Pink Poltsa Obi Style Belt

I have been really keen to share this purchase with you but thought it was important to wait until after I'd worn it to a certain person's wedding reception (congratulations Mr and Mrs Lippie!). It's not often that I get an opportunity to dress up, so I will admit to spending many several weeks in the lead up to it obsessing over what to wear. I bought a black dress by Gróa in the Coggles sale and thought that some colourful accessories would be just the thing to dress it up.

I'm not entirely sure how I happened on the site Once Upon A Belt but they have a fantastic selection of belt styles and colours. I opted for this wide obi-style belt by Poltsa as I thought the soft leather would work well with the soft jersey of my dress. Although hot pinks can be tricky to capture accurately in photographs, the pink is pretty close to what I was expecting from their images. Trying to pick out matching pink opaque tights from online swatches was another matter entirely!

Because I am fairly wide around the middle, I am somewhat limited as to how I can tie the belt. I do suspect that the other style of Obi belt that they offer might have been a better option for me as it looks to be slightly longer and the leather is also lined. However, I preferred the pink of this particular belt. It did get a little frustrated trying to tie it so that the red backing of the belt didn't show to avoid the obvious colour clash. I realise this probably makes me sound like a complete fuss pot!!

The belt has a side slit to allow you to wrap the belt around neatly. Because the leather is so soft, I discovered that you do have to be very careful about using the side slit as it can easily tear through the stitches, as mine did. No doubt I did this whilst practicing tying the belt to hide the red! Because I was nervous about causing any further damage, I opted to tie it around myself without bothering to use the slit. I also took care not to fasten it too tight.

Here's a quick look at the belt with the other accessories I wore on the day. The pink bag is the Wei Hai shopper from Oasis, which I previously had my eye on in the tan. The shoes are from New Look and are the comfiest pair of ballet flats I've worn in a long time. Needless to say they are the wide fit version.

The Poltsa belt cost £28.99 and postage was £3.49. From memory, it arrived the day after I placed the order. I will definitely be buying from Once Upon A Belt again and have my eye on one of the wide waist/hip belts in a dark colour and possibly another obi belt in black.

My New(ish) Zara Bag and Day Birger Dress

I thought I'd start by saying that I'm not in the least bit fashionable and I generally feel too uncomfortable about my figure to share an outfit of the day. However...recently I've been buying more clothes and accessories than makeup. In fact, I seem to have been buying everything but makeup for several months now. I guess this is what comes of neglecting every other area except makeup for the past three years! So, I suspect that if I don't share these 'other' things with you, we may well start to experience some blog tumbleweed!

I purchased the Day Birger et Mikkelsen Charlotte jersey dress in Burside from SecretSales back in July. I've worn it a lot since I bought it and it's such an easy item to throw on in a morning. Although I have worn it on its own, particularly when we had that brief warm spell, I prefer to wear with opaques or leggings. Now there's more of a chill in the air, I'm more likely to be wearing it a lot with knee length boots. Which reminds me that I need to keep my eyes peeled for a new pair of boots as my current pair will soon need replacing.

I've recently retired my nappy bag (sob) but I still needed something big enough carry wipes, spare clothes, random toys, as well as the odd item for me. Although I really liked the style of the popular rigid plaited shopper from Zara, this slouchy leather bag was much more appropriate for me. I love it and it does indeed hold a lot of stuff. My only gripe is that there aren't more holes on the longer handle but I suppose I could probably visit a cobblers to get some more added. The Bucket Bag cost me £59.99 and I ordered from Zara online.

Thanks for reading and feel free to let me know how you feel about me going a little off topic. I'm always interested to get your feedback.

Obsessed With Accessorising

I seem to be on a bit of a shopping kick lately. I've bought new clothes for myself (unheard of), bought things for the house and my latest obsession seem to be accessorising. I have ordered a couple of makeup items but beauty products are playing second fiddle to everything else for a once. In the interests of over-sharing, these are the items that have been filling up my internet cache...

