Hello Dermaplaning || What I thought

Ive never been a massive skincare fanatic because I cant do it my self, so I've always kept it simple as I possibly can for Mikes sake. I was kindly invited to Baytree Beauty in Randalstown to try out Dermaplaning,  I had watched countless youtube videos on it and it looked quite intriguing.

What is Dermaplaning 

Dermaplaning is a safe and highly effective physical exfoliation procedure. It requires the use of a sterile, surgical scalpel to gently shave the skin's surface, removing the top layer of dead skin along with fine, vellus hair.

Before and after

What I actually didn't know was that Dermaplaning is a facial, each salon that offers this treatment uses their own skincare range they already have, Ashley at Baytree Beauty uses Guinot, a brand I had heard of but never used my self, beautiful scent and not over powering. Ok so I didn't realise how hairy my face actually was? what the heck! I couldn't believe the difference to be honest, you can see for your self, so smooth and soft.

Looking a tad cray haha

Do you need this treatment?

I think if you were someone who had their face photographed alot or if you had a special event coming up like a wedding etc I would say totally but for every day life Its not a massive thing unless you really don't like your facial hair! Don't get me wrong my face feels amazing, very soft and looks amazing.

Does it hurt

Not at all, was a really relaxing experience as it was a facial so keep that in mind when you go, the actual Dermaplaning it self didn't hurt at all, it was more like light scratching but felt good as you knew all the crap was coming of your skin.

What other salons do Dermaplaning?

• The therapy rooms kelly
• Baytree Beauty

If you have any concerns or other queries send me a message and ill kindly get back to you.

*I wasn't paid for this post but the treatment was paid for, my views and opinions are all my own*

Zoe x

My five summer staples

Since we are in full swing of summer here in Northern Ireland I thought there couldn't be a better time to share my summer staples, we don't get much of a summer here so we make the most of the hot, sunny weather while we can.

Hats

I was never one for a hat, thought they didn't really suit me, until I stole this from my sister, other peoples stuff seem to always suit you better don't they? The trilby style seems to suit me better rather than the massive brimmed style. It is so important to shade your head/hair from the sun, does so much damage if your out for long periods of time, buy yourself that hat.

Sunglasses

Hands up if you cant go in to Tkmaxx without heading over the sunglasses stand? Guilty. I bought these beauties from Tkmaxx last year and I cant find another pair quite like them, dark enough so you cant see my eyes, I find it so creepy when you can see peoples eyes through their sunglasses, please tell me I'm not the only one! 

Summer Dresses 

If you hadn't already realised I love a summer dress, I think midi suits me more, I'm nearly too tall for maxi. Summer dresses are just so classy and your cool and shaded at the same time, eyeing up a beautiful one from Miss Selfridge (linked below) thanks to Emma at little wood life for bringing it to my attention, she wears it so well, go take a peak - in the sale now too, go QUICK! H&M also have the most beautiful dresses, quite short though but still gorgeous!

Sandals 

Usually when it hits the hight of summer its time to kick of those closed toed shoes and to get your sandal game on, Im quite the granny when it comes to sandals, I like them to be practical and usually go for the kind that will last the ages! I love these little lace up ones from Glamorous, Not practical by any means and I thought hmm I’ll not get the wear out of them but surprisingly they are very comfortable and stay firmly on my feet, I do have a pair from Oasis that I bought years ago and every time I wear them my mum always says ‘not those old boys again’ yep I'm afraid so! do you have a favourite pair of summer sandals? or do you throw them once the summer is over?

A Summer scent 

Scent is the most powerful of our senses for bringing out our emotions, memories and reactions from others. There are quite a few scents that just instantly make me think of summer, smelling nice any time of year is obviously essential but in summer its a must, all the flowers are in bloom and we are awkwardly smelling others as they briskly walk past, still haven't plucked up the courage to ask anyone yet what perfume they were wearing, knowing me id give my self some work and go in to Debenhams or boots and spray everything till I found it, love a challenge haha. My absolute favourite has to be Jo Malone Bluebell, but I also love Marc Jacobs Daisy and Chanel Chance.

