Work It Out: Ribbon Knit

I usually steer away from horizonal stripes, but I just couldn't resist this dress in the French Connection sale. The material is so comfortable, and even though it is tight fitting and pretty 'slinky' being rayon it has a lot of stretch. The ombre style with contrasting panels becoming darker towards the bottom is also surprisingly flattering and works well to smooth curves.

 Dress: French Connection (On sale for £57.50 here), Shoes: Kurt Geiger.

The modest length of this dress makes it easy workwear, while the form fitting style can also translate to post work drinks. This is the perfect piece to take you from day to night!

Have you picked up anything from the FCUK sale this season? Are you a fan of horizontal stripes? xxx

OOTD: Peplum Tropics

Printed trousers is a trend that I have admired over the last few months, but have not been brave enough to attempt. Even though I am tall my thighs are definitely an area I struggle with and usually try to conceal by wearing darker colours and skirts or dresses rather than trousers. However, after seeing these trousers on a host of celebs and fashionistas I decided that I would put my insecurities aside and see if I could work the trend for my shape. I chose a large, colourful print and purchased a size up to ensure that the fit would be looser giving the appearance of a 'straight' rather than 'slim' cut.
I also paired the trousers with a plain flared peplum top to balance out the narrow fit.

 Top: Zara (£29.99 here), Trousers: Zara (£39.99 here), Belt: Reiss, Shoes: LA Boutique, Sunglasses: Prada.

Other printed trousers I have had my eye on are:

ASOS Crop Trousers In Floral Print

£40.00

 

Warehouse Eastern Tropic Trouser

£38.00

 

ASOS Skinny Trousers in Floral Print

£35.00

 

Sportmax floral print cigarette trouser

£287

 Are you a fan of printed trousers? What do you think of this tropical version? xxx

Neom Inspiration

After waxing lyrical about Neom's beautiful reed diffuser (check out my review here) I was keen to continue my sensory journey with Neom's organic body and hand creams.

Neom's luxurious Organic Hand Cream is packed with anti-oxidising extracts which are great for anti-ageing. They include Acai extract and nourishing Argan oil, known to aid collagen production and tighten the skin. It penetrates rapidly, leaving hands super-soft, smooth and non-greasy. It is a fairly thick cream, but you only need a very small amount to hydrate and release the gorgeous scent. This hand cream comes in a handbag friendly size of 75ml and can purchased for £20 here.


The Neom Organic Body Cream comes in a hefty 200ml jar that has made a permanent home on my bedside table. The cream is rich and luxurious, boasting ingredients such as antioxidant Acai extract, Cocoa Bean to promote skin elasticity plus Rosehip Oil, Avocado Oil and soothing Almond Oil which are packed with essential fatty acids. I prefer to use this cream straight after showering to lock in moisture and makes sure my skin remains hydrated. However, the scent also makes it perfect for the mornings as a re-energising and uplifting little treat.


Have you tried any of the products from Neom's Inspiration line? What are your favourites? xxx

L'Oreal Miss Candy Collection

 

Pastel colours were all over the runways this Summer so I was excited to see that L'Oreal have brought out a new collection of candy colours for eyes, lips and nails. The collection features a fun selection of mouth watering, sugar sweet swirls of sparkles and shimmering shades.

Miss Candy Glam Shine lip glosses give a great twist on the classic glam shines with contrasting  swirls of shimmery and creamy colours. They are available in 6 glistening shades for £7.69 here.

Left to Right: 710 Pink Treat, 711 Nude BonBon, 703 Tart Lollipop, 712 Dolce Pralina, 

709 Miss Candy

My absolutely favourite part of this collection is the gorgeous assortment of candy cane nail polishes. There are 10 shades to choose from ranging from effervescent pastels to tangy brights at £4.99 each here.

Left to Right: 202 Marie Antoinette, 101 Opera Ballerina, 305 Dating Coral, 601French Riviera, 213 Sassy Pink, 616 Innocent Turquoise, 304 Spicy Orange.

I was so excited when these colours landed on my office desk that I almost gave myself a mini manicure straight away! I chose the gorgeous creamy 601 French Riviera to set off my (spray) tan. I absolutely love the summery colour with a hint of shimmer, though it is quite sheer so it needed 3 coats to build to an opaque finish.

The last part of the collection is a trio of Miss Candy Color Infallible eye shadows. These colours promise to be waterproof, long lasting and crease resistant. Each shade has a mix of contrasting flecks adding depth and interest and retails at £6.99 here.

 Left to Right: 32 Sassy Chamallow, 36 Naughty Strawberry, 31 Innocent Turquoise.

Have you seen L'Oreal's Miss Candy Collection in stores? What do you think of their selection of colours? I love pastel shades and am really excited to have a play with these over the summer! xxx

St Tropez Spraycation Giveaway Winners!

