Primark | Vanity Claire

ClaireJuly 27, 2013

July Haul: Missguided, Primark, ASOS & More…

Forgive me father, for I have shopped.

As it was payday this week, and as I was left on my own today while Lauren swanned off on her holiday with her family (erm, did she miss the part of our housemate contract where it said she wasn’t allowed to go away without me in her suitcase?), I decided to pop into town for the ever mysterious ‘one or two bits’. Of course this always accidentally turns into six or seven bits – but I can’t help that I have ~~a heavy flow and a wide-set vagina~~ no willpower.

I’ve also had a few things delivered the last couple of days, oops…

ASOS Petite Pencil Skirt £15 (SALE) / Missguided Split Maxi Skirt £5.99

This ASOS skirt is my favourite thing that I’ve bought in quite a while. I’m going to Sheffield next weekend for my friend’s birthday and had originally ordered the white bardot dress from Missguided’s value range for that. However, when it turned up with the rest of my Missguided goodies, I wasn’t in love with it and so this skirt was swiftly ordered in its place. The colours, the print, the fit… it simply makes my soul happy. The maxi skirt from Missguided was thankfully not a disappointment like the dress was. I LOVE this skirt and am actually wearing it today (god help any neighbours who would have been walking by at the point where I whipped it off to take these photos). The slit comes to about halfway down the thigh so it’s just about daytime-acceptable.

Missguided Acid Green Skater Skirt £5.99 / Missguided Crop T-Shirt £3.50

Don’t worry, I will iron these before wearing them…

Primark Playsuit £8 / Playsuit Leopard Boyfriend Tee £5

When I went into town I popped into Primark to look at the shoes, and ended up coming away with these. This playsuit was one of those things that you almost don’t want to buy in Primark because it seemed as if literally everyone was snapping one up, but it was simply too pretty to leave without. I also picked up this t-shirt on a bit of a whim. I love leopard print but actually don’t tend to wear it very much (blonde extensions, fake tan and leopard print – it’s even too much for me, and that’s saying something); this print with the leopard faces really caught my eye though. It’s an oversized, boyfriend-fit tee which isn’t my usual thing but I thought it would be good for slouchy days. To be honest I have no real idea at the moment what I’ll wear it with, but I like clothes that also give you a good challenge, like you’re on the Crystal Maze.

Primark Floral Headband – £2.50

Excuse my MASSIVE SHNOZZ but – I’ve finally hopped on the floral crown bandwagon.

Naturally, I ended up picking up a few beauty bits too. My first stop was Poundland, where I found these bendy hair rollers. Next, I swung by Boots and picked up No. 7’s Exceptional Definition mascara to try, after reading some good reviews. Usually I’m loyal to Boots, but I headed to Superdrug too today to investigate the MUA range and instead discovered the Sleek stand. I’ve only seen Sleek online before (probably due to my afore-mentioned Boots loyalty) and so spent ages poring all over their different products before eventually deciding to try their BB cream. With my trip to Sheffield next week in mind, I picked up a new Barry M lipstick in ‘Palest Lavendar’ and of course some new false lashes. I went quite small compared to my usual drag queen-esque lashes, as the lipstick’s quite intense:

And so I came home quite a bit poorer of purse… but richer in mood? That’s a legit justification for spending, right? I’ll be trying and reviewing all of these bits soon and pestering you all with my thoughts on them, YOU LUCKY THINGS.

ClaireJuly 21, 2013

Outfit of the Day: Neon Tshirt and a Maxi Skirt.

My unabated love affair with the neon trend continues. When I came home with this top yesterday, Claire sarcastically said “Oh, I didn’t know you liked neon”, which I think was a bit rude really. I think that girl needs an attitude adjustment. She has a point though, my last few shopping trips have all included something neon and I’m seriously wondering whether I’m investing too much into this trend, only to be rudely awakened by the dark colours and gloominess that the autumn/winter trends will bring.

