Late August Primark Haul - Clothes, Beauty And More

Operation catch up resumes today with another haul. As I said before I've got quite a few beauty hauls coming up over the next few weeks but I don't want to bore you so I'm going to try and break it up a bit with some reviews and some non beauty related hauls.

Today I'm going to share a little or should I say largish, Primark haul with you. I've been feeling a bit mehh about clothes shopping lately but thanks to the new autumn and winter arrivals, I can at last feel my enthusiasm returning and as a result I picked up a few pieces that I'm really looking forward to wearing.

The first thing that I got is this ribbed Bardot style dress. I already got this in black in a previous Primark haul (have a read of it here) but this is the dusky pink version which was £8.

Although this is sold as a dress, on me it would be way too short, so I will be wearing it as a tunic, over leggings, skinny trousers or skinny jeans.

The next thing that I got is another dress come tunic, but I think I could probably get away with wearing this one as dress.

I love the paisley, floral print and I love the silky smooth fabric. I already have a tunic / dress in a different print but in the same fabric from Primark and I love. It has a such a light and airy feel, and feels gorgeous against the skin. This was £9 and I think it comes in a few different colours and patterns.

My name is Louise and I'm addicted to shirts and blouses! Over the past of couple of years I've fallen in love with shirts and blouses in a big way. One of my go to outfits is a bright or a patterned shirt and a pair of skinny jeans or jeggings. It just works for me and people always remember me for my gaudy shirts. I love my bright and floral print shirts but I fancied a bit of change so after seeing on a few blogs and instagram accounts, I decided to hunt it down.

For me this is very subtle but I couldn't resist the tiny, ditsy black and white bee (or are they wasps?) print. Primark shirts are never the most generous of fit on me and despite going for the largest size it's still very gappy and bursty so I'll probably be wearing this slightly unbuttoned and with a white vest underneath it. Still it was just £7 and I can't resist a cute print, speaking of which...

Another cute print and this time it's a navy blue vest covered in tiny white stars, I know we're moving into autumn but I wear vest tops and camisoles all year round, whether they're under shirts, jumpers or even cardigans. I like layering and this is a cute piece that I'll get a lot of wear out of. It was £4

Thanks to being ill so often and feeling permanently exhausted I have a lot of duvet days and I spend a lot of time in my PJs - I currently have 5 drawers full of nightwear but I just can't stop buying more, and especially love cute pj's like these ones.

I'm a huge Miffy fan, and I couldn't resist these PJ separates. The over sized, raglan style, stripey top was £7 and on the front it has a fluffy Miffy design which is super soft and stroke able.

I also got the matching legging style, cuffed PJ pants, which are £8 and are charcoal grey and have a white Miffy design printed on the legs.

That was it for clothing but I did buy one jewellery piece, these sparkly hoop earrings which were just £1.50.

You can't see them too well in either of these pictures unfortunately but they are basically just a gold tone hope, with 6 gold tone, rings which are covered in clear crystals, threaded through them. I'm trying to wear more exciting earrings and I think that these hoops work perfectly with the gold, and silver hoops that I normally wear.

Seeing as I was in the Newcastle store, I had a little look at some of Primark's new home wear additions and although there were plenty of things that I liked, I stayed strong and just bought a throw for my mam and some stationery. I love Primark's stationery selection and they have some lovely stuff at the moment, including the new collection from Gabriella aka VelvetGh0st but if your loving the copper and rose gold tone look at the moment then Primark is where you need to be. As well as some gorgeous hangers and coat hooks they also have a few copper tone stationery pieces and I couldn't resist jumping on the bandwagon with this cute set.

Packaged in a reusable craft style, organiser box. This set contains a slim ruled notepad, some drawing pins, some paperclips and some bulldog style clips all in a gorgeous rose gold. It also contains 5 pencils, with different words embossed on them including Plan, Own It, Boss, Believe and Because. At £5 this isn't the cheapest set you can buy but when you look at rose gold, and copper toned bits in other stores it looks like a bargain.

I said at the beginning that this wasn't a beauty haul but I did have a good look at the beauty section and I did end up buying a few make up brushes.

I've already bought a few brushes from this range at Primark and I have to say that I'm really impressed with them for the price. The brushes are good quality and the matte black and rose gold makes them look a lot more expensive than what they actually are.

