Wardrobe Newbies

Hey guys, hope you’re well this cold but gloriously sunny Sunday!  I feel like winter is truly upon us now and it’s completely acceptable to be wrapping up in a big chunky scarf, woolly hat and glove combo.

I’ve been super busy since my last blog post (WE GOT A PUPPY!!), but it hasn’t stopped me from finally getting my hands on some of my long anticipated asos wish list goodies.

So I’ve jumped on the baker boy hat bandwagon because well, why wouldn’t you?  I’ve never been a huge hat person before, mainly because I didn’t think I was “cool” enough to pull them off so I didn’t have the confidence to wear them. But now, I’m still totally uncool, however I’ve just hit that stage in life where I don’t give a monkeys about what other people might think and so hat life, I am embracing you.

Another new addition are these OH SO LOVELY burgundy boots.  I love them.  Bright red boots seem to be all the rave right now, but I wanted something a little less in yo face and I thought the colour of these were perfect for Autumn/Winter.  They also go perfectly with most of my chunky knit jumpers that I’ve bought recently (or that I’ve had for years as I tell my bf), so they were a must have for me as soon as I saw them.

Lastly (and probably my favourite recent asos purchase) is this amazing checked blazer that I’ve had my eye on FOREVER.  The little bugger was out of stock in my size for weeks, but one night it magically became available again and I checked my basket out so fast I didn’t even bother my stingey self to look for a discount code.  Miracles do happen.

The blazer is £60 which is a little more expensive than some other checked blazers currently on the market, but once you feel it in person you know why.  It’s super thick, pretty heavy and just feels like a real good quality jacket.  It also has some subtle burgundy colouring throughout which I love (not to mention it goes perfect with my new boots), so it’s definitely one of my most favourite buys in a long time.

I ordered the jacket in a size smaller than I normally would and even then, it’s still pretty oversized, so just bear that in mind if you decide you want to give it a try.

So there it is, a few recent asos pieces that I obviously had to share with you.  There's links to them below or they're also on my blog wish list if you fancy a nosey.

Does anyone else share my mentality that if something you like becomes available only in your size, then it’s fate and obviously you have to buy it?  That’s my excuse anyway and I’m sticking to it.

Anyhoo, enjoy the snaps!

Rachel x

Blazer - asos

Boots - asos

Hat - asos

A Trip to Mexico

Hola!  If you follow me on Instagram then you'll know that I've just returned from a dreamy trip to Riviera Maya in Mexico.  My friends are probably sick of the sight of all my holiday snaps now but hey, what's a girl to do?!

I spent 10 days at the Catalonia Riviera Maya Resort & Spa in Puerto Aventuras where I FINALLY managed to unwind and switch my brain to downtime mode.  It's been a bit of a crazy year so it has, so some time away from it all was long overdue and in fact, it reminded me of the importance of taking some time out to escape everyday life and recharge the good ol' batteries.

The Catalonia was a great choice with clean, modern rooms, a good selection of different themed  buffet and a la carte restaurants and eateries (there was a crepe van people!!), and of course a couple of lovely big pools and private access to a gorgeous white sand beach.

Although we were unlucky with the weather a couple of days (it is hurricane season in October afterall), I would highly recommend visiting Riviera Maya if you're after a quiet, all inclusive resort holiday.  The food was fab, beaches amazing with stunning crystal clear waters and most importantly, I could have as many mojitos as I wanted... Like, what else do you need?!

As our last few holidays have been pretty busy, I was a little worried that we'd be bored lounging around by the pool/beach all day (a ridiculous thought, in hind sight), but actually after buying a flat this year, switching jobs and so on, a wee break was exactly what the doctor ordered.  It turns out that some sunshine and snoozing on hammocks all day really is the best kinda medicine... Who knew!

