GigSky Review - Are eSIMs Worth It for Cruise Holidays?

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A few weeks ago I wrote an article answering the question “can you use your phone at sea?”. In case you haven’t read it, the TLDR is that you can use your phone at sea as long as you have money to burn. Using your phone as normal at sea is a surefire way to give your future self a very nasty surprise.

For years I have told people to ensure they turn their phone to airplane mode as soon as they leave port. However, since sharing that article a few weeks ago I have actually found a way to use your phone at sea without bankrupting yourself, so of course I had to share the information with you!

10 Christmas Gifts to Wow any Travel Lover

Hey Owlets,

Giving season is fast approaching and if you’re anything like me you’re probably already wondering what to get the difficult person in your family. Like many other travel lovers, I’m the difficult person in my family - what do you get someone who’s always on the move? If they are at home then it’s probably only to save up and plan for the next trip.

You don’t need to worry this year, I have you covered! I’ve researched, discussed with other travel addicts and scoured the internet to find the best gifts for travel lovers - whether they’re at home between trips or out on adventures. As usual, I’ve personally tested every single item in my guide so that you can be sure whatever you buy will be a hit with your travel-loving special someone. I’ve also included gifts at a range of price points, so you’re guaranteed to find a great gift no matter what your budget is. 

I was Bored so I Did a Home Makeover with Desenio

*Paid Partnership with Desenio*

Hey Owlets,

I don’t know about you, but after spending so much time indoors in the past year I’m a little bored of my surroundings. I’ve been staring at the same four walls every day and trying to get work done but feeling totally uninspired. I’m someone that thrives off of novelty - I love to be in a new environment, I love having lots of plans and things to do - so when the pandemic took that away I completely stalled and really struggled to find motivation.

Getting Organised: National Stationery Week

*contains sponsored content*

Hey Owlets,

If you’ve been following me for a while then you’ll know that I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with stationery - for me I need to feel like my life is organised before I actually do anything (I know, that makes no sense but I promise it works). So this is actually my perfect week - it’s national stationery week! Every day has a different theme and I tend to have stationery but not know what to do with it, so I wanted to share a couple of tips I’ve found this week.

Creating My Bespoke Fragrance: Review

*gifted product

Hey Owlets,

These days it’s rare I bring you a straight review of a product, but when I find something I think is really cool I just have to share. I don’t know what’s happened but over the last few years I’ve gone from never wearing perfume or getting something *interesting* in a bright blue Avon bottle, to having different scents for different occasions, keeping an eye on new releases and loving trying new scents. I’ve written a whole post about my favourite spring scents, and I’ve gotten close to “the one” fragrance, but it’s never been perfect - so why not mix my own?

Choosing Scents for Spring

Hey Owlets,

I feel like I’ve been really heavy on the travel content recently so I asked on Twitter what you would like to see and I got loads of messages from you saying that you never see anyone write about perfumes, so your wish is my command! I actually asked if you wanted to see my recent perfume purchases or my favourite spring perfumes but the vote came out exactly 50/50 so I decided to cheat and combine the two!

It’s funny really - until the last few years I never really bothered with perfume, but throughout uni I’ve grown to love it. Scents are a really strong trigger for memories which is why it’s become so important to me. Jo Malone’s Cardamom and Mimosa takes me back to my graduation, Jo Malone’s Wood Sage and Sea Salt for the time I went to Ascot And Marc Jacobs Original Daisy for my first trip abroad without my parents.

Luxury Gift Guide: Blogmas 2017

Hey Owlets!!

Today is day two of my week of gift guides, and today I'm bringing you my favourite category because everyone likes a bit of luxury at Christmas, don't they? In this post you'll find gifts that are over £50, so if you're looking to treat someone (like yourself) then these next set of gifts are perfect!

Affordable Gift Guide: Blogmas 2017

Hey Owlets,

I've got a really exciting post for you today. I've always seen other bloggers doing gift guides so this year I decided to do my own- not just one in fact, but four - I never do things by half do I?!

Today I'm bringing you a few of my favourite affordable gift ideas that are guaranteed to wow whoever you're buying for. I've maybe done things a little differently, as I've actually tested every single thing in my gift guides so I can promise you that they're great, and they're all under £50 so won't break the bank. Now, time for the prezzies!

