The great swimsuit search

In just over 10 days I am going on away on a beach holiday for the first time in YEARS and I've been searching for over a month for appropriate swimwear. The last time I was on a beach I was wearing something like this:



via Amazon
I do swim at my local pool but I won't get away with wearing my speedo boyleg suit on a sandy beach! But seriously, I've found it so hard to find something suitable which in my case is supportive, pretty and not too low cut. I don't do bikinis, one shoulder, strapless, cut outs, high legs or plunge front but it seems all that's available right now is a mixture of everything of the above which is so frustrating. Also something under £30 but of course all the ones that I've liked have been well over this. Seafolly have beautiful swimsuits but they're around £90 which I cannot justify spending for something I probably will only wear on this holiday alone.

L-R: Fifties swimsuit & Vintage swimsuit
I bought these two suits from the Boden sale but as gorgeous and well fitting as they are, they show SO much cleavage it's not even funny. My everyday bra has more coverage so back they went and I found this little number from Tesco for around £9 using an online discount code.


I have a thing for florals if you hadn't already noticed and I thought this was really pretty but once again, it is plop if you are a C cup and above. I took it for a test swim in the pool and thankfully I was wearing a cropped tankini top underneath (which made me look like an idiot) because in the water the front drooped down completely. Argh! I still haven't found anything else so looks like I'm going to have to buy an underwired bikini top to wear underneath.

Am I the only one with swimwear problems? :(

Polka Face

My new favourite summer dress is this no brand polka dot one recently bought in TK Maxx (£12.99). It looked so cutesy on the hanger though I don't think this translates well on me, especially in the awful changing room photo, ick. I feel a little like an overgrown toddler with the large collar but I love the length (not too short), the sleeves (it has them!) and the ever so slight 50s feel. Paired with my beloved H&M gladiator sandals and I'm set.



Is everyone is enjoying the marvellous weather we're having? I spent Monday lolling about in Hyde Park and only left at sunset. Think I may spend some of the Bank Holiday weekend there too as I don't think there are any Jubilee street parties happening in my area :(

I really do hope to be posting more often now that there's ample daylight to take photos. Speak soon xx

My week in photos and what I bought

From L-R:

1. Stage one of the process of experimenting with dip dye. I'm hoping the blue will turn out as awesome as this so fingers crossed. Also can't get enough of these metal collar style necklaces going around, this one is from River Island (£7) and I love it so much I bought the silver one too.

2. Yummy handmade spinach and ricotta ravioli from Pasta Remoli in Westfield.

3. New bag from Zara (£19.99) but I might get the black version. Grey looks chic but it gets so grubby when going to and from work on the trains.

4. Another Westfield purchase, my new Bobble water bottle! I have no problem drinking tap water but I hate the taste of it when I've refilled a normal plastic water bottle. I always get told off for not drinking more water and I'm hoping this will encourage me to.

5&6. Constant rain and grey skies are so depressing but I've been getting lots of wear out of my mid calf boots my dad bought for me. £18 from Aldi would you believe it.

7. Collection 2000 Multiplier Mascara isn't too grand but it was a cheap buy (£4.99) and the Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner was free with purchase (usually £2.99). Hands down the best felt tip eyeliner I've ever used. It doesn't smudge and it stays on ALL day.

8. I love my new jim jam bottoms from Primark (£5).

9. Found my Nintendo DS in a drawer and I've spent all day on this. Gotta catch em all!

What have you been upto this week?

Black & Navy?

I'm attending a wedding in three weeks and have finally managed to track down a suitable dress today, this lace beauty from Next. It's now the most sophisticated dress I own even though I look nowhere as good as the model does in it (impossible task methinks). The only thing is that I've come a bit stuck on what shoes I should buy. I know a nude pair would go great with this dress but I spent the day in Zara cooing over all the gorgeous shoes and all my favourites are black!




Can you see a trend here? I do love a platform and a chunky heel.

Is it ever okay to mix navy and black? Normally I don't really adhere to certain fashion "rules" but it's a formal occasion and I want to look my very best. What do you think? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated :D

Bloggers Christmas Cocktail Party

I'm proud to be part of the first ever Christmas Cocktail Party as organised by Sarah from City Girls Fashion Box. We were asked to create two outfits, one designer and one high street, fit for a cocktail party.

