10 Forever Wardrobe Pieces

Hi there!

I've been browsing websites and magazines for the last 2 weeks whilst off and have been loving catching up with celeb gossip and changing fashions. It's got to the point when I read them and think 'who on earth is this?!' My celeb radar has clearly been off for a while!

Whilst browsing though i have come across an interesting article on Cosmopolitan called '10 Forever Pieces you need in your Wardrobe' It's pretty self explanatory but I wasn't sure about some of their choices.....so decided to make my own list.

1) Leather Jacket

There really is nothing better than a leather jacket. I would absolutely die and go crazy if I got my hands on a 100% soft buttery leather jacket in a timeless style from somewhere like All Saints. I'd love one, although I'd be wary that my long body would not allow one from there to fit me....sigh.
If I could pick though, it would be something like this:

Unfortunately I don't have £358 lying around tho. Sob.

2) Jeans

You absolutely cannot go wrong with some well fitting dark indigo jeans. I've found a perfect pair for me recently, having started my gym life a few years ago my glutes have suitably increased in size (Kardashian level not quite reached yet though). My current faves are therefore Levi's curve ID jeans in Demi curve which fit my derriere quite nicely.
I think in future a few more colours will be necessary but currently the dark indigo colour is perfect.

3) LBD
A Little Black Dress is a staple that no one would deny. Whatever your shape there's one to suit you, in fact there's probably 10 to suit you and that's the best part. I have a few faithful ones but it's going to be time for me to get a new one soon. A lot of dresses recently have been quite high neck so I think it's time to show a bit more cleavage, though I do really like a shift dress for simplicity and comfort!

4) LCD

Sometimes you just get fed up of wearing black. I've worn black dresses for about 10 years and I'm trying to add a bit more colour to my wardrobe, not least because it's boring to wear the same thing all the time but also because coloured dresses look awesome! not only that but as well as colour blocking which was what got me into wearing colour again, there are some amazing patterns to get your hands on.

The three above are all from Warehouse, would suit most shapes and are all under £50. Might have already picked up the bottom one....

5) Blazer

I'm in love with my blazer; a beautiful black Ralph Lauren military style blazer with emblem and gold buttons on the sleeves and the front. I couldn't be without it and it goes with so many things and gets me so many compliments - because it's so beautiful not because I'm wearing it. If it's good enough for Kate Middleton....

6) Handbag

The handbag is a tough choice for me. Having been a black leather lover all my life I've recently found myself branching out and had a dusky pink one for my birthday that has shown me the lighter side. Regardless, you need a fairly sizeable bag for daily life and here's a few on my wishlist:

 

You cannot beat simplicity.

7) Heels/Wedges
I could gaze at heels for hours, but as a lady of 5'9 and a very short patience span they just don't work for me. I found wedges about 2 years ago and haven't looked back. They allow me to gain some good looking leg muscles plus some extra chic points without crippling my feet (once they've been broken in obviously). They're like magic shoes!

 

Oh come on, who on earth wouldn't go for Louboutins by choice??

8) Flats
Following on from above it means I also clearly wear a lot of flats. I have an amazing pair of black brogues from Clarks that are so perfect for work and after a year still look new without any polishing whatsoever and I could cry with happiness at finding them. That aside, I love trainers too and am very much lusting over some new 'kicks' with some bright colours, or something that comes up with a high top like these:

I just need another spare £100 to snap them up!

9) Shirt/Blouse
Cosmo have a white shirt on their list. Whilst I love them....they don't love me. My boobs tend to get in the way of that and I can never find ones to fit, not that they're even that big which is why it's so frustrating. I've been wearing my black sheer loose fitting blouse for years and its so perfect for work, interviews and the pub with jeans. Sheer shirts like this are my haven, they skim over everything and flatter and hide in all the right places. Winning.

This ones from Zara for £30.


10) The coat.
I'm quite a fan of a coat. There are so many styles that part of me thought maybe this also included blazers and leather jackets but lets not include it for now.... I always think that nobody of any age or body shape can go wrong with a trench coat style or any style where the coat is above knee length and belted at the waist.This year I'm on the hunt for an emerald green coat so hopefully one will appear in the next few weeks. I've spied this one from Nina Ricci:

Stunning green and a leather belt at the waist.
But let's face it; if I can't afford the £100 for some trainers the £1880 price tag for this beauty certainly isn't happening. But if I win the lottery......? First on my list!!!


So what do you think? Are your top 10 classics similar to mine?
The only category I'm doubtful on is the trainers.....but even those will come back around again in the vintage category!

If you make your own lists let me know, I love reading them!

L xxx

OPI My Pointe Exactly

Morning All

I'm hopefully back in the swing of my beauty posts! It feels like ages since I've had the time to write properly. The last few weeks have passed in a blur. As the weather is getting worse I found myself drawn to My Point Exactly. I picked up the New York Ballet Mini's collection two years ago at the airport. It was an impulse purchase and I've not really used them all that much. 

I've not used some of the colours as much as I'd like as they are sheer formulas and I don't always have long natural nails. I'm a nail biter!

My Pointe Exactly is a sheer grey polish. It takes a 3 coats to build up to this level of coverage. I really like the finish on this. It's quite a subtle but done look to the nails and great for work when bright nail polish isn't allowed.

Grey in this shade isn't a colour I'd usually go for but I did receive a few compliments on it. I think for when my nails are longer I'd like more sheer polishes to try.

I find with these thin layers work better and a good top coat. Thick layer just peel off.

