Alexander Wang Inspired Bag On The High-Street

The second (and I really mean the second) I laid my eyes on this bag it was love at first sight. I knew that I wouldn't be able to leave Zara without it. I took it looked at it, stared at it and drooled. I had been looking for the perfect black simple bag with a little something something and finally just when I had lost hope I found it. I don't know if this ever happens to you like you're looking for something you really really want and you don't find it? It's the most frustrating thing in the world. But when you finally find it unexpectedly it makes everything better..... :)

Look at the studs ! Goodness gracious this bag is freaking amazing. I'm like addicted to it. The best part of this bag is it's price tag. IT IS FRIGGIN 40 POUNDS. I know right!? Ridiculously cheap for a big leather bag from Zara (which are usually around the 100 pound mark!). My computer is acting weird and only importing half of the pictures I took so if you were wondering why there aren't full pictures of this bag it's because they just won't upload. 

So what do you think about this bag ? Doesn't it so look like a Wang bag!? Ah! I'm in love. 

The Sunday Post #04

 

{Today's lunch : Super Green Soup topped with cheddar cheese and Mom's taboulet with a few guindillas - YUM.}

Before you guys even start saying "OMG! It's been ages since you last did a Sunday Post" (because that's what I would say) I'd like to apologise to not posting regularly on the blog. I know I have no excuses and even if I had excuses you would not want to hear them! 

This last week has been hectic to say the least. I recovered from a week-long stomach bug, which just exhausted me, and had to catch up and all the revisions I wasn't able to do during that time. As I write this I am still freaking out at the idea of having my mocks this week. My heart just starts somersaulting. Ah. School. 

Also, I feel like changing "The Sunday Post" up a little and sharing a few bits and bobs that I discovered during the week and that I want to share with you :) 

001. If you have not listened to Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Call Me Maybe' then you probably want to press the PLAY button right about now.


002. I discovered a new blog called The Rockstar Diaries and i'm pretty much in love with it. It's one of the best lifestyle blogs out there in my opinion.

003. Music-wise, I think i'm starting to like this Lana Del Rey girl ! I don't like all her songs but right now Video Games and Born To Die are on replay :)

004. Monki opened their first store in London! I was not able to go there on the opening day (revisions suck!) but I will be stalking this store shortly ;)

005. Astrid introduced me to this brand Vanessa Mooney. Have you heard of her ? Cause I had never heard of her. She basically is a jewellery designer. Her pieces are just stunning and not that expensive!

005. Last but not least, I finally got my MacBook Pro ! Yippee :D

Hope you guys have a lovely end of week-end out in the sun and I shall dive back in my books !

The Bug

I have been down with a stomach bug for the last 6 days ! Yes. 6 DAYS. This thing is just killing me. It is starting to get better now though which is such a relief ( you have no idea how much it hurt!). What really pisses me off about this stomach bug is that it just had to land during my school break. During the break I was suppose to work! Ugh. Anyway! Enough complaining and before I actually got really sick I did pop by London Fashion Week which is finishing today (Women's Fashion Week finished yesterday but Men's today!) to take a few street style pictures and uhm I don't know i'm not in love with the pictures I managed to take but i'll share a few ! :)

{Glossy Metallic Brogues ? Yes please!}

{Really like the knit and pant combo}

{Flood of people pouring out after Aquascutum show}

{Kind of really in love with the colour of her hair}

{Love this printed sweater}

{Blondie with crazy pink-tinted heart-shaped sun glasses!}

{Sandra from 5inchandup with her paper Birkin!}

{Love this girl's coat}

{The bag and the print on the skirt? OMG no words.}

{Dude taking pictures next to me had these uber-cool studded shoes!}

{Love these plaid pants}

And then we went in The Savoy to look around and check out their high tea menu and left because my tummy was killing me ! Ha.

Hope you guys enjoyed this rather useless post with a lot of complaints from me (very french of me to do that) and a few random snaps!

Mock exams are coming up next week so i'm going to dive into the papers! 

