A Small Fashion Haul And An Outfit Post

Hey everyone x I hope you've all had a nice weekend x I've got a little haul for you today and it's a fashion haul. I'm a bit of a fan of catalogue shopping and the majority of this haul comes from two catalogues - Littlewoods and La Redoute, with a couple of high street buys thrown in.

I've had catalogues in my house for the longest time, I used to spend hours at a time as a child pouring through my mams catalogues, circling all the things that I wanted and do you know what I still do that. You don't get as many printed paper catalogues as you used to so some of the magic has gone but a lot of websites now have a wishlist facility and of course there is always Pinterest, I'm still learning about that one but already I can see how much fun it is picking out wishes and wants. 

The bulk of this haul comes from Littlewoods but you can also get the same items on Very and a few other sites. From the minute I saw this shirt I knew that I needed it. I've become a huge fan of sheer shirts from the Definitions brand this year and the gaudy, psychedelic, floral pattern on this one really stood out.

Again it's quite sheer so I'll need to wear a vest or a camisole underneath it, but I love the combination of the purples and the burnt oranges. This was £37 and they also do a dress in the same print.

The next thing that I got was another blouse from the Definitions line. Although it's described as a blouse, for me this is a pull on tunic.

In a sheer ivory fabric it features an orange, beige, burgundy and blue floral print. On the website it's called the Printed Contrast Trim Blouse and down the back, down the front and around the neckline and cuffs there is a black contrast, fabric band. This one was £37 as well, but if you fancy buying this shirt I would definitely consider sizing up especially if you're a bit fuller on the bust.

My final Littlewoods fashion purchase was from their own South brand, and it was the South Blocked Tunic.

.

This is basically just a long line fabric t-shirt with navy blue block sleeves, and a navy blue chiffon trim with small side slits. The body of the top has a navy blue and white almost shutter like, stripe print, overlaid with a blue and white floral print. The length is really good and this is definitely a top you could wear over skinny jeans or leggings. The sizing on this one is pretty generous and if anything I probably could have gone for a smaller size. You better get used to this top if you subscribe to my You Tube Channel because I'm wearing it in 4, yes 4 videos :) including the one at the end of this post - £25 well spent x 

Next up another catalogue and this time La Redoute. I'm been a fan of La Redoute for a while now, their clothes are just a little bit different and whilst I haven't bought a lot from them lately their catalogues and website are always worth a look. To be fair this time round I sent a lot of stuff back and I only ended up keeping the free gift, navy trench coat and this top.

From their own Mademoiselle R line, this is a Short Sleeved Jewelled Collar T-Shirt. It's basically a short black t-shirt with a white Peter Pan style collar covered in an acrylic jewel, floral pattern. I love the collar detailing so I couldn't resist it. The sizing isn't that generous and it isn't the longest t-shirt I own but it's cute. This top is £19 and comes in both black and grey x 

Next up yet another top, another blouse and this time something that you could pick up with your weekly shop.

This fabulous floral peasant like top comes from the Florence and Fred (F&F) range at Tesco. Made of a slightly sheer, soft, silky, satin feel fabric, it has a pussy bow fastening and the neck and it has long puffed sleeves. Described as the Retro Floral Print Pussybow Blouse, this blouse is covered in a fabulously, gaudy floral print, in shades of red, mustard, teal and white. I'm not convinced that this is the most flattering top I've ever bought but I do love a pussy bow and that retro, in your face floral print so it's a thumbs up from me. There is no stretch in the fabric so I would probably size up because you'll probably need to wear something underneath it. This top was just £14 which is really good value when you look at the styling and the softness of the fabric, and you can also buy a dress in the same fabric for £20.

For as long as I can remember I've loved colours and prints like this so I'm really loving the current 70's trend. As I've said before my usual outfit is a pair of jeans, trousers or leggings and a bright top but this year I'm trying to be a bit braver with my clothing choices so I decided to buy something that's way out of my comfort zone - a dress!