But as our dear and beloved friend Drake would say, YOLO. I love the colour of this little neon pink number and I can see myself getting LOADS of wear out of it before the hot weather runs out. Basic tshirts are something I don’t have enough of, so it is a useful little addition to my wardrobe.

I wore this outfit out for dinner at a friend’s house yesterday (nachos, YUM) and I’m horrified to say that the WHOLE outfit is from Primark (apart from my necklace, phew). I bought the maxi skirt a few months ago, it’s nothing special but it’s nice and flattering. My love of crosses is nearly akin to my love of neon, so I whacked on my big cross pendant (bought from New Look), a pair of sandals (Primark, I’m sorry) and a brown bag. The top was a mere £3.50 from Primark, what a genuine barg!

You might notice a bit of a change of scene for this OOTD. I thought I’d treat you all to a sneak peak of my bedroom (this post is practically an episode of Cribs). As you can see I have really nice carpets, I think the puke green marbled effect really compliments my eyes. I also have a chicken ornament, nothing more needs to be said about that.

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and keep your eyes peeled for lots of exciting posts this week!

ClaireJuly 13, 2013

Outfit of the Day: eBay Mint Blazer

Mint Blazer: eBay / Dress: ASOS (old) / Necklace: Primark / Watch: Casio (can buy here) / Shoes: Primark

Good afternoon lovely folk of the world! If you’ve read any of our other OOTD posts then you may notice that this we’ve had a slight change of scenery today. Usually we take pictures in our front room because the lighting’s better in there and it’s where our desk is, making it the room for all things professional. However (much to Lauren’s delight), that room is currently cluttered up with loads of my stuff that my mum unceremoniously decided she wanted out of her spare bedroom, and so until I find the energy to move it all up to my bedroom I had to re-locate to the other living room to take today’s OOTD.

Obviously, this was a really bad decision. The angle was terrible, the light was terrible and I suffered from a bad case of bitchface because I was worrying about all of these things too much. These are sadly the best of a very bad bunch. Sigh, the things we go through(!)

Anyway, this is my new(ish) blazer that I absolutely LOVE. Being short and quite small-framed, I really struggle with blazers as they’re usually too long and bulky. So when I found that this selection of cropped, waterfall blazers on eBay actually fit quite nicely, my little heart soared. I’m usually not a fan of having the same thing in various colours, but I’ve got to confess I have this in both the black and white versions too. As you can see in the first photo (or the bitchface photo), the lapel tends to run amok a bit but generally, for the price, you can’t beat this little number!

I’m planning to do a post soon about my favourite eBay bargains, so keep your little eyes peeled.

On that note, I need to go and find a pub garden immediately. T’ra.

ClaireJuly 8, 2013

Outfit of the Day: Neon Crop & Motel Rocks Skirt

Crop top – Primark / Maxi Skirt – Motel Rocks / Wedges – Primark

It’s so boring when all English people do is go on about the weather. With that in mind, COR HOW NICE IS THIS WEATHER? I hope you all had a lovely weekend basking in the sun. It was absolutely gorgeous here in Costa Del Coventry, so what did I do? I spent my Saturday asleep on the sofa for three hours, then went shopping and to the gym. No, I don’t know why either.

This outfit isn’t even from this weekend, I’m such a fraud. This is actually what I wore last weekend for my sister’s friend’s birthday party. As you can see, it’s a pretty out-there choice for me. A crop top and maxi skirt!? Move over Lady Gaga, there’s a new creative genius in town.

ClaireJuly 4, 2013

Primark Autumn/Winter 2013 Collection: Best and Worst

Lauren and I make no secret of the fact that we love Primark. It was therefore with great fervour that I rushed to Look’s website to have the first peek at the new Autumn/Winter 2013 collection. The items aren’t due to launch in stores til August, but going into Primark is like going into battle (hands up who’s had a pushchair try to plough over them like a tank?) and so strategic planning is necessary.

