FAB AT ANY AGE

Style Icon - Sarah Jessica Parker. Stripes and Prints.

2012-01-30T09:20:00.000Z

I don't think I have posted about SJP since the beginning of December when she seemed to have a particularly manic few weeks of nights out in New York City, so I was pleased to see her back on the red carpet and on the arm of husband Matthew Broderick for a night out to the premiere of new Broadway show "Smash".

Despite not actually starring in the show herself, SJP was the evenings main attraction wearing a Tory Burch sequin dress from her S/S 12 collection and with all my recent talk of breton stripes and leopard print, I was pleased to see Sarah Jessica putting a new spin on my latest print obsession for evening, by teaming her wavy, navy, white and taupe striped dress with a cute leopard print bag.

Just like her alter ego, Carrie Bradshaw, if there are fashion boundaries to be pushed and unwritten style rules to be broken, we can always rely on her to test the fashion waters for us, but always in an age appropriate manner.

What do you think of SJP's print combination?

Something for the weekend - buying, wearing, sharing.

2012-01-27T10:05:00.004Z

For today only (Friday) you can get six Nails Inc nail polishes for the bargain price of just £15! This is an absolute steal when you consider that they usually cost £11 each! (plus £3.95 p&p) Its a lucky dip, you don't get to choose your own colours, but its a great way to add some new shades to your nail lacquer collection. www.nailsinc.com.

Many Sales are still ongoing but most, having started before Christmas, and are now coming to a close. If there was something you had your heart set on, but that sadly sold out, I always advise that you should keep checking back as returns are being made all the time, so you never know your luck!

Isabella Oliver 365 and maternity collection sales will come to end at midnight on Sunday. It appears the cowl neck jumper I had been lusting after all season, did sadly sell out before the brand made their final reductions, just my luck, but this is a great brand for quality core pieces, so do check them out if you haven't already. www.isabellaoliver.com

This week I'm loving....

£1,195.00 from Matches.

Coleen Rooney's Louis Vuitton scarf and Yves Saint Laurent Bag. It is always about the "arm candy" with me and this one also makes it's way onto my "if I win the lottery" handbag wishlist, it is divine and I haven't had a red handbag for years, so I obviously deserve this and a new scarf to match!! My brown LV scarf is such a treasured possession, but there is plenty of room in my heart for another colour.

£505 from www.louisvuitton.com

I keep wearing it with any one of my four breton tops! This one is an A Line style from Juicy Couture, which skims the tummy nicely thank you!

I can not possibly let the weekend begin without mentioning the immortal words "Chanel" and as the brands Couture show took place at the Grande Palais earlier this week in a setting depicting the inside of an aircraft, I soon realised this was one aeroplane I wouldn't have needed to get drunk or take half a dozen valium to get on, I would happily have gone to 30,000 feet on this baby!

"Cabin Crew, Doors to Manual"

The collection embraced every shade of blue imaginable, from the deepest midnight to cornflower, with Mr Lagerfeld explaining that this was his "blue period" and that the colour of his cats eyes had been the inspiration that had set him off on this particular journey. It is certainly one "mile high club" I wouldn't mind joining!

A few days later saw the release of the Karl Lagerfeld collection for net-a-porter, "Karl". There isn't really anything that grabs me to be honest, not something I expected to be saying! It is all a bit young and monochrome for my liking but have a peek here and let me know what you think.

Meanwhile don't forget that the NAP sale is still live and has even more new additions and further reductions if you are still on the lookout for a last minute designer bargain.

You've got to be in it to win it and this weeks featured competition comes from My-Tights and gives five lucky winners the chance to win a complete set of Pamela Mann opaque tights, that is all 27 colours! So head off over to the website here to enter for free.

So have a great weekend my lovelies and don't forget to let me know what you have been loving, lusting after or buying this week.

Over 40's Red Carpet Glamour at the National Television Awards.

2012-01-26T11:52:00.000Z

Sadly I missed all the Red Carpet fashion fun last night because I went to my first ever Zumba class! It was actually more fun than I could have imagined and I really enjoyed it, even though my arms and legs may not agree, due to the fact they found it quite difficult during certain sequences to both go in the same direction at the same time, but this was of course, a case of much hilarity to my friends, even though exactly the same thing was happening to them as well! Lack of co-ordination must be an age thing!

I have to confess I was tempted to give it a miss and stay in to watch the National Television Awards, I find it hard to resist a look at celebrity glamour, especially from the more mature attendee's, so here is my round up of "yeh" and "neh" looks worn by the over 40's at last nights event.

Carol leaves me speechless, yet again, when it comes to her red carpet looks. Beautiful dress but more suited to a bride, and a bride with a somewhat smaller bust at that! Even if you have great "assets" at the age of 51, nobody actually wants to see your tits heaving out of your frock in my opinion. Verdict: I would die for your figure Carol, but not your wardrobe.

Tossing the Kyber for the Scottish contingent was the darling Lorraine Kelly. I know it was Burns Night but seriously Lozza, what the hell? Verdict: Being patriotic is fine but tartan heels or a clutch would have looked far more chic.

