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Outfit of the Day: Tie Dye & Treggings
T-Shirt: Maryjane Fashion / Chain: eBay / Treggings & Wedges: Primark
Hey y’all, hope all of your days are going wonderfully and that you’ve all had your daily biscuit. This is just a simple outfit of the day post to show one of my favourite easy outfits at the moment.
I bought these treggings months ago from good ole Primark and wore them over and over again in the first few weeks. I then noticed that they didn’t wash very well (read: I didn’t wash them very well – domestic goddess I ain’t) and had gone a bit bobbly so didn’t really bother with them again. I re-discovered them a couple of weeks ago and found that the condition was nowhere near as bad as I’d imagined – and so they live another day! I’m well aware that they’re hardly the most flattering things for my shape, but I think I’ve explained before my new life philosophy of embracing your natural body shape which for me means saying to the world ‘HEY, HERE ARE MY HIPS, DEAL WITH THEM’. I really do like the treggings in an outfit, they give a slightly smarter look to really casual tops but not in an awkward ‘teacher on sports day’ way.
I got this tee from Maryjane Fashion about a month ago. I love the tie-dye/smudge print, and the dark colours mean it will still be wearable in the colder months. The fit’s nice and loose, but it’s still perfect for tucking in as I’ve done here. I can’t find it on the site anymore, which is a SNORE, but the site has a load of other nice pieces for ridiculously cheap prices. I think this was around the £6 mark, and its surprisingly good quality.
I teamed it with my current favourite gold chain, which everyone has seen me wear about fifty-eight times already. It’s tacky and fabulous and I will not hear a bad word said about it.
Outfit of the Night: Denim Skater Skirt, Crop Top & No Glass Bottles
Over the weekend we had two of our bestest friends from uni come to stay with us in our new house. This of course meant a night out on Saturday, as what better way is there to say ‘hey, we’ve missed you’ than with cocktails and slut dropping?
Anyway, we were completely useless and forgot to get proper OOTN pictures (bad blogger award goes to us). In fact, Lauren’s outfit was hardly featured in any full-length photos at all. But just in case anybody is interested, here is a brief look at what I wore:
Crop top: Primark
Gold chain: eBay
Skater skirt: Topshop
Shoe boots & bag: Primark
(Can you believe that they served me a VK in a plastic glass? Apparently we’re no longer trusted with bottles in Coventry; the risk of us throwing them at each other must be too great.)
It was a really simple outfit but I liked it anyway. If for any reason you felt compelled to recreate the look, then here is how to do it:
Outfits of the Day: Saturday Casual.
Dress: H&M
Jacket: Miss Selfridge
Boots: Dorothy Perkins
Necklace: New Look
Top: Ebay
Shoes: Converse
Watch: Casio
Necklace: Primark
This is a super quick post because Claire and I are off for lunch with our friend who has come to visit from London. We’re nipping into town to get some essentials for tonight (fake eyelashes, tan, wine) before hitting Bella Italia hard with a carb loaded hammer. For your viewing pleasure, these are our outfits today. I’m mixing pastels and leather because that’s just how I roll and Claire is going for the “just a moment, I’m just going to play a game of baseball” look. We spent longer than necessary trying to get our OOTD faces right, Claire just about managed it whereas I look like I hate everyone and life. FYI, I am actually a happy person.
Cheap Makeup: Is It Really That Bad?
Pretty much every beauty blogger and makeup aficionado will concede that for the most part, the more money you spend on a product, the better it is. As avid readers of beauty blogs, Claire and I often cry with jealousy over Mac makeup hauls, Illamasqua purchases and Bobbi Brown buys. While we have to confess that on occasion, one of us will splash out on something a bit fancy (see Claire’s Benefit ‘They’re Real’ Mascara Review), most of the time we simply can’t afford to. Our budgets don’t really stretch to spending £30+ on makeup when we run out and of course, things like paying for rent, water and (regrettably) food have to take priority. That definitely doesn’t mean we don’t want to and we’re not begrudging y’all who do (although we hate you and your beautifully made up faces), it’s just not something we do on a regular basis.
