When it comes to fashion I have been despairing of men in Dublin for quite a while now. So many seem to think throwing on any old t-shirt constitutes making an effort and, sorry boys, but unless you are called George or Brad and live in LA, this just doesn’t cut the mustard. Your style speaks of who you are and making an effort shows you care – about yourself and, if meeting a girl, it shows you care enough about her to make an effort too.
So it was with delight that I found a veritable style-bubble last weekend. I gate-crashed a friend of a friend’s birthday in McSorley’s in Ranelagh. I hadn’t been there in about 10 years and didn’t know what to expect but, me being me, got dressed up anyway! I wore a black body-con skirt with built in studded belt and black v-neck vest with my shoe-boots. I matched the look with a smokey eye and felt pretty good, which is something I don’t find easy heading into a big group of people a lot of whom I don’t know.
Of course the group I was meeting were all lovely and incredibly friendly as it turned out. I had a fab night and loads of fun. But the blogger and fashionista in me couldn’t help but notice the men all around me. Maybe I haven’t opened my eyes before but this place was full of stylish men. My own group were fine examples of men who had made a bit of effort. None of them were tragically trendy or over-styled but they had all made the best of themselves and looked really good. Simple, stylish shirts, fashionable (not tatty / ill-fitting / or beyond repair) jeans, quality belts and decent shoes. It really isn’t too difficult an equation, is it boys? The birthday boy led the way in the style stakes in my humble opinion, looking really good. He had on a simple white shirt and jeans and looked fab. It just shows simplicity is often the key to great style.
The style stakes were high beyond just my group of friends though. It seemed to me that everywhere I looked guys had made a real effort to look their best and I was impressed. Some of the looks were a bit D4 for my taste but each to their own. Deck shoes just aren’t for me, but whatever floats your boat, pardon the pun!!
Female fashionistas were everywhere too with lots of super-dressy girls parading around. The fact that a few of the Leinster squad were drinking there only added to that of course! Being a soccer and GAA girl I was pretty oblivious to their presence until they were pointed out to me and then the gaggle of giggly girls around them suddenly made sense!! Nonetheless, I spotted a few fabulous dresses including the Warehouse red, black and white leopard print one I’ve had my eye on for weeks. I have to say though that I felt the vibe in the place meant you could wear whatever you fancied and fit in. There were guys in t-shirts but not ones that looked they had been lived in for a week, unlike some places I’ve been recently!
So girls, if you are single and looking for a stylish man, I may have the place for you to go! And boys, trust me, just a little effort goes a really long way!
Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
High Street Quality High But My Budget Makes Me Sigh!
I have been suffering from a serious case of writers block recently – possibly due to my severe lack of funds and subsequent lack of shopping opportunities. Initially this recession seemed like an ideal opportunity to tighten my belt (wouldn’t Charlie H have been proud of me!!) and source cheap but nonetheless cheerful (i.e. still quality) clothes. I have been doing that for months now and quite enjoyed my many trips to the shops and online eh “browsing”. However, for reasons I won’t bore you with, times have become significantly tougher recently and if I have to tighten my belt much more I won’t be able to breathe properly anymore!!
So, for now I must satisfy my love of fashion with wistful window shopping and looking longingly online. I have abandoned completely even entering certain shops on the basis it is now too depressing and have changed the direction I head in while in certain shopping centres and even streets! In doing so something has recently come to my attention though – the huge improvement in style and quality in so called “high street” ranges. Dunnes Stores was never a port of call for me except when I needed a few groceries but there is an excellent branch in the Ashleaf Centre in Crumlin, Dublin 12 which has recently been refurbished and massively extended. I now find myself wandering there regularly admiring the great, affordable range of really stylish and decent quality clothes. Despite my desperate financial woes even this recessionista has managed to gleefully make some purchases here over the last few months. I got two gorgeous jersey skirts for a mere €8 each (that is my kind of budget!!). One is a fabulous fuchsia pink and the other is jade green – both great colours for brightening up drab winter outfits – you know by now I don’t like being too dark and drab, people!! They also have very now body-con skirts ranging from €8 to €15 in a good range of colours and the more expensive ones even come with belts. On a recent foray into Ashleaf I had to stop myself from buying a gorgeous cornflower blue skirt with a great and very on the button ruffle at the front that was just €20. I just couldn’t justify buying anything at the time but am still pining for it now, it was so pretty!!
Awear is another Irish range that has a great affordable line of stylish clothes. They are very trendy, great for dresses and for accessories. I don’t know if they changed buyers or something but in recent years, in my humble opinion, they have improved vastly. Catwalk trends are available for a fraction of the price and are always in-store early. I get countless handbags there (as the bulging hooks on the bedroom wall will testify!!) and they are really good quality for the price you pay. My favourite Awear item though is their jeans. As a mini 4’ 11” I find it terribly hard to get jeans the right length for me but Awear have hit the right note here. All their jeans come in short, regular and long and range from skinny, straight, fit & flare and boot-cut to wide cuts. They are available in a wide range of colours, washes and fits and I swear if you want decent jeans at decent prices you can’t go far wrong with Awear! By the way, they also launched their website earlier this year and it is well worth a look if you don’t live near a branch of Awear. My sister is a fan but lives in the UK and has successfully ordered from them and been impressed with the delivery and service.
Penney’s of course is an old favourite and hard to beat for high-trend, low cost clothes. Their range is vast and quality has improved in recent years. I find their shoes excellent and so cheap. I am barely a size 3 but they fit me beautifully and with boots from €15 to €35 you can hardly complain! I have my eye on gorgeous purple (surprise surprise!!) knee high boots at the moment. You can turn them up to the knee or fold them over to be slightly further down the leg – two styles for just €17!!
Most other high street stores have good offers at the moment too. Even the slightly more expensive ones like Oasis and Warehouse seem to have constant sales these days and they no longer just feature tail-end summer stuff! Also, places like House of Fraser have excellent sales on a regular basis across all their concessions. In Dundrum they regularly knock off 20-25% across their fashion ranges and you can get some excellent deals. Mango had gorgeous knitted dresses for a mere €20 a couple of weeks ago and they are always good quality.
People have often complained to me that if they shop in places like those I have mentioned above they end up with the same outfits as “500 other people” but on that issue I will revert back to a point I have made previously and sorry if I sound like a broken record. It is not what you wear but how you wear it. Accessorise, accessorise, accessorise. Add a belt, cute shoes, interesting statement jewellery – anything to make your look individual to you and it won’t matter if someone else has the same skirt, top or dress, yours will look different (and no doubt better too!!). The clothes are just the canvas, how you accessorise them is what makes the outfit individual to you and particularly stylish.
So I will continue window shopping and planning imaginary outfits in my head, all the while wishing I was somewhat more financially secure. I am far too independent to want a knight in shining armour to come rescue me and whisk me off to live happily ever after, no thanks, but if one could just come racing up to me on a handsome horse and lovingly place a winning lotto ticket in my hand, well, now that would be a different matter altogether….!
So, for now I must satisfy my love of fashion with wistful window shopping and looking longingly online. I have abandoned completely even entering certain shops on the basis it is now too depressing and have changed the direction I head in while in certain shopping centres and even streets! In doing so something has recently come to my attention though – the huge improvement in style and quality in so called “high street” ranges. Dunnes Stores was never a port of call for me except when I needed a few groceries but there is an excellent branch in the Ashleaf Centre in Crumlin, Dublin 12 which has recently been refurbished and massively extended. I now find myself wandering there regularly admiring the great, affordable range of really stylish and decent quality clothes. Despite my desperate financial woes even this recessionista has managed to gleefully make some purchases here over the last few months. I got two gorgeous jersey skirts for a mere €8 each (that is my kind of budget!!). One is a fabulous fuchsia pink and the other is jade green – both great colours for brightening up drab winter outfits – you know by now I don’t like being too dark and drab, people!! They also have very now body-con skirts ranging from €8 to €15 in a good range of colours and the more expensive ones even come with belts. On a recent foray into Ashleaf I had to stop myself from buying a gorgeous cornflower blue skirt with a great and very on the button ruffle at the front that was just €20. I just couldn’t justify buying anything at the time but am still pining for it now, it was so pretty!!
