What's in my bag?

I have had a few requests for a what's in my bag post so here it is. If you have any questions or requests of your own either leave a comment at the bottom or feel free to email me at curiositea23@gmail.com :)

Accessorize bag £35

My handbag is from Accessorize and was £35 and I LOVE it! It is the perfect size and has a strap long enough to wear across the body and a small handle to be held by hand. It has a zip fastening and a zipped compartment inside and the satchel flap and magnetic clips.

Diary| notepad| purse| card holder| lip products| post it notes| sunglasses| hand cream| perfume

-Cath Kidson Diary
I received this diary as a gift and it is the most useful gift ever as I look at it every single day. I have an iPad which I could use but I like the old fashioned way of keeping things written down. The design is just beautiful and each page has a different Cath Kidson print. Love.

-Notepad
As I said before I could use my iPad but I find it uninspiring and difficult to read on a screen I always like to have a notepad and pen in my bag to write 'to do lists' and checklists in. I have written on a to do list somewhere to buy a prettier notepad..

-Post it notes
Most useful stationary ever.

-Purse
I got this in TK Maxx and I thought it was really pretty it has enough room for all my cards, receipts and money. There is some sort of floral theme with the contents of my bag

-Card holder
This is meant to be a card holder but I use it to keep my Oyster card in. As with most things I won I go for the floral design and it was a bargain at £1 from Primark!

-Lip products
I just opened my bag and this was actually how many lip products I had I my bag. I think it's important to have lipstick as I don't carry around a makeup bag so if i need a refresh in the day I usually just slick on some lipstick. My favourite here at the moment is my Mac Plumful which is a lovely plum colour but surprisingly wearable! Carmex is my ultimate lip product I could not leave the house without this and have one in every bag I own just in case!

-Sunglasses
Just got a cheap pair in my bag at the moment these were from new look.

-Hand cream
As I have very dry hands due to eczema I have to keep a hand cream in my bag at all times for when I wash my hands. This soap and glory one is a really nice formula and the travel size is perfect for my bag.

-Perfume
At the moment unhave SJP NYC I my handbag and this is one if my favourite scents ever. Not just because I am a little bit obsessed with Sarah Jessica Parker but the smell is so unusal and lasts all day.

Sunday #1

I hope you have all been enjoying this lovely Sunday, I have been up since 5am for work *yawn* but I have enjoyed a roast dinner today as you should on a Sunday so I cannot complain!

This week has been quite productive and I am settling into a routine writing this blog now and I am really enjoying it, I hope you are too :) I have also spent way too much time in coffee shops this week catching up with friends and sampling new summer drinks (cafe Nero) and generally wasting spare hours.

Looking in my diary I have some exciting things to look forward to in May!

I'm going to a 'gig' next Thursday and out at karaoke on Saturday so looking forward to coming up with outfit ideas/posts for that.

My mum has also go a stall at a craft fair selling her handmade cards and scrapbooks so I will be in attendance with a camera and a purse full of change to see what I can pick up there.

Lastly, as my review on afternoon tea at Mulberry House was such a success with the most views of any post yet, you may be glad to hear that I have purchased a voucher for an afternoon tea locally in Brentwood from Groupon :). The tea is usually £15.95 per person but with the voucher it worked out at around £7 a head so how could I overlook this?

Have a great week and remember you can contact me at curiositea23@gmail.com :D

Afternoon tea - Mulberry House

As the whole world knows I love afternoon tea so it's not a surprise I was kindly gifted a voucher for afternoon tea for Christmas by a friend. As I have no afternoon teas booked for the foreseeable future I thought I would share my last experience.

The tea was for two at Mulberry House in Ongar, Essex and I went with my aunty and little cousin (who is quite accustomed to afternoon tea for a 2 year old.) After a little bit of confusion trying to find the venue once stepping out of the car the grounds were simply beautiful!

We were asked to wait in the waiting room while our table was prepared for us. After a short wait we were shown through to the conservatory which was empty expect an elderly couple but the room was beautiful and you could really appreciate the surrounding grounds from here.

We were seated and chose our tea from the tea menu which wasn't extensive but had all the favourites on there. I went for Earl Grey as I am not very adventurous and my aunty chose an English breakfast I believe.

We were first given a selection of finger sandwiches, they were simple sandwiches with the crusts taken off and we had one of each of egg, ham and cream cheese. They were presented on a normal plate and were nice enough.

We were then presented with a silver three tier cake stand. The top tier was small pots of jam, the second tier was warm scones (one each) and the bottom was a selection of miniature cakes. We were also given a dish with a generous amount of fresh clotted cream and fresh chopped strawberries.

