Summer Brights with Fatface

When I was approached by Fatface to style a look from their South Coast Brights collection, I was so pleased.  I love their relaxed chic look, it is so easy to wear and I have always found the quality to be excellent.  I used to be into the surf scene when I was growing up in a English Seaside Town, hence the wave tattoo I have around my right hand ring finger.  Fatface was, and still is, a store I go and have a look through for holiday clothes each year.

Cardigan - Annie by Fatface, Cropped Chinos by Fatface, Striped Top by H&M,  Navy Vest by La Redoute,  Lets not talk about the shoes.

I opted for some classic navy chinos and a pretty corla cardigan to set the look off.

I need to mention how happy I am with the Navy Crop Chinos.  They are gorgeous, the fabric feels so soft.  I got them one size up from my usual size (so a 16 instead of my usual 14) as I read they can come in a little small, and I wanted a more slouchy look. The fabric is excellent quality, it is a super soft cotton twill and the colour is a lovely deep navy (take note Very, they is what navy should be!)  These will be perfect for plane journeys, where you want to look tidy but still be comfy.  They will also allow me to not freeze whilst I get to the airport here, nor boil when I get to my destination.

The trousers have 2 side pockets which manage to do the impossible and be functional without adding bulk.  The cut is very flattering for those of us with big hips and smaller waist ,as the tailoring is spot-on and the waist fits beautifully (thank you, who ever designed these,  I won't need a belt for once)

The general advice for those of us with large hips is to not wear cropped trousers, as they can make you look wider by cutting off your legs half way down.  I have to add a caveat to this, which is if you are tall and have long legs and a short body, then it can help lengthen your torso which is a good thing.  I need to wear a top of a similar colour or one that finish past my widest point or they really do like me look very pear shaped, but overall, I find capri's to be a much safer option than shorts, which could not look worse on me ( I still have nightmares about wearing them in PE.)

I love the Neon trend but my skin is a little too pink to be able to wear very warm pinks. The Annie Cardigan in Corabelle is a pretty bright coral which bizarrely is a cool coral and so suits those of us with pink undertones. It is so pretty, and a great way to add some femininity and a pop of colour to your look. I like the pointelle detail (apparently that is what the patterns of holes is called) as it stops it from being just another cardie and makes it more delicate.  It's 100% cotton so ideal on hot summer days when you want to hide your arms but not get too hot and sticky.  Another point I must note is that the v-neck is well designed to not expose to much or make you feel too grandmotherly.

I paired the outfit with a pair of seriously old tan wedges that frankly have seen better days.  I am finding it such a struggle to find a pair of tan wedges in my size that aren't too high so I can wear them on a daily basis.  I painted my nails in a very unwise navy nail polish with a gold tips, this will be a real pain to remove as glitter polish is always hard and dark blue will stain. Anyway enough of the bad,  I think coral, navy and gold is such a classic colour combination and I will be wearing a lot more of it.

Navy Top by La Redoute, Navy Chinos by Fatface, Nail varnish Betty Blues by No7 & Revlon Sequins

I will get so much wear out of both these pieces.  The cardie can be worn with an all black outfit to give it a lift or with a white sun dress. The crop chinos are such a summer staple that I will probably wear them far more than is judicious.

I am really happy with both of these items and will definitely be making a stop in Fatface at Gatwick on my next holiday to check out some more of their items.  If you, like me, live quite far from the nearest shop here is their new arrivals page.

N.B. I must mention that writing this post make me laugh as I have notoriously chubby cheeks and so the irony of doing a post for Fatface is not lost on me :)

*Sample provided by Fatface for review purposes

SS15 Double Denim Menswear Trend Lookbook

It's starting to feel like Spring, the days have gotten warmer (I even went out without a coat yesterday, but then I am Northern) I have already ordered a few bits to update my wardrobe for spring, Hello new bag and possible blazer!

If your Husband is anything like mine, then his wardrobe is a chaotic mix of things he has bought himself on a whim, and then the rest of the useful workhorse items that I buy (or badger him into buying) so that the disparate parts can come together.  I think we had both agreed it was time for a few new additions to spice things up.

Looking at the Spring/Summer Catwalk collection the double denim look seems to be very much the look of the season.  Some of the looks are almost wearable, amazing, I know! Prada, Ralph Lauren and the design god that is Tom Ford, all sent models down the catwalk doused in serious does of denim.

