Hey All

I'm meant to be saving my money at the moment as I'm off on holiday tomorrow but with all the sales around I can't seem to stop spending money. They keep on tempting me with the bargains especially with things being reduced down by 70% now.

Accessorize was the first to take my money. I absolutely love rings so when I saw these bargain packs which were reduced from £10 to £3 each they were too cheap to leave behind. The stacking rings are perfect as I don't have many gold rings but have a few gold belt buckles so when I wear them I like to wear gold jewellery. I love the big purple stone one. I tend to wear them on different fingers as for me the 5 on one finger is a bit too much. I love the crossover ring on the silver set and that was the main reason I bought them. I love midi rings but don't tend to wear them much. These are simple with the sparkle to add a bit of glam. I didn't plan to get new gloves but when these real suede ones were reduced to £10 I couldn't resist. They are quite old fashioned ladies gloves but I think they are quite classic. I love burgundies for winter so can see me using these lots.

This North Face jumper I've wanted for ages. It's the crescent sunset hoodie. As I'm off to Iceland tomorrow I've been eyeing up warm clothes. I couldn't resist this. I've been trying it on since October but as it was £100 I couldn't spend that much. After Cotswolds reduced it to £65 I couldn't resist it. It's so warm and snuggley. I can see me getting lots of wear out of this.

Dorothy Perkins was another shop with an amazing sale. I'm always on the look out for dresses that are long enough to wear to work and don't need ironing. I managed to pick up the red lace sleeved dress for £7. It's a waffle material so really comfy and easy to wear. I love red dresses. The burgundy skater dress was £10. It's got a lace print through it. This is surprisingly long which I love. On me it finishes a little above the knee. I find it hard to find dresses that are longer than bum skimming. I couldn't find the picture of the skirt I got but this nude one is similar. I got it in black. It's perfect for work as it's high waisted and long. It also looks really smart and will be great for summer and winter.

Fat face also sucked me in with great skirts and jumpers. I'm starting to prefer more expensive classics and getting a few fashion pieces. I also grabbed some great boots which were reduced from £80 to £25.

What pieces have you grabbed in the sale?

Love M

xxx

Hey All

I'm reaching the age where I seem to have lots of weddings to go to. I tend to be really bad at reusing dresses and love the excuse to buy a new one. I always have the best intentions to re-wear a dress but it never seems to happen so when the other half asked me to be his plus one for a few weddings in November I instantly started browsing sites.

When I saw Asos had a sale on I started browsing and accidentally ended up with 12 items in my basket making their way to me!

Here are my top picks and I ended up keeping three of these dresses. I had the best intentions to only keep one but they were such bargains I needed to keep a few more.

This is my favourite of the dresses and most likely the one I'll wear. I love the green colour with blonde hair and think the neckline is interesting. It's also really comfortable as while it's tight it skims everywhere. It also comes in petite range too. It comes in at £31. (link)

I love mint green and I'm yet to own much in this colour. I love the length and fit and it's a little booby but think the length still makes it ok for a wedding. For me I wasn't sure if this was too summer wedding due to the colour but it is available in a few other colours. It is a bargain £19 and is great quality. (link)

This one is the other half's favourite. I know he's biased to it though as he loves red dresses. I love the tone of this as I do find red sometimes looks cheap but as it's a bit more on the burgundy side it looks nicer. I love the touch of lace. I'm a lace fan but I do think it's hard to find lace that doesn't look cheap sometimes. It is a very tight dress so this one may only be worn if I lose a pound or two so I'll feel comfortable after eating. Another bargain at only £18. (link)

Lastly is this Lipsy one. I rarely find anything in Lipsy I like. I find it can be chavy, or way to short for a tall girl. I'm also not a fan of an exposed zip. All of that aside I love this dress. It's a thick quality fabric so doesn't bunch on the body and just skims. It has padded cups so a bra isn't necessary, no exposed zip and a fair length. I love how the lace contours the waistline to help it appear smaller. This one is also only £19. (link)

Unfortunately this dress didn't fit me when it arrived. If it did I think it would have been a favourite. I think it's so simple but cut really well and stunning. It also comes in a cornflower blue. I think with pretty jewellery it would be amazing. (link)

With such bargain dresses who am I to resist a new one!

