Saturday 28 June 2014

Suits You - Lisa

Hey Everyone!

So I am taking part in a new monthly style challenge created by Leah. There are 10 of us taking part and each month we will create a full outfit for the person we have been allocated, this month I got the lovely Lisa from Diary of a Size 22! We were given a guide photo to work from, and I did some research on her blog to try and get an idea of her style.


Here's what I've chosen!

I looked at her latest posts and saw that florals were something she wanted to try on her New Look Inspire Wishlist which made me remember this lovely 2-set below from Simply Be which I think would look amazing on her.





Now I don't want to go all-out girly and I'm going to give it a subtle grungey edge so I have chosen the below accessories to toughen up the look:

Zara Rhinestone Necklace


This is a beautiful statement piece and the jewelled parts look like petals keeping in theme with the florals. 

Zara Leather Platform High Heeled Sandal



These shoes have a chunky platform and heel meaning they should be more comfortable and I loved the cut out leather. 



And finally, I went for a backpack as I feel it's a very grunge/festival type style with the tassel details and classic black suede. 

Lisa, I hope you like the outfit I've picked out for you! What do you guys think? Let me know below in the comments.

Thanks for reading, love Sally X

Check out the other ladies below!

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Saturday 14 June 2014

Fun at the Fair


Hey Everyone!

I hope you're all ok and enjoying the sunshine today. Sorry about the lack of posts this week, I have been suffering with the crappy flu but coming towards the end of it now (hopefully) so feeling much better! Good enough to get back on the computer anyway.

Today I am finally getting round to posting something that happened last week, the biggest event in the Potters Bar social calendar, the Potters Bar Carnival. (anyone that lives here would appreciate the sarcasm in that sentence). Years ago it used to be a huge deal, you would go down Darkes Lane a good hour in advance to get your "spot" and the street would be tens of people deep and packed of waving/screaming residents, needless to say nowadays this is no longer the case. It's sad really as it's all good fun, I think people's priorities change though, kids have got so much other stuff to do that local carnivals are just fading out. 

The procession was pretty good, lot's going on in the form of marching bands, bagpipers (proper word?), baton twirlers, carnival princesses and tonnes of awesome costumes *notably Spyro and the Wizard of Oz ones*. It was a bit of a trip down memory lane, literally, it seems like a lifetime ago I was stood there watching my primary school floats as a kid. It made me feel pretty old!






Then the procession finished at Elm Court where the fair took place, the same venue as one of my favourite car boot sales, I've picked up many a bargain there!

They had the usual stuff, a punch and judy show for the children, face painting, tombolas and games etc and dance displays in the centre ring. I remember doing a disco dancing display myself years ago when I was a member of a dance studio, I reiterate this was a LONG time ago!


Now for some shots of your's truly! 

I am wearing this beautiful dress from Simply Be, it has the petal detailing to the neckline and 3d flowers on the skirt. I absolutely love this dress and I think the colour is just so eye catching and pretty. 

simply be 3d flower prom dress

I've put a simple black cardigan from New Look with it as a little cover up for my arms.

simply be 3d flower prom dress

You can just about make out my bag which is the vintagey ruffle one from my shoot in the yellow field

simply be 3d flower prom dress

I might have had a go on the old tombola, I didn't even win my usual can of peaches or bottle of Lambrini which was disheartening.

simply be 3d flower prom dress

simply be 3d flower prom dress

All in all, I had a nice day, the weather was great and it was just good old fashioned fun at the fair.

simply be 3d flower prom dress

Do you guys go along to your local carnival or fair in the summer? If so tell me your favourite part below!

Thanks for reading. Love Sally X

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Tuesday 10 June 2014

Father's Day Gift Guide


Hey Everyone!

So Father's Day is very quickly approaching and I am going to share with you some cracking gifts recommended to me when I did a Twitter shoutout for ideas (I wouldn't even know where to start). There are a few different price points and types of gifts, so this should hopefully give you some ideas at least. 

First we have these gorgeous, brightly coloured classic mugs from Herdy. They are bone china and handmade/hand decorated in England's Staffordshire Potteries. They retail at a grand price of £11 and would make a lovely gift. I would fill them up with my dad's favourite sweets and wrap them in cellophane with a ribbon for cute wrapping suggestion. 


Next up is the men's Shampoo and Conditioner from www.hairyjaynehandmade.co.uk. The shampoo is sulfate free and both have been handmade with natural ingredients and fragranced with essential oils. They are perfect for deep cleaning the hair and re-strengthening it, both retail at £10 each for 250ml of product. These would make a great practical gift and are perfect for weaker hair which comes with age (or so I'm told!).


Then we have The Vintage Sayings Mugs from Jin Designs. These add a bit of humour with sayings like "no spring chicken" and "seen better days" and all are hand decorated fine bone china. The RRP is £12 each or you can get the set of 4 for £40, they also have matching tea towels for £10 each. I like that these are a cheeky twist on a classic, good quality mug, a simple practical and useful.


Next up is a luxury experience which you can share with your dad, a lovely afternoon tea at the Milestone Hotel opposite Kensington Palace in London. 

I have included the description from the hotel for your perusal!

Open to both ladies and gentlemen, the afternoon tea will incorporate mostly savoury items popular with the palates of men. What’s more, tea can be served with Ale or Whisky Flight options.

Favourites such as mini home made pork pies, mini Cornish pasties and mini toad in the hole have been created to satisfy the generous appetites of the busy Gentleman. For those wanting a more ‘manly’ scone, maple-cured bacon scones will be served with truffle butter in addition to the traditional scones with clotted cream and preserve.

Finger sandwiches are filled with rare sirloin beef and horseradish, honey roast ham and English mustard and cream cheese and smoked salmon.