Tom Ford's super wearable biker cool inspired SS15 collection

In an attempt to reinvigorate my beloved wardrobe we looked to House of Fraser as they are always a good choice for fashion led pieces that can actually be worn in real life.  One of the in-house brands they stock is Barbour, who not only create the eponymous waxed jackets, they also create a range of biker clothes.  

This thick cotton blue/grey shirt* is inspired by Steve McQueen, AKA The King of Effortless Cool. It is ridiculously versatile . It can worn with a jumper and peacoat while the weather is still cold and then swapped into a daytime city break look for Spring and also as a going out shirt in Summer.  It gives the double denim look but for those who are less adventurous than others.

Shirt - Barbour £70
T-shirt - boring plain one

Paul works in the city so classic good taste is pretty much expected, it's hardly fashion forward in London's Square Mile. He turned 40 last year so quality and wearability are very important to his style. I think the general aim is "Stealth Wealth" though the actual result varies greatly :)

Shirt - Barbour £70
Coat - Penguin - similar here £210
Jumper - Blend - similar here £28
Jacket - Gieves & Hawkes £595
Jeans - Firetrap down to £50 from £90

City Break - This is the kind of outfit he would wear when we get the occasional break away.

Shirt - Barbour £70
Bag - Storm £40
Jacket - Gieves & Hawkes £595
Watch - Omega De Ville (more money than sense)

I like the city break look the best, I'm so pleased the shirt goes with his man bag as I encouraged him to buy after getting sick of being stuck with the heavy camera in my handbag every time we went out for the day.  Overall this is a great shirt, that I am hoping Paul will make use of this weekend when we go out for my Birthday. The fabric of the shirt is fantastic, it's cotton, but quite thick so it's very flattering and the cut is great too, it's slim around the waist and tighter on the arms.  

What do you think, what looks would you like to see on your man? Keep it clean Ladies.

*Provided by House of Fraser for review purposes.

Christmas Party!

At the end of November I had my first Christmas Party of the year.  It was with the Mums from my daughter's school and was at the local golf club.  As always I took this as a chance to dress up.

picture taken before I put nail varnish on so that I wouldn't smudge it!

I got to wear my favourite dress, that my Husband bought for me to wear for his 40th in Las Vegas.  It is from LK Bennett's Black Ribbon collection, which is their luxury line, and I love it, though it is a pain in the ass to keep looking good as it shows both creases and marks up with only a glance at it.  

I wore OPI Vampsterdam on my nails which I picked up for only £3.99 in TKMaxx, it's a sheeny mulled wine kind of colour.  My shoes are from Nine West (last years, similar here) I bought them as the pale gold is pretty neutral and goes with most things.  Plus Nine West shoes are always comfortable and are generously sized. My bag is from Accessorise and is around 260 years old or thereabouts.  Note to self...must buy new evening bag, preferably one that my phone can fit in!

I went pretty minimal on the makeup as I was wearing such a bright dress, that I figured I would let the makeup take a back seat.  I have on all the usual suspects (see any of my previous makeup posts to get an idea) along with Urban Decay De-slick spray to keep it in place, I find this does help with the longevity of my makeup, I wouldn't say it last all day, but it definitely lasts longer.  The bottle is pretty large and I have had mine for a couple of years so far so a goo investment for special occasions.  I ventured to curl my crazy stubbornly straight hair with large barrel tongs and I used  volumising products, but it still dropped within 2 hours anyway.  

Obvioulsy I didn't wear my robe, this was before getting dressed.

What is everyone else wearing this xmas? 

Comfy Cosy Winter Style

I ordered this jumper dress on whim from Very, as I was looking for something for Christmas parties, but when I saw this, I knew it would work for so many daytime occasions over the festive period.  I did buy an night-time outfit for parties too which I will post at a later date when I have figured how to style it.  It was only £14 which is ridiculously cheap for such a nice dress.

Navy Duffle coat - originally La Redoute similar here on sale for £20! 

I love the colour which is the most true in the face shot, it is a purpley red with good blue undertones so I don't look too florid in it, though I would NEVER wear it it without makeup as it is very bright so needs balancing.