Where is your go to shop for wedding guest outfits? Which is your favourite?

Love M

xxx

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

Hey lovelies!

I hope you're having a lovely start to the weekend. Unfortunately for me not only is it a working day (day 6 eek!) but I've got the worst toothache ever.
I've obviously not been eating enough as when I was drunk last weekend I decided to bite my own cheek so badly that I haven't been able to eat or sleep properly since! My dentist said 'it doesn't get much worse than that' as I've bitten it right at the back on my bite line so it's not going to heal unless I stop eating and talking. WHAT ON EARTH AM I GOING TO DO!!!

Well ladies and gents I am one for a PMA - that's a positive mental attitude if you didn't know.....I will instead be living off a liquid diet for the forseeable future, perfectly timed with my birthday weekend. Looks like its cocktails all the way! And an early night on an empty stomach probably eek!

Anyway what I'm really looking forward to is Glastonbury and is the main reason for posting. Both me and M have never been to a festival before so instead of testing the waters with an overnight one, we thought we'd 'go hard or go home' and go for the full 5 days of Glastonbury delights.

They've so far announced that Dolly Parton, Lily Allen and Arcade Fire are playing, none of whom I'm particularly big fans of so I'm hoping they start confirming the other rumours PRONTO. I mean, Kanye West (for the lols), the Eagles (legends!) and a bit of Disclosure, Skrillex and Example would be lovely!


The next most important thing....the wardrobe.

What on earth do you wear to a 5 day long event that you can't shower at?

I've already got myself a pair of navy Hunters wellies and I'm sure I've got an old pair of flip flops and pumps to take so the footwear is done. Aside from that? I've got some denim shorts I can rock and that's where it ends....so here's the start of my probably endless wishlist!


I'd really like this gorgeous white shirt from Next at £22. Not only is it really versatile to be worn with anything but its also going to be great for covering up in sun (fingers crossed!) and if it gets a bit chilly. I'll just have to remember to wear this at the beginning when I'm still clean!


I think that simple tea dresses and skater dresses are also going to be the best things to stick to as they're an outfit in themselves and don't require much fuss.


All of the above are from New Look and range from £18 to £23 so are absolute bargains really!
I'm a lover of a nipped in waist and polka dots so wouldn't be able to refuse any of these, in fact I might just accidentally add them to my basket now!

I imagine I am going to need to accessorize the bejeesus out of my hair as it will only stay looking good enough to leave it down for about 2 days, 3 if its not raining or particularly sweaty. So then it's going to be time to rock some of these. I am in LOVE:

This first one is from Prairie Charms and costs £15:


So pretty much that's my plan for my wardrobe. I'm probably missing some key pieces like a hoody, joggers and an umbrella but in my head its going to be fabulously sunny and feel like I'm abroad....if only!


Let me know what I'm missing because I need a serious reality check, a girl can dream but I need to know what to take so I don't get hypothermia too.

What did you take to a festival to wear? Have you been to one before and have some must have tips?

Please get involved!

L xxx

Happy Saturday morning to you all!

I would be ridiculously glad that its the weekend...but instead I have to work Saturday this week as well so I've decided to flash a few photos of my life over the last few weeks instead of a beauty post.

First up? This beauty. Apologies for the shadowed photo, lighting isn't my priority when dealing with my fave LKB and I was so excited that my mum had bought me this!
One of my Christmas presents had to go back as it didn't fit me so instead she bought me this beautiful black patent make up bag. I was very impressed with the quality and how beautiful and shiny it was anyway, (magpie anyone?) but it even came in a dust bag! I've never owned anything posh enough to warrant a dust bag before. Day. Made.

