Sharing Information - Making and Keeping Money!

I'm a firm believer in empowering others.  Nothing delights me more than to give advice to someone, they follow through and their lives are enriched.  Hence why I have made advice videos on YouTube.   In this video, I talk about the 50/30/20% plan, which is all about allocating parts of your income to essential, priority and lifestyle budgets.  I live by this monthly and it does help to keep you on track.  Yes, there may be a month where you slip up, but we are only human.  As long as you mainly stick to this throughout the year, you'll be fine.  

Let me know if you'll be doing this.

Dawn xx

Want Longer Lashes? Review 1

I love long eyelashes, so I'm currently doing a mini series, reviewing different types of fibre lashes.  This video (which you can watch here), is the review of Magnifibres.

Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Dawn

My Fav MAC Lipsticks

Following on from the nude lip post, I have decided to document my favourite MAC lipsticks in my latest YouTube video.

Take a look and let me know what's yours.

Dawn xx

Nude Lips For Darker Skin Tones

There is nothing worse than buying a 'nude' lipstick which makes your lips look like you've gone through 3 sets of winters without moisturising.  Unfortunately, I have seen many girls walking around with that 'ashy' lip look, probably thinking they have secured themselves the most amazing nude lip.  I personally sympathise with these girls because there is a great difficulty in finding nude lipstick for darker skin tones and hence why I have kept away from them.

However, I realised that I really needed something neutral for work, especially on those days where I have to be in Court.  For office days, I have been experimenting with either a subtle pink or even Spice It Up by MAC (mixed with the subtle pink, so it's not so 'out there') but lately I have been feeling like I really need to get my hands on something that screams effort, but without the effort.

After some research via Youtube, I compiled a list of colours I thought would suit me.  After a quick consultation with the MUA, I decided on ' Fresh Brew', which has a lustre finish.  I would describe the colour as coffee for the lips.

As you can see, it gives my lips a glazed look, with a little bit of colour. Nothing too extreme or too out there.

I shall be making a video showcasing my favourite MAC lipsticks and it will feature Fresh Brew.  What's your favourite nude lipstick?

Just so you know, I got this item because I backed to MAC some old and empty products.  In the UK, if you return 6, full sized empty or old products to MAC, you will receive a free lipstick - hurrah!

Dawn xx

Shop Of The Month…Zara

Currently lusting over all of the above…..

I have been a fan of Zara since I was about 17.  They have a knack of creating pieces which are both on trend, yet timeless.  And we all know about the icon pieces…bucket bag anyone?  Notwithstanding the fact that their clothing lasts forever, they are very affordable.  Yes, there are a few high priced pieces, but it goes without saying that you are paying for quality.

As I've said previously, I love to online shop and I find that the Zara website is one of the most cleanest and easiest clothing website to navigate around.  

As Autumn is upon us, I have chosen the above pieces of which I need to get into my wardrobe asap!

What items are you lusting over and what is your shop of the month?

Dawnxx

A Bit Of Posh Mixed With Tradish

If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I am a massive foodie.  Any cuisine and I am eating it.  I really want to start making posts called London Eats because I keep stumbling across some amazing restaurants there.  However, I don't want to discriminate against other counties, or indeed countries, so will just continue to post as I find them.

A few weeks ago, Liz (my friend who is also a massive foodie) and I, went on one of our Saturday eating extravaganzas.  If you can't keep up with our appetites, then you can't sit with us lol.  After some drinks at a bar near to Green Park tube station, we went and had afternoon tea at The Wolseley.  I have been to The Wolseley a few times before with my mum and I can honestly say that the service is second to none.  Located in upmarket Mayfair, this establishment is situated next door to The Ritz.  Everyone is SO attentive, the restaurant is absolutely beautiful and it is not pretentious at all.

We both opted to have afternoon tea, which consisted of sandwiches, cakes and scones.  You are also given a large pot of tea each (of your choice) which was very kindly refiled once finished.  The fillings within the sandwiches consisted of salmon, cucumber, tuna, to name but a few.  You'll be pleased to hear that the bread was not dry and the selection of cakes were amazing.  They were beautiful and extremely detailed. 

I would highly recommend visiting The Wolseley if you are in the Mayfair area; you will certainly leave full to the brim!

In the evening, we decided to visit The Rum Kitchen on Carnaby Street.  Now, I had seen that Wande from Wande's World, had posted a picture of the most beautiful rum punches from The Rum Kitchen and me being half Bajan and half Guyanese, I had to go!