I already own one of the PS Concealer Brushes but it's such a versatile brush that for just £1 I had to pick up another one.

I honestly can't remember if I already have this brush  but eyeshadow brushes never come in wrong so I also picked the PS Double End Smokey Brush, it has a rounded flat end and it has a thinner more pencil shaped end for more detailed application. This one was just £1.50.

The final brush that I got was the PS Precision Eyeliner Brush which was also £1. I'm trying to get back into wearing liner and I'm a real cream or gel eyeliner girl, I normally prefer a short, flat ended brush but I also use and love the Real Techniques silicone, thin tipped eyeliner brush. The tip of this brush is almost identical to the Real Techniques one which is nearly 6 times the price, so I'm interested to see how it compares.

So that was my latest Primark haul as per usual I've made a video to accompany this haul which you can watch via this link or below.



I'm definitely planning another Primark trip in the next week or so, so I'd love to know what bargains you've picked up recently, so leave me a comment or a link below and let me know xx

A Small July 2016 Primark Haul - Home, Jewellery And More

It's taken nearly the whole month but earlier this week I actually managed a little Primark trip. I know, I know I broke my own rule to never go into Primark during the school holidays but since I was in Intu Metrocenter anyways it made sense to brave the teen and pre- teen shoppers.

If you're a fellow North Easterner then you'll probably be pleased to know that the store refurbishments are now complete so there are no more banging and drilling noises to disturb your shopping trip! The store is now much bigger, the checkouts have improved and there generally seems to be a lot more space and air. Understandably though nothing is where it used to be so if you go in you'll probably need a bit of time to familiarise yourself with the new layout. For me though time was something that I didn't have so it was very much a dash, grab and run visit.

I entered the store on the second floor so I headed straight to the new home section, unfortunately it's not much bigger than it was before, but they did have quite a few new things, including this little pineapple candle which was just £3.50.

I already have a few ceramic pineapple trinket boxes, and candles from H&M but I didn't have one in this beautiful chocolate, bronze tone. This one is a candle, and unlike the H&M one I have, this candle is fragranced and has a beautiful fruity, Kiwi and Lemonade scent. It also comes in white, which has a different fragrance.

Next up yet more fairy lights - I've already got a set of plain blue LED lights for my office / study / craft room from a previous Primark trip, but in my opinion you can never have too many fairy lights so I decided to pick up these ones as well.

In various shades of blue, and white, this set of 10 battery operated LED lights resemble balls of wool or balls of string. They're a lot chunkier than the previous set and I think that they will tone in perfectly with the blue and white paint work and the blue carpet. I have a long white shelf that stretches along nearly a full wall, and think that they will look great hanging along the edge. They were £4.

They had some other fab fairy lights and pineapple related goodies in but for once in my life I showed a bit of restraint and headed down in the lift to the first floor. I was a bit of overawed clothing wise and since I didn't have much time, I ignored the majority of the summer things and had a look at some of the new autumn arrivals

On my receipt this is described as a Bardot Ribbed Dress, but there is no way on earth that I could ever wear this as a dress, on me it's definitely a long top or a tunic. It doesn't look much on the hanger but it's a really nice classic piece that I will get a lot of wear out of. The vertical ribbing is really flattering, and I love the wide neckline. This was £8 and it also comes in a blush pink / nude, that I would have also bought if they'd had it in my size.

No trip to Primark is complete in my eyes without a visit to their jewellery section. I love a bit of cheap bling, but nothing really called to me this time round, so I just got a few pairs of earrings. I own lots and lots of earrings but I'm a creature of habit and having four piercings in each ear I just tend to stick to my sleepers. I've been fancying some nice, large hoop earrings for a while now but I didn't want to spend a fortune on them because I knew I wouldn't wear them that often, so I decide to get this set of 3 pairs for just £1.50.

You get a pair in a silver tone, a pair in a gold tone, and a pair in a rose gold tone. All of the hoops are slightly different and it's hard to describe it but depending on which way round you wear them, you can get two different looks from each pair. I know a lot of people can't wear cheap earrings but providing I don't leave them in too long I'm usually okay with them, so with that in mind I also bought a pair.of rose gold tone,sparkly stud hoops, which were just £1

Right next to the new jewellery section you'll find the accessories and the beauty. Unfortunately like the home section the selection seems to be pretty similar to what they had before. The stands were a lot tidier but there was still no sign of the PS Pro line so I just picked up a nail polish.

