Three for two

I am a fan of offers. Sometimes though I end up with things I would never have thought of buying.
Last month I needed some Primer. I had been using the Rimmel one since before the summer - having run out of my all time favourite from Maybelline. I ended up with the Rimmel because it was £4.00 cheaper than the Maybelline one, and from memory it was in a three for two deal as well.

I rather liked the Rimmel and so set out to buy it again - hopefully in another three or two  - but by the time I got myself organised there was no three for two offer ( very sad face)
However I also needed a new bronzer/shaper. So that's how I was tempted into buying 17. I am a very old person but inside I do sometimes feel 17! Also I am on a budget and these are good budget items.

How have they worked for  me. Well I found the primer a little stiff - it is a flesh colour and although once you get used to it it does make a nice base it just somehow feels a little stiff. I thought it was me but my daughter found the same - she also thought it strange. It is a neat little size for your bag thought.

The instant glow brick  I have used once- maybe too summery for now  and I haven't had any big nights out.

The define and Conquer was a good buy - it does what I want. It's maybe a bit dark if you are heavy handed( I am quite fair skinned)

I did buy the Rimmel primer the next time I was in Boots though - back on three for two.

My other items this time were the brow gel - this is a good product but beware it will lift any other powder colour off your brows if you have added it first- maybe I am using it all wrong and my brows did need dyed at that time.

Do you splurge or save on Cosmetics. DO you believe you get what you pay for?

You need one of these - but maybe not just yet!

I don't know about where you are but here the weather has generally been unseasonably warm. Today when I went out the car said an unbelievable 18 degrees. It wasn't a day to go out without a coat due to a wind blowing but certainly anything heavy was completely unnecessary.

I must confess that due to this sort of weather I have only had the contents of my second parcel on once so far.

At the start of this season I made a  - short - list of what I needed for winter. On the list was a replacement black padded type outdoor coat.
I last bought a coat  like this in 2009 for a trip to New York in the February of that year so I didn't feel putting a new one on my list was an extravagance.

My old one was from Per Una at Marks and Spencer (did I hear someone tut!) It had a concealed hood , pockets to the front and a zip and popper fastening. My criteria for the replacement was that it must have a removable  or concealable hood, pockets  and a zip and popper fastening.

I was passing TK Maxx one day and tried on two there
There was a wonderful Betsy Johnston one that had amazing little built in finger gloves thingys but the hood didn't come off and made me look and feel muffled - it was a great coat for a thin person - not me!
I also tried and bought a Michael Kors coat which had all the things I wanted, sadly reurned it as I was not convinced the zip was up to much pulling and hauling and would not last me another 5 years as my first one had.

I spotted one on Marks and Spencer's website - irritatingly it appeared only to come in Plus sizes. I sat back and waited for it to appear in other sizes.
Also irritatingly it has now disappeared from the site - I never found it in my size.

I did find this one in store - I even bought it - and returned it. It did have it all - removable hood , pockets - but it just felt too boring on - I know all black coats may be boring!! It was also Per Una - sorry.



Meanwhile I found one I liked on Mango. The girl looked like I wanted to look -ha ha!
I looked and looked at it, I tried to assess how long I could look without missing out on getting it.
I worried and fretted over the sizing. I fretted over how I would return it if it didn't do - decided I could maybe cope with the return.
And then fate took charge - a 30% off weekend arrived just before I went off on holiday.
It arrived while I was away. 

When I opened it on my return I knew I had done the right thing in the end. I loved it. I loved it even with the belt - and no I don't quite look like a sack of potatoes in it. 
Sadly the weather hasn't needed it so far but with the forecast today for winter giving a very gloomy prospect I think I just might.
It has pockets ( with zips)
It has a detachable hood - which covers really well when up.
It has snug elasticated wrists.
I love it.
Now it isn't a light coat - but boy does it make me feel I can face whatever the winter throws at me - unfortunately this time not  a trip to New York, but almost hoping London in December will be cold. As long as its not so cold I am snowed in here.

Other coats in a similar vein

Zara

Also Zara

Dunnes Stores

what's in my parcel - one

I did say I had some parcels waiting.

