Afternoon tea at Fairmont The Palm Dubai

Afternoon tea is one of my favourite things to do when at a luxury hotel. During my stay in Dubai, I went for afternoon tea with my friend Gemma at the Mashrabiya Lounge at Fairmont The Palm hotel.

The location

Situated on the iconic Palm Jumeriah, the Fairmont hotel is a 5 star luxury hotel resort. At the Mashrabiya Lounge we enjoyed alfresco seating on the terrace overlooking the Dubai Marina skyline. It was a beautiful setting on a perfect afternoon and after the food, we had access to the hotel's facilities including the steam room, sauna, pool and the beach.

The afternoon tea details

We were first shown a menu with a selection of different teas to choose from. I decided to try the Assam tea which was delicious. Afterwards, our afternoon tea was served, including finger sandwiches, hot pastry snacks, desserts and scones. There was lots to choose from and we couldn't finish all of it! However, I really enjoyed the quality of the food and the service was of a really high standard.

What I wore

I decided to dress smart/casual for afternoon tea, so I opted for my Zara dress with the stripes. You may have already seen this in my petite fashion tips blog post, but I love how this dress is fitted and tailored in all the right places. I paired this with my sandals for comfort.

How to dress effortlessly for spring/summer 2017

I'm so excited for spring/summer as I can't wait to get my summer dresses out of the wardrobe and lighter jackets. I find it much easier to dress effortlessly in spring and summer, as often you can have one great piece such as a dress, and that's literally all you need to look put together in a rush. I've collaborated with Apricot* to show you how to dress effortlessly in spring/summer this year. Apricot have recently launched their SS17 collection with plenty of new items perfect for the upcoming seasons.

Shop for stand out pieces

When I say effortlessly, I mean literally being able to put a dress on and look amazing. That's why I always recommend looking out for those eye catching and stand out pieces when shopping. I chose two dresses from Apricot - a denim dress and a white polka dot dress. I think they both have their own individuality and can be styled for both the day and night.

Make the shape work for you 

I like to have clothing that's fitted in all the right places so I decided to add this gold belt to the denim dress. This clinches you in at the waist and makes it look much more flattering. For the white dress, there was a belt already with it and luckily the fit was perfect for me already. I love how the bottom of the dress flows nicely and on this windy day, it actually looked great!

Colour 

Spring and summer is the perfect time to introduce colours into your wardrobe. Although I've picked a white dress, I've also picked this blue denim dress which really stands out this season. I love how the colour of the blue dress pops and the white dress is such a classic piece. The polka dot design is one of my favourites, so when I saw this dress I knew it would be perfect for me.

Accessories 

As you may know, I'm big on accessories so styling your outfit with the perfect handbag or shoes is key. For the denim dress, it's much more of a casual weekend look, so I paired this with my blue Prada bag. I like the shape and size of this bag as I can fit so much in which is great for a day out. The white dress is more of an occasion dress so I decided to pair this with my gold clutch bag. Both outfits are perfect for the upcoming seasons and I'm excited to wear them more.

*Apricot clothing kindly gifted me these two dresses. All views are honest and my own, as always. 

Photography by Kirstie Melville.

How to wear animal prints

I never thought I would be one to wear animal prints. It's often portrayed as risky and something not everyone call pull off, but I think you can pull it off if you go about it in the right way. Over the last few years, animal print is something I have started wearing a lot more, and if worn in the right way to suit you, it can look great. Here are my tips on how to wear animal prints.

Find a subtle print

If you're like me and often play it safe, then choosing a subtle animal print is a good start. This dress I'm wearing has a small detailed leopard print and you can only really see it when you're close up. It's not too noticeable that I'm actually wearing leopard print from far away, so something like this is perfect if you want to test out how you feel in animal prints.

Keep the rest of your outfit simple

As the animal print will be the focus of your outfit whatever you decide to choose, it's important not to detract from that. So I would recommend choosing shoes and accessories that are simple and neutral in colour. In this look, I've gone for black heels from Marks and Spencer and my grey DKNY handbag. This ensures that the focus remains on the leopard print dress.

Stick to one leopard print item

My personal advice would be to just wear one piece of leopard print in your outfit. For example, a leopard print top paired with jeans or in this case, a dress. This will ensure that you've introduced the animal print look into your outfit, but you've not gone too overboard.