Ciao x 

My Take On The Ben's Cookie

I know I have already posted a "Best Chocolate Chip Cookies" recipe but this one you guys are THE best. They're soft, they're chewy, they're basically the closest thing I have made to Ben's Cookies. Yes, you read that right BEN'S COOKIES. If you've never heard of Ben's Cookies, it is the most scrumptious chewy-melty cookie in the world ! If you live in London or intend on coming to London then you're going to want to eat these monsters.

You are going to need: 

250g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
170g unsalted butter, melted
200g dark brown soft sugar
100g caster sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 bars good quality chocolate

Start off by preheating your oven at 170C. Grease your baking trays. 

Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt and leave to one side. In another bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and caster sugar. Beat in the vanilla essence, egg and an extra egg yolk until light and creamy. Now, you can add your flour mix until well blended. Take your chocolate bars and chop them into small rough chunks. Add them to your mixture and stir properly. 

Depending on the size you want your cookies to look like, take the dough and roll them in a ball in your hand. 

Pop them onto the baking tray and make sure to give them a little space to spread out ! 

Bake them for 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly toasted ! 

I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe and tell me what you think about them if you happen to bake these ! ;) 

Tips To Beautiful Skin

Hey guys !

Cafe La Moda kindly asked me if they could do a guest post on tips for beautiful skin and of course I accepted ! So here are some tips I thought could be useful for you guys ! 

Finding the trick to clear, beautiful skin is something like the search for the Holy Grail. You hear rumours and old wives’ tales of the best products, the best routines... Someone you know once achieved a poreless miracle with nothing more than sugar and honey... Your mum tells you to apply toothpaste to spots during the night and you’ll wake up with the red bumps banished. The fact is everybody’s skin is different, and unique to only them. There isn’t any one answer that can give you a natural “photo-finish” complexion unless you were born with the right genes. However, there are plenty of ways you can give yourself the best skin possible – from diet to makeup. Here’s a quick list to help you on your way:

Drink plenty of water

H2O is the starting point for clear skin. Drinking 1-2 litres a day will help flush out any toxins in your body that can lead to oil build up and spots, and it will also keep your skin from drying out. This is especially important in the summer months when the sun can dehydrate your skin quickly.

Get some antioxidants

Antioxidants fight the inflammatory free-radicals produced when your body breaks down food – reducing redness and puffiness in your skin. They are also known to reduce acne as well as fine lines and wrinkles. You can buy them in supplement form from health shops, but they’re easy to work into your everyday diet; try snacking on dried cranberries or swapping your normal tea-bags for green tea instead.

Cleanse, tone and moisturise

Never sleep in your make up. Wash it off every evening with a gentle cleanser, and follow with a toner and light moisturiser. Try to make sure these products are packed with vitamins and minerals to stop them stripping away your skin’s natural goodness. All in one facial wipes are a good way of doing all three steps quickly.

Exfoliate

Free your pores of dead skin cells with a gentle exfoliation once a week. You can buy special sponges that are designed for the face that have a less abrasive effect than scrubs. Use a PH balanced soap and work up a good lather. Rinse off with water.

Use mineral based make-up

If your skin is sensitive or prone to flaring up and redness, mineral makeup should be your first point of call. It won’t clog your pores and trap dirt as much as other makeup, and also helps feed your skin what it needs. Avoid liquid formulas, which will highlight any dry skin patches once set – instead opt for a light powder base over your usual moisturiser.

Treat yourself!

Why not save up the pennies and treat yourself to a facial? You’re almost guaranteed to leave the salon with super-soft, glowing skin. Most places will also re-do your make-up before you leave too, so take advantage of their dermatological knowledge and ask about your own skin type and which products will suit you best.
Saisha Potts writes for www.cafelamoda.co.uk, the social fashion site. Visit Cafe La Moda to compare 2012's top fashion trends.

Clarins Water Purify One-Step Cleanser

You know those nights when you come back from a party or from clubbing and you just can't be bothered to wash away the makeup ? Yeah. Except that at the back of our minds we know that we can't not wash our face or next thing we know we're going to have spots all over our face. I have recently found this little treasure in my  "beauty closet" ( yeah it's just a room with toiletries. Ha!)

