Topshop Haul

Love or hate Topshop you can't beat if for being bang on trend. But being a Topshop shopper in the UK and wincing at their pricing there I got quite the shock to find that here in the UAE Topshop pricing is at least 1/3 more expensive than in the UK! Therefor I generally avoid the place like the plague!

That was until I heard of a well-kept secret clearance Topshop in Ibn Battuta mall!

I didn't believe it until I saw it for myself... Yes a clearance store! Everything was AED 79 or less (that’s roughly £14!!!) As I raced around the store in a panic the shop assistant kindly reassured me that this was a clearance store getting sale items from other stores and this was usually the pricing. Before I get everyone's hopes up there was a lot of random stuff and a huge amount of knitwear and winter coats, not ideal for coming into the summer in Dubai, but other than that I still managed to get some gems!

I call these my Herman Munster’s, the jury is still out on these ones… I personally love them and their comfort levels soar through the roof so in my book that's win win, but I know they really aren't for everyone!

FYI: Having leaked this secret I feel like I'm the High Street version of Julian Assange. I did have big plans on keeping this all to myself, but this is for the betterment of society. *Raises clenched fist*

Little Miss Sunshine

Bee-ing Little Miss Sunshine

I’ve got sunshine… pretty much every day here in Dubai so it perfect to have fun with colours and style.

 

It's a drastic change for me from cold and drizzly Scotland where your outfit was pretty much dominated by your winter coat and it's rarely warm enough to take it off outside.

 

I love this little pleated skirt from H&M, the colour is such a statement that I decided just to team it with a simple black crop.

This crop top is a little gem I found in New Look (I also got it in white, you know, when you find ‘the one’ you must have two!) It's perfect for this outfit as the skirt does all the talking, but tops tight fit shows off my figure complimenting the puff ball style of the skirt.

 

 

I teamed it up with my Topshop clumpy wedges (which are possibly the most comfortable heel ever created). These shoes have been a real jar of marmite amongst my friends, they either love them or hate them, but I love them so that’s enough for me!

The black and yellow combo makes me the perfect little bumble bee! Oh and the floppy hat is also a Topshop piece, albeit from one or two seasons ago. It really adds the 'sting' to the whole outfit...! Eh?! Get it?! Like a bee? Like the sting of a...okay that wasn't funny. Moving on...

 

Huge credit to my wonderful photographer friend JennaSimpsonPhtography for these awesome shots, this girl knows how to take a pic and has become my partner in crime.

Watch this space for more from this talented lady. She is snapping all sorts all over Dubai – check her out here, here, and here!


Much love, peace out, bzzzzzzzzz

Ladies Night

Ladies Night (not to be confused with ladies of the night)

On Tuesday myself and a few of my beautiful gal pals headed out on a Ladies Night.

Tuesday night is renowned for being the best Ladies Nights in Dubai and we checked out of two of them!

The great thing is that ladies nights are every night of the week nowadays, but Tuesday is still the the big one!

Check out this helpful site of Ladies night events in Dubai www.ladiesnightdubai.com/

So we decided to head to China Grill in the Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Hotel – Their ladies night is called 'Madame Butterfly', and it's the ultimate girlie night as it hosts a huge area of artistic, fashionable and purse-damaging(!) pop up shops!

With unlimited bubbles and 50% off a selection of delicious light bites it’s the perfect place to be to lighten up any depressing 'hump-day' Tuesday! Alcohol and shopping can always go hand in hand...even in Dubai!

One top tip would be to get there early and secure yourself a prime little area to sit in as this event is popular!

 

We decided that one ladies night wasn’t enough for us so we popped over to the Address Hotel in the Marina where '&Lounge' have a Tuesday Ladies Night – 'Champagne Supernova'!

On arrival we were presented with three vouchers, each to the value of 55Dhs which can be redeemed for any drink on the menu, pretty generous!

The atmosphere in '&Lounge' is fantastic and it nails the combination of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s vibe.