These are still available on Amazon.

Have you tried this collection?

Love M

xxx

Tough Mudder

Hi there!

If you've been following us on twitter or reading our fitness posts then you will be aware that we both took part on a Tough Mudder challenge two weeks ago.

If you don't know what a TM challenge is then here's a quick run down; each course is designed by Special Forces and is between 10 and 12 miles long. There are roughly 20 obstacles on each course but this could vary, particularly if you have completed a TM course before as you will have additional obstacles available to you that first timers do not.

The obstacles vary in their challenges; you could be required to climb a wall, swim through ice, crawl underground, jump off a plank into water or run through electric wires. You don't find out until the week before what the course is like nor which obstacles you will have to endure.

Here a few snaps from our day!

The official photos from the day are great and provided free which is always good. As events like Cardiff Half you have to pay for the photos. TM is really all about team work and you come away feeling like you've really achieved something and even if you didn't fully know your team at the start you will at the end.

It's such a friendly environment all the way around and everyone helps everyone on the obstacles which is great. As things like the 10 feet walls (one of the hardest obstacles for me!) were fine at getting people over but without the help of other teams your last person wouldn't be able to do it.

It's definitely something that pushes you to your limits but all of us that did it totally loved it and can't wait for next years south west event to do it all over again. We've all said we'd tailor our training differently if we did it again so here is some of our advice.

• Road running isn't all that helpful. The course is very hilly, after obstacles this is especially tiring. As much as possible run on hilly routes and uneven ground. It's a lot of running through wooded areas so over rocks and twigs.
• You need the upper body strength. (We both tried hard to do this!) Think press ups and pulls up. These sort of movements help build the strength you'll need for the day especially to be able to pull yourself over some of the smaller walls. Luckily the boys helped us with this.
• A good general fitness level. There is no point focusing on one thing. The next day everything hurt including the abs. This course uses every muscle!
• You will complete. Friend of ours had previously told us it was more of mind over body and towards the end it really was. When every part of you aches and you've been going for over 3 hours it's hard to get the energy to do some of the obstacles but you will find the strength to do them.
• Have a good supportive team around you. A few tall strong men will be helpful on the day!

Have you ever done Tough Mudder? We can't wait for next year!

Love L & M

xxx

Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser

Hello!

I cannot believe it is the end of August already, this year is flying by. and where on earth is all of the summer weather? Is it now autumn already??

Today I have a review on a facial cleanser that I saw one day in Boots and had to snap up. As I'm sure I've mentioned a zillion times already I have recently become unemployed because I hated my job so much and was made to feel so uncomfortable that I left without another job to go to. This is quite scary really and takes some explaining in interviews but basically for blog purposes it means that I am super skint!

No longer can i afford my number one cleanser in the form of Origins Checks and Balances at a cost of £17 so I've been seeking out a cheaper version with all of the same qualities that I look for:

• Removes majority of make up (I have to use eye make up remover/micellar water anyway for my super sensitive eyes so as long as its 90% removed I'm happy)
• Leaves my skin feeling clean without feeling 'squeaky clean' and tight, and ideally with a bit of hydration too
• Smells good
• Lathers well without a load of chemical nasties

Impossible?? I thought it might be. Until this one!

Good Things is a brand I've previously blogged about (link here) and I loved the ethos of the brand and also the product I previously tried, which is sadly no longer available.
All products are free from SLS (foaming agent) parabens and mineral oils which to me is a pretty good start.

I chose the Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser as firstly I'm obsessed with manuka honey, it smells good, tastes good and has a ridicukous amount of amazing properties. I love Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey mask for this reason and was interested to see how a cleanser works out too.
My skin is also getting older, siiiiiiiigh, and tends to needs more hydration than my younger oil slick face days and so a creamy cleanser sounded like the right option.
Lastly the price of £4.99 (its currently on offer in Boots for £3.33!) was very appealing. 3 for the price of my normal cleanser?? Surely worth a try!

It also contains Royal Jelly and Beeswax which was interesting. Straight from the Boots website you can see the blurb here:

Cleansing is the key to great-looking skin and this creamy cleanser has it all.

Super-hydrating royal jelly, rich in amino acids, helps to condition and replenish skin while the antibacterial properties of manuka honey ensure skin is thoroughly clean and balanced.

Black raspberry extract and vitamin E, both full of antioxidants, helps give skin a radiant, youthful glow.

This sounds like the perfect compromise to me, this cleanser should still remove the grime and oil from the day with the help of the antibacterial properties of manuka honey but also hydrate it with the royal jelly and help it glow with antioxidants. Sounds like a miracle!

Alice Hart Davis certainly seems to know her stuff and I have really enjoyed using this cleanser the last few weeks. I've been using a dollop of it applied to damp skin and removing it with a muslin cloth.
This seems to remove almost all of my make up, though it does have a little trouble with some eye make up but this isn't an issue for me as I have to be careful with my eyes and use a separate remover anyway.

The smell reminds me of warmth, if that makes any sense whatsoever. It reminds me of warm baked goodies coming out of the oven and is quite a comforting smell which I put down to the manuka honey.

I really cannot fault this product for the job nor the price and luckily for us it's often on offer at Boots!

Also in the range is a face mask, face scrub and daily moisturiser; all of which I am sure will find their way into my handbag on my next shopping trip!

Have you tried Good Things before? Do you have a favourite product?

Have you tried any from the Manuka Honey range before?

Let me know!

L xxx