Why I Think Chloe Bags are Overrated

If you’ve been reading The Owlet for a while you’ll know that I might not have the bank balance for it, but I definitely have the taste for luxury. There’s a long running discussion in my house where Dad says he would always rather save for a luxury watch, which is when I point out that you can’t use a watch to carry your belongings, so I think it’s pretty clear to see where I get my designer penchant from.

If you don’t know who Chloe is, they’re a mid-range designer most well known for their luxury bags. They seem to have exploded onto the scene from nowhere over the last few years despite the fact that they were actually founded in 1952, with See by Chloe’s ready-to-wear (i.e. off the shelf purchases) line being added to the brand in 2001.

New Video: Blogger Mail Unboxing

Hi Loves,

Today there's new content over on my YouTube channel. A few weeks ago I visited Christmas in July Festival in London which is hands down one of the most amazing blog events I've been to recently. I had a few people ask me to do a haul of what I was given at the festival, but I had a few other bits I wanted to feature so I turned it into an unboxing video.

Fix Your Skin in 7 Days with 7 Products

Hello my lovelies,

I hope you're doing well! 

This week I'm once again impersonating a beauty blogger as I come back at you with a highly requested post. By the time you read this, I will have already graduated but as I'm writing, it's six days until my graduation ceremony. I'm usually super lazy with skincare - I just about cleanse and tone my face before falling asleep, face masks are a rarity and I only moisturise before doing my makeup because it applies better that way. However, this week is different because I REALLY don't want to be spotty for graduation. I've found and spoken about a couple of hero products before, but I put them all together this week and wow, what a difference.

If we're looking at this in terms of days 1-7, then using the Lush Mask of Magnaminty would be what I do on day one. I'll make sure my skin is clean and dry before applying the mask to any problem areas (basically all over my cheeks and chin). I warn you now, use this SPARINGLY. The mask smells and feels amazing - it's got peppermint in so it's really cooling, and is grainy so works wonders on any unwanted skin texture. However, if you don't put on a really thin layer then it takes forever to dry and cracks and falls off as it dries so you don't get the full effect. When it's dry, wet your face and massage your skin before washing the mask off  with warm water to be left with super smooth skin. I use this once a week as my skin's sort of "reset" - I feel like doing this gets rid of anything left behind over the past 7 days.

5 Ways To Hack Your Hair

*contains gifted products

Hey Owlets,

I will never understand how bloggers turn up to events looking like they’ve had an entire backstage team hiding in their bathroom. I, if you couldn’t tell, am not one of those bloggers. I bought my first curling iron the night before the Blog Awards because my hair stylist bailed on me, and I think it took me about three hours to get ready (I already had my makeup done so that was just my hair!). I’m getting better now but I thought it might be nice to share some hair hacks that I’ve found since I’ve started paying more attention to it.

My Favourite Winter Fashion Accessory

Morning my lovelies,

It's February!!! We are officially out of the slump month, but to be honest other than having a lot of uni work to do, January's not been much of a slump at all.

If you've seen me anywhere on social media, there's been two jackets that I have worn over the last few months in basically every photo. It seems that recently, bomber jackets have been everything, but not so much for me.

When I was at Bath Christmas Market in December I came across a small (permanent) shop selling coats. I've never noticed them before but they had a display outside and a cape caught my eye. It was love at first sight, so I tried it on despite thinking I would look like Little Red Riding Hood's fat cousin. Oh how wrong can I be? 

Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide!

Hey Owlets,

So I feel like this is super late to be writing, but with Dad's heart surgery and uni hand ins, things have been a little bit mad and the blog has had to take a back seat. Anyway, better late than never and everywhere I've looked at for this post offers next day delivery. 

If you're anything like me, you hate Christmas shopping and you've now left it to the last minute and still have no idea what to get anyone, so I'm here to help. I've broken it into a few categories to hopefully make it easier, with a stocking filler option at the end, although I've only done two for each category otherwise you'd be scrolling for days to get through this post.