Shop this post

Positive vibes only

Sometimes we feel down and it could be absolutely nothing or it could last for days and to snap out of that is the hardest thing possible. Feeling inadequate to your peers? You most certainly can do what they do, I believe that no matter what you want to do you will achieve it, may take longer than your peers but at the end of the day it really doesn't matter, we all have our goals and where we want to end up and what time frame in our heads but sometimes those time frames just disappoint you. Instead of putting a time limit on your goal just put your head down and keep trucking on.

Push your self

I do something every day that makes me feel uncomfortable and it helps beyond belief, it could be as trivial as saying hello to that new neighbour or really just putting your self out there, life is scary but its for living and we all want better don’t we?

How to boost your confidence

Me personally I'm not the most confident but sometimes if you put on a front you actually start to feel confident, mike always says that in situations where I don’t feel confident I talk so much and it comes across like the total opposite.

• Change your environment 

• Do something you know you will ace

• Stand tall

Believe 

Having others in your life to push you when you just want to give in are a god send but not everyone has that support, if you have a day when you lack confidence in your self, take a day or even two and step away from the situation and breathe, then go back to it buzzing and ready to go. The biggest difference I've noticed between successful people and unsuccessful people isn't intelligence or opportunity. It's the belief that they can achieve their goals, its having that passion and drive knowing you can do it. We all deal with vulnerability, uncertainty, and failure. I trust that if we move forward anyway, then we will figure it out.

Nothing will work for you if you don’t believe it yourself!

Positivity 

How do you stay so positive Zoe? I get asked this countless times a day and I never really quite know how to answer it, I get up and dressed almost every single day and you know what? That helps more than you know. As I said above life is for living, yes I have my difficulties but most people do its how you deal with the situation that determines how you will feel afterwords - believe it or not the difficult time you're facing wont last forever, so put on those big enormous, horrendous big girl positive pants YOU got this.

                                                                      ZOE  X

Yellow Culottes || Five ways

I was never a yellow kind of girl because I thought with blonde hair it would look ridiculous but it turns out it actually works. I first got a yellow Boutique Moschino Jacket you can see it here, from then on I just fell head over heels with the colour.

I bought these trousers the other week from Zara and thought ‘oh they'll probably do me through summer and that will be it but my goodness I actually don’t think ill have them off me. I wanted to challenge my self to see what else they went with in my wardrobe and it turns out they go with quite a lot - so don’t think yellow isn't for you, you just need to find your shade whether it be lemon, neon or mustard.

Outfit one

Stripe tee - Zara

Shirt - Joules (old) similar here

Trousers - Zara 

Shoes - Oasis (old) Similar Here

Bag - Gucci Soho Disco

Outfit two 

Top - Zara

Trousers - Zara

Bag - Chanel 

Outfit Three

Stripe Tee - Same as above

Bag - M&S
Watch - Jord

Outfit four

Top - Asda
Trousers - Zara
Sandals - Oasis (similar posted above)

Outfit five

Top - Zara (old) similar here

Shoes - Clarks (old) 

I can think of many more items in my wardrobe when the weather gets cooler that would be perfect also, sometimes jeans can be boring and skirts and dresses aren't warm enough in this country so wide leg culottes it is!

What is your most loved item in your wardrobe?

                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                 ZOE  X

How to || Define your personal style

There are so many styles and so much on offer amongst the high street shops and it can get quite overwhelming for me any way it does. I think these days it so easy to be lead down a fashion path your aren't completely in love with just to be fashionable or 'fit in' and at the end of the day you should just wear what you want, what you feel comfortable in and don't even give a second thought what others think. I know thats easier said than done and I think as you get older that goes away slightly but not completely, come on we are women we always worry what others think.

