Outfit: Lazy Sunday

We slept late this morning and then I did the Tesco shopping. This afternoon we are just in the garden enjoying the sun, and hopefully it will stay dry so we can have a BBQ at teatime.

These are fast becoming my favourite flat sandals/flip flops.

White cardi – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
White ‘Tall?’ giraffe print cami – Café Press
Jeans – New Look
Silver jewelled sandals – Dorothy Perkins (eBay)
Silver bangles – Scope
Turquoise bangle – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise leather belt - H&M
Necklace – gifted

Total Est. Cost £48

Outfit: Wedding Reception

Here’s what I wore for my friend’s wedding reception last night. The pictures are not great because as I was getting ready it got darker & darker outside. I was hoping it wouldn’t rain as I had instant tanned my legs and I didn’t want the colour to run! In the end there were just a few spots of rain so it was OK. The reception was a good night and I saw many people I hadn’t seen since middle school.

Purple dress – Red Herring (eBay)
Black shoes – New Look (charity shop)
Fascinator – Diamonds & Pearls
Silver bangles – Scope
Necklace – gifted

Total Est. Cost £19

Outift: Saturday Lunch

We went out for lunch today to celebrate the birthday of one of the young man’s friends. We sat outside on terrace overlooking the river and it was lovely. I was right to take my shrug though as the breeze was a little on the cool side at times.

The sandals are an eBay bargain that arrived yesterday. They cost me a whole £2.70 and the uppers are leather so I am pretty pleased with them.

This evening we are going to my friend’s wedding reception.

Cream shrug – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Teal cami – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Gap
Silver jewelled sandals – Dorothy Perkins (eBay)
Turquoise bangle – Dorothy Perkins
Teal bangles – Accessorize
Silver bangles – Scope
Teal necklace – Scope
Sunglasses – free with Tatler

Total Est. Cost £41

Review: Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan

Having been so impress with the Boots Golden Shimmer Instant Tan a few weeks back, imagine my disappointment to find that Boots are no longer producing it. Boots: you should rectify that immediately!

Instead I bought the Rimmel version to see what it was like. I went for the medium matte colour – it is available in light & medium matte and light & medium shimmer. It is pretty similar to the Boots one; however, on the first try I used the same amount as I had of the Boots one and ended up with pretty deeply tanned legs. The colour is very natural so it wasn’t too much of a problem, but if you want a lighter colour for a fair skin like mine either don’t use so much or buy the lighter shade.

The Rimmel product felt a bit stickier on my hands on application, but it rubbed in fine and gave a good, even coverage. It has a slightly soapy smell to it, but again, this is far favourable to the biscuity smell of regular fake tans. My skin feels just as soft with this as it did with the Boots one.

I would definitely buy this again, but I also have a Boots 17 version queued up ready to try out so perhaps I’ll change my tune once I’ve given that one a go.

Rimmel Sun Shimmer, £4.88 at Boots.

Outfit: 80s Vibe Friday

I loved the 80s style look of rolling up my jacket sleeves so much last week that I wanted to do it again. I managed to get grease from my car door on my black jacket on Wednesday night so that one is now at the dry cleaners. I’ve always thought that it was such a shame for this brown jacket to have a fabulous purple lining that no one could see. Well now they can! I love that blazers can be worn in a whole new way this season and the lining of the jacket has become something around which to build an outfit.

Brown pinstripe jacket – Long Tall Sally
Purple tank – New Look Tall
Jeans – New Look
Pink shoes – Nine West (Debenhams)
Purple glitter bangles – Diamonds & Pearls
Purple & pink bangles – gifted
Silver bangles – Scope
Silver necklace – gifted
Silver & cream bead cluster necklace – New Look

Total Est. Cost £72

Review: Exceptionnel de Chanel Mascara

I have been trying out a sample size of Exceptionnel de Chanel mascara recently. I’ve never used Chanel cosmetics before so this was their chance to impress me and perhaps lure me away from my beloved Clinque. Sadly (or not, as my wallet breathes a sigh or relief), I was not impressed. Now, I can totally see what they were trying to do here – the brush is part brush, part eyelash comb which, in theory, sounds like a good idea. Why carry around both items when you can have a two in one, right? The problem is that the eyelash comb bits aren’t really long enough to do their job, and they just get in the way of the poor brush parts which are trying to do their job and apply the mascara. So all you end up with is a big old mess of mascara all around your eyes.

9/10 for effort Chanel. 4/10 for the product.

Outfit: Hot Thursday

The heatwave in the UK continues apace. Not that I’m complaining – it’s great to be getting a proper summer after the last 2 years of rain. Once the lads come in and put on the A/C I’m sure I’ll need my shrug. As it was 17˚C when I left the house this morning I was OK in just my tank.

I have an eye examination this afternoon, then it will be home to enjoy the heat in the back garden.

Brown shrug – Ann Taylor Loft
Blue tank – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Brown print skirt – Long Tall Sally
Beige & cream shoes – Evans
Blue ring & necklace – Dorothy Perkins
Silver bangles – Scope
Brown bangles – Dorothy Perkins
Earrings – Ethel Austin
Sunglasses – Boots

Total Est. Cost £73

Outfit: Wednesday Evening

Lookit! Big pictures!

