Yearly Archives: 2018

How to style last year’s clothes this season*

23rd November 2018
The AW18 season is well underway and of course it’s bought with it all manner of new trends. But what if like me you can’t afford to buy a whole new wardrobe? And, how can we reuse our AW17 wardrobe for this season’s fashion? Whether you’re doing it for financial reasons, eco reasons, or just don’t want to part with your favourites, in this guide we’ll cover what’s hot for men and women this autumn/winter, and help you re-use your most treasured pieces from seasons past.

Photo by Christian Fregnan on Unsplash

Styling menswear

One of the biggest trends of AW17 outerwear was shearling – a combination of suede and wool in one item. Thankfully it’s back this year; Giorgio Armani took it one step further with a shearling, suede and leather jacket that looks smart yet cosy for the colder months.
You might want to dig deeper than last year’s AW clothing with one of this season’s trends. This year it’s all about throwing it back to the ’90s hoarders rejoice!). You might have hoped you’d seen the back of shell suits and full tracksuits, but they’re back with a vengeance- on the catwalk, Prada completed the look with branded bucket hats and lightweight waterproof jackets (ideal for autumn weather).
Another garment that comes out year after year is the leather jacket. This year, instead ofthe shorter bomber style it’s all about oversized leather coats that can be paired with slim-leg jeans and winter boots. Fendi, Balenciaga and Paul Smith were all rocking the look during their AW18 shows- check out vintage stores and charity shops if you don’t have one hanging around.
When it comes to colours it’s autumnal brown that’s in this season- a colour you’re bound to have knocking around in your wardrobe. From brown men’s suits to oversized ponchos and shiny leather jackets, the brown colour palette is so versatile. If you don’t want to overdo this shade you can keep it simple with brown accessories such as hats, scarves and shoes to get in with the trend and mix shades to get a cool take on the trend.
Layering always takes to the main stage- it’s all about bringing together different garments in an effortlessly stylish sort of way. You might not have worn your V-necks in a few years but bring it out this year and slip it on top of a roll-neck jumper for an on-trend outfit. Other ways to layer include pairing an open checked shirt (a print that was everywhere for men’s shirts in AW17) with a graphic t-shirt and black skinny jeans.

Styling womenswear

Similar to the menswear trends, layering is on-trend for the ladies this AW too. Designers such as Balenciaga showed their support of the fashion technique at their shows. If you’re bold enough, the best way to layer is with contrasting colour and textures; digging out you metallic puffa jacket from last year and wearing it over a fringed jumper for example.
Animal print was also a big part of this season’s shows. While Victoria Beckham demonstrated her love for leopard print, other designers such as Isabel Marant were all about snake patterns. The best thing about this style being on trend is that you can mix and match animal print and still create an outfit that looks well put together. Leopard print has rarely been out of the spotlight in recent years — why not pair your printed cami dress with snakeskin boots and a matching clutch? Chances are everyone has some kind of animal print hiding somewhere in their wardrobe and this is the year to get creative.
Whilst glitz and glam was reserved for Christmas and New Year events last year, this season they’re acceptable throughout autumn and winter. Paco Rabanne showed off their models in oversized silver sequins that brought some much-loved sparkle to the runway. Tis the season to embrace sequins and glitter whatever the occasions- metallic Mondays and sequinned Saturdays? Yes please!
Oversized and chunky knit is back just in time for the cold snap too. This year it’s all about picking out your chunkiest jumper and popping it on over your camisole dresses, meaning your summer wardrobe can work harder too. Miu Miu showed off an outfit that was made up of a green floral midi dress and fluffy grey knit – in my head this is exactly how I’d dress every day!

Have you got any top tips for making your wardrobe work across all seasons and all trends? Leave them in the comments if you do…

Posted in fashion, trends

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Black Friday Deals from E-Cigarette Direct

21st November 2018
Anyone who has been following my blog recently will know that I’ve been working on quitting the cigarettes by way of vaping with the fabulous team over at e-cigarette direct. Today they got in touch with me to announce some epic Black Friday Deals that will be available soon so I thought I’d share the wealth for any other vapers out there as you really don’t want to miss these.