Its good to start with basics and then add with accessories, a jacket etc, play around with fashion there are no rules, dip your toes in to a few different styles if you are unsure.

 Seek inspiration

Who are your fashion Idols, Pinterest them see what they wear, corporate a few different styles together, a grunge look with a hint of femininity if thats what you love. Pulling different types of inspiration from several sources is a great way to figure out what you like and dislike.

Don't shop for the sake of shopping

We have all been there, if something is in the sale you think oh bargain but its not really a bargain because you didn't want it full price so why now with a few pound knocked off it. Buy things that go with a quite a few things in your wardrobe so you get the wear out of the said item. I find basics are the best thing as they go with everything, lazy day? basic tee and jeans? Dress up? Basic tee and a blazer you get my drift. Zara do fabulous basics as do H&M.

Confidence

If you feel confident, you will stand much taller and tend to be a lot happier, your wardrobe has lot to do with that, I know my self when I'm wearing an outfit I don't feel comfortable in or tend to like very much I don't have much confidence and it shows BIG time so wear what you truly love and wear it with all you have.

Accessories are key

Back to basics again? Accessories really help to make an outfit look super stylish and effortless, pops of colour with your accessories rather than a bright all over look. Continue to experiment with different patterns, textures, accessories, and shoes they don't have to cost the earth.

Find me on Instagram || Facebook

                                                                   ZOE  X

Feeling Blue

I was always a pink kinda gal but I always seem to gravitate towards blue a lot more now, cornflower blue to be exact! Theres a shade of blue to suit everyone, but because I'm blonde and as pale as snow white I cant really get away with the deeper tones, but I do believe you could get any shade to suit you, whether it be an accessory or a full blown blue smokey eye.

The shops are jam packed with blue right now to my delight, shirts, blouses, coats you name it.  Zara especially but Marks and spencer in Ballymena did today swell, some beautiful pieces.

Blue coat - Zara

Blue beaded frill Top -Zara

Navy & White striped dress - Old Tkmaxx similar here & here

Find me on Instagram || Facebook

                                                                   ZOE  X

Travel Essentials || Jord Wood Watch Giveaway

I have been back and forth to London so many times to the hospital so you’d think I’d have this packing thing down to a fine art? The answer is a big fat NO. I normally just take my Chanel w.o.c. or Gucci Soho Disco as my carry on, definitely big enough for smaller trips, they fit both of our passports and all the travel essentials.

Whats in my carry on

• Passports (essential)
• Perfume ( Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia 
• Lipstick (probably a million)
• A clear plastic bag
• My purse 
• Scarf (can get chilly)
• Lastly a trilby hat, totally timeless and goes with everything.

What do I wear traveling

I usually just go for something really casual but chic, also has to be comfortable, so anything from a basic breton to a billowing maxi dress depending on the weather obviously. 

I wear very little jewellery as I normally have to take most things off but what I cant do without is a watch, at least I can tell when my flight is and wont miss it! (I haven't missed one yet) 

If you would like a Jord watch of your own, Jord & I are currently running a compitition where you will receive  $100 off your next Jord purchase. All you have to do is click on the Link below and enter. Everyone who enters and doesn't win will also receive $25 off their next purchase.

Competition ends - 07/02/2017 All the best x

Jord Wood Watch giveaway

     ZOE  X

Luxury Wooden Watch

Olympus Pen E-PL7 || Review

I got my Olympus Pen last September if I can remember correctly and being a complete camera newbie I had no idea what I was actually doing. When I ordered it from the Olympus pen website  I had 15% off which really helped at the time, I bought the camera with the pancake lens and well lets face it I had no idea what that even was.

Its known as the blogger camera, every blogger and their dog has it, but I can sorta tell why! It's so simple to use, it has wifi so connects with your phone and the PEN app and you can upload straight away to Instagram or any social media sites you want to upload on. The same goes for remote shooting, only I'd suggest perhaps staying away from that function for long periods of time, unless you want your battery drained in an instant. 

