OOTD - Rocking Purple

Please bear with me as this is my first ever ootd post and I'm not one hundred percent confident in what I'm showcasing. I've been honest about my size and weight in previous posts yet words are just that. Pictures are less forgiving over time. Forgetting my insecurities lets move on with this outfit.

There are a lot of days when I leave the house where I want to dress nicely, but I have a limited wardrobe for clothing that hits the middle scale. Smart/Casual, Nice/Everyday. The majority of my clothes are only really good for a single occasion. I found this dress in George in the sale. The colour was what instantly grabbed me as purple is my favourite colour and I have always found that it works well on me and compliments my skin tone. The dress itself was long with a peplum effect at the bottom of the skirt. It was near closing time in the shop and I didn't have the time to try it on so I grabbed it off the sale rail and hoped that it would work

It was a bargain price of £7 so I figured if I wasn't comfortable in it I could just use it as a house dress (how 50s does that sound). When I got it home I was not completely in love with how it fell. it seemed like it had no shape and just hung of me like a towel. I grabbed my trustee black waist belt and viola, it gave me the shape i wanted and instead of a solid block of colour it gave something to draw the eye.

I team it with my everyday monochrome satchel style handbag, Tights, a pretty hair bow and my swarovski heart necklace to complete it and add a little more glam and style. I wear it with black shoes, flats or heels depending on where I'm going. This outfit has turned into a staple in my wardrobe. An outfit that ticks all my boxes and is pretty enough to be smart and casual yet nice and comfortable and yet still suitable for everyday. All for a impulse buy, I'd say that all in all I'm very happy with my choice.

Thursdays Choice - Autum Wishlisht

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 

Summer is fading fast, from promises of weeks and weeks of sunshine to rain and gusty winds, British weather at it best this is. Looking forward to the weather cooling off even more. My favourite time is when I have to wear a light jacket when leaving the house. I don't know why but that is my kind of weather. Our weather being it usual unpredictable mishmash of whatever front is blowing in, I have been browsing some clothes for the more reasonable temperatures I look forward to in Autumn.

I have settled on the above as a good addition to my wardrobe. I have fancied a pair of riding style boots for ever, but with large calves these are unlikely to fit, Then again it is a 'wishlist'. I have taken a fancy to this black and red ribbed shoulder biker jacket, it looks warm and I love the colours crisscrossing. The grey lightweight knit is just cute. Yes a snood, I want a snood, this one has sparkles therefore I want it. Jeans are a staple for the colder weather. Though I have done well to stick to my summer vow of wearing dresses/skirts more I will be glad to get back into my jeans. The black waterfall jacket is so pretty, I can imagine it going with so much, perfect for the cooler evenings, but not to cold. To top of my outfit I have chosen a leather look across the shoulder bag, with a double rope necklace, pink and gold triangle earrings and a lovely hair accessory just to top the whole thing off.

Now I have an outfit planned I just need the legs and the money to buy it and to be able to pull it off.

Summer Vow

I actually own 80% of these items and have worn some of them out. The polka top with the swallow skirt its a great little number for meeting up with friends to shopping, to even meeting up for a few drinks. I wish that my fashion choices always went together as well as this one has. I'm sometimes stuck in the days of my teenage years where I just wear jeans teamed with whatever I can find. Not exactly grown up or fashion savvy, but always comfortable, However I have made a vow that I will wear more dresses and skirts this year and have bought some accordingly.

I own all the dresses and will be wearing them over the summer (when the weather actually starts to get warmer) and I will start or at least try to do some outfit of the day posts. 

Due to a stinking cold I haven't really gotten up to much over the last week as I haven't felt well enough, I need to see Gatsby but will not have the time this week as I am working overtime and I am in desperate need to do some shopping. Here's to less drab posts in the next few weeks.

Thursdays Choice: Etsy

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 

Today for my wishlist choice I decided to take a browse on Etsy, It really is a magical site and I could spend hours looking at the beautiful homemade items to the amazing items that I never knew I had to have until I looked upon them on this site. I really wish I had found this site before I got married as my wedding would have been much more pretty for the same price. It really is a beautiful site to browse and the layout is really easy to figure out. If you have never visited it before, I suggest you get on over there now.

