Although by UK standards, the weather is pretty mild at the moment, we all know that it won't last, and that winter is almost certainly on its way. Whether you’re heading out to work, hitting the last of the sales, or meeting your friends, more often than not at the moment, you're probably thinking that staying indoors in your onesie is a better option than heading out into cold. Alas life doesn't stop in the winter months and nesting indoors isn't an option for most people, so think about your wardrobe, your outfits and your accessories, and with a little bit of thought you can not only still feel warm and cosy, but you can also look stylish, and put together. even when you don't feel it
So if you're one of those people who likes to hibernate when the mercury plummets, here are a few fashion staples, that will help you face whatever the winter has to throw at you.
Footwear
Footwear can make or break an outfit in more ways one, and whilst letting your beautiful summer shoes spend the season in your wardrobe can be painful, pretty wedges, and sandals, just don't cut the mustard when it comes to everyday winter fashion. Whilst I own a gorgeous pair from Emilio Pucci, let's be honest, wellies are rarely a fashion statement, and whilst they are super practical for the ice and snow, chunky walking boots don't exactly scream style either but if you need them you need them - keep them for the extreme days, and for the days when you want to stay safe and warm, but you don't want to look as though you want to trek up Everest, then boots are your best friend. I love boots and there are so many different types on the market to suit any purpose and any occasion from funky snow boots, to knee highs, and the classic Chelsea boot, to Uggs, Emu's and sheepskin boots, that are perfect for cold, dry days. You can never have too many pairs of shoes, and in my opinion the same applies to boots - the more the merrier.
Jumpers
I think I've mentioned it before but I'm very much an Autumn / Winter girl when it comes to fashion, and one of the reasons why is that I love knitwear. Let’s be honest here, who doesn't love a woolly jumper, especially in the winter months. As much as I love my Christmas jumpers though, it's time to say goodbye for another year and it’s time to embrace something a little more conventional as January comes around. To look and feel great, check out some women’s knitwear that keeps you warm and can fight away the chill of those winter days. Again there are so many different styles to choose from from huge chunky knits, to finer, fitted pieces for layering, embellished pieces for occasion wear, and of course the must have, over sized, boyfriend knit. Jumpers don't have to be dowdy and boring, keeping warm, and looking smart, and put together, can go hand in hand.
Scarves
A winter spent without a warm, fluffy scarf is a miserable (and cold) one, and there’s still time to get your hands on some fashionable neck wear if you’re struggling to get through those winter days. I love all different types of scarves, from fine, to chunky and they are something that I wear all year round, but when it comes to winter scarves, the rule is the thicker and comfier the better, so shop around to find something that you love and something that will work for you. Once you find something that is just right, you won’t want to take it off, even inside the house!
Hats
OK, so most of us are pretty divided about hats. You may put one on and think wow, this is definitely not a look for me. I have to say I'm not a hat person but like red lipstick I do believe that there is a hat out there for everyone, and that if you look hard enough you will find a winter hat that looks perfect, and keeps your ears warm as you head out for some January fun. Woolly hats come in many different shapes and sizes, and you’re sure to find something that suits your needs and the shape of your face perfectly, so don’t give up, and don't be afraid to try something new, be it a beret, a hat that looks like a pandas face, or even a giant bobble hat, your perfect winter hat is out there somewhere.
Coats
It goes without saying that you’re not going to head out into the winter air without a perfect coat to keep you warm - if you don't have a decent coat then you may as well stay indoors. As any coat fanatic will know, there are plenty of different styles out there, from puffer coats to their wool counterparts. If you live in a rainy area, aka the UK, then waterproof coats are probably the way to go. A good coat can often be an investment purchase, so think about when you're going to wear it, and the type of weather that you going to wear it in. I personally love a waterproof storm coat, you can get a waterproof outer with a hood, and usually inside you have either a zip off, shorter padded jacket or a fleece jacket that can be worn separately, they are usually a little bit more expensive but with so many ways to wear them depending on the conditions they are well worth the extra investment.
