PR / UNPAID AD - Leave No Trace With The Festival Bag From Paper Bag Co.* **

Whilst I'm not trying to sound too morbid, I'm wondering if any of you guys out there have a bucket list? You know, a list of things that you want to do or achieve before you depart from this crazy world that we all call home. 

Since my life seems to have been pretty much on hold for the last few years, I have a huge list of things that I still want to do and places that I want to go to. I'd love to go to Japan, to do my doctorate, to write a book, to see a volcanic eruption,  and I'd also like to do something that's probably a bit more achievable and go to a proper music festival.

I love music, and live music in particular, and seeing a whole load of different musicians, and artists of different genres sounds perfect! The UK especially is literally music heaven when it comes to festivals, with Glastonbury last weekend, and the Isle Of Wight the week before that, and with other large festivals such as Wireless, Latitude, Kendal Calling, and of course Reading and Leeds still to come, as well as numerous smaller, more niche festivals. the UK really is the place to be if you love live music!

So come on Lou, why don't you just bite the bullet and grab your tent and go to one? Well apart from the obvious health reasons at the moment, I love music but I think I love my comfort more. I think I'd be okay hanging with the VIP's in an RV, but I don't think that I'm really built for festival life, or even camping when I come to think about it. I need good toilets, hot showers, and a clean, comfortable bed. I've heard far too many horror stories about gross toilets, mud, horrendous traffic jams, my fellow human beings, and of course the mountains of rubbish to put me right off!

On the rubbish front though, despite the pictures that you may have seen this week about the aftermath of Glastonbury, things are changing. Whilst piles of rubbish aren't really a great look, Glastonbury has a longstanding with environmental campaign group Greenpeace, and caring for the environment has always been at the forefront of any planning or decision making. They have a full 'Reuse Reduce, Respect' policy which includes a focus on renewable energy, use of electric vehicles onsite, and an onsite recycling plant, and has the tagline 'Love The Farm Leave No Trace', and thankfully in festival and environmental terms they're not alone, with Kendal Calling's 'Leave Nothing But Memories' pledge, and the 'Green National Sustainability Charter' which is in place at all Live Nation festivals including Reading and Leeds.

It isn't just down to other people though, whether you're heading to a music festival or for just a quiet weekend of camping, we all need to do our bit as well, by reducing waste, and environmental damage , and recycling and also by thinking a bit more careful about exactly what we take with us on our trip, and no I don't mean what flavours of vodka to pack!

With an impressive CV when it comes to producing high quality retail and promotional paper bags, including working with brands such as Audi, Christian Dior Parfums and Converse, British brand Paper Bag Co. and their sister company Cotton Bag Co might not be at the top of your list when it comes to packing for a festival, but if you care about the environment then they probably should be.

First introduced in 2022, the Festival Bag from the Paper Bag Co. is the perfect accessory for the festival goer that wants to be a bit more eco conscious. With UK festivals alone generating over 23,000 tonne of rubbish every year, the Festival Bag and it's eco-friendly contents are all specially designed to leave no trace, even if everything get trashed and ends up being left in a muddy field when the festivities are over, oh and that also includes the bag itself! 

Unlike the majority of other rucksacks that you've probably seen on your travels this one isn't made from vinyl or plastic, believe it or not it's actually derived from paper! If you've ever had one of the large paper, or fibre filled padded envelopes, then that a bit like what this bag feels like. Don't worry I can hear what you're all saying, 'paper surely that can't be very durable', well that's where you'd be wrong! This backpack actually feels really strong and sturdy, and as if it could take a real battering, not only that but believe it or not, it's also waterproof. 

The Festival Bag comes into 2 eye catching modern designs, the 'No Trace' hand design and the bright pink, and black 'Festival' design which is the one that I was very kindly sent.

So it looks great, it's better for the environment, and it's sturdy but what else does it have going for it? Well sticking with the construction the bag features two strong webbed fabric and paper derived straps, that are fully adjustable, so it will fit all heights, sizes and wearers, comfortably and securely.

The backpack features a secure, side zipped pocket ideal for your phone or wallet, and it fastens with both a velcro tab and with full top zip for double the security. The main compartment of the bag is super spacious and would easily hold a change of clothes, a towel and a swimsuit or even a couple of folders. It also has a little loop inside the bag so you can attach your keys to keep them safe and secure.