As soon as we got to the restaurant, I was transported back to the Caribbean, as the decor resembles that of a beach shack.  My advice to you from the get go, is to BOOK.  This place gets very busy and we didn't have a reservation.  Thankfully, the lady at the door was beyond accommodating and we thankfully got a table after a 15 minute wait (we went for a walk around Carnaby Street).

The menu has a ridiculous amount of cocktails and I wanted to drink all…admittedly, I would have been very much out of it on the train home…but hey.  I opted for good old rum punch which tasted nearly as good as my dad's  ;).  It was very good.

What I liked about the menu, was that the food selection was what you would typically expect to be fed if you walked into a Caribbean kitchen; none of this try this with that meals.  They have stuck with what is well known and liked, hence why this place is so popular.  I had the squid to start and then curry goat for my main.  The prices were spot on for the portion sizes (which were big).  

Music pumped through as we ate, the waiters were full of jokes and it literally felt like I had walked into a family gathering.  What was also so nice to see, was that there were so many different nationalities enjoying the food I have been brought up on.

These two places were certainly my restaurants of September and I highly recommend that you visit sometime soon.

Until next time *pats belly*…Dawn xx

The Wolseley

http://www.thewolseley.com

The Rum Kitchen

http://therumkitchen.com

Never Pay Full Price For Clothes Again! LoveSales.com

You may not believe it, but I don't like clothes shopping…in stores that is.  I do not like trying items on (waste of my precious shopping time), crowds can be annoying when you're trying to wrestle an item out of another girl's hand and well, there is always that item you didn't see in store because it was hidden on the back of a rack!  Annoying!  Therefore, I online shop 90% of the time.  I can't think of anything better than browsing at my own convenience and not making hasty decisions.

Like most of you, I like to shop at a number of different online retailers; ASOS, Boohoo.com, Zara, River Island, Missguided, to name but a few.  Sometimes I umm and ahhh over an item, for one of two reasons:

1. I am deeply undecided, so...
2. I save it for later in case the price drops and then that solidifies the fact that I should now buy the item….

However, only some of my favourite stores have a 'save for later' option (where if you don't want to buy a particular item at that moment, you can save it in basket, where you can purchase it at a later date…if available), which makes it difficult to keep up with what happened to that particular item.  The amount of times where I missed a price drop and then that item sells out, all because there wasn't a notification feature.  Well…this is where Lovesales comes in…..

The main purpose of Lovesales is that you never pay full price again…that's right…music to your ears! But how does this work Dawn?  Let me give you a quick run through:-

1.  We all love a sale, but where do you begin looking for these great prices?  I mean, it takes time to go to each, individual website!  Stress no more!  Lovesales' home page gathers the very best of sale items from all your favourite stores!  And that's items with 25% - 75% off!  What's great is that you can personalise your feed to show your favourite stores.  You can also go to 'latest sales' to find out what is happening at other stores, just so you don't miss out on a bargain opportunity.

2.  As I was saying above, not all websites have a save for later option, which can sometimes be frustrating.  What is GREAT about Lovesales is that you CAN save all your items to their website.  Hurrah!  Simply browse on your favourite online site and when you see an item you like, save it to your 'love sales list'.  Your selected items will be constantly monitored by Lovesales and you will be alerted if there is a price drop, or when the item goes on sale.

3.  For convenience, you can add a Loves Sales button to your browser.  There is no complication to installing this button; all you do it drag it onto your browser to install it.  Then when you want to add a product to your list, click the button on your browser.

The Lovesales pop up will appear as above and all the relevant details in relation to the product and price will be displayed.  You can also set price drop alerts on your items for when it drops by any amount, or by 20%, 30%, 50% or by your own target price.

4.  The above is an example of how your saved items can look within your list.  Therefore, you would only need to go on Lovesales.com to check on how your items are doing and whether any have reached your target prices (if you decide to set target prices).  Current prices will be shown under each item for convenience.

Just so you know, Lovesales.com is also available via mobile devices, so you can check prices on the go.  I can't tell you how excited I am about this site AND it's 100% free to use!  Bonus!!  It has certainly saved the headache of continuously having to check an array of sites for price drops and sales.  Now my online shopping experience has just got even better!

