Winter Wardrobe Updates

Morning pals!

Another Friday is here and we're another week closer to Christmas! It only gets more exciting from here and it's my favourite type of year. Winter clothes are also my favourite kind, layering is the best thing and I love all of the patterns and colours associated with autumn/winter clothing.

Here's what I've been buying to update my wardrobe this year:

First up I picked up this belt from Dorothy Perkins. I've had a belt for dresses very similar to this before and I wore it until it fell apart so I knew it was a good buy. It's definitely good for wearing at any time of year but as has been happening for the last few years the trend for wearing a belt to cinch in your coat is back and this one is going to be making it back into my wardrobe.

Secondly I snapped up this BEAUTIFUL scarf from Zara. I touched it in store and couldn't leave it behind. I love the patterns in tartan and the red is gorgeous and goes with all of my coats, it's a winner and was something I had no idea I needed and now cannot live without. It doesn't leave my neck during the week now!

My latest shoe purchase is from New Look and I had to order them from in store as they didn't have any left. The heel height is perfect for most occasions and the gold buckle detailing is enough to give it a bit more pizazz. These can be worn with leggings and jeans and I look forward to wearing them to the pub over the next few months.

Capes are big news and this blanket cape cardigan type garment is absolutely fabulous. It's super comfy, warm and goes with everything, literally EVERYTHING. The colours mean it complements many outfits but there are also many tartan type patters and colours available too and if I was rolling in the spare cash I'd probably get another.
This one is from New Look and I'm so glad that fashion has produced and comfortable, wearable and warm item of clothing for the winter months. I've always wanted to look chic in a cape, jeans and boots!

Lastly is my new bag also from New Look (they've clearly got a lot out of money out of me recently!) This beautiful bottle green bag has replaced my tired looking black bag for work purposes.
It's awesome, the colour is lush and it holds it's shape really well too which is perfect as I seem to be lugging a lot of paper back and forth to work at the moment!

What have you been buying to update your wardrobe? Do you have anything else on your wishlist?

I'm looking to add another coat, a lovely thick wool one would be lovely but I may have to wait until the sales for the type of quality I would be looking for. I'm fed up of buying important items like coats and finding out they are cheaply made! If you have any suggestions for some hardwearing well made coats leave them in the comments section below!

L xxx

WIMH - What's In My (New) Handbag

Happy Sunday morning!

Hope you're feeling as fresh as I am this morning :)

Today's  post is something I've always loved reading but never ever done my own version of. I recently picked up this absolutely gorgeous bottle green bag from New Look for the grand total price of £24.95 - which as you can see from looking at it below is an absolute bargain. With my excitement I decided to do a WIMH post as I've never done one before and as my bag is super clean and free of 1000s of receipts it was the perfect opportunity.

I always love little details on bags and this one doesn't disappoint. Gold is my favourite metallic and its all over this bag!
Buckles, zips and nifty edges along the bottom corners so it doesn't get worn, this bag is just me.







It's actually quite a large bag and fortunately I haven't yet managed to fill it with crap though I'm sure the time will come. It does unnerve me somewhat that it doesn't close entirely and only has a magnetic fix to hold it shut, albeit a very strong one. I will just have to take a different bag when travelling in busy areas as this one will mostly move from my car to my work desk which let me tell you, is not far at all!



So what's in it? What are the essentials for my every day life?



It is surprisingly a tidy amount of things most of which are functional and useful, and so far not a receipt or empty packet of food in sight!

I try not to ever travel without an umbrella, I do obviously live in Wales where it does very frequently rain so it would be rather brave to go out without one. Case closed.

My Jane Shilton purse was given to me by my mum, I thought it was huge initially but actually its a perfect fit for everything and the leather is really good quality.

Never go anywhere without my headphones and my charger. You never know when you will get stuck somewhere and need either so they are a must to keep me occupied!

My glasses are also pretty obvious; though normally it is just the case that's in my bag as I wear my glasses 90% of the time and change to contacts for the gym and special occasions. I'd love designer ones in future!



Next up is the product section; essentials only!

EOS lip balms, Mac lipstick in Coral Bliss, OPI hand cream, Sure deodorant and Soap and Glory hand gel.
I'm extremely shocked that there is only one lipstick in here; last time I emptied a bag I found 12! But it's probably as I've had so many weddings etc recently that I've taken them all back out again.

I'm hoping to get some drawers for my desk at work soon as mine were stolen the week before I started (grrr) so I can leave all of these essentials in there when they arrive.

You can never go wrong with a packet of tissues, they have saved my life many a time. Nude eyeliner from Rimmel is a great way to wake up tired eyes of which I am always a sufferer of! Blink eye drops single use bottles are amazing and have really helped me be able to wear lenses for longer when necessary. My eyes seem to hate wearing lenses now which is a shame and in future I'd love to have eye surgery but again; savings will need to occur pretty rapidly for that to happen!

