Category Archives: brands I love

& Other Stories

16th November 2015
Trust me to be a few years late to the game on discovering a gorgeous brand that makes me want to buy everything they stock. I always did get a pang of envy when I saw & Other Stories pop up on the blogs I follow, knowing that unless I made a special trip to London I would only be able to browse online (which let’s face it, just isn’t the same) I resigned myself to the fact I had rather a long wait on my hands to experience the joy myself.
That experience actually came about sooner than anticipated as when I was in Spain at the start of October I happened upon their Malaga store. A lengthy browse on our first trip there convinced Mum and I that we had indeed being missing out and we promised ourselves another trip before the end of our holiday to make a purchase each (courtesy of my very generous Dad who in the end paid for our purchases, thanks Dad!).

Dress: & Other Stories (here) | Tights c/o Heist | Boots c/o Just Fab (get them here)

With an un-limited budget I could have quite easily bought an entire wardrobe worth of clothes from & Other Stories (with the jewellery and shoes to match). Being limited in both budget and luggage allowance Mum and I both picked out one dress each with resolve to save up for a trip to London and spending spree next year. I went for the drop waisted cactus print dress which I was inexplicably taken with over everything else that was on offer. I love the subtle Victorian vibe to this dress with the sleeve and collar style and it’s such a dream to wear. Mum was equally taken with the print and went for the sweater dress version which is equally wonderful.
Even browsing the site today looking for the products for this post I’ve added another dozen items to my wish list, oops! Have you experienced the wonder of & Other Stories yet? What has impressed you most (and how am I going to resit blowing a month’s wages when the post-christmas sale starts!?)

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Posted in brands I love, life, outfits, shopping

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Back in Tartan

09th November 2015
If there’s one must have print for me in Winter it’s tartan- perhaps my instant association with the festive season or maybe because it loans itself so well to pairing with knitwear, I don’t know what it is but once the clocks go back I begin to crave it.

Top: New Look | Skirt: F&F at Tesco | Boots c/o Just Fab

Let’s take a moment to appreciate my new boots. I was recently given the chance to browse Just Fab and pick out a pair for myself and these were the pair I kept going back to. I had heard of Just Fab before now but hadn’t really checked it out, essentially it’s a shoe subscription site where you can sign up as a member and get a pair of shoes (or newly launched, clothing) for £35 per month. Of course you don’t have to sign up though, you can be a “pay as you go” member and pay a slightly higher price- not a high price mind you as everything is very good value.

These boots are so comfortable and although I was tempted in by some pretty fantastic heeled pairs I decided that something I could, and indeed would wear every day won over. I’ve literally lived in these since they arrived despite my extensive collection of boots, I wasn’t sure I’d ever enjoy a pointed toe but these have converted me and they happen to pair perfectly with one of my favourite ever skirts.

Are there any prints that you favour for the colder months?

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Posted in brands I love, outfits, shoes

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I Love…Christmas

04th November 2015
I’m not usually one to give, or ask for toiletries as a Christmas gift. I don’t know why that is- force of habit I suppose and assuming that like me, everyone else has overflowing cupboards of products they will never get around to using.

There are some brands I’ll make exception for though because they do gifting exceedingly well. I Love… is one of these brands as I’m yet to have a product from them that I haven’t enjoyed hugely or wouldn’t want to receive as a gift myself. I was recently sent some of the products from this year’s Christmas gifting range and couldn’t wait to share what’s on offer as part of my ongoing quest to provide gift inspiration (it’s a hard life!).

The first product out of the box was the Big Barrel of Love available at Superdrug. This gorgeously girly tin is packed full of treats and the first thing that hits you is the amazing smell! The barrel contains 500ml Cherry Almond Bath, 200ml Cherry Almond Butter, 100ml Cherry Almond Spritzer, 75ml Raspberry & Blackberry Hand Lotion and each item is more delicious than the last. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Cherry Almond scent but it’s really delicious, incredibly hard to explain but it’s not going to turn you in to a walking Bakewell tart which was my immediate concern. This has an RRP of £20 and would make a lovely gift for a special friend.
The next item would make a perfect stocking filler or secret santa gift. The Lots of Bubbles festive edition set features 6 miniature bottles of bubble bath and shower creme in flavours that include chocolate and oranges, iced cookie and sugared cranberries. This would be great to give as is, or if making up stockings for friends and family splitting between them. At £6 this is excellent value and something I will very much enjoy using between now and the big day!
Which of these scents do you think you’d like the most?

