Wow I've been featured in an article!!

Hey lovlies

This is SOOO exciting I had to share it with you all.  As you know I went to the Polo in Windsor the other  day and I was proudly wearing on of my friends Louis Mariette's creations.  (He is a famous milliner who creates hats for the likes of Lady GaGa, Kate Moss and even Harrods front windows!).

And a picture of me wearing one of his fabulous creations was featured in LemonTrend!

http://lemontrend.com/lifestyle/british-calendar-2016/

Read the article above to see pics and read more :)

Have you guys ever thought about, or have, a fancy hat?? Share pics below of some of your favs!

Have a great day!

Fiocco x

Moschino Milano beach wear

Hello my lovelies!

Did I tell you I went to Barcelona last week!?

Things have been hectic the last few weeks travelwise as I have been to Italy, Spain and off to Denmark in a couple of weeks too!

Because of all these summer trips, I treated myself to some goodies from my favourite brand.  No these aren't press samples (I wish haha!) - I actually chose my towel to match my bikini.  A new low, or a new level of cool.  I think somewhere between!

I am soooo in love with the fuschia and yellow mix.  Actually, the bikini has a deep blue and lime green tie on the back which breaks it up a little.  Here is a link to the yellow Moschino bikini and it is actually now on sale too!  Not the most flattering of pictures below but this is the one which has the towel in it too.

Actually, the towel deserves a blog post to itself too! It is exttra large and so so thick. It looks great in reverse too witch fuschia pink as the dominant colour and with moschino in yellow. Here is a link to the moschino yellow beach towel,  as who else wants to match their bikini and towel haha!  It's a shame as these are from two different online retailers - I chose them in the shop so could tell they actually matched and went together.  I feel a tiny bit guilty for this splurge but I think it was totally worth it.  These ridiculous things make me happy!

I will try and find more snaps of this great Beach OOTD!

Enjoy!!

Lots of love, Fiocco xx

Louis Mariette Hat to see the Queen

Wow! Things have been crazy!

Yesterday I went to Ascot to see the Bentley Motors Royal Windsor Club Final for the Guards Polo club.  Being held in Windsor Great Park it was the perfect setting for a glorious day.

I had never seen Polo before, and so this was a first time and totally doing it in style! Invited by my lovely friend and photographer GemRey, who took this great picture, it was definitely an exciting time to go!

At these events, fashion is everything, so I had to think long and hard what to wear for this formal summer wear occasion.

I choose to wear a burnt orange dress by the Italian brand Blugirl with some cute nude stiletto heeled sandals.  But truly the masterpiece was the gorgeous bespoke hat made by Milliner Louis Mariette who went with me to the polo.  A fantastic friend and so full of warmth and bubbling personality, it was a pleasure to wear one of his creations.

The hat I am wearing in the picture is called Clematis - blush. (RRP £730) and perfect for watching the polo.  This gorgeous side hat has an edgy feel to it with its golden spikes, but softened with its roses and swaroski.  I felt the part at the Polo and it was all down to the hat! And as Louis' site says: 'intensively attractive and stylish compliment to any outfit'.

Louis Mariette hat Clematis Blush

The whole day was incredible but got made even better by seeing the queen!  She attended to give the prizes and I LOVE the first photo as it is me taking a selfie getting the queen in the background (not in shot - how annoying!!)

I hope you enjoyed this post as it really was a truly special day

xxx Fiocco

OOTD Asos Black Mesh insert Maxi dress

Hey Dolls, 

I don't often post formal OOTDs on here but here's a goody.  It's called Black mesh insert maxi dress. It is a stunning dress perfect for formal occasions and was an absolute bargain from Asos.

Sooo drumroll on the price.... Just £17!  Can you believe it!?  Reduced from £25.99 and available here.

It's hard when youv'e got a formal occasion but you need a new dress.  I have several lovely formal dresses - did you see the melon coloured Alberta Ferretti dress?  But if you are with the same crowd it is often hard to repeat the same dress.  So, I had a little search on ASOS through their floor lengths and ended up getting two very similar ones.

