Ruffles

In a charity shop a few weeks ago I found this lovely blouse for a few pounds and fell in love - feminine, floaty, flattering - all my favourites Effs!

Teamed with the George floral pencil skirt I felt very girlie today - great success!

All the colours - again!

It's probably quite obvious by now that I like bright colours - ALL the colours. Hence my mad love of this dress. It's slinky, colourful, and faintly ridiculous. What's not to love?!

I'm pretty sure I got it at George in Asda, and think it was around £5 but I bought it quite a while ago so I could be wrong. It was definitely less than £8. 

The cardigan is one I had as a hand-me-down - and is, actually, a maternity one - but I don't think that's obvious! I love it and even though I've had it for a couple of years now, and it wasn't new then, it still looks perfect and is SUPER comfortable to boot. It's a jojo maman bebe one - so no way was it less than £10 - but to me it was free, so baboom! 

I'm wearing the Liberty print wedges of wonder and purple tights too - and - joy of joys - after a hideous gastric flu attack I lost some weight and had to poke a new hole in my belt this morning! 

All in all a good #WhatYouRocking day!

What did you wear today? 

Glossybox August

A few months ago I ordered my first Glossybox and have loved them every month since (aside from that Harrods blip - but I forgave them as they have MORE than redeemed themselves since!) 

Every month I get a beautiful little present delivered to my desk and get all girlie and excitable - and this month I thought "why on earth am I not sharing this with everyone?!" - so here you go! 

All wrapped up with a ribbon and nesting on some, erm, pretty stuff is a fab selection of new products and brands that I would probably never normally try - mainly because I get all my make up from the sale and offers in Boots (you KNOW I'm thrifty, right?!) 

Each month you get a card that explains the month's theme - this month is international superstars, bringing you the best products from other countries as well as the UK so you can try new things. 

Inside the card is a description of the products enclosed and a little detail about what they are and where you can purchase more, if you like what you get.

And here are the products themselves - this month we got six, normally it's five, so I'm extra excited. 

First up - Alessandro pro white - nail treatment. £7.85

This claims to make your nails gleam and has an anti-yellowing formula so you have beautiful white nails.

I painted it on yesterday and it dries almost immediately, it does indeed make your nails very shiny - but not like applying a clear varnish, it kind of soaks in and doesn't make your nails feel cloyed up like clear varnishes can. I don't know whether it is having any anti-yellowing effects but my nails are shiny and feel strong, so I suspect this will get a lot of use and be something I'd buy again, though I do think it's quite pricey. 

Next up - DHC deep cleansing oil. £18.50

I used to use olive oil as cleanser, after reading it as a beauty tip on someone else's blog. I don't know why I stopped as, actually, it was the greatest product I'd ever used and I had fabulous skin whilst I was in that phase. This product seems basically the same as that. The oil is scentless, but of a thinner consistency than olive oil, and doesn't make you feel like you're rubbing cooking oil on your skin. After using it my make up was all gone, with little effort, and my skin felt great. 

I think it would be hard to rinse off if you hadn't already experimented with olive oil and knew the magic trick - which is to run a facecloth under hot water, as hot as you can stand, and use that - then rinse with cold to close your pores again. Glowing skin, no funny smells, no fancy schmancy products - so I recommend this, but will probably go back to olive oil now I've remembered about it! Particularly because of the price (you KNOW I'm tight!) 

All for Eve, the Eve appeal – Eve’s balm - £4.95

All for Eve is a philanthropic beauty venture, selling good quality beauty products with natural ingredients, free of paraben preservatives. 

The Eve Appeal raises funds and awareness of gynaecological cancers and All For Eve donates all net profits to the cause. 

The balm is designed for re-hydrating dry and chapped skin, and with lavender, wild mint and chamomile it is very soothing. I get chapped hands (from never wearing gloves when I bleach things) and the balm is great on them, but a little greasy. 

It’s a solid block in the pot which means it’s hard to apply on larger areas as you can only rub small amounts off at a time, but it smells glorious and is very soothing both on the skin and on your mood. 

