A Collective Clothing Haul Featuring Next, H&M And More

When you're unhappy with your appearance, it changes everything. For a girl that normally loves clothes shopping and fashion, my last few shopping trips have left me feeling miserable and uninspired. I compare myself to others way too often and the thought of shopping in actual shops at the moment is depressing the hell out of me, especially when you can't find anything above a size 14 in Primark, so I did what any sensible person would do and turned to online shopping.

Trying something on in your own home is a much better way to look at something objectively. If you're having a rubbish day, you can leave the package until you feel as though you're in a better place. Everything in this haul bar one item was an online purchase, and even though I'm feeling a bit mehh I managed to get a few practical items, and a few fun items that I'll enjoy wearing. Oh and the trousers and the skirt all have an elasticated waist so even if I do lose a bit of weight they can be easily altered - see despite my negativity I'm still trying to be a practical and sensible fashionista :)

I'm going to start off with one of the fun pieces and I said in my previous beauty review post I love bright colours, and I love vibrant prints, so this top fits the bill perfectly.

It was something that I ordered from QVC of all places. When you think of QVC and fashion, you probably think like I did that they only se;; comfy, and casual clothing for those who are getting on in years. Well you couldn't be more wrong, okay they do sell ranges that are probably more appropriate to someone of say my mum's age but I'm a firm believer that you can find good wardrobe pieces in the most unexpected of places. QVC UK currently sells BIBA, a range by Trinny and Susannah, and a diffusion range from top designer, Issac Mizrahi, as well as exclusive, quirky pieces from internationally renowned designers such as Butler & Wilson, and Bob Mackie.

Although American designer Bod Mackie is probably better known for his work with celebrities such as Pink and Diana Ross, and of course as the designer of Cher's 1988 Oscar costume, he also designs a line exclusive for QVC. Wearable Art By Bob Mackie is a line of easy to wear, eye catching pieces, that showcase both his design and artistic talent.

This top is made of a soft, silky, slinky type fabric that feels beautiful against the skin. I love the psychedelic prints that he uses, and for someone who isn't normally a pink fan, I love the almost, clashing colour combination. Unfortunately this was a clearance item and no longer seems to be available on the QVC website but if like me you love quirky, retro and bright prints, it could be a brand to consider.

I'm all about colour and something that seems to appear every summer is neon. I love brights and whilst neon isn't always the easiest thing to wear, this shirt from the Definitions brand at both Very and Littlewoods seems to have got it spot on.

This sheer white shirt features a floral design in both bright and neon shades. My pictures aren't really doing the colours justice but this is an easy way to wear neon if your scared of wearing block colours.

Unless you're brave you would probably need to wear something underneath it, but I've mainly been wearing it with skinny jeans and sandals, one of my go to combinations that suits a variety of occasions.

I'm a bit obsessed with shirts and florals at the minute so as well as ordering another Definitions shirt I also ordered this one from Next.

With an ecru background this long sleeved shirt buttons half way down, and is covered in an exotic floral print.

This shirt was £20 and it also comes in a tan colour way. This pattern seems to be pretty popular with Next this season and you can also get a sleeveless shirt, and a three quarter sleeve top in the same print.

One online store that delights and annoys the hell out of me in equal measure is H&M. I really like their clothes for basics and for something a bit different. Their online store drives me nuts though - they've only recently got a search option and please don't order anything if you want it in a hurry, but the website has a good selection, and it offers the full range of sizes, so for me more often than not it's worth the risk. This time round I got a few basics including some of these.

Harem pants are something that you either love or hate but I'm a huge fan. They're comfy and in the summer they can be a bit cooler than leggings, speaking of which...

Yup, leggings, but these are very different to the basic leggings that I normally wear around the house. Not only do they have a high waist but they are also made of a thicker, more substantial material and they almost seem to suck you in a bit, without being skin tight. They are a bit dressier than my normal leggings and I would be happy to wear these outside of the house.