Primark seems to have gone up a lot in people’s estimations recently, with many saying that their S/S 2013 collection and the pieces available on ASOS were all indicative of them really upping their game. So what do we make of the A/W collection?

To put it bluntly, I’m not hugely impressed. I don’t think this is anything personal against Primark, rather I just don’t think this winter is going to be very ‘me’ in general. I was a big fan of last year’s gothic-inspired stuff, but I think this winter I was hoping to see something a bit more cheerful. Alas, no. It’s all doom and bloody gloom again.

Dominatrixes, rejoice! Leather looks set to hang around. I do normally like leather, but a lot of the pieces this season have a crackled, patent finish that I’m not a fan of. I do like the mixing of textures on the leather, varsity-esque jumper though, so hopefully there’ll be some more bits like that that I can scoop up.

Another key look seems to be tartan. Again, I’m not a fan. Unless tartan is coming at me in the form of James McAvoy in a kilt ready to cart me off for a traditional Scottish wedding then I’ll leave it, ta. Lauren and I have discussed it at length (I do wonder how we still have jobs) and she thinks a pair of tartan trousers could work, while I’m willing to maybe try a tartan scarf if I absolutely have to. In the name of blogging, of course.

As we move onto the accessories in the collection, my sense of bewilderment begins to border on anguish. What are these cheap, be-jeweled pieces? I love statement jewellery, but the only things these seem to state is ‘hiya, I’m crap’.

Next, the shoes. Someone please explain to me when it suddenly became okay for heels to be this height? And slingback? And pointy-toed? Oh Yahweh, please take me from this world because I do not want to exist anymore.

FINALLY, there are some things that I do actually like. And what I do like, I like a lot. All of these are simply delightful:

And I’m sure once it all actually arrives there will be plenty of other pieces that I love in store. If not, then I’ll still be sporting neon and mesh and refusing to accept that S/S has ended, so please just bear with me through this difficult time.

What do you all think of the Primark’s A/W 2013 collection? Which pieces do you like?

ClaireJuly 1, 2013

Outfit of the Day: Primark Patterned Trousers & Crop

SHOCK BLOODY HORROR, CLAIRE’S ONLY WEARING A CROP TOP AGAIN. Seriously, what will I do when these go out of fashion? My midriff will feel so unloved.

On Friday we had the ever-daunting task of going out for drinks straight after work. This is the sort of thing that Cosmo pretend is really easy when they write things like ‘this dress is the perfect office-to-drinks piece’ – in real life it is very difficult and means lugging a pair of heels, extra clothes and your entire makeup bag to work with you (we don’t have ‘office-to-drinks’ faces, unfortunately).

I opted for my new patterned trousers from Primark, with a plain long sleeved black top during the day. Just before leaving work, I released my stomach and got changed into the crop top for a more evening-appropriate look. I’ve just realised that this entire outfit, including necklace, is actually from Primark. I’m going to awkwardly side-step away from life now. Bye.

ClaireJune 29, 2013

June Haul: Primark, Topshop, Motel & eBay

ALOHA, SLUTS. This week, two big events coincided – one, payday; two, A Terrible Week. When these two things meet, a lot of shopping ends up happening, and that is why all of these new clothes are currently sitting in my room. I won’t depress you all with the details of A Terrible Week, but it goes without saying that cocktails and friends have made things significantly better.These new little purchases have helped too….

Printed trousers and midi dress – both Primark

Of course, I had to venture to Primark in my time of need. I’ve been after these trousers for a couple of months now, and finally got round to buying them. I do think that a pair of ridiculous trousers can really brighten not only your day, but the days of everyone around you. These are really comfy and the elasticated waist came in SUPER handy yesterday when I accidentally had a pie and chips for lunch instead of a salad (how does that sort of thing always happen? It’s a mystery).

