Category Archives: shopping

Re-discovering Debenhams*

18th February 2017
During a shopping trip in to Broadmead with my mum recently we were musing over how before Cabot Circus was opened nine years ago the highlight of any retail therapy spree was undoubtedly Debenhams. Back then it was this huge, glamorous department store that we could spend hours in. We often did actually, starting with the beauty counters at the bottom and working our way up to the children’s department at the top, along with a pit stop in the restaurant. These days we often neglect to pay it a visit, tending to stick to the Cabot Circus end of the shopping area but every now and again we venture in- lured by a window display or special offer and wonder why we don’t make our visits more regular.

Not only does Debenhams stock it’s own in house brands (Red Herring was a frequent label seen in my adolescent wardrobe) there are also concessions galore- the likes of Oasis, Topshop and Dorothy Perkins. Add in to this the many designer collaborations such as H! by Henry Holland and the well stocked beauty hall with all of our favourite brands under one roof as well as the extensive range of homewares (again in-house brands, designers and well known brands alike) and you realise you really do have it all in one place.

Of course then there are the promotions, regular discount events in store and online (and often discount codes on top of that such as those found at https://www.discountpromocodes.co.uk/debenhams). I really do need to stop neglecting the shop so much and make a conscious effort to give it more custom. It’s one of the longer surviving shops on the Great British High Street, so with it fresh in my mind I’ve popped together a wish list or two to remind myself- and my readers what there is on offer.

Beauty wise I could have gone on forever as there are so many amazing looking products out there at the moment. The Urban Decay Moondust palette is a long standing fixture on my wish list, joined now by these two sets from the KVD x Toofaced sets that I’ve seen popping up on beauty blogs lately and am totally smitten with. It’s been a while since I fancied a new perfume and whilst I have no idea what it smells like (a reason to visit Debenhams next time I’m passing) I love the bottle for Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Kiss- he always produces the most beautiful packaging.
Fashion wise I am diggin’ the embroidery trend right now so this dress by Red Herring and the trainers from the Nine by Savannah Miller collection were both immediate additions to my wish list. I’m also having a backpack revival right now and this H! By Henry Holland metallic number caught my eye instantly. Lastly I’ve already made mention of my desire for a leather jacket and whilst my budget definitely doesn’t stretch to the real deal this Miss Selfridge biker style jacket is currently 30% off and a steal at just £34.30.
Whilst I was browsing I couldn’t resist putting together a little homewares wish list too (I’m seeing it as a mood board of sorts for when I move out again). It’s unashamedly girly and had to feature my dream kitchen gadget on there even if I might not get to own one for a good few years- or decades yet.
I’m feeling some serious love and a sense of nostalgia for Debenhams right now, do any shops provoke that kind of reaction for you?

Dear Debenhams, humble department store and icon of my youth, I do promise to stop neglecting you from here on out…am I forgiven?

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Posted in beauty, brands I love, bristol, fashion, inspiration, shopping, wish list

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Valentines Looks with Ego Shoes

10th February 2017

Honestly, up until a few years ago I didn’t get Valentines at all. It was just a reminder that I was single and alone and I was generally a bit bitter about it all. Then I fell in love and started to see the appeal- things come full circle though and now I am firmly out of love and flying solo again and to be honest I thought I’d find Valentines day a bit depressing this year.

What’s actually happened is I’ve gone to the other extreme and have several days worth of girl dates booked in with my nearest and dearest- not Valentines as such I suppose, but any excuse for a get together and some gossip therapy right?

Ego Shoes recently sent me a couple of pairs of their shoes to style up with some Valentines outfits so with my plans in mind I’ve popped together a day time and evening look that would work perfectly for both my girly social time OR for a daytime/evening date if that was where I was at.

Jumpsuit and Top both from New Look | Esmme Heeled Mules c/o Ego

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get on the mules bandwagon as these are so comfortable and easy to wear – so much so that shortly after they arrived mum hopped on to the Ego website and ordered herself the hot pink colour way. This is exactly the kind of outfit I wear when I go shopping or out for coffee (with my friends or potentially on a date) and I realise now that I kind of failed at getting decent photos. In my defense, it was freezing cold outside and by the time I realised didn’t have many pictures it was a) raining and b) I had run out of time. Blogger fail!