Elle McPherson looked absolutely stunning in my opinion and rarely puts a foot wrong in the glamour stakes. Verdict: Hair is a tad too severe for my liking but totally adore everything else.

Bringing a touch of Hollywood Glamour to the event was Coronation Street's resident landlady, Michelle Collins looking utterly stunning in Merabi by Nadine.

Pale blush shades were seen in abundance at last weeks Golden Globes and last night proved that this popular and flattering colour choice will no doubt continue throughout awards season. Verdict: If I could choose any celebrities outfit to borrow for a red carpet event, it would be Michelle's.

Do you think the over 40's gave the younger celebrities a run for their money? Who was your best dressed on the night?

Monogrammed Madness.

2012-01-24T18:07:00.001Z

I say "Madness" because a recent post I read regarding Monogrammed Designer goods sparked a bit of rumpus between the author and those commenting on the Blog concerned. I don't know how or why a discussion about such items would cause any bad feeling, we all have our own opinions on such accessories and at least it made me have a good think about my own LV monogrammed possessions and get them out for a well deserved photoshoot.

Personally I think that lots of people see the Louis Vuitton monogrammed range almost as a stepping stone into the world of luxury bags and accessories, being as you can actually still get a good quality handbag for less than £500 and it is fine for those who can afford Chanel and Hermes to sniff at mere mortals who may be over the moon with their first LV purchase but we are all individuals and everybody has a budget of some description.

My first designer handbag was Gucci. I was 21. This purchase was closely followed by a highly sought after Louis Vuitton which I carried proudly to the office. My boss told me "that bag will last you a lifetime", I used it everyday for about 6 years. It didn't, but it was the start of a love affair that was to continue for a very long time.

When my eldest daughter was in the sixth form (6 years ago) she lost my large LV monogrammed purse after she decided to take it to school one day. She had gone to Sainsburys to buy doughnuts, came back to the common room, ate her treat, went back to class and left my purse on the table. Obviously we never saw that again. I was so distraught, I don't know how I didn't kill her. I had bought the purse myself a good few years beforehand and it was about £200 if I remember rightly, a lot of money for a purse back then . OH went out and bought me the purse pictured above which remains in excellent condition, as does the key purse which is now about 11 or 12 years old.

I do still use my Louis Vuitton goods. The two purses on a daily basis, both years old now and I am not ashamed to say that when the "Neverfull" tote bag was released, it went straight on my Christmas wish list as I am a sucker for a huge bag that I can fill with everything but the kitchen sink!
I no longer use it on a daily basis as I did when it was new, but it makes for a great beach/poolside bag when on holiday and I also use it for shopping trips as its huge capacity means I don't have to cart loads of carrier bags around, naturally I requested the largest of the three sizes available. I was at first worried that the thin straps would snap under the strain but OH had asked instore and was told that it had been tested to take a certain weight (neither of us can remember how much) which makes this bag extremely functional especially if you are a "mum on the run" with loads of "stuff" to cart around.

Although I recently wrote an article about fake goods, I never worry that people might think that my items are fake, because I know they are not! Although I did have a client when I worked at the Salon a couple of years ago who walked in my room, saw my " Neverfull" hanging on the back of the door as she closed it behind her and said "oh you have the same bag as me, have you been to Turkey aswell?". If looks could have killed, I swear mine would have sent her six feet under!

Many items in my LV monogrammed collection have been sold over the years and these are just the pieces that remain. If they get too grubby (the base of my Alma was disgusting) and I know I would never use them again, then I get rid and it doesn't worry me, I don't feel sentimental about pieces that may have been bought as presents but I also understand why some people wish to keep hold of things they now never use on the basis that they were bought as gifts.

I also understand that people do expect these goods to be of the highest quality, but I have had a previous issue with Louis Vuitton over a bag with a broken strap which some of you may well remember, but for those of you who weren't reading the blog in the Spring of 2010, my husband took the bag to the Royal Exchange branch in the City, who promptly sent it off to Paris and after a couple of weeks, this is what we got back. A note saying the bag was unrepairable.......

when any fool can see the strap has only come out because the stitching has come undone.....

I felt awful because I acted as though I didn't believe OH and felt that he could have done more, so I decided to go up to London myself and try the Bond Street store where it had originally been bought and I ended up thinking that I was going to get thrown out by security as my voice got higher and higher with rage and anger, as the manager told me that it was unrepairable, what a load of rubbish.

If I took it to a cobblers they could stitch it easily so why the hell can't LV? I don't want to lower the value of the item by getting the repair done elsewhere, so the bag remains upstairs and unused. Sad really, as across the body bags are so handy when travelling or shopping.

So although my husband lives by the motto "buy cheap, buy twice" there will always be times when something of expense and quality will break, come unstitched, whatever. You just have to hope that if anything like that does happen, you will get a better response from the retailer/manufacturer than we did.

So where do you stand on Monogrammed goods? Do you think you should stop using them as you get older? Or are you a younger designer goods lover who wouldn't be seen dead carrying something with a logo?

Something for the weekend - win bespoke shoes, extra 20% off sale items and what I'm loving this week.