I also finally picked up one of the Primark midi dresses. As I’ve no doubt whinged about before, being petite means that finding a midi is a challenge and most of the ones I’ve tried on in places like Primark have looked awful. To be honest, this one didn’t look great on in the changing room – despite getting a size 6, the slouchy fit still just looked TOO slouchy and shapeless, and I’m just not sure if they suit little people. So why did I buy it still? That’s a really good question, and I wish I knew the answer. I think I want to try it on with some wedges and a belt and see if it can be salvaged – if not, it is farewell, midi.

I picked up a few other bits from Primark, including a new purse, a belt, some socks and a makeup bag – unfortunately at the time we went to press (ie now) all of these items were strewn around various parts of my house and not available for photographing.

Jeggings – Topshop £22

This might be a really odd thing to say but these are actually my first pair of jeggings. Ever. I’ve never found any before that suited me or that I liked and, to be honest, I thought they were kind of gone now. But I saw these in Topshop and decided to try them on because I liked the pale denim. And IT WAS LOVE. They fit beautifully and are perfect for the summer. So please can nobody ruin my joy by telling me how sooo 2010 they are (even if they are).

Cropped blazer – eBay

I actually already have this blazer in black and in white. I’m usually not a fan of stocking up in this way, but I actually can’t resist with this item. I love blazers but really struggle to find ones that don’t swamp my small frame and make me look about seven feet wide due to unnecessary shoulder pads. These cropped waterfall blazers from a run-of-the-mill eBay shop are actually the perfect length, and come in at around a tenner including p&p – so of course I couldn’t resist adding this minty one to my collection.

Tube skirt: Motel £10

When I spied this bad boy in the sale, I couldn’t say no. It’s described on the website as being ‘a maxi or a midi depending on your height’; on me it is definitely a maxi, but quite an ankle-grazing one, which is quite nice. It’s actually a thick, knitted material which I wasn’t really expecting (because I don’t read descriptions, mainly), but I’m happy with it as I’ll get loads of wear out of it into the winter too.

Dip-dye dress – Topshop via eBay

This shouldn’t really be included in the haul seeing as it’s not a ‘new’ item as such – I actually swooped in and won this on eBay for a victorious £3. It was brand new without tags so quite the bargain.

What do you all think of this haul? Have you bought any of these items lately?

ClaireJune 26, 2013

Mini Haul: Primark, Simple and Collection!

Hey chicks!

As a lot of you will aware from our incessant celebrating, yesterday was pay day. I feel like you have never truly experienced happiness until you get that heady ‘I’M SO RICH, KANYE HAS NOTHING ON ME RIGHT NOW’ joy from getting paid. Getting paid means splashing out on those things that you lusted over last month but couldn’t afford because you spent all of your money on pay day (LOGICAL?). As soon as lunch time hit yesterday, Claire was all over eBay and investing in her current list of must-haves. I, on the other hand, was attempting to be sensible and not buy anything unnecessary. This went pretty well until I got into Birmingham after work and had half an hour to kill before going for dinner. I went to Boots, which is ALWAYS dangerous, and then couldn’t stop myself from strolling around everywhere looking for things to satisfy my deep, deep need for material possessions (nail varnish = happiness. It has been proved. By science).

This is just a mini haul post on what I bought yesterday – I’d say none of it is HUGELY exciting, but still, a haul is a haul. You have to excuse the awful photos, I had to resort to my iphone after I’d had a couple of glasses of wine and apparently this is what happens. WHAT KIND OF BLOGGER DO I THINK I AM?!

I have a little bit of explaining to do with regards to each item actually and they all come with wonderful stories that I know you are all dying to hear, so feel free to make yourself a cup of tea and snuggle down. I’m justifying this little shopping trip because most of the items were entirely necessary and I did vaguely try and be thrifty NO JUDGEMENT PLEASE, MONEY GOD.

This little bad boy I have been lusting over since I spotted it in Boots a few weeks ago. I was actually having a lovely chat with @StonesGotStyle on Twitter about it and we both were thinking it’d be a BRILLIANT product if it delivered on the makeup fixing front. For the price, I think it really could be a winner, particularly when compared to more expensive brands. I’ve got it on today and so far so good – although I would say it’s not really a fair trial as I manage to smear all of my makeup over my face when I’m at work no matter what I’ve got on. I’m going to try it out on Friday when I head out with Claire and the gals – expect a full review very soon. It also smells lovely, as a side note!

