TOP 10: BEACH ESSENTIALS

As I'm going on holiday to Marbella in a few days I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to blog about my top beach essentials. I've bought a HUGE beach bag this year (link!) as I like to overpack and be prepared for every occasion. However I have managed to narrow down my top 10 favourite items that I would recommend to anyone going on a beach holiday! Here they are...

1. Beauty Bay Lighted Mirror (link)

A portable mirror is a must for me. Even if I'm going to look like a sweaty hot mess I want to know to know about it. This is a great buy at £5 and has a magnified side as well as a normal side. Okay, so the lights aren't essential for the beach, but as a portable makeup mirror, this is a great option. You can just throw it in your clutch on a night out and reapply your lipgloss where ever, even in the back seat of a taxi! 

2. The Body Shop Hand Sanitiser (link)

This is a great option from The Body Shop! It comes in lots of gorgeous scents, such as this one (my personal favourite) the coconut variety. 

3. Garnier Ambre Solaire SPF 30 Dry Mist Sun Screen (link)

I always apply my SPF 30 Piz Buin Once-A-Day suncream in the mornings on holiday, but whatever the manufacturer's claims, you should reapply sunscreen throughout the day. I like the Garnie Ambre Solaire SPF 30 Dry Mist. Its so easy to apply and especially useful for the beach as you don't have to wait around for it to dry or worry about sand getting stuck to you!

4. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (link)

A concealer is one of the only items of makeup I wear on a day-to-day basis on holiday- especially when I'm sunbathing. I don't mind going bare-faced but I like to cover my pesky eye bags (although sunglasses are also helpful for this!). 

5. Nars Mutiple in South Beach (link)

A gorgeous bronze coloured cream stick product. This Multiple is perfect to swipe on your cheeks, nose and forehead (anywhere that the sun would catch naturally!) for a gorgeous, healthy glow. You can also use it on your lips and eyes too, a clear winner for me.

6. Clarins Aftersun Moisturiser Self Tanning (link)

Okay so I not it's not technically a beach product but I love it for holidays! This aftersun is so soothing and creaming- and makes your skin feel so soft! It also contains a tiny amount of fake tan which really enhances your natural glow and speeds things up a bit. A must have.

7. La Roche-Posay ANTHELIOS STICK SPF50+ 9g (link)

I love the La Roche-Posay SPF50 stick for reapplying to areas I'm more likely to burn. The high SPF is great to use it on my nose, hair-parting and on my feet! 

8. La Roche-Posay ANTHELIOS FACE COMFORT CREAM SPF50+ 50ml (link)

A high SPF is essential for you face. So you might want a tanned visage but you'll be left with pigmentation marks and wrinkles when you're older. I use this every day on holiday and use a face self tan in the evenings to ensure my face matches with my body.

9. Mini Deodorant (link)

This is my favourite deodorant but in miniature form. Beaches get HOT, need I say more?

10. No7 Anti-Ageing Shimmering Lip & Eye Screen SPF 30 (link)

This is a gorgeous product from No7. Its an SPF lip balm with a subtle shimmer, thus eliminating the need for lipgloss or lipstick on the beach (no more hair-lipgloss moments!). It's SPF 30 so will protect your lips whilst nourishing them. 

I hope you enjoyed reading what I'm going to be taking to the beach this year! What are your beach essentials?

The Style Edit No.1

Pictures gathered from Pinterest. Pinterest: Phoebeaa

Product Rave: Nars Tinted Moisturiser

Tinted moisturiser is something I've wanted to get into using for a while now. I'm quite lucky that I have clear, blemish-free skin (most of the time!) and started to find that foundation was getting to heavy feeling on my face. Don't get me wrong, I still adore my Laura Mercier Silk Creme but I wanted something for Summer to see if I could get away with a lighter coverage. This is where the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser steps in. I've heard about it before and notice bloggers were using it but before now was sure that any tinted moisturiser would be too shiny and wear badly on my skin- how wrong I was. When I found out that Suzie from Hello October (YouTube & Blog) uses this I knew I had to buy it. Her skin always looks flawless and perfect and I wanted mine to look the same so I headed into a Space N.K and purchased the shade St Moritz. 