2012-01-21T13:23:00.000Z

This Weekend is all about the best competitions, special offers and further discounts, as well as a little peek into what I am wearing and loving this week!

The Best Competition - Upper Street Shoe Experience.

If you haven't heard of Upper Street Shoes, then its high time you were enlightened! Upper Street are a bespoke shoe brand that allow you to design your perfect pair of shoes online! Such a great concept for anybody who really can't find the perfect pair of shoes, in either the colour or heel height of their choice and to celebrate their 2nd birthday, Upper Street are giving you the opportunity to win an invitation for you and 3 friends to rub shoulders with the glitterati and join them to party in style at the W Hotel on 1st March.

The glamour will not end there as Upper Street will continue to spoil you by hosting a luxury shoe experience for you and 3 lucky friends at their beautiful design studio where you will all get to design and keep your own pair of bespoke shoes courtesy of Upper Street. Their experienced style consultants will be at hand to help you indulge your inner design diva.

To enter this must-win prize, simply take a couple of minutes to register with www.upperstreet.com

This weeks best discount at my-wardrobe.

With many sales coming to an end, its a great time to take advantage of any further discounts that may be on offer. My-Wardrobe are offering an extra 20% off of Sale items, using code SALEEXTRA at checkout.

This now means that you can get these fab Bionda Castana shoe boots (already reduced by 70%) with the extra 20% off for a bargainous £152!

Click here to shop.

If you are still on the hunt for a great bargain, then don't forget to check out my "Best Bargains" page which has been constantly updated throughout the Sales season to bring you the most wearable wardrobe investment items with the biggest discounts and my top sale tip as the Sales come to a close, is to keep checking back online as returns are being made all the time, so your size may well be back in stock!

This week I have been loving.....

My new Chantecaille "Lip Chic" lipstick in Geranium. I put this on my Christmas List and haven't got around to using it yet, so thought I would give it a try yesterday. It is lovely and soft to apply and quite glossy and is not as dark on, as it appears in the tube. The perfect shade for me to get away from a make-up bag full of pinky shades and I have to say I love this brand of make-up and skincare which is available at Space NK. Have you ever bought any Chantecaille products?

I also thought it was high time I used my Pug scarf by "Age of Reason" which I got for my December birthday. Being totally "Pug" obsessed of late, this made the perfect present for me and I was thrilled to get it. Age of Reason Pug scarves are available to buy online from matchesfashion. See the latest ss12 designs here.

So what have you been loving/wearing/buying this week?

Wednesdays Wardrobe Staple.

2012-01-18T10:44:00.001Z

Its been a long time since I did a "Wednesday Wardrobe Staple" post, purely because I covered what I thought were all the essential items to create the perfect capsule collection in a series of posts I did last year. I featured the trench coat, the perfect Jeans, basic t-shirts, breton tops and the undeniably essential, little black dress, but the reason for this post is that there is one other item that most "Wardrobe Hero" articles seem to ignore, the denim shirt.

I pretty much ignored the "double denim" trend as seen on the Chloe runway back in 2010, fearing it was not a look for my age group but I starting looking at Denim shirts again when the "Made in Chelsea" series first started and I spotted one being worn by one of the shows stars, Caggie Dunlop. I make no apologises for my love of trash t.v. and really got into the programme after the first few episodes and Caggie has worn her denim shirt on various occasions throughout series one and two.

Series 2 - The denim shirt is under the coat - honest. I watched it so I should know.

Then last week Sharon did a blog post about a recent denim shirt charity shop find which she teamed with some coloured jeans whilst showing a spread from that weeks Grazia featuring denim shirts, which I managed to forget to buy. Then one of my friends turned up at the house wearing one that she had recently purchased. I loved her daytime look so much I nagged her into letting me taking a picture of her standing by my front door as she was leaving, much to her complete and utter disgust!

My mate Marissa (or Minnie as she is known).

Whether you go for a loose oversized style or something slightly more fitted, dark indigo denim or paler lightweight chambray, this is one item that needs to sit alongside the classic white shirt in your closet. You may not be able to wear it to the office, but for casual looks it makes for the perfect fail safe option whether you team it with coloured cords or jeans, leather leggings (age and figure permitting), wear with flats or heels, shorts, or use it as a bikini cover up in summer.

There is no doubt in my mind that the denim shirt is set to be big news this season and will be one trend that you won't mind investing in with so many ways to wear it and with its timeless casual appeal.

Kylie, Sienna and Alexa love theirs!

Fuelling the denim shirt desire further via Tumblr

So the denim shirt is making its way onto my spring wishlist, the only question remaining is which one to get and whether to go for a light or dark denim!

Huge bargain with the Textile Elizabeth and James at NAP, was £160 now £64. Dorothy Perkins £26.00. Lee £65.00. Uniqlo £19.90.

Do you already have one? are you putting one on your spring and summer list of must buy items? Light or dark? Loose or fitted? Designer or High Street?

Your a Fake Baby.....