The contents of my first one were much longer for. I have a coat fetish - I fully admit it. I love coats. Need Coats?? that's another matter.

My daughter and I were talking about the pale blue Autograph coat in our local Marks and Spencer some weeks ( and more) ago.
She decided as neither of us now go to work that requires wearing a coat like this on a daily basis it would be extravagant to buy this coat no matter how lovely it was. She was of course right. I don't go to work at all and this coat demanded dressing up on a daily basis. But it was lovely. I can't see it online but you may know the one I mean as it was on display at the very front of our Marks and Spencers , possibly in yours too.

I then quite fancied a camel coat. Many many years ago there was a mother who collected her son ( who was in the year below me at school) wearing a beautiful camel coat - she was incidentally a strikingly beautiful woman too. Every time I think of a camel coat I think of her.

When I was in town some weeks ago I tried on the one in Zara - seen also on Fashion Mum of Forty and Style At Every Age. I actually had been and tried it on before I saw them in it. This one. It was not for me, even though it fitted ( and Zara is hit and miss in that department for me)I felt slightly as though I was wearing a dressing gown and TBH the colour does nothing for me .
Note the model does not have it tied, if I had felt I could go through the winter without tying a coat closed it might have helped but possibly that would not be the case.

I then tried a camel one on in Marks and Spencer and to be sure, the colour still did nothing for me, my dream of being glamorous was gone.

I was then leafing through the September Issue of Glamour and spotted A COAT. It was grey and the price was unbelievable, especially for someone on a budget like me.

This one

It's the grey coat at £24.99 from H and M. I stalked the website looking for it and then finally two weeks before I went on holiday there is was. I didn't hesitate, but only ordered one size, and then noticed it would arrive while I was on holiday.

Daughter waylaid delivery - sorted.

I looked at it in Palma - it looked big but it was too hot to start to try on a myriad of sizes  - all European - to decide if I had bought the right one.

When I opened it I was expecting to be disappointed , but was I - nope! Except that the size I had ordered was enormous. But there is a happy ending - The day after I came home I beetled down to my local H and M and got it two sizes smaller , I know its meant to be oversized but there's oversized and absolutely drowning me. It's perfect , I love it. I suit grey, it goes with lots and the price is great. It dresses down as well as  up and I am in love.

Not claiming to be glamorous but hey ho!

Sorry for the very little poor picture. I will get round to taking one of it actually on in a few days.

Goodbye Summer

I was fortunate enough to have been able to have a late holiday in Majorca  where the sun still shines.

So I finally only cast aside my sandals on Sunday 5th October. Sadly the weather has turned a lot colder so I had to pack away my summer clothes too.

But for now here was Majorca last week - 28 degrees C - a bit of rain but mostly lovely.

I did try to travel light with basically a navy theme. Didn't quite succeed. Must do better.
The hotel had a lovely generous wardrobe with lots of hangers. I'm really sad to  pack away my summer things but I came home to some lovely parcels I had ordered before I went. More of those next time.

A little print

Here in Northern Ireland we've been particularly lucky with our September weather , last week saw lots of lovely days although with a distinct chill at the start and end of them.


This has meant I've been able to avoid Autumn clothing for which I am really glad, I have a late holiday coming up and didn't want to put all the summer stuff away. More importantly I didn't want to relinquish my Zara sandals which have been my utter favourite footwear this summer.


Despite the lovely days we have had white trousers seemed so wrong, never mind my inability to wear them more than a few hours without feeling and looking grubby.


So I've resorted to some print trousers I already had. I must confess I have wore black with them quite a lot as I like a block of solid colour with print and two of them have black backgrounds

First up I bought these in the Next sale a coupe of season ago. I originally intended lifting the blue and green colourway in tops but they are hard to match.

Next previous season these are slightly hotter material and do crease but very comfie. I have been wearing these with an H and M cream top as well - Avril from School Gate Style has recently reviewed it and found it too thin but I wear a thin vest or cami under it. It was really good value for me at £7.99 and so far it has washed just fine.

Next this season , these are stretchy and I think are described as harems. The background is navy and I have styled them with a white top and navy cardigan or jumper. The pink again has been difficult to match.

