Category Archives: brands I love

Keeping Cosy with Bows Boutiques*

15th December 2016
I don’t do things by halves, it appears I’ve gone from posting pretty much no outfit posts in ages to bringing you one today that has three separate looks in it. I do love dressing for winter weather though, there’s something about layering up and keeping snug that is infinitely appealing and thanks to some new arrivals in my wardrobe from Bows Boutiques I’m keeping cosy in style.

Coat c/o Bows Boutiques | Skirt: New Look | Boots: Long Tall Sally

I think this might be the warmest coat I have ever owned (and that’s saying something as I currently own a lot of coats!) It’s taken me a while to embrace parka style coats but right now I can’t get enough and this one is just perfect. It’s super padded and has lots of faux fur details to make it extra snug and the quality is amazing. I’ve been wearing this non-stop since it arrived- my other coats are starting to feel quite neglected but my loyalty currently lies with this one.

Cardigan c/o Bows Boutiques | Jumper: New Look | Skirt: New Look | Boots: George at Asda

My friends and family call me the cardigan queen as it’s very rare I’m seen without one. I’ve been a little un-inspired by the high-street’s offerings this season though, especially when it came to finding a new black cardigan. This studded cardi from Bows Boutiques ticks all of the right boxes for me- decent length, super warm, pockets and something to make it stand out in the form of the silver stud detailing. This comes in one size suitable for sizes 8-16 and it hangs like a dream, it comes in three colours (grey and khaki) and I’m tempted to buy one of each come payday.

The skirt and jumper are both fairly new acquisitions from New Look- the skirt has become yet another wardrobe essential for me- a more subtle way to embrace the velvet trend with it’s quilted texture and I really like how it looked paired with these over the knee boots that I admit I forgot I owned, oops!

Jumper c/o Bows Boutiques | Jeans: New Look (old) | Boots: New Look (now half price)

I’m not usually one to share my more casual outfits on the blog, there isn’t often anything exciting to show when I’m slobbing around in jeans and a baggy jumper but I make exception for this jumper as it dresses up my one and only pair of jeans perfectly. I’m a big fan of oversized knitwear especially when I’m struggling with my body confidence and feel the need to hide. The embroidered detail is bang on trend and the jumper itself is so soft and snuggly that I just want to live in it. Again it’s a one size fits all (8-16) piece that just hangs like a dream. It comes seven different colours and I’m starting to think that one for every day of the week might not be a bad idea. I actually really like how this outfit turned out. The pewter boots finish it off wonderfully although I am slightly resentful that they are now half price at £14.99.
This post has been my introduction to the brand Bows Boutiques and I have to say I am seriously impressed. It’s hard to know what to expect when you’ve never experienced a company before but I can hand on heart say I’ll be shopping with them from here on out. The quality far exceeds that of many a high-street shop and the prices are very reasonable (£85 for the coat, £31.99 for the cardigan and £28.99 for the jumper). Watch this space for more pieces arriving in my wardrobe very soon- well, once I’m back at work and have had a chance to recover from the expense of Christmas that is!

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P.S. sorry the photos aren’t very exciting. The one and only opportunity I got to take them and the weather decided to chuck a sudden downpour at me!

Posted in brands I love, fashion, life, outfits, review, shoes, shopping

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Party Makeup with Essence

14th December 2016
Party season is in full swing and last Friday saw me pop on my glad rags for my one and only festive knees up this year. I’ve never been on to splash out and invest in expensive clothes, shoes or makeup for a night out but at the same time I do want something that’ll go the distance. This year I sported a £10 playsuit and £5 jacket from Primark as well as my pewter boots from New Look (now half price). My makeup came courtesy of my friends at Essence who sent over a few new pieces for me to try out- despite their purse friendly prices the products in this post impressed me enough to make it to the top of my party makeup list and were still going strong long after I left the dance floor.
Up until the package had arrived I’d actually been struggling to find exactly the colour eyeshadow I wanted to wear so it was fortuitous that the metals eyeshadow in shade 02 frozen toffee (£2) was exactly what I’d had in mind. This is a gorgeous frosted brown that blends beautifully, the colour payoff is amazing and it didn’t crease or fade at all which is frankly amazing for the price. I used this colour as a base before blending in a smokey grey pigment and finishing off with the extreme lasting eye pencil in shade 04 nighttime in the jungle (£2). Again this shows impressive longevity for the minuscule price tag and applies like a dream- no dragging or catching at all.