This One-Step Cleanser has Mint Essential Water in it which really refreshes your face. All you have to do is  get a little but of this water on some cotton wool and then separate it in two ( that's what I did to make most of the product.). You're going to want to wipe your face a few times with this to make sure you get all of the foundation off. I was a little skeptical the first time I used this because I didn't think it could really remove all of the makeup but this actually does the trick ! So impressed. It also leaves a very subtle scent on your skin which actually makes you want to sleep. But maybe that's just me. If you are the type to go out partying a lot and then sleep with your makeup on this might quite literally change your life. 

You can find this at Boots or Debenhams for £18.50 or at feelunique.com for £16.65

Think of this as an investment or even a life-saver ;) 

Eighteen

On the 5th of December I turned 18 ! I didn't celebrate on that week-end instead I went out with my parents and sister at Dean Street Townhouse and had a lovely brunch (the Townhouse burger was delish!). This Friday  I went out with the girlies ! First stop : Suka at Sanderson. What a lovely restaurant and hotel ! There's a great ambiance and if you want a night out with your girls this is the place to go.

{Getting ready with Christelle}

{Lovely Girlies}

{Me playing around with Gus}

{Goofy Gus}

{First dish has arrived: Chicken Satay !}

{Chilling while the girls all went to the ladies. Ha!}

{Me looking a little weird but you can see the top i'm wearing! :)}

{Smile}

{Group picture after having eaten!}

{Asian girls ftw!}

{Schexay!}

{Finishing the night off with a little dancing ;)}

TADA! So that's what we did for for my eighteenth :) It was so much fun and i'm so glad I got to spend it with my closest friends. 

Do you want to see more of these posts ? Tell me in the comments below :)

Outfit Of The Night

This is the outfit I wore on Friday night to celebrate my eighteenth ! Featured in this outfit are my Carvela Babies ! Sian commented on the post saying she was looking forward to seeing how I was going to style them so here it is ! :)

I'm the one in the middle. DUH 

Top : Urban Outfitters 

Skirt : Zara 

Heels : Carvela 

I know I could have done a better quality picture and maybe a picture on which you could see a little more of the outfit but I have an upcoming post with all of the pictures taken on that night so you will see more of the top. A quick description of it thought is that they have holes on the shoulders and the they are long-sleeved and I am in love with it ! 

Carvela Babies

In case you weren't aware I am a shoe-a-holic. Shoes + Sale = Laura goes Gaga. I got these babies at the Harrods Sale for £45 (they were £120 initially) BARGAIN. 

How gorgeous are they !? They're not so hard to walk in which is good news. They are great for summer and winter as well... I have only good things to say about these so yeah.

What do you think about these ? 

Last few hours of being a kid ! WOOP WOOP 

The Exchange

If you live in SW London then you probably will have hear of The Exchange in Putney. Situated on Putney Hight Street The Exchange has quite a few interesting shops you can pop in before (or after) grocery shopping. 

First stop was Neuhaus where I met with Polly. 

We had a tasty hot chocolate accompanied with some scrumptious chocolate. You can never go wrong with chocolate ! But these ones are particularly tasty :) 

Farrago is a nice little gift shop with lots of bits and bobs that can be useful for birthday presents. They also have a good range of candles which I love. 

Last but not least one of my favorite stores of The Exchange is Melvita. Holy Moly these guys have some hot stuff in there ! If you are into no paraben, organic products for your body then do chek this store out. I've tried their Apicosma range and loved it here's the review I wrote. 

These are only a few stores that you an find at The Exchange. There's also a good range of high-street stores like Office and River Island and of course a Waitrose ! 

I would always go to The Exchange when I lived not too far from it because of it's practicality ( easy access by bus) and also because even if I came to get some groceries I could still indulge in a bit of shopping because a girl can never have enough things to buy ! 

Sorry for this mega hiatus on the blog and I promise to be back in action with more posts coming right at you during this week-end and week.