What I liked this week: from cube fridge magnets that I never knew existed to bookends that I just have to have. I think they would look greet in my house as they are quirky and different and I cant wait to own them, I may have to start showing people what I want for Christmas LOL. I also found a glass tealight holder that is a little pricey for me but is really adorable and regardless of price I would like to own it.

The harry potter nerd in me fell in love with the ring, though there were many many other choices, some not so geeky, this was the one for me. I also fell for the beautiful gold tree bracelet that you could have personalized with initials as I just thought is was delicate and very pretty. The gold lace headband is just very pretty and reminds me of 20s styles whereas the Vintage 80s boots just makes me want to pull out the hairspray and go big or go home.

Finally the last thing is the scrabble pendant, there are literally hundreds of choices for these, ranging from inspirational quotes to pictures to generally funny things, I just chose this one as I really speaks to my life and to most people who know me, but there are so many beautiful and fantastic choices out there that I couldn't leave this post without making sure that you know about them.

 

cube magnets for fridge £12.18      Harry Potter  ring  £16.84

  Gold tree bracelet £19.20              Scrabble tile pendant £3.33

          gold lace headband £14.82            Vintage 80s lace up boots £16.17

   tentacle bookends£43.78               glass tealight holder £17.52

Thursdays Choice; Accessorize

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

As My Choice this week I wanted to give my wish list for some accessories, at the end of the day it can be the accessories that make or break a outfit. I tend to stick to the smaller items of jewelry, this is due to the fast that I have small features and anything too big just does not look right on me. Having said that, I do like a few larger pieces, such as the bloom collar and the encrusted butterfly collar.

Then moving onto the more delicate items such as the bird of paradise collar and the carved rose cluster pendant which would match the tokyo bracelet and the flower alice band if you wanted to match. The earrings are simple but cute, and the bags would be great for everyday or fancy days. The one thing from the choice this week that I will have to pick up (regardless of any financial squeeze) is the metal daisy band, as it's almost like the flower bands and crowns of glory, but its dainty and cute and I think would look great on me.

All my choices are under £19 with the exception of the black and white bag which is £35. What are your accessory choices that you would like to pick up.

Thursdays Choice: Skirts

                                                             1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 

With the warmer weather slowly making an appearance, and enticed by the thought of tanned legs I thought I'd take a look at some skirts. I don't normally wear skirts as it's hard finding any that look good on me, but as per usual this does not stop me browsing and wanting.

All of my Choices are from New Look, and the most expensive is number 2 at £22.99 the rest are under £20 and 3 are under £15. I like to stick to a budget and though 90% of my own clothes are bought in sales or charity shops, I generally think anything brand new item around the £15 mark is a good price.I like a wide range of choices ranging from casual to more formal and even some fun choices. My particular favorites that I may have to stretch my already over used budget for would be the Navy Polka dot skirt and the black ditsy floral skirt, I have taken a shine to them.

What skirts do you want for summer?

Thursdays Choice: Shoes.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,

Shoes have always been a very deep obsession for myself, I love the look the colours and styles. My husband hates that I have so many, but I always want more.

Browsing websites and I found a few new shoes that I would like to own. From New Look a pair of lace side bow pumps, They are a great simple pair of flats, for pretty much any occasion. Also from New Look some Black Aztec Wedge Sandals, these would be great for hot days and thanks to the colours they would go well with anything. From New look a pair of Nude Ankle Strap Court Shoes, these seem to appeal to my sexy side. From F&F a Limited Edition Stud Back Peep Toe Court Shoes in salmon, which would go well with any summer outfit.

I then moved on to the M&S website where I found some Jewel Embellished Bow Pumps, plain but pretty. On M&S there was also these Front Bow Espadrille Wedge Shoes, that with the patent look and navy colours were very simple and yet sexy. From George a pair of Floral Canvas Shoe/trainers, perfect for days you want to lounge around. Also from George, Patent Bow Shoes in Coral, the spring tones and bow would be a great add to any collection. Finally from Asos this pair of Tone Peep Toe Platform Shoes, these are my more unique choice, black and white and a slightly geometric pattern, a stunning pair for showing off!