2012-01-17T09:55:00.000Z

I seemed to miss last weeks episode but I did manage to catch the very first "Fake Britain" on BBC the week before. There was nothing else on at the time but I was glad I stumbled upon it, as it was a real eye opener!

I think we are all pretty much aware that if you go to Turkey you can buy fake designer jeans and Louis Vuitton goods and that there are now websites dedicated to selling fake Louboutin Shoes and Chanel handbags.

Yes you can pick up a fake designer Chanel handbag for about £250 but what seriously worries me is the fact that people purchase these and then go on to sell them on ebay for £1,000 + and I find this whole practice utterly disgraceful to be honest.

I have sold designer items on ebay for many years now and always find myself repeating over and over the fact that my item is "100% authentic guaranteed" because I know full well that it is, and it is one reason why I hate the fact that I haven't always kept the receipts for expensive items that I have bought in the past or that my husband may have bought for me, he is just as useless at keeping hold of such things! Then come the annoying influx of questions about authenticity, which drive you nuts when you know your item cost you a small fortune and is in no way a fake! This whole situation is a nightmare for genuine owners and sellers of high end goods. If I buy my 11 year old son a pair of Armani jeans and a Ralph Lauren polo top (which I frequently do) I am very unlikely to be able to find the receipt when he has outgrown them, sometimes 6 months or even a year later, depending on growth spurts.

So I am happy to sell on ebay but personally I am not so happy to buy, well not designer goods anyway and wouldn't dream of purchasing a Chanel bag or similar without a receipt, as another huge problem is the fact that the "fakers" are now so sophisticated that they can emulate holograms and care cards with ease, I was also once asked whether my receipt was genuine as you can apparently get "fake" receipts, but I am still astounded by the fact that certain individuals are fuelling these businesses and providing sellers with an income of £700 + plus with each Chanel bag they purchase. If somebody has a thousand pounds to spend on a fake item, surely it would be better to save another similar amount and purchase the real thing? If I was going to purchase such an item from ebay I would be looking for a used vintage item rather than new without receipt, but again, they go for so much money, you may as well save the extra and get a new one.

Apart from the obvious fakes, the ciggies and booze (yes its true, never buy cheap knock off, it probably isn't real, fake fags will kill you quicker than proper ones!) I was amazed to see that High Street clothing brands are also being copied by the "fakers". Karen Millen was a brand that featured and this completely shocked me! I could never imagine buying a Karen Millen dress or a pair of shoes on ebay and finding out that they are not authentic, it seems that every brand is at the mercy of the "fakers" who make a fortune out of vulnerable purchasers who may not be able to afford to shop directly from the retailer in question and honestly believe they are getting a bargain!

Karen Millen did mention the programme on their blog and are currently trying to reassure buyers that they are doing their best to put a stop to this situation as are ebay, but I wouldn't let any ebay statements give you reassurance to be honest. You can view Karen Millens information on the situation here where you will also find a link to the programme, which I highly recommend you watch.

Meanwhile you can read Pearl of "Fashion Pearls of Wisdom" advice on counterfeit goods here and if I can just take the time to remind you that Chanel can be bought from Harrods, Selfridges and any Chanel store and Louboutins can be bought from similar outlets but also online at high end retailers such as net-a-porter, matches fashion and browns fashion. The outnet also have a Louboutin sale once or twice a year, so sign up for email alerts as you will need to be quick as they sell out within minutes of the sale going live although I was lucky enough to snag a pair in 2010!

The Louboutins I can't walk in.

As for the buying and selling of designer goods on auction sites, my only advice is to always keep your receipts so that you can send them to your purchaser but do remove any personal information, I usually cut this out with a small pair of scissors rather than just scribbling out with a pen. You will also probably find that if the buyer has confidence in your item then you are more likely to get more money for it. As for buying, be very wary. Ebay is great for furniture, vintage goods and other clothing but when it comes to buying designer goods, have a look at the sellers previous history. If you looked at mine for example, you would see that I am a family who sells boys designer clothes from my son along with a mixture of high street and designer items from a man, a woman and a couple of teenage girls. Always check a sellers feedback and look at what they have sold previously. If a seller has previously sold 5 pairs of Louboutins, chanel bags or Karen Millen dresses and they are all brand new with tags - avoid them like the plague and refuse to become a part of "rip off Britain".

If you are fully aware that you are buying a copy and you pay a price accordingly, then that is up to you. One lovely blogger I know bought a fake handbag as she felt she would never be able to afford the real thing and I have to confess it looked great in her photographs. This is all a matter of personal choice, the most important thing being that she knew what she was buying and was not ripped off. I won't go into child labour, money laundering, or drug barons who are all associated with counterfeit goods, as that would make for a lengthy rant but people need to be aware of the individuals who are very often behind these businesses.

I've learnt my lesson with losing receipts and keep the Alexander Wang Rocco one in a small zip pocket on the side of the bag that I never use, just incase I ever need to sell her.

I may never get my 2.55 but I don't wish to carry a fake, ever. I'd rather go without.

What is your take on "Fake Britain"? Do you think this culture has grown due to the recent recession and the sheer volume of people out of work and in receipt of benefits, or is it just that we all get a thrill from a bargain and people are naive enough to think they are getting the real deal?

