A tourist outfit in Amsterdam

A month ago we spent the bank holiday weekend in Amsterdam - a mere hour on the flight from Leeds, meaning it's quicker to get there than it is to get to London! I don't know why I've never taken the chance to go before with it being so close, and I'm so glad we went.

So, what to wear when touristing in Amsterdam?

With Amsterdam being a city built on hundreds of canals it would be hard to get anywhere other than on foot, so I knew I had to wear super comfy shoes suitable for all-day walking.

My Gola trainers did the trick! They're not the prettiest of shoes, but with them being black and quite dainty for a pair of trainers, they go quite well with most outfits - even a jersey pencil skirt.

When out and about it's all about layers, because you never know what the weather is going to be like.

Even though this particular day was warm, I opted for a cropped denim jacket to go over the top of my outfit. And I'm glad I did, as it got a bit windy at points!

I've never before figured out how to wear oversized cami vest tops, but I thought I'd give this dark teal one a try. I found that it goes well with a high waisted pencil skirt, especially when you tuck it in slightly at the front. 

I was extremely comfortable in my outfit whilst walking around in Amsterdam, and that was extremely important. I've made tourist outfit mistakes before where I have just ended up grumpy after a couple of hours due to beeing to hot, too cold, or wearing uncomfortable shoes. Practice makes perfect though :)

 

To top it all off I threw on some teal coloured accessories; a pair of circular earrings, and one of my favourite silver rings. 

The mint coloured nails go pretty well with this outfit as well, but was actually just a lucky coinsidence. 

I absolutely loved our 3 days in Amsterdam, walking along the rivers, crossing all the little bridges, almost being run over by crazy cyclists, drinking and eating, and seeing the atmosphere in gerenal. We obviously had to have a nosy down by the red light district, which was interesting but quite sad at the same time. Some of the girls are so young!

I would definitely go back to Amsterdam if I got the chance - it's a great weekend away, and I would really recommend it.

Leeds Tattoo Expo

If you read my recent outfit post where I’m wearing a mint coloured summery top you may have seen my new tattoo peeking out a little bit…

Well, BLK Powder sure saw it, and were kind enough to ask if I wanted to come along to Leeds Tattoo Expo, which took place in Clarence Dock 2 weekends ago.

I had never been to a tattoo expo before even though I have 5 tattoos myself (2 of them being cover-ups/expansions), so I was very curious about this and of course said yes to this offer!

Unfortunately I was away on other commitments on the Saturday and therefore missed all the coolest stuff and the live bands, but I ventured into Leeds on the Sunday afternoon to have a look around the different stalls in the convention centre.

As soon as I stepped into the venue I was hit by the strong smell of disinfectants that tattoo artists use, and my thoughts were brought back to my latest tattoo sitting where I was in constant pain for almost 7 hours straight. Not a fond memory, but it was so worth it cause I am so happy with the result!

A separate post about my new tattoo will appear on the blog very soon, so keep an eye out.
 

Leeds Tattoo Expo mainly consisted of tattoo artist stations, where live tattooing was taking place. I don’t know what I had expected really, but then thinking about it I guess a tattoo expo is the ideal place for a tattoo artist to show off their work.

There were some other stalls around offering printed art, jewellery, etc... 

...And of course tattoo artist supplies!

There is an abundance of different coloured ink for tattoo artists, and so many different brands! I found it quite difficult to choose colours when I had my tattoos done, but then you have to remember that you can actually mix the ink to create that perfect hue. Just ask your tattoo artist.

Do you know what happens to all the excess ink when your work is done? Neither did I!
But that's where BLK Powder comes in. Their product is the safest and most hygenic way to dispose of ink, ink caps, rinse cups, etc. It's very clever, as it solidifies wet waste.

It sure was an interesting experience, but I must say that I felt like the most "normal" person there! There were lots of beautiful pieces being created, but I did question the decision of the guy who had the side of his head inked! Let's hope he doesn't go bald in the future in case he wants to hide the tattoo when he's old! :P

What is a microdermabrasion facial, and how does it work?