Others

I spotted these the other day on the Zara website and thought they were lovely

These are New look

These all could be worn with a black top and black sandals if your weather is still holding out. They give a lighter look than throwing yourself into full Autumn. I love my boots etc but winter can be so long its good to stretch out a summery feel when you can.

ARe you holidng on to summer. Ours here may be gone this morning as we woke up to rain.

My summer favourites

Sorry if this post also has no photos. My skills on the iPad are such that I haven't discovered how to add any.
For the post I thought I would look back over my summer purchases and chose my five favourites.

1. top of any list my Zara sandals. I wasn't sure if I would get the wear out of black but they have never been off my feet. Priced at 19.99 they didn't break the bank.

2. Next white linen mix shorts. Although we haven't had great weather when it was good these were so comfortable. I'm off to Majorca in 9 days so they will get another outing. They were only 16.99 I think.

3. My Boden linen shift dress for the same reason as the Next shorts. Nice and bright in a subtle way it will be a favourite for a long time to come.

4. Marks and Spencer linen mix peg leg trousers. Loved the comfort of these.

5. Next white sleeveless boxy top, I had 2 in different patterns, they washed well and stayed white, these little cheapies (at 14.99 I think they were) will unbelievably carry through to another summer.

Here I am

It's been a long time. Things happen that make all this seem frivolous and unimportant. But we all bounce back in the end or at least find they prove a distraction.


Enough said.


Back soon I hope with a few photographs and some musings on the end of summer and what my wardrobe's looking like for Autumn 2014.

A bit of boho

I've seen so many boho tops on white/cream and blue on different bloggers this year I at last have decided ,rather late, one is a must have.
Too late for Mango, and wary of sizing, I fell upon one from the Indigo collection at Marks and Spencer with delicate floral embroidery. Then the Boden one arrived in the post.
Here they are. Which would you choose?

A brush with a jumpsuit

I first had a brush with a jumpsuit in the early 80's. They say if you wore it the first time forget it. I couldn't.
I loved my jumpsuits.
The last one was a Marks and Spencer sleeveless jade green one in 1984/5. I wore it throughout my pregnancy, abandoning it I think because it was tricky to breastfeed in.
I had a wonderful black one with sleeves which I think was from Miss Selfridge . This was followed by a torquoise blue from a local boutique and then a magenta one which was probably my least favourite.
At the moment sone people are calling them playsuits.
I gave in. I really loved the tencel denim one as sported by Alex Stedman of The Fugality.
Availabilty and finances meant I rather frighteningly ended up back with a sleeveless one from Marks and Spencer , went into sale, in black tencel (do you know its made from bamboo - keeping an eye out for stray koalas!) It is comfie, my main concern now is not the difficulty of breastfeeding in it but getting to the loo on time.

Will I keep it? Probably.  Youth reclaimed!

My little indulgence

I first met Ren through a little trial pack my daughter got me from Marks and Spencer.

This product is the one I liked best and felt was worth splashing on when discount was available from M and S.

The mask does leave my skin feeling clean and renewed. I used my trail tube weekly and really felt the benefit. This 50ml jar should last ages , at £30.00 its too expensive for me as a retiree but with double discount is a lovely treat especially as I feel it will last ages.

This size comes with its own little cotton cloth to remove the mask.

Before using it I cleansed with Number 7 hot cloth cleanser.

After use I have used Sanctuary Therapist Oil as a treat for my skin.

Sorry only 1 pix. The phone is defeating me in uploading more than 1.

Bathroom tiled as you can see. Just waiting on painter now. Its been a marathon.

Gatwick Shopping

If you have found me on Instagram you will know in the last two weeks I have been to Jamaica and back for my daughter's wedding.


This necessitated passing through departures at Gatwick for our connection. There is some good shopping to be had in the terminal - think I was in South one!!! by the time I got back from the 9 plus hour flight I was not sure where I was.


On the way out I was very good but could not resist this Mango bag . I love to have a white bag for the summer and until then had discounted most of those I had seen.
Mango in Northern Ireland is a concession in the House of Fraser and I am rarely in town these days .
With duty free is came in at £31.00.
It also comes in navy , black and a colour described as make up. All are lovely.