Something else that divides opinion is combat or cargo pants. I haven't worn them for quite a while now but I've seen so many images of them being used as part of the utility / sports chic trend that I thought I would give them another go. I'm planning on wearing them maybe with a vest and some tan leather sandals but we'll see.

As much as I love pattern I'm not that confident about wearing it on my bottom half, in fact Mummy Lou embraced the patterned trouser trend way before I did, but once I'd tried it I couldn't get enough. These are my fourth pair from H&M and I think that they are probably the boldest to date. I love the warm colours and the almost Moroccan type print

The last thing that I got from H&M was a skirt. It's navy blue and has front pockets and an elasticated waist. It's very slouchy and perfect for the summer months.

It was £24.99 which I think is expensive for what it is and annoyingly it's now on sale at just £12, but guess who's now ordered the blush pink version? Yes me!

From something practical to something a little bit silly, a little slogan t-shirt from ebay.

I love this tee, and as someone who feels more confident online, than what they do in real life, it was a must. You can get these t-shirts from a variety of ebay sellers but this was the seller I used, and it was £9.99 with free postage.

My final online purchase was something from the George range at Asda. I always have a look through the rails when I'm in store but I haven't been in for a while so I had a little look online and this midi skirt literally jumped out at me.

Described as red, it's a really vibrant orange. It has an elasticated waist and it's made of a scuba type fabric, and it has two faux zippered pockets on the front. It was just £14 and you can still find it here on the Asda Direct website.

I don't know whether it's to do with the change in the weather or down to an attempt to lift my mood? but I'm really loving orange at the moment. It's such a happy colour and my final clothing purchase and the only purchase physically done in a shop, is in a fabulous, zingy orange colour.

It's just a basic bat wing cardigan, nothing exciting, but when I saw it on a Primark sale rack its colour dragged me in and I couldn't leave without it. It was only £5 reduced from £10 so it was a bargain. I love wearing orange in the Autumn to match the leaves as well so this is a buy that should easily take me right through to October and beyond.

If you want to see all of my buys in a bit more detail then you can watch the accompanying video that I've made especially for you x



Thanks for reading and hopefully watching, and don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave me your thoughts below xx

Sale And Non Sale Haul - H&M And Next

It's taken me over a month to get them all done but this is my final sale haul post. It's bizarre I honestly didn't think I'd bought that much - I was obviously wrong. This isn't just a sale haul though there are a couple of new season bits thrown in, it is nearly all about the clothes though with a couple of beauty and home bits thrown in.

First up Next, because I'm an account holder I always get a VIP invite to the online sale, so a few days before Christmas I logged in and checked out the sale listings. You can pretty much always guarantee a good discount in the Next sale but you have to wade through a lot of stuff. I actually ordered quite a few bits but I only ended keeping a few things.

I normally love Next home wear but there wasn't an awful lot in the sale that appealed but I did got for this cute double, sided cat sign. I'm not sure where it's going to live yet maybe in the conservatory, but I'm not sure yet.

Although it's now 11 months till Christmas I couldn't resist this festive purchase. This fabulous reindeer t-shirt was actually from the Men's line but who cares. I love Christmas jumpers but sometimes it's a little too warm indoors and this t-shirt fits the bill. It was £6 and it's still available on the Next websites clearance section.

Next up something that you will either love or hate - this bug scarf! The light grey, chiffon scarf is covered in images of beetles and insects. I honestly don't mind insects so it doesn't bother me at all in fact I find it really quirky and unusual, and it's completely different from any other scarf in my extensive collection.

As well as giving you the opportunity to buy quirky, and unusual items, sales also give you the opportunity to pick real basics, and wardrobe essentials. I'll let you into a secret, I'm a bit obsessed with nightwear, I love pyjamas, and night shirts so I always try to pick up a few things up every now and then. I don't buy a lot of nightwear in Next, not when you can pick up things for a 1/3 of the price in Primark, but I got did manage to get a few cute bits in the sale.