What shoes would you like to own?

Saturday Summer Dresses

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,

We've had a few sunny days and semi nice weather and it has inspired me to have a look for dresses I would like to get for summer, all the dresses are £30 and under and 5 of them are under £20, so they are all really affordable. I wanted to get a nice cross section of dresses and for once I managed to stay away from blacks.

To start is a F&F limited edition crochet collar skater dress, which I felt would be nice to wear to a bbq, picnic, the beach or anywhere really. A F&F Wild rose poplin Prom Dress which would be nice for evening out or if you want to dress up at all. From F&F a Stella Morgan rose print maxi dress, a beautiful color and just a dress that would be a great addition to any wardrobe. A F&F Limited Edition prom dress in green, it just looked like a really summery dress, something bright to brighten up your day. From ASOS I found this Swing Dress with short sleeves, the color just makes me fall in love and the floaty material would look great on those days with little to no breeze. Also from ASOS A Jersey Skater dress with cold shoulder in aztec print. Aztec Print is a high trend but i loved this for the colors and the cut out shoulders, it makes the dress a little more unique and interesting to the eye. From George a Paisley print maxi dress, I loved the cut out pattern on the back to this dress, the darkest of my choices and in a way probably the most safe. Finally also from George a charlston dress, it's pretty yet retro, simple yet smart enough for many different occasions, I would love to own this dress.

I am a perpetual window shopper as I very rarely have the money to buy the dresses that I like but it does not stop me admiring all the dresses that I want. What dresses would you like to own this summer?

Thursdays Choice - Tops

 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Today I have decided to start doing something different, I have made a choice of a selection of tops from the new look website that I would like to own for summer, I tend to focus too much on my life and have decided I need to start trying to add more about fashion to my blog.

All of the above tops are nice, plain and for everyday wear. I have tried to stick to floral and summer patterns but a little black snuck in... oops. I have chosen a green gypsy style top that reminded me of the gypsy phase about 10 years ago. The next top is a pink coral Peter pan collar, these are everywhere at the moment and I felt that this one combined summer with the craze in a simple way. The green tied shirt was again a slightly nostalgic pick as I used to wear a top like this when I was 12, its funny how fashions really do come back around. For reason unknown I just really liked this black chiffon crop top. The next two are both floral and girlish and pretty, just in different styles. I only like certain floral patterns and these are in the small pile I do like. Then is a nice sailor style crop top with a bow and finally a cardigan that will go with loads of styles and be nice for those odd chilly days and nights.

What tops have you fallen in love with for this summer?

Tips & Tricks to hide the bulge

What you wear can make you look slimmer or larger, its all about knowing your shape and what flatters it best, there are a lot of exception to the rules, so don't rule anything you like out until you try it, fashion is what you make of it and being bold and confident enough to own what your wear and create your own style is half the battle won. here are a few things I have found that can help to make you look slimmer.

wear clothes that fit but flow over you,  if you do wear skinny jeans or tight leggings go looser of the top to balance it out.
garments with blocks of color on side panels or some prints will help to fool the eye into giving shape.
sometimes wearing a single color can help, or different shades of the same color. choose a color that is good with your complexion and build on it, its amazing how varying degrees of purple can be slimming.
semi fitted clothing can be a godsend, try not to wear items that are too clingy or too baggy, a jacket with a pinched in waist can make a look.
However, on a slightly contradictory note to earlier, try and avoid bright colors and block patterns as they are not always helpful.
Too many dark colors can be pointless as much as black is slimming, wearing black from top to bottom can make you look no different, add a splash of color in a belt or cardigan, something to break up the color and give the eye something to focus on.
Avoid horizontal stripes, they can add a lot of 'girth to your size' try vertical stripes or clothing that have a slight pinstripe to them, they add the illusion that you are longer than you are.
Don't be afraid of your size, if your and 18, buy size 18 clothes, trying to squeeze into a smaller size is not going to make you look or feel good.

These are just some tips and tricks that I have used, there are lots more out there, but overall
BE CONFIDENT in who you are and what you are wearing, we are all beautiful.