I love the elegance of this racer neck dress and it has a stunning back which is a bit of a T style.  The material isn't the most expensive, but hey, what do you expect for £17!  It also has a thigh length split and looks perfect with heels in any colour.  It has a thin mesh see-through panel under the bust which I just love.

But I also bought a second dress which I didn't wear....and I love it more but it's a tad too short and was also another bargain at £25. (ps I'm 5 foot 10 so a floor length dress is a little tricky).  This one was a Club L racer front dress - but it is just too short and unforgiving because of its mermaid bottom.  I didn't have the heart to turn it back though....perhaps I'll wear it one day with no heels?

Love my LBD from ASOS

What do you think?  I think it was a fabulous buy for such a good price and a great way to wear a new outfit perfect for the occasion without breaking the bank!

Fiocco xxx

Spa LONDON - His and Hers massages

Hey Guys!

I was lucky enough to try out a 'his and hers' massage with Spa LONDON.  I cannot tell you how excited I was about this - the whole week before I couldn't stop thinking about it!

Based in the gorgeous village of Wimbledon (but still within the centrality of London) we went to Spa London, booked in for for some extremely delicious treatments.  I was booked in for their brand new signature treatment - La Sultane de Saba Shea Butter full body scrub and massage, and my other half was booked in for La Sultane de Saba Malaysian bamboo full Body Massage and Scrub.

After a long week of work, we were both really looking forward to some down-time to relax and be pampered and Spa LONDON didn't disappoint!

After being given our robes, slippers and towels, we were greeted with a glass of bubbly, fresh berries and time to relax in their stunning relaxation lounge.  Already the ambience was being to relax us and we were beginning to unwind.

The friendly massage therapists then invited us to the massage rooms and started to begin their treatments.  She began with a body scrub which combined with light massage was so refreshing and immediately made my skin so much smoother.  Then, after quickly showering off the scrub, the real treatment began which was the Sultane de Saba Shea Butter full body massage.

I had never had a full body massage before and it was so incredible to be literally massaged from head to toe.  You never realise how much tension you have in your arms, legs and even fingers until you go for a full body massage!  The smell of the gorgeous La Sultane de Saba was so mesmerizing and really added to the whole experience.  I felt completely spoiled and so relaxed after this treatment.

His Treatment

I was so excited to bring my other half, as he is a chef  and always on his feet with little time for relaxation.  He was booked in for Spa London's La Sultane de Saba Malaysian bamboo full Body Massage and Scrub which is where a the trained masseuse uses a small piece of bamboo like a rolling pin to gently massage the whole body.  She also used deep massage working on all the pressure points.  My boyfriend was so happy with the treatment and is definitely looking to go back for more!

After the massage, we went to the centerpiece of Spa LONDON, the Thermal Spa Experience.  This was a great way to unwind and to finish off the full experience.  Enjoying the Aroma Steam Room, Sauna, Ice Fountain, Hamman benches with foot spas, hydrotherapy pool, monsoon shower, bucket shower and of course relaxation lounge. The relaxation lounge - in the  picture above, really is exquisite and an island of calm.  As you can see I was enjoying myself greatly!

The hydroptherapy pool was also a delight and was a superb way to continue to feel pampered after the massage. We had an absolutely fabulous evening at Spa LONDON and would absolutely go there again.  

*Treatment for consideration and review

A Weekend in Venice

Last weekend I was back in Italy and we went for a road trip to one of my favourite places in the world - Venice! Staying for the weekend was marvelous, though the April weather was hit and miss.

The best way to reach Venice isn't by car as there are no roads there, but by catching a ferry across to the main island.  I think this is the perfect way to begin a trip in Venice as you can see it from afar and really creates that romantic ambiance.  It also only costs £15 and is just a 20 minute trip taking you to the heart of the city.

Part of the experience for me (apart from the gorgeous shops of Murano glass) are the stunning bridges and walk ways across the canales.  There are so many side streets like this one where there are no tourists and you get to see a real part of Venice where people live and work.  I was lucky enough in the photo below to find a sunny 5 minutes as soon the heavens opened!