Dress: New Look (this one) | Elise Velvet Floral Heels c/o Ego

For this outfit I had dinner/drinks in mind. I would say dancing too but given the dizzying height of the heels on these and my clumsy nature I don’t think it would be advisable. I couldn’t resist them though- velvet, embroidered and oh so pretty these are the shoes my dreams are made of and I am determined to get some practice in so I can actually wear them without fearing breaking my ankle.

I love how the embroidery detail just so happened to go perfectly with this dress from New Look, a cheeky purchase with the last of my Christmas money and a 25% off voucher. I’m all about the midi lengths at the moment and this little number could happily go from desk to date with a simple change of shoes.

Just a little note on sizing- I’d say with Ego shoes if you’re between sizes then go for the larger rather than the smaller one as they do come up perhaps a little small. I’m usually a 7 or 7.5 but went for the 8 and they are perfect.

How would you have styled these shoes? Do you have plans for Valentines or do you just ignore the day entirely as I used to do?

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

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A Transitional Wish List*

05th February 2017
Now we’re safely out of January it feels like Spring is on it’s way. I mean, I know it’s not and we are still in the depths of Winter (and storm Doris) but there’s something about getting that first month done and dusted that makes it feel like the end of freezing temperatures and frosty mornings is in sight. It’s also the time when the majority of retailers start to have their major new season drops causing my already rather large wish list to grow dramatically. Here are a few pieces that I’m currently loving that can be as worn easily in the Spring as they can right now.

Ankle Boots by Rocket Dog | Dress | Denim Jacket

I’d actually wear this first trio of items together as an outfit- loose fit dresses and ankle boots are my current go to anyway and I really love the clunky, almost ugly nature of this patent pair against the print of the Monki dress. A denim jacket has been on my wish list for ages, I’m yet to find the perfect one but next time I’m in town I’m going to give this one (again from Monki) a try.

Jumper | New Look | Backpack

My second trio of objects of desire is more of a mish-mash. I almost didn’t feature this M&S jumper because I’ve seen it on at least 20 other blogs in the last week alone but I can’t help but love it too. I’m also head over heels for the embroidery trend and a pair of embellished skinny jeans is high up on items I would love to add to my wardrobe (but probably won’t because I don’t intend to stay my current clothes size for long). I have no reason for adding the backpack on to this wish list. I have no need for one really, but it is delightfully retro and for that reason alone I want it.
What have you currently got your eye on? Any absolute must-have items for the months ahead? I’ve just seen some gorgeous new arrivals from Ralph Lauren and have a sudden (but not unusual for me) yearning to embrace nautical vibes once more.

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Posted in fashion, inspiration, shopping, wish list

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Rose Quartz Brightening and Lifting Serum from SkinChemists (and whopping discount!)

01st February 2017
If you read my blog in the run up to Christmas (which now feels like a lifetime ago) then you’ll recall how impressed I was with the luxury skincare I reviewed from skinChemists. The three products I was sent then have become daily staples so I was delighted when the brand got back in touch asking if I’d like to work with them again.

This time I was sent the Rose Quartz Brightening and Lifting Serum* which promises to lift, smooth and illuminate your skin- the three things my face is in dire need of right now! With Rose Quartz as the active ingredient to buff away dead skin cells and unveil the fresh- and hopefully still youthful skin underneath, it also contains Vitamin C to stimulate collagen production and skin tightener ST (a blend of marine and plant ingredients associated with having an instant lifting effect).

It’s certainly a very pretty product- it literally shimmers in it’s sleek looking pump dispenser. As far as serums go this has a very light formulation and doesn’t smell overly rose-y which is fantastic for me as I do find the scent can be quite overpowering. I’ve been using this daily before popping on my makeup and by the second day my skin already looked a lot brighter and a week or so on and the difference is noticeable not just to me. It’s so nice to have a bit of a natural glow about me which never happens during the winter months as central heating just sucks the life out of my already dry skin. I’m noticing my fine lines less and less as well and all round I’m just much happier with how I’m looking minus my usual war paint.