Why have you put a lip balm on a haul post, you ask? Well, it does seem a bit pointless BUT I think it’s good to know what lip balms work and smell good. There have been so many times I’ve just gone with Vaseline because I couldn’t make up my mind about other brands and to be honest, Vaseline is a pile of greasy nothing. For anyone else who struggles with chapped lips in the summer, this lip balm is perfect. It smells and tastes yummy and actually works – I’ve been using it for a while now and I can safely say I’ve not used a better everyday balm.

I CAN’T RAVE ABOUT THIS CONCEALER ENOUGH. Honestly, it is full on amazing. I’ve tried similar illuminating concealers and they have all been WUBBISH. I’ve also heard this is the best dupe for Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Éclat and for £5, it’s definitely worth giving it a go. I bought it in the ‘Glow’ shade as it’s the darkest one they do and use it under my eyes and down my nose for contouring purposes. Occasionally I’ll use it on spots too, although I try not to as it is a mixture of a highlighter and concealer (and who wants to highlight their spots?!). Saying that, it does work well as a simple concealer too. I could go on about this product for YEARS but will save you all the torture and just recommend you purchase and give it a whirl!

Claire and I had a moment the other day when we realised that big earrings were no longer cool. It was quite a heart wrenching moment; our standard jewellery ventures used to be a giant pair of chandelier earrings. But this just simply can’t be done anymore, sob. We’ve come to the conclusion that necklaces and rings are the big players in the jewellery world now, which is fantastic apart from the fact I have sausage fingers. ANYWAY, it turns out I haven’t been quite able to let go of my love of earrings and decided to buy a load of hoops from Primark. At £1, it was pretty rude not to. My theory is, because the 90’s are well and truly back, I can get away with a bit of Jennifer Anniston hoop. I’m planning a big topknot and hoops for Friday, so I will take a picture and see if this is achieved! I also got this set of rings because I love a bit of neon and they’re a great way of adding a bit of the trend into a boring outfit (note – Primark have some LOVELY neon jewellery in at the moment).

If you follow us on Twitter, you might have seen my #bbloggers beg the other day for some eye makeup remover recommendations. I have a new mascara, which I love, but it refuses to come off. It’s not actually waterproof but has a terrible habit of sticking to anything and everything. I had a lot of response and I really wanted to invest in a No7 oil based remover that one of you lovely people recommended. However, I left my voucher at home and in a bid to be sensible, decided to go with something a bit cheaper. I also looked for the Neutrogena wipes that were recommended but unfortunately the Boots I was in didn’t stock them, so I went for the next make up remover suggestion! So far, I’ve been really happy with this Simple one and it takes all of the naughty mascara off in a few wipes. I’m actually very happy with it and for the price, I think I will buy it again. So big thanks to all of you who gave me some suggestions!

Finally, this was my last purchase yesterday! There’s not much to say apart from the fact that my shoe situation is terrible and I needed some black pumps for work. They’re quite cute, so I’m happy! I have my eye on a pair of nude t-bar studded ones in Primark actually, and will probably buy them in the next few weeks.

WELL, that was my slightly mad pay day haul yesterday. I’ve told myself I’m on a spending ban now, but lets see how long that realistically lasts….

ClaireJune 25, 2013

Wishlist: The Search For A New Handbag.

Handbags. Even girls (who arguably should be sectioned) that claim they don’t like shopping and ‘girly things’ love a good handbag. Where else are you supposed to keep essential items like phones, keys and snacks for later? POCKETS? ARE YOU MAD? HAM SANDWICHES DON’T SURVIVE IN POCKETS.