Some of the drama group headed to the local Wetherspoon’s for tea to celebrate a birthday, and then we had a rehearsal. I added the jacket in case the air con in the pub was cold, or the church hall was cold. But it was so scorchio outside that not even I was chilly. In fact, I was hanging out of the bathroom window at around 10.30 last night, just trying to get some air.r

Black jacket – Long Tall Sally
White ‘Yes, I’m very tall’ t – Café Press
Jeans – New Look
Red wedges – New Look (charity shop)
Red bangles – Primark
Red & cream bangles – gifted
Silver bangles – Scope
Whitby Jet cross – gifted
Red beads – Ethel Austin
White sunglasses – ASOS

Total Est. Cost £93

Apologies...

...I have been playing around with various things today so apologies if anything seemed off when you visited earlier. I think I'm done now!

Review: Bra Clip Cleavage Racer Back Strap Creator

I was tired of my bra straps always showing under my tank tops so I decided to investigate clips to hold make them into a racer back bra and hold them out of the way of the edge of my tank tops. Amazon came swiftly to the rescue with the clips pictured above. Supplied by Girlyshop they are only 99p each and are just the job. They come in black or clear (I bought 2 clear ones – I know I’m bound to lose one at some point. They are easy to use (once you master putting your bra on over your head, like a top) and stay in place all day, no problem. Buy them here.

Bigger Pictures

I have finally figured out how to make my pictures bigger, with the help of the lovely Kyla of Blue Collar Catwalk. So from tomorrow expect to see bigger and better pictures - I am excited to start posting them!

Outfit: New Look Wednesday

I don’t usually wear pieces all from the same shop, nor did I plan to do so today, but as I was thinking through what to wear last night, I realised that the entire outfit would be from New Look. Not that it matters, and I’m happy with the look. The cardi & tank were bought this year, the skirt is from last summer, and I got the wedges in a charity shop two years ago so who knows how old they are? They are certainly more than two or three years old as they don’t have the ‘Your Feet Look Gorgeous’ slogan in them that New Look shoes have been carrying for the past few years.

Black cardi – New Look
Black tank – New Look Tall
Red & white skirt – New Look Tall
Red wedges – New Look (charity shop)
Red & cream bangles – gifted
Red glitter bangles – Primark
Silver bangles – Scope
Whitby Jet cross – gifted
Red beads – Ethel Austin
White sunglasses - ASOS

Total Est. Cost £40

Note to Self...

...always bring a cardi to work with you. Air conditioning? It's cold.

Outfit: Tuesday

The week wouldn’t be complete without an airing of the purple dress, would it? This outfit is pinched straight from the Lookbook blog – Christina Ricci’s purple dress outfit. It also made me think of Jane from Work That Wardrobe as she often wears an Obi belt over a dress. It’s the perfect look for what promises to be another hot summer’s day.

Purple dress – Dorothy Perkins (eBay)
Black Obi belt – ASOS
Beige shoes – Faith
Purple bracelet – Esme-Grace (gifted)
Purple bangles – Diamonds & Pearls
Silver bangles – Scope
Whitby Jet cross – gifted
Sunglasses - free with Tatler magazine

Total Est. Cost £39

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing summer clothes to combat the alledged heatwave
…reading ‘The Cupid Effect’ by Dorothy Koomson. She is one of my favourite authors as all her books are set in Leeds.
…watching the new series of Top Gear on iPlayer – missed it again due to BBQing fun last night
…listening to Michael Jackson. His music is (understandably) everywhere at the moment which has inspired me to dig out the 3 albums I own (Bad, Thriller, No1s) and play them. I had forgotten how great his music is. I was feeling kind of weird on Friday afternoon watching his videos and knowing he was gone, so it seemed like the only thing to do was to turn up ‘Smooth Criminal’ and dance around the house.
…eating things out of the freezer
…shopping for nothing (unless I see a real bargain on eBay)

Outfit: Stripey Monday

According to the weather report, the UK is about to have a heatwave descend upon it for the week. I see no signs of that so far as this morning dawned dull and drizzly – so much so that I debated fake tanning my legs. In the end I decided to go forward in faith, and am currently awaiting the sun putting in an appearance.

Black & cream stripe dress – charity shop
Black cardi – New Look
Turquoise shoes – New Look (charity shop)
Turquoise bangle – Dorothy Perkins
Silver bangles – Scope
Silver belt – Primark

Total Est. Cost £28

Outfit: Sunday & Weekend Recap

Friday night we were going to stay in but the young man’s parents came over and we ended up going for a drink with them to the local cricket club. We were only going to stay for an hour but we got chatting to some other people in there and by the time we left it was midnight. I wore a black top, boyfit jeans and leopard print flats.

Saturday I had a concert with my choir. The afternoon was spent rehearsing (and missing all the lovely sunshine). I wore a purple tank, cuffed dark skinny jeans and the same turquoise peep toes I have on today (Monday). The concert was Saturday night and meant the choir uniform – a shapeless blue blouse and full length black skirt had to be worn. I added black peeptoe shoes to it as it was far too hot for tights.

Yesterday – Sunday – we slept late, then I went to do the Tesco shop. The young man & his mate went off on a bike ride in the afternoon (though I think they did more sitting outside a pub drinking than they did cycling), then they returned home and we had a BBQ. I walked up to the retail park to get a few bits in Boots, then sat in the garden with a book enjoying the sun.

Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Blue top – Primark
Jeans – New Look
Silver flats – Priceless Shoes
Blue necklace – Dorothy Perkins
Blue beads – gifted
Blue & turquoise bangles – Oxfam
Blue chunky bangle – Diamonds & Pearls

Total Est. Cost £43