Awear is another Irish range that has a great affordable line of stylish clothes. They are very trendy, great for dresses and for accessories. I don’t know if they changed buyers or something but in recent years, in my humble opinion, they have improved vastly. Catwalk trends are available for a fraction of the price and are always in-store early. I get countless handbags there (as the bulging hooks on the bedroom wall will testify!!) and they are really good quality for the price you pay. My favourite Awear item though is their jeans. As a mini 4’ 11” I find it terribly hard to get jeans the right length for me but Awear have hit the right note here. All their jeans come in short, regular and long and range from skinny, straight, fit & flare and boot-cut to wide cuts. They are available in a wide range of colours, washes and fits and I swear if you want decent jeans at decent prices you can’t go far wrong with Awear! By the way, they also launched their website earlier this year and it is well worth a look if you don’t live near a branch of Awear. My sister is a fan but lives in the UK and has successfully ordered from them and been impressed with the delivery and service.
Penney’s of course is an old favourite and hard to beat for high-trend, low cost clothes. Their range is vast and quality has improved in recent years. I find their shoes excellent and so cheap. I am barely a size 3 but they fit me beautifully and with boots from €15 to €35 you can hardly complain! I have my eye on gorgeous purple (surprise surprise!!) knee high boots at the moment. You can turn them up to the knee or fold them over to be slightly further down the leg – two styles for just €17!!
Most other high street stores have good offers at the moment too. Even the slightly more expensive ones like Oasis and Warehouse seem to have constant sales these days and they no longer just feature tail-end summer stuff! Also, places like House of Fraser have excellent sales on a regular basis across all their concessions. In Dundrum they regularly knock off 20-25% across their fashion ranges and you can get some excellent deals. Mango had gorgeous knitted dresses for a mere €20 a couple of weeks ago and they are always good quality.
People have often complained to me that if they shop in places like those I have mentioned above they end up with the same outfits as “500 other people” but on that issue I will revert back to a point I have made previously and sorry if I sound like a broken record. It is not what you wear but how you wear it. Accessorise, accessorise, accessorise. Add a belt, cute shoes, interesting statement jewellery – anything to make your look individual to you and it won’t matter if someone else has the same skirt, top or dress, yours will look different (and no doubt better too!!). The clothes are just the canvas, how you accessorise them is what makes the outfit individual to you and particularly stylish.
So I will continue window shopping and planning imaginary outfits in my head, all the while wishing I was somewhat more financially secure. I am far too independent to want a knight in shining armour to come rescue me and whisk me off to live happily ever after, no thanks, but if one could just come racing up to me on a handsome horse and lovingly place a winning lotto ticket in my hand, well, now that would be a different matter altogether….!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
No Money? No Matter!!
Being a cash-strapped recessionista is one thing – my Visa and I are slowly adjusting to our new lifestyle – but having no money to spend whatsoever is quite another thing altogether! Sadly, through an unfortunate combination of bills coinciding with each other I recently found myself in that very situation. I spent a fortnight living on pesto and pasta which does nothing for either a girl’s spirit or her tummy’s tone!
Still, I had to make the most of it and that is exactly what I did. Approaching autumn is always a favourite time of year of mine. I love autumnal colours – especially this year’s purple’s and blues – and find it easier to find “my” style in the colder seasons (although here in Dublin every season seems cold these days!)
So, being broke and unable to shop I took the opportunity to go through my wardrobe and come up with some new and / or forgotten outfits for the new season. Old clothes can always be re-styled in new ways (my very own version of re-cycling, see how green I am?!) My gorgeous and stylish sister has always had a fabulous knack for layering items brilliantly which is something I never thought I could do until recently. Over the last few months though my confidence has increased and I am much more willing to try new styles, cuts, patterns and combinations, including layering, which really opens up new options for me.
So, I flung open my wardrobe doors with gusto, promptly got hit on the head by a flying sandal and once recovered from the kitten heel mark in my cheek I started pulling things out to see what I could come up with.
Firstly, and with huge glee, I set aside a big pile of stuff I am now too skinny for…woohoo!! They have all gone to a good cause, very important these days, ladies! Next I worked out what I could mix together and arrived at some great and glam combinations – my mint green wrap-over cardi and purple ¾ length sleeve purple top look great with either of my denim minis; a red vest really brings alive my turquoise v-neck short sleeved jumper and they are super flattering with my skinny jeans; the wonder of simple ¾ or long sleeve t’s or polos and opaque tights was endless as I added them to summer dresses to extend their wear into winter. I discovered adding purple tights to my fuchsia pink mini dress looks amazing and really funks it up – might sound mad but trust me, with silver sandals it works perfectly!
The power of accessories also came to the fore here. I discovered putting red shoes and accessories with a purple dress looks brilliant. I absolutely love that colour combination, although I almost killed myself when I wore my gorgeous ‘new’ outfit to a cinema trip in Temple Bar. My red 3 inch t-bars shoes may look fab with the dress but they and cobblestones don’t go well together as I discovered to my peril!
Over recent years I have collected countless colourful scarves, bracelets and necklaces and we won’t even begin on all the shoes and bags I have or we will be here all day. But all of these can easily liven up a dull outfit and bring something boring to life with little effort. Something I love to do is wear colourful shoes (especially red) if I am wearing a black outfit. Suddenly not so boring!!
Happily, I made two fabulous discoveries while having my clear-out / planning session. I found a bag and pair of boots I had bought and put away for autumn. The bag is incredibly soft, brown fake leather (or fleather as I call it!) from Marks and Spencer in a satchel style and quite slouchy with a bag-width pocket with two buckles. It can be worn over the shoulder or across the body and I love it.
Secondly, I found a great pair of shoe-boots from Penneys (€15). They are black layered levels of fleather with four inch killer heels. I was never sure about the shoe-boot trend but loved these on sight. I think if they sit at the wrong point on your ankle they can be really unflattering but, hit the right spot and they can work wonders and these ones do, if I do say so myself!
It has been quite a tough but definitely interesting few weeks and most interestingly it turns out that, such is my level of fashionista / shopaholic-dom that even with no money and without setting foot in a shop or even hitting the internet, I can still manage to acquire new “goodies”!
Still, I had to make the most of it and that is exactly what I did. Approaching autumn is always a favourite time of year of mine. I love autumnal colours – especially this year’s purple’s and blues – and find it easier to find “my” style in the colder seasons (although here in Dublin every season seems cold these days!)
So, being broke and unable to shop I took the opportunity to go through my wardrobe and come up with some new and / or forgotten outfits for the new season. Old clothes can always be re-styled in new ways (my very own version of re-cycling, see how green I am?!) My gorgeous and stylish sister has always had a fabulous knack for layering items brilliantly which is something I never thought I could do until recently. Over the last few months though my confidence has increased and I am much more willing to try new styles, cuts, patterns and combinations, including layering, which really opens up new options for me.
So, I flung open my wardrobe doors with gusto, promptly got hit on the head by a flying sandal and once recovered from the kitten heel mark in my cheek I started pulling things out to see what I could come up with.
Firstly, and with huge glee, I set aside a big pile of stuff I am now too skinny for…woohoo!! They have all gone to a good cause, very important these days, ladies! Next I worked out what I could mix together and arrived at some great and glam combinations – my mint green wrap-over cardi and purple ¾ length sleeve purple top look great with either of my denim minis; a red vest really brings alive my turquoise v-neck short sleeved jumper and they are super flattering with my skinny jeans; the wonder of simple ¾ or long sleeve t’s or polos and opaque tights was endless as I added them to summer dresses to extend their wear into winter. I discovered adding purple tights to my fuchsia pink mini dress looks amazing and really funks it up – might sound mad but trust me, with silver sandals it works perfectly!
The power of accessories also came to the fore here. I discovered putting red shoes and accessories with a purple dress looks brilliant. I absolutely love that colour combination, although I almost killed myself when I wore my gorgeous ‘new’ outfit to a cinema trip in Temple Bar. My red 3 inch t-bars shoes may look fab with the dress but they and cobblestones don’t go well together as I discovered to my peril!
