Category: Fashion

Shop the Sales 2013

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What with work, socialising and shopping, I’ve barely had time to blog recently – but don’t worry, because that is set to change! Back to regular posting, and back to my weekly bag ‘n’ shoes posts, too!

Meanwhile, here’s a taster of the sales goodies I’ve been hauling in over the past month – some of them are much coveted items whilst others are ‘I-can’t-resist-a-bargain’ impulse purchases…

Shop the Sales 2013

I have a weakness for glitter, gold and French Sole, so when these Henriettas went in the sale for half price (£60) I couldn’t resist. The navy ones were also on sale for the same price, and I told myself that I was being restrained by not buying both… Then at the weekend, my husband and I happened to go into a French Sole store where they had the navy (bottom left) in my size, so I claimed another pair as a Valentine’s Day present! Just have to wait until February to wear them, but I’ve been taking them out of the box to admire them every so often…

The Mulberry gold dress in the centre was down from £495 to £75 in Bicester Village, and I couldn’t believe the price tag at first. It’s a beautiful shimmery soft gold, very pretty indeed.

Another Bicester bargain, this Alice Temperley scarf was just £22 and has a lovely neutral shade to it.

The dress on the far left is a green wool dress from Cos, which I first saw at the lovely Lilac Pages blog. I love the shape and so I stalked it until it went on sale on Christmas eve. It actually didn’t arrive until early January though!

Another ‘patience is a virtue’ purchase is the Great Plains Palace Wrap coat. I have a picture of this pinned to my noticeboard by my desk and was eagerly awaiting the sale. When it was reduced from £140 to £110, I gave up a little bit, but then it was reduced to half price and I snapped it up immediately!

These Mulberry signature heels are divine, and although I was really after the flats, I consoled myself with the high heels and bought the McQ by Alexander McQueen suede biker flats on the right as well…

The central green Anya Hindmarch clutch is the bargain of the century for me. Originally on sale for £595, I found it at Bicester for £50. It plays ‘Deck The Halls’ and is adorable, but sadly, you can’t even fit a lipstick inside it! I’m happy with spending £50 on it though, it’s very quirky.

Finally, the bottom right purchase was my final and most extravagant. A half price exotic tweed large Lily in flame from the Mulberry outlet store. I saw this bag months ago on a style blog and fell in love. It’s also been carried by Jennifer Lawrence – and who doesn’t love a bit of J-Law in their wardrobe? Anyway, it’s probably my favourite Mulberry bag to date, and I’m thrilled I managed to scoop one up.

So, have you been shopping in the sales? Pick up any bargains? Let me know!

Gold for Christmas

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It seems as though gold is definitely in this year, and in honour of the season (and in order to satisfy my window shopping habit) I’ve put together a collection of some of the hottest items in this season’s most festive colour! I was inspired by Burberry’s beautiful gold beauty collection – and when I saw Mulberry’s new Metallic Mushroom range, I knew there was no hope for resisting…

Christmas Gold

Bag ‘n’ Shoes: Russell & Bromley New Dry and Hobbs Lanesley Bag

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I had a different set of bag and shoes planned for this week, but I abandoned that idea as soon as the postman came this morning!

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Ever since I saw the Duchess of Cambridge pictured in the gorgeous New Dry suede and faux fur booties last week, I was desperate to get my hands on a pair. I already had aspirations for some Ruby Drys, but wedges are so much easier to walk in, and how could anyone resist the beautiful fur trim of these gorgeous shoes? They’re designed by Marvin K in Italy for Aquatalia, and exclusively available in the UK through Russell & Bromley here. As soon as Kate was seen in them, of course, they sold out, but after stalking the page for days I was rewarded when my size came up on Tuesday! (In the US, the style is called Neptune, as you can see above – although the fur trim is rabbit. They were on sale but now are sold out.)

New Dry and Hobbs shoe montage

These shoes are just as beautiful in person as they look online. Comfy, snug and super smart, they go perfectly with jeans, which is exactly what I wanted! They come already protected from the elements (hence the ‘Dry’ part of the name, which is a range of boots in suede from the brand), but you can also purchase Nano spray from Russell & Bromley to top up the finish. I paired them with my Lanesley bag from Hobbs, which is one of my most frequently used bags and puts up with all kinds of abuse without complaining. The Lanesley was a bit of a replikate for the Mulberry Polly Push Lock bag Kate was seen with in 2011, and is the perfect size for an iPad too! But no one cares about that, do they? (Sorry, Lanesley, you know I love you!) This post is ALL ABOUT THE SHOES. And so I leave you with this glorious sight:

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Worth every penny! Keep checking back to the listing for these boots on Russell & Bromley’s site here, because as the returns come in from last week’s orders, quite a few new sizes keep popping up! Good luck…

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11 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Jingle Belle

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11 Dec Text

The first, and only, glitter of the bunch was under the 11th door of the Ciate advent calender: it’s Jingle Belle!

11 Dec Montage

This seems to be an exclusive for the calendar, and is a hot pink glitter with gold sparkles. I applied it over the top of Kiss Chase, from 8 Dec, which gave it a very pink base underneath.

11 Dec nails

As you can see, depending on the light, the colour appears either coral or pink – but either way, it was very pretty! I was initially worried about how well it would apply. Considering that the glitter is very fine, I thought it would go everywhere, and be difficult to remove from your fingers. But a quick wipe with some tissue (dampened if needs be!) worked a charm, and it’s even fairly easy to remove compared to some other glittery top coats. Again, nice job, Ciate! I definitely want to try out some different glitter top coats now!