So, if you’re looking for some winter wardrobe staples, then keep these things in mind. Fashion doesn’t have to be compromised in the name of warmth, so shop around, buy wisely, and you'll have some classic pieces that you can bring out winter after winter. What are your winter fashion staples and must haves? Let me know in the comments and make sure your following me on Instagram in the next few weeks to see some of my own personal winter fashion staples x
Do you ever feel as though life is passing you by? This year seems to be going by so fast at the moment that the days seem to be blurring into one! I can only apologise that it's taken so long to get this post up but as I say I don't know where the time seems to be going at the moment.
Primark trips like a lot of things seem to have been a little thin on the ground this year, and to be honest another trip is well overdue at the minute. I haven't been to Primark since May and since we are nearly in July now I thought it was about time that I shared my May haul with you. It was a bit of a rushed trip, and I didn't really have too long to look around but I hope that the majority of these bits are still available but even if they aren't, you can always find something worth buying in Primark.
I seem to have inherited a lot of things from my mum, including her sense of humour, her openness, her eye colour, and weirdly enough her obsession with cardigans. We both love a cardigan, and if you're any sort of person then you'll know why. They are just so versatile and so easy to wear, a nice sloppy cardigan can look super cosy and casual, where as a shorter, more fitted garment, can add a bit of stylish, glamour with the right outfit and the right accessories.
Given the weather that we've had over the last week or so, this purchase does seem a little unnecessary but hey this is the UK, warm weather certainly isn't the norm even in the summer months, and even when the days are warm the nights can still be cold. Throw in the fact that Primark's one of those shops where you need to buy things when you see them and then you can understand why I honed in on this long line cardigan.
Okay I probably won't get too much wear out this cardi, till hopefully the autumn but the colour and the style just fit me to a T. With a slight balloon sleeve and no fastenings, this cardigan is in the over sized, long line boyfriend style; The ribbed detail gives it a bit more of a stylish edge, and I love the taupe, stone, mocha, almost deep oatmeal marl esq colour. It's perfect for just throwing on over a vest or a t-shirt, and a pair of leggings or skinny jeans and it's something that I'll eventually get a lot of wear out of. This was originally tagged at £13, and I would have happily paid that but I didn't realise until I got to the till that it was reduced to just £5 - Bargain!
Long line t-shirts and vests are real wardrobe staples for me, Although my body is quite short in comparison to my legs, I'm still pretty long in the back, and being a little curvier around the middle than I would like to be, I do love, no I need! a bit of length in my tops. When it comes to length Primark tops and shirts can be a little bit inconsistent but lately I've found some gems, look for the long line tag and that's exactly what you'll get. I've bought a lot of vests and t-shirts from Primark recently, and this long line charcoal grey, t-shirt was a welcome addition to my wardrobe.
The neutral tone, means that it pretty much goes with anything, and the fit is perfect for my shape. It's long enough to cover my hips and my tummy, and it has plenty of stretch so it clings to and emphasises my curves. You could size up I guess, but if you like a baggy, less form fitting t-shirt then maybe this style isn't for you personally though I love it and at just £3.50, next time I'm in, I'm definitely going to have a look and see if they have any colours other than the ones I already have.
Although I saw quite a few other clothing items that I quite liked (striped trousers I'm talking to you) as I say it was a bit of a rushed trip and I didn't really have a chance to try anything on, so that was it for clothing, but as I've said on numerous occasions, sometimes I really need to shop my own wardrobe and wear more of what I already own, and one way to do that it is to pimp up old items with new accessories.
I love scarves, I always have done, yes you can wear them to keep you warm, and you can even wear them to keep the sun off you and to keep you cool, but as well as the practical element they also have a serious fashion vibe and they can really finish off an outfit. As much as I love jewellery and chunky necklaces, sometimes, a simple scarf just tied loosely around your neck can take your outfit from meh to miaow ! Did I even say that - cheesy! lol, you know what I mean though, depending on the scarf and how you tie it you can add a touch of class to even the most boring jeans and t-shirt combo.
This scarf combines two of the key trends of Spring / Summer 2018, stripes and florals. A little bit more expensive than Primark's usual neck wear options at £6, this scarf comes in a slightly textured fabric, I think the term they use is Swiss dot, and it features almost a self coloured, raised polka dot design, throw in an on trend pom pom trim, and thanks to it's long length, this scarf will take you from beach, to bazaar to bar.