This stuff is incredible! The finish is unlike any tinted moisturiser I have tried- satin but glow-y all at once. Plus, I find this to be as long wearing as a foundation- so no awkward patches on your face with it rubbing off. My skin looks radiant (as the name suggests!) and I feel like it can breathe- it also smells pretty good too. At £29, this tinted moisturiser is quite pricey but it's definitely worth it. It's SPF 30 and has a PA+++ broad spectrum of protection so it's great to take on holiday! You get 50ml of product in the tube which is more than with my regular foundations. If you think your current foundation is too heavy but you are scared of tinted moisturisers, go out and buy this- it's so gorgeous on the skin. I thought I would only really be using this on holiday but I can tell that I'm going to be wearing foundation a lot less because of this- and I love it! 

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser (£29)- Space N.K (link)

Trés Chic

Sometimes you just have to sit back and think, 'blogging made me do it'. Today was one of those moments. These trousers are unlike anything I'd ever even consider wearing but would always admire on others. I'd seen them featured on a few blogs (such as 'Tres Monikh'- I love this blog!) but wasn't sure about whether to purchase them for my own wardrobe but I am so pleased that I did. 

These trousers certainly look expensive and chic, but were only £15 from H&M. They are so lightweight and comfortable and look effortless for the Summertime. I paired them with my ZARA mules and a sleeveless black top from Oasis. I love this look and I hope you all do too!

Details

Trousers- H&M (Link) | Top- Oasis | Mules- ZARA | Watch- River Island | Bangles- Forever 21 

London Adventures: Borough Market

A couple of weeks ago my boyfriend and I visited Borough Market in London. I've always wanted to go there and as the weather was so sunny and hot we thought it would be the perfect time to have a good browse around the stalls. If you have never been to Borough Market, you HAVE to go! I was completely overwhelmed by the amazing treats and goodies there was on offer, and it's ideal if you're looking to try something tasty and quick for lunch.

I opted for a halloumi  burger and salad for lunch and it was absolutely delicious! So many flavours and colours, it was completely worth the queue for it! 

Obviously we couldn't just stop after our main course so off we went to hunt down some tasty desserts to satisfy us! Being a lover of nuts I gravitated towards the Turkish stall and had the most delicious baklava I think I have ever eaten in my life. Apparently the pistachio version is the traditional variety and I highly recommend it.

The cheese was bigger than me! 

And cookies bigger than my head..

If you find yourself in London on a nice day then definitely take a trip to Borough Market. I can't wait to go back there and try some more of the amazing food!

Outfit Details: 

Top, Skort & Shirt- Topshop | Trainers (New Balance 401's)- Schuh |Backpack- Urban Outfitters | Cuff- Whistles

Summer Stripes

A Summer post today to counter-balance all the rain that has just fallen where I live (why can't it be Summer everyday?). 

These shorts are from Zara. I've been wanting to blog about them for a little while but wasn't quite sure about the perfect outfit combination until I saw this blog post here. Charissa teamed a stripy shirt with yellow shorts and I felt so inspired I had to do the same. This is such a lovely outfit for a summers day and I can't wait to wear it on holiday. I love the classic combination of royal blue and stripes, and stripes are one of my top trends this season! The cropped cami is from ASOS and I've teamed the outfit with my Zara mules. 

My backpack is another recent find that I'm excited to share. I've wanted a bag to carry my camera around in for a while now and this backpack from Urban Outfitters just screamed out to me. I've never thought of myself as a backpack person (I think they're a bit 90's personally!) but it's just so useful! I take it with me whenever I'm in London for the day and I don't have to worry about people nicking my camera and I always have my hands free so it's perfect for that. It also comes in black if that's more your colour and I definitely recommend it.

I hope you like this look, thanks to Charissa for the style inspo! 

Details:

Shorts & Shoes- ZARA | Top- ASOS | Backpack- Urban Outfitters (link) | Rings- Primark

Phoebe Eats: Patty & Bun

A quick post for you all today. As I mentioned previously, I want to add more of a lifestyle aspect to That's so Phoebe. All the fashion will remain exactly the same, but from time-to-time I might review the odd restaurant or let you know what I've been up to. I hope you enjoy reading them, because they are some of my favourite things to read and I want to share my own experiences. This series is aptly titled 'Phoebe Eats' and will be an homage to any restaurants of cafes I have been loving at the moment. Hopefully you will find these posts interesting and useful if you are ever in the area, looking for a bite to eat! 

I went to London last weekend with my boyfriend and we couldn't decide where to go for our evening meal on Saturday night. We wanted somewhere fairly cheap and central and something that you couldn't just get anywhere. I'd read about Patty & Bun on 'The Londoner' blog (one of my favourite lifestyle blogs- a must read!) and we decided to give it a try. We visited the James Street location but you can also find it in Liverpool Street. You can't book a table, however, it's generally quite a quick turnaround as the food is pretty casual so you won't be waiting too long for a table (and boy it's worth the wait!).