I also never go anywhere without a mini notebook and a pen, for when inspiration for posts or a list needs to be made. I rather like lists and sometimes they need to be written not typed.

Lastly food. Now it's the weekend so I've clearly not restocked my handbag after a week at work but normally there would be about 5 different bars, apples, bananas and god knows what else lurking around at the bottom. 9 bars are my current favourite but I am also quite keen on Sesame Snaps before the gym and Bounce balls and Naked bars. I'm one of those people who gets 'hangry' easily so snacks are a must for keeping my mood up!

I normally also carry around a box of peppermint tea bags which has just run out. I'm quite partial to tea as it is but with my IBS this tea can work wonders on stopping any cramps so I drink it quite regularly. 

The only downside I've seen to my new bag is a few threads like above; I've cut them off with scissors but I suppose it's just something that hight street bags come with sometimes as otherwise this one was immaculate in the shop.

What do you think of my new bag? Do you have similar contents in your bag?

Send me your WIMH posts for a nose!

L xxx

New Look Wedges

Hi all!

Firstly I'd like to apologise for my shoddy lack of posts. I've had a few dramas in my life and this has resulted in me handing in my notice at work and selling my absolute favourite thing - my car (SOB!). I've made the decision to go travelling with a friend which is very exciting but also scary as I've no idea what I'm going to come back to and what I will end up doing. I've written a bit more in my life update post you can find here if you'd like to know more.

Other than that.....let's get back to SHOES!

I've been quite poor for a while. Add to that my stint working at Boots which obviously didn't help my bank account much (hello discount!). I've been living in the same tan wedges and black wedges for a while now with no other heels in sight. Long story short my black wedges are no more and I just HAD to get a new pair to get me through. Cue a trip to New Look with M and low and behold........I came out with a new black pair...and a coral pair. M is dangerous!

These beautiful wedges came in at £20 and are extremely similar to a pair of Kurt Geigers I used to have and had to sell. Getting these were the perfect replacement for my previous wedges and a nice little nod to my beloved KG's that I do quite miss a lot (even if I did only look at them in my wardrobe).

They are quite high but hey, it's a wedge and its a fully enclosed shoe with a wraparound design over the main part of the foot. The zips at the back look cute and help to get the shoes on and off easily, and the platform at the front makes them a whole lot comfier for those long wedding days and even longer evenings over the summer!

I knew they'd be perfect for so many evenings I just couldn't leave without them...especially when they were not only the only size 6 in the shop but the only shoe in the whole shop! MINE.

In my search for black wedges I cam across a super cute pair of coral wedges too. I mean it would have been rude not to try them on wouldn't it?

The colour is gorgeous, and one that suits my pale skin and dark hair. I love the adjustable straps on the ankles as I have skinny ankles (the only part that is skinny!) and need these to be able to wear heels more comfortably.

The platform with the wedge allows me to wear heels without actually killing my feet.

They're a very cute and feminine pair of shoes and I will look forward to wearing this at many an afternoon at the pub and evening with the girls.
This colour seems to go with everything too, it can be a pop of colour with a black or white dress and complement my many beige, coral and patterned items of clothing that are hiding away in my wardrobe. (stay tuned for a gorgeous maxi dress that fits this bill!)

I have only worn the black wedges so far and that was on my recent trip to Edinburgh and involved a lot of karaoke! See below for a cheeky snapshot of me belting out Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody with a friend!

As a tall lady I often look at heels and wonder a) why on earth I wear them and b) if they make me look stupid.

In wedges I feel comfortable, not clumpy and actually....quite elegant!

I do love the ability to run around in the chunky heels without fear of flying and going flat on my face or bum.

How much do you love wedges? Are you a fan or are you a sky scraper stiletto kind of girl?

L xxx

Wish List

Morning All

I feel like it's been a while since I've done a wishlist so I thought I'd share a few things I'm eyeing up! I'm loving H and M at the moment but rather disappointingly it seems the stuff I want is all online and not in store!

I love these wedges. I love the black against the dark wood and when on the model they look like they really lengthen the legs!

These skirts come in at a bargain £3.99 and come in three colours but aren't in store annoyingly. When things are cheap I like to try them on and see them in person! 

I'm currently obsessed with patterns and really want to find a pattern trouser that looks good on pear shapes! I love the monochrome pattern on these! 

When L and I were shopping on Sunday I had these on for about 5 minutes! It pained me to put them back on the shelf. They are the perfect court and seemed so comfy! New look is usually my go to for shoes! 

I really want a kimono! I think they are great for over bikinis and look cute with jeans and a tee! I'm obsessed with this blue colour and the print is amazing! 