Bright Pink Jumper Dress from Very £14.40

Boots - originally from White Stuff £95 - similar here or here

 For more functional and reasonably priced outfit ideas follow me on Bloglovin here, or use the mail sign up form on the top right if you prefer it all a bit more old school :)

How to Wear Ankle Boots with Curves - Lotus Teagan

When the lovely people over at Lotus offered me the chance to try some of their shoes, I obviously snapped them up.  I decided to try something slightly outside of my comfort zone as I live in knee high boots in Winter and so I opted for these gorgeous ankle boots.  They are called Teagan and are of such high quality for the £75 they retail at.  The thing that impressed me most, was the comfort as I spend nearly all day on my feet (well except for when I'm blogging) and these have lovely padded insoles and a sensible stacked heel.  They have a normal leather front and then a suede snakeskin effect back which makes them more original than most ankle boots out there.  I also really liked to leather pull, on the zip which makes them a doodle to put on.

Lotus Teagan Boots £75

I figured it would be too easy to just put these on with some bootcut jeans, as all you would see was the front, so I decided to try a different approach.  I love the looks I see on Pinterest with ankle boots paired with dresses, but as usual this is a look that works best on those with a slimmer frame.  So I decided to adapt it slightly by matching the colour of the tights to the boots and skirt so that it slimmed my silhouette but still gave me a slightly more edgy look than usual.  To be honest edgy would never be a word you would associate with my style, I play it safe every time.

Here I wore them with a Poncho, ribbed black skirt and tights.  I would wear this outfit regularly as it is so comfy and versatile, I could wear this for most anything.

I also gave the ankle boot, cosy sock and tights look a go, I'm still not sure on this... but I figured it was worth a try.

I then tried a more dressed up look.  I have a on a Ted Baker coat that is several seasons old and was originally red, but I dyed it black.  I promise I am wearing a skirt beneath the coat, contrary to photographic evidence.

Overall I am really impressed by the boots, less so my styling of them, but I reckon with a bit of practise I may be able to give wearing ankle boots without trousers a go.  I liked that as a size 8/9 UK these fit me with ease, which I would say means they are pretty true to size, towards slightly generous, so if you like to wear socks under your boots then you would be able to do this with Lotus shoes. If you fancy taking a look at their range this is the site that I got them from, I also really liked these boots, which are more biker-y.

To keep up with all my latest attempts at making myself look presentable, feel free to sign up with Bloglovin here.

Lush and Body Shop Blogger Meetup at Victoria Place

I was so excited when the latest Beauty Blogger meet up was at Victoria Place in Victoria Train Station.  Firstly because I could actually go for once, and secondly because I love Lush and Bodyshop products.

The first hurdle was the obvious matter of what to wear.  I knew we would be walking around and stood up for a while so I jettisoned the heels in favour of some comfy flat brown knee high boots I had got from Clarkes via Very and the went for a tunic dress with sheerish tights.

I had just bought the classic OPI shade called My Private Jet so I painted my nails with that and the ubiquitous top coat of Seche Vite.  For make up I decided that if there was one time I could wear a full face of makeup, then a beauty blogger meet up would have to be it.  So I went of everything, all at once!

Please excuse laundry basket and bits of random wood in shot, I was rushing.

Brown Boots - Clarkes at Very £99

Black Wool Tunic Dress - La Redoute £29

OPI My Private Jet - Very £11

Lush

First off we visited Lush which is on the same level as the train platforms and I have walked past on many occasions, but always at full throttle on my way to catch a train.  I doubt this will happen again, as there was so many great well-priced products that I will most definitely be visiting this convenient little gem more often.

We were given a demonstration of many of there new christmas products and then we got to make our own Big Blue bath bomb.  My favourite products were the reusable bubble bar and the shower jelly snowman.  I was also very impressed with the snow glitter powder that I KNOW my girls will go crazy for at christmas.  They very kindly gave a sweet little bag with a couple of sample products and our bath bomb to take home.

Erica from Makeupfun making a Big Blue bathbomb.

Top 3 Lush Products

On my shopping list for future shops are;

Reusable Bubble Bar £5.25- such a great idea and very affordable, the amount of bubbles and the scent was incredible for such a small amount of product.
Snowman Jelly £3.50 - this is such a cute idea.  A snowman shaped jelly that comes folded up in a pot, when you open him up you just rub in a little water for a great smelling (lemon and bergamot)shower gel
First Snow Powder £4.75 - the kids will adore wearing this at christmas it has a lovely sheen, kind of like a highlighter but in powder form, plus it smells divine too.

