The Perfect Pair

The past weekend was spent on a retreat to the Yorkshire Dales; three days with limited phone signal,  rolling hills and landscapes that appeared and disappeared from sight as the eery mist rolled in. I'd heard lots of good things about Yorkshire and seen enough Instagram photos to whet my appetite for not only the breathtaking scenery, but also our home for the trip; the Natural Retreats lodges. We arrived into Darlington after lunch and made our way through the misty Dales to our luxurious lodge nestled amongst the trees. 

Despite the fog, we were itching to explore, so we set about discovering the Dales by foot and by bicycle. Geared up in a snuggly faux shearling coat and a trusty pair of ripped jeans, I chose my Emu Featherwood Hi Boots to complete the look. The high boots are cosy and warm, keep the moisture from the grass out and ensure that my outfit is stylish and practical for our explorations.

Whilst we were enjoying our very own #EverNaturalEscape to the Yorkshire Dales, the fabulous folk at Emu Australia were busy planning an extra special retreat for one very lucky person (and their friend!) - to Australia none the less! There's still chance for you to win the all expenses paid trip down under and all you've got to do is tag your favourite retreat on Instagram (must be an original snap) and use #EverNaturalEscape and tag and follow @EmuAustralia. More info about the competition here, but it really is as easy as that.

You won't need a shearling coat in Aus, but keep scrolling for some Autumnal #ootd inspiration!

xoxo

Coat by Topshop   |   Jeans by Topshop   |   Jumper by Superdry   |   Boots by Emu   |   Sunglasses by Tom Ford

xoxo

Lounging Around

Usually over here on Fashion Mumblr you'll see what I'm wearing when I'm out and about - whether that's an Autumnal ensemble with suede OTK boots, or showing off my new favourite trench coat, but my favourite get up of all time? My PJs. Uh yeah, I work from home most of the time which means that lounge pants and slippers are my most worn items so I thought it was about time that they had their moment in the spotlight here on the blog.

Earlier this week, I headed up North to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales with Emu Australia with a couple of other fab blogger pals for a few days of enjoying the beautiful outdoors. Naturally my Emu Slippers came along for the trip too, perfect for padding about in our seriously swish wooden lodge cabin. Each morning I'd settle down in front of the crackling log fire in my cosiest clothing, getting some work done before we headed out into the great outdoors.

Blankets, a cup of Hot Chocolate (with marshmallows FYI) and the most snug pair of slippers - a winning combination, I'm sure  you'll agree!

WHAT I WORE

Slippers by Emu Australia   |   Leggings by Superdry   |   T-Shirt by Accessorise   |   Nail Varnish by Tom Ford   |   Rings by Monica Vinader   

6 Things I Learnt From My Digital Detox

At first, it was like an annoying itch. An automatic movement of pulling my phone out of my bag, but then realising that the familiar 4G logo had vanished, the dreaded 'No Service' warning flashing before me. I'd tap open my instagram app without making any conscious decision to do so, only to see the same photo (a very Autumnal FWIS shot from one of my fave bloggers) at the top of my timeline, and 'No Network Connection' haunting me at the top of the screen.

We record everything we do online, by tweets, instagram images, and Snapchat stories. Not just bloggers either, everyone. Not only do your followers know where you are, but what you're up to, how you got there, who you're with, and with new apps like Snapchat and Periscope we are being watched by our followers in real time. But why do we feel this need to share our lives every second of the day? I am totally guilty, having my iPhone in my pocket with the ability to access the internet 24 hours a day is my safety net, or so I thought.

Exhausted from the constant interruption of emails, WhatsApp, Twitter notifications.. my addiction to the internet was wrecking my ability to focus, demolishing any chance of solid hours of productive work, and forcing unnatural levels of multitasking. I'd made efforts to 'detox' before, switching off my push notifications and only syncing my emails every few hours or so, but these efforts failed miserable and I just couldn't fight the urges. So, when I was challenged by Broadband Choices to ditch the internet for 24 hours, it seemed like a challenge I needed to try out. Of course being the weirdly organised person that I am, I prepared myself for the black out. I took screenshots of instructions for meeting points, warned my friends and family that I'd be reachable only by old fashioned text, and even set an Out of Office on my email. I was ready.

24 hours with no internet access began at 2pm, on Sunday November 1st, and here's what I learnt.

You relax.

Without the constant buzzing of a text, ping of an email, notification from instagram, twitter, YouTube and more, my shoulders slowly dropped, my breathing became deeper, I spoke more slowly. What was this phenomenon?! Oh wait, it's called relaxing. Although I'd been keeping myself busy (a trip to the cinema, visiting family, and even meeting some fellow bloggers to embark on a trip to North Yorkshire), I didn't feel stressed or anxious. That feeling like my 'To Do list' was looming somewhat disappeared. There was nothing I could do about my impending emails, so why not forget about them for a little while.

