Boux Avenue Haul

Hey All

I definitely don't buy new bras as often as I should. When La Senza closed down I've tried different shops but not found one's I liked enough to go back and re buy. When I was feeling spendy the other day I decided to pop into Boux Avenue, L is a big fan so I decided it was about time I gave it ago.

They had an offer one where if you bought the bra you got free matching pants. I love buying sets but always find the knickers seem really expensive so when I saw the offer I was sold. I went to be measured as I've not been for ages. I have actually been wearing the wrong size...ooops. The lady doing it was great and picked out different styles and sizes to try to find what I was comfortable in.

I ended up picking up two styles. I went for light colours as I really needed a new white bra and the floral print was too pretty not to pick up.

I ended up going for the Chloe Lace Balconette Bra. I never used to choose a balconette style but I really like the shape this gives me and it's so comfortable. I'm surprised how much my tastes have change. The matching knickers are soooo comfy too plus they look good. 

The floral print bra is a boost bar so enhances cup size. I always favoured these bras a few years ago and love the shape it gives me but not sure if now it makes my boobs look too big. It's comfortable but I probably wouldn't buy this style again unless my boobs shrink a bit again. It's currently on offer as well for cheaper than I paid but lets not mention that! 

Boux Avenue has won me over and I'm already eyeing up my next buys. The Anoushka bra is next on my list!!

Where do you find best for bras?

Love M

xxx

Oliver Bonas Sale Picks and What I've Purchased

Hey All

Oliver Bonas is a shop I'm loving lately and when I passed through Reading station a few weeks ago I couldn't resist popping in. They've got a great sale on so I thought I'd share my purchases and the bits I'm still eyeing up.

Image from Oliverbonas.com

The first thing I saw was these Silver Stud and Chain Drop Earrings. I love how simple they are. I've worn them most days since I got them and had so many compliments on them already. They're also a bargain £5 (I paid £8 gutted!).

Image from Oliverbonas.com

When browsing the full price I couldn't help grabbing a few extra things including the Tan Josie Cross Body Bag. This was £38 and I love it already. It's great for weekends. I've been after a small tan weekend bag as mine is getting old now and this is perfect. It fits in sunglasses, keys, make up and my new card holder and is easy to through over my should to pop into town. It can also be used as a clutch so great for when I'm travelling to see family and friends and trying to appear less high maintenance then I am!

Image from Oliverbonas.com

My last purchase was the Grey Confetti Print Travel Card Holder. This was £10. I couldn't resist this when I saw it and had wanted one for a while as my everyday purse is rather large and takes up a lot of room in small bags. I like the idea of just taking a few cards with me. It's been used loads since I got it. I had orignally hoped for a tan one to match my bag but actually I prefer this better. I keep it in my big purse during the week then in smaller bags on it's own at the weekend! 

Image from Oliverbonas.com

After my purchases in store I couldn't resist browsing more on the train. The Black 3D Rectangular Collar Necklace caught my eye straight away. I love how funky it is and will be purchasing soon! I think it makes a great statement necklace for £8.

Image from Oliverbonas.com

The last piece of jewellery I was eyeing up was the Gold Pozo Howlite Open Shape Ring. I love the design of this and rings are probably my favourite jewellery items! at £10 it's the most expensive of my picks but still a bargain!

Image from Oliverbonas.com

A classic trench coat is something I've been after for a while and the Beige Livvie Trench Coat caught my eye as I was browsing. I love the buttons on this one and for only £40 it's reasonably priced. I've had a few clothes items from Oliver Bonus and have been impressed with the quality.

Image from Oliverbonas.com

The furniture is something else I love about Oliver Bonas. They have amazing desks and chairs and the Pebble Coco Chair really caught my eye! I'd love this in my dressing room, the grey is an amazing shade!!

There is a massive selection of bowls, martini glasses and mugs i'm eyeing up but my OH was having none of it as apparently our cupboards are full (in his defence they are but you can never have enough pretty mugs!!)

Have you shopped much from Oliver Bonas?

Love M

xxx

Spring in Primark

Well hello there!

You know it seems that Spring might be winging its way into our lives, there has actually been a fair few April showers but aside from that the blue skies have begun returning along with the SUN! Shocking, it's hard to remember what that's like sometimes.

But that aside I went to Primark last weekend and picked up a few spring themed goodies!

These beautiful mint coloured travel bag and wash bag are just an example.
A lot of my wash bags have been free from magazines and the like, and over the years have turned very grubby! Seeing these I couldn't resist picking them up and throwing out the old ones.

The colour and patterns are really cute and although they are pretty basic inside without any additional pockets and compartments they're perfect for travelling with, which is exactly what I need.

And for £4 for the 'Essentials' bag and £5 for the 'Travel' bag I couldn't resist.

The set is so cute!

There is also a 'Make Up' bag available in the same range.

Muslin cloths are the bane of my washing, they're always dirty and always piling up. 3 face cloths in Primark cost £1.30 so its about time they also got changed up, there's only so much mascara they can take!

Summer shoes are something that Primark do so well, the massive range of colours is awesome and there's almost anything you could possibly want!

