Review: Fit Flops

Well girls, summer is coming and if you feel like your legs could do with a tone up before you bare them in this season’s mini skirts or shorts, then Fit Flops could be for you. I was lucky enough to be sent a pair by Fitness Footwear to test out. I chose the Walk Star style in Navy, as pictured. They are not particularly attractive to look at, but they are a fitness shoe and let’s face it, trainers are not exactly stylish, are they? I would be quite happy to wear these out and about in the summer however, and they are definitely fine under jeans.

The Fit Flops come with a warning tag attached that states they should not be used for too long at first, and to build up use progressively to avoid muscle soreness. The idea is that they mimic walking in barefoot, but with an added challenge, encourage better posture and improve muscle tone. I was interested to see how they would work so I put them on and went for a walk around my neighbourhood. The Fit Flops rubbed my foot and made it bleed. Luckily, good old Dr Scholl was able to come to the rescue with his fabulous gel pads and sticking these around solved the problem instantly. I will definitely be wearing them all summer and hopefully seeing some improvement in the muscle tone of my legs.

Four styles of Fit Flop are available, including the sequined Electra style (in a choice of 3 colours) which sold out last summer. Prices start from £35.45 and don’t forget that there is free UK delivery on everything at Fitness Footwear.

Outfit: Equally Blue Thursday

So, partly out of laziness and partly because I like blue, I have carried it over to today. I wanted to pair leopard print with something other than red and I saw a girl putting it with bright blue the other day which seemed a good idea to me. I think next time I would put a white top under this sweater, but I wanted to wear something other than white for a change.

Blue sweater – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Blue cami – Marks & Spencer
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Blue silk scarf – Florence + Fred at Tesco
Leopard print shoes – New Look (eBay)
Blue bangles – Oxfam

Total Est. Cost £54.50

Outfit: Blue Wednesday Continued

I stuck with the blue theme for rehearsal last night. There was plenty of singing and dancing happening, and I tried out my white dancing shoes for the first time as that’s what I’ll be wearing for the actual show. We were given one of our costumes too – a Victorian nightgown with matching cloth cap – very fetching.

Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Blue tank – Topshop
Jeans – River Island
Blue patent shoes – New Look
Blue bangles – Oxfam
Blue silk scarf – Florence + Fred at Tesco

Total Est. Cost £58.50

White shoes – Priceless Shoes (£9)

Tall Tip

On the sale rail (or in a charity shop) look for trousers that are dragging on the floor as chances are they will be the super long ones mixed in with the ordinary length ones.

Outfit: Blue Wednesday

It’s lovely and sunny and springlike again today, and the forecast is pretty similar for the rest of the week.
My eye appointment went well yesterday and the optician has ordered a 3 month supply of lenses for me. I also ordered some new glasses, just for a change of look really, and I think I will be able to keep wearing my current pair too as the prescription is not all that different.

Blue shrug – Dorothy Perkins
Navy blue dress – Next
Blue tank – Topshop
Blue Obi belt – ASOS
Blue patent shoes – New Look
Blue silk scarf – Florence + Fred at Tesco

Total Est. Cost £57.50

Outfit: Red Dress

Continuing with my spring brights theme, I went for a bold red dress today. I love this dress, even though it took absolutely ages to be shipped over from America. I have an eye appointment this afternoon to check how my contact lenses are doing. It’s not sunny out today as yet, but I’m hoping it will brighten up later on. Despite that, I’m wearing nude tights for the first time this year.

Red dress – Luxuriously Tall
White cami – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Tan Obi belt – ASOS
Leopard print shoes – New Look (eBay)
Leopard print scarf – Ethel Austin

Total Est. Cost £36.50

Nailene Tip Whitener – The Lazy Girl’s French Manicure

I was in Boots on Saturday (yes, I spend a lot of time in there, what of it?) and was looking at the nail products. I spotted a the Nailene Tip Whitener Pen and thought I would try it, as I have always loved the look of a French manicure but have not done one since my white polish dried up some years ago. You can either buy the full kit for about £8.50 (as pictured) or just the pen which I think was £4.40. I just got the pen as I have a couple of pale shades of polish that would work fine over the top. I also bought some nail guide (£2.95) and I’m glad I did as it wasn’t as easy as the packet makes out! I tried it out yesterday and the results were pretty good. Any mistakes with the white pen can easily be corrected with a cotton bud dipped in nail polish remover, and the white dries quickly allowing a top coat to be applied soon after. The pen is definitely easier to use on your nail tips than a white polish, and the finish is pearlescent which makes it less of a bright white if you just want to put a clear top coat over the top, something I will try next time I use it I think.

Review: No7 Eye Make Up Remover

I usually use Boots Cucumber Facial Wipes to remove my eye make up (I have to take off my eye make up before removing my contact lenses) and these work fine. But sometimes, especially when I’ve used eyeshadow primer, I need something stronger to remove the make up so I don’t have have to press too hard on my eyes to get the make up off. I was in Boots with my sister last weekend and she was looking for eye make up remover (for the exact same reason, she has recently got contact lenses too!) and as she had a £5 No7 voucher she decided to go for one in that range. I also had a voucher so thought I might as well try it out for £1.90 (regular price £6.90). Well, it’s fantastic. You just squirt it onto a cotton wool pad and your eye make up wipes right off. Love it!