Bodyshop

We then visited Bodyshop where we were introduced to there new Drops of Youth Eye Concentrate and the original best selling Drops Of Youth Serum.  Both products felt lovely on the skin and sell like hotcakes.  The serum has amazing reviews but I doubt their efficacy as I have seen no compelling evidence for the ingredients being used to formulate them, having any particular anti-ageing properties, it just seems like a well packaged form of glycerin to me.  Luckily they gave us some samples of the serum to try so we will see if there is anything to the claims.
The lovely staff also makeover a couple of the braver amongst us.

On a more positive note the makeup counter has been completely over-hauled and they have bought back nail varnishes,Yay!  The colour burst lipsticks also looked gorgeous and glided on really smoothly.

Top 3 Bodyshop Products

My favourite things i tried on the night were;

Smoky 2 in 1 gel eye liner in brown £10  This has an inbuilt brush, I am not sure I will find the length of the brush a problem, but the liner itself left a lovely soft finish that would be ideal for everyday wear. Best of all it can be used on brows too, for £10 it is very reasonably priced.
The new Argan Oil Range £13, this smelt very top end and felt super smooth and nourishing, I didn't like the idea of the solid lip oil but the body butter smelt divine. I will definitely be getting this when I have voucher as at £13 it is a bit steep.
Mango Hand Gel £2.50 - this smelt gorgeous , a cute product to pop in your handbag for those times when the public convinces are less than sparkling.

Cafe Rouge

We were then treated to a glass of champagne and a Planche Rustique (rustic plank) for starters at Cafe Rouge.  I like the old fashioned French feel of the restaurant and the menu looked amazing, I would have chosen and main course and been happy.  I went for the chicken breast in a cream, mushroom, leek, courgette and wine sauce with buttery mash which was divine although not in any way a healthy choice.

The Christmas Lunch Menu looked fantastic and included creme brûlée gateau which would be so perfect for a group night out. The staff were incredibly welcoming and made a real effort to treat us all.

Thank you so much Becs from Biteable Beauty and Rebecca from Carousel PR for organising the event.  It was a lovely evening and I will most defiantly be visiting Victoria place for a spot of shopping next time I have a wait at Victoria on the way home.  I didn't even know there were shops upstairs until that night.  I also spotted a fantastic looking shop called Hema which is really big in Europe, this is their first UK shop and it sells a arrange of cute storage, stationary, beauty products  and health foods, it's a bit like Tiger or Muji.  What really attracted me was the prices, everything seemed so cheap!

It was so lovely to meet some other bloggers, feel free to check out their blogs/vlogs below.

Becs - Biteable Beauty
Juliana - Buzzing Trends
Erika - Makeup Fun
Yaroslava - Slavabeautytips
Nadja - Throw Me Something Beautiful
Natasha - A London Thing
Olivia - Beauty from the Fjord

OOTD - Mixed Weather

You have to love the British weather, I am not sure any other country in the world can rival it for sheer indecisiveness.  Just when you think it's safe to wear a sun dress, then along comes rain, so you think, fine, I will wear jeans and a top, and oh look! the sun has come out again.

This is what I wore the other day when it was a mixed bag forecast.  I took the black long-sleeved top off later when the sun came out which just left me with a long length cami dress and capri jeans on, so it kind of solved the dilemma, a bit, maybe???

Unfortunately you can no longer buy the shoes.  I got them in the sale at Dorothy Perkins for just £15 and I have worn them heaps, but they no longer stock them.  I wish they, or anyone else for that matter) would restock them as they are really versatile.  The only ones I can find similar are Lanvin and cost £360. Don't you hate it when you find something so easy to wear and comfortable and then are unable to repurchase.

The jeans I got as a more fashionable version of capri's, I wanted to try the boyfriend jeans look out, but with my figure I couldn't go too baggy so this was my compromise, I just rolled out these ones from Next.  I can't say I am crazy about the colour and they may meet the inside of a washer full of dark indigo dye very soon.

Jeans- Ankle Slim Jeans - Next £26

Shoes - Similar here for £360!