So many people wear dresses and look amazing but since I've gained weight I just haven't had the confidence but I really liked the look of this jersey dress. I love the high neck and the tan,and blue floral and botanical print so I went for it, it was just £9.99 so it was no great shakes if I didn't wear it...

I did wear it though, and it had it's first outing on Wednesday night at the Metro Centre Fashion Live and House Of Fraser event. I have to admit I felt a little bit self conscious and I would have preferred it to have been a little bit longer but for £9.99 you can't really complain. I thought I would document the day I tried something new so Mummy Lou took some pics for a very rare outfit of the day.

What I Wore

Patterned Jersey Dress - H&M

Black Tights - Asda

Marc By Marc Jacobs Chicory Leather Strike Tote Bag

Fluffy Bag Charm - H&M

Black Brogues - Dolcis 

Wooden Bead Necklace - Gift From Godparents

I don't think it looks too bad, I decided to play on the tan / brown floral print, and team it with a tan bag, OPI - Basque In The Sun nail polish, and a toning wooden bead necklace. I went with plain black tights and shoes to coordinate with the background, and I teamed it with a black faux leather jacket from La Redoute. I'm not the most stylish person by any means but I really want to start doing some more outfit of the days - I just need to practise my posing a bit and Mummy Lou needs to practise her photography skills!

I went on a bit of a You Tube filming spree this week and I filmed 4 videos on Friday, 2  of which are already live including the video to accompany this haul which you can see above, and another 2 at least will be live next week, so make sure you're subscribed to my You Tube channel and you're following my blog for some more hauls and some lifestyle and beauty content x Thanks for reading and hopefully watching and if you have any questions please leave me a comment and I'll get back to you x 

Large Collective Nail, Manicure And Pedicure Haul

Hey Guys x I hope you've all had a good day but if you haven't hopefully today's epic haul will cheer you up a bit. Shopping or even window shopping always lifts my spirits when I'm feeling down so hopefully my manicure and pedicure haul will do the same for you.

I'm going to start off with some nail art pieces that I picked up from Poundland. Every time I go into Poundland now I always have a little look through their nail bits and this I got some of their Disney Minnie Mouse Nail Stickers.

The packet contain around 120 little stickers ideal for creating an accent nail. As well as Minnie and Mickey heads, the packet also contains bows, flowers and little birds. I think these are great for both big kids like me and little people x

As well as the stickers I also had another look at Poundland's selection of Allura nail art wheels and I was pleased to find one that I didn't have.

This one contains a variety of silver and gold tone metal shapes and studs including teardrops, triangles, stars and hearts.

The kit also comes with a wooden hoof stick and a small nail file. I think these kits are great value for money and I really hope that they introduce a few more varieties.

Although my nails are pretty short at the moment I'm determined to get some length back in them so I can start to experiment with nail are again. I currently addicted to looking a nail art tutorials and something that you see popping up in a lot of videos and posts is peel off liquid tape or palisade. All you do is paint the liquid tape around your cuticles and your nails and when you paint your nails the excess polish sticks to the tape rather than your skin. You can do it with PVA glue but I thought I'd try the proper stuff first and so I got a bottle from ebay.

I paid £2.19 for this bottle from this seller and having received it I definitely think it is just PVA glue but I do love a bit of glue peeling and anything that can make my manicures a bit neater is worth trying.

Something else that I got from ebay is a nail and cuticle oil pen. I mentioned one of these in a recent empties post and I think for the price and the convenience they are well worth the money. Cuticle oil is my new best friend at the moment and I always like to have one in my handbag. I have a couple which I'm using at night but these pen applicators are great for travel and for during the day.

As I've said previously I don't think these are genuine OPI products but the product feels nice on your skin and it seems to be helping. This time I went for the lavender fragrance but to me it smells more like my Melissa shoes with a sort of floral, bubblegum scent. This was just 99p including postage from this seller.