I hate it when nail polishes don't have shade names, but in this case Primark I'll forgive you. This is one of their PS Gel Effect Nail Polishes and the colour is simply sublime. I already have a few shades like this but I really love this lilac, blue almost forget me not type shade. I haven't really tried a lot of nail polish from Primark, but at just £1.50 this one was well worth a try.

As per usual I've made a video to accompany this haul which you can see below or if your on a tablet or a mobile phone, via this link x



I know this wasn't the biggest of hauls but I hope you liked this post anyway x If you have any questions on anything I've bought please leave me a comment below and again if your a blogger or a you tuber and you've posted a Primark haul lately then leave me your links below and I'll seen you soon with a new post x  .

Primark Haul - Late April 2016 Edition - Clothes, Jewellery And Beauty

Hi Guys x I hope you all had a lovely weekend, I know I did, I've been loving the warm and sunny weather that we've had in the UK over the past few days. Alas it isn't supposed to last too much longer but hopefully there will be a lot more warmth and sunshine to come.

I'm still finding it hard to believe that we're in the second week of May already, I sound like a broken record I know, but this year is really flying by, the days all seem to be merging into one and a result my to do list just keeps getting longer

Hence this post is nearly a week later than it should have been, I don't suppose it matters as it's just a Primark haul post but I still wish I was one of those organised people, that seem to sail through life without a care, do they even exist? and if they do how do I become one of them?

Anyways enough of the prattle and on with the goodies - I spent a lot of time in April in Primark (see my previous April haul here) and this all be it small haul is from two separate visits at the end of April - where I kind of broke my I'm not going to buy any summer clothes rule..

You how the saying goes, if you love something, buy it in every colour! Well that's exactly what I did with the first couple of things that I bought. I love layering pieces and this waistcoat come sleeveless jacket from Primark's tailoring range fits the bill perfectly.

I don't think that this top really has a lot of hanger or even picture appeal, as you don't really get to see the shaping or the movement. I loved it so I bought in both of the colours that I could find - navy and ivory. It's basically a tailored due fabric, draped waistcoat, the front, the front pockets and side panels are made of a thicker, dotty textured fabric, and the back is made of a sheer toning, chiffon type fabric.

They were £13 each and I think they are going to be a couple of really useful additions to my wardrobe. There quite unusual pieces but you really could wear them with anything - I think I'll be mainly layering them over vests and tops, and jeans, but you could even wear them over a smart shirt, and a pair of coordinating trousers for a smarter more tailored look.

The next thing that I got is a lot more summery, in fact it's technically a beach cover up! but despite the fact I'm probably not going away this year I had to buy it.

I love the colourful, patterns and knits that Missoni produce and I'm lucky enough to own a few pieces of their knitwear but they are pretty high up on the spendy scale. Thankfully quite a few retailers now produce a wide range of particularly summer and beach themed lookalikes.

In the cover up / kaftan style, with a drawstring, pull in waist, this top was only £8 and has an almost knit effect look and feel, and that traditional Missoni alike colourful zig, zag design. Whilst you could most definitely use it as a beach cover up (Primark have swimwear pieces that would match it perfectly)  I think I'm going to be wearing it over a vest top maybe, with skinny jeans and sandals, for a bargaintastic take on a designer look.

The final clothing item that I bought was something that I'd had my eye on for quite a while. Every summer Primark produces a range of tunic / dresses in a very silky knit and usually with an ethnic or geometric type print. I'd seen different ones over the years but annoyingly I'd never ever been able to find one in a large enough size to fit my girls ;)

This time though I think it was fate - I'd been reading a few magazine articles featuring the Duchess Of Cambridge and her trip to India, and they were full of articles on how to achieve her look, and replicate some of the things that she wore on her trip on a budget. The articles featured a lot of blue and white items, and a couple of them had a print very similar to this one.