It's big enough to carry everything you might need.







Did I say I was good?
I also picked up a necklace and bracelet from Accessorize. I wore these a lot on holiday. They also come in a silver colour which is also lovely.


On the way back I bought a Zara scarf and a handbag for my daughter's birthday which I am not showing at the moment.


Do you shop in the airport? What are your favourite stores?

Print trousers

There are an amazing number of printed trousers to choose from this year.
Primark have an array of patterns for £9.00. If you find a pattern you like and you don't mind the material they are excellent value.

This pair I am wearing are Marks and Spencer.  I mistakenly bought long and had worn them before I discovered my mistake. As a consequence I have taken them up rather badly ! They are very comfortable, this material is very soft, almost too soft.

Worn here with
Next black chiffon sleeve top (old)
M and S sandaks (very old)

Oh and the bathroom has been stripped of sanitary wear for retiling. Luckily the plumber left the mirror in place. A loo would have been handier though.

Busy busy

Time is flying too quickly. I'm off to Jamaica on Sunday for my daughters wedding. So excited but terrified I'll forget something.

The cases are down from the attic. Just trying to hone the amount of clothes I am taking to make it managable.

My post today shows the Limited Edition by M and S white sandals which is my nod to a heel all 1inch of it. I rarely wear heels at all these days. My daughter suggested flip flops for my wedding outfit but I thought I'd make a little more effort:)

They also look nice with this denim tunic.

Toes being sorted this afternoon. Looking forward to lying back having nails and eyebrows seen to.

The rest of the week is hectic.

Back of the wardrobe Friday

You know the way things get put to the back of the wardrobe and left.
I thought I would try to pull them forward on a Friday and try them out.

First out came this navy jersey jacket. I bought it for £7 or thereabouts at the end of a summer season in Sainburys  a couple of years ago. The first day I saw it I passed by then caved in. But it was slightly neat but never got round to taking it back.

Think I would wear it now, it does button but who wears a jacket buttoned.

Styled here with
M and S denim look jeggings
M and S breton style tee
Zara burgandy loafers

Bathroom worse than ever . We are waiting on a plumber to tackle a leak and strip out for retiling as all the shower ones had to come off.

I didnt go out in the jacket. Too chilly for a trip to Newcastle to with grandpug to make sandcastles. We all needed to wrap up warm.

Legs out

We've been really fortunate to have some lovely sunny weather over Easter.

I normally use Rimmel Sunshimmer daily as my Irish legs are paler than pale and I have an allergy to more long lasting colour.

The other day I was delighted to see it at a Very Good Price in Boots . In my enthusiasm ( for that read grabbed it without putting on my glasses) I brought home the one with gradual glow. The premise is that some colour is built up on your legs. Really pleased to say this works and so far I have had no reaction to it.

I may yet go away next month and be able to bare my legs the first day!

April showers

I'm so glad to have cast aside a good deal of my winter clothing. But its still showery here most days and a raincoat is a must.
I fell for the red colour of the Boden Marylebone mac but not the price. This Next version fitted the bill perfectly. It has nice details on the neck and cuffs. Totally love it. Its big fitting so maybe downsize if you buy it. It also comes in navy and a stone shade.

Here I'm wearing it with M and S navy jeggings (old) , Next navy loafers (s/s14) Zara skull scarf (old) in blue black colourway. Not seen M and S white layering tee and navy one.

Wearing it today inspired

One of the blogs I love is Laura Fantacci's Wearing It Today. She has an enviable wardrobe and lifestyle.
One of the lovely things she posted recently was her box of holiday clothes.

As I am off to the Carribean for a wedding in May I have been putting together a few new things for  my holiday . Found a Zara box and there you are.

Mine contains

Striped maxi dress - M&S
White lacey brodie white shift dress - M&S
Blue sleeveless print top - Next
White linen mix shorts - Next
B/W confetti swimsuit - M&S

Silver sequin sandals - Next
Blue leather purse - M&S

My entire contents probably cost about what one item in Laura's did as I bought with online discounts and in the M&S sale for thos items.
They will all work with existing items in my holiday wardrobe too.