I've recently lost my favourite sunglasses and I need to replace them. I love the slightly pointed edge to these and the cream colour isn't something I'd normally pick! 

Ooops more pattern, you can see a theme here! I really want these for holidays. I think they'd be so comfy for the plain and then look great with wedges and a crop top! I love the blue, red and grey together! 

I'm obsessed with this Pandora ring. I've wanted it for about 2 years now. I love how it's hearts but not obvious at first. I will buy myself this one day! 

I love the look of this, something to make eye liner quicker in the morning is always wanted! AT £8.99 it's cheaper than the benefit one! 

So that's a few bits I'm lusting over! What's on your wishlist?

Love M

xxx

Cabot Circus

Morning!

I had an absolutely amazing week off and did so much more than I thought i would. All those little things I planned on doing like sorting out my shoes, books etc have not happened at all!
Never mind eh.......I did go shopping with my mum to Cabot Circus one day and I had a bit of a haul at Primark!

I've been craving a holiday for years....the last time I went was a good 4/5 years ago so I'm really looking forward to some genuine sun. I'm planning on a trip to Thailand in November so need some new summer clothes and also have Glastonbury coming up. I don't expect to be keeping the clothes after they've served me at a festival and backpacking so I went straight for Primark, cheap and cheerful!

I picked up some shorts to start with, they go with everything and are easy to wear. The ones above were about £3.50 i think, so a really good price.
I have a pair of denim shorts already but another pair are always handy. These are a boyfriend cut with a bit of fraying detail and are a bit longer than normal so should deal with every situation.





No festival goer worth their tent will be there without some accessories....I've picked up this hat and the flower headbands/crown which I'll be featuring in an upcoming post as they're just too good for the money!





I know for certain that aside from shorts; dresses will be my go to whilst travelling, and so I've picked up a few cotton ones to be worn as cover ups.



The one above will be perfect for the beach and the dresses below are exactly the same just orange and white in colour (and a bargain £5 each!)

 



I love this kind of detail on summer clothes (broderie anglaise isn't it??!) its so lightweight and breathable.

That was it for my trip to Primark and I ended up buying a bikini in Next. The weather was AWFUL at the time and cold and rainy, so it felt really weird to be buying such a summery item but it was too good to miss and they had my size in stock....it was a sign!







I do love stripy things and the pink gives it an updated twist. Hopefully it will look good when I'm super pasty and when I've got a bit of a tan going!

Lastly I went to New Look and was obviously having a shorts oriented day...I couldn't resist picking up these two. The black and white patterned pair could be worn during the day with a floaty top, on the beach or out in the evenings for casual meet ups. The grey ones match the bikini perfectly! They were made for each other with the pink accents.

The bikini retails at £10 for the top and £6 for the bottoms.
The shorts were £10-12 each.

I had a lush day browsing with my mum and could have spent so much more! We both spent a good while in Aldo checking out the bags and shoes; there was so much we wanted we had to go and do a lap of the centre before returning! Why don't we have one of those in Cardiff?? They'd make a fortune!

What do you think of my purchases? Are you buying similar items for your holidays?

What's your number one item you'll be stocking up on this summer?


Do you have any travel tips for Thailand?

I cannot wait to go and experience a totally different country, especially those idyllic beaches from paradise!

L xxx

Spring Wishlist - Fashion

Evening!

Tonight I'm trying to distract myself from dreaded revision for a practical microbiology exam tomorrow! Online shopping is much more interesting than trying to learn different bacteria!

I'm getting inspiration for a spring wardrobe. I really like my style is changing lately but unfortuately I don't have the money to support so I'm day dreaming instead!

Lately I've been finding leggings annoy me. It's too hard to find the perfect pair. I can't seem to find any that are properly black, not see through, don't sag on the knees and are long enough because of this I've been eyeing up treggings. Topshop have an amazing range and some great patterns. 

I love this plain black version. They are £25 and are just easy to wear with everything. I love that they are thicker than normal leggings and still have the stretch to pull you in a little.

I absolutely love the print on these. They are slightly more expensive at £30 but I think the print makes them worth it. They are great for dressing up or down. I'm not sure my pear shape can pull them off but I really hope I can!

images from topshop

I absolutely love my latest primark leather jacket but it's not great for as the weather warms up. I've got a black blazer and really would love some coloured ones for spring.

I love this soft pink blazer and think it would be amazing the floral print treggings. I really want a softer coloured blazer for spring as black can be too harsh. I like that it's tailored as I need jackets to nip me in at the waist or I look big. This one is from Matalan and is £25!