BEAUTY

I feel like Sanctuary Spa is one of those seriously under rated brands. I've been using their almond oil spray for years and I absolutely love it. They're a really great affordable brand, and despite their smaller price tag, they never fail to look premium. If you're looking for a nice budget beauty gift for someone, the Jar of Delights gift set is perfect and gives them the opportunity to try a range of products from a brand they've not tried before and possibly discover something that they'd want to buy again.

Get it HERE 

For a more extravagant gift, I think this Estee Lauder palette is amazing for someone you know who loves makeup. The kit is more pricy at £58 but the colours offer options for most skin tones,and allow  you to do more neutral as well as more bold looks, so is a great all rounder.

Get it HERE

TECHNOLOGY

In the technology section I wanted to choose things that would be useful, more than things that are just gadgets to play with, so that comes with a more premium price tag. My first option is a Fitbit. I've seen these around everywhere, and while I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a health-freak/gym-bunny, I am usually very busy so I like to see how many steps I've done in a day and how far I've walked, and I also really like tracking my sleep as that's something I struggle with. This is also a great option as there are a lot of different levels from the everyday Fitbit at £40, going up to more premium wear for people focused on performance at just under £200.

Get it HERE

Okay, I know this is a ridiculous thing to put in a gift guide, but if you've recently won the lottery, then please buy me one?

The Apple Watch is something I have been obsessing over for a good few months, but if you aren't an Apple fan like me, you can get some great alternatives on Amazon from as little as £10 which work really well with Android.

Get it HERE

FASHION

In case you hadn't noticed from my Instagram or from my Burgundy blog post, I am absolutely obsessed with the fashion blogger staple of a black floppy hat with literally any outfit I can get away with. I think that this could be a great gift for someone who's maybe into their fashion or likes to look good, and also is quite an original gift.

Get it HERE

Get it HERE

The next option if you know someone well enough could be to buy them a simple coat. Something that most people would wear so that you know it won't be a wasted present. I think a lot of people are afraid to buy clothes or accessories for gifts, but it shows that you know the person well by knowing their personal style, even if you've only bought a simple black coat. I love this black blazer from Dorothy Perkins as a budget friendly option. If you hadn't noticed, I have an absolute obsession with DP, because they cut their clothes in such a way that it looks good no matter what body shape you have.

EXPERIENCES

So I thought another idea if you know roughly what someone likes could be to buy them an experience. This is a great option as you can spend as little as £20, but up to way more extravagant options. I think this is a great idea because not only to they get excited when they open it on Christmas Day, but then have something to look forward to in the New Year as well. Of course for the first option, I was always going to have to choose an owl handling experience. I absolutely love owls, so this would be my dream gift but you can do everything from feeding penguins to hanging out with Meerkats.

Get it HERE

The second option I thought of might be nice for those who you know love to travel and sightsee, or those that aren't as mobile as someone who would be able to do something as active. I chose this vintage bus tour and cruise for two as I  thought it could be a nice option for a Mum or Nan who can sit and relax for the day.

Get it HERE

BUDGET OPTIONS

Okay so I realise some of my gift options were more wishful thinking than actual viable options, so I thought I would give you a few options in case you're looking for something more budget friendly, like a stocking filler or for a Secret Santa. The first option that I liked was this mug cake book. Mug cakes are everywhere at the moment, and are such a great option. This book shows you how to make more than just a plain vanilla or chocolate cake.

Get it HERE

I realise that these are probably slightly over the Secret Santa budget, but they're still amazing stocking fillers. These lenses clip onto an iPhone or Android and give it a lot more capability than the camera would otherwise have. They come in a set of three and make for some amazing photographs, so if you know someone who's always taking photos on their phone, this is the ideal Christmas present.

Get it HERE

So I hope this gift guide has helped you out - better late than never if you're still struggling to find that perfect Christmas present. One last tip that I didn't have a section for is that if you get something personalised, it can make the most ordinary thing become treasured, like a notebook, a tea cup or jewellery.

If you've got any more ideas of great Christmas gifts then please leave me a comment below, as I still have a few people left to buy for!

Love and (Festive!) Feathers, 

 The Owlet 💜 

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