All of the information you need is available on the Black Friday section of the website, and whilst you’ll need to be patient for a couple of days yet, here’s an idea of what is in store:

– 30% off all marked prices
– 50% off selected products
– free shipping over £10.00

If you sign up for an account with them you’ll also get £5.00 credit to spend on your first purchase, so I highly recommend that you do.

I’ll be back with another post in the next week or two about how my journey is progressing, and I’ve heard rumour of some exciting new product launches, so watch this space!

Posted in vaping

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Christmas Shopping Without Busting Your Budget*

20th November 2018
With just a few weeks to go before Christmas hits us, festivities are ramping up around us. The shops are already full to the brim with decorations, sequinned party dresses and festive lattes, your diary is starting to fill up and there’s only one pay packet to go. This time of year is exciting but it can also be hugely expensive. The number of people who go into debt to afford all the Christmas extras is on the rise, and that’s a worrying trend. There is a huge leap in the amount of people using debt counselling agencies in January and February, and you don’t want to be one of them. As much as Christmas is a time for luxury and excess, starting the New Year weighed down with debt is not a good idea at all. But if you’ve left it too late to save up for all those festive treats, what can you do to minimise the damage to your financial wellbeing? Christmas shopping on a budget can certainly help. There are some simple, last minute tips you can use to stop you overspending and begin 2019 without a financial hangover.

Stick To A Gift List

There’s a good reason Santa keeps a list – and so should you! But yours isn’t to do with who is naughty and nice (yep, that annoying younger brother still has to be on it!), but rather to make sure you don’t go overboard buying a gift for your cousin’s niece’s pet dog. It’s a good idea to write a small list and stick to it. You could also consider doing something like making Christmas cookies to give to people who aren’t close family or friends, so you don’t have to buy small value token gifts. Most people have far too much stuff already as it is, so if a present hasn’t got real thought and meaning behind it, it’s best to consider whether you should really be giving it to that person.

Stick To Your Limits

If you haven’t been saving up to cover the cost of Christmas, you are going to need to set a pretty hard spending limit for yourself to make sure you don’t topple into debt. Take a look at your monthly budget and consider the amount that you can afford to set aside to cover your Christmas spending. Also think about what you plan to spend on each person’s gift and why. Do you really need to spend that much? The answer is usually no. The best approach is to figure out the total amount you have spare for gifts and divide it up between everyone that you need to buy for. So it might be £100 on your partner and £50 on your parents and so on. Then only look at gifts within that budget range. There’s no point spotting the perfect thing for them only to find it’s double the amount you’ve set aside. Online shopping makes it easy to set price filters for what you see when you’re browsing, so you don’t get distracted.

Trim Your Bills

It’s a good idea to think about what spending you can reduce in December, both for the short and long term. Go through your November bank statement and identify where you are overspending. Cancel those expensive subscriptions, and perhaps put yourself on a takeaway coffee ban for the month. You should also check you are on the best phone plan so you aren’t getting charged too much for data – check out a network like SMARTY mobile powered by Three for simple, affordable deals.

But if SMARTY isn’t your cup of tea, you can check out Half Cooked which does detailed reviews and comparisons on all UK networks to help you find the perfect network for you.

Also, try to stay in for the next few weekends and save the social whirl for all those Christmas parties and drinks. If you’re a makeup addict, try to shop your stash rather than buying anything new until the New Year.

Do Your Shopping Solo

If you shop with friends, it’s much easier to get carried away with the festive spirit and overspend. If your pals have poor money habits themselves, they are likely to encourage you to stick purchases on your credit card or overpay for items. It’s very easy for other people to spend your money! So take your shopping trip solo and you won’t risk getting distracted from the spending plan you’ve created.

Make a Wishlist Pact

If you always end up overspending by quickly jumping on Amazon Prime whenever you fancy something, make a pact with your other half to add those items to your wishlist instead. That way, you aren’t tempted to splurge when you should be spending your money on Christmas gifts, plus you can shop each others lists for a gift you know they really want. After the festive season, you are likely to be able to pick up anything you didn’t get in the sales anyway! And having a month’s distance from that ‘must have’ impulse purchase of novelty unicorn slippers may just turn out to be a good thing…

Posted in christmas

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Christmas Treats from Niederegger

15th November 2018

Christmas is approaching at an alarming pace- one minute it was July and I was on a beach in The Algarve, the next my brain is being forced in to thinking about all things festive, and more so than ever this year as Bob and I are going to be hosting Christmas for the first time.