Over recent years I have collected countless colourful scarves, bracelets and necklaces and we won’t even begin on all the shoes and bags I have or we will be here all day. But all of these can easily liven up a dull outfit and bring something boring to life with little effort. Something I love to do is wear colourful shoes (especially red) if I am wearing a black outfit. Suddenly not so boring!!
Happily, I made two fabulous discoveries while having my clear-out / planning session. I found a bag and pair of boots I had bought and put away for autumn. The bag is incredibly soft, brown fake leather (or fleather as I call it!) from Marks and Spencer in a satchel style and quite slouchy with a bag-width pocket with two buckles. It can be worn over the shoulder or across the body and I love it.
Secondly, I found a great pair of shoe-boots from Penneys (€15). They are black layered levels of fleather with four inch killer heels. I was never sure about the shoe-boot trend but loved these on sight. I think if they sit at the wrong point on your ankle they can be really unflattering but, hit the right spot and they can work wonders and these ones do, if I do say so myself!
It has been quite a tough but definitely interesting few weeks and most interestingly it turns out that, such is my level of fashionista / shopaholic-dom that even with no money and without setting foot in a shop or even hitting the internet, I can still manage to acquire new “goodies”!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Outlet Shopping Bargains Justified & My Friend is Mystified!
My friend Jen once told me that when it comes to shopping I am capable of justifying virtually anything. You know how it is, you go out for a sandwich, pop into Awear and see two pairs of jeans you love which come to €60 but only buy one so you convince yourself you have “saved” €30 by only buying one whereas, in reality, you have spent ten times the cost of the sandwich you went for and are still hungry! Makes sense to me, not so much to Jen!!
Well, I excelled myself in that department this weekend! I went to the Kildare Outlet Village with the specific intention (ahem!!) of just getting some Cath Kidston oil cloth. I love Cath Kidston’s quaint and cute designs and they had a lovely red oil cloth with white stars on special for €12 per metre. It was just the thing I needed as a table cloth for my dining table and is very me! Although with all the red ‘touches’ going on in my home the living room / kitchen are starting to look like a tomato exploded in there. I just love red interiors though and this is a really cute – and practical – touch which will liven up dinner time no end!
So I set off for Kildare with every intention of being a good girl and limiting my purchases to the oil cloth and fifty euros extra – max! – on other goodies I might ‘just happen’ to come across while there!! There are 70% discounts in many of the shops so it was always going to be difficult. Despite my best intentions before I ever got near Cath Kidston I had made a bee-line for my favourite place in Kildare Village, the Calvin Klein Underwear store. They have lovely stuff and really good bargains. I am something of an underwear fiend – I don’t have an underwear drawer, I have to confess that I have a small trunk of stuff! I got a lovely bra and knicker set and four other knickers all for just €32. I knew that was a bargain but when I got home and looked at the tags I worked out that the original prices on them came to €129. Now that is a saving. I think you would be mad to ever pay that price for undies, even if I had the money I wouldn’t pay it, but it is great to get excellent quality stuff for a bargain price!
So I admit I spent more than intended, not the first time that has happened, but I got excellent bargains and good quality stuff which I will get loads of use out of. I am already using the wallet and have my make-up bag in my handbag today (no time to do the face before leaving the house this morning, not the first time that has happened either!!)
Special mention has to go to my own bargain of the week which is a candy pink tulip skirt with an exposed zip at the back for just €8 from Dunnes. It is really flattering, incredibly comfy and I love the bright colour (it also comes in a lovely green, by the way). I am wearing it today with black opaque tights (where’s our Indian summer?) a black silk t, grey cardi and cute snake-skin t-bar flats I got a while ago from Marks & Spencer. It is a shame it is so autumnal already but I am enjoying merging into a heavier wardrobe. I find it so much easier to dress for autumn/winter than summer.
So, yes, I have done a fair bit of shopping this week….but the skirt was super cheap...and the Calvin Klein stuff was such a bargain I couldn’t pass it up…the wallet was too cute to turn down…and I had been looking for a first aid kit for the flat for a while, honestly! Hmmm, come to think of it, maybe Jen is right, I can justify anything when it comes to shopping!!!
Big Fashionista News!!! For all you Sex & the City fans who, like me, are dying for the next installment from Carrie and her girls (not to mention her shoe collection!), take a peek at the following link for images of the second movie, on location in NYC! http://www.sexandthecitymovie.org/satc_images.html
PLEASE NOTE: You can now email your comments to fashionistarecessionista@hotmail.com or leave feedback on facebook at Fashionista Recessionista and you can follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/fashionistarece
Well, I excelled myself in that department this weekend! I went to the Kildare Outlet Village with the specific intention (ahem!!) of just getting some Cath Kidston oil cloth. I love Cath Kidston’s quaint and cute designs and they had a lovely red oil cloth with white stars on special for €12 per metre. It was just the thing I needed as a table cloth for my dining table and is very me! Although with all the red ‘touches’ going on in my home the living room / kitchen are starting to look like a tomato exploded in there. I just love red interiors though and this is a really cute – and practical – touch which will liven up dinner time no end!
So I set off for Kildare with every intention of being a good girl and limiting my purchases to the oil cloth and fifty euros extra – max! – on other goodies I might ‘just happen’ to come across while there!! There are 70% discounts in many of the shops so it was always going to be difficult. Despite my best intentions before I ever got near Cath Kidston I had made a bee-line for my favourite place in Kildare Village, the Calvin Klein Underwear store. They have lovely stuff and really good bargains. I am something of an underwear fiend – I don’t have an underwear drawer, I have to confess that I have a small trunk of stuff! I got a lovely bra and knicker set and four other knickers all for just €32. I knew that was a bargain but when I got home and looked at the tags I worked out that the original prices on them came to €129. Now that is a saving. I think you would be mad to ever pay that price for undies, even if I had the money I wouldn’t pay it, but it is great to get excellent quality stuff for a bargain price!
Next I hit the Cath Kidston store and got the oil cloth. Of course, I just had to have a look around the shop while I was there. It is all so reasonable in the outlet, with excellent value compared to their normal prices. And everything by Cath Kidston is so pretty and girlie that I just love it! As well as the oil cloth I got a gorgeous, baby blue make-up bag with colourful flowers all over it (€10), a red and white, fully equipped, first aid kit that is far prettier than the usual green but just as practical (€6), and a cute sewing kit that my sister has been looking for for a while but couldn’t get in the shop in London where she lives (€8).
I tried to be good and avoided lots of shops – Coast, Levi’s, Molton Brown, Myla, to name a few – but couldn’t resist Ted Baker. To be honest I found some of the ‘discounted’ prices still quite high but was thrilled to find a hugely discounted fabulous blue leather wallet with adorable silver oversized clasps on the purse part. It is really adorable, I am thrilled with it! But surprise, surprise the bargain of the day was bagged by my mam. She got a lovely red top in Monsoon for just a fiver down from €48!
So I admit I spent more than intended, not the first time that has happened, but I got excellent bargains and good quality stuff which I will get loads of use out of. I am already using the wallet and have my make-up bag in my handbag today (no time to do the face before leaving the house this morning, not the first time that has happened either!!)
Special mention has to go to my own bargain of the week which is a candy pink tulip skirt with an exposed zip at the back for just €8 from Dunnes. It is really flattering, incredibly comfy and I love the bright colour (it also comes in a lovely green, by the way). I am wearing it today with black opaque tights (where’s our Indian summer?) a black silk t, grey cardi and cute snake-skin t-bar flats I got a while ago from Marks & Spencer. It is a shame it is so autumnal already but I am enjoying merging into a heavier wardrobe. I find it so much easier to dress for autumn/winter than summer.
So, yes, I have done a fair bit of shopping this week….but the skirt was super cheap...and the Calvin Klein stuff was such a bargain I couldn’t pass it up…the wallet was too cute to turn down…and I had been looking for a first aid kit for the flat for a while, honestly! Hmmm, come to think of it, maybe Jen is right, I can justify anything when it comes to shopping!!!