Next up is this beauty, a snap I took whilst stuck in my car on the way to work. What should have been a 45 minute journey ended up taking me 3.5 hours and I even missed a meeting at work...oops.

Nice to see some snow in amongst all the endless rain though!



Me and M had a lush night out the other week with a uni friend who came down for the rugby and then we went out afterwards. I wore a black crepe shift dress with leather panels on from M&S Limited Collection that I bought a few years ago. I've only worn it once before when I first bought it as its quite a tight dress due to the fabric and can even be hard to walk in but I decided there's no point it living in my wardrobe all year round!





Here's the three of us all glammed up and ready for the night!

I also picked up these shoes for the night out as my previous VERY trusty pair of shoes (the usual peep toe black shoe boot style) have finally given up with all the wear and tear!
I decided to replace them with these beautiful cut out shoes boots also from New Look which felt quite comfortable initially....they don't rub which is a relief but just general foot ache!



After that I've spent a lot of time eating the last few weeks. Not all that badly ( I do gym 5 times a week to combat it!) but nevertheless there has been a lot of food. For example:

 

Afternoon tea with M at a spa day we went to, not over the top amount of cakes and some decent sandwiches, yum.

The second picture shows my mums homemade 'sticky chicken' which is 1 or 2 syns on slimming world and honestly makes every problem go away. I promise to write a post about this in future as to be perfectly honest everyone needs this recipe in their lives! Perfect for chicken and salmon, for lunch or tea, for yourself or for a meal with friends its just AMAZING.




Another meal with M was at Nando's. M can get discount and so we often get the platter with the chicken and 2 sides with 2 drinks for a really good price. We do tend to stuff ourselves and however much we want to get salad we always end up getting chips to share too! Oh well.



Aside from all the amazing food I've been trying to get back into the gym. Although i go regularly my running has been suffering considerably because of the weather and persistent traffic I keep getting stuck in. I'm trying to keep it up on weekends but now I've lost my running partner to a dodgy ankle I'm flagging a bit!

I think a few quiet weeks with workouts, good food and a few good books are what I need to recover myself and my bank balance.

I've been having a hard time at work lately and sometimes find it hard to think about anything other than that and my constant lack of money. but I'm trying to be more positive about things and quotes like this one (from my beloved HP!) can help to put a smile on my face.

What have you been up to lately? Do you like my dress that I wore out?
How have you been coping with the awful weather we've been having?

L xxx

Morning!!

Last weekend me and M both went out for food and a few drinks to celebrate Christmas. We don't buy gifts for each other as we'd prefer to spend our money on a new dress and a night out on the cocktails.

This year was no exception and we managed to combine our festivities with the final of the Autumn internationals; Wales v Australia. As your typical welsh girl this was a standard thing for me, but M is only adopted welsh so it was a little harder for her to cheer on the 'wrong' team but she got into it!

We spent the match time in a local Wetherspoons eating your standard beer and a burger deal and joining the local oldies with their pints at the big screen. There were a few characters there and we had a good laugh with them.

After this we went back to mine and gave ourselves an hour to change and touch up our hair and make up which was a little push but we just about managed it!

We decided to both go for LBDs as we both had new ones in our wardrobe that we were desperate to wear!
You can see them both better in the picture below:

I am wearing a black knee length dress from LK Bennett that I picked up from the outlet a little while ago. It was on sale and after trying it on there was no way I could leave it behind. It was an expensive random purchase but something that won't date for a long time and I plan on getting plenty of wear out of it!

M's dress is from River Island and has a gorgeous cut out detail in the centre just under the bra area.

This was such a change for us to go out so covered up, long dresses showing minimal skin was definitely a big change (we're normally more likely to be seen in micro shorts or body con dresses with legs and boobs on show....why not eh?!)