It’s not quite as nice as the Figs and Rouge 100% organic balm that came in a previous Glossybox, but it is nice and because it has the added benefits to The Eve Appeal I would certainly buy it as a lip balm and for using as a cuticle cream, which I noticed it did very nicely for (also giving my nails a lovely shine). 

Vera Valenti – eyeshadow palette - £3.85

I love a good eyeshadow palette – and this one is in shades I often gravitate to when buying make up, various earthy, natural green and brown shades. 

There’s a good mix of colours for a variety of looks, and to suit a variety of skin tones, and they apply reasonably well. The sponge applicator that comes with it is disappointing, but they often are when included in a palette so I wasn’t too surprised. 

The eyeshadow itself isn’t the best quality I’ve used. The colours aren’t as strong on the skin as they are in the tray, and I needed to apply a number of layers to build colour up. 

However, it’s a very good price for a palette, so for an inexpensive addition to add some variety to your make up bag it’s fine. I’m not sure I’d buy one again as there are shadows out there for similar prices that I prefer. 

Lipcote - £3.99

This is a product blast from the past – I swore by this in my teens and had kind of forgotten about it. You paint it on over lipstick and it prevents your lip colour fading, feathering or rubbing off for much longer than usual. 

It stings a little as you apply it, and doesn’t taste wonderful – and it can leave your lips quite dry – BUT it does exactly what it promises and keeps your lipstick where you want it for hours. It won’t last all day, at least not if you eat and drink as much as I do, but it’s saved my tea cup from many a bright pink smear and meant I’ve not had to re-apply my lipstick anywhere near as often. 

Definitely a product I recommend, and one I will keep buying now I’ve been reminded of it! 

Glossybox lipstick in glossy pink - £9.50 

This was a nice surprise in the box – I forget that the company are making their own brand products too. I have to say, I wasn’t expecting much because initially I just thought this was a ‘freebie’ added in – but actually, the colour is lovely, and the lipstick applies really nicely. I only ever apply lipstick straight from the bullet and don’t bother with brushes etc. so it’s nice to have ones that apply well. 

I’m not sure I’d pay the full price for this, but I don’t think I’d ever pay that for a lipstick, whoever made it – but I do like it very much so hope they’ll have a sale!

So there you go. It costs just £10 a month to sign up and, as you see here, the products are worth considerably more than that - and the whole thing is presented beautifully.

Glossybox can be found at www.glossybox.co.uk and if you want to get a discount on signing up, and some bonus glossydots which earn you freebies and exclusive offers on the Glossybox website drop me an email on whatyourocking@gmail.com and I'll send you an invite (you can just sign up though, you don't need me to refer you if you'd rather not!) 

Glossybox haven't asked me to do this review - haven't offered me any freebies or anything - I just genuinely love the idea and think people who don't get it are missing out! 

A present

I have wonderful friends. Really actual wonderful friends. 

One of these wonderful friends is my bestest, Molly - we met at uni and realised almost immediately that we were soulmates. Molly came to visit recently and brought her equally fabulous sister, Emily. 

Whilst they were down Emily said she had some spare hair straighteners (like you do) and as I had none (I fail) she said she would post them.

When she sent the parcel Emily said they had added in some treats - and I expected some chocolate, or sweets, or naked photos.

What I got instead was this! 

Which is WAY better than sweets, wouldn't you say?

Peach

I do so love my peach crochet top - I found it in a sale (New Look) and it is the kind of thing I never normally buy - or even try on - but is also the kind of thing my very trendy sister-in-law (who is much younger and prettier than I) often wears, and I always think she looks gorgeous. 

So now I am going to bore everyone I have ever known by wearing it far too often, until it falls into pieces. 

Huge heels - New Look - Owl Bag - Ebay - Massive Cardi - TKMaxx - Skirt - Asda - overall look - floral, pastel goodness

And just to stop me looking TOO cutesy - this amazing skull cameo broach from a blogger charity raffle. 

Awesome new bag

Some days you find treasure, some days treasure is thrust upon you. Either way it's great. 


My lovely friend Laura instagrammed a picture of this little bag, then let slip that it was less than £6. It was a beautiful moment. 


So I hopped on to eBay and BOOM, less than a week later it was here. I LOVE it. It's just big enough for a diary, purse and keys thus the perfect bag for basically every single day. 

