Pin it to Win it!

This may seem like a simple task to some of you, but I find that a lot of people struggle with hiding a bobby pin. The best way to conceal your weapon is to slide the pin back up into the hair in the opposite direction that the hair is going (see image example). By doing this, you create the strongest support while hiding your bobby pin at the same time. This is how every section was pinned in www.thebeautydepartment.com's “Twisted Sister” updo tutorial. 
As wedding/prom season quickly approaches this trick should come in very handy; you heard it here first!


Saskia XO

Shape Up: Summer Sport Special

When the weather gets warmer, I love to venture outside the gym and enjoy the great outdoors. During the summer I like riding bikes, stand up paddling and kayaking in the ocean....when I have the time to journey down to the coast. I think it’s important to keep your workout routine fresh and fun during the summer. (The heat can get to you, so adding a splash of water and a cool breeze can work wonders!)


These are a few of my favourite no-workout workouts for the summer…

1. Take a ride. Riding bikes during the summer keeps my arms and legs toned. Plus, ditching the car and opting to ride burns extra calories you can bank for other summer outings (More chips, anyone?).
2. Paddle out. If you live near the beach or a lake, I highly recommend stand up paddle boarding. Not only is it a serene experience floating across the top of the water, it’s also a wonderful way to exercise. Dig your paddle deep into the water with each row and you will get a serious back and core workout. 
3. Kayak. For a great arm and abs workout, go kayaking. It’s a fun way to squeeze in your upper body conditioning without hitting the weights.

What’s your favourite way to sweat it out during the summer months? Any suggestions for people who don’t live near the ocean?




(12 down, 2 to go) Saskia XO

Happy Father's day!

Wishing my father and all the other dads out there a very happy Father's Day!
Hope you have a great day- and don't forget to do something nice for Daddy!













Saskia XO

Friday Favourites!

Hooray! It’s finally Friday. I really hope everyone has had an amazing and productive working week. So, in proper Friday fashion, here are a few of my favourite things from the past week…

Favourite Summer Brunch Cocktail (Champagne Sangria via Kiran Tarun):

Favourite Plan (road trip!):

Favourite Colour Combo:

Favourite Laugh:

Favourite Daydream (junk food sans calories):

What’s your favourite of the week?
Have a great weekend!
(13 exams down, 2 to go!) Saskia XO

The Hotest Party of the Summer: Capital Summertime Ball

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to attend 'the hottest party of the summer', for the fourth year in a row! It really enabled my summer to be kicked off with a HUGE bang!
This year, however was particularly amazing and memorable for the fantastic weather and also, the acts! Feast your eyes on the line up:

Coldplay



Usher



Rizzle Kicks



Ed Sheeran



Flo Rida



Rita Ora



Justin Bieber



Jessie J



Kelly Clarkson



Lawson



Connor Mayanard



Katy Perry



Pitbull



Example



Carly Rae Jepsen



Cheryl Cole



Dizzee Rascal



Cover Drive



The Wanted




The event was an amazing success and with the star studded line up of versatilty; there was something for everyone!

What did you do last weekend?

Saskia XO

Rule Britannia: Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

The Central Weekend 2 - 5 June 2012

The Central Weekend to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee culminated in a Ceremonial Day which included a service at St Paul's and a balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace!

The Diamond Jubilee, used to celebrate the Queen's 60 year reign, was a great success, showing unity and happiness among the country! 

Here is a run-down  of the events over the Diamond Jubilee weekend:

Saturday 2 June, 2012The Queen attended the Epsom Derby. As my hometown is Epsom, I was able to throw our annual 'Derby Day Party' which saw lots of friends and family coming together for a monumental historical event. 

  

Sunday 3 June, 2012
The Big Jubilee Lunch: Building on the already popular Big Lunch initiative, people were encouraged to share lunch with neighbours and friends as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. 

The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant: This event took place on the Thames and consisted of up to 1,000 boats assembled from across the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh travelled in the Royal Barge which formed the centrepiece of the flotilla. I was lucky enough to actually go up to the event and watch the boat crossing!

  

Monday 4 June, 2012
BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace: A host of famous faces came together to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace. As part of the celebration, one of my dearest friends hosted a 'Jubilee BBQ' which many of my friends and I attended :) (Check out the cute cupcakes we made!) The guys were particularly patriotic ;)

  

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Beacons: A network of 2,012 Beacons will be lit by communities and individuals throughout the United Kingdom, as well as the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Commonwealth. As in 2002, The Queen will light the National Beacon. 

Tuesday 5 June, 2012On Tuesday 5 June, the Diamond Jubilee weekend culminated with a day of celebrations in central London, including a service at St Paul’s Cathedral followed by two receptions, a lunch at Westminster Hall, a Carriage Procession to Buckingham Palace and finally a Balcony appearance, Flypast, and Feu de Joie.I was lucky enough to view the planes flying over my house, just seconds after watching them live on television! Sported some self created British flag nails too!

  

My weekend was one filled with joy, happiness and so much pride for being British!

What festivities did you endeavour in, during the 'Jubilee Weekend'? 

Saskia XO

Kitchen Beautician: Coconut & Rose Body Scrub

Few things smell better than coconut and rose so let’s combine them, shall we? In this Kitchen Beautician DIY, I'm making a “Spring Time Scrub” to help you exfoliate and get your skin super soft for the coming summer months. Bathing suit season is just around the corner and nobody wants to be the ashy girl! Here’s my new favourite way to get rid of dry skin caused by winter dryness:

You’ll need: a mason jar, coconut oil, raw cane sugar, almond or jojoba oil and one fragrant rose (here I used sterling silver roses because they’re my favorite AND they’re one of the most fragrant roses ever.)

1. Use a small mason jar or any clear jar with a lid, (can purchase from Smart & Final). You can also buy them online if you can’t find them in the store. These ones are about £11 for a dozen, so they’re under a pound each!

1. Start by putting a large scoop of coconut oil in the bottom of the jar. You can get coconut oil at any health food store or major supermarket. It’s an “oil” but at room temp it’s more like a butter consistency and has a white paste-y texture.

1. Next, pluck your rose petals and put them into the jar on top of the coconut oil.

1. Add your raw sugar. If you can’t find raw cane sugar, brown sugar is a great option! The coarser the better.

1. Add your almond or jojoba oil on top of the sugar. I like jojoba oil best, which you can also find at health food stores or vitamin stores, because it’s the closest thing to our own natural oil and it absorbs really nicely into the skin. But almond oil is great too because it doesn’t take away from the scent in this jar.

1. Wait a minute for your oil to seep down to the flower petals and then top it off with a little more almond or jojoba oil. Last but not least, put your lid on and let it sit so the oils can soak into the flower petals.

When you (or the person you’re giving this to as a gift) are ready to use it, take a spoon and mash it all up. The coarse sugar will break up the rose petals and they’ll continue to break up as you rub the scrub on your skin. The smell is INCREDIBLE, and if you’ve had a hard week (or even if you haven’t) this is a decadent way to start the weekend! This scrub can have a shelf life of one year, but I wouldn’t imagine you’d ever leave this jar of magic sitting for that long.

NOTE: all measurements are subject to the size of your jar. I broke it up into thirds– in other words, everything should be equal parts and each layer should take up 1/3 of the jar.


Will you get DIY-y???


Saskia XO