These aqua coloured lace up pumps are a staple every year for me but I normally get them in grey, these will brighten up any outfit over the next few months and if I somehow manage to ruin them in the rain (seems to happen every year.....) then for £3 I can buy another!

Such is the fickle world of fashion that although they're in for every summer the colour of the moment changes, but at this price it's affordable.

These beauties I also couldn't leave behind, cream shoes are perfect for wearing with almost anything and I wore mine until they fell apart!
These feel really soft to touch as well, so even though they have so many cut out details that I worry would act like a cheese grater on my feet these actually feel so soft.

What have you been buying recently? Have you snapped up any wardrobe updates for the Spring season?

I really need to brighten up my wardrobe so I'm going to work really hard on doing that this year as I own far too much black and grey!

L xxx

Vintage Fairs and Payday Treats

Morning!

Just over a week ago me and my mum went to the Lou Lou's Vintage fair in Cardiff. We've been once before and I loved it, so we decided to go again for their January sale. It was lots of fun and I picked up a few accessories before we also headed into Cardiff to raid a few shops there too!

I really enjoyed our trip previously and although i didn't expect to find much here again I did spot some lovely things. I love having a browse of the stands and a small rummage - I haven't quite got to the stage of rummaging through the rails of clothes yet....that's still a bit beyond me. I find it hard enough to buy clothes in shops nowadays so I don't think that vintage clothing is going to cater for my taller frame. A longer body with longer legs than the average person makes certain types of clothing hard to buy, but rest assured accessories are always available!

How beautiful are these cat eye sunglasses?! They cost only £5 and they're UV400 which is something to think about when purchasing vintage sunglasses - this means they are probably not real vintage just vintage style but nevertheless you won't be finding them in any other store. I love the marbling effect in the frame too, it makes the shape seem less harsh.

The necklace is a steampunk style - it's the insides of a watch attached to a gold chain. I loved it as soon as I saw it, I've got a bit of a thing for watch necklaces as it is (I own about 6!) with the official Harry Potter time turner necklace being one of them. This cost me £15, a little more expensive but worth it for the unique design.

The ring is a beautiful clear crystal set in a silver coloured twisted ring. The crystal is cut to be pear shaped - it's a gorgeous design and when me and M were looking at rings in a shop window the other day it was one I surprised myself by liking so when I saw it at the vintage fair I had to grab it! This was £8 so a few bargains at the fair this time as before I spent well over £100!

Next up was Primark. I don't find many clothes from Primark but their pyjamas and casual tshirts are normally something that catches my eye.

Harry Potter pyjamas are number one in my eyes; I've bought as many of them as I can get my hands on. The above navy tshirt and vest and shorts combo were ones that I couldn't leave without, I didn't get the matching navy bottoms but wish I had so I think I need to go back! You can never have enough pyjamas....

Which is why it would have been SO RUDE if I had left these Batman pyjamas behind too!
I do love the leggings and tshirt combinations and anything superhero and magic related I just cannot resist.

I would say that I don't need any pyjamas for a while now but that would be silly; I'm sure I'll be back in there soon!

I also had a browse of their workout gear and was surprised at how extensive it has got. The grey hoodie will be great for my running in the evenings and so will the armband (£2.50 by the way!). They seemed to have a few colour ranges with neon green, orange and pink being the biggest, the orange was definitely my favourite.

The gloves will also be good in future, only £3 and I love the pattern and colours!

What have you been buying recently? Are you a superhero fan like myself?

Do you like going to local vintage fairs?


L xxx

Cardiff's New Primark Store (and haul...!)

Hello there!

Happy weekend lovelies!

I hope you've got some fun things planned. I'm at a close friends wedding today and have been looking forward to it for months! It's a small wedding but a rather large party so I imagine it will be a lot of fun.

I've had a few shopping trips recently, although I'm pretty poor it has been such a long time since I've bought clothes properly that all of them seem to be falling apart. I mean I'm at the stage where some clothes are too big where I've lost weight, some have holes in where I've worn them so much and some just are NOT in fashion any more.

So when Primark opened their brand new absolutely fabulously big store on Queen Street in Cardiff it would have been a travesty for me not to go and check it out wouldn't it?

This was my first purchase and it was a steal at £12. I cannot believe that this BEAUTY of a top was ONLY £12!!!

Look at the beautiful details and stunning patterns.

This top might not be silk and it might not be hand sewn but let's face it, with this much elegance who on earth cares?!

Even the bottom hem of the top is edged with the same gorgeous iridescent coral sequins, and I love a bit of coral (read obsessed).

When I saw this gorgeous jersey maxi skirt next to it for a bargain £10 it was in the basket before I blinked. Even my mum was impressed that as of yet, i hadn't picked up a tshirt nor a black item of clothing.

A bit further into this new stores 5 floors (FIVE!) and I found this super cool navy and white maxi skirt with huge polka dots and thigh splits. This was the first maxi skirt I ever tried on and the polka dots with the thigh splits just sold it for me.
Spots are my favourite pattern and the splits allow me to move freely with a lovely breeze to cool me down.

