OOTD: Chelsea Ivy Garden

This weekend the hubby and I visited the Chelsea Ivy Garden for a spot of afternoon tea! In keeping with the garden theme I thought this would be the perfect time to dress up in my new floral number. The sunshine in London was glorious, but it did make photos a little bit of a challenge so I apologise in advance for my squinting.

 Dress: Chi Chi London Shauna (mine was from Asos)

Shoes: Roberto Cavalli

Bag: Chanel

Sunglasses: Tom Ford Celia

This dress is so much fun to wear. The off the shoulder cut of the top gives it a really vintage feel while the high low hem makes it fun and a little more modern. This kind of bandeau/ bardot neckline is so popular right now and while I think it looks lovely it is a little restrictive (especially if you have been working hard in the gym getting your arms toned). The fabric is quite stiff so it keeps its shape well and gives a lot of volume to the skirt!

We had a lovely champagne afternoon tea at the Chelsea Ivy Garden. The service wasn't the best, but the food was good and it's definitely a fun place for celeb spotting. The location is special for us as it's very close to the church we got married in so I am sure we will return for a Sunday post service brunch soon! :)

OOTD: Leather Peplum

Although the peplum trend is now somewhat overdone I still have a few pieces that I am very hesitant to move to the back of the wardrobe. For a curvy girl peplums are just so flattering, while they give athletic figures a feminine shape, making them easy to wear and extremely versatile.

I love the leather pleating of this peplum jacket as it creates volume, while accentuating your waist. I paired mine with a midi tube dress from ASOS to play up the proportions.

There are so many ways of wearing peplum, and I can't think of a bigger fan than Miss Kardashian...

Are you a fan of peplum? How do you wear yours? xxx

Work It Out: Mint Accent

I can never resist ASOS so while picking up a few bits for the bf's bday I decided to slip a few sale items into the basket for myself.

 Dress: ASOS Midi Pencil with Colour Block Cowl (On sale from £45 to £20 here).

Although this dress has completely the wrong proportions for me (far too large in the hips and small in the chest) I absolutely love the style. The classic, cool toned grey is made modern and perky with a pop of mint around the collar. The midi length also makes it perfect for work. Not bad for £20!

OOTD: Galaxy

Wrap dresses are so comfortable and flattering, but I somehow always overlook them when I am shopping as they can appear a little lackluster on the hanger. However, when I spotted this Forever Unique number on the ASOS website I was so enchanted by the galaxy print I ordered it straight away!

 Dress: Forever Unique (On sale from £110 to £65 here).

Apologies for the rubbish photos! We were heading out and the hotel only had horrid fluorescent lights. You can get a better idea of the colour below...

What do you guys think of wrap dresses? Are you a fan of the Forever Unique brand?

Work It Out: Seamed

It's been a while since I have done a Work it Out post! With the dark mornings my snooze button has been getting quite the workout, but many of you have commented that you have missed them so I have tried to make a little more effort!

 

Magenta midi pencil dress with seamed detail - ASOS (now on sale for £27), Patent belt - Ted Baker, Blazer - Zara.

This dress is very form fitting, yet comfortable. I love the bright colour and seamed detailing around the bust, which echos the underwear as outerwear trend, but in a subtle, conservative way. I decided to team it with a structured, black tuxedo style blazer to toughen it up with a little masculine tailoring.

Are you wearing midi dresses this season? Are you a fan of 'work it out' posts? What kind of fashion posts are you most interested in seeing? xxx

Work It Out: Raspberry Ribbon

If you caught my previous post about my recent ASOS purchases (here) you may already recognise this little number. I loved the retro shape of this dressed coupled with the light material and deep raspberry shade.

 ASOS Midi Dress with Pussybow - £40

I am absolutely loving burgundy for the autumn. What colours will you be keeping an eye out for this season? xx

Browsing ASOS

I have had a bit of a love/hate relationship with ASOS recently. From the modest beginnings of the website I was obsessed with it, recommended it to all my friends, and browsed through it during more luchtimes than I would care to admit to. However, as they have expanded I feel that the quality of many of the products has deteriorated somewhat, and although this is understandable with the sheer volume of products on the site, it still seems a shame. Though there are some great pieces to be found it is a little too hit and miss for my liking. I have all too often dragged a bulky box home only to try everything on and promptly send it all back. After a botched delivery... or seven (they delivered the wrong bag thrice, which was actually a present so rather marred the celebrations) and a lack of a timely reconciliation I vowed to bid farewell to ASOS for a little while. However, while I'm sitting here perusing the new ASOS magazine I can't help but add a few things to my basket, so here are some of my favourites on the site at present...

Midi Dress with Pussybow - £40.  Love! Mad men inspired, gorgeous colour, office appropriate hemline. This one has already made its way into my basket ;).

Full Midi Skirt in Oversized Heritage Check - £50. Amazing for Autumn, would love to wear this with super high wedges to contrast the seasons.

Midi Skirt with Equestrian Print - £45. A classic, Gucci-esque print updated with pleats.

Chiffon Sleeve Panel Top - £25. A lot of burgundy here! The chiffon sleeves are beautiful and feminine.

Pussybow Chain Print Dress - £45. Gorgeous chain print and flattering draping. Would anyone guess this is just £45?


Have you spotted anything exciting on ASOS recently?

