THE WEDDING ALBUM: the morning (Part I)

Hello everyone!

Gosh, it feels like forever since I last sat down at my laptop to write a blog post. 

If you follow me on my Instagram you will know I recently headed off to Tuscany to marry my love. I have so much I want to share about the big day from the pre-day stresses to what was worth the cash and what was not, to help anyone that is planning their own wedding, but for right now I want to share the first of a little wedding album series. Just a few days ago, a very exciting email entered my inbox and it was none other than our wedding photos! I honestly couldn't believe it as I know most photographers in Scotland generally take 2-3 months to share images so with it only been two weeks since we landed back in Scottish soil the surprise was very real. 

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail as I want this to be more of a photo diary but what I will say is that the morning of my wedding was actually very relaxed, calm and enjoyable. I didn't have a huge amount of nerves ... more like an occasional bout of stomach butterflies. We drank champagne, got our hair and make-up done, listened to some chilled music and really just helped each other get wedding ready. That's one thing I loved about my wedding morning - there was no one in my room that didn't mean the world to me. My super talented cousin and best friend, Jill and Naomi, did the bridal party make-up. Then my sister and I helped all of the girls with their hair.  

P.S. we hired an Tuscan-based photographer for our wedding and I'm honestly so happy with our choice.  My goal was to have images that told a story and showed the day unfolding through candid shots and he captured this beautifully! Our photographer was called Francesco Spighi for anyone interested. 

Foodie Finds | August

If you enjoy your grub like me, then trying somewhere new for breakfast, lunch or dinner will bring a lot of happy smiles to your face. Despite my best efforts, I find I’m a creature of habit when it comes to eating out and often book into the restaurants I know and love all too often. In a bid to spread my wings, I introduced the Foodie Finds feature on my blog a few months back and I’m finally back with a few new discoveries.

Mono - South Bridge, Edinburgh

When you look at the website for Mono, it reads, ‘Progressive Italian Dining’ and that’s exactly what you’re served. Inside, the restaurant is very minimalistic, with a nod to Scandi style interiors featuring a quaint fireplace, wood floors, tables and chairs, and modern lighting. 

After missing Mono’s bloggers banquet a few weeks before, I was kindly invited to try out their Apertivi menu on a date that suited. When we arrived, my friend Tessa and I were greeted with a warm welcome from staff before being shown to our table.

So, what’s their Appretivi menu I hear you ask. Essentially, it’s their early evening menu that runs from 5-6.30pm and offers a pre-starter with a house spritz followed by three courses from a selective menu.

We started off our meal with a selection of delicious breads with oil and a few bite-sized canapes, otherwise known as ‘stuzzichini. In all honesty I didn’t know what to expect and these snazzy little pre-starters put the bar high for the rest of the meal. 

Following our bread and stuzzichini, we were served our first (or Primi) course. Both Tessa and I went for the baked ricotta with pine nuts, peppers, aubergine, olives and tomato. Again, what was served took me by surprise but in the best possible way. After the first curious mouthful we scoffed down the rest.

Course two, I went for the Dry Aged Beef Ox Cheek with kohlrabi, cauliflower, hazelnut and sea truffle and Tessa tried the Octopus Alla Piastra with courgette, spring onion and curried butter. Again, we both really enjoyed our choices and each were cooked to perfection.

We finished off with dessert - I went for the cherry and chocolate and if I’m honest, regretted my choice. I think I realised I’m not really a fan of cherry however I’m sure the desert would be enjoyed by anyone that does. Tessa rated her Caramelised Peach, (almond milk, peach sorbet with Amaretti biscuits) as the best course out of the lot and I was envious to say the least!

Overall, we really enjoyed trying something completely different. Each course was presented beautifully and at the end of the meal we felt satisfied but not over-full (as I often find I do). I’d really recommend giving Mono a try if you’re in Edinburgh. The restaurant also offers a regular A La Carte menu, Lunch Menu and rather exciting Tasting Menu which looks ideal for a special occasion. You can view all of the menus on their website here.

Mozza – Renfield Street, Glasgow

Sticking with Italian cuisine, another new try for me this month was Mozza in Glasgow. Last week, the girls and I headed here to celebrate the exciting news of Rachel’s engagement (eek!). Side note – check out her beautiful ring here.

Now back to Mozza - the restaurant is conveniently located a few minutes-walk from Glasgow Central station…the ideal spot for some Friday night grub, pre-cocktails.

Inside, you’ll find a nice big space with the name Mozza in lights on the wall. From the menu you can choose one of 13 different styles of neopolitan pizza. I went for number five which was a spicy tomato-based pizza with mozzarella, spicy salami, ricotta cheese, black pepper, basil and oil. It was super tasty and actually really reminded me of Peasano's pizza (which I'm guessing are also Neopolitan?). 