Thanks to illness and medication my nails are notoriously rubbish so I really do need to take care of them, as well as using hand creams, cuticle products and strengtheners, I also need to be careful how I file my nails.

If I use anything that is too rough or aggressive my nails just split and peel but thankfully I have found a products I can use.

The Leighton Denny Expert Nails Crystal Nail File is one of my holy grail and go to products. I've written a full review here but it's a product that I now feel that I can't live without. The only trouble is they are a bit fragile so here's a tip- don't sit on it! I did and I ended up with a file of two halves, so I decided to treat myself to another one .

This is a limited edition version to celebrate Leighton's 10th anniversary on QVC and as well as coming in a protective case, it also comes with the number 10 on the end of the file, picked out in clear crystals. I know a lot of people don't like the idea of a crystal file but believe me once you've tried one you will never go back.

Despite the fact that we've had a nice day today, it definitely seems as though summer is on it's way out but I'm ever hopeful that we'll have a few nice days before the seasons change so I picked something up a few weeks ago to get my tootsies sandal ready just in case.

Source

Excuse the stock picture but this little pot just didn't want to be photographed! I used to buy these Pedi Peel Pads a long time ago but like so many thing from Avon they disappeared without a trace. A month or so ago though they reappeared and I decided to stock up whilst I had the chance. All you do is rub a couple of pads over clean dry feet and the glycolic acid helps to exfoliate the skin and leave you with softer, smoother feet. Thanks to a thyroid problem my feet get very so I'm hoping that these will do the business again in between proper pedicures. Avon Footworks Beautiful Pedi Peel Pads normally retail at £6 for 55 pads but it's worth waiting for an offer before you buy x The current offer I believe is two Footworks products including this one for £4 so it's well worth picking these up whilst you can.

I love a good Avon bargain, and in a recent sale brochure I picked up another one of the Stardust Nail Enamels, this time in Teal Glitter.Based on today's shopping trip there seems to be a lot teal around for Autumn so this polish will be right on trend.

I love sparkle and whilst having a little look at Littlewoods online recently I couldn't resist picking up a new Nails Inc Polish. I love their new bottle design and I love their new brushes so I ended up getting Nails Inc Special Effect in Exhibition Road.

Crammed full of sparkle this colour will make an ideal top coat for any colour. In a clear base it contains circular glitter particles in lilac and gold. Okay it wasn't something that I desperately needed but the offer that Littlewoods had on at the time was just too good to turn down.

All you had to do was buy any selected Nails Inc polish and you got a Nails Inc 4 Piece Mini Collection absolutely free. The collection includes 4 x 4ml polishes in some of Nails Inc's most popular and classic shades, Victoria, Basil Street, St James's and Uptown. I love mini polishes and this was a great way of adding some more little ones to my collection.

Next up a bit of an apology x This final 3 polishes that I'm going to show you, we're all magazine freebies. Unfortunately none of the magazines are on sale any more but I still thought I'd show you them anyway as they might pop up in some future nails of the days x First up this ultra, summer shade from Nails Inc.

The recent collaboration with InStyle lead to a a small range of cover mounted polishes all with names themed around 80's songs. This coral, orange,red is Love Will Tear Us Apart. I love a bit of Joy Division and this limited edition colour is perfect for those summer toes. Although this one will be very hard to get your hands on now Nails Inc do have a few similar colours in their line and similar shades are available in most other ranges.

Another polish that came free with a magazine is Jessica Custom Nail Colour in 787 Floating Beauty which came with a recent issue of Red.

I don't have any Jessica polishes in my collection so I thought that this was an ideal way to try a new brand. Floating Beauty is another shade that's perfect for summer it's one of those hot, hot fuchsia pinks that again looks amazing on tanned hands and feet. This polish is still in the Jessica main line and retails at £10.50 for 14.8ml, which made this a pretty decent freebie.