I curled my hair as per usual but left the curls at the ends of the hair instead of all the way through. I wore my favourite Mac lipstick in Russian Red and teamed it with a smokey eye.

M also curled her lilac hair using a hot air brush to get root volume and a large curling wand on the ends. She wore a purple smokey eye her new MUA velvet lips in kooky reviewed on the blog this week.

We both enjoyed multiple cocktails including one called Kentucky Jewel (pictured above) which was amazing, bourbon, triple sec and juice....yum!

I was surprised I didn't feel as rough as I thought I would on the Sunday as we both drank quite a bit....however I did do the cardinal sin of wearing my make up to bed!

Unbelievable!


I never do that, probably done it 4 times in my whole life now so I was quite annoyed and have been applying face masks and spot cream ever since to ensure I don't get a mountainous break out on my face, ugh! 

What have you got planned with your friends this year for Christmas?

Will you be dressing up or keeping it casual?


We just couldn't resist an opportunity to dress ourselves up and do our hair and make up!

I didn't feel very festive when December struck as it felt too far away still...but now I cannot wait for Christmas to get here and am writing this whilst watching Home Alone - the ultimate Christmas kids film!

L and M xxx

I spent last night browsing some of my favourite online stores for something new to wear on Saturday. This year me and the ladies I work with are all going out for lunch and cocktails. I wasn't going to buy anything new but I've found myself staring into my wardrobe wanting new. I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite picks for the festive season.

Matalan

I definitely have a love hate relationship with Matalan, I either want to buy the whole store or can't find anything. At the moment I'm loving it all, simple classics, cosy jumpers, gorgeous shoes and accessories.

First is the Abbey Clancy Mess Insert Maxi Dress. This comes in at a bargain £20. I love the simplicity of this dress and think with some big chunky bangles it would be perfect for a night out. The Textured Jersey Dress is another bargain at only £18. I do love how reasonable pricing is. I love the black panels to help slim down and give a more hour glass shape and think it's a classy dress for going out with work colleagues. Sky scraper heels and a statement necklace would finish this off. The Cotton Spandex Skort I really want to find a nice skort. I have big hips so struggle to find one that sits right on me. I think this would be great to dress up of down and is in the sale for £10. Lastly is the Ponte Skort, this is another £10 bargain. The blue colour is amazing and is a great alternative to all the blacks around at the moment.

George at Asda

I mainly shop it Asda as it's a two minute walk from my flat and can never resist a cheeky browse of the clothing. I love all the midi dresses and big jumpers currently in store as well as their amazing selection of festive dresses.

Firstly is the Moda Embellished Jacquard Dress. I love the Jacquard print for winter and think the blue tone is a nice alternative to black. Finished off perfectly with a bit of sparkle. I find skater cut dress some of the most flattering on me. This retails for £25. The Embellished Neck Dress retails for a purse friendly £18. I love that the neck detail can be removed so after the Christmas season you have a great plain LBD. I think both these skirts would be great with a chiffon black vest top and statement jewellery to add some sparkle. I love simple pieces that can be dressed up so I can get lots of wear out of them. The Check Kilt retails for £14 and the Jacquard Spot Midi skirt for just £12.

New Look

New look is my fail safe usually for an emergency outfit. I can usually find something I like and it's reasonably priced.

The Kelly Brook Black Embellished Shoulder Long Sleeved Midi Dress immediately caught my eye. I love shoulder detail on dresses. It's just enough sparkle without being over the top and I've lately found myself very drawn to midi dresses. It is a little more pricey though at £39.99. The Navy Structured Mesh Panel Midi Dress retails for a more purse friendly £22.99. I love the panel detail to help emphasise the waist and I'm more of a fan of navy compared to black. Lastly is three tops. I find smart tops are what I'm lacking most of in my wardrobe. I love the simplicity of the Burgundy Chiffon Cami and think it would be great with the black skort. Chiffon vest tops are something I really need and these are only £9.99. With Christmas coming I'm definitely being drawn to sparkle. The Black Embellished Neck Shell Top  is £19.99 and will be perfect for dressing up skirts, jeans or shorts easily. Last but not least is this absolutely gorgeous Embellished Sheer Scallop Hem Top. I think this could be my favourite of all. I love the 20s feel of it and can imagine pairing it with a bright red lip and black liner. I definitely feel like my wardrobe needs this!!