Big Fashionista News!!! For all you Sex & the City fans who, like me, are dying for the next installment from Carrie and her girls (not to mention her shoe collection!), take a peek at the following link for images of the second movie, on location in NYC! http://www.sexandthecitymovie.org/satc_images.html
PLEASE NOTE: You can now email your comments to fashionistarecessionista@hotmail.com or leave feedback on facebook at Fashionista Recessionista and you can follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/fashionistarece
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Online browsing leads to an "elf" invasion!!!
In a valiant bid to curtail my spending habits I recently decided to avoid shops altogether. It seemed to me that if I didn’t set foot in any shops then even I couldn’t manage to shop - which would have been all very well twenty years ago in a pre-internet world. Unfortunately there was a slight, yet crucial, flaw in my great plan. Online shopping doesn’t involve setting any feet in shops, as I soon discovered!
I decided to pass some time one day by surfing the internet – www.instyle.co.uk ... www.barrym.co.uk ... www.beaut.ie. These are some of my favourite, top quality sites and initially they did a good job of fulfilling my need to absorb new fashion and beauty ideas constantly. Instyle updates the latest celeb red carpet looks daily and I love seeing how my favourite (and not-so-favourite!) stars are re-working the latest trends (often badly, much to my amusement). Beaut.ie is a fabulous and fun Irish blog and a real favourite of mine. Updated several times a day, it reviews the latest make-up, hair and skincare products in a girlie and honest way. I like the fact that it gives equal coverage to both premium and practical ranges so I can dream about Dior but shop in Dunnes!! I am a recent devotee of Barry M’s excellent make up range. There is no better range on the market for a kaleidoscope of colour. From pretty pink to peacock to purple via the sunniest yellow and luminous green everything you could want is available in this range and it is very recessionista friendly. Their fantastic dazzle dusts, which I have given the thumbs up to previously here, are under seven euros each and really go the distance on a big night out. Even better their website gives top tips and great video tutorials on how to best use the products so you don’t end up looking like Rainbow Bright circa 1986.
And so, I was happily browsing these sites when I remembered another favourite of mine – http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/ – the ultimate budget beauty site. Almost everything on the site costs a mere £1.50 except for the Professionsal Studio Line which is a hugely costly (ahem!) £3.50 on average! I already had a few E.L.F. products and was very impressed with their quality. I told myself I was just “taking a look” and then “popping a few bits into the shopping basket to see how much they would cost if I got them”. Oh dear, well what do you know, before I could say “no shopping for me this week!” I had deftly removed a few items from the shopping basket (to make myself feel virtuous!!) and then clicked “proceed to check-out” with the rest!! When things cost so little per item it is hard to feel guilty for treating yourself. I bought a quad of eye-shadow powders in Ivy, a lovely combo of greens and browns; a cream eye shadow duo in silver and black called Black Liquorice; two nail polishes in Royal Purple and a gorgeous neutral pinky/purple called Mod Mauve; a plum eye liner which is super soft, doesn’t drag the skin and comes with its own sharpener; two eye shadow brushes, one for applying it and one for blending (I was thrilled when they arrived, they are really firm but smooth and soft) and finally but best of all I got an eyebrow set. I like strong brows as I think they give definition and frame the face but I unfortunately have dark but gappy ones! This set is the answer to my problems. It comes with a dark wax to define and set the brows in place and powder to colour them in. At £3.50 this is a fantastic bargain in my book – and even more so when you consider it is practically identical to an eyebrow set available from a certain premium ‘retro-style’ beauty range which charges €33. I have used both products and can honestly see no difference bar the packaging and the less than retro price tag on the premium range’s product!! In the end, all of my purchases came to under €20 including postage and packaging and they arrived in just two days. Eight new products of excellent quality for the price of one mid-range foundation! Even a recessionista like myself can’t feel bad about that! Happy days are here again girls! Lots of new colours to play with, always fun in my book, and I fulfilled my shopping need without worrying either myself or my bank manager. Woohoo!!
Maybe one day I will reign in my spending to zero but as long as I am working I see no reason why I shouldn’t give myself cheap treats. The recession has enlightened me and I now see there are loads of budget-tastic products out there of excellent quality so I can easily shop on a tight budget and still fulfil my fashionista and beauty addict tendencies while maintaining a (err, somewhat!) healthy bank balance!
PLEASE NOTE: You can now email your comments to fashionistarecessionista@hotmail.com or leave feedback on my facebook page Fashionista Recessionista and you can follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/fashionistarece
I decided to pass some time one day by surfing the internet – www.instyle.co.uk ... www.barrym.co.uk ... www.beaut.ie. These are some of my favourite, top quality sites and initially they did a good job of fulfilling my need to absorb new fashion and beauty ideas constantly. Instyle updates the latest celeb red carpet looks daily and I love seeing how my favourite (and not-so-favourite!) stars are re-working the latest trends (often badly, much to my amusement). Beaut.ie is a fabulous and fun Irish blog and a real favourite of mine. Updated several times a day, it reviews the latest make-up, hair and skincare products in a girlie and honest way. I like the fact that it gives equal coverage to both premium and practical ranges so I can dream about Dior but shop in Dunnes!! I am a recent devotee of Barry M’s excellent make up range. There is no better range on the market for a kaleidoscope of colour. From pretty pink to peacock to purple via the sunniest yellow and luminous green everything you could want is available in this range and it is very recessionista friendly. Their fantastic dazzle dusts, which I have given the thumbs up to previously here, are under seven euros each and really go the distance on a big night out. Even better their website gives top tips and great video tutorials on how to best use the products so you don’t end up looking like Rainbow Bright circa 1986.
And so, I was happily browsing these sites when I remembered another favourite of mine – http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/ – the ultimate budget beauty site. Almost everything on the site costs a mere £1.50 except for the Professionsal Studio Line which is a hugely costly (ahem!) £3.50 on average! I already had a few E.L.F. products and was very impressed with their quality. I told myself I was just “taking a look” and then “popping a few bits into the shopping basket to see how much they would cost if I got them”. Oh dear, well what do you know, before I could say “no shopping for me this week!” I had deftly removed a few items from the shopping basket (to make myself feel virtuous!!) and then clicked “proceed to check-out” with the rest!! When things cost so little per item it is hard to feel guilty for treating yourself. I bought a quad of eye-shadow powders in Ivy, a lovely combo of greens and browns; a cream eye shadow duo in silver and black called Black Liquorice; two nail polishes in Royal Purple and a gorgeous neutral pinky/purple called Mod Mauve; a plum eye liner which is super soft, doesn’t drag the skin and comes with its own sharpener; two eye shadow brushes, one for applying it and one for blending (I was thrilled when they arrived, they are really firm but smooth and soft) and finally but best of all I got an eyebrow set. I like strong brows as I think they give definition and frame the face but I unfortunately have dark but gappy ones! This set is the answer to my problems. It comes with a dark wax to define and set the brows in place and powder to colour them in. At £3.50 this is a fantastic bargain in my book – and even more so when you consider it is practically identical to an eyebrow set available from a certain premium ‘retro-style’ beauty range which charges €33. I have used both products and can honestly see no difference bar the packaging and the less than retro price tag on the premium range’s product!! In the end, all of my purchases came to under €20 including postage and packaging and they arrived in just two days. Eight new products of excellent quality for the price of one mid-range foundation! Even a recessionista like myself can’t feel bad about that! Happy days are here again girls! Lots of new colours to play with, always fun in my book, and I fulfilled my shopping need without worrying either myself or my bank manager. Woohoo!! Maybe one day I will reign in my spending to zero but as long as I am working I see no reason why I shouldn’t give myself cheap treats. The recession has enlightened me and I now see there are loads of budget-tastic products out there of excellent quality so I can easily shop on a tight budget and still fulfil my fashionista and beauty addict tendencies while maintaining a (err, somewhat!) healthy bank balance!
PLEASE NOTE: You can now email your comments to fashionistarecessionista@hotmail.com or leave feedback on my facebook page Fashionista Recessionista and you can follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/fashionistarece
Monday, August 17, 2009
Lean times lead to "re-cycling" mania and freebie fun!