Can you see what I did here? I shot a lovely picture, with a nice clear shot of the bag to give you an indication of the size, and I completely forgot to get a picture of it on my actual back! Seriously I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached - anyways once I realised I quickly remedied it and shot some pics all be it in a different location, and I can safely say that it felt both secure and comfortable and as I say there was plenty of room for adjustment, 

I don't know if your childhood was anything like mine but I always used to, and still do tend to carry backpacks slung over just one shoulder rather than wearing it properly. I always just found it more comfortable that way and this one was no different. I always used to get wrong off my mam for carrying rucksacks like this when I was younger, she kept telling me that it would ruin my posture and I guess it comes as no surprise that my posture now is indeed terrible - it only goes to show that you should always listen to your mam!

If you can get past my strange facial expressions, my awkward modelling poses, and the sight of me in shorts then you might have already noticed my snazzy t-shirt which is the first item that comes inside the Festival Bag. Made of 100% organic cotton, and printed with water based inks, this t-shirt features a really vibrant, modern, 'Leave No Trace' design. It's a really good quality shirt, made of a nice thick cotton, it's comfortable to wear and it also washes really well with no fading or cracking on the design - it's great for everyday wear, and it will make a great cover up it you've caught the sun ;)

As well as the t-shirt, as I said earlier, the Festival Bag also contains a selection of festival, camping or even just travel essentials, all of which are eco-friendly and biodegradable, and that will leave no trace.

The first thing in the backpack is attached to the little loop inside the bag via a metal carabiner clip, and it's a foldable cup! All you do is just pop off the cap / cover, and pop out the cup, and you have a small but sturdy drinking vessel that's perfect for those shots, a sneaky glass of wine, or if your being good a glass of water!

To be honest I have seen cups like this before, but I've never seen one quite like this before. Although it feels like the plastic cups that I've seen in various camping, garden and outdoor retailers, this cup is actually made from wheat fibres! Like the bag it feels surprisingly strong, and it's obviously reusable, just give it a rinse and you're good to go again, but if it ever does break then you are safe in the knowledge that the cup itself and the lid are both fully biodegradable, and of course you could use the carabiner clip for something else.

The next item in the bag, or should I say items, is a paper bag which contains a variety of eco friendly, not trace hygiene items including a good quality bamboo toothbrush, and of course some tooth paste. No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, there is indeed some toothpaste in the picture that you can see below, I can see why you would be confused after all there are plastic or metal tubes to be seen anywhere in my photo, and that's because instead of a conventional tube of toothpaste the festival bag instead includes some packaging free toothpaste tabs. You can find these in a few places now, and they are really simple to use, just pop one in your mouth, give it a quick chew, wet your toothbrush and brush away! They feel a touch chalky in your mouth, but they were nice and minty and they left my teeth both feeling and looking clean.

All of the items in this bag are super innovative in both their use and their construction but the next two items in the bag will really blow your mind! My bag contained two body wash sachets, one was unscented, and the other was scented with coconut, sea salt and jasmine. I've only tried the unscented one, and on opening it (with dry hands as instructed) I was a little bit confused, instead of being greeted by a liquid shower, instead the sachet contained a a flat, white square that felt a bit like really thin foam. After getting wet in the shower and the rubbing the square over my skin, it actually started to dissolve and foam up! For something so small and unpromising looking I actually got a really decent shower out of it, oh and don't worry about the paper sachet that it comes in, just drop it on the floor of the shower and it will safely and quickly dissolve away, and disappear down the plughole, again leaving no trace. In case you haven't realised I'm completely blown away by this vegan and cruelty free product, and I'm definitely going to be hunting some of these down for travel, and overnight stays, they weigh next to nothing and there are no liquids to worry about.

Sticking with the whole idea of keeping clean, the 'wash bag' element of the Festival Bag also contains some compressed bamboo based face and body towels. Again they look pretty innocuous but just pop one of these natural coloured tablets into some water, and they will expand to create a biodegradable cloth perfect for washing your face or body, or just freshening up.

