Head To Toe in Tesco F&F Clothing

Blouse, Watch, Bag and Shoes from F&F Clothing* / Sunglasses RayBan via Pretavoir / Jeans Miss Selfridge

Ok, so I'm not exactly wearing head-to-toe as stated in my blog post title, but I thought it sounded better than "The majority of the clothes I'm wearing here are from F&F Clothing, apart from my jeans and my sunglasses!". When I told my friends where I got my outfit from, they were surprised because in our minds, F&F clothing can be a bit "mumsy", and actually, this is the first time I've bought any clothing from this brand because my local store doesn't stock a huge range of women's clothing, there isn't that much choice. Anyway, I love a good style challenge so when I was given a voucher to buy an outfit, this polka dot blouse was the first thing I put in the shopping cart, it's only £14.00! I have a love-hate relationship with polka dots, but in this particular instance, I love it. If you've clicked the link to the polka dot blouse product listing, you'll have noticed that it doesn't come with the black ribbon tie, this is something I got off an old shirt I already had. I like to add it to most of my shirts! 

I already knew which pair of jeans I wanted to wear with it, so with that in mind, all I needed now was some accessories! It is usually the small details of accessorising that make the outfit look more expensive than it really is. I got these shoes for £10.00 and they're the sweetest black shoes with a small wedge but they nip my feet a lot. It's probably fine when you're going somewhere that doesn't involve much walking, like if you're going for a meal or if you work in an office, for example. But I trekked all around town in these shoes and I had to stop at Superdrug to buy a pack of plasters and cover my feet in them on my way home, hence why there are no close ups of the shoes. I have read the customer reviews for these shoes and most people have given them the thumbs up! The small wedge heel makes the world of difference to your posture and the way you feet and legs look. It's just a shame that they're not comfy on me, but in all my life, I have yet to find a pair of shoes that fit comfortably! I don't think it's anything to do with the shoes, it's my feet, they're just stupid stupid feet! The white handbag goes nicely with my new monochrome outfit, I love bags and a girl can never have enough of them! I almost went for for this pink one as I had the desire of having a focal piece. I'm glad I didn't because the shirt itself is what makes this outfit, anything else would've been too much. The watch is not most stylish but I love love LOVE it. I'm not one for flashy expensive watches so this black strap watch, which was a bargain at £8.00, suits me just fine! 

For the past seven days, F&F have been hosting a Summer campaign by asking people to dress in a different trend each day for a full week. So far, they've had floral, stripes, sixties, accessories, embellishment and today is all about prints! As you can see, I've gone for a classic polka dot print which also fits in nicely with the monochrome trend. There are lots of way to get involved and a winner is selected from three social media channels for each of the seven trends. If you'd like to take part in the F&F 7 Days of Summer challenge and be in with a chance of winning a £75 voucher each day, head to their blog to find our more about how you can enter. Today is the last day so if you are wearing anything with a print on it, click here to find out more! Hope you like how I've styled my F&F  outfit!

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Lace Dress from China Doll Boutique

Dress* Chinadoll Boutique / Coat Miss Selfridge / Bag* Zalando / Sunglasses RayBan via Pretavoir

Newcastle is 100% more pleasant when the sun is shining. You may think that this probably rings true for most places in the world. But I tell you, in the town I currently live in (sadly, not Newcastle), it is miserable 24/7, 365 days a year regardless to whether it's hot or not. It's a lost cause! The Toon, however, is truly loveable when it's sunny. It really really is a whole different place when the weather is warm and the Quayside is busy with those who are relaxing with a glass of wine after work. It's a happier place and I thoroughly enjoy being there. We found a spot in front of The Sage which is situated on top of a hill so you can see over the Quayside (my favourite part of the city) and you get a great scenic view of the iconic Tyne Bridge, which provide a nice backdrop for these outfit photos. I've been waiting to wear this lace dress from China Doll Boutique for ages, it's a really sweet and elegant dress which is made a little bit edgier with a thick black collar and triangular studded gold collar tips. China Doll Boutique is an independent fashion retailer with an eclectic mix of wearable pieces. It sounds like an exciting time for the brand as they're relaunching as Sugar + Spice, I'm excited to see what they have in store!

On the subject of Newcastle, there is a fashion event going on in the city which last until 18th May. Newcastle Fashion Week is back for their third year and a lot of local businesses, such as fashion stores and trendy bars are proudly getting involved so if you're local, get in on the action! It's all such good fun! I've been hearing how amazing it's going and it's fantastic to have this happening in the North East - but I'll tell you more about that in a blog post this week!

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Glossybox May 2013 | 2nd Birthday Edition

Happy 2nd birthday to Glossybox! I still remember the hype of Glossybox even before they launched and since then, there has been other beauty sample boxes that have been and gone but Glossybox has always been the one I recommend to friends. They don't always get it right but it has been interesting to see how they have handled it and how they've kept us all interested. The May 2013 Glossybox* arrived through the post last week and when I opened it, I couldn't believe that they're only two! It just seems so much longer than that. I got a bit bored of them in the middle of last year but the past three or four editions have been great!

