... and back to the boots.  Ok, who turned on Winter in just 10 days?  Seriously, I was all the Phil Collins before I left (no jacket required) and I was one step off reaching for a scarf this morning.  

Thankfully there was no frost (that may have had me heading back to the airport smartish) and I refuse to put the ankles away just yet.  I do, however, appreciate this bold gesture has a very limited shelf life. 

Which isn't the worst issue in the world, as that leads me to discuss one of my favourite wardrobe essentials.... BOOTS.  And for once, it's not ankle boots.  It's the polar opposite of ankle boots.  It's verging on crotch high boots.  Ish.  Also known as over the knee boots.

You may remember that I have looked at these a couple of years ago - the Stuart Weitzman Highland boots, which I never got round to buying for various reasons.  And I can't say I've really ever regretted that decision - they were too expensive, I didn't really know what to wear them with, I was worried they wouldn't stay up my leg and would bag down.

So why am I contemplating them again?  Well, I'm not contemplating the Highlands but over the knee boots are on the verge of once again becoming an obsession - a scratch I really need to itch.  But this time, the irony is, the baggier the better.   We are talking ruching, we are talking Nora Batty style boots. 

We're randomly talking about not even seeing all of the boots - by all accounts, the ideal way to wear them is under a dress or skirt.  Not even one of the mini varieties.  Midi or maxi is the length of choice.

And THAT is why, I've gone from "OMG NO WAY, I look like I belong in a window in Amsterdam", to  "they're top of my wishlist" at the moment.  As, being Gulliver at 5ft10, it's incredibly difficult to find midis that are midis.  However, with an over the knee boot to hide my, soon to be white again, skin and Les Dawson knees - it opens up a whole host of midi love for me.  

So starting at the very top end of the scale.  This is not where I am intending to purchase.  Not at all.  But it's a great place to get inspiration and see the best styles to then try and track down on the high street.

I'm not sure how popular these are going to be, but I wonder if anyone will change their mind by the end (which is what I inevitably do when I write these sorts of blogs).

Deep breath peeps, we're going in...

Thigh suede and leather two tone boots from Marques Almeida £705



Dare I say, I think these are actually really elegant?  Not a whiff of red light.  
Gabriella Hearst Matilda over the knee leather boots £995



A classic which I heart on every level.  Apart from in actual real life wearing the buggers, as they are hideously high for every day.  Which is handy as I would have hated to fall in love with them at that price.

Balenciaga Knife Over the Knee Boots £950



Or my favourites which I fear would elicit all sorts of "wading", "fishing" and other non complimentary comparisons from the husband.  But I love them.  

Lostynn leather over the knee boots from Isabel Marant £1280  Never going to happen!  Which is handy as they're sold out in most sizes already (which doesn't mean I therefore want them more.. doesn't at all.  Not.  At.  All....)




Don't faint at the price of these ones....

Prada Buckle Embellished Over the Knee Boots £1740




Now here's the thing.  If you're going to wear a dress or skirt below the knee, you're not seeing the true beauty of those amazing buckles.  Which means that it's "probably" not worth it for that money ("probably" in there was no possibility of me EVER spending that money on them - this is purely for inspiration purposes).  They also look like they would take a lot of time to put on.  All those buckles... I am waaaaaaay too lazy for that amount of time expenditure on putting on boots.  Not to mention the nails I would break in the process (when I say "break", I mean ping off, as I still use the stick on ones!  All the class when one of those flies across the room and you have to go and rescue it...).



BUT I do think lower heel ones are a good idea.  A really, really good idea as I have become addicted to wearing flat, or near as flat godammit, boots.  Is it an age thing?  *weeps*.  Is it a fashion thing? *offers up small prayer*.

Without the above price tag.  I have to say I love the brown as I fear the black may be edging into Gestapo territory.  And I'm going to throw it out there - never a good look.  However I think if you team with floral midi dresses and flowing skirts, it would definitely de-WW2 them.

Leather high-leg boots from Mango £119.99







Although personally I prefer these from Topshop. 

Dollar High Leg Boots £59




Flat again at Zara but I do prefer the extra studding on the above Topshop ones. 

Flat Over the knee boots with toe detail £59.99 (I can't see any toe detail...just saying..)



Then there are these ones also from Mango.  The fabric definitely makes them less German Soldier.

Over the knee heel boots from Mango £49.99



Moving up a notch in the heel height (actually they're the same as the ones above) are these from Topshop.  Where I lose ALL my confidence and think - are you out of your mind?!  BUT then I'm curiously drawn back in... WHY???! 