One thing that festivals aren't known for is peace, and quiet, and as much as you'll probably enjoy the noise, and the hustle and bustle, we all need to sleep at some point, and that's why the Festival Bag also contains a pair of cotton and natural beeswax ear plugs, so even if your campmates are throwing an all-nighter you should still be able to catch up on your beauty sleep.

Now as nice as the weather in the UK has been over the last few weeks, and even though weather forecasters are predicting a few more heatwaves before summers out, never forget that this is the UK and what does it do here? It rains! and that's why no festival survival kit is complete without a rain poncho! The one that comes in the Festival Bag isn't just your typical plastic bag style poncho though, instead this adult sized, hooded poncho is made of biodegradable cornstarch so it will keep you dry, and when you've finished with it, you can bin it or compost it and it will rot safely away.

For a festival virgin such as myself, something that has always put me off seeing some of my favourite artists in the festival environment is the horror of the portaloo! Whilst I have heard good things about at least some of the toilets at Glastonbury, I've also heard some pretty ahem.. interesting stories about festival and camping toilets, and whilst alas this backpack doesn't contain and clean and fully functioning bathroom, it does contain a 100% recycled, full size loo roll from the fabulously named 'Who Gives A Crap'.

Whether you're a fan of his music or not, I've got to say that Sir Elton's Glastonbury set was something else, both me and my mum thoroughly enjoyed watching his performance last Sunday night, and if the majority of the crowd watching him were to be believed then you can't have a festival without a bit of sparkle. You're probably well aware though that the majority of glitter is still made out of plastic, not the glitter in this bag though! The final item in the Festival Bag is a little packet of super sparkly, fully biodegradable glitter that is actually made from plants!

Whether you're heading to a festival this summer or not this bag is fabulous for any camping trip or weekend away, and even if like me you're planning on staying at home this summer, you could still find a lot of uses for both the Festival Bag and its contents.

As well as being eco friendly the bag is really spacious and good quality, and everything inside is both useful and innovative. I'll definitely be popping both the cup and the poncho in the car for both hydration and rain emergencies, and I'm also going to be on the hunt for some more of those body wash sachets,

No matter what your plans are this summer, if you want to be a bit more eco friendly and be prepared for all eventualities when you're out and about and beyond then I would definitely recommend picking up the Festival Bag. The Festival Bag retails at around £39.95 and is available exclusively from Paper Bag Co. 

If the Festival Bag isn't your thing though then don't forget to check out the Cotton Bag Co and of course their sister company Paper Bag Co, which offer other eco friendly products that can benefit you or your business. Their printed tissue paper is sustainable, eco friendly and branded which is a great way to personalise and add value to your packaging and branding.

Are you a festival fan? Let me know in the comments and make me jealous and let me know what you're up to this summer, and of course if you have any questions let me know below x 

*Press Sample / Unpaid Advertisement 

**This Post Contains Non Affiliate Links

My First Primark Haul Of 2021 - Clothes, Jewellery, Hair Accessories, And Beauty

Hey everyone, I hope you've all had a lovely week x Thankfully things have calmed down here a bit, and touch wood my Mam seems to be on the mend.

Now, even though I've been doing a little bit of online shopping (check out the Instahaul highlights tab on my Instagram), nothing beats shopping in real bricks and mortar stores. Thankfully the shops opened up on the UK just in time for my birthday, so way back in May I took a quick trip to the Metrocentre to get my brows waxed and to do a little bit of shopping.

I didn't actually buy that much, I didn't really need anything to be be fair, it was more about the actual thrill of being out of the house, being around other people, and returning to some kind of normality.

One shop I did buy some bits in though was Primark, I didn't go crazy but I bought a few essentials, a couple of bit to try and a few things that I couldn't resist.

One thing that I love, and that I always buy in Primark are their stretch t-shirts. I own them in loads of different colours and I think that they are so flattering, and comfortable. I also love the length and whilst it does sometimes vary, the majority of them are long enough to at least cover my hips.

Now my aim was to stock up on basics and to a few t-shirts in both black and navy, but unfortunately the largest size that I could find in the navy was a medium (I usually buy an XL). I did however manage to get one of the short sleeve, stretch crew neck t-shirts in black which was £2.50.

Since these shirts are quite fitted, I think you could dress them up with a smart pair of trousers, and a blazer, or you can dress them down like I have here with a pair of jeans (excuse the smudged mirror).