I am one of three at my workplace so we don't have a Christmas party and I'm so jealous of all of you who get to doll up every year and party all night. This is therefore my only chance to plan Christmas outfits.

Designer



Anya Hindmarch Valorie evening clutch £350 | Charlotte Olympia Dolly heels £625 | Dolce & Gabbana lace and silk dress £1170 | Chanel Rouge Allure lipstick in Famous.

Even though we could let our imaginations run wild (and budgets since they are imaginary outfits), I found it difficult to stray from a little black dress but this Dolce & Gabbana isn't "strictly" black with the gorgeous lace and silk detailing. These Charlotte Olympia heels are ludicrously high but the gold accent goes well with my clutch and being a beauty blogger, I had to include a swanky Chanel lippie! I think the only party I could rock up to in this ensemble would be on the arm of a footballer but hopefully this isn't too WAGtastic?

High Street



Oasis Lexi metallic dress £70 | Zara ankle boot with zip £59.99 | Topshop fluffy leather cape £55 | Mango stud leather gloves £29.90 | MAC lipstick in Impassioned

Once again I haven't strayed too far from black and gold but I looooove this Oasis dress, it looks even better on the model. With a feather fluffy cape, ankle boots and studded gloves to complement, I know it's more rock chick than cocktail but I think it would look great! Lastly a swipe of my favourite pink lippie for an injection of much needed colour.

Make sure you check out the other outfits from my fellow bloggers :)

Becky
Michelle
Sarah F
Lucy
Hannah
Sophie
Jo
Lucy
Amy
Hannah

Winter warmers

I swear I buy a new hat and gloves every winter but whenever the next year comes around they're nowhere to be seen. My massive bobble hat is last season Topshop via eBay and I paid £10 instead of the RRP of £16 but even that is a rip off. It keeps my head and ears warm but the quality is similar to Primark which I wouldn't mind if it wasn't 4x the price. Not cool Topshop, sort it out.



Primark have some great winter things at the moment. These fleece lined mittens were £4 and are soooo soft and warm I never want to take them off. They render your hands completely useless because you can't do anything with them on but they're worth it. Also bought this furry water bottle for a fiver to warm up my bed. My flat is so cold that my nose runs if I don't put the heating on, especially in the ice box bedroom :(:( I've been googling heat saving tips and am really tempted to get window quilts and bubble wrap my windows, sounds crazy but I'm fed up of being cold and miserable.

ugh, only 5 months until Summer!!

Give as you Live

Just a little post for those of you who haven't yet finished your Christmas shopping.



I recently attended an event about Give as you Live, whereby shopping online through the website via click through links, a percentage of what you buy is donated to a charity of your choosing and at no extra cost to you. Connected to all 220,000 UK charities, Give as you Live can be used with over 1,3000 retailers including the big ones like Amazon, Topshop, John Lewis, Boots, Debenhams, iTunes, House of Fraser and so on.

I now do the majority of my shopping online and I tend to buy almost everything from Amazon because they really do sell EVERYTHING! My chosen charity is PDSA and I've downloaded the app for my browser so I won't forget. I've raised about 30p from buying some kitchen items so far :)

Westfield buys

Easing myself back into regular blogging and showing what I bought today during my after work trip to Westfield Stratford. I love that it's only 10 minutes away from me but equally loathe the way it's always rammed. Why are the walkways so narrow? Shepherd's Bush is so much better!

Anyway I digress, here are my buys:


Lush Snow Fairy: I always read on other blogs about how great this shower gel is and I couldn't fathom why something so lurid pink had everyones attention every Christmas, especially since whenever I sniffed the bottle it didn't seem anything special. I decided to buy a small bottle and try it out for myself and wow I'm converted!! It smells deliciously sweet, kind of like those raspberry panda pop drinks but even better the scent stays on your skin after you've showered. I really like it but not sure if I would buy another bottle seeing as it's £5.95 for 250ml. Expensive for someone who usually buys their shower gels for a quid!

Topshop Nail Art Pen: I saw these online the other day when Topshop were doing free delivery but I disregarded them as I thought they would be crap. I wasn't impressed by the WAH nails/Models Own one and assumed this would be along the same lines. Then I saw this post by Gem Fatale and decided that I had to have them. I went in wanting pink but walked out with "Nightrider" black which I'm sort of regretting now. Haven't used it yet as I haven't had time to paint my nails today but I have high hopes for this.