With all of this in mind, we have become quite the experts on cheap makeup. Over our makeup wearing years, both of us have tried pretty much every budget to mid-range makeup product on the high street. I get particularly excited and a bit over enthusiastic about trying new products, even if it is something a bit pathetic from MUA or Rimmel. There can be a lot of negative buzz around cheaper brands but I think there’s hope yet. Cheap makeup doesn’t have to bring back horrible memories of slathering your eyelids in baby blue eyeshadow from Miss Sporty. I am of the opinion that there are some absolute gems on the high street and there are a lot of cheap makeup products that you simply can’t ignore. So, with all of this waffle in mind (I just can’t get to the point can I?!), here are my five best cheap makeup products that have been tried and tested.
2True Cheek ‘n’ Lip Tint, £1.99
Any makeup brand that is called 2True should in theory have the face rash alarm bells ringing. Also, a product that is actually £1.99 probably sounds too good to be true (there was a pun in there, I missed it. I am sorry). ALAS MY DEAR FRIENDS, this is actually a great Benetint dupe and the only criticism I have is that it is slightly runnier than its £25 counterpart. The colour actually lasted longer for me and I generally just prefer it. Did I mention it is £1.99…?
Collection 2000 Extreme 24h Felt Tip Eyeliner, £2.99
As a big believer in winged liquid eyeliner (I am Cleopatra), I’ve always been on the hunt for the perfect liquid eyeliner. I’ve dabbled in Barry M, Rimmel and lots of others but this Collection 2000 beauty is at the top of my must-have cheap makeup list. It lasts for AGES (probably 24 hours, I haven’t quite tested it for that long) and it is mega easy to apply. Even Claire gets on with it and her face likes to reject liquid eyeliners.
Primark Nail Varnish, £2 for four.
These have been hyped quite a lot on beauty blogs recently and it’s no surprise really. They’re SUPER cheap (my maths brain works it out to 50p per pot and to this I say WHAAAAAAAAT?!), they last well and they have a great colour range. What more could you want, you needy human beings?!
Perfect Girl Natural Flirt False Eyelashes, £3.99
These are my go-to lashes. Claire and I love false eyelashes for nights out and I personally couldn’t go out without a pair flapping away around my eyeballs. I used to be a firm Eylure purchaser, but it started to get a bit pricey at £5 per pair. I then went full circle and bought 60 pairs for £7 on eBay and I have now settled on these. They’re big, volumous and just look great. I would say that the glue is a bit crap so you may want to just buy a big pot of decent glue to stick these bad boys on.
Collection 2000 Supersize Mascara, £2.99
I’ll have to pop a disclaimer in over here. Mascara isn’t my forte and I know a lot of people (like Claire) are really picky with what they use. I have blonde eyelashes that have quite a good natural curl, so I am mostly bothered about getting some black colour onto them more than anything else. Saying that, I have tried a lot of the more expensive brands (of which Dior’s DiorShow has been THE WORST) and I will keep coming back to this Collection one. It does the job and I’m happy with it. It’s not too clumpy (though I weirdly quite like clumps) and it stays on well. Definitely worth the £2.99 I’d say!
So, is cheap makeup really that bad? I’d firmly say no. While there are some things you should spent a little more money on (like foundation and prostitutes), there are a lot of other products you can get away with scrimping on. So the next time you whip out your credit card for a hefty Mac haul, think for a moment whether you can pop to Superdrug and find a decent alternative (and then spend your saved money on tequila).
Outfits of the Day: Skulls & Leopards
Top: New Look
Necklace: Primark
Skirt: Primark
Boots: Dorothy Perkins
Vest: H&M
Scarf: eBay
Bracelets: Primark
Maxi Skirt: Topshop (Petite)
Greetings earthlings! It’s been a pretty fun few days for us in regards to this blog, having had an AMAZING response so far to our giveaway (click on the link for info on how to win – it’s easy, so no excuses).