As well as the plain black, stretch crew shirt, I also went for one of the striped ones. I have quite a few stripy tees in. my collection, and I'm actually this same colour way in the long sleeved version today. In the same crew neck, short sleeved style, this one is white, with pale blue (a lot lighter than it appears on camera) horizontal stripes. This one was a little bit more expensive at £3.50.

I also picked up another t-shirt in a slightly different style and fabric. Described as a "Printed Tee", this one is a little bit shorter, and the fabric is a little bit thicker, and less stretchy. Again with short sleeves, and a crew neckline, this navy blue t-shirt has a white star and dot design. This one was £2.50 and given the design I also think that it would make a nice PJ top.

Next up something that I saw and loved on sight! Like so many curvy people I was always told that horizontal stripes would make me look larger! Seriously though who makes these stupid rules? Needless to say I'm passed that now, and I've full embraced the horizontal stripe in my wardrobe.

I have quite a few different striped dresses in my collection now, but this one was just a little bit different. In a dark navy blue stripe, it's made of a slightly stretchy jersey. It's a full length maxi dress with a wide crew style neckline, and slightly capped almost batwing style sleeves. It has a drawstring waist and a fabric belt.

I don't think it has a lot of hanger appeal but it's really nice in the flesh and I'm looking forward to wearing it once the weather improves. It was £10.

That was it clothes wise but I also bought some nightwear, and some underwear pieces. 

I'm huge fan of Primark's nightwear, and I could resist these pretty pj's. Unlike the ready packaged and ribboned sets I actually but these pieces as separates which meant that they were a little bit more expensive than the regular sets but for me they were well worth it both appearance wise and quality wise.

They are made of the softest, mid weight fabric that you've probably ever felt. They feel gorgeous and with their gorgeous dark green / teal background, and bright tropical flower print, they look gorgeous too. The long sleeved cuffed top was £7, and the legging like bottoms were £8.

Now it's been a while since I managed to buy a bra in Primark. Quite a while ago now they used to do a range of bras in sizes D-F but they seems to disappear but as I discovered a few weeks ago, look hard enough and you might be lucky.

I love under wiring but I hate padding in my bras, and bras like this one are perfect. Made of a gorgeous soft ivory fabric I paid £8 for this but I would say that the fit is a little bit small so if your looking at these I'd either try it on first or I'd size up slightly. It's just a tiny bit tighter cup wise than I would have liked but it fits, it's wearable and I love the copper / rose gold detailing.

There is really nothing worse, clothing wise, when you buy a piece of clothing but it's just slightly too sheer. Well just before lockdown 1 last year,  I bought a gorgeous silky, nude beige top, from F&F at Tesco, the only trouble is that it's just a touch see through, so whilst you could get away with just wearing a tonal bra underneath, I don't feel confident enough to do that so I decided to get a underwear style camisole to wear underneath it.

I honestly thought that it would be really easy to find one but it actually took a while, and I ended up buying one from Marks and Spencer online. I can't remember how much I paid for it it now but somewhere around £12 seems about right. I had initially looked in Primark last year for one but they didn't have anything in my size, this time though they did, and it's almost identical to the one that I got in Marks and Spencer. It's nude in colour, silky soft, almost invisible under clothing and it has adjustable straps, and it was only £3!

So I got the camisole, and then I picked up some coordinating underwear to match. Yes guys, I'm showing you my knickers, I haven't got the guts to model them but I'm showing you them anyway! These super cute scallop edged, mini briefs are invisible under clothing so you can wear them under the tightest and clingiest garments without seeing a telltale VPL. This pack of 3 was £5 and whilst the colour looked identical to the camisole under the bright lights in store, it isn't quite the same, but do we really need to match our underwear all of the time? Oh and another sizing tip, I got the XL but I probably could have sized down in these because they are quite stretchy and as a result fairly generous size wise.

So that was it for clothes, pj's and underwear, now for jewellery and accessories, and first up hair accessories. I literally buy hair bobbles all the time but what on earth happens to them and where do they go? I love animal print so I picked up this pack of 3 black and animal print satin scrunchies for £2, and this pack of 20 No Snag black hair bobbles for £1.