This isn’t a cheap serum- it is in fact incredibly expensive at £109 for 30ml which is way out of my usual price range. I wouldn’t usually feature such an expensive beauty product on the blog, I like to keep things realistic around here BUT…

For the month of February skinChemists have reduced the price of this product (and all of the Rose Quartz range in the name of valentines and romance) to a much more affordable £29.99. If this wasn’t enough then you can also get an additional 20% off of this already generous reduction (making each product £24) if you use my code DAISYBLOG when you check out.

If you’re looking for a real boost for your skin then I really cannot recommend this enough. I know I was sent the product for blog consideration but I was under no obligation to give it anything but a passing mention and if it hadn’t have genuinely impressed me I wouldn’t have wasted my time writing the last 400-odd words about it.

Let me know if you do decide to treat yourself- it would also make the perfect valentines alternative to a bunch of roses…probably cheaper than a dozen red ones and it’ll last longer too!

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Posted in beauty, review, shopping, skincare

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Brand Lust- AllSaints*

27th January 2017
In my mind the high-street exists in three distinct levels: affordable (Primark, New Look, H&M, Monki and the like), places to shop when I have some money saved (Topshop, Zara, Oasis, ASOS, Urban Outfitters) and then the “in my dreams” shops (Cos, AllSaints, Kurt Geiger, Reiss, Whistles etc). I can count on one hand the number of items I own from the latter category- in fact it’s just one, a pair of shoes from Kurt Geiger. The others are left strictly for wish list only…they aren’t quite designer but at the same time they aren’t affordable for someone like me unless I wanted to go wild and run up a heck of a lot of debt on a credit card which isn’t my style.

The one brand that gives me the most “I wish I was rich” feels has to be AllSaints. It’s a shop I both love and hate to browse in. I love it because the minimal designs and beautifully cut pieces appeal to me immensely but hate it because I know that whatever I find will remain just out of my budget reach (well, far out of it actually even with a cheeky discount code which you can find here https://www.myfavouritevouchercodes.co.uk/allsaints-voucher-codes)

I’m forever coveting other blogger’s outfits that feature AllSaints items, particularly their signature leather jackets which is what first drew me to the brand in the first place. With time on my hands as my sick leave continues and a strange desire to torture myself one morning by having a good old browse I thought I would share my current wish list- honestly, when I’m back earning money I’m going to have a dedicated “quality over quantity” savings fund and start building myself a capsule wardrobe of beautiful, minimal basics that will last and last.

Knitwear is definitely an area in which I want to invest as I do spend the vast majority of winter in some variation of chunky knit jumpers or cardigans. What I really like about this AllSaints piece (and you can’t see it in the picture come to think of it) is that it has cut out elbow details which add slight edge on an otherwise plain piece. No wish list of mine would be complete without a pair of ankle boots on it and despite wearing flats 90% of the time I was instantly drawn to this heeled biker boot. They cost almost £200 but are a timeless design that I could see lasting for many, many seasons and could be worn with everything from jeans to dresses. Which takes me swiftly on to this dress- I love AllSaints dresses and how they drape so elegantly. This “oil black” coloured one could be worn quite easily for work and play and it would also take you from season to season with endless layering potential.
I don’t have any particular reason for including this khaki green jacket on my wish list. It was just “I love it purely for how it looks” and that’s that! The trousers however would be the perfect addition to my work wardrobe for when I am in the office. I much prefer culotte style trousers to full length ones, they just feel more me…how great would they look with those ankle boots above? And of course the leather jacket- I could probably write an entire wish list post dedicated to AllSaint’s leather jackets as there isn’t one I don’t like. But I picked this one over them all, and at £328 it is never going to be mine but I will continue to dream.
Please tell me I’m not the only one who categorises shops like this? If someone gave you £1000 and one hour to spend it where would you be heading?

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Posted in brands I love, fashion, shopping, wish list

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