Crawler Over the Knee Boots £79 from Topshop



So it's all sorts of wrong diddly therefore, that I'm more drawn to the red.  HOW is that?  

Crawler Over the Knee Boots from Topshop in red £79



Or.. how about these from M&S.  Hmm, yes M&S.  

Kitten Heel Side Zip Over The Knee Boots from M&S £49.50



And we're going higher still.  Oh man... Again.  I start a blog thinking - meh.  Nah.  Not going there.  And end up convincing myself that I can wear all of them.  I love these.  I think it's the suede, the Marant inspired feel to them, the glorious price tag, how fabulous they'd look with dresses and skirts.  BUT are they a teensy bit too high for every day wear?  Alas, I fear if I'm asking the question, I already know the answer.  Of course it's completely down to the individual but for me.. probably too high. 

Boxer High Leg Boots from Topshop £99



Or how about these from Miss Selfridge?

Miss Selfridge Over the Knee Ruched Boot £65



Or at Kurt Geiger.. 

Violet Black Mid Heel Over the Knee Boots £229



Then I get all the bold and think - maybe I could go patent (I started writing this at midday so no, I hadn't had a sniff of anything emboldening aka gin).  As I could see myself in the Marant ones... but these.. they just tip over into Red Light District, don't they?

Boxer High Leg Boots from Topshop £99



Which leaves me in utter confusion (nothing new there...).  Come on - what do we think?

I'm finishing with ones that I know I'm not going to get as they're simply too high.  BUT if you are a fan of the Balenciaga Knife boots - these are for you.  For less than £50.  As opposed to nearly £1k. Get in there. 

Public Desire Refuge Over the Knee Boots £44.99

As you can probably imagine - seeing as I like my wardrobe to work hard for me - I expect the same from my beauty products. 

So when it comes to holiday, I don't tend to invest in a whole load of new products.  I am that person who just empties their bathroom cabinet into their toiletry bag.  That's not to say,  I don't have that obligatory trip to Boots where I end up spending oodles on nothing remotely fun (toothpaste, deodorant, mossie spray, paracetamol, new toothbrushes plus blah blah blah) - none of which you're going to be vaguely interested in as it's beyond yawnarama and akin to a trip to Ikea and Costco where you may as well burn £100 and do a U turn in the carpark.

However what else did I take with me and what am I currently loving?  

Ta dah!!

First up - there's a reason I don't do many flat lays.  As they're really freaking difficult.  I resorted to doing a "semi standing up/leaning lay" as it looked like I literally had emptied my stuff out, as opposed to when other people do it, and it looks elegantly laid out. 



Today, I'm going to go through the body necessities and in the next day or two, I'll look at the beauty/make up must haves that got me through - as you can see, they're all here, this is all I took bar the toothpaste and deodorant, so I really don't take that much at all (this is according to me and NOT the husband..!).  

Starting with the face and the cleanser.  No surprise here.. my ultimate favourite.  One of the best things about a hotel?  Clean flannel every night that you haven't had to wash (it's the small things...).

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleaner 100g £39 from Feel Unique (lots of discount offers as well online) 




Serum wise, the one that made it into the bag was the Superskin Face Serum from Liz Earle £39.50 (as you can, I've been using it a lot - no lid and lived in looking bottle!).





And for in the evening and during the day - spray on repeat.  This is also ideal at home in a dry, central heating fuelled environment.  From Look Fantastic - 15% off your order with the code BEAUTY.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Miracle Hydrating Mist £21  Also had this on the plane.  If nothing else, it smells divine.




And onto the hair.  Easy.  Because I wash my hair a lot on hols and like to use a heavier conditioner, a lighter shampoo that I also use on the children, is ideal.

Aveda Pure Abundance Volumising Shampoo £19.50





Aveda Damage Remedy Intensive Restructuring Treatment £29.50  This is pure heaven on holiday.  I used it home as well and have done for years.  It's not the only mask I use - I do rotate them but there aren't loads that I truly rate or use - but this is one of them.




For finishing - this is what I used.  I simply cannot be bothered to blow dry my hair when I'm away, so this product is genius in a bottle.  I used it the day that I went in the morning and I'd be lying if I said it was as good as a blow dry BUT I could just leave my hair and then a quick tong over made it more than passable.  Which is something I could never usually do...

Redken No Blow Dry Bossy £10.23 (34% off all Redken at Look Fantastic - you can see why I always order from here or Feel Unique - they usually always work out cheaper than elsewhere).