Thank you all so much for entering my latest giveaway to celebrate the St Tropez Spraycation.

 The lovely 10 winners are:

1.  candiinoodles cass.tang@hallettretail.co.uk
2. Jodie Petherjodiecj@hotmail.co.uk
3. lottie lottieria@yahoo.co.uk
4. Sophia 
5. nayika Nayika.talks@gmail.com
6. Nathalie Taylor natnightowl@yahoo.com
7. kdrobertson kerryrobertson@yahoo.co.uk
8. Adayinthelifeofems emmie.x@hotmail.com
9.  Louise louisebell195@gmail.com
10.  Sandra theblackpearl2012blog@gmail.com

Please do e-mail me with your postal addresses so I can make sure your prizes are sent out to you ASAP! xxx

OOTD: Wag

I am fully aware that this outfit is a little footballer's wives... but it was hard to resist pairing huge sunnies with a bright dress and nude heels on a gorgeous summer day.

 Dress: Closet at Dorothy Perkins, Shoes: DP (£29.50 here), Sunglasses: Prada.

As I was home alone this weekend I didn't have my usual 'photographer' to take photos, so excuse the weird poses caught by the self timer. I haven't featured a jumping shot in a while ;).

Is this peplum frill dress and nude heels combo too wag-tastic? Are you a fan of peplum detailing? xxx

Sweet Boutique - Revlon Lip Butter Giveaway

Revlon's lovely Lip Butters have been sweeping the beauty blogs over the last few months and are fast becoming the most popular lip product of the Summer! If you haven't been tempted to purchase yet (I have) this may be your chance. The sweet Boutique is open for business and Revlon will be giving away 100 Lip Butters every day.

The Sweet Boutique can be found on Facebook here and will be offering the chance to win a different colour every day during its opening hours 8am to 11pm. The Lip butter giveaway is now open and will last until the 26th of June when a special 3-day prize draw to win the whole collection will be launched.

For your chance to win Lip Butter shades at the Sweet Boutique you can submit your details here.
Or if you are too impatient to wait you can view and purchase the full range of shades (£7.99) here.

Rigby & Peller

Did you know that 80% of women in the UK are wearing the wrong bra size? Well, I had certainly heard that statistic before, but I didn't know that I was in fact one of them! A few weeks ago I attended the opening of a new Rigby & Peller store in the City to have my own fitting and try on some of their beautifully luxurious underwear and beachwear.

Rigby & Peller are synonimous with quality lingerie. After being in the business for over 50 years R&P are able to fit women from sight alone and without the use of a tape measure. It was very strange to be fitted by someone without any measurements being made, but the staff are incredibly professional and experienced. I was dumbfounded to see that in fact I was a whole cup size larger and one size smaller around the back than I have been wearing for years.

Rigby & Peller owner Mrs June Kenton comments: "Breast sizes have increased significantly over the past 50 years with an increase in demand for smaller back sizes, however there is a common misconception that only large breasted ladies need to be concerned about a well fitted bra. No matter their size or shape we want women to understand how dramatically they can improve their quality of life and general well being by having a bra that is properly fitted and well made – it is staggering how many women stick to one size throughout their lifetime.”

During my fitting I was shown a range of different styles and premium brands to try that were suited to my shape and the look that I wanted. R&P hold so many different styles of lingerie that it's easy to find exactly what you need. Plus every item is fitted perfectly so that it supports, lifts, shapes and smooths in all the right places! I was extremely impressed with the staff as they have such a great knowledge of their stock and know all the minute differences in the sizes of different brands.

I also fell in love with their swimwear, which is modern, flattering, yet functional. They have a fantastic range of slimming swimsuits too! My absolute favourite is the Maryan Mehlhorn one piece (£169 here).

Rigby & Peller caters for sizes from 30A to 48N, with the average Rigby & Peller bra containing 38+ components compared to just 16 in an average bra! I would highly recommend checking out R&P for a fitting and if you work near the City the new store in Bow Lane here is absolutely lovely!

Have you ever had a fitting at Rigby & Peller?

OOTD: Marylin

With sunny spells being few and far between I try to make the most of them. Though after visiting the St Tropez Spraycation on Friday night I didn't need any excuses to show off my tan!

 Top: H&M, Skirt: Oasis (on sale for £22 here), Belt: Zara (£17.99 here), Shoes: All Saints, Sunglasses: Prada.

I love wearing white for the summer. Not quite at the level of Kimberly from MIC (if you watch it you will probably have noticed that she wears white/ cream for 90% of the show). White can be a little tricky to wear. Most of the white pieces I own usually require tactical underwear or a slip. What I love about this skirt is the thick fabric, which not only holds the shape well, but also stops it from being see through and makes it gust proof!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! Will you be wearing white this summer? xxx

Update - YSL Touche Eclat available in Selfridges!!