The sweet tooth has not been forsaken but combined with tantalising liquors such as cupcakes with whisky cream cheese frosting, brandy soaked berries tart and chocolate and orange liqueur torte.

The experiences range between £39.50 and £59.50 which I think is pretty good for some really tasty food in a nice setting.






Now finally we have a really cool little product called Black & White wax, it has quite a celebrity following (James Dean, Johnny Depp and ELVIS to name a few). It is a styling/sculpting wax that is pretty versatile, you can either have a long lasting all day look or it's remouldable properties let you change up your style throughout the day. 

Also women can use it too, the PR was kind enough to send me a sample which I will review separately for you, I am hoping to recreate some gorgeous Marilyn Monroe waves so keep an eye out for that. This product is the cheapest in the guide and comes in at £4.99 for 50ml which is pretty reasonable.


So, those are some of the ideas, now let me know in the comments what you are thinking of getting your father this year. 

Thanks for reading, love Sally X
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Saturday 7 June 2014

The Magnificent 7th - Replicate an outfit from your favourite celebrity


Hey Everyone, 

This month we were set the challenge of recreating an outfit from our favourite celebrity. For me this was a total no-brainer, I am in love with Victoria Beckham who is pretty much one of the best known style icons! I had to do it and I knew just what dress to feature.

Now you will have seen me teasing you on Twitter about my version of the VB tent dress.

My version is this beauty from Simply Be for a hell of a bargain compared to the cost for the VB one (£55) :


They aren't exactly the same, obviously, and I don't think I could pass as Victoria (as much as it pains me to say) but I have taken the elements of the textured drop waist dress and shown how this translates into plus size.

Here is how I wore it!



I teamed it with my Rocco bag and sunnies I got free with this months Cosmo, they're actually quite nice, I would recommend them anyway and they come in 3 different styles. Have a look when you're next in Sainsbury's! 



I am in love with this dress, I just think it suits me so well in terms of the pattern and texture and the fit is altogether quite flattering. I would recommend sizing up for a true oversized look if that's what you're going for as the dress fits true to size.  




Here it is from the back, there is a concealed zip and you can see the dipped hemline at the back which covers your backside just perfect! 


I can't wait to see the other ladies' posts, I really like challenges where you replicate a celebrity but make it accessible particularly to plus size. It just further shows the amount of options we have available to us.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check the other lovely bloggers out on the links below.

Love Sally X

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Friday 6 June 2014

Imperial Leather Skinkind Bodywash Review


Hey Everyone!

Happy Friday, this week has been eventful to say the least with a new blog design and lot's of projects in the pipeline.

Today I have a beauty/skincare review for you in the form of Imperial Leather Skin kind Bodywashes*. I was kindly sent these products to try out from their new re-launched range and I can't wait to share with you what I think!

So a little about the range, it's been made to give you the perfect level of care in a bodywash based on your skin type. So it's similar to how you would choose your moisturiser, you select a specific bodywash based on whether you have sensitive skin or dry and sensitive skin. I personally flit between the two types so I have given both a good try. 

The bottles (500ml) retail for £2.69 each and are available in all major retailers, so Boots/Superdrug etc should have it and might even have deals on as they often do.

First up is SkinKind Enriching Bodywash* for sensitive and dry skin. 


This bottle is all about moisturising and re-hydrating your skin but without being too heavy or harsh on your skin. It has hundreds of little Jojoba oil beads that burst to nourish the skin and the body wash has a gorgeous raspberry and lime blossom fragrance. 

I absolutely love the smell for a start, i'm a big fan of anything fruity or sweet so it was right up my street. After using it in the shower I can report that I had no redness or irritation and my legs in particular felt noticeably softer. 

Next up is SkinKind Refreshing Bodywash* for sensitive skin. 


This bottle is all about replenishing your skin and moisturising it for a refreshed feeling. It contains cucumber and aloe vera which are both very soothing and perfect for sensitive skin. 

I thought the scent was pleasant, very green, and not at all overwhelming. The body wash lathered up nicely and left me feeling nice and squeaky clean. I also had no irritation or redness with this bottle so definitely a success!

Overall I really liked these products, I think Enriching just clinched it over Refreshing though on the scent but both are great products and do as they promise. 


I hope you liked the review, it's been a little while since we have looked at beauty or skincare but definitely something I want to do more of.

Let me know your thoughts below, thanks for reading. Love Sally X
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Wednesday 4 June 2014

My Little Pony Fanclub 1983


Hey Everyone!

Today I am flashing back to some early childhood memories and my obsession with My Little Pony!

I saw this tshirt in Primark and it just reminded me of growing up and watching MLP on tv and having a huge collection of all the little figures and combing their manes as if it was the most fun thing in the world! My bedroom used to resemble something like this, no joke:


I've always been a collector of one thing or another, even now I have a make up collection of limited edition bits and bobs that are so pretty I would rather look at them than use them! 



The top is cropped so I have worn it over an Asos Curve mint dress and paired it with my Simply Be pink jacket for a nice pastel look. I've even dug out my baby pink Barry M lipstick that I used to wear religiously circa 2012.



The sleeves are ok on the top, they are about half way between cap sleeves and quarter sleeves but I much prefer wearing it under a jacket or cardigan.



I have accessorized the outfit with a couple of friends, how awesome would they look made into a bag?! 


I also have my new favourite rose gold pumps from Dorothy Perkins on, I picked these up in a charity shop for £4 and have been wearing them all the time! I can't recommend charity shops enough for hidden bargains and I like that you can't predict what you'll pick up, it adds to the fun!



What do you think? Do you like tshirts of old school tv programmes for a trip down memory lane? Let me know below!

Thanks for reading! Love Sally X
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