Check out Lovesales here:

www.LoveSales.com

https://www.facebook.com/welovesales

https://twitter.com/lovesalesdotcom

http://www.pinterest.com/welovesales

http://instagram.com/lovesales

General Enquires: hello@lovesales.com

Press or blogger: press@lovesales.com

Happy shopping!  Dawn xx

The IT Bag! - Brenda Macleod

From as long as I can remember, I have been a fan of handbags.  Large or small, I found that they completed my outfit and of course, enabled me to bring half of my bedroom with me when I was out and about.

Brenda Macleod is a Scottish based company, specialising in handmade leather bags.  Each design is sent to Florence, Italy, where the bags are made using traditional methods and without the use of chemicals.  When I opened the box, the smell of leather instantly transported me back to my earlier vacation to Italy.

On the website, you have a choice of either 'classic' styles, or 'vintage' styles and thus, I believe that everyone's taste is covered.  You can never go wrong with THE classic bag, but if you wish to be more daring, the vintage styles work equally well.

The bag I have is the Jane tote in black.  It has the 'Brenda Macleod' embossed on the front and gold hardware which really sets the black leather off.

The bag has a zip top closing, which is always a plus in my eyes.  No sneaky hands will have easy access to what's inside.  Inside the actual bag itself, there are 2 zipped compartments, 4 unzipped compartments and 2 open sections to pack until your heart's content.  There is also a D ring for your purse.

All the compartments are very deep, so I've felt extremely comfortable knowing that my items are safe and can't easily move about or even fall out.

The minimum and understated look of the bag is very chic.  It's made with vegetable tanned leather, is fully linned and has space for a laptop.  This is my work bag.  What I also love, is that it comes with a shoulder strap for the days where I may need extra support because I have 'overpacked'.

I've looked at the bag in great detail to pick faults, but I honestly can't find any.  Even the stiching has been stitched to perfection; no loose parts, nothing.

What I absolutely love about Brenda Macleod, is that proceeds are used to contribute towards teenage education in Africa.  Giving back certainly gets my vote.

There is currently a 10% off your orders on the website, so do make sure you check it out.

I have also made a YouTube video on this bag, so check it out for full visuals.

Wear your handbag with pride!  Dawn xx

Brenda Macleod:

Get 10% off your first order. Enter code 'LaunchOffer

Website: http://brendamacleod.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMBagsOfficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMBagsOfficial
Instagram: http://instagram.com/bmbagsofficial
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/bmbagsofficial/

THE Playsuit for summer.

I'm so excited to be putting together a look book, which will feature the above two items.  I want to give you a sneak peak before you see the lookbook on my channel this week.

1. Deep V playsuit, which can be purchased here.

2. Black lapel split sleeves blazer, which can be purchased here.

These two items will not stick around for long, so here is your heads up!

Dawn xx

I'll Take A New Yorker! Bubbledogs

My friend had text me about a place called Bubbledogs, where the whole concept of the restaurant was  champagne and hot dogs!  Being a foodie, I needed no convincing in checking the place out, so last Saturday we went there for lunch.

Bubbledogs is easy to find, as it's situated literally round the corner from Goodge Street tube station in London.  We arrived there and was seated straight away at a sharing table, where two guys were happily munching away on their super hot dogs.  The decor inside is what I would describe as rustic-cute; rustic because it's as if you have just walked into an American style Saloon/diner and cute because the place is quite small.

The menus are on clip boards and contains an array of champagne.  Whether you want a glass, or a bottle, there is something to suit everyone.  Of course, there are soft drinks and these consist of mainly American favourites, such as root beer and cherry cola.  I opted for a glass of champers AND a cherry cola (*covers face*).  Next were the dogs…

I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonably priced the food was, especially being in London.  The cheapest dog was £6.00 and the most expensive was £8.00.  You've also got the option of choosing a beef, pork or vegetarian dog, which means everyone is catered for.  I was glad to see that not only did they have 'classic' hot dogs such as the 'New Yorker', but more adventurous types such as the 'Mac Daddy', which consists of macaroni & cheese, crispy onions and bacon bites.  We were told by our waitress that this is a one of the popular hot dogs.  However, I chose to have the 'New Yorker', which came with caramelised onions (I am a classic type of gal).  For my sides, I chose sweet potato fries.  Again, the sides range from £1 to £3.50..cheap as chips!

The hot dog was heavenly; it melted in my mouth.  I honestly could have eaten another one (like one of the guys did who was sat beside us) but as I was comfortably full, I decided not to be greedy.