OOTD: Two days of Summer

With the glorious sunshine of the last few days it was time to dust off my Summer wardrobe. Let's just hope the warm spell lasts and is not once again replaced by the depressing drizzle of the last few weeks.

On Saturday I attended the Aussie haircare wrap party, so chose a maxi dress that would be easy and comfortable to wear.

 Colourblock Dress: Pearl (on sale at ASOS here). Pearl coin and gold necklace: Banana Republic. Rose Gold Watch: Michael Kors.

Sunday was a quiet day with a few errands to run and lots of e-mails to catch up on so I skipped the makeup and instead injected some colour in this tropical print jumpsuit.

 Jumpsuit: H&M. Shoes: Dorothy Perkins (On sale here).

Hope you all enjoyed the sunshine! xxx

Leopard (Take 2)

I must be in a very leopardy (yes that's a word!) mood lately! Last weekend as I was heading out for drinks I went for a statement animal print dress, paired with simple black patent tights.

Dress: ASOS. Black tights: M&S. Shearling boots a la Burberry: New Look.

You can just see the leopard boots peeping out in the corner lol. Is anyone else on a leopard kick at the moment? What are your favourite pieces? xxx

Gifts for You

In the third and final installment of my gift guide we come to Gifts for You! You have worked hard, you deserve a treat too ;). Plus you can't be sure that your mother/ friend/ other half has read my 'gifts for her' post so they may not get you what you really need... ;).

Xen-Tan Dark Tanning Lotion Trio (Special offer trio - £28.94) - Preparation is key, so when it comes to looking good for that Christmas party you may need a night to yourself. Having recently tried Xen Tan for the first time I am still very much excited about it. I really enjoyed the scent of the lotion, which reminded me of marzipan. Even though the notorious 'fake tan smell' was still noticeable in the morning (I always slather it on before bed), at least the application in my tiny bathroom was pleasant. The body scrub in this trio also works well for a gentle all over exfoliation, but as my winter skin is currently a little dry I used a harsher scrub on some areas, such as the knees and elbows, to achieve a smoother application. The tan itself developed beautifully over night to a natural, albeit deep tan and the mitt provided ensured it was even and streak free.

ELF Party Eyeshadow Palette (£3.50) - With 6 gorgeous colours this palette is perfect for creating a beautiful wintry eye look. As I was kindly sent this for review a few weeks ago I can assure you that the shadows are pigmented and blendable. I especially like the sparkly black to add a little bit of definition and glitter!

Soap & Glory Pink Tote Bag (Originally £60, currently £25!) - When I spotted this bag full of goodies on the Boots website I knew it had to be mine! The re-usable pink bag contains:

• Clean On Me Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel (500ml)
• The Righteous Butter Body Butter (300ml)
• Flake Away Body Scrub (300ml)
• Girligo Scented Body Moisturising Mist (100ml)
• Glad Hair Day Ultra-Shine Super-Shampoo (250ml)
• The Breakfast Scrub Body Smoother (300ml)
• Hand Food Hydrating Hand Cream (125ml)
• Scrub Your Nose In It Face Scrub And Mask (125ml)
• Super Colour Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss in ‘Pink Apricot,’ (7ml)
• Off Your Face Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)
• Giant Super Sudsy Shower Puff

This is probably the best offer of 2010 ladies, so hurry as I'm sure supplies won't last long ;).

Rapid Lash Serum (£39.99) - Want longer lashes come March without breaking the bank? I have already reviewed Rapidlash (read the review here) and this stuff works! The results are not as dramatic as other lash growth serums such as Lilash, but neither is the price. One tube lasts 3-4 months of daily use along the lashline and you will usually start to see results after 4 weeks.

Eyelure Lashes (£4.35) - In the meantime why not stick to false lashes? No party makeup is complete without them and if taken care of they will last you the whole season! My favourites are the Nicola lashes as they are full and wispy, without being too long and spidery, and have a sexy flick on the side, which will elongate and lift any eye shape!

Karen Millen Statement Spotted Dress (On Sale £89.95, down from £180) Why not skip the LBD this year and treat yourself to a statement dress with style? Luckily many stores are having pre-Christmas sales, so you can easily pick up a stunning new dress for that special party at half the price!

Karen Millen Frayed Silk Dress (On Sale for £175, down from £250).

 Miss Selfridge Nude Beaded Shift Dress (£150).

Aqua Victory Mini Dress (£100)

ASOS Black One Shoulder Organza Tape Dress (On Sale for £60, down from £85).

French Connection Pretty Penelope Dress (On Sale £110, down from £140).

Bare Escentuals SPF 15 Matte Foundation (£20.40) - Now that you have your dress and tan sorted, all you need is the perfect base to last the night. I have been testing out the latest foundation from Bare Escentuals and have to say that it is fantastic. The new click and lock sifter makes application on the go neat and simple, taking the worry out of mineral makeup. The foundation itself blends into the skin beautifully when used with a little kabuki. It has great coverage, yet looks natural and works hard to absorb excess oil and keep you looking matte and polished. A little goes a long way, so be careful not to apply this too liberally, especially as the SPF15 can create a white cast in some photos.

I hope this three part series has given you some ideas and that you have enough time to treat yourselves this Christmas my lovelies! What will you be purchasing in the last few days in the run up to Christmas? xxx