11 Dec glitter

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10 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Speed Coat

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10 Dec text

Top coat is a funny old thing. It seems essentially useless and is incredibly boring to contemplate, but actually, it’s one of the most important parts of any girl’s nail varnish stash. The right top coat not only makes your colour last longer, but it can also fix bumps and lumps in the finish, and even set your varnish faster – and harder. I’m a long time convert to Seche Vite, just like any other nail blogger, so I was interested to see what Ciate had to offer.

10 Dec opening

Colours are always exciting, but an essential like this is good to have in a sample size for travelling, and it’s great as a way of convincing those who aren’t quite sure yet that that top coat is actually worth using! Not only does it hold your caviar manis in place, but it also brings out the shine in other top coats.

Ciate says: “Speed Coat is an award winning Formaldehyde free top coat which guarantees touch dry nails in sixty seconds, locks in colour and can extend colour wear. Taking the nail industry by storm, this formula has won many industry awards since its 2008 launch. Including U Magazine’s Best Top Coat award. A high gloss finish and chip free for up to 10 days, this gorgeous product delivers a perfect performance.” You can purchase the new and improved formula here – currently priced at £11.

10 Dec montage

Here’s yesterday’s Pillow Fight, layered with Halo, on the left. On the right, I’ve topped Halo with Speed Coat. As you can see, even in the incredibly subtle medium of photography, there’s a much glossier shine on the Speed Coat version – and it was much more pronounced in real life. Speed Coat is an impressive blend – thick, easy to apply, and it brought out a deeper shine on my finished nails. A keeper!

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9 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Pillow Fight

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9 Dec text

Under the door today is Pillow Fight, a deep and moody purple with a playful side!

9 Dec opening

Ciate says: “Creamy delicate grey with the smallest hint of lilac, innocent looking with an edge. Get ready to release your playful side.” You can buy a full bottle here.

9 Dec montage

The straight up colour is on the left, and on the right is OPI’s matte top coat over it. And I thought I’d pose with my favourite trinket – a ceramic pot which used to hold Fortnum’s relish, but now holds my earrings on my bedside table!

As for the colour itself, I’d argue this is purple with a hint of grey, rather than the other way around – and it’s Christmas, so that means arguing is pretty much par for the course!

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8 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Kiss Chase

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8 Dec Text

It’s bright, neon pink for Sunday, with Ciate’s Kiss Chase – under door number eight of my advent calendar!

8 Dec Opening Montage

What can I say other than this is unashamedly girly.? Ciate’s decription reads: “A dreamy pink to make the boy’s wink, super girly and sure to become the Paint Pot equivalent of your BFF. Bold high coverage one coat colour with luminous pastel tendencies. Pucker up!” Buy a pot here.

8 Dec Montage

Bold pink is not really my thing, but even Kiss Chase is growing on me! And what do you think of the matte version, on the right? (By the way, I added three coats to my nails, because it seemed slightly sheer to me, somehow! But then, I was painting my nails at 2.30 in the morning!)

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7 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Fit For A Queen

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7 Dec Text

Today it was like Christmas on the Starship Enterprise, thanks to the sci-fi glam of Fit For A Queen!

7 Dec Opening Montage

Here’s Ciate’s decription: “A classic chrome silver. Just what you need to finish that super duper sequinned dress. Think liquid platinum, full of glamour and seduction. Team with your favourite silver studded boots for the glam rock look or with a LBD for sexy sophistication.” You can buy a full bottle here.

7 Dec Montage

I tried Fit For A Queen with matte top coat (top right), Ciate’s Snow Globe from earlier in the month (bottom left) and Pirouette My Whistle from OPI (bottom right). Which one is your favourite? I probably sound like a stuck record, but I’m digging the matte effect!

7 Dec

Couldn’t resist posing with my latest favourite purchase: the beautiful Zara necklace that Kate Middleton was wearing on the red carpet this week – and of course, it was also seen on the delightful Mary Berry during Graham Norton’s show! Sadly, it’s now sold out, but you can bag one on eBay if you don’t mind paying a premium!

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6 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Sugar Plum

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6 Dec Text

A pretty pastel shade for Friday – it’s Sugar Plum under door number six of Ciate’s Mini Mani Month advent calendar!

6 Dec Opening

Ciate’s description reads: “Baby doll parmaviolet. Delicious creams create a colour perfect for the spring and summer. Unique and flirtatious that screams pass me my floral skirt and pussybow blouse.” You can purchase a full bottle here.

Pastel shades aren’t really my thing, although this is a pretty shade if you want to fully embrace your girly side!

6 Dec Montage

I also gave it a whirl under a matte top coat (bottom left – although I didn’t really dry it enough, the finish is much more matte than it appears there!). What do you reckon to this colour – are you a Sugar Plum fairy?!

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5 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Encore!

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5 Dec text

Today’s door held a rather sophisticated and restrained orange: meet Encore!

5 Dec Encore Opening

Encore! is so new that I got an email (well timed, Ciate!) about its launch today, as part of the Dragonfly Collection (six bottles for £40 – viewable here.) Encore’s description reads: “This muted orange is perfect for wearing all-year-round as an alternative to a classic red.” You can purchase it as an individual bottle here. I definitely appreciate Ciate slipping in a brand new shade for the advent calendar – yet another reason to purchase one if you haven’t already!

5 Dec Encore Montage

At first I was a bit hesitant about this shade, as orange isn’t really my thing, but it grew on me, and by the end of the day I really appreciated its understated glamour. As a bonus, I wore it to Highclere Castle’s Christmas fair (where they film Downton Abbey), and I felt it was very appropriate given its vintage vibe – although Lady Mary would probably have been shocked!

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