Body care - all year (whenever there was sun, that is!) I've been using this after being given my first tube when I went to Ibiza way back in May.  It really is the best sun cream I've ever used.  I started off with Factor 30 and then went down to Factor 15. 

Guerlain Terracotta Summer Sun Protect Cream £32



Moisturiser wise - well, there was only one option.  Ditto the perfume I took.  We last went to Mauritius 14yrs ago for our honeymoon, when I took the exact same options - Orange Blossom by Jo Malone.  And the body creme is my perfect after sun option.  So thick and luxurious with THE most amazing, long lasting fragrance.  My engagement perfume (yes I was that sad to actually have one.... please tell me I'm not the only one?!) was Jo Malone Lime, Basil and Mandarin (I used to work on Brook Street opposite their store so it was a no  brainer really).  Best place to purchase now is obviously duty free but otherwise, ordering from their website is always a really special delivery experience (as is shopping instore).

Jo Malone Orange Blossom Cologne 30ml £45




Jo Malone Orange Blossom Creme £52




Jo Malone Lime Basil and Mandarin Cologne 30ml £45

So obviously that's supposed to be sung in a Madonna stylee  Am I the only one who looks at words and just sees song lyrics?  Just me?  I'll get my coat...

Actually saying that, I am in no need of a coat whatsoever this week.  I KNOW - please don't all hate me - I am away on holiday.  This is our one big family holiday that we do a year and we usually choose October half term which works for all of us.  Last year it was Orlando (amazing) and this year, it's Mauritius.  

Due to the constantly changing nature of my job (all hail social media), I have so many more opportunities to write about new things and, as a result, I was asked to collaborate with Destinology Holidays and the two hotels.  I have reviewed the hotels for them and in return for this and use of my pictures, we were given a small discount.  I would LOVE to be able to say it was a completely free holiday - in my dreams...

It also ties in neatly with some changes which will be made to the blog in the coming weeks. FEAR NOT though - the changes will be very minor, in that the main feed will still be fashion, fashion and more fashion.  But there will be come extra pages which you will be able to access if you would like, looking at beauty (it's coming!), how to shop my instagram (so you don't have to read a whole page on white boots if you'd rather just see where my jeans are from), travel and food.  And anything else I can think of adding in before the revamp is completed.  

PHEW. Now onto the interesting stuff... and again, one that I've been promising to do for ages.  Bling.  And today - it's the perfect bling to take on holiday. 

It probably won't have escaped anyone's notice that I wear a lot of jewellery a lot of the time.  So whilst this is what I did take away with me to wear, it's also jewellery that I wear every day at home too.

Starting with my favourite every day gems.   From my lovely friend Amy at Chambers & Beau.  15% off with the code ANGEL15 until the 1st November.



Will just point out, I did remove all earrings and bracelets pre attempt at waterskiing.. (there is a not so glorious video of my rather pathetic attempts over on my Instagram account.  As the daughter says at the end of the video.. "at least she tried"...!!).

Two bracelets which I've bought with me and have worn constantly.

Personalised Celestial Stack £90 



Personalised Message Bangle £55




And then my current necklace which I wear every day. 



Winging It Necklace £95  I have the gold one which says "winging it" on it, but you can have them personalised.





Then moving onto my beloved earrings.  Go and have a look - serious earring porn, I promise.  AND what I love about them, is you can mix and match.  Even the husband "gets this".  My current favourites are these:-

Superstar Earrings from £50



Mixed with (so one from each set) the personalised embrace earrings from £50  You can choose the charms to go on so I tend to have one in rose gold in one ear and one in gold in the other.




Then moving onto bracelets.  I have been wearing stacks of these for years now.  And I wear them every. Single.  Day.  They are simply the best quality bracelets of this type I've ever come across.  And I have worn others (not Bella Jane ones) which have broken within a matter of months.  To be fair, I will confess, I am not the more careful with my jewellery and do drag it on and off rather unceremoniously.  Which is what makes these all the more special.  Stock up now for Christmas with the code DMB40 for 10% off until the 12th November, or treat yourself. 

Bella Stack from Bella Jane Jewellery £115  Again, there are lots of other options on the site.  





I will say, if I had to pick one, my favourite would be my initial one. 

Initial Bracelet £35



Whilst I didn't bring any other jewellery away with me - if I had been more organised, I definitely would have gone big on the earrings.  Hair up is my default mode on holiday and earrings are the perfect accessory to make an up do (aka a messy, lazy arse bun) look instantly chic.