Accessories are great way to update an outfit but some of them also have a practical purpose, and since the plastic bag tax was introduced in the UK, I always now have at least one reusable bag in my bag no matter how big or small that it is. Some of them are a bit mehhhh, who really wants a bag with a shop logo on? I want something a bit funkier, hence I have a few of the Poundland Disney bags, and I've now added this House Of Holland shopper to my plastic free bag repertoire.
Yes, you heard me House Of Holland, it's been a long time coming but eventually Primark seems to have jumped on the high street store / designer collaboration bandwagon. Unlike a lot of stores though Primark's collaboration with designer Henry Holland isn't about selling a name it's all about selling a dream.
Holland has designed several different shopper bags to raise funds for London Graduate Fashion Week and to help the next generation of fashion designers to achieve their dreams. The bags retail at £3 and Primark will donate £1.32 of that from ever bag sold to Graduate Fashion Week. Made from sustainable cotton there are several designs to choose from, but the one I went for with it's vibrant slogan, just screams classic House Of Holland.
I guess if I was going to give this post an alternative title I could have called it a haul contains things that Louise is obsessed with - scarves, bags, long line tees, cardigans, and now cushions! According to my mam I have an unhealthy obsession with cushions, they're just so cosy and comforting and despite having way too many for just one bed, I can't seem to stop buying them! I initially went into Primark's home section to hunt down an ice cream cone shaped cushion that I'd seen on Instagram, alas I couldn't find it but this one made me equally happy.
I know I'm an adult but there is something about cartoon cats and cats in general that I just love, I love Hello Kitty, Simon's Cat is my latest love and there is something about Pusheen that brightens my soul. In fairness, this super soft furry, velour feel cushion which was £6, resembles a cuddly toy more than a cushion but either way I couldn't resist it. It's cute, it feels lovely and like all cuddly toys and cushions it's comforting.
From home to beauty, and something else that I love, the Primark PS Cuticle Oil, I've talked about this stuff, quite a few times lately, and I'll be talking about it again in my next empties post so at the risk of boring you I'll keep this brief, it's only £1 for a 10ml bottle and it fabby, nuff said!
At the moment my nails are pretty rubbish but if you follow me on Instagram (please follow me if you aren't already I'm @LouLou699), I've recently been posting a quite a few nail art hauls. When my mam was in hospital sleep didn't always come that easily so I spent a lot of the nights trying to while away the hours until daylight came and it was easier to sleep. On more than one occasion I fell into a You Tube wormhole and started watching videos on everything from the sexiest actors without shirts, to pimple popping, vegan recipes, and hours upon hours of nail art! I used to love nail art, and thankfully I've still got a lot of my old stuff including nail foils, and stamping plates, so when I get some nails back again hopefully with lots of new inspiration I can pick up where I left off and get creative.
I saw this nail art set and I thought that it would make a nice addition to the tools that I already have, it was reduced from £5 to £2, and as well as containing a nice glittery nail file, it also contains 3 silver tone, nail art tools with fabulous purple / fuchsia crystal detailing. The kit contained 2 brushes in two different thickness, which are perfect for striping, painting and detail work, and one fabulous double ended rubber / silicone tool. I'm not going to lie this tool is probably the main reason that I bought this kit, I've seen a few people use this type of tool to smooth out nail foils, and stickers, and also being used to apply things like holographic and pearl powders. I can't wait to start having a play around with these tools, the nail art bits that I already have and some new additions and to see what I come up with x
I've lost count of the times that I've raved about Primark make up brushes but in my experience the majority of them really are that good, even more so when they are only 50p.
When I was last in Intu Metrocentre Primark, they had a whole rack of these PS Foundation & Concealer Brushes reduced from £1.50 to just 50p each.
This double ended brush with rose gold tone ferrules, features a classic, flat rounded foundation brush, and a substantial rounded concealer brush. The hairs are nice and soft, but they're dense enough to do the job - I didn't really need any more make up brushes but this was too good a bargain to turn down - a nice dual purpose brush at an even better price.