We (by which I mean Lauren) also finally figured out to get our (by which I mean Lauren’s) camera fixed to our new tripod, which hopefully means more OOTD posts and general fun and games. That is, unless we get too enthusiastic at the weekend after a couple of vodka lemonades and end up knocking it over while trying to take group shots, which is highly possible…
I think our night at the gym last night faffing about with kettle bells and weights might have left us both with the urge to feel a bit more feminine today, as we both emerged from our boudoirs wearing skirts for work this morning. Lauren went for her trademark leopard and gold (she is the epitome of class, that girl) dressed up with a red midi skirt. I opted for my bright blue tube skirt that I LOVE and have worn so much since getting, with my trusty old skull scarf – which comes in really handy when wearing tight outfits like this, covers up that lunchtime cous-cous bulge a treat. I was also wearing my new black loafers from Primark, but the camera cut them off. I would say this is because I’m too tall, but a machine at the gym the other day broke the awful news to me that I am shorter than I thought – I am only 5’1.8! Off to climb into a shoe and cry. Bye bye.
Mini Haul: Primark, Barry M and Palmers
I popped into town today for ‘one or two bits’ and, of course, got a tad carried away. In my defence, I didn’t spend that much. The fact that it was still money I don’t have is neither here nor there (in fact I think it’s there, way way way over there…)
So I thought I’d share with you what I picked up.
This is one of the bog standard Primark skater dresses that they sell for a ridiculously good FIVE ENGLISH POUNDS. I have one of the t-shirt versions and it’s good enough quality – it shrunk in the wash, but this was most probably my fault because I shrink everything, and I don’t mind anyway because it made it a slightly nicer length for my dwarfish frame. I like the bright blue of this dress and, although it’s nothing too exciting, I’m sure I’ll be happyI bought it on a sunny day soon (not today; the strong winds meant that the shoppers in Coventry city centre have had quite enough of my butt cheeks for one weekend).
Baragainous little crop top for a mere £2. TWO ENGLISH POUNDS. Okay, I’ll stop doing that now. But still! I already have cropped vests from Primark in white and grey so thought this neon orange/coral one would be a good addition to the collection.
I think this is actually my favourite thing I’ve bought today. It’s a white crop top (no shit, Sherlock) but it’s got a beaut low back that makes it a lot more dressy. A word of advice, the sizes come up quite big on this if you’re a small-boobed girl like myself; the 8 was really baggy so I ended up getting a 6. I think I’m going to wear this on a night out next weekend with my new Topshop denim skater skirt and maybe some neon-esque accessories. Oh, and this too only cost a fiver. Suh-weet.
Multi-packs like this are so useful, and really good value for money too. The rings were £2.50 and the bracelets were £4. I love the turquoise and silver combo that I’m seeing around quite a bit at the moment, and I’m glad to see the grungey cross/skull trend still seems to be hanging about (mainly as I’ve got quite a few pieces like this so I’m not ready to give them all up and be an untrendy Wendy again).
Ah, black flats: one of those essential-but-boring items you need to replace now and then. Primark had so many really nice flats in, lots of cutaway detailing, peep toes, and lovely nude shades of tan and stone. But alas, I needed to replace my ruined black flats and so had to make the decision to get these instead. I suppose they’re not too boring, but… wah. I also got some frilly ankle socks; these aren’t something I’ve worn before, but I thought I’d give them a little go with my Converse and try not to feel like too much of a massive tit.
I eventually stepped away from Primark (after trying loads of other stuff on that thankfully didn’t suit me when on) and headed to some makeup shops. I initially went into Superdrug to get a few bits for our first ever GIVEAWAY (which we should be launching today or tomorrow, keep your eyes peeled and be sure to follow us on Twitter @StylingoUK). But I of course got distracted by the Barry M stand. All of the nail varnishes had been removed from my local Boots last weekend – I asked the bloggers on Twitter, and apparently they had been recalled due to an issue with the current batch of bottles as they kept smashing. Either the issue has been resolved, or Superdrug just aren’t as bothered about protecting our little fingers as they had a beautiful fully-stocked nail section. Insert the ‘loveheart eyes’ emoji here. I’ve been wanting to try the new confetti range for ages, so chose this nice blue to start with.
I also picked up the Palmers Cocoa Butter gradual tanner after reading quite a few positive reviews about it. I occasionally use the Dove gradual tanner (which is a million times better than Johnsons – which, to use a retro insult, WHOMPS) but I’ve heard that Palmers one is quite a bit darker so I wanted to give it a whirl. I’ll do full reviews of these two products once I’ve given them a fair go.