A couple of weeks ago I ventured over to the neighbouring town Harrogate where I was treated to a microdermabrasion facial by the lovely people at Body Team.

Now, what exactly is a microdermabrasion facial, you may ask?

Microdermabrasion is basically extreme exfoliating, which is a very effective treatment for renewing your skin and getting a fresh and young-looking glow.

It’s a treatment that works in harmony with your body in a way that removes dead skin cells, which then makes your body work faster and harder to replace them with fresher and healthier looking skin. 

It might sound unpleasant, but believe me – it’s not!

The technique works with microcrystals, and Body Team uses only quality products by Crystal Clear Skincare. These microcrystals are hard enough to scrub off the dull and tired skin cell, but won’t make any damage to your other skin layers. The microdermabrasion machine propels microcrystals across the surface of your skin and removes the top layer of skin cells, which reveals new and fresh skin cells and makes your skin rejuvenate quicker as well as produce more collagen.

 The Body Team therapist I went to started off by using two different cleansers on my face. She then began going over my face with the machine, before going back to problem areas such as wrinkles and acne scars. As you can imagine my face was quite red after this treatment, but they are prepared for that. A cooling mask was applied to my face, and whilst that was working its magic I was given a Swedish massage on my arms and hands. Lovely! 

The mask was then peeled off, and moisturising cream was massaged into my face. 

It's crazy how quickly an hour passes when you're getting pampered!

I thought I would come out of the salon looking like a tomato, but the cooling mask had really worked, and I just felt very fresh faced!

It's fine to apply makeup straight after a microdermabration facial, but they strongly suggest that you only use natural mineral makeup. I tried some of the mineral powder foundation they offered at the salon, and I was very impressed with the coverage.

But what is a microdermabration actually good for? 

These are the skin imperfections it can help treat:

Softens fine lines and wrinkles     

Smoothes rough skin     

Reduces the appearance of scarring     

Refines enlarged pores     

Helps diminish age spots     

Evens out skin tone

Reduces blackheads and white spots     

Helps prevent clogged pores

I would definitely recommend a microdermabration facial - I felt extremely fresh afterwards, and even after one treatment I thought my skin appeared smoother. Imagine then after a whole course of 5 or 10! 

Body Team was absolutely amazing, so a big shoutout to the lovely ladies in the salon!

The world is one big bright sunny musical

You can tell that summer is here when I start bringing out the bright coloured clothes! 

I'm not much for bright colours the rest of the year, but tend to stick to dusky or earthy colours which suits my complexion. 

But when the sun comes out you just want to shine along with it, right?!

I get ridiculously happy when the weather gets warmer. I almost feel like the world is one big musical and everyone should just be dancing down the street, singing together ;) 

Like Belle in Beauty and the Beast... why not?!

Well, let me at least strike a dance inspired pose on a bridge!

So, back to my bright summer colours. For this summery outfit I've gone for this fab Forever Unique mint green dipped hem top, which was a real find. It's usually a shocking £80, but I found it at Repertoire Fashion for only £32. Lucky me! What really caught my eye about it was the mosaic decoration around the neckline - it really makes the whole top! The dipped hem and the floaty fabric really compliments the top, and it's the perfect combination. 

I've gone all out mint with my accessories as well, to really make a statement with this fab summery colour. My silver and mint bangle is a Caribbean design, my midi rings are from Accessorize, and my nail polish is Essie.

I don't know what you think, but when wearing such a girly garment I feel like I have to rock it up a bit so that it suits my my personality better...

These jet black skin tight jeans with rips all down the front may have looked a bit extreme with any other outfit, but I think the tough look compliments the romantic and floaty top perfectly. 

It's all about balance. 

I got them from Boohoo's spring collection, and I absolutely love them! They don't go with flat shoes though (believe me, I've tried), but they look fab with heels.

And talking about heels, I'm finishing off this outfit with my trusted black wedge heel sandals. They're from last years Primark range, so they're getting a bit battered now, unfortunately. 

But that's just a perfectly good reason to go shoe shopping, right?! ;)