I’d already decided I wanted to go with a dark lip for the party and the long lasting lipstick in shade 21 très chic (£2.30) turned out to be perfect. Once again this is an essence product that lives up to it’s claims and unlike many long lasting lip products doesn’t suck all of the moisture out of your lips by half way through the night.

Finally a product that was completely new to me was the blush ball in shade 30 cinnamon candy (£3) which I used along with highlighter to give my skin a healthy glow. I love how portable this product is although I did find it a little harsh when applied directly so used my soft blusher brush for a gentler approach. It’s a lovely way to package a product though and the colour creates a warm glow for pale winter skin.

After getting caught up in the party prep madness I didn’t actually manage to get a decent photo of the end result…but you kind of get the idea from this shameless instagram selfie right?

Are you all partied out yet? What are some of your favourite budget party makeup pieces?

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

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Not Listening

12th December 2016
You may remember that over the Summer I became a little bit obsessed with slogan and logo tees, to be honest they were pretty much all I wore on a daily basis for a good few weeks solid, paired either with a denim skirt or my old faithful denim pinafore. It’s been a while since I added to my collection but when my friends at Lush T Shirts got back in touch (you may recall I’ve worked with them several times before) with some Christmas gifting ideas I decided it was time to get a bit cheeky.

Tee c/o Lush T Shirts (here) | Skirt: Urban Outfitters | Boots: Banana Republic | Coat: Mango (similar)

I think I’ve mentioned before that I am a very sarcastic person once you get to know me and this tee sums up that side of my personality perfectly. There really is a t shirt for everyone on the Lush T Shirts site though, I’ve popped together a few of my favourites for Christmas gift inspiration- at £14.99 they make for an affordable and fun way to get your message across, or you can shop the festive range for an alternative to the Christmas jumper (and you can get any 4 for the price of 3 too so great if you want to stock up).
If you had to pick a T Shirt to represent you what would it say?

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Posted in brands I love, christmas, fashion, gifts, outfits, shopping

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Gift Inspiration: Sealed with a Kiss by Dower & Hall

04th December 2016
So we’ve established by now that I think jewellery makes for the perfect gift come Christmas time- or any time and most of my gift guides this year have featured it heavily. I just can’t help it though, my inner magpie has been well and truly seduced by all the beautiful launches that have come out in time for the festive season and the new “Sealed with a Kiss” range by Dower & Hall is no exception.
The pendants in the collection (and there are far more than I’ve shown above, these are just a few of my favourites) are set with crystal glass at the front and back and hold delicate floating treasures and loose gemstones. There’s a symbol or six for every possible occasion and they make for a wonderful keepsake gift that has both the personal and sentimental touch that is so important when choosing the perfect present.

If you’re as captivated by the collection as I am then you can shop it both online and in store. The pieces are available in sterling silver and 18ct gold vermeil with precious gemstones and crystal glass. Small and large sizes are available with several chain length options. Prices range from £148 to £195.

Which one would you most like to receive as a gift? I’m really rather taken by the triple star and white sapphire one myself.

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No money or goods changed hands for this post, I just really, REALLY love the collection!

Posted in brands I love, christmas, fashion, gifts, inspiration, jewellery, shopping

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Gift Inspiration: Going for Gold with Filofax

30th November 2016
If there’s one brand I’ve always had a soft spot for then it’s Filofax (see here) so when they got in touch to tell me about their amazing selection of Rose Gold organisers not only was I smitten I also knew that they’d make for the perfect gift guide post…can you think of a better gift for anyone who loves stationery, rose gold or both? Actually, there are some utterly divine gold pieces by Filofax too which I’ve popped in for good measure- what can a say? I’m a total magpie!

A5 Saffiano Organiser, special edition | Saffiano gold wrap iPad case (various sizes available) | Saffiano Rose Gold personal organiser, special edition | Saffiano zip gold tablet case (various sizes available)

Is this not the chicest set of lifestyle accessories you’ve ever seen? I was lucky enough to be sent a gold wrap case for my iPad which if you keep an eye on my social media you’ll be seeing plenty of and it is every bit as gorgeous in the flesh as you’d expect. I don’t expect any of these products to hang around long so make sure you act fast if you want to snag one- treat yourself or a loved on ASAP, I urge you.

If metallics aren’t your thing then of course there are plenty of other highly covetable products on the Filofax website. If you’re picking out presents then do feel free to drop one of these for me- thanks!

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Posted in accessories, brands I love, christmas, fashion, gifts

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