniff of the new 'Daisy Dream' scent. It's absolutely lovely, so fresh and I'm definately adding it to my Christmas wishlist (which is getting longer & longer!). 

The Daisy Dream perfume has a similar style of packaging to the other ones in the Daisy collection, but this fragrance has a lovely pastel blue box and is covered in a little daisy print. The bottle is a slightly more curved shape than some of the others but still has the iconic gold & white daisy shapes on it, which are lovely. 

This one smells really light and has a definite hint of floral tones. I really like it as it's not too overpowering, but instead a more subtle and feminine shade. It's perfect for everyday wearing or for dressing up too as it lasts forever on your skin! 

This is a big favourite of mine and I think Marc Jacobs has really done it again with the bottle and fragrance! A small 30ml bottle is priced at £35 from Boots and would be totally worth the money as it lasts for so long! 

Here's some lovely images of some of the other fragrances from the Marc Jacobs Daisy collection: 

What do you think of the Daisy perfumes? 

With love, 

Karen 

x

JELLY SHOES TREND.

I bought a pair of jelly shoes a few months from New Look as they seemed to become so popular of a sudden and I've never looked back! They are so comfy & cute and they go with loads of summer outfits, aswell as reminding me of my childhood when I had a dark pink sparkly pair! 

The ones that I got are a transparent silver one with little flakes of glitter throughout them. I originally wanted the matte baby pink ones, as they looked so like the Juju Jellies ones, but unfortunately they were sold out. My jelly shoes were £8.99 and I love them! They're so comfy and I've worn them lots over the summertime with white jeans, t-shirts, skirts, dresses in a variety of colours, shapes and prints. 

Here's a few inspirational images to encourage you to try out the jelly shoes trend if you haven't already! 

(All of the photos above were sourced from Tumblr). 

With love, 

Karen 

x

SABO SKIRT BEAUTIES.

One of my favourite online fashion brands is Sabo Skirt, which is Australian. I had never come across a website before where I'd genuinely wanted to own everything on it before until I found them and I'm so glad that I did! 

I first discovered them on Instagram (@saboskirt) and was immediately drawn to their bright colours and stylish looks. Every item has a girly aspect and if you haven't already checked them out, then you are definately missing out! 

Sabo Skirt actually started off as two university students writing a blog (which is still going under the same name!) but it has branched out to being a global brand and selling lots of items on their online store (www.saboskirt.com). If you have a look at their ranges, you will definately come away with a wishlist of lots of lovely bits like I have. Maybe Christmas presents? 

The name Sabo Skirt actually comes from the word 'sabotage'. I love their unique & original style, bold colours, pretty prints and constantly changing ranges. Rochelle Fox and Brooke Hogan are two beautiful models that are featured wearing their clothes too! 

Here's a few inspirational images straight from Sabo Skirt's Instagram: 

This one of my favourite cami tops mainly because of the gorgeous pink tie-dye print. I also love the diagonal cross-over straps on the back and this can be both dressy or casual. The model has on a lovely pair of white shorts for a daytime look but I can see this top being styled with some skinny black jeans and black peep-toe heels. 

Seriously, please check this brand out! I can't describe my love for them enough and I'm just so lucky that I came across them. As we're now starting to approach time in the UK, I don't think I'll really have the opportunity to wear any of these bright & bold summer styles, but this will be my go-to brand next year for summer time! 

Let me know which pieces are your favourites! 

With love, 

Karen 

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