Red gems now and I love these.  Not going to lie - did like them slightly more before my 13yr old told me they looked McDonald's signs.  It's hard not to see that once it's out there.. BUT I'm doing my best as I love them. *must un-see, must un-see*.

Metal Pendant Earrings from Mango £9.99




Randomly, these are almost identical to a pair I have from Zara, which are now sold out.  But they do them in three different colourways at Mango and I am tempted to get all three pairs... these ones are perfect for paler outfits.  I LOVE being able to wear creams and pale pinks (don't know why I mentioned the later as I have the sum total of nothing in it... but blush... AHA, I do have blush).  

Tassels Pendant Earrings from Mango £12.99



Gold and Burgundy - again £12.99



Or black...




And I'm going to finish, as I have been asked by so many people, with some thoughts on the first hotel we stayed at in Mauritius. 

We decided to do two hotels - for four nights each, as advised by Destinology.  Would have absolutely love to have done longer but a week only for half term dictates you can't really go away for longer. 

First up - was the Long Beach Golf & Spa Resort, which is part of the Sun Resorts group.  This isn't your traditional Mauritian style looking hotel.  It's modern.  It's beautifully modern.  Think Ibiza meets Miami.  This is the impeccable lawn (where I actually did Yoga one late afternoon.. *polished halo*).
 



We had two rooms, after last year agreeing that 5 in a room with 3 growing kids, one of whom is a teen, wasn't the most pleasureable of experiences.  For the first time in FOREVER, the husband and I had a room all to ourselves.  BLISS.  Although to be fair, the rooms are enormous, not to mention the bathrooms.  Special brownie points for the size of the wardrobe space.  Loads.  Seriously, almost as much as I have at home.  We just had two adjoining garden rooms, a short walk from the pools and restaurants but far enough for it be lovely and quiet at night. 

The resort as a whole is large but the one thing we all commented on, was how well the layout worked.  Highlights for us were the kids pool which was the most unlike a kids pool that I've ever seen.  So lots of us have kids.  But as they grow up, the joy is being able to see them but hopefully not hear them. 





Speaking of kids - massive thumbs up to the kids' club.  Activities organised, which you can dip in and out of, at your choosing.  So they did water skiing, para sailing (I'm the muggins that asked if I could go with them to take some photos... errr WHY??  Small tiny, bouncing boat and a propensity for sea sickness was not a good mix..) cayaking, snorkelling, paddleboarding and water polo.  All supervised which meant that gave me the odd hour here or there in....

Me on the boat with the boys... 



....the adult's only pool.  Bliss.  Oh bliss, bliss and more bliss.  Huge beanbag sofas instead of your traditional sunbeds, were THE comfiest way to sunbathe (only thing I will say, is that they're not the most ergonmically suited to lying flat, therefore due to certain folds in my stomach, after the first day with a tad too much sun, I did look slightly like Where's Wally...), infinity pool, fabulous chill out Ibiza style music, drinks on tap and NO KIDS. 



We didn’t put the kids into the club all day (tempting as it was…) – I think most mums would say that you manage to relax in dog years when you get the moment.  A stolen hour is the same as a whole day pre children.  We ate together at every meal, which brings me neatly onto the food.

There’s only one word and that’s exceptional.  Our children had never been privy to a proper breakfast buffet and suffice to say, they were in heaven.  It was obviously waffles and pancakes most days – I will add that the pain au chocolats and croissants were as good as any that I’ve had in France.  Cappuccino and fresh fruit for me (I would love to say my body is a temple but actually, I’m just never hungry at breakfast.   

The 13yr old is also a coeliac and they could honestly have not been more helpful.  At every meal, the chef would come out and talk to her and prepare her something special.  There is the Buffet option in the evening to eat, which we did for the special Indian night but on other evenings, we went to the Japanese, the Chinese and the Italian. All of which are of the highest quality.  Special mention for the cocktails in the bar afterwards - a Mauritian Daiquiri is without a shadow of a doubt, my new favourite drink.  Gin - you are dead to me - bring on the rum...


We would come back to this hotel in a heartbeat.  Whilst it is a big hotel, it never felt crowded – there are more staff to help than I have ever seen at any hotel and all genuinely want you to make sure you have the best possible stay. “if you are happy, we are happy” is the motto they tell you and it really does feel like genuine hospitality.  It’s luxury in a chic, modern, understated feel with a truly international clientele.