Are you off to any Christmas Parties? What's on your wishlist for the festive season?

Love M

xxx

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.

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

It's been so long since I've done a wishlist. I used to do them monthly but haven't for a while now. With my birthday coming up I've been trying to think of things I want as I've been asked by a few people. So here's some of things I'm eyeing up at the moment. There are definitely a few if only I had lots of money pieces in here!!

First up is this gorgeous bag from Folli Follie, I love the soft grey/nude shade which will go with everything. I love an everyday hangbag to be simple and classic so I can get lots of use out of it. I love the little gold detailing to the bag and the plated handle!

I absolutely love the Macadamia Natural Oil range and have used the oil and mask on and off now for about 4 years. The healing oil is one of my favourites and I'm lusting after the oil and deep repair mask. Both can be got from here.

The next one is definitely a dream piece but after watching Ultimate Shopper it's not left my head. It's a beautiful colour, beautiful draping and I love that it has sleeves. I have a winter wedding early next year this would be amazing for but I know it won't happen. You can get it here. It's the Karolina Dress form Bernshaw.

I'm really missing my pink hair I had last year so I'd love to brave a wig for days when I want to be a bit different. I love the colour and style of this one from Annabelle's Wigs.

Next up is loads of dresses!! Everyone needs a good birthday dress right!? Here are some of my top picks!!

I've been eyeing up this one for a while. I'm a huge fan of lace but only when it's not the shiny cheap lace you seen everywhere. This is the Elizabeth Dress from Lydia Rose Bright's collection. I love how simple it is and the colour. I definitely think I could get away with wearing this to one of next years weddings with opaque tights

Next up is more lace dresses from Lipsy. I love both of these as the lace doesn't look tacky on them in my opinion. I also love that they are classic dresses that will last!! The first on is the Lipsy VIP waxed lace pencil dress and the second is the Lipsy VIP Lace Shift Dress. This also comes in white and grey.

These two are from AX Paris. The New Look in my town carries this range and I can usually find a dress I love on the rack. There is always something I want. I love the first dress. I've tried this on in Navy with cream crochet. It fitted amazing and made my waist look tiny. I really love the print on this style. This is the Floral Crochet Neck Skater Dress it also has a great back to it. The next dress is something really simple. I sometimes think less is a more and would love this for a night out with a statement necklace. This is the Long Sleeve V Front Dress.

Lastly are some dresses from George at Asda. Lately they seem to have some amazing dresses whenever I go shopping there. The first dress I absolutely love the simplicity of it. This is another wedding contender dress for me. Best of all as it's from George it's an absolute bargain. This is the Lace Panelled Bodycon Dress. I absolutely love the colour of this dress. Next is an amazing green dress. I'd love this for a night out. It has some mesh panelling to it so I'm not sure if a bra would show. Lastly is a dress I've been after for a while. I think an illusion dress would be really flattering on me figure and I love this one. This is the Bodysculpt Panelled Midi Dress. This dress has hidden support so I think it would be great on my pear shaped body.

Lastly I really need a new Pro Longwear foundation. This will probably one of the first things I buy when I finish project 10 pan. I'm really working hard to use up make up and I'm slowly getting there.

That was a long wishlist. What are you lusting over at the moment?

Love M

xxx

This post is going to be photo heavy.....but well worth it!!

The show featured some gorgeous colours from sky blues to navy with turquoise and some beautiful orange and purple combinations. There were also some beautiful pleated skirts which were similar to last years fashion with frills being added to the bottom for a more feminine touch

L and M xxx