* Chanel do have a website but you are unable to purchase from it. Louboutin also have a website but an ecommerce site only exists for the US. Lets hope that these global brands realise the importance of selling their product range online in the very near future, France needs their economy boosting at present and I am sure this would help.

Mulberry Monday - S/S 12 Campaign.

2012-01-16T10:05:00.001Z

When I was a child we used to have a very small Tesco supermarket in town (its now about 4 times larger). Every Saturday afternoon whilst my nan watched the wrestling, my mum and I would go food shopping and we would always buy Ice Cream. Mum always went to pick up a block of Vanilla (do you remember Ice Cream in blocks?) but I always insisted on Neapolitan.

It wasn't that it tasted that great, it certainly doesn't compared with todays Haagen Dazs or Ben and Jerry's but it was the pretty colours that drew me in, I have always adored pink! I never eat my ice cream frozen, I always put it in the microwave, but as I child I had no alternative but to let it melt, gradually and when it did, I would swirl the three coloured ice cream into pretty patterns that were so pleasing to the eye, before I eventually devoured the candy coloured, liquid loveliness, so when I first spotted the spring and summer Mulberry ad campaign I was overcome with childhood ice cream coloured memories and with the campaign photographs taken on Brighton beach, the trip down memory lane continued, as I have lived all my life on an Island and spent virtually every summers day of my entire childhood on the beach.

I adore the way the campaign uses sticks of the ever famous Brighton rock and emulates melted ice cream cones as a backdrop to the gorgeous ice cream and candy coloured garments and "to die for" accessories and with retail sales reported to have risen by 47%, I can see that Mulberry will be set for a scorching hot summer.

Do you think the campaign of this great british heritage brand brings out the best of the british seaside?

Something for the weekend - free mascara, new eye cream, the latest "it" bag and celebs with little doggies!

2012-01-13T09:43:00.000Z

Product Junkies don't miss out this weekend! Take an old used mascara to your local Clinique counter from Saturday 14th January and receive a free mini mascara in exchange. There are two products on offer, High Lengths (5ml) and High Impact (4ml). They are about half the size of the normal ones which are 7 and 8ml respectively, so your free sample will be worth approximately £8!

The offer runs until Wednesday 1st February, but stocks are limited and Clinique have found this offer to be very popular in the past, although they apparently have increased stock levels for this promotion.

Talking of Mascara's, I am really fussy which ones I use as such a lot of them seem to smudge under my eyes and with very short and sparse eyelashes (sickening when I spend half my time applying eyelash extensions to others) I need a really good product that can give them a complete overhaul and make them look somewhere near what most women consider a normal length and thickness when they aren't wearing Mascara!
Lancome and Chanel are my "go to" products of choice, especially the Inimitable Intense by Chanel, but I got bought the Sublime for Christmas and am not at all impressed, it does nothing except coat them with colour, no lengthening and no curl, it really is a case of "from the sublime to the ridiculous" especially when you consider how much it costs!
I am sure it would be fine for somebody with thick, lush and long lashes, but for me, the Inimitable Intense beats this hands down and is a product I would highly recommend.

One thing I didn't put on my Christmas List and should have, was a new Eye Cream. I didn't realise I was so low and after recieving a £5 Boots voucher when I bought all next years (or this years) wrapping paper, cards and christmas crackers, I thought I might as well put it to good use and try a product from their Protect and Perfect range, the Protect and Perfect Intense Eye Cream.
I bought the moisturiser when the product first launched amid a flurry of positive press, but I didn't really notice any change in texture or decrease of wrinkles and went back to using something at least double the price.
I think I have finally admitted to myself that nothing will take the lines away and that the most important thing is to keep the delicate eye area and indeed the rest of my face, hydrated, and console myself with the fact that if I hadn't have used a cocktail of high end creams on my skin for the last twenty odd years, I would probably look more late fifties than forties! That said, with the £5 voucher, the cream was a great price and the tube is a really generous size for an eye product. It sinks in easily and leaves the eye area feeling really comfortable and I no longer expect miracles and am under no illusion that by placing the cream on a copy of Harpers Bazaar with Uma Thuman on the cover, that I will be magically transformed into having her wrinkle free skin if I use this product, we all know that ain't gonna happen without a complete face lift!
If you don't have a £5 voucher but want to give the Protect and Perfect range a try, Boots currently have a 3 for 2 offer online here.

As most of you will know by now, we become home to a delightful and mischievous Pug called Albert at the beginning of November and we have all gone a bit "canine crazy" ever since, so I thought I would share with you some pictures of celebrities with their very own furry friends.....

Aren't they cute, even though I am all about the "Pug" at the moment.....

Jessica Alba has a pug, but he is not as good looking as our boy.....

Claudia wearing her David and Goliath "God save the Pug" pyjamas she got for Christmas!

When it comes to "Arm Candy" most fashion types are so over the words "it bag" even though every season there is always a must have tote, shoulder or handbag that can be seen on the arms of Fashion Editors, WAGS and anybody who has enough money to fund a serious "handbag" addiction.

