Orelia London Into The Light Collection

I'm a big fan of simple but unusual jewellery and Orelia pieces definitely fit the bill; they are not overcomplicated, the designs are beautiful in their simplicity and uniqueness. The 'into the light' collection from Orelia is a jewellery dream collection for me and I was kindly sent two pieces via EtailPR. 

My favourite piece is the *Orelia London Geometric Statement Necklace (£18) which is just gorgeous. It is a statement necklace but not overly so and it still remains simple and understated. The necklace is light weight, easy to wear and perfect for spring. The geometric design is gold and the chain is gold with a off white/lavender coating - I love the combination. The tag on the chain has 'orelia' printed on it which is very cute. I think I will get a lot of use out of this necklace, especially in the spring months. 

The second piece is the lovely *Orelia London Mixed Plate Bar Necklace (£12). I love this necklace, it is very dainty and delicate but the geometric, textured chain and bar make it more edgy. The necklace is quite short and it can tangle so you need to store it on it's own. The way the light catches the gold bar is so pretty and I think this necklace will look gorgeous with many different casual outfits or even smart/casual attire. 

Overall, I love both pieces, especially the geometric statement necklace. I think both necklaces will be perfect for spring and they would make lovely gifts, especially as the necklaces look more expensive than they are but also because the presentation and packaging is pretty too. Here is my Orelia London wish list:

Have you bought anything from Orelia? What do you think of the pieces I have featured?

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Mother's Day Baking Ft. GBBO

Happy Mother's Day! Today's post is all about baking as myself and my mum both love baking and the Great British Bake Off! I was kindly sent the *Great British Bake Off Big Book Of Baking (£20) which is a dream baking book as not only are the photography and layout gorgeous but the recipes are lovely too! As soon as I received the book, I started marking off pages and the mini cakes and quick cupcake recipes instantly caught my eye. As I didn't have much time, I decided to make the quick chocolate cupcakes for my mum.

I followed the instructions to the letter, although with the frosting I made my own chocolate buttercream frosting. I also used the same mix to make regular cupcakes with frosting and edible paper decorations, mini heart cupcakes and mini chocolate doughnuts! I'm so impressed with this recipe, everything came out so well first time round. 

The cupcake mix is so versatile, it makes delicious cupcakes as well as mini heart cupcakes and also mini doughnuts. The mix is relatively quick and easy to make, it bakes evenly and well first time round and it tastes so light, chocolaty and yummy! Experiment with different cupcake moulds, I used heart shaped moulds and a cute cupcake mould for some of my cupcakes.

The book has so many delicious recipes, I love how it's laid out and it also has information about the GBBO contestants. It would a be fantastic gift for bakers and anyone who loves the Great British Bake Off. My mum loved these cupcakes as did my dad and sister. If you are planning to bake some goodies for your mum, guardians or grandma this weekend then I would definitely recommend this book! I will be making some easter bakes soon on my vegetarian food blog, here.

Have you tried any GBBO recipes? What do you think of the cupcakes I made for Mother's Day?

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The Body Shop Mother's Day Gift Ideas

The Body Shop are always on top of their game when it comes to gifts! They have launched a new limited edition range of one of their best selling skincare ranges which I think would make a gorgeous gift for mothers day! 

The best selling Vitamin E range has been given a majestic, regal makeover for mothers day; also a new product to the original range has been added which is one of the most exciting skincare products that I have seen so far this year. I have the *Limited Edition Vitamin E Moisture Cream (£17, 100ml), *Limited Edition Overnight Serum In Oil (£13, 28ml) and the brand new *Limited Edition Vitamin E Eye Cube (£8, 4g) - I am particularly excited about trying the 'eye cube' and the serum in oil. 

Firstly, the packaging redesign is gorgeous! I love The Body Shop's take on the Union Flag and regal inspired design. I have tried the vitamin E night cream before which my skin didn't really get on with although I tried it when my eczema was very bad but I have been using the serum in oil and eye cube for the past few days and so far so good! I'm going to give the moisture cream to my mum to see how she gets on with it. The eye cube is such a unique product, it is a silky smooth, cooling eye cream in stick form so it is great for travelling, fuss free hydration and instant illumination. 

Overall, I think this range would make a lovely gift for Mother's Day, especially of those mums who don't spend time on themselves. The products seem so nourishing and the vitamin E range is one of the best selling skincare ranges from The Body Shop. The limited edition packaging, in my opinion, makes it a bit more special. 

The Body Shop have so many gifts to choose from so I have picked out some of my favourites - I would love the try the Wild Argan Oil and new Smoky Poppy ranges! 

Have you tried any products from The Body Shop's Vitamin E range? Will you be buying your mum a gift from The Body Shop?

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Mother's Day Gifts Ft. Joshua James Jewellery

Mother's Day in the UK is just around the corner (15th March) so I have some lovely gift ideas to help you pick a gift that mothers, guardians and grandmothers will love! Jewellery is a special gift and Pandora is one of the brands that everyone seems to love. Everything from Pandora looks so beautiful; not just the bracelets, charms, earrings and necklaces but the packaging/presentation is going to cause some serious swooning!

The lovely people at Joshua James Jewellery very kindly allowed me to pick a few products to review and obviously I decided to pick products from the much coveted Pandora! I chose the *Pandora Silver Bracelet (£55, 17cm), *Pandora Silver Clip (£25) and the *Pandora Openwork Silver Stars Charm (£20) all of which I adore. The packaging is just gorgeous, each item comes in its own Pandora branded box and my order came with a Pandora bag so the products come with everything you need to package up the gift. Also if you spend over £125 on Pandora at Joshua James Jewellery, you will received a pretty Pandora heart gift box. 