We did one day trip whilst we were away which was to Tulum to see the Mayan ruins.  Despite the fact I was nearly eaten alive by mosquitos (nasty little buggers), it was really interesting to learn about the history there and I would definitely recommend a visit if you're into that kind of thing.  The site is quite small, but set aside at least two hours so you can wander around at your own pace and take it all in.  And please, if you do go, TAKE YOUR MOZZY SPRAY.

Anyway, a holiday is of course a perfect excuse for a blog post so instead of rambling on about how perfect the sea and cocktails were, I thought I'd share some photos with you.

I would definitely love to go back to Mexico one day and perhaps try a different area, so if you've been and you have any recommendations then holla!

Rachel

Bikini Top - ASOS

Bikini Bottoms - ASOS

IRIS! (By Vera Wang, not the Goo Goo Dolls...)

Greetings, stranger!  And by stranger, I mean me because y'know, I've gone AWOL and abandoned my blog for what feels like forever.  I only ever intended for theforbesfile to be a hobby but even at that, it can be difficult to set some meaningful time aside to write "proper" posts, especially between moving cities, buying a flat (the most stressful and emotionally draining time of my life, EVER) and lazing on the sofa stuffing my face whilst binge watching Line of Duty.

Nonetheless, if you follow me over on insta then you may have noticed a picture recently of a lovely little blue Vera Wang bottle. That, my amigos, is my new favourite perfume.  And it smells bloody delicious.

"Periwinkle and Iris" is part of the Vera Wang Embrace range and there are four flirty floral scents to choose from.  After sampling them all and smelling like some sort of tropical garden, I quickly knew this one was my fave and whapped out a pleasantly surprising £21 for my 30ml bottle.

The perfume is light but noticeable and boats a pretty sweet, even musky scent.  It's also soft, classy and I'd even go as far to say intriguing, and I think it's perfect for everyday use, especially during the summer months.  I've already had loads of compliments on it at work and every so often I catch a whiff of myself and I'm like oh yeah, I smell gooood!  Totally modestly, of course.

Come to think of it, my first thought when I smelt it for the first time was "parma violets" and what do you know, it's made from violet petals!  It's very subtle, but it occasionally brings me back to my retro-sweetie eating childhood days.

If you're looking for something fresh, feminine and just generally "ooo, what's that you're wearing?!" then I highly recommend giving this beauty a try... If you do, let me know what you think!

Rachel

LET YOUR HAIR DOWN

Hey guys... So I'm quite possibly the worst "blogger" in the entire world and it's been MONTHS since my last official blog post. Pathetic attempt, I know. Must try harder.

So I have a few posts on my radar that I want to share with you soon, but until then, I thought I'd share my new do with you! Now I don't know about you, but I'm typically "that" annoying friend that never seems to be happy with their hairstyle - I go blonde: "Oh my god I wish I was brunette again", goes brunette: "Oh no I want to go lighter again for the summer because it will totally go with a tan!", cuts my hair short: "Holy crap what the hell have I done". Yep, that's me. Can anyone relate?

But anyway, new year and a new start and all, so I decided to take the plunge and go back to the dark side and I have to say, I LOVE IT! One of my upcoming posts is going to be all about taking care of you and making yourself feel good, so I'm not going to blabber on about it too much right now, but what I will say is that sometimes all you need as a wee "pick me up" is a good hair cut or a style change and Lordy, you feel like a new woman. Sometimes the smallest of changes is all we need to freshen things up a little and give yourself a good ol' confidence boost. And I'm all for that.

My little January perk me up is following a visit to the lovely Junction Hair Salon in Aberdeen where Lauren worked her magic. Better yet, the salon had a January offer on for a complete cut, colour and blow dry for £50, so extra points for that one!

If you're in the area then I would definitely recommend a visit. In fact, my mum has since booked herself in! All of the girls were lovely and provided me with endless cups of tea and biscuits (extra bonus points, of course), so if you're in need of a change and live in or around the old Granite City, then get yourself booked in.

I'll try not to leave it as long next time...

Rachel