Why not make your own box up as you shop ?

Feet out

We have had some lovely weather this week so lovely I got a French gel polish on my toes so I could get my feet out.
I was talking to someone last week who told me they had stopping clothes shopping for Lent. So that seemed a good idea given I did not do fugal February.
Needless to say I have failed already.
I saw Beth Goodhram in her Next jogger type trousers this week on Styleguile and remembered I had promised myself a similar pair from Next. No cuff on these ultra comfie trousers and a snip at £18.00. Oops!
Here with Marks and Spencer semi luxe tshirt in silver from last year over a Marks white layering tee.
Sandals absolutely ancient Marks and Spencer - love these so much.

Stripes 1

Ok so heres the first of that pile of stripes. This is Marks and Spencer and I sized up. This one is lovely and soft with Staynew not sure what that means.
If you are lucky enough to have a Marks and Spencer near you running a friends and family event and even more luckyily have been given a voucher for 20% off this weekend it will only cost you £9.50 less 20% . Too hard a sum for me !!

I just felt no one should be without a stripey top this Spring.

Jeans/jeggings/treggings whatever also Marks and Spencer in a dark denim these ones have the zip and not the elasticated waistband but still super comfy.

Yes the mirror needs a clean again. What is it with housework you have to keepdoing it!

The ins and outs of a summer to come

I do hate it when the new stuff comes in, with one eye looking backward and one forward I am constantly distracted.
At the moment I am looking forward as I am off to the Caribbean for a wedding later in the year. I rummaged under my bed in the summer box and tried to focus on what I am lacking

1. A sundress wouldn't go amiss. A quick trundle round the Next clearance online got me ordering a turquoise maxi dress with a halter neck and a short red and white sundress.
One was too long and one too short , back they went remarkably promptly, but while returning them I spotted a nice linen mix dress.
Photo next post as I cannot work out how to get a Next image into the post!

http://cdn2.next.co.uk/COMMON/Items/Default/Default/Publications/X53/shotview/132/895-352-X53s.jpg

I also have flirted with. Boden Ella dress but quite honestly Boden is out of my price range so flirtation it is only at the moment. I am not ure the waist is right for me though.

http://www.bodenimages.com/productimages/ZoomLarge/14WSPR_WH607_ORA.jpg

2. Shorts, I have been wearing a white pair and a navy pair of shorts for the last 7 (oh dear) years. Haven't spotted anything yet, I like the ones I have but is that too long to keep bringing them out.

3. Sandals with bling. After never getting beads to repair my very very favourite ones I desperately need a blingy silver pair , too early it seems for any choice in the shops.

So far that's it , my list.

Zara love affair

I love a Zara delivery. I was so enthusiastic I tore into it. So no nice pictures of how beautifully packed it is. Lots of tissue and labels. Beautifully folded or boxed.

So what was inside?
Well some clothes for little grandpug and boots for me.

Theres a reason I picked these boots out. Will share it another time if this phone post works.

Blinging it on

Christmas is a time for a bt of bling. I must confess even I found myself injecting a bit of bling into my wardrobe.

I bought the jumper in Primark Oxford Street with the idea of wearing it on Christmas Day but it was too warm to cook in and i brought it out later in the holidays.

Jumper Primark
Leggings M and S Limited (old)
Shoes Zara

And  2 statement necklaces

The  firsr Primark Limited again bought in Oxford Street

And the second Primark locally.

The first Lost a 'diamond' but I braved customer services and got a replacement - this time I sealed it with clear polish.

Bags ???

As an Addendum to the London trip I feel I just have to mention the bags. Bags for shopping that is.

For some time now in Northern Ireland,  bags when you shop , if you have not brought your own cost 5p each.

We were totally not expecting bags in London you get bags when shopping. It was sheer pleasure a new item in a new bag either a paper one or a plastic one. It put a zing back into shopping. So much nicer than putting your purchase in a used bag or even worse your handbag if you have no bags and grudge the 5 p.

What do you think about the bag issue?