And that is it! What do you all think of this mini haul? What have you been buying lately?
Primark @ Asos – Favourite Pieces
It was only a couple of weeks ago that I wrote a post on Primark’s S/S collection and cried to the gods about Primark not offering an online shopping option. Well, sacrificing all those little lambs must have worked, because just a few days later the news started spreading on Twitter that my beloved Asos were now stocking Primark.
The items at the moment seem to be going live a couple at a time: on the first day there were only about 8 things to browse, a couple of days later there were 20 and so on. There’s now around 30 I think, and they’ve introduced some men’s pieces too (though I don’t think Primark has ever really got our male counterparts quite as giddy as it gets us, has it?)
Here are a few of my fave Primark pieces that are currently available to buy on Asos:
Primark ‘Miami’ Hockey T-Shirt – £6
I’ve banged on in great detail about my love for the current varsity trend, and this cheap and cheerful Primark jersey is a really easy way to incorporate it into your wardrobe. I love the slouchy fit and light colours of this top, and would wear it as the model does here with light denim.
Primark Grafitti Print Midi Skirt – £8
I wasn’t entirely sure about the graffiti print trend when it first appeared (why would you WANT to look like a wall..?) but I think this monochrome version really works. I am also a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge fan of the midi length, though I usually have to buy petite versions so whether this one would actually suit me remains to be seen (shall I maybe start sacrificing more small animals in the hope of Primark bringing out a Petite range?)
Primark Denim Shirt – £10
This, for me, is a classic example of what Primark do best: a simple basic, which is indistinguishable from other brands but so much cheaper.
Primark Mesh Sweetheart Dress – £15
They do this dress in black too, but I think the nude version is the perfect option for summer. Though that’s not to say I probably wouldn’t pick up the black one too, just in case…
What do you all think of Asos now selling Primark? What are your favourite pieces?
Outfits of the Day: Double Denim & Summer Pastels
HEY THERE HELLO. This is just going to be a quick little Outfit of the Day post. It is, in fact, our first proper OOTD entry that hasn’t involved mirror snaps or pictures where we are happily obscuring our faces. I would like to apologise for a few things:
• The quality of the photos. We are finally going to start using a proper camera (and a tripod – look how serious we have become) so these will improve!
• My awkward photo face. I am awful at having my photo taken, I usually end up doing a creepy smile that is most often found on the faces of sex offenders on Crimewatch. Again, I think that the tripod and practice will make this better over time.
• Our messy floor – no real excuse there though, I’m afraid. We just messy.
Claire
Lace Body: Topshop
Vest: Primark
Gold chain: eBay
Watch: Casio
Lavendar skinny jeans: Primark
Shoes: Converse
I decided to wear quite a summery-coloured outfit today, possibly as a reaction to wearing all black yesterday and nearly boiling in the heat. Before, I never would have dreamed of wearing a pastel pair of jeans as I was convinced they would be the least flattering thing for my shape ever. As you can see, I was incredibly correct about this. BUT I’m going through a new phase where I’m trying to embrace my natural body shape and so getting The Hips (epic enough to deserve capital letters) out in lavender is now something I am just rolling with.
Lauren
Blouse: Missguided
Denim shirt: Primark
Jeans: Topshop
Shoes: New Look
We recently published a post all about double denim where we asked whether you dared to do it. Well, Lauren dared. She says this was a result of me telling her we needed to do an OOTD post and her panicking with the need to wear something interesting – BUT I think it works marvelously. Fun fact: these glittery pumps proceeded to give Lauren huge blisters on our way into work, causing her to stop off and wear her bright (and I mean BRIGHT) pink gym trainers for the rest of the journey. Of course I didn’t laugh. Of course.
Outfit of the Day: Bank Holiday Special
This is our first Outfit of the Day post and, true to form, we are doing it in a slightly askew way as it’s actually Outfits of the Weekend That We Were Too Lazy to Post at the Time (or #ootwtwwtltpatt for you Instagrammers out there).