I had a burst of inspiration the other weekend and managed to get most of my shopping done, but I still need to pick up some bits for the harder to buy for folk in my life and I’ve spent rather a lot of my spare time (of which there is not a lot of) browsing for ideas.
Luckily, by nature of being a blogger I also get alerted to great gift ideas, such as this gorgeously festive hamper of products from the masters of marzipan, Niederegger.

Hamper c/o Niederegger via Chocolates Direct

Marzipan is one of those confectionaries that divides opinion; the marmite of the sweet world I suppose. I for one love it, especially when it comes coated in chocolate- I remember one trip to Austria where I survived solely on dark chocolate and marzipan for days!

This festive hamper of treats contains both classic Niederegger products and seasonal treats. £25 gets you:

1 x 110g classic dark chocolate covered marzipan bar (my favourite!)
1 x 100g assorted mini marzipan loaves (espresso, pistachio, pineapple and orange all coated in dark chocolate)
2 x 40g dark chocolate coated sticks- selected from 3 flavours (I got cherry and walnut, both of which I highly recommend)
1 x 125g bar of flavour of the year (which is apple strudel in case you were wondering)
1 x 100g dark chocolate covered santa (which I am not sharing with anyone)

The hamper comes gorgeously packaged making it an instant gift in the making, or ideal for leaving out for guests to pick from over the festive period- this is the intention with what is left of mine, but based on my near-constant raiding of it (little and often is the key with marzipan I find) there won’t be any left!

What festive foods have caught your eye this year, and are you a marzipan lover, or a hater?

Posted in brands I love, christmas, food, gifts, inspiration, review, snacking

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Getting Your Money Back Under Your Own Control*

13th November 2018
Feeling as if your personal finances are spiralling out of your control can be very scary, whilst some costs are unavoidable and other costs might be entirely unexpected, you’re always in control of your own money. If, however, you don’t feel that way then it might be time to make some big changes to your financial strategy. Money management skills are essential to your financial stability in the present and the future; here’s how to get your money back under your own control.

Photo by Kat Yukawa on Unsplash

Follow a strict budget.
One of the best ways to get your money back under your own control is to follow a strict budget every single month. If you don’t trust yourself when it comes to spending your hard-earned cash then you can set yourself restrictions-
budgeting helps you to track your expenses and figure out how much money you can set aside for certain costs. The goal of budgeting isn’t just to cut down on non-essential spending, you need to take a look at your necessary expenditures. Even with a strict monthly budget you might find that there’s little room for luxury expenditures once all essential costs have been taken into account- you might want to rethink some of your basic costs to see if you can free up more cash.Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to cut back on food or stop using water in your house. You could reduce your essential expenses by using discount codes when you shop online (there are plenty of free vouchers and coupons to be found if you browse Google). And if you’re wondering how to get a lower interest rate on your credit card then you should do some research. We all have to borrow money at times, but you could save money when paying it back. The main purpose of a budget is to figure out how you’re spending your money and find smarter ways of doing so.

Learn about investments.A lot of people shy away from investing their money because they perceive it as a risky financial move, and if you’re not comfortable in your current financial situation then it’s probably the last thing on your mind. However, if done responsibly, investing can be a smart way to massively increase your wealth. You might be limited by the earning potential of your job, but investing gives you the opportunity to bring in new sources of income. Investing in low-risk shares could produce returns that gradually boost your wealth over time. You could slowly invest in bigger things with larger potential returns as you become more comfortable with your financial situation. Likewise, if you have the spare cash, you could also invest in cryptocurrency using a discount broker. Again, you could start slow and invest in just one coin before expanding your investments with multiple different coins that are performing well.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Do some savings account research.
Getting your money back under your own control also requires a good plan for the future. Making ends meet doesn’t necessarily equate to financial security. Having a savings account is an important step towards building up substantial wealth for your future, but you should keep doing your research. Different banks offer different interest rates, and you could be getting more out of your money by switching to a better savings account with another provider. You might not think much of the tiniest difference between savings deals. It might not matter in the short-term, but your savings account is going to help you build up your wealth over years or decades. Choosing an account that’s only slightly better could massively improve your financial situation in the long-term.

Posted in finance

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