I love loose cotton based night shirts like this especially in the summer and I love the quote on the front "If You Believe In Dreams They Will Come True". I'm a firm believer in following your dreams and I hope that this shirt will help me to remember to follow mine.

As well as the night shirt I also got these cute, loud floral short pyjamas set. I fell in love when I saw it in the catalogue but I couldn't justify the £24 price tag - £12 on the other hand was easier to justify. Again this set is still available in selected sizes on the clearance section of the Next website. Alongside the PJ's I also got the matching slippers - I'm not a huge fan of slippers but after this weeks toe injury wearing shoes and slippers at all times is something I'm going to have to get used to.

So that was my Next sale order I did buy 3 things though from the Spring / Summer catalogue - long line vests! I'm a real vest fan I really feel the heat at times, so I tend to layer up and wear them with cardigans, kimonos, or under jumpers. So many vests on the market though are quite short, if you're a bit curvy around the hips and the tummy though short vests are no good. They finish at your worst point and show your flabby bits for all to see. The ones I got though from Next are very, very long and easily cover my stomach and the top of my hips and thighs. These vests are available in a wide variety of neutral shades. They're available on a buy more, save more deal, £6.50 for 1, £12 for 2, and £16.50 for 3. I went for 3, the navy which you can see here, and the cream and the nude which you can see in the video further on in this post.

The next part of this haul is courtesy of H&M. I can't do much with my local H&M stores but I am partial to a shopping session of their website. I still think their website has a lot of issues and their delivery times leave a lot to be desired but if your after the widest range of styles and sizes their website is the way to go. Again in the sale I went for basics and bought myself a couple of jumpers.

This first one is just a plain, long sleeved black, fine knit jumper from their Divided line. This jumper was just £5 and whilst it's very lightweight, it's really warm and ideal for layering. This is the jumper that I'm wearing in the accompanying haul video :) It's still available on the sale section of the H&M website in XS and S for £4

I love lightweight knits but sometimes just want something soft, warm and cozy and my next purchase fits the bill perfectly. In a lovely, neutral blush pink the long line jumper has a v neck and small side slits. I think it's in what they call an eyelash knit, it silky smooth and very strokeable. I already have a couple of cardigans in this fabric which I love, so this jumper is a welcome addition to my winter wardrobe. Unfortunately it's no longer available online but it was only £7.

This next H&M purchase was another one of those quirky buys that you'll not sure that you'll ever use or wear but you know you need it. I'd seen a similar faux fur scarf for £10 in Primark but I left it on the rail but as soon as I saw this one I added it to my basket. Again from the Divided line this black and white striped faux fur scarf has a satin lining and was £7.50. Annoyingly it's only £5 now but with sales you win some, you lose some, but at least I didn't pay Primark's £10 or the £14.99 that this one originally cost.

I've only got one other H&M sale item to show you and it's one of those things that I didn't really need but it's holographic loveliness called to me. This is the silver version of this make up bag but it also comes in a holographic pink shade, and you can still buy both for just £2 each.

The rest of my H&M purchases were all full price. First of all I got this set of silver tone, mesh, bracelets. I got the gold tone version a few months ago but for Christmas I got a necklace from my Godparents made of a similar silver tone mesh so I thought I'd get these silver tone ones to match. They  come in several different tones and retail at £3.99 for 4 bracelets.

My next purchase came from the beauty section, and no it wasn't make up, it was some Make Up Brush Cleansing Spray. I'm a big fan of this type of product and whilst they don't give a brush a thorough wash and clean, they do freshen up and sanitise the brushes in between uses. This was £2.99 and I'll let you know how I get on with it.

My final H&M purchase was from H&M Home. I really wish this range was more widely available in stores in the UK, but it's not so we're almost forced to shop online. I made a bit of a boo boo with this purchase I didn't read the sizes on the website so I was actually expecting something a bit bigger.

This set of 3 strong, cardboard, floral storage boxes are really pretty and well made but they are tiny! The largest box is only about the size of my hand. They will be ideal for gifting or for storage of small things like jewellery but I'm not really sure what I'm going to use them for. These boxes are £6.99 which I think is a bit pricey for the size.

