The White Shirt from 9 - 5 to 5 - 9 and all the time in between

Whenever I buy something new, I get a little tingly feeling, which makes me happy, the shoppers high. ( you know what I am speaking about, lol) Plus if the item was on SALE (50% off or more, anything less is not a sale.) You need to tie string around me to keep me grounded because I will float away on joy. I work hard, and I enjoy spending my coins. At the same time,

 when I buy something I make sureeeeeeeeeeeee  I get my moneys worth. Unless a beauty item is giving me an allergic reaction, I am using that sucker down to the last drop, swipe, squeeze. In relation to clothing,

 I never by an outfit, I buy pieces. A skirt here, a shirt there, some trousers, a pair of shoes. I do not buy an item unless I can think of at least 5 places I can wear it or a few items in my closet I can mix and match it with. 

With that in mind I am putting together my new series named the White Shirt Series ( I still need to finish my MAC series but I will get to that.) Some of the photos will be old photos from blog posts before,  some of the pictures will be new and other photos I have had sitting on my computer for eons (waiting for the inspiration to arrive, or maybe the sunshine. 

Shoes - Office, Jeans - Zara, Belt - GAP, Shirt - T. M. Lewin,
Blazer - Zara, Lipstick - MAC Ruby Woo, Bag - Zara

Boots - Diesel, Jeans - Zara, Belt - GAP, Shirt - T. M. Lewin,
Blazer - Zara

Shoes - Zara, Trousers - Next, Shirt - T. M. Lewin,
Blazer - Zara

Have a great Saturday  my lovelies.

xoxo

Shop Your Closet: Wardrobe Basics Cluster

Hey lovelies I'm back with another edition of Shop Your Closet.  

These are just  just a few basic items I have pulled from my closet in an attempt to create a cluster.  (Ria Don't kill me, I tried. lol) 

Even though they are basics, they mix and match really well to create various outfits.

 If you have similar items in your closet, perhaps you could give making a cluster a shot.

From left to right Jeans - Zara, Shirt- GAP, Sweater - H & M, Bag - Dune, Trench - GAP ( I also have this in NAVY, Blazer - Zara - I also have this in Black, Shirt - T. M Lewin, Dress - Dorothy Perkins ( I also have this in Green), Green shoes - Office, Black Patent flats - Miss KG, Monochrome Flats - Miss KG. 

Classic Trench 

 Navy Blazer 

 Blue Denim Jeans

White shirt ( This is from the men's sections at the GAP,
 great for a casual, dressed down look)

White shirt ( I wear this to work, on nights out etc.)

The shift dress 

Cross body Bag

Flats 

Even though these are basics, don not count them out. 

The foundation of any great wardrobe starts with the basics. 

Basics are great for complimenting those jewel toned/ embellished pieces you are pulling out to attend the Christmas parties.

From year to year, season to season the shapes might change. 

But the basic element of the garment is the same.  

A plain black flat is a plain black flat and a crisp white shirt is a crisp white shirt. 

Happy Holidays 

xx

Whats In My Bag: Zara Leather Messenger Bag

Last week I hauled this lil gem, my Zara Leather Messenger bag. 

 Today I thought I would do a little follow up/ Whats In My Bag, to show what I take with me on nights out. 

my lil gem all packed up

Darn tootin' (I've been watching too many Nashville episodes)

Diary

Passport

Lipgloss - MAC

Mints - Extra

Hand Sanitizer - Carex (decanted into the Purell container)

Blot Power - MAC

Asthma Inhaler - Salbutomol Sulphate

Lipstick - Rimmel, Sleek

Hand Cream - L'Occitane

Mini Mascara - Benefit

Pen - Bic

I must admit, I  thought that I would have to return this bag.
 Since it would be full after I put in my lipgloss and inhaler, but this lil bag holds quite a few things. I had to eat my words. 
It is s lovely little bag, with a great price point, plus it is made from  leather.
I look forward to many adventures with my lil gem.
 It is especially handy right now for trips to the pub to watch the world cup games.

xx

Summer Haul: TK Maxx, Primark, Zara, Leighton Denny

Hello my lovelies I picked up a few things over the Easter hols, 50% wardrobe upgrade/ 50%  preparation for my summer vacation. 