One section that I can never resist checking out in Primark is the jewellery department. If I never ever bought jewellery again I'd probably still have too much for just one person. You know how it is though Primark just drags you in and I ended up treating myself to just a few pairs of earrings.

I love hoop earrings, and having multiple ear piercings I find them really easy and comfortable to wear. Obviously just costume jewellery this first pair are basically just a chunky gold hoop with an enamel, cloisonne, floral bead. I love enamel / cloisonne jewellery and I have a nice little collection of both modern and vintage bracelets and bangles, and these £2 earrings will work perfectly with them.

Next up the first of two sets of earrings that I picked up, and these ones are perfect for people, like me, with multiple ear piercings. In this set you get three pairs of gold tone, gem set, pear shaped studs, and three matching pairs of gold tone hoops, with slightly bigger pear shaped gems dangling from them, in pink and green crystals, and in a slightly pale blue opalescent crystal. These were £2 for 6 pairs.

The final set of earrings that I got contained a massive 20 pairs of studs. The pack contains various gold tone studs, ranging from balls, to hearts and diamond shapes, as well as studs containing clear, lilac and blue crystals, and some containing almost lapis lazuli type stones. A nice assortment, again perfect for multiple piercings and a bargain at just £3.

Finally I picked up a few bits from the beauty section, and I got a few bits from one of their new body care lines.

All of the products that I bought have a bit of a Sol de Janeiro vibe with the bright yellow packaging and coconut, summery, beach like scent

The three products that I picked up were the 125ml Clay Body Mask which was £3, the 125ml Body Cream which was £3, and the 100ml Body Firming Gel which was also £3.

I haven't had a chance to try these bits properly but I do have some of the real Sol de Janerio products so I can see if these bits are possible dupes for the Brazilian Bum Bum range x Obviously I'll let you know my thoughts in a future empties post x 

So that was it, my first Primark haul of 2021. I was actually supposed to have gone to the Metrocentre this week but that's had to be put on hold for a bit, so as per usual if you have any questions please let me know, and don't forget to keep an eye out on my Instagram and my Instagram Stories to see some more mini hauls x 

A Small Primark Haul - Fashion, Accessories And More

Over the last week or so I've experienced a lot of emotions, but I think the one that's made its presence felt more than any other is frustration! I've been a flaky blogger for a long while now, and whilst I seem to apologise for it quite a lot, sometimes other things really are more important. At last though I was starting to feel as though as I could see the light at the end of tunnel. I started post planning, and taking photographs, and I can honestly say that I was starting to enjoy the whole blogging thing again, all be it at my own pace. Then what happens? everything goes belly up! After a pretty nasty rainstorm my land line and my broadband went down - cue a week and a bit of hardly any internet access. Thankfully it was fixed yesterday and I'm back, and hopefully for good this time ;)

So instead of being up to date, I'm playing catch up again with my blog posts, starting with a long awaited Primark haul. Primark trips and to be honest shopping trips in general have been very thin on the ground this year - I just haven't had the energy and as I've said before I'm really trying to buy less and wear more but with a bit of birthday money to spend I decided to take a little trip to Primark. I didn't buy a lot but I bought a few things that will work really well with items that I already own, and I bought a couple of, shall we say experimental things.

I've really gotten out of the habit of wearing dresses, I don't know but over the years I've gone through lots of dress phases, where it's all I've bought is dresses, and then I'll go through phases where I don't wear dresses for month. Style wise I'm not at all sure about this one, it's quite form fitting, but loved the pattern, the midi length, and the slightly stretchy fabric. I'm sure it's going to show off every bulge and bump, but I kind if thought what the hell, it was only £8 and I'm picturing it with sandals, or even with short Converse, I just need to be brave enough to wear it now!

Now something that I've always enjoyed in fashion is layering - from playing with jumpers, tops, and cardigans to wearing shirts as jackets to wearing vests over t-shirts I've always enjoyed experimenting with layers, and teaming different fabrics and textures, and this top just screamed Louise from a more playful, and experimental time. With an almost animal print, tie dye esq design, in a host of neutral tones, on the surface this appears to be quite a 'safe' purchase. Look more closely though and this boxy style t-shirt is actually made of a sheer mesh. If you're being brave, and you're wearing super pretty underwear than this could be a real statement piece, I think though I'm going to take the safer option and wear a vest or a camisole underneath it - whilst you could experiment with colour I think I would personally go for something in nude, coffee or black. Let me know if you have any other suggestions though, I'd love to hear your ideas x This top was £5.