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Posted in beauty, brands I love, christmas, gifts

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The Suede Shirt

30th October 2015
Now we’re at the end of October and my holiday feels like it could have been years ago rather than just a month. I keep catching myself looking at the photos wishing myself back on the beach in the sunshine and also seriously regretting not picking up certain things I bought back with me in multiples, the shirt in this post being the perfect example of this.

Suede Shirt: Bershka | Trousers: H&M | Boots c/o Long Tall Sally

Bershka is one of my favourite places to shop when it Europe, they have amazing on-trend pieces at bargain prices. Sure, they also have a UK website but a) I can’t find half the items I’ve seen on there and b) It doesn’t compare to browsing in store.

I was drawn to this shirt the second I saw it, at around 20 euros it was a complete bargain and I wish now that I had picked it up in other colours too; I’m sure there was a burgundy and a camel version available and possibly some others.

It’s such a warm piece, and totally different to anything I own, perfect to chuck on over “treggings” from H&M (anyone else hate the word treggings?) or jeans for a casual off-duty look. It can also be layered over dresses or tucked in to skirts, the combinations are endless and I just can’t get enough.

Where do you like to shop most when you’re on holiday? Bershka + Pull and Bear are my top haunts, both available over here too but cheaper and more exciting when overseas!

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Heist

26th October 2015
Once upon a time I was known for my love of tights and regularly blogged about my extensive collection. These days my choices are a little more reserved and I mostly stick to my trusty black opaques, that’s not to say I don’t appreciate luxury hosiery though and I am forever on a quest to find tights that will last more than two or three wears. Enter Heist who launched only last Friday. A luxury brand designed in London and made in Italy the team spent a year working with a collective of 67 women to design the perfect pair of black tights and when they asked if I’d like to try out a pair I was more than happy to oblige.

Dress: H&M (here) | Boots: Stylist Pick | Tights c/o Heist

These aren’t your ordinary tights, for starters there are no seams which given them a wonderfully smooth look under any outfit. The yarn count is five times that of any other tights making them extremely durable (not to mention a pleasure to wear) and then there is the revolutionary waistband that’s made on a separate machine and hand sewn on to each pair of tights, you can even pick from a high waist or a low waist depending on how you want to wear them.

I opted for a 50 denier low waist pair (£20) which may feel pricey for a pair of tights but these really, really aren’t just any old pair of tights. They arrive in a super luxe black box and slip on like a dream. They feel far more substantial than my usual Primark staples and there is no fear of causing a ladder just putting them on. The waist band is super comfortable and the low waist means they slip under skirts with no band peeking out of the top and despite putting them through their paces there are no signs of wear and tear.

The other styles available are a 50 denier high wait (£22) or for a sheer approach a 30 denier style also in a high waist (£21) or a low waist (£19). As I mentioned, these might seem pricey initially but give them a try and I think you’ll see they are well worth their price tag. Convinced? The team at Heist have generously offered readers of my blog a generous £5 off of their first purchase when they use code HeistLovesDaisyChain. Use this code to get £5 towards your first purchase from Heist Studios at www.heist-studios.com. The code is valid on first time purchases for 14 days from the date of first publication (until 9th November) and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. For more information, please refer to the T&Cs at www.heist-studios.com.

See more from the brand and follow their journey by checking them out on instagram or on twitter. Also please take a moment to appreciate my bargain H&M dress, a real Autumn/Winter winner.

Be sure to let me know if you try out Heist tights, it’d be great to know if you’re as impressed as I’ve been with the brand.

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Posted in brands I love, outfits, review, tights

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