Quality 

Okay so Ive dropped the lenses I don’t know how many times (I don't recommend this) and both are working fine, I have had a couple of near misses with the camera but some how always managed to save it. its not the lightest of cameras but I have nothing to compare it to, but it's so sturdy and well made and totally worth the price tag. The pictures are always so crisp and vivid and I absolutely love that you don’t have to be a professional photographer to get some decent shots.

Size & lenses 

I have two lenses, the pancake lens which I got when I bought the camera and then I purchased the 45mm. For size reference my pancake lens fits inside my Chanel Woc which isn't the biggest but also fits all my other clutter too. I love the pancake lens but because I take outfit pictures the 45mm wins hands down, I use it for absolutely everything out and about even interior shots. I would definitely recommend the pancake lens too because you wont always want that blurry background you might just want a simple picture in a bar and not have to stand a million miles away from the table, it is also very good for flatlays, how can I forget the flip screen? it helps so much with flatlays and if the sun is making it hard to see what your actually shooting this feature is a god send.

If you have any questions please dont hesitate to ask you can find me on Instagram or Facebook

                                                 ZOE  X

|| Dresses || Summer Edit

Its no shocker to anyone that I love a pretty dress, its so important to invest in good dresses as they will do years of wear and washes. I love how any dress can be worn dressed up or super casual with sandals. Living in a country where it could be roasting hot one day then like living in the arctic the next can be pretty difficult trying to find dresses to fit all the weather conditions.

 Old dress - It was a gift from Mike so I have absolutely no idea where from - Shoes - Old Oasis

 Dress - Warehouse

 Scarf - H&M Dress - Miss selfridge (not online) Similar here

where do you buy pretty dresses you ask?

I love Tu at sainsbury's and Warehouse, warehouse have such a big variety of different shapes and lengths and lets face it I cant pull off a mini, it nearly always is maxi or midi.

Thank you for reading 

ZOE  X

My haircare routine - washing & styling

Ive had blonde hair for the last 6 years and its hard to maintain but by far the best colour to compliment my skin tone.  I always get asked what products I use so I thought I would throw them all in to a blog post and you can see how I achieve my grey locks.

What haircare products do you use?

I dont use a lot of products, though I do use two shampoos and a mask and it can just get a bit time consuming but so worth it for the end result.

• Simple gentle care shampoo - Honestly does what it says on the 'tin' so gentle and very cleansing, more so than any shampoo I've used before.

• Fudge Clean Blonde Violet Toning Shampoo - Hands down the most amazing toning shampoo I've used and I've used loads, one use and you will see such a massive difference, quite a lot of toning shampoos foam and then lose the purple tone but this shampoo stays purple throughout the whole washing process.

• L'oreal Paris Elvive Full Restore 5 Masque - I've used my fair share of hair masks over the years and much prefer a mask over a conditioner, much more intense and I find leaves your hair in better condition, I have always went back to this one as I can get it whilst shopping in Tesco and I find it works great but I would love to try new ones if you have any recommendations.

As I cant wash or style my own hair Mike is such a great help to me, he washes, washes again puts a mask in and leaves that for like 5 minutes then we dry and straighten and it could take up to 2 hours as I've got such long hair.  

We wash first with the Simple shampoo then wash that out and use like a palm full of the purple shampoo and we leave that in for around 2 - 5 minutes, then its mask time and it usually stays in for 5 minutes or as soon as I start to get uncomfortable. 

What do I use to style 

I dont use much to style my hair I use the Tigi shine spray and its amazing couldn't recommend that enough - then Mike just dries it and then either straightens or curls it with my GHD's

So pretty fuss free nothing to faffy, blonde hair is high maintenance and I think its so important to use products to keep it looking healthy and protect it.

If your local my hairdresser is Deirdre Mccosh in Martinstown and she is a miracle worker! 

ZOE  X