The final product that I'm going to show you was another magazine cover mount and this time it was from Marie Claire. Like a lot of bloggers I have a love / hate relationship with Ciate but they do seem to get an awful lot of magazine coverage, and recently Marie Claire came with both a mini 5ml Ciate polish and a mini 5ml speed dry top coat. I already have quite a few Ciate polishes in my collection so I just picked up a random copy with came with Strawberry Milkshake.

This pale pink shade will either be fabulous or awful. With pale cream polishes like this there is no in between so we'll see. I can't find this particular colour in Ciate's main line but it's an easily duped shade so you should be able to pick something similar up.

I'm on a bit of a video making roll at the moment so I've filmed a very long, and rambling video to accompany this post x So by all means make yourself a cuppa, settle down and have a watch x



If you're a fan of all things nails then make sure that you're subscribed and following my blog, I have quite a few nail related posts to come over the next few weeks including some reviews, some nails of the day posts and a giveaway or two x Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please leave me a comment x

A Huge, Collective Clothing, Shoes And Jewelley Haul

Hi all, I'm back with another haul post for you and this time it's a clothing, shoe and accessory haul x I've got quite a bit of stuff to show you so I'll cut out the rambling and get started.

First up shirts or blouses or whatever else you want to call them. They are my latest obsession and I'm particularly loving bright shirts that I can throw on over a pair of jeans. Last month I showed you a gorgeous sheer white shirt with neon floral print that I bought from Litttlewoods (see it here), well I loved the shirt so much that I went back on the site and found and ordered two very similar shirts.

The first shirt that I got is in a sheer white material but this time, it covered in a bright, floral, rose design. It also has a solid white collarr, and a solid white covered button placket. This is the shirt that I'm wearing in the accompanying video later on in this post and it was £35.

The next shirt that I got was also from the Definitions brand at Littlewoods (and Very). Again it's in a sheer white fabric but this time it's covered in a random pink and purple almost paint splash design that resembles flowers and birds if you let your mind wander a bit :) This one was £34.

I'm really loving these sheer shirts at the moment. Yes, you probably do need to wear a camisole or a vest underneath them but they look so cool and smart for the summer, just throw them on with pair of leggings or some skinny jeans, and some heels or some sandals and you're good to go.'

Sticking with the shirt theme I also got something slightly more sensible, I was looking through my wardrobe and to be honest something was missing - a good, classic white shirt, I've got a couple but they've definitely seen better days so I ordered a couple from Next. One of them was a bit too boring and went straight back, but this military style shirt was definitely more versatile. Made from a slightly stretchy, self stripe fabric, this shirt will work equally well with a smart black skirt like I wore it with today, as it would with a pair of jeans and some boots. This one was £28 which I think is great value for something that I'll get a lot of wear out of.

From something that's subtle and classic to two pieces that are bright, eye catching and in your face! Last month I also showed you a top that I'd purchased from QVC and more specifically from the Wearable Art By Bob Mackie line (take a little peek here to refresh your memory) I loved the psychedelic patterns and colour so much so that I had a little look in the clearance section on the website and I bought two more brightly coloured, and patterned pieces.

They always say that if you like something you should buy it in every colour, well I didn't quite buy it every colour but I did buy the same top in two different colours. With a geometric, almost Aztec and daisy print, I got this top in both a pink and lilac combination and in a fabulous almost periwinkle blue and green.

These tops are made of a gorgeous lightweight, almost slinky type fabric which feels lovely and cool against the skin. I paid less than £20 each for them which I think is pretty good for the quality of the product and for their originality and exclusivity.

Next up H&M and I couldn't resist a little sale and non sale order. The first item that I got was in the sale and it was the blush pink version of the navy blue skirt that I bought here x

Again it has an elasticated waist, and two front patch pockets. This was £12 in the sale reduced from £24.99 and it's still available online.