From two slightly brave options, to a quintessential safe Louise option - a striped t-shirt. Although I'm not as brave as I used to be with clothing, I'm a firm believer that any rules about not wearing horizontal stripes when you're curvy should be thrown out with the rubbish - break those rules and enjoy fashion that's what I say!

Apart from the unusual combination of the peach, green, and black and white stripes, I love this t-shirt because it could be something that you've stolen from your boyfriend, it has a great over sized feel, but at the same time it's quite fitted, and as you see from the picture below it's long, and it covers my hips. Primark isn't the worst offender by any means but why are clothes so short at the moment - I know cropped t-shirts are all the rage again but I seem to pick up and put down so many items because they only seem to come 3/4 of the way down my back- what is going on? Is it a general sizing issue or am I just a funny shape? That's why when I find a long vest or t-shirt I buy it in every colour - indulgence or just sensible shopping taking advantage of clothes that actually fit you? Anyway enough ranting - the fabric is also super soft, it was only £5 and I love it!

I did see a few more nice clothing bits but bar a couple of additions I think I have enough clothes to see my through summer in the UK, especially if the rain keeps up. I did buy a couple of accessory bits though, and who'd have thought it, scrunchie is back! When I was at school I had so many scrunchies that I made my own scrunchie holder out of a kitchen roll tube so I could display them all, sad huh? and wearing about 3 at once? what was that all about? Anyways bar some bad fashion moments scrunchies are pretty practical when you think about, they very rarely get caught on your hair and they definitely cause less of an ouch factor than a conventional elastic bobble, and they don't hurt your head. I've always been partial to a scrunchie and even though they've went in and out of fashion I've still worn them for bed, but I think I can still rock a scrunchie in public so I picked up this pack of 3 for just £2. They're made of a nice textured fabric, and the colours work perfectly with so much of my wardrobe, I love coral, who doesn't need a neutral and you should now by now that I love mustard! Could I wear them all together? Maybe, but I think I leave the 90's and 00's behind, for now anyways!

I had a good look through the jewellery but as I said in my last Primark haul (read it here if you haven't already) I'm feeling a little bit overawed by my jewellery collection at the moment so I'm trying to shop my stash a bit but I thought these earrings were just too cute to leave behind. I don't own a lot of jewellery in rose gold or rose gold tone, and I think that it just complimented the design of these earrings perfectly. Small textured, filigree butterflies with a central crystal stone - I don't always do pretty and feminine but for just £1 these earrings are exactly that.

I don't know whether it's because my trips to Primark are a lot more sporadic than they used to be, but every time I go in now I seem to be more and more in awe of their beauty range, so many new items, high end dupes, collaborations and brands - the latest brand to join the Primark stable is 3INA and whilst some of the eye shadows looked amazing I couldn't really justify buying anything make up wise. Even though I had no intention of buying anything else I took my usual look at the reduced section and whilst it can sometimes be a shelf of broken eyeshadows and stained packaging, I think I found myself a little bargain.

Yes, my make up brush collection is verging on the obsessive but I do love a bargain and this big fan brush was only £1. It wasn't particularly expensive at £2.50 in the first place but come on a £1!

As bargaintastic as it was though, it isn't a bargain if it's no good, and you'll be pleased to know that this is a nice brush, for adding a bit of loose powder or a touch of highlighter. It has an easy to grip, rubberised handle, and super soft, synthetic bristles. Did I need it? Not really but it's decent and I'll definitely use it.

So after a week of frustration I've finally got a post up. It wasn't the biggest of hauls but I think I got some nice and interesting things, I just need to get my experimental fashion, or should I say style mojo back x Have you been to Primark recently ? Let me know your top finds x

A Late March 2019 Primark Haul - Clothes, Accessories And Beauty

Like most bloggers I don't know where I would be without my loyal readers and followers, I know it sound slightly cheesy but I love you all and I really do appreciate every like, comment, share and view that I receive, it's what keeps me going. Now I've been lucky enough to receive a few nice messages and DM's over the years, and I recently received a DM on Instagram asking me if I'd been to Primark recently because they hadn't seen any haul posts or videos. Proper hauls have been pretty thin on the ground so far this year, and this message made me realise that a Primark trip was well overdue, so a couple of weeks ago now, after a few false starts, me and Mummy Lou eventually took a little trip to Intu Metrocentre*, and headed to Primark.