Kiko Creamy Lipstick: Never heard of this brand until recently but I went in to have a nosey and really liked the look of their lippies. I bought #399 which is a sort of rose petal pink? It swatched beautifully in store but after trying it on my lips at home I'm uncertain. I like the matte rubber case which makes it looks more expensive than £5.90 but the actual lipstick is a bit of a let down. It's thin and very "slippy", like cheapo lipsticks and I just feel a bit short changed. I certainly won't be buying any again but their eyeshadows looked really good, there were loads of metallic glittery which ones caught my eye.

Have you tried any of these? Let me know if you're a Snow Fairy fan!

Eid shopping

Eid Mubarak to those who were celebrating yesterday. It was my first Eid with my husband, away from my family and it felt really strange. However I met up with my sister yesterday afternoon for a wee shopping trip in Westfield. It was rammed as always so we only hit H&M, Boots & MAC.

Primark PJ's FTW!

I was spurred on by Laiqah's post and finally bought Impassioned. It's very bright so think I'll only whip this out on special occasions for now, but hopefully will get lots of wear during summer. As you can tell I also treated myself to a long awaited haircut. No longer do I feel bedraggled and boring, but light headed and like my hair is healthy again :)



As usual I loved nearly everything in H&M but I only walked away with these really comfy winter boots. They're not real leather but they're very sturdy and the insoles are sooooo soft. Can't see them online but they're £29.99. I only bought a pair of boots two months ago but I managed to ruin them. I got caught in the biggest rainstorm ever where the streets/pavement flooded and I unavoidably stepped in a puddle that reached mid shin. The boots took 4 days to fully dry out but they now stink to high heaven of dirty rain/drain water. I only managed to wear them twice, gutted!! Fingers crossed this pair lasts.

Anyhoo I'm now on my way back to my cold and internet-less flat (damn you Sky and your long activation date). Catch you soon! xx

Boot(ylicious) @ Forever 21

Behold my new boots that arrived in the post today! Saw these after paying the Forever 21 store a very brief visit last week and they didn't have any in my size so I had ordered them online. Delivery was frustratingly slow as it took a whole week and that was the standard option at £3.95. My super saver free delivery parcels from ASOS and Amazon never take more than 3 days! However I've been looking all over for some affordable brogue-boots and I paid £24.75 so I'm really pleased. I like the distressed look and the little 1 inch heel and most of all I like that it doesn't look too cheap/pleathery.

Although I'll be sad when sandal season is over, I can't wait to wear these!

Gladiator Style

I absolutely love Gladiator sandals, those Romans were a stylish bunch weren't they? I promised myself I wouldn't buy another pair of shoes this summer but I caved when I saw these in the window of H&M. These pleather lace up have a teeny wedge heel and are very "clompy". They were cheap at £14.99 and even though they make me look cankle-y at times I've been wearing them non stop. They're quite wide so perhaps they're not as attractive as they could be but they're so comfy I don't care!

Wedding update - I've bought my shoes!

Image source

Okay hold your horses I haven't bought a pair of Christian Louboutins, these are just my dream wedding shoes for you to perve on. Taking into account that a) I don't have £1,995 to spare and b) if I did, I would have to hobble down the aisle, these beautiful Swarovski crystal encrusted 4 inch heels were never going to be mine. Instead I had to find a pair of bridal shoes on the high street.

I'm not very picky but I had a few requirements: they had to be under £70, have a peep toe and a heel under 4 inches but most of all they had to be PRETTY. There are many wedding shoe specialists (like Rainbow) and I know that the shoes are very comfortable and all but to me, most of them look clumpy and generally unappealing, plus they can cost anything from £85 upwards. I didn't even care about the colour, I just wanted something affordable I could wear again.

Yesterday I found this Ivory pair by Dune! I finished work at 2pm and was browsing the sales in Debenhams when I spotted them for £45 down from £75. They didn't have my size so I had to go to 5 different stores on Oxford St before I found them. After dodging charity peeps and weaving in and out of slow walking tourists in the 31 degree heat, I ended up a sweaty mess but it was worth it because I do really like them. They're not perfect but they're a right bargain which will do me fine! The heels are rather thin so I'll have to get used to that and the right side which was on display is a bit grubby but I can get it cleaned.