It comes in a whole bunch of colours, so I strongly recommend you pop over and buy yourself one (for every occasion) - it'll be a hit. 

Summer shopping

 Yesterday we went out for a nice family day. As we were getting ready to set off it was a little over cast and breezy, so it wasn't as warm as it's been for the past week. 


Looking at the clouds I dressed in jeans, deck shoes and a preppy long sleeved top. All very suitable for a breezy, overcast day at the seaside. 


By the time we arrived an hour later it was H.O.T.


Hot hot hot. 


Hubby laughed as I swealtered, and very kindly dropped me off outside New Look as he went to park the car. What a gent!


Seventeen pounds later I had this little ensemble. A floor length purple maxi skirt, with pockets, which is AMAZING, swishy and comfortable and a little bit sexy. A peach top, woven, more than a tiny bit see through. 


I fell in love with a few other things, but had just £30 to spend so restrained myself and stuck to the rules. Then came home, logged on to their website and showed hubby all the things I'd fallen in love with. I may be receiving a delivery this week! 

So what do you think? Better than sunstroke anyway! Am I the only person who has had to buy a whole new outfit when out and about after being baffled by the good old British summer?

DIY hair!

Being a bargain kind of a girl I saw a tweet linking to this article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2145423/Is-DIY-hairdo-shortcut-disaster-As-women-skip-salon-save-money-brave-volunteer-tries-cutting-hair.html (apologies for the awful source) and though "I could do that"

So I did.

I did the cut then decided to cut it even shorter - ending up cutting around 10" of hair at the shortest point - then decided what I really needed was a fringe. And to be bright red again.

Ta daaaa - before and after!

A little bit of silliness

Fruity nails - silly, but ever so easy to do and fun to have!

Trousers, like a boy!

I don't often wear trousers, particularly not for work. I don't feel good in them and find it hard to find a pair that is long enough and high waisted enough to stop me looking like a flappy ankled love handle machine.

These linen trousers from Next (£11 in the sale - I broke my own rule!) are, so far, the only work trousers I will wear and I'm still not 100% happy.

The top is massively comfortable and I do feel good in it - aside from, as you can see below, it riding up a little as the day progresses and flashing strips of crinkled flesh to any poor passer by.

I wore my deck shoes - bottle green and £17 in TKMaxx - and a necklace my husband gave me (he got three for £10 from a market stall) and overall I felt ok, but not amazing. I'm not great at trousers!

Foray into floral

A charity shop dress, my favourite belt (peacocks) and the world's most excellent cardigan (TKMaxx) £5, £4 and £10. Beautiful bargains.

Good enough to eat!

I went to New Look to check their sale out - I showed you some highlights in my last post.

This is one of the two I bought - £10 - and a gorgeous ice cream sundae print that I just love.

I put it with my silver leopard print belt (charity shop) and the boots I got for my first date with my husband 4 1/2 years ago - I paid £45 for them but they still look great and are worn a LOT - technically they break the #whatyourocking rules but cost per wear is pretty low!

I also made the whole outfit ridiculous by adding in my leopard print coat and furry handbag, known by all as 'the badger'.

I'mma help you out

Out of the goodness of my heart I'll help you out. If you have £15 kicking around in your purse that's burning a hole that needs filling with fashion, you're in the right place. 

The Mela dress from New Look is on sale for a mere £15 - and it's lush. And it has many prints available. See...

This week I managed to get my hands on £52 worth of New Look vouchers for £40 - I can see where the majority of that cash is going. The prints on these dresses are adorable, and they're perfect for summer right through to adding in some jeans or (sorry fashion folks) leggings as the autumn hits. 

If I add in the sandals below I'm sorted - badabing! 

The top pair are £8 - that's right - just EIGHT WHOLE ENGLISH POUNDS - the printed pair are a mere £11.24 - so what are you waiting for? New Look! Now! 

Dowdy Friday

Sometimes I think there's something a little bit sexy about dressing a little bit like a grandmother. 

This skirt was sexy once, but now it's too big. So it looks dowdy. But I feel good in it. 