Ah Primark, your make up collection just keeps getting better and better, I definitely have my eye on their new highlighters but in the meantime on my last visit I picked up two lip products. The first one comes from their newish bridal inspired range, and this is one of their PS Bride Tribe First Kiss Lipsticks.
Packaged in an on trend, rose gold tone, Tilbury, Lauder, Arden esq ridged tube, these lipsticks have a quirky, push button, pop out design, that adds a bit of quirk and a bit of extra style.
There were a few shades to choose from them in the range but I went for the shade Bachelorette, a really pretty and wearable nude.
Alas I didn't manage any shots of it on the lips but this is a really nice colour and a pretty decent formulation. It has a pretty strong coconut, vanilla scent but it's really moisturising and it leaves a lovely glossy finish. I probably have a kazillion similar shades but for just £3 I'm happy to have this one in my collection.
From something I love to something well that I don't! If you watch the accompanying haul video below, then you'll see that my first impressions of this product were pretty good but when I started using it my opinion rapidly changed!
From their range of K-POP and Kawaii inspired make up products, I picked up the K-POP Pillow Talk Matte Lip Cushion in the shade Cuddle which was £2.
Packaged in pink and white tube, this lip colour features a screw cap, and a velour tip. Simply squeeze the tube, and out comes the product, all fresh and ready to apply to the lips.
So far so good? it looks cute, the packaging works, and I love the fruity taste and scent, but that's pretty much wear the positives end for me. First of all it was nearly impossible to apply evenly, the sponge tipped applicator wiped the product off almost as fast it put it on, throw in a streaky as hell formula, and a matte and dry finish and the whole thing was a just a nightmare. The paler than pale pink colour didn't help either, rather than giving me the Bardot esq lips that I'd hoped for it just seemed to emphasise every flaw, and make me look dead. On the lips this is a big no no for me but since I hate waste I'm going to try and maybe use this as a matte, liquid cheek colour, I haven't tried it yet but fingers crossed it works better on my face than it does on my lips.
You can't win them all I guess and I was pretty happy with the rest of my Primark bargains so I guess I can't really complain. I've made a video to accompany this haul so if you want to hear my first impressions on some of these items, more my decent into a You Tube wormhole and my opinions on Henry Holland original slogan tees than have a watch via this link or below, and of course don't forget to subscribe to my You Tube channel.
I think another Primark trip is well overdue in LouLouLand, so if you've picked up any Primark bargains recently don't forget to share your links and your finds with me in the comments and of course if you have questions then leave me those as well x
Although we all seem to be shopping for other people at the moment, it's important to treat yourself every now and then. I wouldn't go as far as to see I believe in the one for you, one for me philosophy but at this time of year we need to show ourselves a little bit of love. I don't need an excuse to go shopping but I've been in Primark quite a few times lately picking up the odd pressie and it goes without saying that I picked up a few things for myself.
These carnival style LED lights have been one of the big home trend of 2015, and it's a trend that I've loved. I never managed to get my hands on the Primark star but after a lot of searching I managed to get my hands on this Love sign.
This was just £12 and I think it's well worth the money. It's made of an off white coated metal, and it goes perfectly with the white star that I got a little from 24Studio (you can see a picture of it here). I'm not quite sure where I'm going to put it yet but the fact that it's battery operated gives me a few different options.
Primark has some gorgeous clothes in at the moment, and I'm currently lusting after their long line knitted waist coats, and their sparkly party wear, but sometimes you just need to say NO and show a little bit of restraint. Despite wanting to buy half the store when it came to clothing I only bought two jumpers.
Okay I didn't really need another Christmas jumper but look Gingerbread people, how could I resist, especially when it was reduced from to just £7.90. It's got a nice thickness to it and I love the applique button eyes and the pom poms on the hat.
From a happy Christmas jumper to something plain, and a bit uninteresting in comparison.
I'm going to be honest with I picked this up and put it down twice, before taking the risk and leaving it on the rail. The trouble was I couldn't stop thinking about it so next time I went to Primark I headed straight for it and luckily they had one left in my size.