In my Glossybox this month, I received the usual 5 samples and also a bonus item. The biggest item was the Fairy Lashes Mascara from Jelly Pong Pong which was packaged in quite a large box. I didn't find this mascara lengthening but it did add volume to my lashes without clumping. It applied easily and it is waterproof. This is a full size product and cost £15.00.

I got a small pot of Harmony Balm by Premae which smells really strong. It's a zingy, fresh lemon scent with a hint of medicinal fragrance. It smells a bit like chinese medicine, and if you've ever smelt this, you'll know how distinctive it is. I'm worried it's too strong and that it isn't a fragrance that is to everyone's taste, so if I put this on during the day, I'm sure no one will want to sit next to me!

The next item is a primer from Beautiful Movements Cosmetics. This is the little pot with the see through liquid in it. I have received a lot of samples from this brand via Glossybox and they tend to be loose powders which I'm not a fan of. I didn't know until now that Beautiful Movements Cosmetics is Kimberly Wyatt's beauty range. The small pot of primer is gel-based and I used to love this type of primer, it makes your skin feels really smooth. You can use this product in multiple ways such as mixing some eyeshadow in to create a liquid eyeliner. I haven't tried this yet but I'm a bit dubious because the product feels quite slippery.

The contents also included a bottle of Headline Colors nail polish and a sachet of body lotion and shower gel, which smell SO nice. Lastly, as a bonus gift, there was a pack of nail files which will come in handy as there are 20 nail files in the pack. A nice little extra to complete their second birthday edition!

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Coco Bow Barrette

Hair bow* from Stone Bridge Hair Accessories

Growing up in the 90's, I probably had a scrunchy or five but I remember having a lot of hair accessories with bows and disney characters on them. Sometimes, mum would buy tartan or gingham ribbons from the haberdashery for our hair, too. Barettes and hairbands were my favourite, me and my sister had loads when we were younger because we wore our hair in a pony tail every single day at Primary School. Barrettes sometimes makes me a bit sad though, because my mind would always flash back to the time when I was about eight years old and these two girls laughed at me for wearing a hair clip. It was brand new one and my mum bought it from Toys R Us, it had The Little Mermaid on it and it was in the shape of a shell. Happily, Ariel sat on top of my pony tail but my frown was turned upside down when I heard these girls sniggering and pointing at it. I never wore it again and I felt bad for wasting my mum's money. It's not that I have a complex about hair accessories, I just always think back to that very moment! Ha, if I was on X-Factor, that would be the only sob story I could use. Lame!

My new hair bow is from Stone Bridge, a luxury hair accessories brand. They create accessories for all kinds of hair types, even if you have thick hair. As you have probably noticed, ever since I got my hair cut, I've been wearing it up in a bun. I'm waiting for it to grow out before I will wear it down but remember when I said it could possibly worked in to a Caroline Flack sort of style? My tousled hair resembles more like James May's hair than the gorgeous Caroline's. So, yeah, I'm certainly waiting for it to grow much longer until I unleash it. It's just such a beautiful velvet, hand-sewn piece. I'm not brilliant at doing up-do's, my hair is really frustrating to work with but this barrette is so easy to clip on and it makes such a cute addition to my boring top knot. Unlike my hair clip from Toys R Us, I'll be making sure I wear this all the time, loud and proud!

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Rose Otto Hand Cream from Balance Me

Balance Me | Rose Otto Hand Cream* - 100ml - £14.50

Balance Me's Rose Otto Hand Cream is an award winning product and is the latest beauty must-have! Hand cream is something I've got a lot of, I have them in tubes and small sachets all around my room, in my handbag and on my work desk. As I use this type of product so often, I always look for lotion that is gentle on skin and does not contain parabens. The Rose Otto cream is free from parabens and harsh ingredients, and they do not test their products on animals. I had heard good things about this product so was excited to try it. It is the prettiest one out of my collection and because the pink packaging really stands out, it is the first one I reach for these days. The smell of this hand cream isn't the artificial rose fragrance as you'd usually expect, that's a good thing! I love rose scented products but sometimes they can be too fragrant and too "perfumey". I'd say that this Rose Otto cream smells very similar to Liz Earle's Rose and Lavender cleanser, a scent I associate with natural/organic beauty products. It contains rose oil which has properties to help minimize the appearance of scarring and it's good to maintain cuticles as well as nourishing your hands.

The formula is one of the richest I've used and it's fairly heavy so you'd only need a little bit. The amount I've got on in the photos above is way too much, it feels really strange when you've put too much on. It is a very velvety consistency, and a little goes a long way. At £14.50 for a 100ml, I'd consider this a treat or a luxury hand cream so I don't use this during the day when I am at work. I keep this one at home and use it at night time and let the rich formula absorb, and it does take a good 20minutes for it to do it's thing. It's actually almost like a mask treatment for your hands so if you have really dry hands, this is a great product to use because it is extremely hydrating. The absolute best thing about Balance Me products is that they don't contain parabens, and they are passionate about creating products that you can feel good using on a daily basis. The Rose Otto hand cream is gentle and soothing lotion that is suitable for all skin types, and all age range. 

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