Jimmy Choo Lance heels


I still have to pinch myself that I own these stunning shoes!


I'm the type of person that when I set myself a goal, I will do everything I possibly can to reach it. Around five years ago, in my first year of university, I made a promise to myself that when I graduated I was going to be wearing a pair of Jimmy Choo Lance heels. And I kept it.


I fell in love with these shoes when I first saw them in Fifty Shades Darker. And I know what you must be thinking but aside from me loving the design, I also loved what these represented. Throughout the films, Ana goes on a journey into womanhood. If you take her clothes from the first film as a shy, young college student and compare them to the second and third film, you see her transition into a more confident professional woman. I loved how the costume designer unraveled that on screen. 


What I love most about these shoes is the elegance and sophistication these shoes exude. The delicate thin straps wrap and curve around the foot. The arch lifts the foot. This is not your average strappy sandal. This could very easily be a very sexy shoe but I think it still carries a sense of innocence with it. 


These shoes kept me going through the tougher times at uni and gave me something to look forward to. Some people buy themselves a Tiffany necklace or a Rolex watch to celebrate an achievement, I buy designer shoes.


Buying them was not an easy thing. I very almost missed out as they had gone on sale and practically sold out. I think Jimmy Choo have actually discontinued the style so I'm really happy to have got them when I did. I remember searching for them online in my size and coming up virtually empty handed. They’d sold out everywhere online and pretty much in all the available retailers in London and Birmingham. Except for one store. I rang the store when they opened the following morning and asked if they’d be able to put the shoes aside for me so I could collect them after work. They did and I collected them at the end of the day.


Considering I’d fallen more in love with these shoes through the images they had on the website, they were everything I thought they would be in real life. I feel like they are even better in person because you can feel the leather and craftsmanship that you can't feel online. 


I feel so empowered wearing them and even more so, knowing how hard I worked during university. I think these would make the perfect date shoe and I'm excited to wear them again. As my first luxury designer purchase, I couldn't be more happier!


Love, Aoife xo



Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua


It’s been a while since my last foundation review and an even longer time since I actually wore any. #Masklife has made wearing makeup almost redundant. When I graduated a couple months back, I decided to treat myself to some new foundation that I could wear on the day and as I started to go out more.


The foundation reminds me of Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Water Fresh foundation -which I think has been discontinued. Chanel's Vitalumière Aqua has a watery base that allows it to spread easily and sit perfectly on my skin.


Originally, I was planning on buying the Les Beiges foundation but I preferred the feel of the Vitalumière Aqua. It provides a very light coverage but is buildable. If you’re looking for a medium coverage to cover blemishes, this might not be one for you. 


The bottle is sold as 30ml for £36 and has SPF 15. I bought the shade 21 Beige. You can’t always rely on the SPF in foundation so I use Garnier’s Ambre Solaire Face Fluid and top up coverage later in the day with the Over Makeup Mist spray.


Chanel CC logo


I really like the satin-like finish and how my skin glows. I’m the type of person who doesn’t like the look or feel of foundation sitting on top of my skin. This blends in and dries so well, it’s hardly noticeable. 


The consistency is quite runny -it is water based after all- so I’m quite careful in applying it. I think it’s thinner than the Double Wear one. I’ve found that it’s important to have a hydrated base otherwise the foundation is at risk of caking and separating. I tend to pack in the moisture before I apply by using a little Aquafor to help create a tacky base.


The little booklet inside the box recommends applying it with your fingers for best results, which is great if you forget to wash your makeup brushes! It makes sense as well considering it’s water based and you are at risk of losing a lot of product by using brushes and sponges.


The one thing I will say is I haven’t yet mastered putting anything over the top of the foundation such as concealer or blush. As the foundation dries in a thin layer, you are at risk of rubbing it away so I think a liquid blusher would suit best. It’s the type of foundation that sells itself for creating a minimal barely-there look. I don’t think you’ll be able to use it for a full face beat.


I really like Chanel’s Vitalumière Aqua foundation. It’s definitely on the pricier side so is more of a luxury item. I’d consider buying it again if I feel like it’s something I want to spend that type of money on. I may need to increase my budget if it's something I want to make a regular appearance in my makeup collection. At the end of the day, it’s a very lightweight water-based foundation that provides light buildable coverage. It works for me because I prefer a minimal make up look and it suits my needs. 


