my current favourites – the spring edition

It dawned on me the other day that one of my favourite blog posts to read online is when my (amazing) team sit down and share their seasonal favourites with us all.

From finding out what podcasts they’ve enjoyed that month to uncovering the hero products that have impressed them most that season, for me, they’re always a great way to get to know my team that bit better and get new recommendations on everything from recipes to retinol!

Which is why – off the back of a conversation with the girls last week – I’ve decided to join in on the action too!

With that in mind, after much consideration, allow me to present my spring favourites! 

The Basics

Skin type – Combination. Without a lot of water and moisture, my skin feels dry but I also get oily patches and occasional break outs. 

Hair type – Dry, thick, course and wavy. It’s the Italian in me, what can I say!

Maintenance level – For the sake of simplicity, let’s just say, “high!”

Interests – Gardening, exercise, self-development, interiors, wine, horses, handbags, more wine etc… 

BEAUTY – Beauty Pie’s JapanFusion Genius Lift Elixir. Hands down. It’s no wonder this product won Vogue’s ‘Ultimate Skincare Saviour’ award last year. It genuinely has become an instant staple since it arrived in the post a few weeks back and is like having an incredible facial in a bottle each morning. My skin feels hydrated, bouncy, dewy (I could go on!) and along with my new Skin + Me tailored routine, has made the biggest difference to my skin in months. 

I’ve also recently ditched lipstick in favour of tinted lip balms now that the days are starting to lighten up. ‘Sun Crystal’ by Estée Lauder is my current favourite – the perfect coral for warmer days ahead.

BOOK – I won’t lie, I started reading a book when I was still high on anaesthetic post-surgery and genuinely don’t remember a single thing about it (!) so I’m going to skip this section and get back to you with good recommendations next time!

RESTAURANT – Ali and I loved our date night at The Nomad in London a few weeks back. Set inside a dreamy, three-storey atrium, it’s like dining in the most luxurious, stylish greenhouse and the service was so friendly, without feeling pretentious. I also had caviar for the first time in my life. Did I only order it because it’s expensive and sounds fancy? Perhaps…! But I’m relieved to say that I actually enjoyed it. 

FOOD OR DRINK ITEM – From caviar to carrots… Oh how the mighty fall eh?! If you’ve been following me online for a while now, you’ll know that I go through phases with certain foods where I eat them on repeat for weeks on end, then get so bored I end up cutting them out completely… only for the cycle to repeat itself a year or so later! With that in mind, I’m currently going through a carrot sticks and houmous phase. I’m also obsessed with Carrie’s morning smoothie recipe… the recipe for which you can find here if you’re interested.

NEW PURCHASE – Possibly the hardest one to narrow down but my new Celine crop top wins this category I think! I plan to wear it with my navy, high waisted linen trousers and a loose fitted linen shirt for all the nautical vibes this Spring.

GAME CHANGING FIND – The new LG Tone Free Ear Buds are AMAZING. I’ve had to travel in and out of London on my own much more than normal in recent weeks (for surgery related appointments) and now take these with me wherever I go. They’re discrete, they’re comfortable and they also stay in. The best ear buds I’ve used, by a clear mile.

PODCAST EPISODE – I mentioned this particular episode of The Diary of a CEO in my opening to chapter four but the episode with Oliver Burkeman really did prompt some interesting, internal questions.  Namely, ‘if I die tomorrow, would I die happy?’ It wasn’t one of those episodes that left me clinging on to every word but that particular part of the conversation struck a chord.

TV SHOW – Marcus Wareing’s ‘Tales from a Kitchen Garden’ on Sky is my go-to at the moment, when I want something light hearted to curl up to and watch in the evenings. It’s utterly charming and filled with so many wholesome ideas. Well worth a watch if you’re planning on making the most of your garden this summer. 

MONTHLY MANTRA – It’s not so much a monthly mantra but that question about happiness (mentioned above) has definitely influenced a lot of my thoughts this month. If you haven’t done so already, I’d ask yourself the same question. Then do what you’ve got to do to ensure that the answer is “yes.”

RECIPE – I’ve been so inspired watching how much Marcus Wareing uses lavender in his cooking so really want to try and make a lavender and earl grey cake in the coming weeks. At the moment I’ve got my eyes on this recipe from Ella’s Better Bakes. I’ll let you know how it goes!