The prices are extremely reasonable too with pizzas starting from just £5 with the priciest at £9 – bargain! I didn’t try any of the sides or desserts so can’t comment on them, but I did try some of their white wine which went perfectly with my pizza.

I’ll definitely be heading back to Mozza and would highly recommend for all of you pizza lovers out there.

Thanks again to Mono for inviting us along to try out their food!

Until next time.

XoXo

Laser hair removal. Is it worth it?

With winter now finally behind us (keeping everything crossed!) I’ve got summer on my mind. Recent nights have me dreaming of warm evenings, a calendar filled with BBQ and picnic invites, and the ability to dress in as few layers as humanly possible. Summer is by far my favourite season of the year and the time us Scots really come alive. Honestly, visit Glasgow during a heatwave (or any temperature above 20 degrees for that matter) and you’ll know what happiness looks like.

My only gripe with this scorcher of a season however is the excessive need to shave. I’ll admit it, I’m one of those gals who shamelessly neglects shaving her legs in the winter. If I don’t have to get my legs out for a party then the short fuzz of hair can stay put. Even in the summer, my shaving frequency does increase but I still find myself frantically trying to shave my legs five minutes before I dash out the door.

Despite my shaving grudges, getting laser to reduce/remove the hair on my body never crossed my mind until the team at Therapie Clinic offered me the chance to try it out. With absolutely no idea of what was involved, how long it took or how painful it was going to be I initially turned down the offer. Fast forward a few months to the day my friend Victoria told me about her “pain-free” experience and suddenly I was willing to give it a try. You’ll surely know by now that I’m an absolute wimp when it comes to pain so hearing that it “honestly didn’t hurt” was like music to my ears.  

I wanted to start off with a small area to see if it was for me so opted to target my underarms. The team recommend you get six sessions of laser to see the best result. I’m now three sessions in so thought now would be a good time to share my thoughts so far.

To keep things concise, I’ve answered a few of the most asked questions about laser below:

What is it like to get laser hair removal?

At Therapie Clinic, the team use some of the most advanced technology in the world, using what’s called “medical-grade laser”. After popping on to a treatment bed and given a pair of orange protective glasses (sexy), my therapist analysed the area and cleaned it with an alcoholic wipe before rubbing some gel over the target area. She then used the machine which has some form of laser light at the top of it (technical, I know) and then rubs this back and forth in a quick motion across the skin. This doesn’t hurt in any way but by the end of each timed session you can feel this heating up ever so slightly.

How long does it take?

This depends on the area but as I’m only getting my underarms done I’m honestly in and out of the clinic in 15 minutes.

What are the results like?

They say you’ll start to see results after two to three sessions so just about where I’m at now with my treatment. As someone who has ridiculously fast-growing hair – just look at the hair on my head and you’ll get the picture – I’ve always had to shave my underarms daily. Since my last treatment I’ve noticed the hair is growing at a much slower pace, isn’t as dark as before and has reduced significantly. Even when my hair has fully grown in I can notice the overall growth area has reduced. One thing to note, is that laser removes 75-80% of hair so won’t remove absolutely everything but you’re still guaranteed great results.

Anything else I’d need to know?

There are a few rules when getting laser, the biggest being that you can’t wear fake tan in the area you’re targeting during your treatment. Not a problem for me as fake tan is a rarity in my beauty routine but I know this can be off-putting for some people.

Pre-treatment you need to shave 24hrs in advance so the area is prepped and during treatments you can’t wax  at all. 

Post-treatment you’re not allowed to take any hot baths/showers or put on deodorant for around 24 hours I believe so definitely something to keep in mind when booking your appointments. You wouldn’t want to leave yourself unable to shower before a big night out….

What does it cost?

Despite being the No.1 provider of laser hair removal in Europe, Therapie Clinic are actually very affordable. They regularly have offers running on the treatment and prices start from just £19 for lip/chin area and £49 for leg & underarm area. Not bad at all.

I’m excited to see what further change I’ll see after my next three sessions and will absolutely keep you all up-to-date with the results! Feel free to drop me a DM on Instagram @thegirlwiththebighair if you have any questions.

Until next time.

xoxo

Three must-have Spring trends and how to wear them: 2018

Why is that when you’re really watching your pennies and limiting yourself to buying no-more than one item a month (even that’s at a push) that fashion gets so damn good. There are so many new and exciting trend pieces in the stores that I thought I’d share my want-list here on the blog. I mean, if I can't get my hands on them all I’d at least like to talk about them.