This jumper is a bit shapeless, and from a distance looks super dowdy. But it's a bit see through - so I feel a little cheeky in it.

See.

Throwing on a necklace that looks like a brightly coloured solar system makes any outfit a little less dowdy too. Furreals. 

Simple

Today I wanted a simple look. A plain black dress (George at Asda, £10) and my purple Next tights and blue New Look wedges. 

Your turn!

I get asked a lot how I find clothes at such good prices, and how I always have so many things to wear.


So here's a little gift from me to you.


These are available, right now, online, all for less than £10.

George at Asda, £9.00 

George at Asda, £7.00

George at Asda, £7.00

George at Asda, £6.00

George at Asda, £6.00

Ok, so they are all from Asda. You might have noticed I get lots of my things from there. You want to know why? Because they have great prices, they use nice fabrics for the cost and they make things well. Those things wash, they are bright colours, and they make me happy.

So you should go and buy their nice clothes, for bargain prices, and then rock the crap out of them all over the place.

You can also get these sale items in store, with even more variety. If you wait another week, towards the end of the sale, they'll drop the prices even more. You might have less choices but they will be even lower prices, and you can honest to goodness get some real treasures. 

Go! 

Another Monday came!

Another Monday arrived and, after a weekend of some serious party, I was tooooooo tired for thinking about what to wear. Or heels. 


I know.


So this is what I rocked. 

That's right, I banged on FLAT SHOES and a proper old lady cardi. Oh yes I did. 

The cardi is one my husband bought for me, he got it in Asda (we both love their clothes!) and I don't know what he paid, he says probably £5. It was definitely in the sale so won't have been much.

It isn't often I can't remember where I got something - but I do not remember where I got these shoes. I remember getting them shortly after our wedding - so this time two years ago - but I don't recall where from, or what I paid. I'm not crazy about flat shoes so they don't really stand out in my mind, I probably went into town in something totally unsuitable and wanted to go on the beach so grabbed these from some bargain bucket somewhere. They're comfy, ish, and I do love the beading. I also REALLY need to paint my nails.

If you've read any of my other posts you'll know this dress already - Peacocks, strawberry print.

The belt is also Peacocks and people always comment on it - it was in the sale, it was £4. I love it, but it is started to droop! 

I was comfortable, I felt good, and the outfit was very inexpensive! Even when I want to be a bit of a slob, and just pull on sandals and a cardigan, I think it can still look ok! 

Thursday time

This skirt is one of a very limited number of things I have paid full price for recently - though that full price was just £12.
I got it in Asda and bought it because it is genuinely the most comfortable thing I have EVER worn. It isn't my smartest skirt but by heck it's nice to wear!

The top is the colourful sister of the black polo neck I wore earlier in the week - from eBay.

The shoes I found in TKMaxx - they were reduced to £17 in their clearance stock and are glorious. Ridiculously comfortable and a lovely shade of deep bottle green. I adore deck shoes and love that these, being green, are just a little unusual.

The headscarf was 50p in Asda!

Flowery June

For a day that had some actual sunshine I thought I would dress in flowers. I do love flowers.

The t-shirt came from Asda (of course) and I was very pleased to get it for just £2 in the sale - it has a wee pocket on my left boob that I could do without, but it's a lovely soft cotton, and I like the colours of the flowers because I can pretty much pair it with anything and it'll go somehow. 

The skirt was from a charity shop - one in Dorchester for a local hospice - and it was £6. Today was the first time I wore it because it was too small when I first bought it (I never try things on in charity shops because I figure if it doesn't fit I can donate it back and I just made a donation) I absolutely love the detail around the hem. 

The shoes are these previous stars - £16 from Matalan (available in other colours and I do keep thinking about going back for the light blue ones, but I already have blue wedges!) and I adore the colour (which matches the skinny belt - also from Matalan, two for £3) 

I loved my outfit today - and all in it cost me £25.50

I was also complimented by a gay man, and that, my friends, means it's a success. (I'm ignoring the comment I got on Instagram from a foot fetish oddbod - we'll just gloss over that!) 

Don't forget to blog your own #whatyourocking and add your post to the (so far very quiet) linky! Don't leave me hanging! 

#WhatYouRocking