Personally I am still lusting after a Celine tote and a 2.55 and lets not mention the word "Hermes" and now the latest offering from design house Valentino the Rockstud Tote, which according to net-a-porter has become the fashion editors bag of choice and was seen everywhere at the pre-fall shows in New York.

Being a fully paid up member of the "I love a bag with studs" Gang, since I purchase the Alexander Wang Rocco from The Outnet last February, this gorgeous tote just confirms my adulation of a bag with a stud or two. Structured, sleek and with a cool girl edge, this bag and I are destined to be together, well in my dreams anyway!

There are many colours and variations of the Rockstud, you can view them all here.

Talking of Hermes, check out this gorgeous picture of my style icon, Kelly Rutherford looking gorgeous in basic jeans and v-neck sweater topped off with killer heels and a mini Birkin bag. Sometimes the simplest of looks really work, especially when you have legs like that!

What are you loving this week? Bought anything I should know about?

Boticca

2012-01-12T11:28:00.004Z

Boticca first cropped up on my accessories radar a few months ago and I featured some great pieces from their extensive range of jewellery, bags etc in the lead up to Christmas, in my "gift guides for girls".

Boticca.com is the global online destination for accessories that connects customers directly with top independent designers all over the world. Boticca.com makes it easier and more enjoyable for customers to discover high-quality, unique jewellery, handbags and fashion accessories with a meaningful story. The marketplace is edited by a team of fashion experts, designers and stylists who illustrate the culture and inspiration behind the collections on the site. With their headquarters in London, Boticca.com has handpicked more than 240 emerging designers from over 40 countries and offers a selection of more than 6,000 items, so when Boticca emailed me recently offering to do a guest post, written by their "style hunters" Chiara and Philippa, exclusively for the blog, with the emphasis on accessorising at any age, it was an opportunity I couldn't turn down as I was interested to see their top picks for the more mature fashionista and hear about any tips and advice they could give.

Accessorize all Ages with Boticca

As Boticca.com’s style-hunters will be the first to tell you, no matter what your age or your style, be it uber-relaxed, or more polished, getting your accessories right is the key to looking effortlessly chic.

Introducing Philippa Nash and Chiara Cirella, with their top tips on how to accessorize, whatever your style.

- Follow in the footsteps of fashion dame Coco Chanel: “I always take off one accessory before leaving the house to ensure I am not overdoing it.”

-Statement is more: you don't need to pile on the accessories if you're wearing the right statement piece. For something that says statement, without overdoing it, look to the likes of Krista R for divine Baroque-inspired shawlettes made with vintage French lace.

-The right handbag does wonders. Get your handbag right and the rest will follow. Eva Longoria’s a fan of Dareen Hakim’s clutches.

-Accessorize with what suits you. We cannot stress this enough! For Anna Wintour it’s fur and chokers, for you it might be a graphic print silk scarf or a chunky bracelet. Gemma Redux’s Liz Bracelet is an all-time favourite and has been seen on the wrist of Cameron Diaz.

Chiara and Philippa x

(Visit Boticca to view more of the jewelry and accessories, from the pearl necklace to the silk scarf collection.)

I have to confess one thing I love about this site is the price range, there is something for every budget and there is no doubt it will become my "go to site" for gifts in future.

Do you have any statement pieces that you always accessorise with?

*Please note this post is NOT sponsored nor did it form part of a product review, it is purely a guest post only.

Steal her Style - leopard print and breton stripes.

2012-01-11T10:10:00.000Z

Love, love, love Breton tops, often talking about them as you know. A timeless classic that should form part of any womans capsule wardrobe and a garment that works for any age group, as will the look seen on Jessica Alba recently.

Teaming a leopard print scarf with your breton top is not an obvious way to accessorise it, but you have to admit it works and I am always excited by new ways to wear items that I wouldn't normally put together, its all about pushing the boundaries and experimentation, even when it comes to casual daytime style and providing the garments worn are what I classify as "age appropriate" I don't have a problem with stealing the style of someone in her 20's!

Shopping my own Wardrobe. Hat, Next. Sunglasses, Dior. Breton top, Gap. Scarf, Louis Vuitton.

Leopard print scarf was £18 now £9, Oasis. Striped top by Splendid was £70 now £35 at net-a-porter. Chunky Knit Beanie Hat was £22 now £12 from Kew. Sunglasses, Tom Ford was £240 now £120 at The Outnet.

I also love how you can put this look together for half the normal retail price with the sales still in full swing and every item featured can be classified as a classic investment purchase that can be mixed and matched with many of the garments already in your wardrobe, at a bargain price!

Pleased to say this is just another way for me to get even more wear out of the LV scarf but will you be mixing Leopard print and Breton Stripes together this season?

2012 Style Resolutions

2012-01-10T09:40:00.000Z

I am not a huge fan of making new years resolutions, I never stick to them, so what is the point, but when it comes to my wardrobe, I have to confess to sometimes making "style resolutions" and 2012 is one of those years when I have to take my wardrobe by the horns and fill the gaps I have identified.

