JULY FAVOURITES

I wasn’t sure whether it was too late to post a favourites for July, but you all said it’s best to look back on the last month, and as it was a GREAT month I’m pleased I haven’t missed the boat. I won’t bother with a long intro because we all know what a favourites post is, so let’s get straight into it!

My Roof Terrace.

I really appreciate having our bit of outdoor space in the middle of London, especially in the summer when we can sit out there all evening having a few drinks and watching the sun go down. I picked up some new lights for it recently which I’m really pleased with. The only issue I’m currently having is watering the plants. I have to go back and fourth to the bathroom with a watering can, so I think I’m going to have to investigate getting an outdoor hosepipe fitted!
Getting our roof terrace built was a huge project that took several years because we encountered problems with neighbours – joy – but things took a turn for the better and eventually we were able to get it built. If any of you are interested I could write up some tips on building your own!
I also thought it would be a good location to shoot all of my July favourites as I’d left it a bit last minute and natural daylight was disappearing fast. I’m so organised when it comes to my blog 🙂

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II Digital Camera 

I’d been stuck in a limbo of shooting on my DSLR (which took ages to set up, the sound was never great and despite being able to operate broadcast quality camera’s it seems I’m incapable when it comes to blogging and vlogging!) I also found I was using my iPhone for outfit or travel pictures because I found carrying around a big camera all day annoying and I worry that after wine time it’s going to get left in a taxi. I also asked the male blogger gang what camera’s they recommended and investigated what my favourite vloggers are using and this seemed to be the one that ticked all the boxes!
I’m really enjoying using it and already things are looking SO MUCH BETTER! The dingiest corners of my flat even look appealing through it and I can’t wait to start sharing more content as a result!

Oliver Bonus Gin and Tonic Candle.

If you watched my how to paint a room in a day video (it was a long day!) you will know I’ve been banned from burning candles in the lounge since my candle obsession had created so much soot on the ceiling that the corners were turning black! I’ve pretty much resisted which means I now come out of Homesense with a healthier bank balance and lighter shopping bags. However, this was a gift so that doesn’t count. Gin and Tonic is one of my favourite scents (and drink obvs) – and this doesn’t disappoint. Everyone who’s come around to our flat has asked what smells so good, it’s such good quality that it fills the entire flat with fragrance. It’s also in a travel tin so if you are a weirdo like me who packs scented candles when they travel you’ll love it.

Puma Trainers.


I have a problem when it comes to trainers and unfortunately I found myself passing JD sports when the sales were on. I think they were down to £20 or £25 and they are so comfortable! I like trainers like this because they go with anything. I recommend always giving suede trainers a good spray with protector before wearing them though because rain ruins them otherwise!

Outdoor Cinema.

I’ve been to a couple of these and I absolutely love them! I love going for picnics in Summer, and that  combined with a movie is ideal. I went to see Clueless & Labyrinth – two favourites of mine. It was brilliant to watch them outdoors on summer evenings, sitting in deckchairs drinking wine and laughing when every time a dog came on screen and all the dogs in the audience barked their heads off.

Skinny Tan Express.

I reviewed Skinny Tan Mousse a while back after my friend got me a bottle for my birthday and thought it was amazing! Since then the guys at Skinny Tan kindly sent me over a few more products to try including the Express Tan Mousse – it’s basically the same as the standard one but it develops faster – in between 1 and 3 hours. I left it on for the maximum of 3 hours, and found that it gave me a natural glow rather than the deep brown the regular one gave me, although I can’t really compare them because the Express Tan they sent me was in the shade light and I think I had a dark one previously. I’d recommend it if you’re going out for the evening and need to get ready fast or are going on holiday the following day and are short of time. (which always happens to me!). And for any men reading who haven’t tried fake tan before and are still using sun beds, now is the time for you to stop and to try this product.

Corkcicle Tumbler.

Being freelance I’m often working away on location or in a ‘Coffice’ and I found that I was spending SO much money on Coffee, not to mention the impact all those paper cups were having on the environment. I saw this in the Topman sale and just threw it into my basket on a whim, basically because I liked the grey design!
I’m so pleased I did though, because this mug is amazing! It’s stainless steel inside, and vacuum sealed so it will keep drinks hot for 3 hours and cool for 9 hours (which was amazing in the heat wave!). It’s pretty big too – 700ml, so you can fit any ‘large’ size drink in it.
It fits a drip filter on top so it’s really easy to make your own coffee for it in the morning to take out with you – or if you take it into a coffee shop they will fill it up for you and many of the chain coffee shops will also give you a discount for using your own cup, so you are saving yourself money as well as doing your bit for the environment!
The baristas have admired it in several coffee shops I’ve been in because it does look really sleek and stylish. The only annoying bit is that the lid squishes on rather than screws on, so you can’t just throw it in your bag when it has a drink inside.

Primark Hawaiian Shirt.

I haven’t really worn Hawaiian shirts before but they have been pretty big this Summer and I saw this one on the poster campaign for Primark Men. If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen me wearing this on holiday. I really like the simple design and having a black background gives it a more formal vibe which means you can pair it up with shorts in the day time but also with jeans or smart trousers to take it into evening. (clothes that do this are the best thing to pack for a holiday, as you get more wear out of them). For the £8 price tag I think this is a total bargain!

My new Coffice. 

Sorry for using that annoying term twice in one blog post. I know I’m a disgrace. This place though, is a fantastic new discovery that is right on my door step. Peckham Pelican is a cafe / bar / art event space that has outdoor seating, live music, comfy leather sofas and is an ideal space to catch up with friends or take your laptop to get some work done surrounded by creative people. The coffee starts from £1.20 a mug (can we appreciate the slogans) and the food is really reasonable and good too! You can also get a posh G&T for £5. Now we’re talking!

I’ve also been loving:

• Pool Inflatables
• My office makeover
• The Summer Sales

I hope you enjoyed reading this and had a great July! Let me know what’s been making you happy in the comments, and which of mine is your favourite.