Category Archives: brands I love

Lightbox review and giveaway with Gingersnap

09th October 2017
The fashion for light boxes is one that’s been around for a while now, and in typical Laura style I’m very late to the game. I’ve wanted one for ages but for one reason or another never quite got round to making the purchase. Now, thanks to the generosity of the team at Gingersnap I’m the proud owner of two.
I was sent the original cinematic lightbox as well as an extra lightbox and emoji faces and symbol pack. The lightbox is A4 sized and costs £15 which is really good value compared to many I’ve seen on the high street, it comes complete with 85 black letters, numbers and symbols and is powered either by 6 AA batteries or a 9v adaptor.

Bob and I had great fun creating lightboxes for each other’s bedside tables and we’re both really impressed with the effect they give. The emoji pack is a worthwhile addition for an extra £10- it’s a bit sad to say but we’re both emoji mad in our whatsapp messages to each other so it was great fun to be able to continue that theme in to our home environment (whoever said adults had to be grown up?)

The Gingersnap website is a great new discovery- alongside their range of lightboxes in varying size and colour options you can also pick up super quirky “mintage” lighting and neon lights- all perfect for jazzing up your home or giving as gifts. I’m also quite taken with the mini ginger range which is just adorable and so not limited to the little people in your lives.

As well as being generous enough to provide the products for this blog post, Gingersnap are also offering up a lightbox to one lucky reader of this blog. Just follow the simple entry steps below and keep those fingers crossed!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to UK residents only. It starts on Monday 9th October and ends on Monday 16th October 2017. Winner will be picked and contacted within 24 hours and your prize will sent directly to you from Gingersnap. By entering this giveaway you consent to me sharing your contact details with Gingersnap if you are selected as the winner.

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Posted in brands I love, gifts, giveaway, lifestyle

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3 in 1 with LOTD

07th October 2017
One of the major perks of being a blogger is being asked to collaborate with new and exciting brands. This is something I definitely don’t take for granted- even after almost ten years of blogging I still find it hard to believe that people would want to send me things, or pay me for content. Blogging for me is a hobby and always will be. The perks that come with it are just that- whether they came along or not I’d still put my thoughts out here on the internet for anyone who fancies it to have a read.

Recently I was asked if I’d like to collaborate with up and coming fashion brand called LOTD (which stands for Look of The Day). I was given the chance to pick a few pieces from the site to see what they’re all about, and from the second I clicked through on the link I was smitten- it took me a remarkably long time to make my decisions and my wish list for future purchases is six miles long at this point in time.

The website it packed full of on trend pieces at great prices. With everything from cosy basics through to the perfect party dress (and everything in between) I happily spent near on an hour just looking through everything before being able to come even close to making a short list.

I’ve put together three outfits from the items I was sent- I’d love to know what you think of them and also, how you’d style them too.

This dress from LOTD was the first item I clapped eyes on and fell in love with. It’s an absolute bargain at £15 and I’ve already got it ear-marked for the festive season. I was pleased I checked the size guide before ordering as I probably would have ended up getting a dress that was far too small for me, but fit wise it’s perfect and I finished off the look with my pewter ankle boots from New Look.
This navy jumpsuit is my favourite item from this haul- I was so close to not getting it thinking it’d be impractical for every day, but I took the plunge at the last minute and I’m so happy I did. Again it’s an absolute steal at £20 and the tie up front detail is great (although I need some practice with tying it!) Here I’ve paired it with my metallic converse for a casual vibe, but I’m planning on picking up some burgundy loafer style shoes and wearing it for work too- a welcome addition to my office wardrobe. This is something I never would have thought of trying before, or been brave enough for- sometimes it pays to take a risk!
This grey jersey tunic (£20) is the softest top I’ve ever owned. The LOTD website has it listed as a dress, but as you can see it is a bit on the short side and when I left the house I did stick some jeans on in place of tights. That aside it’s a great casual basic- I’d recommend going up a size for ultimate slouch though.

My final item were these kick-ass studded boots (£35). Ok so this is the second pair of studded boots I’ve added to my wardrobe in under a fortnight but who’s counting? I’m obsessed with snazzy flats and this pair have an extra badass feel.

All clothing items in this post, and the studded boots were sent to me c/o LOTD for blog consideration. I can hand on heart say though that this is a shop you want to be checking out, and I will be placing further orders from in the future. Once again I am thankful to the blogging world and the opportunities it brings me to discover new places to shop- I am not quite so sure my bank balance would agree though…

Which shops are you loving right now? Which of these pieces is your favourite?

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Posted in blogging, brands I love, fashion, outfits, personal style, shopping

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For the Frill of It with MissPap

03rd October 2017
It feels like an absolute age since I last did an outfit post- looking back it would appear that it was way back at the start of September which is probably some kind of record for me! I’ve not been feeling all that inspired by my wardrobe lately, I’ve been on a pretty tight budget and haven’t shopped much, I’m also living in work clothes (of which I own very few and are therefore highly dull) and I’ve been crazily busy. Still, I managed to take enough time out to grab some snaps of some new arrivals from MissPap, a brand I’ve seen a lot of recently on social media and on blogs- they sell some fantastic on trend pieces at highly reasonable prices and I was really excited to be given the chance to collaborate with them.