 I love my cheeky dark blue silk shirt with a bow collar - I wore it with jeans and a half-length cream lambskin leather jacket.

There is constant water traffic along the main canals - there is really so much life and vibrancy. Apart from exploring the side alleys, we went for an Apperativo in St Marks Square.  Apperativo is an original classic from the region of Venice, so they know how to do it properly!

A fabulous weekend and I can't wait to go back xxx

Makeup of the day and hair of the day

Hey Dolls, 

I haven't done a makeup or hair of the day in forever!

I have been loving this eye of horus mascara in black - this is a little gem of a makeup brand and I have been using their liquid eyeliner a lot too including in the below pictures.  The mascara retails for £18.00, which I think is a good price to pay for a decent mascara.  It separates and lengthens without leaving lashes clumpy. I also love having makeup in my makeup bag that not everyone has!!

So I went pretty natural on the face - I was using B50 foundation from YSL in the Teint Touche and followed by Hula bronzer from Benefit.  The look as all about the lashes so I wanted to keep my skin as natural as possible and also finished with a super nude Chanel lipstick.

I have been obsessed lately with Chanel's Rouge Coco moisturising lipsticks.  They leave a little shine on lips which looks great and is comfortable to wear. I am using Colour 400 Louise

To finish thhe Makeup of the Day is of course Hair of the  day!  I have been using:

 Kérastase Chronologiste Revitalizing Shampoo, Care Conditioner And Balm Treatment Trio

This fabulous revitliasing hair trio is currently discounted on Lookfantastic by £25 - so make sure you don't miss out. The third step - the hair mask is my absolute favorite of the three.  My hair was so glossy and shiny after using it when usually I have very dull and dry hair.  My brush went straight through without too much problems on tangles which makes it an absolute winner for me and has become a firm favourite!!  It is definitely worth the money in my opinion and a must-have for those with long hair prone to splitting.

So there we go! My hair and makeup favourites for the day!

Stay tunes for more as I have been discovering some beauties this month!

xxxxx

Nouveau Extend - eyelash extension review

Hey there!

As a proud brand ambassador part of my #Lashgang project I was invited to try out a Nouveau Extend treatment which is for eyelash extensions.

I LOVE wearing false eyelashes, and normally use the strip lashes, so I was really interested to try something which lasts longer.  The Nouveau Extend treatment is estimated to last 8 weeks so I can't wait to have a month of stunning lashes.

Yesterday I popped along to the Chelsea Day Spa to have my treatment done.  After a consultation with the Ultimate Lash Technician on the type of look I wanted (just a bit more than natural with a curve and more at the outer edges) it was time for the treatment.  You can't feel a thing, and the beautician applies each lash carefully one by one in what is an hour long treatment.  Lying with your eyes closed and with the gentle spa music in the background it almost sends you to sleep!

I have to say my before and after pictures are INCREDIBLE.  I think the pictures speak for themselves - longer lashes, more lashes and with an incredible curve.  I almost cried when I looked in the mirror to see those long sweeping princess lashes.  You also can't see there they've been applied as they magically look like part of your own lash.

The best part  is, despite them being long, thick and volumnous, it doesn't look like false eyelashes, they just look like you have naturally pretty insane lashes!  As you can tell I am over the moon with this treatment and would definitely go back there again.  I think this treatment is great for all year round as it mean you don't need o much makeup as you are already made up.  Personally I would love this look every day of the week January -December.  As it happens I'm off on holiday next week and love the idea of waking up with lashes like these every day.

Below are pictures before the Nouveau Extend treatment and immediately after.

The picture below was taken the day after and as you can see the lashes still look fabulous, long and natural

#NouveauExtend

All I can say is that this was a 10/10 treatment and I am in love with the results.  I don't know why but having amazing long lashes is such a confidence boost and makes you feel great walking out the door.