Athena Procopiou Galactica Scarf \\ Net-a-porter \\ £185
10m2 Chunky Bracelet with Three Circle Charms in Hot Pink \\ Orit London \\ £90
Hultquist Double Cord Bracelet \\ Stripes Fashion \\ £19
Day Birger et Mikkelsen Day Yoconda Cuff \\ Stripes Fashion \\ £14
Todo Joia Stripes Cuff \\ Orit London \\ £195
10m2 Double Chunky Tube Bracelet in Black \\ Orit London \\ £80
10m2 Single Ball Bracelet in Taupe \\ Orit London \\ £65

I really like the Day Yoconda Cuff on the bottom right and I found it on sale on both my-wardrobe.com and Stripes Fashion. Unfortunately, both sites charge £5 for p&p. I can't tell you how many times I've shelved a purchase because of £5 postage (I'm looking at you, SpaceNK). Spying Hultquist jewellery on Stripes, reminded me how much I used to covet the 10m2 cord bracelets which lead me to Orit London. I really like all three styles that I've posted here and the hot pink version was Miss MB's personal favourite. In the end, I went for the Double Tube style in black and hopefully it will be with me tomorrow.

I cannot stop thinking about the Athena Procopiou Galactica Scarf, the fact that it takes centre stage probably gave that away! It reminds me a little of the gorgeous Black Milk Galaxy leggings that London MakeUp Girl posted about. £185 is more than I have spent on a single item of clothing, never mind accessory, in a very long time. I think it might be nice enough to justify a bit of girl maths. Price per wear, anyone?!

I realised after I'd assembled the images above, that I had forgotten to include the Blue Leopard Spot Scarf from Scarf Envy. I'm often drawn to animal prints (you've already seen my bag) and I particular like the blue colour in this scarf. Of course, I can't be the only one as this colourway is out of stock.

One of the few beauty items I'm lusting after at the moment is Lancôme Hypnôse Star mascara. It's due for Nationwide release from 15th July but I signed up for the waiting list on Feel Unique and I received an email letting me know I could order from today. I admitted on Twitter that my interest in this mascara has more to do with the inclusion Betty Boop in the adverts, than anything else. Boo boop be doop!!

What are you lusting after at the moment? Are you good at accessorising?

My Weekend Makeup Bag

Despite my best intentions to keep things minimal, I have managed to completely fill my makeup bag just for a night away. I know I probably should have planned what makeup I wanted to wear in advance and packed accordingly, but I suck at being that organised. Anyway, I thought I'd share with you which items made the cut. I have included links to previous reviews where possible.

Basic Face Products
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in Finland
Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Fresh Powder Makeup in 020
BECCA Creamy Concealer in Praline*
Shu Brow Pencil H9 Seal Brown
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Tweezers and Pencil Sharpener

Eyeshadows and Liners
Rouge Bunny Rouge Eyeshadows in (left to right) Umber Firefinch, Bohemian Waxwing and Olive Violeteare
Lancome Erika F eyeshadow*
Sephora Jumbo Liner in Taupe
MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Mystery
MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy
Ben Nye Eye Liner Pencil in Espresso EP-85
Kevyn Aucoin Liner in Basic Black*

I really wanted to take my LMdB Come One, Come All kaleidoscope but I'm too precious about my kaleidoscopes to travel with them. I wish I wasn't such a nervous ninny!

Cheek Products and Mascara
NARS Laguna Bronzer
No.7 Lash Adapt Mascara*
Laura Mercier Blusher in Petal Pink
By Terry Blusher, this was passed on from a friend and I'm afraid I don't know the shade.
Rouge Bunny Rouge Sea of Tranquility highlighter

Lipsticks and Nail Polishes
Orly Decoded* from the new Electronica collection
Illamasqua Bacterium
BECCA 2 in 1 top/base coat
Clinique Chubby Stick in Whole Lotta Honey*
Hourglass lipstick in Fresco
Rouge Bunny Rouge sheer lipstick in Murmurings

Brushes
Rouge Bunny Rouge Face Contour Brush* which I use for both blusher and bronzer
Illamasqua Blusher Brush #1, I'm hoping I will be able to use this with the Diorskin powder foundation
Adesign Flat Topped Foundation Brush*
Le Metier de Beaute Concealer Brush*
MAC 224, 219 and 239 brushes
Sigma E25 blending brush
Hakuhodo Kokutan ML Eye Brush
Ruby + Millie Angled Liner

Orly Decoded

I'd like to claim that it's unusal for me to walk around with one random nail painted but that would be a lie! I've had Orly Decoded on for my little finger for couple of days and it's lasted surprisingly well. I still can't make up my mind whether to wear this or Illamasqua Bacterium on Sunday which is the reason that both are travelling with me.