Frill hem skinny jeans c/o MissPap | Embroidered jumper: New Look (last year) | Studded ankle boots c/o MissPap

I can’t say a pair of frilled hem skinny jeans were top of my list when I was browsing the website for items- it’s a trend I’ve admired on other people but wasn’t convinced of for myself. Still, in a fit of recklessness I decided to order a pair (word of advice, they come up on the smaller side) and I’m sold on the concept from here on out. The fact I’m in skinny jeans at all right now is nothing short of a miracle, but that’s a story for another day. A more typical pick from me were the stud detail ankle boots, which cost a very reasonable £30 and are hands down a pair of the comfiest boots I’ve owned. I’m all about the ankle boots, as any long term readers will know and given that I so rarely wear anything with a heel these days having a pair of boots with some eye-catching detail is a great way to inject some life in to my style.
How do you feel about the frill hem trouser trend? I’d consider myself a semi-convert by this point, the frill on these jeans is subtle enough not to draw too much attention. I admire any one who dares go any bigger- whilst they might suit many people, as for me, I fear I’d resemble a clown escaped from the local circus.

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Posted in brands I love, fashion, outfits, personal style, shopping

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Matt vs Shine with Essence

23rd September 2017
My lipstick obsession has got out of hand since last Summer. My collection seems to grow each week and I have every colour and texture imaginable at this point. The one thing I just can’t make my mind up on is which finish I prefer though- one day I’ll be sporting a vampy matt lip and the next I’ll be wearing something sugary sweet and glossy.

One of my favourite brands for lip products is of course Essence, the super affordable brand stocked exclusively at wilko.com and in selected Wilko stores. With a huge array of lipsticks and glosses coming in at under £3 per piece I find it super hard to resist temptation- and really, what’s the need when you can get several new looks for under a tenner?

I was recently sent a selection of lip products as part of their Matt vs Shine campaign. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post I really can’t decide which team I’m on but I’ve popped up some little reviews of each shade and how I’ve been wearing them (minus the evidence because once again, I fail at taking photos of myself!)

In the first picture we have a trio of lip glosses. The pale pink at the top is hands down my favourite Essence lip product to date- it’s the shine shine shine wet look lip gloss in shade 02 (smile, sparkle, shine) and features an awesome prismatic glow whilst remaining subtle enough for daily wear. It’s probably my most worn lip product at the moment and I have a back up ready for when it runs out! The middle shade is another shine shine shine gloss in shade 07 (happiness in a bottle). This is a bold pinky neutral shade with a lovely shine, it gives the coverage of a lipstick whilst remaining light with a lovely shine to it, as the name would suggest. This is such a great colour for this time of year and I’m loving it teamed with a berry toned outfit and my copper hair. The third product in this photo is a matt matt matt long-lasting lipgloss in shade 05 (simply be an icon). I found myself reaching for this on a night out in Scotland- it’s light to wear and not at all drying whilst giving a super bold punch of colour that didn’t budge all night, even several vodkas in. This matt shade costs £2.30 whilst the shine glosses are £2 each.

The second picture plays host to two lipsticks that couldn’t be more different if they tried. First up is the sheer and shine lipstick in the shade candy love (12). For anyone who loves a “your lips but better” look this is the lipstick for you. It’s so sheer in colour and so light to wear you wouldn’t really know you’ve got anything on. I’ve been popping this on when I’m running late and want to look a bit more polished in a hurry. This has become the ultimate handbag staple for me! Secondly we have the matt matt matt lipstick in shade 08 which is a deep, dark burgundy colour perfect for wearing with this season’s Victoriana trend. This isn’t a lipstick for the faint hearted as it really doesn’t budge once it is on, but it has a super light texture and non-drying formula that I love. Both of these products cost £2.30 each.

Are you team matt or team shine when it comes to lipsticks? Let me know in the comments.

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Products sent to me by Essence for blog post consideration.

Posted in beauty, brands I love, make up, review

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Cats&Coffee

08th September 2017
So this post concludes my trio of outfit posts in collaboration with the fabulous Wearall and it just so happens that I was given another opportunity, this time to create a personalised top from YourDesign (who have a whole selection of personalised t-shirts to choose from) which when added together made for the perfect casual outfit. It’s also a debut post for my spur of the moment hair colour change- booked in to go for my usual pinky/red shade I made the snap decision to go, well, orange! I’m not 100% sure how much I love it at the moment, I think I’ll probably go back to red after this but it’s fun to have something to bright- especially given how bleached out my hair was looking prior to my trip to the hairdresser- it’s not usually this floofy but humid weather conditions and a disposition to frizz were against me.

Skirt c/o Wearall (get it here) | Baseball tee c/o YourDesign | Trainers: Puma

I love a good slogan tee so being presented with the opportunity to create my own was fantastic. Out of the range that YourDesign offers I decided to go for a classic baseball tee, which costs a very reasonable £15 and emblazoned it with two of my favourite things in life- cats and coffee. You can select from a range of images and fonts from those on the YourDesign website or you can upload your own photos which also makes it a great gifting option. The whole process was really simple to do and delivery was quick so if you can’t find the slogan you’re looking for on the high street, or are looking for an extra special gift then I can’t recommend the service from YourDesign enough.

I have praise for Wearall as well, each and every item I’ve been sent by the brand has been great. Sizes do tend to be a bit on the small size so do bear that in mind, but again with swift delivery and plenty of special offers and discounts I strongly suggest heading over there for a new-season spend up.

This is me signing off for a week or so now- I’m off on holiday tomorrow- a week in The Highlands with my boyfriend and I couldn’t be more ready for the break!
Blogging will resume once I’m home and recovered and hopefully I’ll be feeling refreshed and full of new ideas for the blog as well as a whole host of new content from my trip away.

If you were designing your own slogan t-shirt, what would it say?

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Posted in brands I love, fashion, gifts, lifestyle, outfits, personal style, shopping

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