It is lean times in this recessionista’s household, especially after my weekend / shopping expedition in London recently. To be honest it was getting me down a little – I was so broke at one point I couldn’t afford to go window shopping, even the bus fare was beyond my wallet’s reach that week!!
“Hmphh!!” I thought to myself one particularly grim Saturday morning “what am I going to do with myself now?!” as I lay on my bed (gosh, I really could do with a lovely new duvet cover, it occurred to me, pink….or purple…..or maybe, no, back to reality!!!) The ever-more bulging doors of my wardrobes loomed over me threateningly. I had been planning a clean out for months now but that is the thing with me – I am an excellent planner but not such a good “do-er”. I have the best of intentions, don’t get me wrong, it is just the executing of them that I fall down on! But bizarrely on that gloomy Saturday morning I was suddenly not merely a woman on a mission to clear out the clutter but more like a woman possessed! Once I started I couldn’t stop!! Every last item was dragged out and laid on the bed. I happily put aside everything that was now too big for me (Hallelujah!!) or was no longer my taste but that was merely the start. The discoveries, oh the discoveries! Dresses I had forgotten about (or, to be quite honest, don’t actually remember ever buying, let alone wearing, ooops!!), trousers which hadn’t fit for years but now snugly skim my hips rather than tightly bulging over them (woohoo!!), long forgotten skirts and I won’t even start on the shoes and handbags or we’ll be here all week!! I was effectively getting a partially new wardrobe for nothing; I couldn’t believe I hadn’t done this before. It was like shopping for free! When I had put everything I was giving to charity into bags I re-hung everything I was keeping, organised by style, then colour (where had this person come from?!?) Gosh, hard work had never been this much fun before. I was having a fabulous time. I even found long forgotten size 12, black skinny jeans - previously dumped, depressingly in the bottom of the wardrobe for being too small - which are now the perfect fit and length! They will be a great match with the green wrap-over cardi I got for an unbelievable €8 in the Clery’s Oasis sale and the £4 Matalan silk t-shirts I got in London earlier in the summer…….and oooh, there is a great M&S Limited Collection grey, ‘go-with-anything’ t-shirt which no longer makes me resemble a pot-bellied pig when I put it on….and then there are the Levi’s Trousers I have never fitted into since I got them as a gift from New York in 2005. I love smart, indigo jeans and these really fit the bill – and it helps that I can now breathe when I wear them. Why did no one ever tell me it was this much fun tidying up?!
So I discovered, quite by accident, that “recycling” old clothes can be lots of fun. I really am very eco-friendly after all, a practical green machine. My tip to you would be to combine your discoveries with more recent purchases and different accessories to look fresh and up-to-date and you will feel like new – I know I do!
As regular readers will be aware I am not only a fashion-lover but a beauty product addict as well. I’ve made some excellent value (sounds better than cheap, girls!) discoveries recently but what is better than getting something for free? September’s “In Style” magazine is giving away two free Body Shop Eye Definer pencils worth over €15! (www.thebodyshop.co.uk) Each copy of the magazine comes with a black eye definer and either a turquoise, green or metallic silver highlighter. They are super soft kohl so they don’t drag on your skin and you get them for the price of a magazine. (www.instyle.co.uk) I personally think too many of us play it safe with make-up, sticking to the one routine regardless of night or day, outfit or occasion. Where is the fun in that, girls? Play with colour – be it that of your eyes or your dress and make the most of yourself. Stand out from the crowd and look glam and gorgeous. Even the teeniest of budgets can indulge in some colour – Barry M Dazzle Dust eye colours come in a rainbow of colours to suit every taste and with excellent pigments are excellent value for just €6.99 a pop. (www.barrym.co.uk) Or for an even tighter budget 2True (available at Superdrug www.superdrug.com) will get you three similar products for just €7.50 or €2.99 each (by the way, their foundation is my new obsession, I love it!). The colour selection isn’t as wide but is still pretty good so you should find something you like.
Back to the freebies though! The current edition of Marie Claire is giving away a 100ml sample of James Brown’s new “Intensive Mask for Hair”. It smells delicious, covers your hair easily and leaves it super soft and silky smooth. I loved it – and more so cos it was free!! And by the way, we are not talking about James Brown of “Sex Machine” fame but rather Kate Mosses stylist and best friend so your hair will be in the best, most fashionable company if you get your hands on this freebie! (www.jamesbrownlondon.com / www.marieclaire.co.uk)
So ladies, if you love fashion and beauty but your credit card isn’t quite as flexible a friend as it used be, fret not. Be creative, re-cycle and keep your eyes peeled for freebies. You will be surprised at the sense of achievement you feel when you do and what little cash you do have can go on a night out in one of your “re-cycled” outfits and with super-glossy hair “styled by Kate Mosses best mate, don’t you know!”
“Hmphh!!” I thought to myself one particularly grim Saturday morning “what am I going to do with myself now?!” as I lay on my bed (gosh, I really could do with a lovely new duvet cover, it occurred to me, pink….or purple…..or maybe, no, back to reality!!!) The ever-more bulging doors of my wardrobes loomed over me threateningly. I had been planning a clean out for months now but that is the thing with me – I am an excellent planner but not such a good “do-er”. I have the best of intentions, don’t get me wrong, it is just the executing of them that I fall down on! But bizarrely on that gloomy Saturday morning I was suddenly not merely a woman on a mission to clear out the clutter but more like a woman possessed! Once I started I couldn’t stop!! Every last item was dragged out and laid on the bed. I happily put aside everything that was now too big for me (Hallelujah!!) or was no longer my taste but that was merely the start. The discoveries, oh the discoveries! Dresses I had forgotten about (or, to be quite honest, don’t actually remember ever buying, let alone wearing, ooops!!), trousers which hadn’t fit for years but now snugly skim my hips rather than tightly bulging over them (woohoo!!), long forgotten skirts and I won’t even start on the shoes and handbags or we’ll be here all week!! I was effectively getting a partially new wardrobe for nothing; I couldn’t believe I hadn’t done this before. It was like shopping for free! When I had put everything I was giving to charity into bags I re-hung everything I was keeping, organised by style, then colour (where had this person come from?!?) Gosh, hard work had never been this much fun before. I was having a fabulous time. I even found long forgotten size 12, black skinny jeans - previously dumped, depressingly in the bottom of the wardrobe for being too small - which are now the perfect fit and length! They will be a great match with the green wrap-over cardi I got for an unbelievable €8 in the Clery’s Oasis sale and the £4 Matalan silk t-shirts I got in London earlier in the summer…….and oooh, there is a great M&S Limited Collection grey, ‘go-with-anything’ t-shirt which no longer makes me resemble a pot-bellied pig when I put it on….and then there are the Levi’s Trousers I have never fitted into since I got them as a gift from New York in 2005. I love smart, indigo jeans and these really fit the bill – and it helps that I can now breathe when I wear them. Why did no one ever tell me it was this much fun tidying up?!
So I discovered, quite by accident, that “recycling” old clothes can be lots of fun. I really am very eco-friendly after all, a practical green machine. My tip to you would be to combine your discoveries with more recent purchases and different accessories to look fresh and up-to-date and you will feel like new – I know I do!
As regular readers will be aware I am not only a fashion-lover but a beauty product addict as well. I’ve made some excellent value (sounds better than cheap, girls!) discoveries recently but what is better than getting something for free? September’s “In Style” magazine is giving away two free Body Shop Eye Definer pencils worth over €15! (www.thebodyshop.co.uk) Each copy of the magazine comes with a black eye definer and either a turquoise, green or metallic silver highlighter. They are super soft kohl so they don’t drag on your skin and you get them for the price of a magazine. (www.instyle.co.uk) I personally think too many of us play it safe with make-up, sticking to the one routine regardless of night or day, outfit or occasion. Where is the fun in that, girls? Play with colour – be it that of your eyes or your dress and make the most of yourself. Stand out from the crowd and look glam and gorgeous. Even the teeniest of budgets can indulge in some colour – Barry M Dazzle Dust eye colours come in a rainbow of colours to suit every taste and with excellent pigments are excellent value for just €6.99 a pop. (www.barrym.co.uk) Or for an even tighter budget 2True (available at Superdrug www.superdrug.com) will get you three similar products for just €7.50 or €2.99 each (by the way, their foundation is my new obsession, I love it!). The colour selection isn’t as wide but is still pretty good so you should find something you like.