Look at those splits! There's one on either side too so it helps to keep my modesty during a particularly sudden gust of wind.

So eventually the black tshirt related item did make it into the basket! But it must be acceptable when it's this cute right?!

I love American sports style clothing and this is so comfy and goes with leggings and jeans for a slouchy weekend.

This floral tshirt dress is also a comfy purchase, its very short on me as I'm taller than your average but its a very pretty print and I love the colours.

Who on earth doesn't love tshirts like these? Paired with jeans, denim shorts or just as a beach cover up I love a tshirt especially when they're as cheap as these.

I'm a huge super hero fan and this Wonder Woman tshirt is a new favourite of mine. It's a lovely baggy tshirt and is great for dress down days at work.

The Coco Cola tshirt is another great one, plain white tee with a simple logo. Simple is always best I think!

Who doesn't love a pair of sunglasses as happy and summery as these? They remind me of the frames that Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum wear on 22 Jump Street, loads of people had these on at Glastonbury in a myriad of colours. They just seem to go with everything due to the dual colours.

Lastly, at £3 a pair it would have been REALLY rude not to pick up at least a few of the colours of these pumps. The grey and white are staples every year for me but the floral and pink are new additions. £12 for four pairs of the pumps means that they can be worn to death and thrown out at the end of every summer. Let's face it, they always stink after a few months of wear and although you can put them in the washing machine they never turn out the same!

So what do you think of my buys?

I think the new store has a much better lay out that the previous store and a much wider variety of stock. They have allegedly taken on a total of 600 employees for this store so it's not surprising that it so much better organised.

I am almost certain I will be making many returns and have been on a bit of a shoe haul recently, a new post will be sure to make it onto the blog soon!

L xxx

Pay Day Haul

Hey All

Hope you've had a great weekend. Mine was plagued by complete exhaustion on Friday. Thankfully a two hour nap and a lie in on Saturday sorted out the sickness and headache. I did feel a bit crappy still on Saturday but I think stress had something to do with that.

I always get paid earlier than everyone else so last week I was feeling like I hated everything in my wardrobe and needed some new bits. I've mentioned on here before but lately I'm loving being more casual with my style so I decided I need some new t shirts! New look stole a lot of my money this month!

This is my favourite top and I've had so many people want to grab it too but around me it's now basically sold out! It's a great loose fit but flattering and I love the rolled sleeves!

I loved the print on this one and thought it would be great to brighten up skinny jeans outfits!

I'm a huge pug fan, so a pug t shirt with a unicorn horn and glitter was something I needed! Admittedly this will probably be a bed top but it was too amazing to leave!

When L and I went to stratford I wanted this t shirt but at the time didn't like the loose style on me. As I said my tastes have changed and I love this shade of green and the print so it needed to be mine!

This one also comes in cream and in hindsight I wish I'd got the cream one. The print shows more on it. I love inspirational quotes and this just sums me up lately! I really feel more positive about things lately and I'm excited about life and getting to do things for me! If only money would stop being a problem!

These dainty bracelets were in the sale for £1! For that price I just couldn't leave them. I love the goldy brass colour and they are thin metal wire and flexible! I've worn them loads since buying them! Most of the shirts were £7.99 or 2 for £12 with the exception of the floral print which was £9.99! i think £6 for a t shirt is a bargain and they all have a great fit. I love pairing them with skater skirts of skinny jeans!

I couldn't resist some make up either. It was 3 for 2 again in boots and I needed a new powder. After hearing so much about stay matte I figured it was time to give it a go! So far I do love it and it is amazing. I also got Rimmel Dark Knight Waterloops. I owned this before and annoyingly lost it. Lastly on the 3 for 2 I got the Real Techniques sponge. I've wanted to try it for ages as I'm a fan of beauty blender sponges so figured it was time to get it.

L and I went to a showcase for Urban Decay so I couldn't resist buying some treat. Especially as it was bonus points when you spent over £50! The lipsticks are amazing pigmentation and I wanted a brighter colour. When I saw this swatched on Nina's hand I had to have it! The eyeshadow I've been eyeing up for ages. It's a really pigmented glitter that the glitter actually goes onto the eye and looks as it does in the pan. I also picked up a concealer. Honestly I don't love it that much yet. Lastly I grabbed an Mac Eyeshadow. I wanted a bright green/purple but just couldn't find a colour I loved so ended up with this matte dark green shade. It looks great applied on the lower lashes and blends easily.

I'm trying to be healthier so also grabbed myself coconut oil to cook with as it was on offer for £6.99 which seemed pretty reasonable to me. I've cooked with it and love it. so far I've not found the taste overpowering in food at all. The peanut butter is 1kg tub! I'm addicted to the stuff and this is made from 100% peanuts so I figured it was worth the extra few pounds to what I'd normally buy!

I also picked up some midi rings and a cute bird necklace from topshop! I'm loving dainty jewellery lately!

Have you got yourself any payday treat this month? Are you eyeing up anything? I'm currently in love with a skirt in Topshop!

Love M

xxx