 A girl cannot go wrong with a new pair of jeans, bottle of nail polish or bikini.

Floral Dress 

New Jeans (yup 3 pairs,) I have cleared out about 4 pairs of jeans so far for the year. 3 of them were not fitting right and the 4th pair I had worn through til the seams threatened to split. So I had a little space for denim in my life and my closet. Zara for denim, it is a resounding yes. 

Navy Polo - What is summer without a polo shirt?

 This Crew classic polo, I found in TK Maxx. 

New Bikinis - I found these beauties in Primark at the great price of £3. 

I plan to do A LOT of lounging around the pool/ at the beach on my vacation, 

so these swimsuits will suit me just fine. 

Black Cross Body Bag - I found this leather cross body bag in Zara.  

My sisters preferred the mint as well as the blush coloured bag over the black one. But  I knew this colour would be way more versatile. 

Two cheers for the Chanel-esque straps. 

Leighton Denny Mini Nail Polish Set 

 Perfect for traveling, carrying around in my hand bag. (along with my Nail 2 go Manicure pens and my Leighton Denny Nail file) 

There you go my lovelies.

xx 

Outfit Of The Day: Purple If You Please

I should probably preface this by saying there is nothing to see here, lol. 

After all this is a super casual outfit, I am sure anyone reading this could pull a similar outfit from their own closets. Alas this is what I am wearing today. 

I had to complete a few errands today, including returning library books, sampling perfume and scoping out the deals/offers/sales in Boots and Superdrug.  

 (The Simple hydrating mist is a great dupe for the MAC fix plus travel mini #justsaying #saving #budget #cheapncheerful)

The Garments 

Shoes - Zara

Trousers - Mango

Belt - Oasis

T shirt - Primark 

Cardigan - Forever 21

There you go, 

my outfit of today.

xx

Shop Your Closet: White Shirt and Bright Skirt

Day/ Office 

This is a little outfit remix. 

I love shopping my closet as well as my makeup and beauty stash! 

One thing which gives me pleasure, is being able to use clothing which I already own. Then mixing/ matching/clustering  it with other pieces to create new outfits for different social occasions. 

 As a rule, if I cannot think of 5 events where I can were an item of clothing (5 things in my closets I can pair the item with) I do not buy it. 

It keeps the clothes on the shelves of the store and my ££ in my pocket. 

I would much rather own clothing  which I have worn over and over for 10 years, not spend 10 years buying clothes over and over. 

Night

I hope you all have a great Monday. 

Shirt - TM Lewin

Knit Top - Primark

Skirt - Gap

Flats - Miss KG

Heels - Jasper Conran

Cross Body Bag - Zara

Tote Bag - Zara 

P.S. This is the shirt I won last summer in the T.M. Lewin "Summer in the City" competition. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. 

xx

Outfit Of The Day Pink, White and Silk

This is just a quick rundown of what I wore to work today.

Since it is spring and all, this morning I decided to step out of the darkness and inject a little colour into my outfit. Excuse me if I look a bit ragged, this is me at the end of the workday. 

Scarf: Zara

Shirt: GAP Bowery Supersoft Tee

Skirt: Matalan

Mackintosh/Trench Coat: GAP A/W 2013

Tights:TESCO (don't knock it they are surprisingly durable)

Flats: Miss KG by Kurt Geiger.

I told you guys I have a love for gap. lol 

have a great evening, my lovelies. 

Rest up, being fabulous is hard work.

xx

New Shoes - ZARA Patterned Ballerinas

I purchased these shoes last August and since then I have been waiting in earnest for the Spring to arrive. Soon  I will be able to wear them with my linen trousers/skirts, and summer dresses. These are Spring shoes in every sense of the word, from the delicate design, to the materials and colours used. 

Green Patterned Ballerinas

Purple Patterned Ballerinas 

                                     

Come on its tradition, lol. 

Be happy my lovelies.

xx

Editors' Essentials

Sometimes it's hard to look immaculate all the time, even when you love beauty products/ cosmetics as much as I do. These are the hero products which keep me looking fabulous and fresh all day long. 