If you've seen anything nicer, don't tell me because I can't return these!

I am bored therefore I shop

When boredom prevails, you end up taking stupid photos with your cat. Oh, just me?

I had the most mind numbingly boring weekend last week. I had 5 days off as I took two days sick leave on Thursday and Friday with a tummy bug and I don't work Mondays. All my friends had their own plans and the Mr was bedridden with food poisoning after a dodgy chicken burger incident. Plus the weather was downright awful so no amble in the park for me. Seriously, what is up with the torrential rain? It's MID JUNE!!

There's only so many times you can watch Friends repeats (the same ep twice a day is my limit) and listen to your favourite song at the moment. What I wanted to do was shop! But I wanted instant gratification - no twiddling of thumbs whilst waiting for parcels to be delivered, oh no. Seeing as it was a Sunday and the shops closed early, my only option was the local shopping centre, on my lonesome in the bleeding rain.

My little high street haul

From Topshop I bought a much needed pair of flip flops after the cat chewing incident and a new purse! I'm not a purse person at all, I keep change in my pockets and my cards in a tatty Oyster card holder which was falling apart so I thought why not get this? It was only £6 and I'm not sure if the pattern is supposed be clouds but I think it's cute.

From Superdrug I bought this Beautyuk baked blush in "Peaches and Cream". There were no testers but it looked so pretty so I coughed up the £3.99. Big mistake! Came home and swatched it and barely anything showed up. It's not even peach, it's pink!!

In Boots, I used my No7 vouchers to get the eyelash curler after Rhamnousia posted about it. I've only ever used H&M curlers before and I think I may prefer them to this even though they're perfectly fine. Just a case of personal preference really. Also bought a lipstick in Bare and a Ruby & Millie blush from the clearance bit. I'll be doing separate posts on these two another time but I do loooove the nude lippie. I've still got three No7 vouchers to use but I don't need anything, I just feel like I *have* to use them.

Sorry if this has been a long rambly post! It's still raining but I'm off out now to eat some yummy Turkish food with a friend. Hope you all have a good Friday night whatever you're doing :) xx

P.S Don't forget to enter my Trilogy Giveaway

Ringaling

I wanted to do a post on a new lip pencil I bought but I'm in hayfever hell today and look absolutely horrendous. I'm currently looking for a dark hole to crawl in (armed with a stack of Benedryl tablets) and not resurface again until late Autumn.

Here's a post about rings on the UK high street instead. I'm not a big ring wearer to be honest because I think they can make my fat fingers look even more chubby. However I am really liking the trend for big chunky rings at the moment. I bought this turquoise pair from H&M at the cheapo price of £3.99 but sadly they don't fit and they seem to be sold out everywhere else grrr.

L-R - Top: 1/2/3/4 Middle: 5/6/7/8 Bottom: 9/10/11/12

I did a bit of internet trawling and these are some of the my picks, divided into semi-precious stones, skulls and animals. Don't think I could pull the skulls off but I do like the look of them. My favourites are the "blue irregular stone" ring and the elephant ring which are both from Dorothy Perkins. I've never bought any jewellery from there and was surprised at the good selection.

What do you think? Do you like this trend?

Peep-a-boo

Peep toe shoes are my absoulute favourites for summer not only because they help keep my feet cooler than usual but also because I get to show off my brightly polished toes! These yellow canvas ones are from Primark and boy do they get grubby really easily, however I just pop them in the wash and they come out like new. They certainly won't last very long, especially if I keep washing them, but for £6 they'll serve me well this summer.

Swimwear shape guide featuring Figleaves S/S collection

I own exactly two swim suits and they're both athletic ones from Speedo, designed for lengths in the pool not exactly prime for looking good whilst sunning myself on the beach. I'm not lucky enough to be going on holiday this year but if you are, here's a guide which may be helpful in finding the perfect swimwear for your body shape featuring the new collection by Figleaves.

FLUTE ♥

Athletic and slender, with narrow shoulders and hips and a slightly defined waist. 

Show off your slim shape in a bikini and add volume to your hips and bust with bright prints and frills.

PEACH ♥

Shaped legs, shoulders and waist are balanced with a full bust and round tummy. 