With great tune after great tune from their brilliant DJ Nina Kay, it's a great little spot where you could forget you're in Dubai and it feels like some funky bar in the UK.

Massive, massive thanks to my awesome photographer and friend Jenna Simpson who is an up and coming photographer here in Dubai. Check out her site and let her know if you're in need of a great photographer, I can't recommend her enough! (http://www.jennasimpsonphotography.com/)

 

There is more to come here (with Jenna's help!) so watch this space!

Post to follow on my outfit details...

All White On The Night

On Wednesday night I attended the Ahlan White party sponsored by Philips Middle East.

 

There was one strict dress code… ALL WHITE!

The event took place at the Siddharta Lounge, opposite Buddha Bar at the Grosvenor Hotel and the venue matched the theme perfectly as the interiors are mostly white with splashes of gold, making it feel clean, plush and elegant.

 

On one hand it felt like a simple, cool beach bar... but on the other hand  it was an upmarket, James Bond-esque, international venue, and would be the perfect location for the classic 'charming boy meets sophisticated girl' in every romantic Hollywood movie ever made.

 

The white glasses, white chairs and white lighting make it sound like a waiting room at the dentist, but the interior designer has pulled it off beautifully.

 

Some of the hottest Dubai-based fashionistas were there and I got the chance to catch up two of my favourite editors, Sarah Hedley Hymers of Ahlan magazine and Alison Tay of Grazia Magazine.

 

Also blogger Sarah (Instagram Urban Marshmallows) and friend Zina Hashem.

In the end, Philips let their product do the talking...and I've found myself repeatedly running my tongue across my teeth for the last few days. I'm amazed how much cleaner they feel! I won't be able to go back to a normal toothbrush!

 

Thank you Philips and Ahlan, what a winning combo!!

Zengo Dubai

Last weekend I hit up Zengo Dubai for a bachelorette party with some girlfriends.  I had never been to Zengo before but was overwhelmed by the service we received.  The staff had kindly prepared a cocktail creation session where we sampled eight of their finest cocktails (the bride to be is obsessed with cocktails).

The extremely talented mixologists at Zengo not only entertained while preparing our cocktails but told us amazing stories behind the concept and creation of each one.

For example, one of my favourites was the ‘Sakura’, named after the Japanese Cherry blossom.  It represents the cloud covered mountains during the period when the cherry blossom is in bloom. It was a cherry liquor based cocktail that was served in an awesome little bell jar. The cocktail had been 'smoked' so that on removal of the bell jar the smoke came billowing out representing the changing season of  ‘Sakura’!

Such a fun concept and so beautifully put together! Oh and the cocktail tasted rather good too!! Another one that stuck in my mind was served with a birdcage over it and the glass was sitting in a small birds nest! Such a quirky, cool way to enjoy a cocktail!

Zengo’s staff also entertain with their ‘Fire show’ with bartenders juggling fire to the beat of the drum!

This bar has such a great atmosphere, I cannot recommend it enough!

A Hot Date with Ahlan

Last night myself and my partner in crime attended the Ahlan Hot 100 Restaurants launch party at Qbara.

Hidden behind the somewhat dated Wafi Pyramids is Qbara, a gem of a venue. The restaurant and bar are stunning, as you enter you feel like you have really found the treasure beneath the pyramids with beautiful atmospheric candle lighting and Middle Eastern vibe.

There was such a buzz when we arrived as we got papped on our way in and were incredibly well looked after with bubbles on tap and canapés a plenty all night long.  The venue has a great layout with the Qbara Lounge offering a viewing platform which looks over the bar allowing you to do what I love most, people watch! If you like a more intimate experience the many lounges, booths or majlis will suit! The dress code was ‘Glamorous’ and the party people did not disappoint! A great party to launch the Top 100 Restaurants!

Oh and don’t get me started on the goodie bag! Now to work my way through the Top 100 restaurants… I guess the diet’s postponed again!