Ahem. Anyway. I’ve been on the hunt for a new handbag for a while now and I’m in two minds whether to invest in something fancy or just go with my usual standard of buying a cheap handbag that only lasts a couple of months. At the moment I’m using a horrible combination of a little black box bag for the days I don’t have a lot of stuff (it’s a really old Primark one that’s not worth getting into too much detail about) and a big floral one for when I’m going to the gym (or have a big lunch…). They’re doing me fine for now, but I really feel like I need a nice grown up handbag in a sophisticated shade of black or tan to make my life a bit better.

So, with all of this pointless information in mind, I’ve decided to put together a handbag wishlist to try and streamline my ideas and also share with y’all the best of the handbags on the highstreet.

Contrast effect bags:

As you may notice, I’m after a bit of a classic bag that’s going to last me over the next couple of years (fingers crossed), so I’m a bit wary of getting involved in anything too neon or rucksack-y. On the topic of rucksacks, me and Claire were discussing what perils you could encounter while wearing one. Don’t get us wrong, we are both big fans of rucksacks but there are things that need to be addressed. What if someone stole my lunch on the way to work (don’t pretend like you didn’t unzip people’s backpacks at school and hide their things)? What if I fell over backwards and squashed my belongings? What if I was mistaken for a five year old and told to go back to pre-school? Will I actually just look like a giant douchebag? For these legitimate/worrying reasons, rucksacks have not been featured on this bag wishlist. Sorry gals.

Tan bags:

Printed bags:

I’m painfully aware that the tan bags and contrast bags I picked are all a bit boring, so I’ve decided to do a ‘printed’ category to take me out of my comfort zone a bit. I’m not sure how classic these are but the I do enjoy a good bit of leopard and geometric print so one of them might be the one!

What do you guys think? Any particular favourites or recommendations?

*Note – Claire just pointed out I wrote about lunch on three occasions in this post. IT’S MY FAVOURITE MEAL OF THE DAY, I’M SORRY I ENJOY A FREAKIN’ SANDWICH.

ClaireJune 21, 2013

Outfit of the Day: Neon Yellow and Acid Wash.

Hello all you spiffing gals and potential alien fashionistas (we’re big on Jupiter according to Google Analytics).

This is just a tiny little OOTD post to give you all a look at some of my favourite bits of clothing at the moment as well as what I wore out for dinner earlier in the week. Because clearly while squeezing myself into Topshop’s acid wash jeans, a small voice said “yeah this is ok Lauren, have a MASSIVE pizza from Pizza Express. You won’t regret it”. SCREW YOU SMALL VOICE. There is no need for you. Go home. You are drunk.

Moving on, these jeans are my all time favourite. I find the super soft jeans by Toppers simply marvy, they fit really well and don’t feel bulky at all (which is something I hate from regular jeans). The only downside is that they don’t last brilliantly long because the material is so thin. Forking out £40 for a new pair every few months is a bit of a kick in the boob. They’re also not the most forgiving in lighter colours, but who the hell cares?! Embrace your shape, wear what you want and say YOU’RE LAME to the haters

I also recently bought this top from Primark and it has been a firm favourite in my wardrobe since then. It’s nothing particularly special but it fits nicely (kind of a baggy boyfriend fit) and the roll sleeves add a bit of interest. The colour is BRILLIANT and on trend, so I feel super snazzy and bright. There’s something about yellow that just makes you feel sunshiney and happy so it ticks the perky boxes for me. It’s also £3.50, so I’m going to invest in a load more next time I’m in town. It would be rude not to right?!

I paired my jeans and tshirt with a pair of cream heels from Forever 21, which are eons old but SO comfortable. I wanted to jazz up the outfit a bit since it was all looking a bit too casual. A leopard clutch and a gold chain and I was ready to go and drink mid-priced cava and munch on polenta chips.

Here is my face too, it was a bit of a nightmare hair situation because I’d put on some raw coconut oil as a mask before showering and didn’t wash it out properly, so my hair was a bit flat and mad. Other than that, this is a pretty standard face/hair situation for me!