Draw attention to your legs with high cut briefs and look for tummy shaping designs to flatter your mid-section.

PEAR ♥

Full, curvy hips with narrow shoulders and a smaller bust. 

A halterneck bikini top will give the illusion of wider shoulders which will balance out your hips. Ruffled or printed tops draw the eye upwards. Classic bikini briefs  will also flatter.

HOURGLASS ♥

Full bust and rounded hips defined by a nipped in waist. 

Try a cup sized bikini top with underwiring for comfortable support. Show off your well-balanced shape in bold prints

HEART ♥

Narrow hips and a slender waist with wide, athletic shoulders and a full bust.

Balance your lower half with patterned or detailed bikini briefs to draw the eye to your hips and waist. An underwired bikini top is a must for good bust support, comfort and uplift.

Sponsored post

OOTD featuring Swedish Hasbeens for H&M

In H&M today I spotted these shoes which are part of the Swedish Hasbeens shoe collection for H&M. I know wooden clogs were a big thing last year but I wasn't a big fan so I don't know why I was drawn to these? They also come in white but I think the red ones are cuter.

They are a bit granny I admit, but they're really well made for £35 and they are real leather. Actual Swedish Hasbeens retail for over £150 so I was really impressed with these, they haven't skimped on quality at all. I only bought them today but from walking around my garden they're not uncomfortable, but it will take some getting used to.

You also get a cute little tote bag!

My skinny jeans are the Dorothy Perkins pair I keep raving about and also from H&M (men's section) is this Jimi Hendrix tee shirt. I feel a bit of a swizz wearing it as I only really like one or two songs, but in my defence this is my sister's and all my summer clothes are in storage. In future I think I'll get my t shirts from the men's section - they're not tight fitted and the sleeves are slightly longer (great for covering up my fat arms) plus they're SO comfy!

Hope everyone is enjoying their Easter holiday weekend xxx

Dotty P's and other things

Really impressed with Dorothy Perkins at the moment, especially their jeans. Obviously you can't see them properly in this photo but I'm in love with their "super skinny" jeans range. They're such good quality and not thin and elasticy as most skinnies seem to be these days. Best of all they're on promotion for £25 right now.

I also bought these flats as my New Look ones are now battered and the soles were so thin, I may as well have been walking barefoot. They were not made for walking as they had no arch support and my calves were really starting to hurt. This pair from Dotty P's has a thicker sole and a small (maybe 1/2 cm) square heel which makes a lot of difference. They have so many nice summer shoes in there, I just couldn't decide which ones to get. I'm still undecided on these, I may go back and exchange them, not sure yet.

In other news, it's been really quiet on the blog front as we have moved whilst our whole house is being renovated for the next 3 months. 5 people and 2 cats in a small 3 bed flat is no fun at all, I'll tell you that.

My cats have gone mental, especially Blanche (the deaf white one) who has hidden under my bed for the past 4 days and hisses at everything that moves. In his distress he also peed on the carpet directly under my bed!! :(

Harry on the other hand spends all day with his nose pressed up against the glass (hence the major smudge marks) looking at birds in the tree in our new garden.

I should start posting again normally once our internet reconnects later this week. In the meantime, God bless the dude who didn't password protect his WiFi!

See you soon xxx

A is for...

...awesome birthday presents from Anthropologie.

It's my sister's 20th birthday tomorrow so I swung by Anthropologie after work today to get her a little gift. The clothes are crazy expensive but they have a really good homeware section, and their alphabet mugs make great personalised gifts.

I initially wanted to get one of these pretty monogrammed "missus" mugs but as they were on sale, the only ones left were B, I, K, X, Y & Z. Boohoo. Or maybe it was a blessing in disguise as I bought two as gifts last year and the handles broke easily.

This one is sturdier and quite large but that just means more room for gold chocolate coins! Sadly they don't all come with a Lola's red velvet cupcake ;)

Shoe Lust - The Zara Edition

Reason #14535 why I love Zara. They ALWAYS have beautiful, quality, on trend shoes which look more expensive than they actually are.






 1, 2, 3.
My favourites are the first multi coloured pair which I first saw on Canned Fashion.
Oh to be able to wear vertiginous heels everyday without the fear of being crippled.

I should probably make this a monthly feature as there's hardly ever a pair of shoes I don't want.