Thank you to Nouveau Lashes for this incredible semi permanent eyelash extension - I am in love with the Nouveau Extend treatment! xx
Fiocco

Beach Walk OOTD

Hello lovelies

On this mini vacation to Italy I've gone to the gorgeous riverside town of Cattolica near San Marino.

Yesterday I went for a gorgeous beach walk along the pier of Cattolica, and the sky was looking stunning at sunset. I'd spent a great day walking through the town enjoying lots of shopping.  They have fantastic makeup stores there and I purchased a few Chanel & YSL lipsticks in dark shades of brown which I'll be featuring on the blog soon.  I can't tell if I love or hate them on me - they are all the craze now since Kylie Jenner's new lip kip range so had wanted to try it out for a while!

 It's still a bit chilly in the spring air, so had to wrap up warm for this beach front walk and so chose a  Zara leather coat,  Guess Jeans and H&M khaki shirt.  A really simple outfit which is perfect for casual and dining out.

There is nothing more relaxing than a riverfront walk to clear the mind and awaken the body.

Looking forward to being back in the UK tomorrow!

Fiocco xxx

Budget bikini or designer? Primark vs Moschino

Wassup ladies.

So it's coming up to that time of year where things are warming up and perhaps you're looking at fabulous holiday destinations for the summer!!

I know that's what I'm doing - anyone who follows my blog knows that I am constantly dreaming of Italy or any other warm European country with sea, sand and incredible food!!

But - I've been considering bikini options.  Don't get me wrong - I have Moschino bikinis galore *guilty pleasure* but I thought I'd try out some budget bikinis too last summer to mix it up.  And the results were surprising  ........

The above blue and white bikini is....????????

Primark!  I think it cost under £5.00 in total.  What. A. Bargain.  I chose it because I'd packed my suitcase full of bikinis then 1 hour before my flight realised I had backed all bandeaux and needed a triangle bikini to sort out the tan lines.  After popping into Primark I found this stunner of a bikini.

I loved the nautical blue and white colour and thought I would just try it out to see.  I ended up wearing this stunner for most of the holiday - it lasted well and washed great.  It wasn't lined with nice soft lining like the Moschino below and the material didn't have a silky finish....but it dried quickly, was comfortable and looked great.

Below is a Moschino polka dot bikini.  The finish is much better, it has a silky touch and delicate gold clips to remove the neck tie.  But, it doesn't come cheap costing approx £120.  (oops, don't judge me!!)  I would say you can get a similar effect with a £5 bikini and really you enjoy yourself more in a cheaper one.  In the polka dot one below I am always worried about ruining it, sand getting into it and generally it is more high maintenance which isn't the best when on holiday.

So what is your personal choice?  Cheap or designer???  

I think Primark beat Moschino this time!

Kissesss

Fiocco xxxxx

Cute little outfit and cheap mascara - scandal eyes

Hey Lovely ladies, 

Sometimes a favourite highstreet mascara doesnt change.

I've been using Maybelline Scandal Eyes for two years now (obviously re-purchasing it!!) and it is a firm favourite for me that I use the whole time.  It is so black, plumping and volumising that the resutls are as good as the top brands - I would say very similar to Benefit Bad Gal Lash in consistency and blackness....if blackness is a real word.

This mascara is an absolute bargain at £6.99 - http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Scandaleyes-Mascara_1238021/

 No excuse not to have this gem in your makeup bag.  Especially if you don't want to 'waste' your more expensive brands on every day use, but still want to have those Scandal Eyes! Haha - I thought the name was so tacky at the beginning, but the mascara actually does the job so well I will let it have that little name :)

Most of my followers are in the USA - so I am genuinely curious if you have Maybelline over there?  Or is it like cadbury dairy milk chocolate where you absolute expect it to be everywhere then it turns out it's just a UK thing.....

I wore it recently with this cute little outfit - a black Zara leather jacket, warehouse white shirt with gem collar and Zara jeans.  I'm also showing off my favourite Moschino clutch - so guilty for a bag binge! Pops!

The makeup is light with a good foundation and lashings of mascara - a fab look for going out for dinner

What do you think??