So many of you expressed your excitement about the launch of YSL's Touche Eclat foundation and I am thrilled to let you know that it will now be available exclusively from Selfridges stores and Selfridges.com from the 24th of June!

Do check out my review here! xxx

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire

Guerlain always strikes me as a very traditional fragrance house, being among the oldest in the world. The House of Guerlain was founded in 1828, when Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain opened his perfume store at 42, rue de Rivoli in Paris. As both the founder and first perfumer of the house, Pierre-François composed and manufactured custom fragrances with the help of his two sons, Aimé and Gabriel. Through continued success and the patronage of members in high society, Guerlain opened its flagship store at 15, rue de la Paix in 1840, and put its mark on the Parisian fashion scene.

La Petite Robe Noire is the latest in over 300 fragrances created by Guerlain. I feel that it really brings this amazing perfumer into the modern era with a wearable fragrance that I think will appeal to multiple generations. The scent begins with fruity and floral notes that develop into a sweet and creamy finish with essences of vanilla, Tonka bean, iris and patchouli.

"Like the cut of a dress, my fragrance is shaped with all of Guerlains’ finesse. Its simple signature enhances and romances several exceptional materials in a bold overdose. Black cherry blinks the first wink. It is illustrated by a clever blend that extends exquisite almond and delicious berries. The second wink takes place as rose enters the stage. Finally, the shadowy temptations of licorice and smoky black tea reveal more of me and lead to irresistible seduction. For the ultimate temptation, the entire creation is wrapped in Guerlinade. Fresh, enigmatic and exhilarating… Mischievous and captivating… I am the warm spark beneath the sweetness. I am absolutely essential and utterly irresistible. I am the chic and very seductive, perfumed creation by Guerlain."

La Petite Robe Noire is available in Selfridges here with 30ml retailing at £42.

Have you tried Guerlain's latest fragrance offering?

OOTD: Wallis

Last week while browsing the stores in One New Change after an event I spotted a dress in the window of Wallis and immediately purchased it. I don't think I have ever even been into Wallis before, but now looking at their website I think I have been really missing out! They have a great selection of dresses in a variety of fun patterns and flattering shapes, many of which remind me of DP.

Dress: Wallis (£40 here), Belt: Ted Baker.

Are you a fan of Wallis? Have you purchased anything there recently? xxx

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat

YSL's iconic Touche Éclat needs no introduction. 20 years after its launch YSL have decided to take their winning formula one step further by developing a foundation with the same principles. Le Teint Touche Éclat is a foundation that is designed to target shadowy areas and define contours, while being weightless on the skin, erasing imperfections and enhancing your natural features.

I was so excited to be sent a small sample to try before Le Teint Touche Éclat launches nationwide on July 9^th. This foundation comes in an impressive range of 22 shades grouped into three undertones. I chose the pale BR10 Beige Rose, which is the lightest of the cool toned shades.

The formulation of this foundation is very light. It blends into the skin instantly giving a low/ medium coverage that looks very natural. If you already have good skin this foundation is ideal - evening skin tone and adding a subtle, healthy glow while still being fairly matte and almost undetectable on the skin. Even when adding another layer this foundation still looks sheer and never cakey or heavy. It really does let your skin shine through!

As my skin gets fairly oily throughout the day I prefer to add a little extra coverage with concealer to cover undereye circles and any blemishes/ scars and set it with MAC MSF powder to ensure my makeup lasts.

I have really enjoyed wearing this foundation as it looks so natural and can't wait for the whole range to hit stores so I can pick up a deeper shade for the Summer!

Are you a fan of the original Touche Éclat? Are you excited about the launch of YSL's new Touche Éclat foundation? Only a month to go!! xxx

New Shoes!?

Even though I am currently trying to control my spending (trying being the operative word) I can never let a Kurt Geiger sale pass me by without at least one iddy biddy purchase. After my friend made me count the number of shoes I own that I have either never worn, or only worn once, my shopping guilt has trippled, but when I saw these beauties I decided that it would be a credit card kind of day. Ooops!

These are the Kurt Geiger Assemble stilettos (now £85 down from £120 here). I love the high, elegant heel, the bow detail and the deep cut.

My justification was that they are perfect for work and go with all my little office ensembles... but unfortunately I am now staring in lust at the glittery white and blue versions too. I need professional help!!

Am I alone in my shoe obsession? Have you got your eye on anything in the Kurt Geiger sale this season? Do you know a shoe addiction when you see one? xxx

Love Giveaway Winner!

Thank you all so much for entering my latest In Love With Fashion giveaway. I am happy to announce that the winner is:

Roxii from studdedkisses with her choice of the beautiful Aqua Twill Long Sleeve Wrap Dress.

Congratulations Roxii! Please e-mail me with your postal address so your gorgeous dress can make its way to you soon. xxx