Love, Aoife xo


Every so often in life we come across a book that we remember forever. The story and how it made us feel stays for years to come. A couple that comes to mind include Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and Perfume by Patrick Suskind. Now I have another one to add to the collection, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel came out in 2018 and has been on my list for a while. It’s been raved about and I’ve been curious to know what it is about the book that has people so engrossed.


What’s is about (taken from the blurb):


Reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself.


Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.


Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.


My thoughts:


When I picked up this book to read, I did not expect what I would find. I read the whole book in one sitting, eager to find out more about the mysterious Evelyn Hugo. There were so many questions that I had and I loved the way Reid kept me at the edge of my seat throughout the book. Even when a question was answered, another one cropped up.


The book is divided into sections, with each section dedicated to one of the seven husbands. And each sections defines a period in Evelyn’s life. The story and narration flows really well as it switches between the present (Monique’s voice) to past (Evelyn’s voice).


When the book starts, we first meet Monique Grant, a journalist working for a niche magazine. In the entirety of the book, I sympathised with Monique who had been brought on to write the biography of Evelyn Hugo but had so many questions she couldn’t get answers to. What Monique knew and didn’t know was dictated by Evelyn.


Evelyn was an interesting character. She was someone who had lived a life of highs and lows but still struggled with her own identity. At times I sympathised for Evelyn for parts of her life. However, I did think some of her actions were self-inflicted which played with whether she was a likeable or unlikable character. 


The novel ended semi-abruptly -in that you knew things were finishing but you still wanted more- and I think that’s part of the charm of the book and skill of Reid. Evelyn Hugo in her prime was a mysterious woman in the spotlight that people were drawn to and Reid managed to mirror that feeling in the reader.


Overall, I loved this book! Sitting here and writing this review, I’m trying to work out what it is about that I loved. Was it the rawness of Hugo's glamorous and scandalous life? Was it that everything was not as it seemed? Or was it that as the reader you’re questioning who is the real Evelyn Hugo? Regardless of what it was, Reid takes you on a journey of emotions and ties everything up in a neat little bow at the end.


Love, Aoife xo

How to create a morning routine

When I was younger, I used to wake up at 6:30am every day for school and leave the house by 7:45am. I'm not entirely sure why I would get up so early or why it took me so long to get ready but I would occasionally find myself running a little late. I kept this up throughout secondary, sixth form and up until second year of university.

These days, with working at home, I drag myself out of bed around 8am. My typical morning routine involves waking up (begrudgingly), heading to the shower, getting ready, reading, making breakfast and starting work at 9am. I keep it relatively straightforward and simple but without needing to wake up super early. 

Here are some tips to help create a morning routine that will have you ready and feeling positive about the day ahead:

01 // Work out what you value. 

First off, before you even think about what your morning routine is going to consist of, ask yourself what do you value the most? Is it time? Sleep? Food? Working this out is going to form the foundations of your morning routine. If you value time, you might choose to wake up a little earlier to ensure you have enough time to do the things you want to do. If it’s sleep, then your morning routine is going to be about making sure you get enough sleep and waking up a little later. If it is food, then it might be giving yourself time to make breakfast. Either way, it will help to form the foundation of your routine and let you know why you’re really creating one in the first place.

02 // Find out how to wake up happy. 

Waking up on the right side of the bed can make a massive difference in your day. Of course, this is just an expression but the first step in a morning routine is waking up. Therefore, waking up to the shrill of the classic Apple alarm sound doesn't sound appealing - unless you prefer to wake up like that. I’ve switched my alarm sound to ‘Slow rise’ because I can’t cope with such a shock first thing in the morning. Some people also enjoy waking up with an alarm that gets brighter to help wake you up naturally. Since, I prefer sleeping in a lighter room that won't work for me.

03 // Go with the flow. 

Every day is different. Therefore, your morning routine doesn’t need to be a rigid regime. Some things change and it’s okay. For this reason, I don't like to set times for each activity. I might have had a late night and want to sleep in a little longer or someone might be spending too long in the bathroom. If you set times for everything and one of those things don't work out on a particular day, that can mess up the whole schedule and the running late mindset follows you through the day.

I hope these tips have helped. How do you like to start the day?

Love, Aoife xo
book review If I never met you mhairi mcfarlane

When it comes to romance novels about fake relationships, we all know how it’s going to end. Well, about 99 percent of the time we do. But, that doesn’t stop you from enjoying the novel and discovering where it will take you. 

Mhairi McFarlane’s If I Never Met You features a tale as old as time but she does it justice. It can be hard to retell the same story we’ve all heard many times before. After all, elements of Cinderella still continue to grace our screens and feature in our books. Yet, only a few can do it justice and make it original.