As well as the skirt I also got one full price clothing item x This short chiffon kimono comes from the Divided line and was only £7.99

It originally came in a variety of different designs but this geometric, Aztec design is the only one that's still available. I really like short boleros, shrugs and kimonos for covering the top of my arms when I'm wearing a vest or a camisole. This really is a multi coloured piece and I think it would work well with a variety of different colour camis.

Next up a scarf, and although I don't wear them anywhere near as much as I used to I'm still slightly obsessed with neck wear.

Alas this pretty navy blue floral scarf isn't online anymore, but it was just £2 so it's worth having a look in store if you fancy it.

My final H&M purchases were all jewellery pieces including this gorgeous, statement bracelet which was just £4 in the sale.

It's a basic silver tone clamp bangle with a beautiful, eye catching, opalescent and sparkly faux crystal design.

I also got some earrings including this mismatched four pack which was only £3.

This gold tone set contains a small stud, a small circle design, an ear cuff, and a little crystal star on a hoop.

I also got a full price set of 9 pairs of earrings. The set contains 3 crystal pairs, 3 faux pearl pairs, and some gold tone ball studs and gold tone knot pair, and they were just £3.99

Next up Avon, and over the past month I've picked up a couple of their bracelets including this one.

The picture isn't great but it's multiple strands of navy blue waxed cord, with a gold tone fastening, and attached to the cords are tiny gold tone and crystal flowers which move freely along the cords. The design reminds me a lot of some of the Folli Follie flower pieces, but this was a lot more purse friendly. Unfortunately I can't find this bracelet online or in the most recent brochure but it's worth keeping an eye out when a sale supplement pops through the door.

Something that is still available though is this Irlana Bracelet which is currently on special at £5. What these are, are oval natural gemstones attached to different coloured adjustable cords, with different coloured findings. There are 4 different stones to choose from but I went for the Cream Quartzite which represents Health - believe me I need all the help I can get! This semi precious stone comes on a black cord and features gold tone detailing

I love this bracelet and I can definitely see myself buying a few more colours, next on my wishlist is the Chalcedony which represents love -awww x

My final jewellery purchase comes from ebay and it's an inspirational quote necklace. It comes in a silver tone and features a circular double sided pendant. I'm not sure how well you can see it but one side is engraved / embossed with the words " Life The Life You Love"

and the other side features the words "Learn From Yesterday Live For Today Hope For Tomorrow"

I love quotes, and inspirational sayings and this necklace was only 99p including postage from this seller .

My name is Louise and I'm a shoe a holic, well I'm not as bad as I used to be but I still love my shoes, and despite getting rid of numerous pairs, I still probably have more than one person will ever need. That hasn't stopped me buying some more though and over the last few weeks I've picked two more pairs.

Yes more Mel's, My black rubber ballet pumps with huge bows on the toes are probably my most worn shoes of 2015, so I decided that another similar pair would be a worthwhile investment. Again in a black, bubblegum scented rubber, instead of a bow these ones have a cut out heart on the toes.

I paid £36 for these ones from Dorothy Perkins, which isn't cheap but for me they're well worth it. They are comfortable and based on my experience, they wear really well, and always look box fresh.

From some quirky but classic ballet pumps, to some fun and summery sandals from New Look, via ASOS,

I love anything sparkly, holographic and metallic and these strappy sandals fit the bill perfectly. They're quite simple and feature just two simple, fixed straps, but they are in the most gorgeous silvery, holographic faux leather. These sandals were just £.9.99 and whilst I'm not sure how much wear I'll get out of them this year, I couldn't resist their metallic prettiness.

If you want to see all of the items in this haul in more detail and you want to listen to me rambling on, then please have a little watch of the accompanying You Tube video below, if you're on a mobile device though you can also find the video here x



So that was my pretty epic, collective clothing, shoe and jewellery haul, If you have any questions, you know the drill - leave me a comment below and I'll get back to you x Thanks for reading  x