The cakes were yummy as are all carrot cakes and eclairs but I have a penchant for eating warm scones and drinking tea on a cloudy afternoon. So much so we decided to order extra scones (oops).

Overall it was a pleasant afternoon and we were there for hours and thoroughly enjoyed ourself. The setting was just lovely and the afternoon tea menu was just as you would expect. It cannot be compared to some 'luxury' London experiences but if you have a spare afternoon sometime between lunch and dinner why don't you find am afternoon tea venue near you.

Please follow me on Instagram: CURIOSITEA23 or email me any questions or requests at curiositea23@gmail.com :)

Topshop Cream Blusher

With the transition into summer well under way I started to rethink my make up choices. As the weather gets hotter I prefer a fresher look with less powdery make up.

I have heard a lot about the Topshop Cream blushes which are a steal at £6 so I thought I would pick one up while I was out shopping.

I chose Morning Dew which is a coral/pink shade which I think compliments my skin very well. The application is smooth and easy you just need to dab a few dots along your cheekbone and blend and it leaves a lovely finish not to shiny almost like powder. It comes out as a delicate pink on the cheek and is buildable to a more daring shade which represents the colour shown in the pot.
I would highly recommend this blusher as it has an expensive feel to it and applys smoothly and lasts well in the hot weather.

Have you tried any of the other colours? What do you think?

Outfit Of The Day - Wednesday

Sorry for the delay in posting but I aim post everyday for the next couple of days. I have had a couple of requests for reviews of make up and will be starting to visit afternoon tea venues in due course!

Today I had a few coffee dates with friends and chose a simple outfit with a blazer which spent most of its time off as it was baking hot today! Loving statement necklaces recently there are some really great ones out there to make any outfit look more stylish.

What I wore:
River Island black jeans £30, Primark loose top £4, Primark Polka dot blazer £15, Primark shoes £6, Accessorize bag £35, New Look necklace £7.99, New Look sunglasses £3.99.

Garnier Moisture Match - oily/combination skin

I am currently on the hunt for the perfect moisturiser, and I can't be the only one!

For the past month I have been using Elemis Fresh Skin - Skin Clear Mattifying Moisturiser which at £20 wasn't cheap and even though I enjoyed using I feel there is still something better out there to be found. It is full of essential oils and has a refreshing fragrance but it isn't a WOW product. Therefore, I have chosen not to repurchase it and to continue to search.

I had noticed a lot of advertisements for the new Garnier Moisture Match range and as I can get shiny throughout the day I went for the 24hour hydrating mattifying cream! This was on offer in Boots for £3.99 which I this had £2.00 off and usually retails at £5.99 so what did I have to loose?

This product slides on easily and it is refreshing and light and more like a gel formula. It's a good base for make up and will feel fresh applying it on summer mornings. It has a light scent similar to cucumbers. As for claiming to be mattifying for 24 hours I feel that may be a little exaggerated but i would personally say I had a good 8 hours without shine when worn under make up- which I think is pretty good :)

Has anyone tried any of the other moisturisers from the Garnier Moisture Match range?

Soap&Glory

I popped into Boots yesterday to get some dry shampoo (lifesaver) and noticed a deal on Soap&Glory products. The deal was spend £10 on Soap & Glory products and receive a free body butter worth £10.50! I am a real fan of Soap & Glory products especially the vibrant retro packaging so I just couldn't resist!

-Soap & Glory 'wash your hands of it ' £5.00

I love this hand wash and I have it in a set with the soap and glory hand food and I really like the scent of both products. I find them very moisturising which fits in with what they claim on the bottle, 'it's a washer, not a drier!'

-Soap & Glory 'sugar crush body wash' £6.50

This is my all time favourite body wash as the smell is incredible, it's really fresh and fruity with a sweet tinge and it leaves my skin super soft! It contains lime oil, kiwi juice and an omega rich veggie oil. This is quite pricey for a shower gel but I think it is a lovely treat as it smells amazing and lasts a long time. The pump dispenser is also a bonus!

-Soap & Glory 'Butter yourself' £10.50 (or free in my case)

It says: Want smoother, fresher, softer skin? Just...Butter yourself! Five fruits super rich smoothing body cream with exfoliating AHAs, orange water juice, Shea butter, peppermint oil and fruit liquid fig.
This cream is super thick and luxurious feeling. Which sinks in quickly to the skin and as with all the Soap & Glory products has an amazing scent. I prefer the fresh scents to overly sweet ones so this one is very refreshing with a smell of oranges and figs!

The start of something new...

Hello!
Welcome to Curiositea!
I'm Ashley and I have started this blog to awaken my creative side.
I love all things fashion and beauty and I am also an afternoon tea fanatic so expect a variety of reviews to come!
I am excited but also a little nervous but I hope you enjoy the journey as much as me :-)