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing lighter clothes and jackets whilst enjoying the sunshine
…reading the April issue of Company magazine
…watching X Files Season 2 (at last!)
…listening to the Carpenters – the young man heard ‘Top of the World’ on the radio on Friday morning and keeps playing it on my CD
…eating custard
…shopping for a card for Mother’s Day

Outfit: Spring Colour

It is possible that spring may finally have sprung in the Frozen North. Yesterday was beautifully sunny. We walked up to visit a friend in the next village, and then met up with two more friends to walk to a nearby pub. We had some food there and drink, and then returned to the friend’s house to play on his Wii before walking home. Even after dark it wasn’t really cold. I did end up changing my shoes and put on my cowboy boots as they are easier to walk in. I wore my sunglasses for the walk up there, then spent the rest of the day with them on my head as a hairband – mostly because I can now that I have contact lenses.

Today has dawned sunny and bright again and with this in mind, I laid out a colourful outfit last night. I was hoping to get away without my coat today, but it’s still quite chilly in the mornings – just 6˚C this morning.

Pink jacket – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Pink faux wrap top – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
White tank – Dorothy Perkins
Teal skirt – H&M
Teal tights – Accessorize
Pink shoes – Faith
Pink flower – Primark

Total Est. Cost £83

Outfit: Sunday

We got up and cooked a full breakfast this morning. It’s been ages since we’ve done that. The young man is now pottering in the garden and I have painted my nails and mended a tear in his jacket. It’s a lovely day so I think we are going to head out for a walk shortly. I may change my footwear, depending on where we are going. And I will definitely add my sunglasses.

Red cardi – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
White ‘Tall?’ cami – Café Press
Jeans – River Island
Leopard print flats – Priceless Shoes (eBay)
Yellow belt – charity shop

Total Est. Cost £67.50

Outfit: Style Stealer

I have once again been inspired by the fabulous Jessica for my outfit today. Sadly it is not as warm here as it looks to have been in NYC earlier this week so I have had to substitute in a long sleeve t so I don’t freeze to death. It’s also not that sunny but I’ve taken the opportunity to show off my fab new sunglasses anyway.

Teal long sleeve t – H&M
Jeans – Topshop Tall
Silver flats – Faith
Brown silk scarf – M&Co
Teal bangles – Accessorize
Teal earrings – Primark
Sunglasses – Boots

Total Est. Cost £65

Tall Tip

Dorothy Perkins have some great longer length t shirts in their ordinary range at the moment. All sorts of colours and styles, and they are on 2 for £12.

Outfit: Casual Friday

I was going to wear flats with this outfit but at the last minute plumped for heels to amp up the look a bit. The sun is shining and ¾ length sleeves make me feel like it’s spring (which I suppose, technically, it is). And it’s lovely to be able to wear shoes rather than boots now too.
Yes I know what I said about not wearing my contact lenses for work, but it’s now a vanity thing – I like myself better without glasses now.

Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Blue/green/white check shirt – Primark
Blue tank – Dorothy Perkins
Boyfit jeans – River Island
Blue patent shoes – New Look
Blue bangles – Oxfam

Total Est. Cost £72

Outfit: Smart Casual

I’m bending the rules by wearing jeans on a Thursday again. I was going to put my purple booties with this outfit, but changed my mind and added the yellow wedges as an unexpected second colour pop. I think yellow is a very sping-like colour, even though I don’t wear it very often. I remember as a child my sister’s favourite colour was yellow – we had these anoraks from Mothercare that matched – hers was yellow, mine was red. I was dressed in red a lot as a child. My mother and grandmother thought it suited me as I have dark hair.

Purple tank – Long Tall Sally
Grey check shirt – New Look Tall
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Purple belt – Ethel Austin
Yellow wedges – Priceless Shoes
Purple necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £66

Outfit: Dance Practice

Another Wednesday, another dance rehearsal for the musical theatre group. I added the scarf as my top was a little low; however I got warm pretty quickly and so shed the scarf after less than an hour. I am enjoying the dancing despite being fairly unco-ordinated with the steps – I know what I’m supposed to be doing, even if my feet aren’t always moving in exactly the right direction all the time!

Red cardi – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Blue t – Dorothy Perkins
Jeans – River Island
Red patent flats – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise necklace – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise bangles – Oxfam

Blue silk scarf - Accessorize

Total Est. Cost £69

Hmm…

Sometimes I just don’t understand how a fashion editor’s mind works when planning magazine spreads. I was reading the March issue of US Cosmopolitan magazine and one of the fashion pages had me baffled. It showed an outfit to build around a pair of denim hotpants that included a suede jacket and a scarf. Now, call me cynical, but I would wager that if it’s chilly enough to need a suede jacket AND a scarf, it’s probably too chilly for denim hotpants, wouldn’t you say?

Outfit: Black & Brown

I miss being able to wear jeans all week for work. I loved it when I had that option at the other office. The closest thing I can get to jeans now is these cord trousers which are just so comfy and I love them. I love mixing black and brown at the moment but I wanted to add a bit of colour too, so I have done so quite subtly with turquoise earrings, bangles and eyeliner!

Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Brown cord trousers – Tall Girls
Leopard print flats – Priceless Shoes (eBay)
Turquoise bangles – Oxfam
Turquoise earrings – gifted

Total Est. Cost £60

Outfit: Green

I’ve not worn this dress in a while so decided to give it another airing with a polo neck. I think it will work OK without one too, if it ever gets warm enough. I’m wearing about four shades of green today, not normally a colour I would wear all over.

Green & lilac dress – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Grey polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Green tights – Topshop (gifted)
Green suede boots – River Island
Green necklace – Primark

Total Est. Cost £48.50

Outfit: New Jacket!

I was excited to wear my new leather jacket last night, even if it wasn’t really warm enough for it. I layered a couple of sweaters underneath it and fortunately the heating was on in the church where choir practice is held so all was good.

Brown cord cap – Matalan
Brown leather jacket – New Look Tall
Brown polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Next (charity shop)
Brown boots – Nine West (Allders)
Blue bead – Scope
Brown silk scarf – M&Co

Total Est. Cost £109