I don't tend to do clothes posts. I'm not the least bit fashionable (you'll be able to tell from the pictures below) but this is the outfit I'm planning to wear to the baptism. It's a black jersey faux wrap around dress and the cardigan is one I purchased the other day in the Lazy Lu sale. I intend to wear it with black tights, black boots and some chunky gold jewellery. I can't decide on which scarf to wear, as much as I love the one in the first picture, I fear that I'd be entering Bett Lynch territory combined with my zebra print bag! I may have a quick look for an alternative tomorrow if time permits.

My 'Bett Lynch' bag!

Right, it's time for me to rinse this hair dye off and find out exactly what 'blends in grey' really means!

Disclosure: PR samples are indicated with an asterisk.

Currently

I'm sorry that posts are so erratic at the moment. Work has really limited my free time but yesterday was my last session for the exam season, so I'm hoping things will get back to normal now. Well, once I've fully recovered from the small people germies that is. In the meantime, here's a bit of a general ramble about what's been keeping me entertained and catching my eye.

Watching...Wallander. I watched the English version with Kenneth Brannagh first and was so taken with it, I had to watch all of the Swedish series too. I have two more episodes from Season 2 left to watch and I suspect I'm going to have to read some of the Henning Mankell books once I've finished. I have surprised myself by picking up quite a variety of Swedish words with all my recent viewing. I do have a habit of homing in on the swear words for some reason...

Buying...clothes. Clothes shopping is most definitely NOT my favourite pastime but I need to find an outfit for a baptism I'll be attending this weekend. I managed to find lots of lovely Lazy Lu cardigans and tops on sale which will be great for updating my wardrobe generally, but I still need to find a pair of smart trousers. I anticipate I will be tearing my hair out over trousers by tomorrow evening!

Pondering...what makeup to take with me for my weekend away. I feel fairly certain taupe will be involved but I've yet to decide which one.

Source

Lusting after...these beautiful gunmetal high tops from Ash. I blame Kat from Does my bum look 40 in this? for this current obsession. I live in my Converse trainers and these look so comfy. It's probably a good job they're sold out everywhere, as I'd be coming up with excuses to wear them in church for the baptism.

Celebrating...the fact that I've stuck to the Couch to 5k running programme and I'm about start the 9th (and final) week. Not feeling well has prevented me going out for the last couple of days but I've been regularly going out and jogging for 25+ minutes for the last few weeks. Although I still don't feel like a natural at running, I do get a real buzz from completing each session.

Looking forward to...the end of the month and therefore reaching the end of my eyeshadow and nail polish no-buy. I've toyed with the idea of extending my ban, as it has helped curb my spending but I honestly don't think I can face it. You can look forward to splurges on Burberry and Chantecaille in the near future.

Products I'm loving...Zelens skincare, NARS Pure Radiant tinted moisturiser and Sephora Waterproof Jumbo Liner pencil in taupe. I'm poised to review the Zelens products* but I'm not sure if I'll get opportunity to write it before the weekend. I've been using the Radiance Cleanser, 3t Complex Face Cream and Triple Action Eye Cream and they all get a big thumbs up on texture and results. The NARS tinted moisturiser and Sephora pencil were surprise gifts from a very kind friend and I've been using both constantly since they arrived last week. The Sephora pencil in particular is a wonder. Waterproof taupe that you can use on its own or as a base? Genius!

What have you been up to recently?

* PR Samples

A Wardrobe Hoarder

I'm going to go off topic again today. I spoke last week about my inability to part with items of makeup and I think this probably carries on from there. I spent yesterday decluttering. It's something I try to do quite regularly. I find that cupboards and storage filled with 'stuff' makes me uneasy. However, I've come to the conclusion that, although I want to be tidy and streamlined, a hoarder lurks inside. Inside my wardrobe to be precise.

My wardrobe is home not only my clothes but also to my makeup and shoes. I suppose I put my makeup in there just to ensure I go in there daily. For my wardrobe is home to a large collection of clothes and shoes that I will most probably never wear again. I'm quite good at getting rid of day to day stuff when it's worn out but it's the special items, the treasures that I just can't let go. Even though my sensible side knows I'm being a silly.

I'll start first with the shoes. I always loved shoes. My entire family has a bit of an Imelda Marcos thing going on. I loved nothing better than shopping for shoes pre-children but pregnancy did something strange to my feet. To start with I assumed it was fluid and hoped my feet would return to normal but I've been waiting for almost six years now so I accept that my feet have changed shape for good. All my precious shoes that I wore to special events sit gathering dust as they just don't fit me any more. Part of me knows that I should just give them up but there's also another part of me that is hoping that by some miracle my feet will shrink when (and if) I eventually lose weight.