The menu- as the name suggests- consists of only burgers, and as a vegetarian, there was only one I could choose, the Portobello 'Dig It' Burger. However, I didn't mind the lack of choice as it was absolutely D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! The 'Dig It' comprises of a breaded portobello mushroom, oozing with cheese sauce and plenty of other saucy goodness  such as coleslaw, pickled onions and garlic mayo. All of this, enclosed in a fluffy brioche bun. If I was a meat-eater, the meaty burgers looked equally tasty and my boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed his! We both chose the rosemary fries and they were just the right amount of crispy and flavour- perfect. 

I'd definitely recommend Patty & Bun, the food is incredible. It's quite a speedy experience, with quick service the food is so amazing you'll probably wolf it down so if you're looking to take your time with a nice, long, relaxed sit-down meal this might not be for you. Saying that, for a casual date night or lunch and dinner after a shopping trip this is just the place! Prices ranged from £7.50-£8.50 for burgers and around £2.50 for sides, so all in all, a reasonable meal and a tasty one at that!

www.pattyandbun.co.uk

Moroccan Nights

Another blog post for you all today. Ever since I bought this skirt from Topshop I've wanted to blog about it as it's one of those pieces that just makes me so happy every time I wear it. The skirt has embroidery to the front and is plain woven fabric on the reverse. It definitely gives off a Moroccan vibe and can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. I recently wore it with a tighter black crop top to my friends 21st birthday party and felt really special all night. This is one of those 'trend' pieces for your wardrobe. It's a tad pricer than perhaps a plain skirt might be, but honestly, I just love it so much. I like to have a few 'key' items each season and team them with various basics to create different looks.

Today I'm wearing a cropped cami, also from Topshop. I think the skirt needs to be paired with a cropped item or with the top tucked in as there is so much pretty detailing on it, it would be a shame to cover it up.

I'm also wearing my trusty Zara mules- I told you they would be useful!- and some pretty gold accessories. If you want to hop on the mule bandwagon but can't find the Zara ones in stock, check out my last post (here) for some similar styles you can still get your hands on. I can't wait to wear this outfit to Marbella on my holiday this Summer and if you can still get hold of the skirt in some Topshop stores, I recommend you grabbing it.

Details:

Top and Skirt (both Topshop) | Mules- Zara | Watch- River Island | Rings- Primark | Hoop Earrings- Miss Selfridge 

Back to Blogging

Hello. Here I am, back blogging again, have you missed me? Sorry for the tremendous lack of posts since Feburary, trying to balance university exams with blogging and my lack of funds (due to being a student) has meant blogging took a back seat for a little while. That being said, I'm pleased to be back and I'm excited for the direction I hope to move my blog into the future! It will still be very much a high street fashion blog however I'm moving close to London next year for my year in industry and hopefully I'll be able to incorporate much more lifestyle into 'That's so Phoebe' and take you all around with me on my adventures! 

So, apologies over, now on to the outfit. The star of the show is this gorgeous khaki utility shirt I bought last week from Topshop. It's the nicest material and I know it will be so useful as it looks great buttoned up and open like this, layered over a cami. I think it's a real transitional piece that will take me through the seasons so despite it being a little pricey (at £42 to be exact!) it's such a versatile item that I didn't mind the cost. 

I have layered the top over a cropped cami and paired it with my Topshop skort. Although I aquired the skort a few weeks ago, they are very much still on trend so you can pick them up all over the high street. Again, this black number is perfect because it looks gorgeous with tights in the cooler month and it's the ideal choice for those warmer days that you perhaps don't want to be rocking the denim hot pants...! This is England after all. 

These mules are my new favourite shoes and they are just so comfortable. I know some people aren't sure about them, but honestly, they go with so many things, I've even managed to persuade my boyfriend they aren't hideous! They also look great with jeans and trousers so look out for them. This pair is from Zara and have gone into the sale now, but they only have a few pairs left. Similar (but cheaper!) pairs can be found here and here. 

This is a perfect outfit for that in-between weather when no-one really knows what they should be wearing as the shirt is a great layering item. 