Now since I hadn't been to Primark since the week before Christmas lots of things had changed, and the boots and winter woollies, had been replaced with shorts, bikinis and flip flops! Despite seeing a few people in shorts recently, I'm not quite ready for summer just yet, but I did end up buying a few pieces that are probably better suited to barmy spring days rather than the snow that's forecast for next week!

When it comes to dressing my bottom half, I do think that I'm stuck in a bit of a rut, jeans, leggings and jeggings are my go to's, and whilst I did pick up a pair of my wardrobe staple, black, cotton leggings for only £2.50, I'm fancying making a few changes style wise this year, and wearing a couple of long forgotten bits in my wardrobe, and picking up a few new, and different things.

Since I'm all about comfort the most obvious bottom half solution is / are joggers! At their heart, they're slouchy, and comfortable but depending on how you style them, they can actually look pretty stylish. Primark was full of joggers, and harem style pants, in all sorts of different designs, fabrics, and colours, and I ended up buying two, quite different pairs

The first pair, which were £7, I guess were the safe option. When in doubt go for a plain colour, and you can't get a safer option than a pair of black trousers. These are just a basic pull on, straight legged pant, with an elasticated, tie detail waist. The fabric is quite thin on these so their definitely more of a spring / summer piece, but they really wearable and black trousers go with pretty much anything.

The second pair that I got though, were a bit more of a gamble, but when I was a bit more daring in my fashion choices I used to love striped trousers - A good vertical striped pant can make you look taller and thinner, which is always a good thing in my book.

These are more like a traditional cuffed jogger, the fabric is slightly thicker, and has a stretchy jersey type feel. Again they are in the pull on style, and they have a waist tie, that is tipped with metal accents. They have a slight harem shape and are a bit wider at the waist and hips, and they narrow down to a cuffed hem.

They are in a lovely navy blue shade, and as you can see they have white vertical, solid and broken vertical stripes. They were £6 and whilst they obviously aren't as versatile as the black pair, they are so soft and comfortable that I know I'll get a lot of use out of them. The most obvious choice is to team them up with a white top but I'm definitely going to have a play with shapes and colours - I'm loving different shades of yellow at the moment and I can just imagine these pants teamed up with a yellow cami in the summer.

Whilst I still feel that I need an overhaul in the bottom area of my wardrobe, it's probably fair to say that I'm pretty well off for tops, and if anything I probably have too many as it is, but I do love a bit of tie dye, and I'm really that there is so much of it around at the moment.

I've already bought a couple of long sleeve tie dye, ombre style tops from Simply Be, and I couldn't resists picking this one up because it's so different for any of the other tie dye garments that I already own.

This boyfriend style t-shirt which was just £6 is just so fresh, and spring like with it's pale, sky blue and white horizontal stripe tie dye design. I actually sized down in this because it was so slouchy and I wanted it to be a little bit more fitted. I know Primark can sometimes be a bit hit and miss quality wise but this has a real quality feel, the fabric is nice and soft, and it has a nice thickness to it, and I can't wait to wear it when the sun comes out, and it actually feels as warm as what it looks like through the window :)

Next up something that I don't think that I've ever shown you on the blog, my knickers! Now I love fancy undies as much as the next person, and I recently added a few pairs of sexier pants from Victoria's Secret (shock horror I found something in there that fits my curves!!!) to my underwear drawer, but lets be honest my fellow females, sexy undies are perfect for making you feel amazing and obviously for those special occasions but sometimes you just want a nice and comfy pair of pants. Like so many others I used to swear by Marks and Spencer for my everyday pants but in the last year or so I've being buying multi packs like this from Primark and to be honest I haven't noticed to much difference in terms of quality or wear. One thing that I despise though is baggy undies so I always tend to buy a smaller size than what I actually am, there is nothing worse than washing your pants a few times and the elastic giving up - go a bit smaller and they end up fitting perfectly. Even if you are an expensive underwear wearer, then these pants are perfect for everyday use and for that time of the month - this pack of 5 cost me just £3.50.