Back to the freebies though! The current edition of Marie Claire is giving away a 100ml sample of James Brown’s new “Intensive Mask for Hair”. It smells delicious, covers your hair easily and leaves it super soft and silky smooth. I loved it – and more so cos it was free!! And by the way, we are not talking about James Brown of “Sex Machine” fame but rather Kate Mosses stylist and best friend so your hair will be in the best, most fashionable company if you get your hands on this freebie! (www.jamesbrownlondon.com / www.marieclaire.co.uk)
So ladies, if you love fashion and beauty but your credit card isn’t quite as flexible a friend as it used be, fret not. Be creative, re-cycle and keep your eyes peeled for freebies. You will be surprised at the sense of achievement you feel when you do and what little cash you do have can go on a night out in one of your “re-cycled” outfits and with super-glossy hair “styled by Kate Mosses best mate, don’t you know!”
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
London's Calling…..and I’ve Had The Time of My Life!!
It was with anticipation, great excitement and a tighter than usual budget that I set off for London last weekend with my friend and fellow super-shopper Lynn. We were intent on having three days of fun, fashion and food – not to mention endless analysis of our love lives. All that would be more than enough to keep us going for three days….
We hit the ground running with a trip round the greatly improved ‘duty free’ area in Dublin airport. There is an excellent range of goods on offer there and I was very proud of my will power when, despite the presence of a full Benefit Cosmetics counter amongst others, I restricted myself to a single purchase of Mac Tinted Lip Conditioner in the gorgeous, bright Fuchsia with the added bonus of SPF15 for just €14.80. That was the sum total of my shopping on Friday as we were delayed in Dublin and then caught in the air for almost two hours when we missed our landing slot at Heathrow. Relieved to finally land we rushed to the Tube station where our first mishap awaited. As we queued for Lynn’s ticket the man in front asked the station guard how much a ticket for his child would be – and the guard pointed to me and asked was I the child!! Now at 33 I am happy to look a little younger than my years but the age limit for kids tickets is 12 so I think that is taking it a bit far!!
On Saturday we hit Oxford and Regent Streets for a few hours. Uniqlo is a great Japanese chain which I believe has yet to reach the Irish shores. It sells excellent basics, particularly in jersey and denim. I got two jersey skirts – a red one for £14.99 and a purple one for £9.99 - along with a cosy purple hoodie for a tenner. As you will probably know by now, I am a big fan of colour and Uniqlo steals my heart on this one – most items come in a great range of vibrant colours so you have loads to choose from (my sister has already picked up a pink version on the hoodie for me since I love it so much!)
Next stop was the fashion mecca that is Topshop Oxford Circus. If you have not been there, then all I can say is - go! It is huge with an entire floor dedicated solely to accessories. I was very good and, despite my urge to have a supermarket sweep style clearout of the store, only bought some great Barry M make-up (a gorgeous silver dazzle dust for my eyes and neon pink nail polish to match the outfit I was wearing that evening!) and a lovely purple Fair Trade necklace for a fiver. I was trying so hard to be good and only buy things I really, really loved. With such limited funds I was determined not to waste a penny. The necklace seemed like such a bargain I couldn’t resist it but sadly the reason for its knock-down price became apparent the next day when it turned my neck and chest bright purple when the paint wore off it and on to me. Not a good look at all!
As we were meeting my old flatmates on Saturday afternoon we cut our shopping spree short and headed to the pub. It was such a lovely day – 13 years had gone by since we lived together but it felt like yesterday as we chatted about old crushes, drunken nights and dodgy fashions of the nineties. Lynn and I followed that by getting glammed up and going to “Dirty Dancing the Musical” in the Aldwych Theatre – a perfect girlie night out. Lynn, a virgin to musical theatre, saw a new side to me and I think she was stunned as I screamed and sang my way through the whole show, even leading a few rounds of applause along the way.
A late (and somewhat disastrous) dinner and drinks til 3am were never going to stop us shopping again on Sunday and we were in Covent Garden by midday. This was the day I really found my shopping groove and got some fabulous bargains which I was thrilled with. We started in the market where I picked up some lovely silver jewellery and nice little gifts. After that we moved onto the shops and in Oasis I discovered a lovely – and utterly me – candy pink handbag. I loved it on sight since it was large enough to carry the enormous amount of bits and pieces I carry everywhere but isn’t so huge it either looks ridiculous or drags on the ground (one of the perils of barely scraping five feet tall!!) At £35 (€49) it was more than I wanted pay but I was in luck – it was reduced to £25 with a further 20% off that day bringing it to just £20. Then I spotted neon pink bangles for just under a fiver as I left the shop so I got them too! I left Oasis feeling it was my lucky shopping day and was right. I walked straight into Marks and Spencer and the very first thing I saw as I came up the escalator to womenswear was a strawberry, halter neck jersey dress I have been eyeing up for ages in Dublin. At €59 and being something I would only wear to an occasion I couldn’t justify that much for it but being on sale that day for a mere £15 meant I didn’t need to justify it at all!! I grabbed it into my greedy little mitts and ran for the till with great glee quicker than Linford Christie could have at his peak. I was thrilled with my purchases and just couldn’t believe when my fabulous sister approached me with a super-shiny red-patent tote-bag in her hand. Actually, she had two in her hand, one for each of us. We had both been admiring them for weeks but again, they were over-budget. Once more my luck was in as they were also reduced to £15. Back up to the till I went before anyone could point out that I am not exactly short of red handbags (they just aren’t as lovely and shiny and gorgeous as this one though I would have explained if they had tried!)
My next port of call was Gap. I wanted a good pair of trousers which I could dress up or down and got the perfect pair. Slim cut, dark green chinos they are a perfect fit and incredibly flattering if I do say so myself! I find it hard to get trousers that flatter me since I am an odd shape (who isn’t? we ask ourselves!) so I was doubly delighted to get these and more than happy to pay £29.50 for them. That is expensive for me but they are worth every penny as you can really see they are cut well.
“Sale” has always been one of my favourite words and I really felt the benefit of it on this trip. Virtually every shop had major reductions across a wide range of stock (not just old tat like in some sales). That was a major bonus on top of London being one of my favourite cities. The melting pot of cultures, the freedom to be whoever and however you want to be, the fashion, the food, the family and friends. For me it is a pure recipe for fun, fun, fun! This visit, going with a fellow shopper, staying in a fabulous, central hotel (Charing Cross Hotel / http://www.laterooms.com/) and combining family, friends, fashion and culture made for a truly memorable weekend – one which I will treasure in my memory for years to come and think of often as I strut down the street, candy pink bag over my arm humming to myself “I’ve Had The Time Of My Life!”
We hit the ground running with a trip round the greatly improved ‘duty free’ area in Dublin airport. There is an excellent range of goods on offer there and I was very proud of my will power when, despite the presence of a full Benefit Cosmetics counter amongst others, I restricted myself to a single purchase of Mac Tinted Lip Conditioner in the gorgeous, bright Fuchsia with the added bonus of SPF15 for just €14.80. That was the sum total of my shopping on Friday as we were delayed in Dublin and then caught in the air for almost two hours when we missed our landing slot at Heathrow. Relieved to finally land we rushed to the Tube station where our first mishap awaited. As we queued for Lynn’s ticket the man in front asked the station guard how much a ticket for his child would be – and the guard pointed to me and asked was I the child!! Now at 33 I am happy to look a little younger than my years but the age limit for kids tickets is 12 so I think that is taking it a bit far!!
On Saturday we hit Oxford and Regent Streets for a few hours. Uniqlo is a great Japanese chain which I believe has yet to reach the Irish shores. It sells excellent basics, particularly in jersey and denim. I got two jersey skirts – a red one for £14.99 and a purple one for £9.99 - along with a cosy purple hoodie for a tenner. As you will probably know by now, I am a big fan of colour and Uniqlo steals my heart on this one – most items come in a great range of vibrant colours so you have loads to choose from (my sister has already picked up a pink version on the hoodie for me since I love it so much!)