You Notice More

Constantly checking my notifications (and then, when I'm done, going back to Instagram to check the new ones) makes you less aware of the moment you're living in. Without my phone, I actually paid attention to the surroundings instead of what was on my screen. I noticed things. How beautiful the common looked with the mist rolling in, a new restaurant on Battersea Rise (turned out it had been there months and I just hadn't noticed), and also when I looked up it made me notice exactly how many people on the train platform opposite me would hardly peel their eyes away from their phones even when standing next to loved ones waiting for the train to arrive.

You Connect More

I often find it too easy to submerge into my online world even when surrounded by family and friends, but without that temptation, you have to strike up conversation with the person standing next to you. People are actually even more interesting than their online lives it seems, I'd almost forgotten that. 

You Focus More

With a phone in your hand, you'll often be completing not just one task, but often two or three at once. Take that phone away and you automatically have to put more focus onto your original task. I found actually enjoying The Apprentice for once, instead of having to ask Charlie what I'd missed every few minutes, or editing a video (which doesn't need internet access by the way!) in 20 minutes, instead of my usual hour. The results were better, and that feeling of 'job done' satisfaction was a whole lot better than when I'd tried it while multitasking.

You Crave It

No, I don't mean your phone. Although yes, it took a while to get used to not being able to catch up on the online world, after a while I liked the freedom of not being tied to it. What I mean, is you crave the digital detox. I wanted to do it again. Not for 24 hours maybe, that seems impractical when my job is based on my online thoughts, but for a few hours at a time. I went for walks without my phone, left it at home while going out for a meal, and it was refreshing.

You are more productive.

After 24 hours without technology, my Monday afternoon was more productive than ever. I had ideas for posts and videos that had come to me during my detox that I started to kick into motion, connections that I wanted to make, and meetings to arrange. My style of working has changed, instead of flitting between writing this post, for example, and regularly breaking up my train of thoughts by checking my social media, I've completed it in half the time that I'd usually complete a post. My Instagram binge will be my reward as soon as I've hit 'Publish'.

If you want to see how I got on without the internet, you can watch my VLOG here!

WHAT I WORE

White Jumper (Similar at M and M Direct)    |    Ripped Jeans by Topshop   |   Slippers by Emu   

Would you be able to go 24 hours without the internet? What aspect would you find hardest or would you find it refreshing?

Why You Should Update your Skincare Routine for Autumn

Your skincare routine in many ways is a little bit like your wardrobe - as the seasons change, we should switch out the pieces that don't fit for the changing temperature, as much as we swap our shorts for our jumpers, we should be swapping our moisturisers and serums for something a little more weather appropriate too.

For many, sticking to one moisturiser all year round seems like the safest option when you think you've found 'the one', but not only does the weather change in autumn, but so does our skin and how it reacts to the change in temperature, and even our hormones, so it's important to pick out new products for different seasons. So what should you do to transform your beauty regime from the summer warmth to the autumn crisp chill?

1. Personalise your Skincare Routine!

When putting together a new skincare routine, consider your age, the climate you live in (humid? urban?) your skin type, and how your skin reacts to new products. As a 23 year old living in central London with combination skin that's easily agitated, I need a cleanser that not only will thoroughly remove the dirt and buildup from days when I'm in the city centre, but also be calming to my skin which during the transition between Summer and Autumn always tends to flare up at the slightest change in ingredients. I've been using Sunday Riley's Blue Moon Cleanser - it's a pale blue hard balm in the midnight blue pot, but after warming between your fingers it melts on the skin into a soft balm, lifting away all my makeup and impurities - even on my eyes and lashes. It's perfect if your skin gets a little dry in Autumn, or if, like me, your skin becomes extra sensitised and irritated as it isn't stripping or drying - quite the opposite in fact. The Blue Tansy ingredient which gives the balm it's colour is also used to reduce irritation, so if chilly winds and central heating have stressed out your skin then this balm will soothe, nourish and hydrate - and with the heavenly smell it feels like a pampering treatment every time you use it.

Get Your Beauty Sleep

As skin can become agitated during the change in seasons, its more important than ever that we let skin recover at night. You don't need me to remind you that choosing a night cream, oil or serum that suits your skin type makes an incredible impact on the skin that you wake up with, so spend some time considering the best product for your skin's needs. A product which everyone, I mean everyone was raving about over the Summer months is Sunday Riley's Luna oil, and while I sometimes found it too powerful for Summer, my skin is craving it's skin perfecting abilities now that the temperature is changing. Also containing Blue Tansy like the cleansing balm, it battles any redness in the skin overnight, and your skin drinks in the oils also including Avocado and Chia leaving you with a glowing complexion the following morning. 