You haven't seen a video from me for some time but I'm back on You Tube as of today. I've recorded my first video with my new camera and it's a haul video showing all of the items that you can see in this post. It's a bit of a work in progress with settings and lighting but hopefully the quality is a bit better than what it has been in the past and I'll be able to upload a lot more videos.



Thanks for reading and watching and if you have any questions please leave me a comment and don't forget to subscribe to my You Tube channel xx 

A Very, Very Late April And May Haul Featuring Make Up Revolution, L'Oreal, Boohoo, H&M And More x

I can hardly believe that we're in the middle of June already! Alas I'm in the middle of another illness nightmare so the blog posts have tailed off again :( I'm sorry but please, please bear with me - I can't guarantee posts every day at the moment but I'm going to do my best to get at least a few up a week xx Thankfully I've had a couple of day of lucidity so I thought I'd put up a very, long overdue, April and May haul post.

I honestly didn't think I'd bought as much as I had - obviously I bought a few magazines with free gifts but it wasn't until I started sorting my bits out to photographed that I realised just how much I'd actually bought. A lot of this stuff was actually bought with birthday money which makes this haul considerably less scary - First up clothes, jewellery and accessories 

My weight loss has trailed off dramatically over the last month or so and I'm still struggling to lose the weight that I gained in May, but despite this little blip I've still picked up a few clothing items, including these trousers from H&M.

I'm slowly but surely starting to embrace the patterned trouser trend, and these ones are exactly the same in size and style to the animal print ones that you can see here. 

I'm having a serious think on what exactly to wear these with, a the moment definitely white and navy, but I'm thinking of picking up maybe a vest or top in a similar green tone too. These are so, so comfortable, you honestly think that your wearing PJ's. My mum has kindly ordered me another colourway which I'll hopefully show you next month.

Next up a couple of things from boohoo that I picked up thanks to my birthday discount code - first this floral patterned scuba skirt.

I love this skirt, I love the colour and the pattern, and the almost wetsuit esq fabric.It's so summer and I can't wait to wear it, when we get some sunshine!

I also got this floral patterned t-shirt - It's a little more sheer than I would have liked but I'm loving floral patterns at the moment.

It wouldn't be me if there was no jewellery, and not wanting to disappoint  I picked up a few things this month including my Gold Stone bracelet from DYO Fabulous that you can see here, and also this bracelet set from Avon.

I have to be honest and say I was a tiny bit disappointed in this, the friendship bracelet with the word LOVE on it,it is a little bit cheaper looking and thinner than I expected. It also comes with a black faceted bead bracelet which again will be great for layering x 

As well as the bracelets I also got this ring set from H&M. It contains 3 rose gold effect, rings that can either be worn individually or layered together.

You get a little bow, a star and a slightly smaller star and a crystal.

Before I move onto the beauty products I picked up I just want to show you this Poundland bargain x 

For Christmas I was lucky enough to receive an iPad Mini. It came with a sturdy case and cover but sometimes you want something a bit lighter and this simple sleeve does the trick perfectly x This size also fit my kindle and they also do a larger version for bigger iPads and tablets all for £1.

Speaking of Poundland I also got a few nail related beauty items including some more of the Nail Rock Frou Frou Nail Charms.

The last ones I got were all about ice creams and desserts, but these ones are fruity themed. There are little strawberries, orange and apple slices. They had few other Nail Rock bits in when I was there including some nail wraps and a couple of their nail caviar kits. I decided to get a caviar kit and the one I got was Neptune which came with a polish in Neptune Green, and a tub of pink and blue micro beads. I know this trend isn't to everyones taste but if you fancy giving it a go, Poundland is the the place to pick up the bits on the cheap.

Another Poundland nail bargain came from Revlon x I've looked at the fabulous polishes in their Chroma Chameleon a few times but I never made a purchase, but low and behold I spotted this beauty in Poundland.