Next stop was the fashion mecca that is Topshop Oxford Circus. If you have not been there, then all I can say is - go! It is huge with an entire floor dedicated solely to accessories. I was very good and, despite my urge to have a supermarket sweep style clearout of the store, only bought some great Barry M make-up (a gorgeous silver dazzle dust for my eyes and neon pink nail polish to match the outfit I was wearing that evening!) and a lovely purple Fair Trade necklace for a fiver. I was trying so hard to be good and only buy things I really, really loved. With such limited funds I was determined not to waste a penny. The necklace seemed like such a bargain I couldn’t resist it but sadly the reason for its knock-down price became apparent the next day when it turned my neck and chest bright purple when the paint wore off it and on to me. Not a good look at all!
As we were meeting my old flatmates on Saturday afternoon we cut our shopping spree short and headed to the pub. It was such a lovely day – 13 years had gone by since we lived together but it felt like yesterday as we chatted about old crushes, drunken nights and dodgy fashions of the nineties. Lynn and I followed that by getting glammed up and going to “Dirty Dancing the Musical” in the Aldwych Theatre – a perfect girlie night out. Lynn, a virgin to musical theatre, saw a new side to me and I think she was stunned as I screamed and sang my way through the whole show, even leading a few rounds of applause along the way.
A late (and somewhat disastrous) dinner and drinks til 3am were never going to stop us shopping again on Sunday and we were in Covent Garden by midday. This was the day I really found my shopping groove and got some fabulous bargains which I was thrilled with. We started in the market where I picked up some lovely silver jewellery and nice little gifts. After that we moved onto the shops and in Oasis I discovered a lovely – and utterly me – candy pink handbag. I loved it on sight since it was large enough to carry the enormous amount of bits and pieces I carry everywhere but isn’t so huge it either looks ridiculous or drags on the ground (one of the perils of barely scraping five feet tall!!) At £35 (€49) it was more than I wanted pay but I was in luck – it was reduced to £25 with a further 20% off that day bringing it to just £20. Then I spotted neon pink bangles for just under a fiver as I left the shop so I got them too! I left Oasis feeling it was my lucky shopping day and was right. I walked straight into Marks and Spencer and the very first thing I saw as I came up the escalator to womenswear was a strawberry, halter neck jersey dress I have been eyeing up for ages in Dublin. At €59 and being something I would only wear to an occasion I couldn’t justify that much for it but being on sale that day for a mere £15 meant I didn’t need to justify it at all!! I grabbed it into my greedy little mitts and ran for the till with great glee quicker than Linford Christie could have at his peak. I was thrilled with my purchases and just couldn’t believe when my fabulous sister approached me with a super-shiny red-patent tote-bag in her hand. Actually, she had two in her hand, one for each of us. We had both been admiring them for weeks but again, they were over-budget. Once more my luck was in as they were also reduced to £15. Back up to the till I went before anyone could point out that I am not exactly short of red handbags (they just aren’t as lovely and shiny and gorgeous as this one though I would have explained if they had tried!)
My next port of call was Gap. I wanted a good pair of trousers which I could dress up or down and got the perfect pair. Slim cut, dark green chinos they are a perfect fit and incredibly flattering if I do say so myself! I find it hard to get trousers that flatter me since I am an odd shape (who isn’t? we ask ourselves!) so I was doubly delighted to get these and more than happy to pay £29.50 for them. That is expensive for me but they are worth every penny as you can really see they are cut well.
“Sale” has always been one of my favourite words and I really felt the benefit of it on this trip. Virtually every shop had major reductions across a wide range of stock (not just old tat like in some sales). That was a major bonus on top of London being one of my favourite cities. The melting pot of cultures, the freedom to be whoever and however you want to be, the fashion, the food, the family and friends. For me it is a pure recipe for fun, fun, fun! This visit, going with a fellow shopper, staying in a fabulous, central hotel (Charing Cross Hotel / http://www.laterooms.com/) and combining family, friends, fashion and culture made for a truly memorable weekend – one which I will treasure in my memory for years to come and think of often as I strut down the street, candy pink bag over my arm humming to myself “I’ve Had The Time Of My Life!”
Sunday, April 26, 2009
A welcome mini-break from the recessionista life!
That infamous bad girl, Mae West, once said ‘Good girls keep a diary bad girls don’t have the time.’ Well, that’s my excuse for not blogging recently – I have been too busy being a bold girl and shopping when I shouldn’t be! Ah, not really, thanks to my fabulous friend Lynn I have managed to enjoy a mini-break from being a recessionista and indulge my love of shopping just a wee bit.
Lynn, God bless her, lost the gift vouchers she got for my birthday last year and only found them recently. A belated present is always fun because it is unexpected and personally I think it was meant to be – they proved the perfect pick-me-up at a tough time when I really needed a lift. And so it was with great glee that I set out on a shopping spree over the Easter weekend. I have recently discovered the joys of the Arnotts fashion department and wandered there for ages trying to decide which items took my fancy most. I am definitely feeling a girlie vibe for Summer so I knew I wanted either a skirt or dress. I fell in love at first sight with a Miss Selfridge skirt which was just fabulous. Blue is rapidly becoming my colour of the season and it was a beautiful sky blue shade with a green, pink and white floral pattern (florals are big for Summer) and a cute bow on the waist. I just loved it on sight. Unfortunately, while the mannequin had a tummy that was practically concave I most certainly do not and when I tried it on the bow only served to accentuate that fact. I ended up looking like I had eaten a whole white sliced pan of bread! I spend my life dressing to make my middle look smaller but my tummy looked twice its normal size in this skirt so I ruled that out quick sharp! Next on my wish-list was a gorgeous (also blue!) jersey dress from Mango. Mango’s range this season is fantastic and their dresses are just adorable. I want them all! I ruled out two strapless ones on the basis I wouldn’t get enough wear out of them (must be becoming more practical as I age!) and chose the blue one as my favourite. It is sleeveless with small frills on the shoulders running down into a v-neck and empire line. I loved it the second I put it on and just know I will live in it regardless of what our crazy weather may hold this Summer. I feel cute and girlie in it and, as is the case with many dresses that I love, I know I can just throw it on and feel fantastic on fat (very common) or thin (rather less common!) days. For 35 euros you can’t complain about that!
Strangely, despite its ability to make my stomach appear to swell to twice its actual size, the skirt with the bow really appealed to the girlie girl in me. So, when I saw another one in Awear with a bow I couldn’t resist it and even more so when I discovered it was reduced from 36 euros to 10! Material and the cut of clothes make all the difference and this one was a totally different story when I tried it on. The bow is cut so it falls the length of the skirt to the knee which makes it far more flattering for shorty like me and it is heavier material and is plain navy with just red piping on the bow which are both far more forgiving on my tummy. Hurrah, I loved it straight away. The first day I wore it I felt incredibly good in with just a white T and red shoes. Simple but cute, I thought to myself until I met my mate Laura whose reaction was ‘You look like a sailor!’ Hmm, the nautical look might be in but that wasn’t quite what I was aiming for!
It was so lovely having the vouchers and being able to shop guilt-free for once so a big thanks go to Lynn. She is a fashionista like me. Never have I known anyone to accessorise like she can. The girl has style oozing out of her. Thankfully, we have similar taste in lots of things and she can spot a mile off something that I will love. Just as well because, as you may remember from a few weeks ago, I was on the hunt for a bag to match my outfit for a wedding I was going to last week. On a recent trip to New York Lynn spotted a bag she knew I would adore and got it for me. It is a red, patent clutch with a little flower on it – so me and totally gorgeous. It was a perfect match for the outfit and just what I was searching for. I got lots of compliments at the wedding, which is always nice. That girl has some kind of inner homing device when it comes to stylish accessories, she can sense them at twenty paces and thankfully on this occasion I was the beneficiary!