I love the bright blue version too. This would be amazing with light denims!

images from matalan

I really want some distressed denim hot pants with frayed edges. I think they are great with patterned tights for while it's still chilly. The problem is I have a big ass and I'm not a fan of the shorts that show cheek! These look long so fingers crossed. They come in at £25 from Asos!

image from Asos

While it's still chilly I love a maxi dress paired with a jacket. I'm a maxi dress fan. They are so comfy and great for chubby days as they hide everything. I was really drawn to the back of this one from New Look which is £22.99 I'm not sure if the print is a little much for me though!

image from New Look

Lastly I really want some casual cami's that I can easily dress up or down. I really lack strappy tops which are dressy enough for an evening and these look like a happy medium. I love the bright colours they come in and think this one especially would be great with the black and white treggings! I love that it's not too clingy too! These are £12 for Asos!

That's my current spring fashion wishlist. What are you currently eyeing up?

Love M

xxx

 

Recent Buys

When I heard Benefit were releasing a new blusher for one day only before it comes out in September I knew what I was going to spend my birthday vouchers on soon. So I took a trip to Swansea on Saturday. As Debenhams had there offer on where if you spend £40 you get 500 points. I originally wanted the Mac Pro Longwear but after one of the Benebabes tried the World Famous Neutrals Sexiest Nudes Ever one me I was completely sold. It's perfect for when I'm a bridesmaid in 2 weeks.

I then popped into Cardiff hoping to spend the rest of the vouchers I got on a dress for a friends wedding. After I didn't see anything I headed to Illamasqua as I wanted to try skin base. I love how it looked in the shop but can't seem to apply it as well myself. Any tips? I also picked up a small de slick spray. I'm hoping I love this. As I still needed to spend a bit to make it up to £40 I picked up some Urban Decay lashes to try. They had some amazing ones.

After having no luck in Debenhams I headed to House of Fraser who have a brilliant sale on. I picked up this beauty from the Warehouse section in there reduced from £80 to £28. I really love the back detail on it and the colour. I actually found 3 dresses I liked but returned the other two after. Now to decide on shoes and a bag. 

It seemed like I couldn't stop spending. I went to meet L on Sunday to have a coffee and a catch up as we know won't see each other till the 16th August. It's a long time for us ha! I couldn't resist picking up this midi dress in sale. It was only £10. I've wanted one for ages but my shape has put me off. I'm actually really glad I picked it up. I even wore it to work yesterday and felt comfortable in it. Now I want more.

Have you been shopping the sales?

Love M

xxx

OOTD Trainers and Lace Blazer

I finally managed to persuade my other half to help me out and take photos! He didn't prove that useful. He took one then told me I didn't need any more as the outfit was the same! I need to train him better!!

Anyway on to today's OOTD. This was something I wore to work, most of my OOTD are things I've wore to work. I'm sure you've noticed from the different outfits, basically any thing goes for work. The Blazer I picked up last year and is from Matalan. It's a jersey material and a loose fit so it's super comfy to just throw on top of things. The lace print isn't still available but this is the same shape and cut. I'm also eyeing up this amazing one!!

The amazing bright blue top is from New Look, I absolutely love this shape of blue. It also has a dipped hem and exposed zip. I tend to wear this a lot as it looks great with jeans or tucked into a pencil skirt.

I've been lusting after Vans for ages now. I purchased some a few weeks back but returned them. I just couldn't decide on the colour as the ones I wanted were know longer available. So when I walked into Primark and saw these for £6 I couldn't resist. I picked navy but think I'm going to have to go back for the red too.

They look pretty similar to Vans and are really comfy. The first day of wear did hurt the back of my ankle but they are really comfy now. They are just what I wanted and I can have a few different colours while I decide which colour of Vans I want.

I kept Jewellery pretty simple. This gorgeous bracelet from Daisy Does. It offers fully unique jewellery, most pieces she never normally makes more than one of so you know you're the only one with that piece. You can also design your own. I've ordered quite a few pieces from here now. As for rings the one in the photo of one my other half got me. When wearing silver jewellery I tend to wear one from my other half and one my parents bought me. 

As for necklace it's my Beautiful Sphere of Life Necklace (www.mysphereoflife.com) Thanks again to Jenny I'm so pleased to have won this, as you'll have seen from my past OOTD I wear it loads. It's so easy to pair with everything. I have set your heart free!

My jeans are from Next, I've had these for a few years now. I love next for jeans. They are great quality and fit me well. These are similar to the relaxed fit skinny they now sell. These are the Relaxed skinny jeans I'm currently wanting!

I paired it all with Kate Moss for Rimmel Matte Collection lipstick in the shade 110, this is a bright coral red type shade. I've owned it for a while but never gotten around to wearing it. You can see the whole collection with lip swatches here I really love this shade now, it's very bright but I think it's perfect for Summer (when it arrives!).

I'm really enjoying doing weekly OOTD

Love M

xxx

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