So, what’s it about? (Taken from the blurb)

When Laurie is dumped by her partner of eighteen years, she’s blindsided. Not only does she feel humiliated, they still have to work together. So when she gets stuck in the lift with handsome colleague Jamie, they hatch a plan to stage the perfect romance. 

My thoughts…

book review If I never met you mhairi mcfarlane

If I Never Met You could have easily turned into another cliche novel but it didn’t. The characters didn’t immediately “sense a connection” and I liked that it took a while for them to figure it out. I felt like I was constantly going will they, won’t they, no they definitely will, oh maybe not. I liked that Laurie spent time trying to figure out who she was after her break up with Dan (the ex) instead of jumping into being starry eyed with the next guy who showed her some attention.

And speaking of Jamie…I really liked his character. He was known as a bit of a ladies man but had complete and utter respect for the women in his life. Most of the time, the male lead in a fake romance can be made out to be a moody and self-centred arse who’s only after two things- getting money and being the boss. However, while Jamie’s intentions for the fake relationship was to get a promotion, he was also rooting for Laurie to help make Dan jealous.

Final thoughts…

Overall, I loved this book. It was sweet and wonderfully romantic. The characters felt real and had depths to them that weren’t over the top. The relationship between Jamie and Laurie was so effortless and built on respect. I loved that Jamie would stand up for Laurie and have her back.

If you like Beth O’Leary and Lindsey Kelk, I’m pretty sure you’re going to love Mhairi McFarlane too.

What’s your favourite faux romance book?

Love, Aoife x



If it doesn't feed you, don't water it. Plain and simple. If something doesn't contribute meaningfully to your life, it's not worth wasting your time on it. There are so many habits that we unconsciously develop that don't really serve a purpose for us. And for most of them, they encourage us to feel stress, anxiety, frustration and impact negatively on other aspects of our lives. 

Here are 5 toxic habits to look out for and kick to the curb to live a happier and stress free life:

01 // Negative people
We all know that negative people do not belong in our lives. They don’t bring joy and more often than not, their negativity can bring us down and get in the way of enjoying our best self. The hardest part of cutting negative people out of our lives is making the decision to do so. If you have a friend, work colleague or partner that is energy draining, then to put it politely, they need to go. My friend once told me that the difference between a good friend and a bad one is a good friend will always have your best interests at heart. That includes supporting you and making you feel good about yourself. There's no point in associating with people who don't make you feel good about yourself.

02 // Procrastination 
This is one toxic habit I dip in and out of regularly. Procrastination often stems from tasks that seem to difficult. It can often cause stress, worry, anxiety among other things. Some people say diving in the deep end is a great way of kicking this toxic habit. Personally, that always makes me want to run in the opposite direction. I’ve found completing other tasks, eliminating all the things I can procrastinate with, helps and even splitting it into smaller tasks.

03 // Stressing about things that are out of your control 
Arguably, the root of all my anxiety issues. I think it’s a natural human trait to stress about things beyond our control. One thing I've been doing (successfully) lately is taking a step back and not getting so involved into things. By that I mean, I'm still engaging in what's going on but I've realised that the weight of the issue doesn't belong on my shoulders and therefore, I shouldn't feel the need to act like it does. It's hard but once you understand that not everything is reliant on you, you can feel 10 times better.

04 // Ignoring yourself (where's your self care routine, hun?) 
We spend so much time caring for others, that we can sometimes forget to care for ourselves. I don't mean sitting on your phone for two hours, I mean moisturising after your shower or trimming your nails. The little details that we often overlook in a rush. Working a full time job can make it harder to stay on top of looking after yourself but I recommend setting up a morning routine or, if you’re fortunate to do so, dedicate a couple of hours at the weekend or even a day for yourself. I decided when I started my job, to dedicate Sundays to doing something that I wanted and would help me prepare for the week ahead. This could be spending the day reading, going grocery shopping, doing the cleaning you've been putting off or meeting with friends.

05 // Underestimating yourself
Are you aware of just how amazing you are? No seriously, are you aware of how much you’ve accomplished? How beautiful you are? How much you make a difference in people’s lives? It’s very easy for us to underestimate ourselves, which in turn leaves us with a strong case of imposter syndrome. Some helpful tips include pausing to acknowledge how far you’ve come, using positive affirmations and learning to be kinder to yourself.



Love, Aoife xo