Bank holiday walk

We didn't really have a lot planned for this bank holiday Monday but since it's a day off the dreaded work and it was reasonably sunny, we thought we'd go for a little bit of forest bathing- something I recently read about in a magazine (not as strange as it sounds!;))

We decided to head over to Fleet Pond (the biggest pond in Hampshire according to my Dad!). Now, I am quite a 'townie girl' and rarely venture away from the towns and cities, so the pure peace and quiet as you walk through woodland reserve around the pond just seemed like a lovely break from the hustle and bustle of town. It really is a chance to just breathe deeply and know the air you are breathing is so much purer and cleaner than the smelly polluted town. 

However, the pond is still adjacent to a train line which can often ruin the peace every so often, but when you stand and look at the view and all the nature around you, it is somewhat unrecognisable.  

I could have sat and watched the ducks all day and there were plenty of tiny, fluffy little ducklings to 'coo' and 'ahh' over. (I certainly won't be eating duck at the Chinese later!). 

It was an afternoon well spent making the most of the little summer we have left and getting out and away from town. I always say every year as 'summer' approaches, that I will make the most of it and visit lots of nice places as we probably only get about two weeks of sunshine in the summer in England (if that!!). I definitely feel I have seen as much as I can of the sunny days we have had (although most of them are spent stuck at work- typical!). 

I hope anyone reading has had a lovely bank holiday weekend and enjoyed the small (but still welcome) amount of sunshine while it lasts!!

Abbie x

Afternoon tea at the dorchester

Back in June, I turned 21. I booked the day off work as I always do (who wants to be working on their birthday?!). I didn't really have much in mind to do on my actual birthday, so I sort of left it down to my fiance.
About a month before, he told me he had something in mind but it was up to me if I wanted it to be a surprise. Me being me wanted to know as im not great with surprises. He then told me he'd booked for us to have afternoon tea in London but wouldn't tell me where. I was obviously very happy with his decision as afternoon tea is one of those typical British things to do and I had always dreamed of having a really posh one!

He definitely did just that! When we turned up outside the Dorchester my birthday went from being great to the best day ever! I didn't manage to get a picture of the stunning reception area and lobby as I was too busy feeling like I was in a dream!

I must admit, I did feel very out of place at first and was worried I'd have a clumsy moment and break something or spill jam and tea all over me!
The staff were absolutely amazing and so friendly. Our waitress was so hardworking and nothing was too much to ask. I quickly felt totally relaxed as we sat and enjoyed the most delicious variety of finger sandwiches and the best tea we had ever tasted!

The waitress came round every so often to ask if we would like any more sandwiches before we moved onto the next course- scones and cakes! The scones were fresh out of the oven and still slightly warm and wrapped in a napkin to keep them warm and fresh.

When we were finished and could eat no more, they brought out a lovely little birthday cheesecake style cake for me! By this point we were so full from all the delicious food we had eaten, I could definitely not fit in any of the cake, so the waitress packed it up into a little box (along with a few scones we didn't quite have room for) so that we could take them away with us!

It really was the loveliest day and one that I will never forget! 

Abbie x

Current every day face

I'm not a big lover of the feeling of lots of makeup on my face and never have been. The recent (and unexpected!) summer we have had, has meant that I actually have a little bit of colour on my face and I am not totally pale!
However, I am still very fare skinned and have been absolutely loving The Body Shop's 'Honey Bronze Drops of Sun'.

This comes in a little glass bottle with a dropper applicator. I have been mixing a few drops in with my every day moisturiser to get a little more of a glow. I have found that it just makes me look much more awake and healthy and I rarely miss this step in my morning routine now.
As this step adds such a lovely glow, I have found that I haven't needed to use a foundation or bb cream as this combination works just as well!
My skin has thanked me for this and I have found that Mac Pro Longwear concealer provides a perfect amount of coverage for the under eye circles (no amount of relaxing in the sun will get rid of these!) and any blemishes.

Current every day face

What is your current favourite face product?

Abbie x