Which brings me on to the clothes. About 70% of the clothes hanging on my rail don't fit me anymore. Some of them are just tantilisingly out of reach but a good deal of them are from the fleeting moments of thin in my life. I can't recall whether I've spoken about this on here but I've had a life long battle with my weight. I started my first diet at 12 years old. I have been everything from a size 18 to a size 10 and back again. This was a problem prior to children but my poor relationship with food saw me pile on weight with my first two children. I didn't put too much weight on last time but I'm still not at a happy weight and failing to find the motivation to start a healthy eating plan again.

Smuggled at the back of my wardrobe I have a selection of my favourite occasion dresses. Including my wedding dress. They range in size from 10 to 14, in fact it's the wedding dress that is a 14 so ironically the one I'd fit into first but I'm not sure I'll ever be attending an event that call for a bridal gown!! These dresses have survived endless culls. I do wonder if it's not healthy to hang on to them. I have happy memories attached to these items but looking at them does make me feel a little sad too. With the exception of the wedding dress of course.

I'm posting this in the hope that outing myself might act as motivation. Whether it's to get rid of these things or kick start a diet I don't know. But I did also wonder if I'm not alone in this strange habit. I know I'm not the only box hoarder so maybe I'm not alone in my wardrobe hoarding either? What do you do? Are you dedicated to streamlining your wardrobe or do hang onto special items 'just in case'?

Beauty Fanatics Unfashionable Secret

It may be an odd choice to talk about clothing on a beauty blog but I felt inspired to write a little post about my less than enthusiastic approach to clothing. Oh, who am I kidding, it won't be little post, you may want to go and put the kettle on.

I love all things makeup and beauty related. New cosmetic purchases make me very happy. I may not be completely at home at beauty counters still but I will battle my nerves these days to get my hands on the good stuff. I think fashion and beauty usually go hand in hand but for me that just isn't the case. I dislike clothes shopping. IMMENSLEY. Trying to find an outfit and venturing into changing rooms is probably up there with my least favourite chores. I don't have a body that I enjoying seeing in mirrors from every angle. I buy online too but I that's not usually much better, I still have to try the clothes on which often results in disgust and disappointment.

Damn those 360˚ mirrors

There have been periods in my life when clothes shopping brought more joy. Namely those times when I have been a size 10 - 12 and I knew anything I picked up would fit. I've ALWAYS battled with my weight. I've been on (and off) a diet since my pre-teens. I'm not naturally sporty which doesn't help matters. I envy those for whom a balanced diet and exercise is just part of their normal life. I have been successful at losing weight and keeping it off in the past but since having children I seem to have lots my way.

Having children brings me to my other problem. I spent a lot of the last six years pregnant. Maternity clothes have robbed me of any sense of style that I might have previously had. I don't even have a clear idea of what's in fashion anymore. I remember buying a coat when my eldest was 3 months old. A sensible outdoors jacket from Millets. I still have this coat and it's my bad weather wear. I hate it and it makes me look and feel Mumsy, yet I've failed to find anything that will keep me dry and look stylish at the same time. It spoils the look of anything I wear underneath so it puts me off even trying.

Actual coat not shown. My coat is MUCH worse!

The other day I forced myself to go to the shops and buy myself some new things. I had somewhere to go and didn't want to wear the same thing yet again. It could have been the usual demoralising experience but for a change I found quite a few new things that I wanted to keep. I wore an almost entirely new outfit on my evening out, including a new coat and I actually felt good about it. It wasn't necessarily fashionable or stylish but I felt more myself and less Mumsy which was a great feeling. The following weekend I went through my clothes and took everything out that was past it's best and sent it to the charity shop. I felt a little guilty as the clothes were still 'ok' but they were probably a little faded or bobbled and I can accept that it's not really a good look. The shabby look probably doesn't set my makeup off to best effect either!

I'm hopeful that getting rid of these old clothes will spur me on to invest in more. It would be nice to make an effort again and get a bit of confidence back. I don't think I will suddenly enjoy clothes shopping and it will always be makeup first, but I will remind myself that new clothes can make me feel better about myself. My next job is to bin that old coat!