I have had a good look through my wardrobe and have made a realistic list, which means one that does not include Louboutins or a Chanel 2.55 because, a) it goes without saying that I want these and b) I still can't afford them, but I have identified some gaps and found some pieces that need replacing like my New Look red ballet flats which desperately need to wing their way to the green wheelie bin on the drive and be magically replaced, with a far more expensive pair. Just like black flats, I have found red to be indispensable and love them with breton tops and jeans, but the soles are so thin on the New Look ones, that they kill my feet just walking down my unmade road, where every small stone feels as though it is a drawing pin in disguise - ouch, but they are such a nice shade of red and I am not sure if the one's I have found in Kurt Geiger sale are a bit too bright for me.....

Kurt Geiger Lucille pumps were £70 now £35 and if I make an order, I will just have to get the cuff, available in gold or silver and reduced from £50 to £13, now that is what David Dickinson would call a "real deal".

I am also in dire need of new jeans. I live and die in my Citizens of Humanity dark indigo skinnies, they are by far, the most comfortable pair I own and I have been on the lookout for a black or grey pair in the sales but to no avail, sadly, so I shall continue to check The Outnet, who do have grey but not in my size, still, you never know your luck!

Tops is another area that needs "topping" up, so to speak. I ruin so many tops that I am thinking I need some patterned or print ones that won't show the fat splashes when I'm cooking or the marks left when I drop dinner down myself, which seems to have become a regular occurrence of late (is it an age thing or should I get off the sofa and sit up the table more?).

I still have my Christmas money, which is a "miracle on 34th street" in itself, but as yet another style resolution this year was to not be lured by massive reductions and purchase things I don't really need, I have held off and really thought about the things I need even though a certain Viv Westwood dress that is only £72 has been put in my net-a-porter shopping basket so many times its a joke, but I have remained strong as I really don't have anywhere to wear it!

Isabella Oliver 365 collection relaxed merino roll neck was £115 now £80.50 remains on my lust list even though most of my jumpers are grey and as much as I adore the other colours available, I still want it!

I would also purchase the whole Isabella Oliver collection in the Sale if I had the money and although a few things are on my "must have" list, most of the items I want have only small reductions and are not yet in the 60% off category, so I am biding my time and have to hope that my size doesn't sell out beforehand!

Have you made any style resolutions for 2012? Maybe you have decided to give the High Street a miss and plump for a couple of investment purchases or maybe you are putting spending on hold for a while in favour of shopping your own wardrobe and looking at ways to wear clothes that haven't seen the light of day for a while, but be sure to share your wardrobe's hopes and dreams for the future!

Sharon Stone

2012-01-09T11:48:00.001Z

At 53 years of age, nobody can deny that Sharon Stone looks totally amazing, even though I am not a huge fan of over 40 something women wearing their hemlines so short, but she does have amazing legs and I know loads of you will tell me its fine, although I will never believe you, whether someone has great pins or not, there are so many great dresses out there and when your budget is unlimited, there is simply no excuse and I will always believe that you are trying too hard!

Sharon Stone never really crops up on my "style icon" radar, but "all hail" the middle aged woman with the figure of a girl at least half her age, whether she is blessed with great gene's or lives on iceberg lettuce leaves, the lady deserves respect!

The only thing I am not sure about is whether the young man she was spotted out and about in Hollywood with is the boy that she adopted a while ago. Admittedly, I do lose track of time so perhaps he could be this old by now and this young man does have the look of an "oversized toddler" about him and I remember the boy being blonde, don't I?

I love her hair and the accessories but if I could give one word of advice to Sharon it would be: snakeskin heels or bag, never both, Sharon love.

What do you think of Sharon's style and what one word of advice would you give her?

Savvy Sales Shopping - get set for Snow!

2012-01-06T16:58:00.001Z

A range of "Savvy Sales Shopping" posts which were all scheduled for this week have been somewhat delayed, due to a hectic and disastrous start to the New Year on so many counts, but I won't bore you with details of the catastrophes which have taken place in my life lately, I am just glad to be back at my laptop discussing one of my favourite subjects - Bargains!

I can't believe that so many sales started before Christmas this year, even net-a-porter which is unheard of! The only bad thing about this was by the time people got their Xmas money, a lot of sizes were already sold out, but we will see new lines added and larger reductions to the existing sales sometime soon and next week will be spent entirely picking out the best buys for a range of occasions, wardrobe requirements and weather necessities, so every item featured can be looked upon as an investment purchase either for immediate wear or for the months ahead.

It hasn't happened yet, well not down South anyway, but no doubt snow and ice are imminent and sadly none of us will be looking as glam as the couple pictured on the steps of the New York City Library for this winters Tiffany add Campaign as we will be looking to keep as snug and warm as possible, when we have to go out and brave the elements. So if you haven't already invested in warm outerwear and accessories, you still have time to grab your stylish snow/sleet/rain essentials with many items offering up to 50% off or more.
Treat your winter warmers just like wardrobe staples or the holiday clothes you bring out every summer, invest your pennies wisely and you will be able to call upon these items year after year and rest assured that you will be wardrobe ready for severe weather warnings and bitter cold school runs!