Big smoochies

Fiocco

OOTD and scandal eyes mascara by Maybelline

Best purchase this winter - Max Mara camel coat

Mmmmm there is nothing better than finding the perfect winter coat.  I spotted a beauty and fashion blogger wearing a camel coat, and I knew that it was a wardrobe staple that I absolutely needed.

I'd had my sights set on a camel Max Mara coat for a while and it took some time to find the right one. It seems that Max Mara specialise in their camel wear and I loved their huge range of choice.  A bit like how Burberyy 'does' the trench, Max Mara 'does' camel coats.  After trying on long, short and in-between i finally settled on the perfect one.

I went for a mid length wrap-around pure camel coat by Max Mara City.

I feel it goes with everything, from skinny black jeans, to a dress as it is both smart and casual at the same time.  The camel itself is a beautiful caramel colour and is so smooth to touch,

The model I went for can be closed as below or open with large lapels.  I love the dual way of wearing it and makes it so much more versatile.  It was an expensive buy, purchased in Italy - hence the picture of me in it in Italy! Yes it is super expensive - the UK one in the link below is is too unfortunately  - reduced down to £1138, but if you take care of it, I think this coat can be wearable for years.  It was definitely worth the money though, as I believe it is a wardrobe staple and I haven't stopped wearing it..

A similar one in the UK is this one which I love with a bright orang collar and is reversible.  http://gb.maxmara.com/p-1016045906001-vincita-camel

Camel Max Mara coat

Annoyingly my eyes are shut in the photo and my collar is sticking up not doing the coat justice, but this was a fabulous purchase and I would recommend all woman to try a camel coat as a staple in their wardrobe!

Do you have one?   What do you wear it with?

Fiocco xxxxx

Sun in Sorrento on the Amalfi coast

Sitting here in London in rainy March....I haven't stopped thinking of getting away this summer to a warmer, more beach perfect location!

Last year I managed to go on lots of sunny vacations, but my favourite was the Amalfi coast in Sorrento.

The crystal blue seas, the gorgeous sun, the natural rocky landscape and flowers everywhere is something which seems a long way away as I look at the gray Thames from my window!  The amazing pizza in Sorrento city centre with fresh local buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil on a thick tradition Naples style base was easily the best I have ever eaten.   And I have eaten a lot of Italian pizza!

If you make a trip down to the Amalfi coast be sure to rent a car so you can enjoy the hair pin turns all around the coast and stop of in beautiful little villages along the way.

I think I might have to make a trip back this summer!!

Clothes

Keeping the colours British I went for red white and blue!

I'm wearing int he below - Moschino red shorts, Topshop white crochet vest, blue under shirt  and Chanel sunnies :)

The best winter vacation in Copenhagen

I go to Copenhagen about 4-5 times a year and it is my favourite destination for a weekend winter long weekend.

There's nothing more festive than walking around the winter markets, I fell in love with reindeer skin the last time I was there which would make a magnificent throw for a sofa.  But I had to stop myself as I felt too guilty....perhaps I can find a synthetic one somewhere!

It's important to escape from the cold though.  After  along day walking around, especially if you make the trip out to see 'the mermaid' you will probably be thoroughly frozen to the core and  looking forward to a warm cosy hotel to come back to.

My favourite hotel in Copenhagen is the STAY Appartments.  (http://staycopenhagen.dk/)

They go absolutely all out on the nordic minimalist black and white decor. I'm not used to this style as live in a very traditional 'English countryside' house! But I absolutely love this minimalist style within this modern apartment.  

There is underfloor heating which makes this apartment divine.  The cosy sunset outside and the open kitchen meant I could enjoy a beautifully home cooked meal in the atmosphere of this cool and chic apartment.  

Staying in a normal hotel you would never get to experience the true glam of nordic chic as you can do here.  I would absolutely recommend it to all tourists looking for a a little extra 'glam' for their vacation.  It is a 15 minute walk from the centre or you could hop in a taxi!

Enjoy the pictures!

Love, fiocco