So that's it for clothes next up jewellery and shoes! Ever since I was tiny I've always had a thing for shoes, and do you know who I blame Mummy Lou! Some of my earliest and fondest memories are the trips that me and my mam used to make to the massive Tommy Balls shoe factory outlet in Blackburn, I have a vivid memory of sitting under a shoe rang whilst my mam filled up her basket. She always complains when I buy more shoes but it's pretty obvious to me who is to blame for my shoe addiction.

Long gone were the boots of winter, instead Primark was full of summer sandals, flip flips and pumps. They had some lovely sandals but with summer still being a little way off I ended up buying something that I can wear now, and that will take me well into the warmer months, and hopefully beyond.

I love flat and comfy, skate type shoes, and lace ups, and I virtually live in one of my numerous pairs of Converse. These are more Vans like in appearance actually but I love the style and I since I'm loving mustard's at the moment, these were a must have. These were also £6

Over the last few months or so I've been trying to shop my stash a bit when it comes to jewellery. I've rediscovered so fab things that I'd forgotten about including some amazing, retro looking mustard beads, but you know me I can never resist a bargain, so it goes without saying that I ended up with a couple of new jewellery pieces. 

These fab earrings were reduced to just £1. I love, love, love green malachite, and whilst I'm not convinced that the stones in these earrings are real, it's really vibrant and works so well with the grey and white marble like stones, and the brown and red tone, wooden and stone beads.

When it comes to jewellery I don't know why but I often levitate towards brown and neutral toned pieces, I guess it's because they are so versatile and they go with so many pieces in my wardrobe. This particular necklace with a gold tone snake style chain is just perfect. Despite the chunkiness of the beads it's quite simple and unassuming, and I think that it would equally well worm casually with a t-shirt and jeans, as it would with a smart shirt and a blazer.

Finally beauty, and I always say it, Primark's beauty range just keeps getting better and better. Their own range now, is entirely cruelty free, and they had loads of fab new things in, including a Hello Kitty range, and some gorgeous new highlighters, but I stayed strong and I picked up a few staples including two bottles of their fab cuticle oil for just a £1 each, and some of their tea tea based face wipes that are just £1 for 2 packs of 25.

One of the things that I was surprised to see was the Alex Steinherr skincare range, I know that when it first came out it was only available in selected stores, but it looks as though it's rolling out into more stores which has to be a good thing. I wasn't that desperate for anything new skincare wise, so I only bought one thing, but if you have any recommendations, then please let me know so I can maybe pick up a few more things on my next visit. The one thing that I did get on this trip though, was the Alex Steinherr Pore Balance Blemish Rescue Stickers.

I'd tried something similar in the past from both Sarah Chapman , and from one of the more acne focused drugstore brands, maybe Oxy, Biore or Clearasil and I loved the concept. No mess and no fuss!

Basically you get 22 clear plastic circular stickers that are infused with both tea tree and salicylic acid, which are designed to help calm the redness and irritation of a spot. They are vegan, not tested on animals and fragrance free.

All you do after cleansing is apply one of the patches to each spot, and leave it on overnight or between 8 and 12 hours, before peeling it off. Obviously these would work out quite expensive if you had a lot of spots but if you like me you just get the odd one or two, angry hormonal ones at that time of the month then these are ideal.

I've only tried one up to now but it made a big difference, it stayed stuck to my chin all night and it seemed to bring the spot to a head so it looked less angry, and it seemed to fade more quickly. These were £3 for 22 stickers and I'm definitely going to be using these next time my skin decides to misbehave.

So that was my first Primark haul of 2019, I am aiming to buy less and wear more in 2019 so I don't think Primark trips are going to be too frequent this year but we'll see - it's impossible to go in without buying anything, and who knows what else this year has to offer. I have a nice repositioned mirror which is ideal for outfit selfies, and Mummy Lou is has been practising her photography skills, so I'm hoping to try and get a few more outfit posts and pictures up on both the blog and my Instagram this year, so make sure you're following on all fronts to see some of these bits and more on something other than a coat hanger x In the meantime if you have any questions on any of the items that I've bought then please let me know x

*I Have Worked With Intu Metrocentre Within The Last 12 Months