 

7am - Zara White edt 30ml I spritz  this on in the morning and as a lil pick me up throughout the day. At one point I would only purchase 100ml sized fragrances, but now I hardly ever. 30ml is the perfect sized fragrance for me. Small enough to carry around in my hand bag/travel with and enough product for me to figure out if it warrants repurchase. 



10am - Jergens Ultra Healing Hand cream keeps the skin on my hands moisturized and supple. I love hand creams, larger ones like these (5oml and up) I keep on my desk at work/in my hand bag. In the evenings when I go out for a meal or drinks, I will slip one of my L'Occitane Shea Butter (30ml) hand creams into my clutch. 

12pm - MAC Lip Gelee reapplied to  my lips after the 2 cups of tea I have had. I love lip products, this one in particular because it moisturizes  gives a hint of colour and I also get a bang for my buck product wise.  

2pm- MAC Blot powder after the glow sets in, this blot powder helps to soak up the excess sebum which sets in on my oily skin after a while. This product is great after hours as well, it keeps me looking together if I have any errands to run after work. 

5pm - Avene Thermal water misted all over my face & neck, cools me down for the walk home after work. 


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what are your essentials lovelies?

comment below and let me know.  

What to Wear to Work - Black and White

Sorry for the blurry pic my lovelies. 

This is just a quick outfit of the day post showing what I wore today. Staying true to my love of separates I paired a white cotton button down with a black tulip skirt. 

Shirt - T. M. Lewin white poplin shirt

Skirt - Zara Tulip skirt circa 2010 

Shoes - Dune Sanctuary Court shoes

Bag - Zara Braided shopper , 
this is the perfect carry all for when I am away from my desk. 
 xx

Style File - ZARA leather bag with gold metal detail

ZARA Leather bag with metal tab

The fall pieces are coming into stores slowly slowly and there are a few things which have caught my eye. Knitwear, blazers, flats and this gorgeous bag pictured above. 

The design and gold detail reminds me of  the YSL Cabas Chyc Cross body  tote bags. ZARA is really becoming a contender when it comes to affordable and fashionable handbags.  Of course the ZARA Braided Shopper holds a special place in my heart. However the sleek design, the gold detailing, the material  (100% cow Leather) and price (£109) of the Leather bag with metal tab (work on these names ZARA) are appealing to me. The dimensions of this bag are 15in x14in 7in, it is a fairly decent size, not too big or small. 

I would recommend this bag for any young professional or recent graduate who is in need of a well made, sturdy (the ZARA bags are very well made) bag for every day use. As always please waterproof the leather (at least 3 times with 6 hour intervals between each time, before use), to protect the leather from water damage. 

I see this bag being a best seller, so girlies if you like it, spend on it. 

As for me I will be counting the sheckles, because I want one of these bag boys. 

Happy Sunday my lovelies.

Haul: Zara Twill Bermuda Shorts

Fresh out the plastic.

Opening the box

About to rip it

Yayyyyyy 

White 

Beige

Navy 

Shorts!!!!

My lovelies,

 I bought the Zara Twill Bermuda shorts in all three colours, much to the raised eyebrow of my financial adviser. She doesn't think I needed to purchase all three pairs.  We have been having some cracking good weather over here in the UK and I believe these will be put to use quite soon. Also when I go on vacation to hotter climates I need to be prepared. 

 I am a UK 8/US 4, in terms of fit on my body these shorts sit low on the hip, cover my entire butt and end on my upper thigh.  They fit flat against my stomach with no paunching, or gapping. The ZARA Twill Bermuda shorts fit well against the bum, are not tight or restrictive and I can easily move about in them. They do not ride up while I am wearing them neither.

Twill is a type of textile weave with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs. A twill weave is the second basic weave that can be constructed on a simple loom. Twill is a durable fabric commonly used for work clothing, uniforms and upholstery  it is made to endure numerous washing's and still remain intact. Examples of twill fabrics are chino, tweed, gabardine  serge, denim, and drill.

 (If you are purchasing in store I would recommend walking  up and down the entire length of ZARA dressing room, and doing a few squats.) 

The ZARA Twill Bermuda shorts are made from 100% cotton 
and so far I have been very happy with my purchase.

xx