It has an almost Moroccan type design, and the fabric is absolutely beautiful, soft, cool, and very silky and perfect for this time of year. I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to wear it as a dress but even if I just end up wearing it over leggings, I'm still pretty pleased with my purchase. It was just £10 and they had a few different, designs, prints and colours to choose from.

So that was it for clothes bar one little thing that my Godparents are wrapping up for my birthday, so next up is jewellery and unusually for me I only picked up one jewellery piece.

Apologies that I've taken it off the card before I photographed it but I've worn this a few times already, and it looks particularly nice over the navy waistcoat. It's basically a very long gold tone chain that features four individual gold toned pendants on the end, a plain disc, a disc set with clear crystals and two almost long, thin rectangles. I really like the length and the simplicity of this piece and after little hunt around I managed to find the receipt and at just £2.50 I think it's a bargain for something I know I will wear a lot.

The final thing I picked up from Primark in April was something from their beauty department. I'm looking to forward to the launch of their new beauty line but in the meantime I decided to get another one of their make up brushes.

This is the PS Concealer Brush and it was just £1. Again it has a matte black handle, and a rose gold ferrule, and the hairs feel super soft, but sturdy enough to do the job iykwim? I've really enjoyed using the previous two brushes that I picked and I'm hoping that I'm to like this one too.

I know you all like your hauls so I hope that you enjoyed this one too x  As per usual I filmed a little You Tube video to accompany it - it isn't too long so I'd love it if you'd take a little peek either below or via this link.



I've got a few videos to upload this week, so make sure you are subscribed to my You Tube channel so you don't miss a thing. If your a blog reader though don't worry I have forgotten you, I've got a weight loss update post going up tomorrow and a review or two later in the week so please stick around x In the meantime though if you have questions on this post or on life in general then please leave me a comment x

Next Sale Goodies

As a Next directory customer I got a VIP invite to the Next online sale so on the Tuesday before Christmas I spent a good hour trailing through all the Next sales listings. I must admit I am not always the biggest fan of Next but I do think they are gradually getting there design wise and in the past few years I have picked up a few nice bits (excuse the crappy pics the light is pants today)

Typically of Next though everything always comes separately :(


First of all I got this dress - which is probably more of a summery one - it's a really nice floral and polka dot pattern on dusky blue background with a cutaway detail at the back and a back tie :)(apologies this is a pic of the back of the dress don't know where the other one got too)



I also picked up this black/grey/white tissue print tunic. It's kind of looks a bit like a tie dye print which I love - I got it in tall so it will be nice and long over leggings, skinnys or jeggings


I also picked up this necklace pattern t-shirt - I already have a similar one in black - this one will show less cat hair lol:)


and this multi chain charm necklace


My favourite bit of my sale haul though are these babies - they are a gorgeous black patent and the gold hardware is exactly the same tone as the hardware of my Christmas bag :)

I also got a cute pink diamante piggy bank for my piggy collection, and some Miffy bunny underwear, black ribbed polo neck and some Zebra slipper socks :)

One Month To Go

Argh I can't believe that it will Christmas Day a month today ! I have done quite a bit of shopping so far so I am not too worried but I still have my cards to make which usually takes me a few days argh!
I did manage to pick up this yesterday how cute!

It's not that Christmassy which is more often than not my biggest failing with advent calendars but its cute. My mum has bagged herself a dairy milk one which I have to say is much more festive than mine with Santa and his elves, even the cats have one again this year which I have to say is way more festive than mine, but ho hum (or should I say ho ho ho lol)

Anyways in the same shop which we got our advent calendars they also sell a whole load of ex catalogue and chain store clothing - my mum very kindly bought me this top / tunic for the festive season - Sorry for the bad pic but it's a gorgeous electric blue colour with gunmetal sequins and seed beads :) very pretty I am thinking of wearing it for Christmas lunch with my jeggings which give plenty of room for expansion but we'll see I have a few family and friend things to do over Christmas so I need to sort out a few outfits :)

Talking of Christmas the lovely Sarah at I Heart Cosmetics is hosting a super generous Christmas giveaway so don't forget to check her out x

I have a few things planned for the rest of the week including a visit to the Vampires (the nurse for bloods:(), and the hairdressers on Friday -bye bye roots !! and potentially something exciting over the weekend but I'll try and get a few posts in xxx