The chunky ‘dad’ trainers

I’ll admit it, when I first seen the Balenciaga trainers hit Instagram I was not a fan. I thought they were far too bulky and fussy to work with anything in my wardrobe and I just didn’t see them taking off. Fast forward a month or so and now most of the high-street stores have their own version and I’ve finally come around. Places like Public Desire and Zara have some amazing dupes that I much prefer with their more simplistic feel. The ‘Cheetah’ from PB are my faves and they’re a bargain £29.99! I also don’t see this trend sticking around for much longer than a year or so would be hesitant to investing in the real deal.

How to style them:

•        With a pair of lose fitting trouser and a casual tee
•        With a midi-length silk skirt and crow neck jumper
•        Paired with light denim straight leg jeans and a turtle-neck top
•        Dressing down a matching two-piece suit

The two-piece

They’ve been around for a good while now but my need for the two-piece suit is as strong as ever. Pink has been the colour to have and I’m fortunate enough to have (very recently) got my hands on an amazing 80s-inspired pink suit from Quiz. It’s a really nice shape and fit, and I’m excited about the multiple ways I’ll be able to style these pieces. They don’t have to be plain either like this white pin-stripe suit from Missguided. I’ve also seen short suits creep into the stores which will be perfect for the warmer weather.

How to style the suit:

• Worn together with barely-there heels and a lace body or bandeau crop top 
• Dressed down with a graphic tee and chunky trainers (see above 😊)
• Worn as separates. The trousers with an over-sized boyfriend shirt and sliders. Or the jacket with a mini skirt and sock boots

Gen Z Yellow

I can hand on heart say I’ve never been a fan of the colour yellow in my wardrobe…..until now. I don’t know what it is about yellow this season but it seems to be THE colour to wear. I never thought yellow to be a flattering colour for me as I’m so pale but after trying on this crop top I’ve completely changed my mind. I now feel like yellow is the colour that will see me through this summer. I’ve already ordered this gorgeous (and super cheap!) yellow bikini from Shein for my upcoming weekend in Marbs. The countdown is on!!

Since this trend is just a colour, I’ve picked out some of my favourite looks from the celebs above. I need them ALL.

That’s all for now but do let me know if you enjoyed this type of post and I can incorporate it into the blog more often. Happy shopping!

xoxo

What it's really like to get lip fillers

Lip fillers - it's the cosmetic treatment on everyone's lips (pun intended :P) but deciding if it's the right treatment for you is a scary process. If like me, you're not keen on the over plumped, fish lips that are swimming (double pun :P) around the internet, you don't have to give up all dreams of all a more voluminous pout.

Lip fillers can range from 0.5ml to 1ml per treatment. Hesitant for my lips to completely change from my natural shape and size I decided to go for something in between the measures available to ensure my results were as natural as possible. Now that my fillers have settled I have to admit, I could have probably went for a little more but easing myself in is the best way I could have done this. 

Now, with the actual process I think a huge factor in the service is professionalism and results depends largely on where you go to get it done. There are so many rookies offering lip fillers these days when they're really not qualified to do so so please do your research before booking! After my botox experience at Therapie Clinic I knew choosing to go back there that I would be in good hands. 

I was beyond nervous for this treatment but the moment I stepped into the clinic my nerves lifted. The staff were also hugely helpful in making me feel at ease which was nice since I was on my tod.

For any scardy cats like me you'll be glad to know it honestly isn't something to be scared of and I say that will complete truth. You can just about feel the injections going in and one or two areas stinged ever so slightly but it was really fine. 

All in all, I think the injections lasted around 2-3 minutes. After sitting for ten minutes with numbing cream on my lips I was probably in and out of the clinic in 20 minutes. Although quick, this isn't a lunch time treatment as you will experience some swelling and bruising for the next 24-48 hours but nothing a little make-up can't hide. I was out at an event the next day and no one was any wiser to my treatment.

Your lips don't properly settle for about a week. It's now been just under two weeks since I had my treatment. I have one small lump in the right hand side of my top lip but this is a natural side effect. If it doesn't go away itself, they simply advise you to visit your therapist who will gently massage this out. Try not to do this yourself as you may move the filler into the wrong position.

Overall, I'm really happy with the results. They're still incredibly natural but have a bit more oomph to them. I think I'll probably feel a little braver next time and might go for the full 1ml. 

Lip fillers aren't for everyone but if they make you feel the slightest bit more confident then they're worth every penny in my eyes. Plus, you have a new found appreciation for all of your bold lip colours. I certainly know what's on my Christmas list this year....

I vlogged the entire lip fillers experience from start to end so you can really understand what it was like for me so check that out below.

Lip fillers at Therapie Clinic currently start from £150 for 0.5ml.

Please don't feel shy to ask me any questions you may have. 

xoxo