Up your Eye Game

Some eye products are just too powerful for the delicate under eye area during the warmer months, but in Autumn, brisk temperatures and often biting winds mean that your eye cream needs to seriously deliver. I've switched to the power-packed Premier Cru Eye Cream from Caudalie - it has revitalising and renewing effects on the delicate eye area and it combats by dark circles and puffiness with the signature blend of highly concentrated ingredients. The evenings drawing in and grey mornings may leave us feeling a little energy zapped, but at least our eyes won't be the tell-tale sign!

Give your Skin What It Wants

Your skin is pretty good at telling you what it wants and needs, and choosing a face mask to target those needs is often the quickest way of giving your skin the pick up that it needs. Clay masks are my favourite and I've been alternating between two recently - first, the L'Occitane Rebalancing Face Mask - the one to try if you want to give your skin a deep cleanse but don't love the tightness of clay masks. With a blend of vegetal and mineral powders, it removes impurities and tightens pores but the essential oils also rejuvenate skin and leave your skin feeling radiant and sebum free.

A mask which packs even more punch is the Chantecaille Detox Face Mask. When my skin is seriously stressed, I treat myself to this heavenly scented black clay mask, which noticeable improves skin tone and tightens pores but again without tightening or stripping skin. This one isn't cheap so I save it for times when my skin is in desperate need of a pick-me-up, and boy does this one deliver.

How do you update your skin for Autumn?

xoxo

The Tasting Menu at Roux at Parliament Square

One day, I hope that visiting restaurants run by Michelin Star chefs will be just a normal part of life. Whenever I fancy it, just calling up and booking a table, dressing up in my finery and sipping on cocktails and dining on the finest food without a care in the world. It's experiences like this that give me the motivation to succeed, be ambitious, but for now, experiences such as an evening enjoying the tasting menu at Michel Roux's Roux restaurant at Parliament Square, bookable through Virgin Experiences, really are just the most special treat. 

Set within a Grade-II listed building in the heart of Westminster, stepping into the Roux restaurant almost felt like stepping into the home of an aristocratic relative - with paintings on the walls and a cosy fireplace, it felt more living-room than Michelin restaurant, but something about the atmosphere made us relax a little, after all, I have to say I was a little nervous stepping into the dining place of London's most powerful MPs and socialites!

In contrast to the white wash room, the first dishes to be presented to us were full of colour - the result of a new head chef; Masterchef winner Steve Groves. It took a lot of will-power not to narrate the food to myself as I expect Michel Roux would have done had he been judging each course, "exceptional presentation, smooth consistency... good". But to my far less experienced palette, our appetisers alone could not be faulted - the Butternut Squash mousse topped with a swirl of goats cheese followed by slow roasted beetroot with toasted seeds and more Tymsboro goats cheese were both tiny but full of taste; leaving us wanting more.

Next on the tasting menu was a Roast Scottish langoustine with prawn tortellini and coastal vegetables, followed by a Carbonara of squid and smoked bacon and confit egg yolk but as a non seafood lover my next few courses were expertly swapped with a Mushroom flatbread tarta fine with mixed vegetables and a creamy truffle mousse, and lamb hogget. The kitchen had taken old recipes and given them new light - all dishes which you'd seen on many menus before, but nothing like this. I may not be a professional food critic but I found it hard to fault any of the dishes.

Confit of Suckling Pig was our final savoury course, it arrived looking like an artistic structure - a thick slab of the meat covered in crisp skin, with a small smattering of light vegetables and a tasty jus. We could tell that a lot of thought had gone into the choice of dish - as a Masterchef veteran the chef is no stranger to the importance of presentation and it came across in each and every dish.

Just when we thought that we could eat no more, the cheese trolley arrived. We couldn't resist. We chose from the vast selection and they were presented to us with crackers and breads - each of which was chosen to perfectly compliment our cheese choices! (And there's me thinking that Jacobs Crackers will do for any type of cheese... apparently not!) Finally, a Monbazillac poached pair with almond, chamomile and fennel, but we had to admit defeat and opted to share our final course.

The service throughout was formal yet familiar, and the staff were experts on each dish that they served. If I owned the place I'd give the decoration a spruce, because the ambience inside the restaurant didn't do justice to the fabulous dishes which we enjoyed. Overall, an exceptional experience and a celebration of seriously spectacular food. 

Our visit to Michel Roux at Parliament Square Tasting Menu for Two was courtesy of Virgin Experiences.

xoxo