Details

Shirt (link), Cami & Skort- All Topshop | Mules (link)- Zara | Gold Rings & Clutch - Primark | Braclets (old) - River Island 

Paris through the Instagram Lens

Left to right: 

Myself and friends inside the Louvre | View from the Arc de Triomphe | The Arc de Triomphe | Smoked Salmon Tagliatelle | Tarte Tatin | The Eiffel Tower | Sephora | Three Cheese Pasta | A Menu | Me with Profiteroles | The Eiffel Tower (again!) | The Moulin Rouge | View from the Plane | My friends and I before dinner | My friend and I at Premiere Vision Trade Show | View from the Pont Des Arts Bridge | Mushroom and Creme Fraiche Crêpe | Premiere Vision Badge | The Eiffel Tower from the Sacre Coeur | My friends and I outside the Sacre Coeur | The Louvre  

On Wednesday I went to Paris with a few close friends from my university course on a trip. It was honestly some of the best few days I have had in a long time! The main focus of the trip was to visit the huge fabric trade show in Paris called Premiere Vision, as our university had organised tickets for us. I thought I'd share some snaps of what my friends and I got up to.

Day 1 we had a lovely meal out and saw the Moulin Rouge lit up in all her glory then took a walk to the gorgeous Sacre Coeur. It's so beautiful at night and all lit up, you can even see the Eiffel Tower from the top.

Day 2 we visited Premiere Vision which was fascinating as we got to see how buyers and designers choose their fabrics, along with the trends for Spring/ Summer 15. Next we travelled via the Metro to the Notre Dame and ate in a cute Crêperie. Unfortunately it was raining but Notre Dame was still breath taking. Next we visited the Louvre and the Lovers Lock Bridge (Pont des Arts) which was worth doing- we even saw the Mona Lisa. We ate dinner in the Notre Dame area which was lovely. There's lots of authentic Parisian Bistros and I had a three course meal of French Onion Soup, Mussels and Tarte Tatin, delicious!

On our final day we finally got to see the Eiffel Tower- the weather had luckily cleared up by then so lots of photos were taken. We ate macaroons outside in a little patisserie which was really fun. Next we went to the Arc de Triomphe and climbed to the top. The views were stunning so it's worth doing! We then walked down the Champs-Élysées for a spot of shopping (the Sephora is huge!) and had a drink in a cafe outside. Finally we ate dinner near our hostel on the Gare Du Nord. I had one of the best smoked salmon tagliatelle dishes I have ever eaten. We finished dinner with cocktails- the perfect end to an amazing three days.

I thoroughly recommend going to Paris. We flew there and it really wasn't too expensive as we stayed in a hostel (which I would advise if you're a group of students!). Another thing to note is that under 26's get into practically everywhere free, so we got to see the Mona Lisa in the Louvre and climb the Arc de Triomphe without spending a cent. I hope you all like my new blog layout, I'm so pleased with it.

If you have any questions about my trip or want to know more, tweet me or comment below!

AU REVOIR PARIS

Coat & Knee High Boots- ASOS | Cable Knit & Necklace- Topshop | Jeans & Earrings - River Island | Bag- Warehouse 

This is my first post on my new blog layout, I hope you like it. I have just returned from a weekend away in Paris (photos to follow!) which was lovely. The French are so chic but luckily I took this new coat with me so I didn't feel too underdressed.

There are some people who are amazing at finding hidden gems in the sales, season after season. I am categorically not one of those people. In fact, I would go as far as saying that I dislike the sales, especially when you have money from Christmas that you want to spend on the latest trends and all you can find is past season stock. This time however, was different. I've been following this coat on ASOS for sometime. I have a Winter coat, and normally (due to how expensive they can be) I tell myself that one is enough. It started life at £85 and I loved it then. It went into the sale at about £60 and I told myself that it was still too expensive, I mean, I had a coat already. Gradually the coat decreased in price and eventually it went right the way down to £29.50, still I restrained myself, until one day ASOS offered an extra 15% off sale purchases. It was still in stock, it was fate. And so that is the tale of how the coat became mine and I finally found myself a sale bargain at £25.

What I love about this coat is the Céline-esque look it has. I'm a little bit in love with Céline at the moment so I adore this coat. The purple tones work perfectly with my bag and the brushed effect is my new favourite texture. If you look on ASOS they still have this coat in stock in some sizes, trust me it's worth it. If I had known how much I would love it I would have bought it full price.

I paired it with a simple cable knit from Topshop which I wore around Paris, it's so snug and cosy. I also wore jeans and some knee high suede effect boots I got for Christmas. I love this outfit and I felt so nice in it whilst I was in Paris last week.

Photographs by Emma Dane