This is a very lightweight, soft, oversized black jumper that's longer at the back than it is at the front. Initially it looks quite boring at first glance but look at it more closely and you all sorts of different design details. It actually has a ruched crossover detail at the front. It looks nothing on the hanger but it's one of those tops that just looks right. It is quite sheer so you need to wear something underneath it but it looks great as a layering piece over leggings or skinny jeans. It was tagged at £9 but when I got to the till it was just £8 - a complete bargain for something I know I will get a lot of wear out of.
Black is such a practical colour when it comes to clothing and accessories, it with absolutely everything, and it's a real wardrobe essential. I already have black gloves, scarves, and hats but I didn't have a black snood, in fact I didn't even own a snood. They are so practical though you can use them as a scarf, and you can pull them up and use them over your head. This one is just in a plain black, soft touch knit and it was just £2.
That was it for clothing, home wear and accessories, but I did buy a few jewellery pieces, including this necklace.
You can't see this piece too well unfortunately, but this necklace is from the newish Opia Rose range. Rose gold is so popular at the moment and if you can't afford the real thing this line gives you the look without the price tag. It's a lovely copper tone and this plaque necklace was just £2.
I love both delicate necklaces and chunky pieces, but at the moment I'm in a delicate, layering piece phase. This thin gold, tone chain features a small gold tone disc, which is embossed with a small gold heart. It was reduced to just 50p.
Something that I love but that I don't wear often enough is rings. During my university years I was one of those girls that wore a ring on every finger but these days rings are for high days and holidays. That needs to change though and in 2016 one of my aims is to wear a lot more of my jewellery and to work my way through my extensive ring collection. So starting as I mean to go on, I couldn't resist adding a few pieces.
This one is just a chunky gold tone, geometric band which is set with a large grey, marble effect acrylic stone. This one was just £1.50.
The other ring that I got was a little bit more expensive at £2.50 but you are getting real semi precious stones. I'm a huge sucker for Tigers Eye, and this gold tone, double band effect ring, contains both a round Tigers Eye stone and an almost Planet Earth like, cloudy blue stone with could be Sodalite. They also do a matching necklace and some matching earrings, which I may have bought Mummy Lou for Christmas :)
The final thing that I got in Primark was something else that would be great for gifting - Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Lip Balm
These individual twist up balms are just £1.50 but they also have a couple of gift sets in store. I'm not 100% sure about how good this will be for the lips, but it such a sweet taste, it could definitely help with those chocolate and sweet cravings.
So that was my latest little Primark haul, as I say they have a lot of good stuff in at the moment, including lots of gifting options and of course lots of things to treat yourself with. I've made a little video to accompany this haul so don't forget to take a peek and subscribe to my channel x
Thanks for reading and hopefully watching and I'll see you soon with more posts and more videos x
Hi Guys x I've had a few new followers lately so I'd just like to start off this post buying saying a big thank you x I really appreciate every single one of my followers and I really hope that you'll enjoy this little glimpse into my world x
A blog about a lot of things but if you like shopping and hauls, then this is the place to be x I love shopping and over the next few weeks I have several hauls coming for you including a high end beauty haul, a nail haul, and also a couple of more budget friendly beauty hauls but first of all I've got a little fashion and accessory haul to show you.
The first three items in this haul are all tops from QVC. I've spoken a little bit lately about my new found obsession with QVC's clothing and whilst some of you may sneer, I'm going to say it again, I'm a firm believer that you can find clothing gems anywhere. I'm never going to be the most fashionable or on trend person out there but I know what I like and I know what works for me, and something that's almost being a signature look for me is a bright, or a patterned top and a pair of jeggings, leggings or skinny jeans. It looks good, people remember me for it and if you pick the right items, you can feel comfortable and confident x
The first top comes from a Canadian company called Kim&Co. My mum is a fan of the brand and they're noted for their comfortable and easy care, stretchy dresses and separates. I actually already own a piece from the brand from many moons ago, a slinky ivory, cream dress covered in a pink, black and red ladybird print. I love it's quirkiness but since then I haven't seen much that I would personally buy - the range is generally a bit safe and bit too old fashioned for me but every now and then you do see something that makes you think again.