The service was great, speedy and friendly.  The atmosphere was balanced too; not too loud that you couldn't have a conversation.  Would I go back?  Yes!  I think it's a great place if you need a quick lunch with an exciting concept.

Dawn xx

Bubbledogs

70 Charlotte St

London

W1T 4QG

www.bubbledogs.co.uk

Depop…Happy Shopping!

I have recently discovered the Depop app and I am now hooked!

As you know, I am a big fan of places such as Ebay, where not only can you grab a bargain, but you can sell your own stuff off!  Everyone's a winner!  However, I had become bored and I wanted to be able to sell on a much easier platform and in a place where my subscribers and followers would have easier access to.

Depop has the feel like Instagram, where you follow sellers, like items you..well…like and scroll through the uploaded items for sale.  You then have a quick option to buy, which then takes you to your paypal account.  No mess, no fuss.

I have just uploaded some items, so do check them out.  I shall be uploading much more over the upcoming weeks, so make sure you follow me (whatdawndidinheels) on Depop.

Happy shopping!

Dawn x

Maxi Dress Look book

Summer comes and I keep cool in maxi dresses.  I absolutely love them.  

I have just uploaded a maxi dress look book to my youtube channel, which you can check out here.  Enjoy!

Dawn xx

Dr Stuart's Slim Plus Tea

If you follow my YouTube channel, you would know that I am a bit of a fitness bunny.  Staying in shape really does something to the mind, body and soul; my own personal results have been amazing.

I have previously talked about snacking and what types of food are beneficial to aid hunger pangs.  However,  I recently came across this Slim Plus Tea by Dr Stuart, which helps to suppress your appetite.  What I love about this tea, is that it's herbal and therefore, you are not pumping your body full of caffeine.  I must admit, when I took my first ever sip, I wasn't keen on the taste, but now, I love it.

I can defiantly say it had helped to suppress my appetite and I can now go from breakfast to lunch without snacking on anything.  When I took this photo, I was amazed to see my thighs looking slimmer - hurray!

It is available on amazon, but I have bought it cheaper from Holland and Barrett (£2.19 for a box of 15 bags).

Will you be giving Slim Plus a try? 

Dawn xx

The Crop Top

Frilly Tube Top - ZARA (sold out in black) | Purple maxi skirt - Ebay

Summer is here and I've fallen in love with crop tops.  Here is one of my favourite outfits from my recent trip to Italy.  If you're not comfortable wearing just the crop top, you could pair it up with a sheer, open shirt, or wear with a blazer.  

Will you be rocking crop tops this summer?

Dawn xx

Girls' trip to Florence, Italy

"Dawn…you can only pack a small suitcase.."

I've just returned home after a long weekend break to Italy.  My friend and I had been talking about going away for so long, so we just decided to book the holiday one week and then literally go the next.

We decided to pick a country that neither one of us had been to before and feeling cultural, Florence seemed to be the best bet.

We stayed in a beautiful, boutique hotel, in a small town called Signa, which is about 12 mins away (by train) from the main city of Florence (Firenze).  The first picture, was the view from our balcony; absolutely stunning views of a mountainous Signa.  We had our own room each, ensuite bathroom and a MASSIVE balcony each.  I could not have asked for better.

The train from Signa to Firenze cost €5.00 return, which was fantastic because there is nothing worse than going on holiday and you find that travelling around is expensive.

Firenze is everything you would expect it to be; cultural, artistic and beautiful.  We went to see the famous statue of David, which by the way, is breathtaking!  And also the Duomo, to name but a few.  Many places are free to enter and for the rest, very inexpensive.  Now, to my favourite subject…FOOD!!  Pre trip, I had read that the Florentine steak was a must have once in the city and I wasn't disappointed!  It was literally as though they had put a cow on my place and surrounded it with potatoes and vegetables; I was in heaven.  Meals were always ended with a shot on Limoncello, which is typical in Italy, as it's aided to help digestion.  Meals again were inexpensive and the portions were huge.

My heels were not welcomed in Firenze lol!  The streets were cobbaly and in any event, it would not have been sensible to wear such, since we were exploring.  It's easy to get lost down the narrow streets of which are adored with mini restaurant and street traders.  The bridge of gold was certainly something…I was like a magpie!

All in all, we had an amazing time and was so grateful for the city break.  Did I mention it was mega hot!  On our last day, it registered 92*F!  I've posted a lot more pictures on my instagram page, so check them out.  Ciao xx