Sadly, my break from being a recessionista is over now and I am back to being voucherless and broke. Still, I have some cute new things to see me through for the time being and far better than that, I have a stylish friend to have fun with and that costs nothing!
Lynn, God bless her, lost the gift vouchers she got for my birthday last year and only found them recently. A belated present is always fun because it is unexpected and personally I think it was meant to be – they proved the perfect pick-me-up at a tough time when I really needed a lift. And so it was with great glee that I set out on a shopping spree over the Easter weekend. I have recently discovered the joys of the Arnotts fashion department and wandered there for ages trying to decide which items took my fancy most. I am definitely feeling a girlie vibe for Summer so I knew I wanted either a skirt or dress. I fell in love at first sight with a Miss Selfridge skirt which was just fabulous. Blue is rapidly becoming my colour of the season and it was a beautiful sky blue shade with a green, pink and white floral pattern (florals are big for Summer) and a cute bow on the waist. I just loved it on sight. Unfortunately, while the mannequin had a tummy that was practically concave I most certainly do not and when I tried it on the bow only served to accentuate that fact. I ended up looking like I had eaten a whole white sliced pan of bread! I spend my life dressing to make my middle look smaller but my tummy looked twice its normal size in this skirt so I ruled that out quick sharp! Next on my wish-list was a gorgeous (also blue!) jersey dress from Mango. Mango’s range this season is fantastic and their dresses are just adorable. I want them all! I ruled out two strapless ones on the basis I wouldn’t get enough wear out of them (must be becoming more practical as I age!) and chose the blue one as my favourite. It is sleeveless with small frills on the shoulders running down into a v-neck and empire line. I loved it the second I put it on and just know I will live in it regardless of what our crazy weather may hold this Summer. I feel cute and girlie in it and, as is the case with many dresses that I love, I know I can just throw it on and feel fantastic on fat (very common) or thin (rather less common!) days. For 35 euros you can’t complain about that!
Strangely, despite its ability to make my stomach appear to swell to twice its actual size, the skirt with the bow really appealed to the girlie girl in me. So, when I saw another one in Awear with a bow I couldn’t resist it and even more so when I discovered it was reduced from 36 euros to 10! Material and the cut of clothes make all the difference and this one was a totally different story when I tried it on. The bow is cut so it falls the length of the skirt to the knee which makes it far more flattering for shorty like me and it is heavier material and is plain navy with just red piping on the bow which are both far more forgiving on my tummy. Hurrah, I loved it straight away. The first day I wore it I felt incredibly good in with just a white T and red shoes. Simple but cute, I thought to myself until I met my mate Laura whose reaction was ‘You look like a sailor!’ Hmm, the nautical look might be in but that wasn’t quite what I was aiming for!
It was so lovely having the vouchers and being able to shop guilt-free for once so a big thanks go to Lynn. She is a fashionista like me. Never have I known anyone to accessorise like she can. The girl has style oozing out of her. Thankfully, we have similar taste in lots of things and she can spot a mile off something that I will love. Just as well because, as you may remember from a few weeks ago, I was on the hunt for a bag to match my outfit for a wedding I was going to last week. On a recent trip to New York Lynn spotted a bag she knew I would adore and got it for me. It is a red, patent clutch with a little flower on it – so me and totally gorgeous. It was a perfect match for the outfit and just what I was searching for. I got lots of compliments at the wedding, which is always nice. That girl has some kind of inner homing device when it comes to stylish accessories, she can sense them at twenty paces and thankfully on this occasion I was the beneficiary!
Sadly, my break from being a recessionista is over now and I am back to being voucherless and broke. Still, I have some cute new things to see me through for the time being and far better than that, I have a stylish friend to have fun with and that costs nothing!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Eyes opened by little luxuries...
My name is Jules and I am a shopaholic. I admit it. I shop when I am happy and I shop when I am sad. I shop when I am doing ok money-wise (an ever-rarer occurence these days!) and I shop when I know I shouldn't but I just can't resist that gorgeous new pink handbag (even if it means just pasta for dinner five days in a row until pay day!) Nothing gives me a thrill like the ring of the till!! Sadly, in these tough times the good feeling is ever more quickly replaced by feelings of guilt and worry though. Fashion might be my passion but a girl has got to keep a roof over her head so the bills have to be paid. Mr. Mortgage comes knocking once a month and he really doesn't care how fabulous my new Mary Janes look with my skinny jeans. He's really very inconsiderate and has absolutely no fashion savvy!
Yes, in these recessionary times my financial reality bites. I want to look and feel fashionable, fabulous and funky but on my new budget I have had to make major changes and have unwittingly become part of a new phenomenon known as the "lipstick factor". In tough times like now sales of small luxuries like lipsticks and nail polishes soar. People on limited budgets still want to treat themselves, still want to look good and, like me, still love the thrill of the till. But where once fabulous new shoes made us walk tall - literally and in spirit - now we are relying on a slick of new lippie or an at home manicure to boost our mood. Only in my worst of financial weeks could I feel guilty for spending seven euros on the Rimmel products I am so fond of. They are cheap and cheerful and I love the vast range of colours and products you can choose from. My sister calls me to queen of lotions and potions for my love of face and body products and Rimmel prices allow me indulge this passion even in my present capacity as a recessionista. The range of nail polishes is unbelievable and I love their new PRO selection. The style of brush means you need just one stroke per nail which means no clumping. I've treated myself to three colours already and the "Urban Purple" is a gorgeous raspberry which is ideal for this transitional time of year. They are little pick-me-ups that keep this shopaholic going!
When I first had to reign in my spending I thought my style would become restricted but in fact being strapped for cash has forced me to be more imaginative and opened my eyes to new possibilities. I have invested in new colour options in make up and ended up with a new found confidence. I love red lips now, something I never thought I would be brave enough to try but I took the risk and now love them! Also, since I can rarely afford my beloved shoes, bags or jeans these days I have discovered the joy of accessorising. A simple brightly coloured scarf - a fiver from Penneys - can lift a whole outfit out of the doldrums of being too plain and instantly add some funkiness to it.
I never thought I'd see the day but I am quite enjoying this challenge of looking good on a supertight budget. I really value what I do buy and I can relax (in my red lippie, polish and lovely scarves) knowing that when Mr. Mortgage comes knocking each month my bank account will be able to welcome him in!
Yes, in these recessionary times my financial reality bites. I want to look and feel fashionable, fabulous and funky but on my new budget I have had to make major changes and have unwittingly become part of a new phenomenon known as the "lipstick factor". In tough times like now sales of small luxuries like lipsticks and nail polishes soar. People on limited budgets still want to treat themselves, still want to look good and, like me, still love the thrill of the till. But where once fabulous new shoes made us walk tall - literally and in spirit - now we are relying on a slick of new lippie or an at home manicure to boost our mood. Only in my worst of financial weeks could I feel guilty for spending seven euros on the Rimmel products I am so fond of. They are cheap and cheerful and I love the vast range of colours and products you can choose from. My sister calls me to queen of lotions and potions for my love of face and body products and Rimmel prices allow me indulge this passion even in my present capacity as a recessionista. The range of nail polishes is unbelievable and I love their new PRO selection. The style of brush means you need just one stroke per nail which means no clumping. I've treated myself to three colours already and the "Urban Purple" is a gorgeous raspberry which is ideal for this transitional time of year. They are little pick-me-ups that keep this shopaholic going!
When I first had to reign in my spending I thought my style would become restricted but in fact being strapped for cash has forced me to be more imaginative and opened my eyes to new possibilities. I have invested in new colour options in make up and ended up with a new found confidence. I love red lips now, something I never thought I would be brave enough to try but I took the risk and now love them! Also, since I can rarely afford my beloved shoes, bags or jeans these days I have discovered the joy of accessorising. A simple brightly coloured scarf - a fiver from Penneys - can lift a whole outfit out of the doldrums of being too plain and instantly add some funkiness to it.
I never thought I'd see the day but I am quite enjoying this challenge of looking good on a supertight budget. I really value what I do buy and I can relax (in my red lippie, polish and lovely scarves) knowing that when Mr. Mortgage comes knocking each month my bank account will be able to welcome him in!
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