What I want for Spring

 This Is a outfit I have put together for spring,

Gold Glitter Club Master Sunglasses £4.99 New Look

3 Pack Cream and Pink Hair Bows £3.99 New Look

Blue Floral Shirred Waist Sleeveless Dress£12.99 New Look

Stone Crochet Panel Clutch £12.99 New Look
New Look Savannah Turquoise Strapped Sandals £19.99 ASOS
Silver Polished Metal Peter Pan Collar £5.99 New Look

 Click on item description to take you to it

Put together your spring outfit and send me the link, I would love to see your ideas.

Naughty Buys

what can I say, I needed none of this, besides the brush, I just wanted it all.

This is the first hair brush I've had to buy in 10 year, my last brush has been broken for ages and I just suddenly decided I could no longer deal with the broken handle, so I bought this brush, It was £12, which I think is stupid for a brush, but the one that lasted me 10 years cost £5 so I figured that this one should last a while at least 25 years!

each of the nail varnish are from ASDA and are only £1 each, I wanted a bunch of neutral colours for work. However no my work place has stopped all nail varnishes, and I'm gutted as Ive only just got my nails to a decent place and started to enjoy using lots of colours and I can only do it now if I'm off for a good few days!
 
The waistcoat style cardigan was from a charity shop and was only £1.50, It will look great with a coloured t-shirt, it has studded details on the collar and is fun. The 60's style dress was also from a charity shop and cost only £4.

Shoes, I love shoes and I have way too many, however these don't count towards my allotted amount as they were an absolute steal. They are both from primark, the peach suede heels were only £3 and the gold glitter ones were £6, less than £10 for two pairs of shoes is a bargain. I also picked up a candle that is quite nice, but not very strong.

My Favourtie 'sex on heels' Shoes

After doing the post about the new shoes I bought, I felt inspired to get my old shoes out and look at them and as I love all my shoes, I felt that I needed to share the beauty of them. Now as I stated before I cant really wear high heels any more, but that does not stop me looking and lusting after shoes and I can not bring myself to throw these beauties away. I call all my favourite shoes 'My Sex on Heels' I do now know why, I picked it up from somewhere and I still use it!

So here goes,

Pair number one, A pair of Playboy open toed wedges that were from a sport shop and cost me £18, Im not too keen on them now, but I do still like them and can wear them with comfort as the platform takes away a lot of the height.

 Next is a pair of satin style red heels with a knot decoration, these were from F&F and I paid (I think) £23.

This is my go to pair as they are not too high and go with a lot of things, they are a black and glittery pair.these I can not remember where I got them from, It may have been M&S but I really can't remember.

This pair is a purple sequined heels with a slight platform and were from M&S and cost £15, they were on sale.

My final favourite pair is a pair of black suede cut out boot shoes that are just stunning, they are the highest pair I own and can not wear them more than 5 mins without severe pain. These were from F&F and I think they were £20. My goal over the next year is to build up my ankles to be able to wear these out!

TAG! Beauty tagged

I found this tag by Lianey of thelianey and I felt that I needed to do it to, Its a nice one that is quite drilling around your day to day beauty life.

Is your hair curly or straight?
My hair is straight, I need to use straighteners to get is sleek, and if I use a bobble it will automatically give me a kink, but it is straight.

What is your natural hair colour?
Urgh, I hate my nautral colour, it is a dark dark blonde that almost looks brown and it always looks greasy so I dye it all the time.

Do you dye it yourself or go to the salon?
Normally myself, I have done hightlights and gone from dark brown to blonde with the aid of a hairdresser but I like to do it myself and save myself a few pounds.

How often do you wash your hair?
Generally I wash my hair every other day, sometimes in the winter I may leave it 3 days and a lot of times in summer I do it everyday, It really just depends.

Do you wear the same style everyday or change it?
I tend to throw my hair up into a pony, as I'm not very original, I will sometimes have a play around and do twists or a french braid coming over my fringe line to the side, but its normally in a pony during the day and down for bed.

Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon? 
I like to play around with my own nails, I have never really done a pedi, not as detailed as I do with a mani. I have gone a few times to have my nails done, at one point I had false nails, but have now grown mine out and I am enjoying learning to style them.