This top normally retails at £40 but it was on special offer on the day I ordered it. I love the floral design but it was the combination of navy blue and lime green that sold it to me. At first glance it looks like you're wearing two tops but it is actually just the one. It features a rose, print panel on the front and the back and the sleeves are in plain navy.
I talk more about the fabric content more in the video below but this super soft, slinky and stretchy, it is so, so comfortable and I love the tunic style length. Here I'm just wearing it with jeans and Converse but it's definitely something that you could dress up. This top also comes in a black and a pink colour way and I have to say as tempted as I am to pick up that one up too, I think I'll wait and see if the price comes down x
The next two tops are from a QVC brand that I'm really loving at the moment, Wearable Art By Bob Mackie. I love his use of colours and prints x The first top that I got was this contrast sleeve, tile print tunic x
This was another one that was on special and although I originally wanted this top in the blue, it had sold out so I ended up getting it in the brown with the black sleeves. I love the Moroccan style print, that's featured on both the back and the front of the top and the browns, yellows and oranges are really autumnal and perfect for this season. I'm a huge fan of tan and brown accessories and I think that this will work really well with say a tan bag or brown boots.
The final QVC item that I got was another top from the Wearable Art By Bob Mackie range and this time, this one was from the clearance section. This 3/4 sleeve top, is all about the colour and the bright eye catching print
It features a stripe, and almost floral and leaf design in bright,but distressed neon shades of pale blue and green. All the designs and stripes are outlined in black which gives a real stand out look x I would have maybe have liked this to be a little bit longer but since it was less than £15 I can't really complain x
The only other clothing item in this haul came from H&M and it was a sale item, that again embraces my love for colour and print.
Although I remember wearing printed trousers when I was younger I was slow to embrace them this time round x I just didn't feel confident enough but all of a sudden the confidence just clicked and lately I've wanted all the patterned trousers that I could get my hands on. I've mainly been sticking to floral prints but these ones are a bit different - on an ivory, beige background these ones features a bright tropical leaf and flower design, scattered through with illustrations of leopards and tropical birds. These trousers aren't for the faint hearted and although I don't think I'll get any wear out of them this year, for £6 they will be a fab purchase for next summer.
Now accessories and first up something that you might have caught a sneaky peek of in my YSL -Style Is Eternal Vlog x
Although I didn't buy it at the time I thought that this sheep scarf was really cute, so I had a look on ebay and found an identical one at a slightly cheaper price. It comes in few shades and what you can't really see here is how big this actually is. This one was £4.49 from this seller x
I used to be very much a scarf person, and although I don't wear them anywhere near as often as I did I still love them and I can never resits adding a new print or pattern to my collection. As well as picking up a gorgeous blue and white floral one for Mummy Lou in the recent Next sale I also got this one for myself.
I can't really describe the print it looks almost like florals, plates or panels, but again I love the blues and the coral shades.
I think that this was about £5 or £6. I didn't buy a lot in the Next sale this time round just this scarf, some blue and white floral PJ's, some underwear and a few pieces of fashion jewellery including this necklace x
One of the fashion guests on QVC regular wear a similar necklace in either a silver or a gold tone and I loved it. This one isn't the same as either of hers but it's as close as I can find in style at the moment. I have a few mesh pieces from H&M already and I think that this will work really nicely. I love the combination of both the gunmetal and the silver tone metals and I love the length.
The final item in this haul is another necklace from the Next sale and it's another long one. Unfortunately I've managed to delete the main picture from my camera but this necklace is from the brand Adorning Ava, and it's a long line, gold tone chain which features a diamond shaped filigree pendant with long lines of gold chain hanging from it. It definitely has an Asian feel to it and the super long length means that you could either wear it as a statement piece or even as a layering piece with some shorter chains.
So that was my small but very long winded clothing and accessories haul x I've made a little video to accompany this haul which you can see here x If you're on a mobile device don't worry you can find the video here x
Thanks for watching and reading, and if you have any questions please leave me a comment I love reading what you have to say x