The polishes in this range are all about the duo chrome, metallic and Pink Quartz, is a sort of pink, green, yellow, bronze hybrid.

I keep saying I'm going to stop buying nail polish but the lure is just too strong, especially when it comes to Avon -  this is one of their Speed Dry + polishes in Trance, a gorgeous turquoise shot through with sparkle x 

3 for 2's are always dangerous, and throughout April and May I picked up a few things from Superdrug including a few Make Up Revolution Items - First up Iconic 3

I think everything has pretty much already been said about this palette, the price, pigmentation and quality is first class - if your thinking of buying Naked 3, like I was, buy this and it will be all you'll need x

Next up I picked up two of their Baked Highlighters - on the left is Golden Lights and on the right is Peach Lights.

I have a real thing for highlighters and these ones are gorgeous for the price, Golden Lights is sort of an iridescent white, gold and Peach Lights is a lovely iridescent pale peachy, pink.

If you want to win your own Make Up Revolution Iconic 3 Eyeshadow Palette and your own Golden Lights Baked Highlighter, click here and quick because my giveaway ends in a few hours time xx

As if it wasn't excessive enough to buy two highlighters in two months, I actually bought 3! I'd seen this one a couple times on various blogs and instagram pages , and since all the make was on 3 for 2 I thought why not.

The L'Oreal Lumi Magique Pearl Powder in 02 Rose Radieux, admittedly has quite a bit of over spray on it but the underneath shade is a gorgeous shimmery, peachy pink. You can use this powder as an all over face colour but I think I will just be using it as a blush and highlighter.

Despite the lack of sunshine up north at the moment, it is definitely warmer than it has been, and that means that make up wise I'm moving away from heavier foundations and instead I'm embracing lighter formulations, mineral foundations, tinted moisturisers and BB creams. Although Make Up Revolution are the budget brand of the moment, one of my budget brand loves is still MUA Make Up Academy. I wasn't sure what to else to pick up in one of my 3 for 2's so I went for their BB All In One Beauty Balm in 1 Light - I haven't heard too much about this to be honest so I'll definitely stick a review up once I've had a chance to try it.

One of my favourite lip colours over the last few months has been the Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Long Lasting Intense Colour Balm in 110 Make Me Blush. I love the colour, and it's super creamy and moisturising. I loved it so much I decided to pick up another shade.

This time I went for 700 Not An Illusion, which is more of a nude / neutral shade, with a bit of warmth to it x

Apologies for the dry cracked lips, and the wild hair xx

I'm still obsessed with these lip balm, pen stain things, and whilst surveying the racks I saw Barry M's interpretation of the trend - their Gelly Hi Shine Lips

There are 5 shades to choose from and I went for GSL5 - Capella =, a gorgeous bright pink.

As you can see from the picture these are very, very creamy, they aren't as moisturising as the Rimmel oes, but they are prone to melting and smooshing, so keep them in a cool place if you can , I think mine got a tiny bit warm x Apologies again for the slightly yucky lips and the bad lighting, its actually a little brighter irl than it's showing in the lip shots  x This is also the shade that I'm wearing in the video below xx

So that was the make up but I also got a few more bits in Superdrug including a new eyebrow brush and lash comb.

..some of their own brand Lemon and Tea Tree Shower Gel which is just as nice as Original Source and usually a bit cheaper..

and finally some Dove Summer Glow Nourishing Body Lotion. This is my favourite gradual tanner and I'll be starting this bottle in the next week or so, to save the world from my pasty limbs.

My final purchase of April and May was from Boots, I'm nearly out of my both of my regular toners and I don't have too much of my Clarins Exfoliating Toner left so I decided to try this cheaper alternative. The Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Toner.

This toner contains AHA's and Hibiscus to brighten and freshen the skin. I'm really hoping that this will do a similar job to my Clarins one x I'll let you know x

So that was my very, very belated April / May haul as per usual, you can also watch the accompanying video here or below



and if you have any questions on anything in this post then please leave me a comment and I'll do my best to respond xx