Before choosing my items, I had to decide which size bracelet would fit my tiny wrists and thankfully Pandora has an online size guide which was so helpful. It suggests to measure your wrists tightly and then add on 2cm to get your Pandora bracelet size. My wrists are only 15cm so I chose the 17cm bracelet and I am so glad I followed the Pandora guidelines as the bracelet size is perfect even with my charm and clip on the bracelet. 

The bracelet I have is silver with the original Pandora locking clasp; it is a little stiff but it's not too difficult to put on even by myself. The next decision is clips or no clips; Pandora suggest you buy the clips as they section the bracelet into three parts so the charms can be separated and the bracelet is evenly balanced and symmetrical. I chose the plain sliver clip which I love and the clip is sterling sliver as is the bracelet and charm. 

Now onto the charm, I chose the openwork silver stars charm which looks even more beautiful on my bracelet than it did online and even in the pretty packaging. I love the openwork cut outs and I definitely want to get another openwork charm! The clip and charm were both very quick and easy to attach onto the bracelet and I love the way they look together. 

Overall, since receiving the bracelet I haven't taken it off! The bracelet is so beautiful and it is so comfortable to wear - this is coming from someone who never wears bracelets. I know my mum would love the Pandora pieces I have as she has her own Pandora bracelet which has a lot of charms on it already! I am definitely looking at more charms and clips for my bracelet, here's my Joshua James Jewellery wish list of just some of the Pandora pieces I'm lusting after:

Joshua James Jewellery also have beautiful Pandora gift sets, necklaces and rings as well as gorgeous gifts from other brands such as Links of London, Thomas Sabo, Lovelinks, Swarovski and more! They also offer free UK delivery on all orders and free next day delivery on orders over £100. 

Pandora charms may be my new obsession! Do you have a Pandora bracelet? What do you think of my Pandora mother's day gift ideas?

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Mother's Day Gifts Ft. Nude Jewellery

Jewellery, in my opinion, is a lovely gift to not only receive but to give as well. I personally love receiving jewellery and I know my mum does too. Nude Jewellery have very kindly sent me a lovely piece from their latest in house collection, Vanilla Links, that I think  would be perfect gift for mothers day!

I have the *Nude Jewellery Vanilla Links Double Link Sterling Silver Pendant (£85) which is handmade in Mayfair, London by jewellery designer Nikki Galloway. Nude jewellery was a finalist in the UK jewellery awards in 2013. Firstly, the packaging, the necklace came so beautifully packaged *until I got my hands on it* with a silky grey fabric cover surrounding the jewellery box. The tie on the fabric has 'nude' printed on it; it looks like a wax stamp seal which makes it looks very luxurious and fancy! 

The necklace itself is composed of gorgeous shining sterling silver which has been lightly hammered and to me this effect gives the metal a rustic, handcrafted appearance. I adore the design, it is simple but unique and beautiful. The silver snake chain is 16 inches long which is a fantastic length for me personally, as I hate longer length necklaces. I have worn the necklace a few times paired with chunky knits and it looks gorgeous but it would be equally as beautiful with a little black dress, in my opinion. 

Overall, I adore the design of this necklace and the others in this latest in house collection; I love that their pieces are all contemporary and handmade in London! The necklace catches the light beautifully, it is comfortable to wear and it is easy to dress up or dress down. It is such a versatile, staple piece. I know my mum would love this necklace! Here are some of the other gorgeous pieces from the latest collection: 

What do you think of this necklace? Have you bought anything from Nude Jewellery?

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Mothers Day Gift Guide For All Budgets

For the home:

Linea 3 Tier Cake Stand (17.50, sale)  ||  Neom Complete Bliss Candle (£30)  ||  Laura Ashley Cooks Kitchen Sea Salt Hand Gift Set (£14, sale) ||  Wedgewood Butterfly Bloom Tea Caddy (£70)  ||  Oliver Bonas Flower Garden Posy Vase (£14)  ||  Floral Glass Storage Jar (£6, sale)  ||   Emma Bridgewater Rose & Bee Mum Mug (£19.95)  ||  Laura Ashley Evan Photo Frame (£15.40, sale)  ||  Gingerlily Silk Throw (£129)

Body, Bath & Beauty:

Smashbox Masterclass III (£80)  ||  The Body Shop Voyage Eau De Toilette Trio Gift (£15)  ||  Nip+Fab De-Stress Box Set (£10)  ||  For All My Eternity Sweet Satsuma Body Butter (£12.99)  ||  Foreo Luna (£145)  ||  Bodhi and Birch Jasmine Falls Relaxing Duo (£36)  ||  Burts Bees Pink Grapefruit Mini Set (£3.99)  ||  Glo + Ray Love For Lips (£42)  ||  Pai Travel Kits - Calm (£20)  ||  Wild Olive Scotch Mist Bath Sundae (£2.25)  ||  Redken Smooth Lock Set (£16.40)  ||  Caudalie Gift Box (£17.85)  ||  Micro Nail Electric Nail Polisher (£39.99)

Clothing, Jewellery & More:

Selena Scallop Coin Purse (£6) ||  Topshop iPhone 6 Super Sparkle Case (£8)  ||  William May 9ct Yellow & White Gold Crystal Ball Bracelet (£159)  ||  Olivia Burton Mink & Rose Gold Watch (£62)  ||  Aurora Living The Willow Bag (£59.50) ||  Newlook Pink Colour Block Twist Lock Purse (£8.99)  ||  Gemporia Rose Gold Sterling Silver Ring (£80)  ||  Busy B A6 Pink Floral Notebook (£4.99)  ||  Next Pink Knitted Snood (£10)  ||  Repertoire Fashion Cocoa Cashmere Striped Jumper (£84.50, sale)

What do you think of my Mother's Day Gift Ideas? 

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