Cami Vest - Primarni £3

Black Slouch Top - similar here for £15, mine was from Next 2 years ago. 

Tropical Print Skirt with Curves and Not Being 20!

I love all the statement skirts floating around Pinterest and the shops at the moment but the look seems (as per usual) better suited to younger, slimmer girls than me.

Now, not being one to be easily defeated I saw this beautiful AX Paris tropical print skirt on Very (for just £22!) and decided I would give it a go.  I had images of me floating around Spain this Summer all bronzed glossy limbs and swishy hair.  As delivery is free if you use Collect +, I figured I would have nothing to loose.  I ordered it and when it arrived I really liked it, but... not with just a cami as they are generally worn.

I think my skin has got more and more uneven as I have gotten older.  I now see why tights are so popular with the 40+ crowd.  So I donned a nice thick pair of black opaques and a cardie (see I am so getting middle aged) and here is the look I came up with.   I have left the cami untucked as I have a short top half of my body, which looks really strange if I tuck things in or overemphasise my waist with a belt.  I think it looks fashionable without being mutton dressed as lamb, I hope!

I accessorised it with my trusty antique gold and fluro necklace from New Look, a pair of cute earrings from Accessorise (my favourite shop ever for earrings) and Tanya Burr Nail Varnish in Bright and Early.  Ok, I didn't actually get as far as painting my nails yet, as I have a nursery pickup to do in half an hour, but I will when I wear this out on a date night with The Husband. No really I will, maybe...if I can be bothered.

White Jeans & Curves + £50 Joe Browns Voucher Giveaway

The lovely people at Joe Browns offered me a a chance for us to work together, and seen as I have had a go at trying out OOTD posts I figured I would try this. I have been wanting to do a white jeans post for a while as I love trying out looks that shouldn't work but do.  I blame Kim Kardashian and J-Lo for this one.  They make white jeans look great even with a more ample behind.

Now I am a UK size 14 (US 10) so not exactly skinny, which means that the look needs to be adapted slightly for my figure.  The key to it working on a fuller figure seems to be to cover your bum, so I started by layering.  The 2 looks I have created both have either a white longline vest (from Primark £3) to help conceal my less than tiny thighs a little. I did some other looks with a lack vest that worked equally well too.  I think that also having a longer length jean is also important.  I reckon the heels are down to personal preference (mine being, at all times, no matter what)

Here is my preppy take on the white jeans look.

Joe Browns very kindly sent me these lovely crisp white skinny jeans (£29.99) and as an extra bonus a co-ordinating nautical bag £24.99.  So I rummaged in my wardrobe and came out with these 2 looks.  I figured mono-chrome has to be the way to go as the bag is just perfect as a balance, it even comes with the cute floral red scarf which lends the look a bit of colour.  The bag is really spacious and pretty large, (which is good for balancing a larger frame) I have used it nearly every day as it goes with most things in my wardrobe.

• White Jeans - Joe Browns £29.99
• White Long Vest Top - Primark £3
• Navy Cotton V-neck - Edina Ronay (bought ages ago from TK Maxx)
• Nautical Bag with Red Scarf - Joe Browns £24.99
• Tan Wedge Sandals - Faith (8+ yrs old,  similar here)
• Nail Varnish - Tanya Burr Bright & Early £5.99

The jeans are a medium weight denim so they should be suitable for evening wear on holiday in summer yet also fine in winter with boots, if I manage to keep them stain-free that long! I also like that they are pretty long, I am 5'7" and so this is an ideal length for me.

Must remember to buy radiator cover for dressing room!

• White Jeans - Joe Browns £29.99
• White Long Vest Top - Primark £3
• Black Mesh Long Sleeved Top - La Redoute (bought 3 years ago in grey, but dyed as I liked the fit but not the colour)
• Nautical Bag with Red Scarf - Joe Browns £24.99
• Black Sports Wedge Sandals - Next £45

I am really happy I had the nerve to try this look out as I think it is a really easy, timeless look and would suit most body shapes and ages. I'm not sure it is one for the school run, unless you are Anthea Turner style tidy, but it would be great for sightseeing.

Joe Browns have also very generously offered a £50 voucher as a giveaway prize so if you want to try out this look or have your eye on something else from their range, this is perfect.

a Rafflecopter giveaway