Do you like wearing animal print? How do you style it? 

Photography by Kirstie Melville.

Friday Brunch at the Anantara The Palm Dubai

As soon as the weekend begins on a Thursday evening in Dubai, the excitement for a good Friday Brunch begins. I arrived in Dubai on Thursday evening to stay with my friend Gemma for a week. I had the best time ever and wanted to share a few of the things we did. On Friday, we were booked in at the luxury Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort for Friday Brunch.

The location

Located on the famous The Palm in Dubai, the Anantara hotel is a luxury hotel designed with Thai architecture in an Arabic setting. For brunch we were seated outside overlooking the hotel's swimming pool and the sea. It was a beautiful setting and perfect for the 28 degrees Dubai weather! The staff were great and welcomed us with a bottle of wine. Our brunch package included drinks such as wines and cocktails with our meal.

The food

There was a delicious spread of food from all over the world, from Arabic to Japanese and Italian. I started off with a healthy salad, then tried some Chinese food, and then moved onto the outdoor barbecued foods. The desserts were also absolutely delicious, with a choice of cakes, ice creams and mousses. It was delicious and honestly one of the best dining experiences I have ever had.

What I wore

Friday Brunch means it's time to dress in your best, and dress to impress! I knew that we had plans to go out afterwards and into the evening, so I wanted something that would work for day and night. I decided to wear my black lace dress from New Look with a pair of heels and my DKNY handbag. Sunglasses were essential on this hot day, so I took along my trusty Valentino sunglasses.

It was truly a great experience and we even stayed to have drinks afterwards and watched the stunning sunset over The Palm at night. Magical!

Why you can't go wrong with a black dress

A classic and timeless evening wear piece that all girls can reach for with confidence is the little black dress, or LBD as it's often known as. In my opinion you can't really go wrong with a black dress as it goes with pretty much anything, it's understated yet elegant and you can dress your look up or down depending on your event or occasion.

Accessorising is minimal

A black dress can often be worn alone with a simple pair of shoes and a bag. When I've been in a rush to get somewhere I often reach for an LBD and I've even worn it without any jewellery. In this look, I styled it with a pair of simple pearl earrings, my Hugo Boss watch and a clutch bag.

There's a dress for all figure types 

From petite to plus size, I think anyone can look great in a black dress and you can find one to suit your figure and style. I prefer a much more fitted and figure hugging dress like this one, as it's super flattering and allows me to walk with confidence.

Add your own twist to the outfit

I like to make each outfit work with my personal style and in this outfit I decided to go with a lace dress for an extra glam look. As the lace is so detailed the outfit didn't need much styling in terms of jewellery so I decided to keep it really simple.

An iconic red lip 

Black and red goes so well together. A classic red lipstick is all you need to finish this look off, and the colour really stands out against the black dress.

Do you have a favourite LBD that never lets you down?

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Photography by Kirstie Melville.

How to style a trench coat

An investment in a mac or a trench coat is the first step in making your wardrobe suitable for spring and summer. A classic trench coat can be styled and worn for both the day and night and every day of the week. This dark blue trench coat from Jesire is the perfect way to introduce lighter fabrics to your spring wardrobe.

It's all in the details

I think this is true for most of my outfits, but when investing in a trench coat try to look out for small details that will make it stand out. For example, in my Jesire coat, if you look closely you can see a subtle flower pattern on the fabric. This adds a touch of elegance and in the summer it looks great as it makes the coat stand out.

Belts

Most trench coats and macs come with a belt and I think it's one of the most important aspects of it. The belt clinches in your waist and is super flattering. My trench coat has a belt which is in the same fabric as the coat itself. I like to tie it in a double knot and this keeps my coat securely in place.

Wear it as a dress

This one is a bit risky and might not be for everyone's taste, but I personally love wearing this Jesire coat as a dress. Once paired with sheer tights and a nice pair of heels, like these Marks & Spencer black shoes, the whole look becomes simple yet elegant. In this look I was wearing a dress underneath the coat though!

Accessories

I love handbags and jewellery to finish an outfit. I decided to wear my trusty DKNY handbag with this trench coat. I like the gold hardware and the grey/beige colour works really well with the dark blue coat.

Do you like wearing trench coats? How do you like to style them?

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Photography by Kirstie Melville.