How often do you change your nail polish?
I change them between 2 or 3 times a week, depending on work or if they get worn down.

Do you polish your toes in winter or just in summer?
My feet stay covered, so I rarely do them. but summer is more likely than winter.

How long does it take to put on your makeup?
Depending on my look, if its everyday it takes me 5 minutes, if I want to go more indepth its 10-15, and for a special occasion or night out it can take me 25.

What do you do first, face or eyes?
I normally do my face first, but if I am choosing an eyeshadow that has a lot of fall out I will do my eyes first.

Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?
I collect. I keep my make up far too long to never really throwing anything out til i hit pan or it dries up, I have more than I could use for the rest of my life, but I still want more.

How often do you wear false eye lashes?
I can't get on with false lashes, they never stick for me, so I stick to mascara.

Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?
This really depends on my mood, but not normally, I have only 4 product that I tend to use on a day to day basis, bbcream, mascara, eye liner and a lip gloss/stick.

Do you wear makeup when your home alone, or with family?
No, I'm normally natural and don't really care.

Will you leave the house without makeup?
I have no problem leaving house without make up, but 8/10 days I need make up to cheer me up.

How many high end products do you have?
I have a few, but not lots, 2 foundations, 1 mascara, 2 nail varnishes, 1 primer, 1 highligher, 1 concealer, 1 lipgloss,  a few eye shadows.

How often do you wash your makeup brushes?
Normally about 2-3 weeks, I should do it more often, but I'm just too lazy.

Do you plan your OOTD every night or when you're getting dressed?
Only as iI'm getting dressed, not often that I plan things like that.

How often do you change your handbag?
I have 3 handbags that I change and use as I fancy them.

What time do you get up and go to sleep?
I go to bed about midnight, but sleep is a thorny subject for me, I don't sleep well and it takes me a long time to get to sleep. I usually drag myself groggily out of bet about 9.

How often or when do you work out?
I don't really, unless im trying to lose weight.

Left handed or right handed?
Right handed.

How tall are you?
Around 5' 4, I think.

Do you speak a foreign language?
not really, despite 5 years of Welsh, 5 of German and 3 of French, I can't remember bugger all!

How many pets do you have?
I am not allowed pets where I live, but I have a god that lives with my parents.

Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?
only a mental one, and most of the time I forget but that's what my amazing friend Laura is for, she always knows the key things going on in the beauty world.

How did you come up with your blog name?
I cant really remember, I know I wanted something with my name in it and I wanted something to show that it was me and all my thoughts and Christina's Way seemed right.

What kind of camera do you use for your photos?
I have a sony camera, a bog standard point and shoot that I use for my posts and I also use my phone a lot for instagram and fb ect, its just quicker sometimes.

How often do you clean your house?
I do a good deepish clean every week, with mini cleans to keep on top of it every few days, I do a spring clean in February and November.

Do you swear?
Yes, Like a trooper, not something that I'm proud of, but as my husband is chef it's hard to get away from it.

What is your favourite colour?
I love purple and it generally suits me too.

What are you doing with the rest of your day?
As its 1am and I'm doing this post because I can't sleep, I hope to get to sleep before half two and wake up early and work on more posts for the rest of the week tomorrow.

So, I hope your learnt more about me!
I TAG anyone who is reading this to do this! please let me know with a link to your page if you have I love to read more about you.

Shoes

I love shoes and my husband has let me (ha thats a laugh) buy 3 pairs in the last two months, this may seem like nothing to some people, but to me this is a lot. I haven't really been able to wear heels for a few years due to ligament damage in my ankle, but have slowly built up to be able to wear 2-3inch heels for a few hours.

I love all the shoes that I bough but especially the second pair.
 The lace up trainer style boots are from F&F and Ive had my eye on them since they came out, but at £22 I couldn't justify the money, then they came down to £10 and I could no longer resist.

The faux suede dark blue pair of boot shoes from M&S that broke my budget but I felt I had to be naughty once in a while, at £29.50 I think these are some of the most expensive shoes I have ever bought and I don't care as they are stunning!

 The final pair are a beautiful floral design that will work with just about anything and were £19.50 from M&S.