Hunter Wellington Boots were £85 now £42.50. Biba Rubber Ankle Boots Was £65 now £45. Dune Snow Boots were £99 now £50. Ash Fur Snow Boots were £250 now £175. Givenchy Wellington Boots were £255 now £179.

Tommy Hilfiger Down Jacket was £205 now £136.50. Michael Michael Kors Fur Trimmed Duffle coat was £450 now £225. Kew Belted Jacket was £129 now £69. Hobbs Padded Jacket was £179 now £149.

Sonia Rykiel stripe scarf was £49 now £24.50. Hush Cashmere Beret was £35.00 now £17.50. Missoni crochet scarf was £85.00 now £42.50. John Lewis red leather gloves was £25 now £12.50. John Lewis Supersoft cuff gloves was £10.00 now £4.00. Anya Hindmarch Leather gloves was £250 now £100.

Are stylish snow essentials on your Sales shopping list?

I hope your New Year got off to a great start and for anybody who has contacted me over the last week or so, I will be catching up on emails and tweets over the weekend.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T14:30:00.000Z

Whatever you are doing this evening, either a quiet night in or getting ready to party with family and friends, I would like to take this opportunity to wish every one of my readers a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2012.

As the Blog approaches its 3rd birthday in the first half of the year, I would like to thank each and every one of you, whether old or new followers, for your comments and support throughout the years, they are always very much appreciated.
I don't know if any changes will take place, there are lots of things I would like to do, but who knows, the beginning of the year will see me going with the flow and forever grateful for all the lovely friends I have made due to Blogging and the wonderful opportunities it has given me. I always try to remain true to myself and hopefully the blog reflects this. I am forever grateful that I am not the only woman in my age bracket who still has a passion for fashion!

So here's to you dear readers, have a great time tonight and I will be seeing you in 2012.

Sharron xxx

Black is Back.

2011-12-30T09:57:00.000Z

Anybody who has read the Blog for any length of time will know that I am a nail polish devotee and have gone through many stages in my "nail polish life" with different nail shapes and favourite colours, not to mention an obsession with any new Chanel colours that hit the beauty counters.

For the last few years I have favoured the short, square nail shape and always wear a dark colour in Winter, sometimes a deep red and summer see's me favouring a tangerine or coral shade which I adore when I have a tan, but the other day I decided to paint my nails black, something I haven't done for a few winters but what bought this colour back on to my "nail lacquer radar" is my love of trash tv and more recently "Desperate Scousewives" where it appears that the cast of the E4 reality show rarely wear any other colour, perhaps you can only buy black in Liverpool but who cares, the programme has reignited my love for this shade!

Debbie wearing Black Nail Polish.

Amanda out on the town on Boxing Day, wearing Black nail polish.

Jodie with black nails.

Elissa with Bitch Blogger Jaiden also wearing black nails.

Elissa at the shows Xmas party.

"Lady in Black" by Opi is the one I just used. Just two coats gives deep dark coverage and it is a lovely high gloss black.

Chanel Black Satin is another favourite of mine and it seems that I am not alone in my reborn love of black as an Instagram chum posted up a picture of her beautiful black nails after I posted a picture of mine....

Penny's nails actually put mine to shame if they are not Acrylic, Gel or Shellac I will be gutted, as they look so perfect!

I think a lot of women are put off of using dark colours because they can require a bit of a clean up operation on your cuticles and the skin surrounding your nail plate. A cotton bud really doesn't "cut the mustard" when it comes to removing excess polish as they are just too big and wide. I use the pointed end of an orange stick with a very small amount of cotton wool wrapped around the end and dip this into my nail polish remover as it gives you much more control when cleaning up.

You may need to change the cotton wool quite frequently if you have lots to clean up and always be sure to wait until your nails are completely dry before attempting this. Although nails may be "touch dry" quite soon after painting, don't bang them or hunt for the keys in your handbag for at least an hour after application and if going to the Salon for a manicure always get everything you are going to need at the end of your manicure i.e. money for payment and keys, out ready before your treatment begins.

Do you have a new found love for Black or have you always worn it? What colour are you planning to wear for New Year?

Ab Fab Christmas.

2011-12-28T17:06:00.001Z

Christmas Eve completely wore me out. I had been working up until Friday evening which left me with so much to do, I decided that as much as I love Christmas, I actually hate the day before and turned into some moaning old witch, in fact I am still moaning about it now!

Xmas Eve started off with an early trip to the Salon for the Christmas blow-dry followed by some last minute shopping in town which saw me arrive home at 11.30am with all the food preparation, housework, beds to be made up for my eldest daughter and her boyfriend who were staying over and last minute wrapping of the stocking filler bits I had bought earlier in the day and as I flopped exhausted into bed at almost midnight, I felt so tired that I honestly thought I wouldn't wake up until Boxing Day and would miss out on all the fun but of course that wasn't going to happen, after all, who would cook the dinner and pick up all the mess from the sitting room floor?

Time to start opening the pressies with young man and daughters 3 and 1.

Young Man was just a little excited as he unwrapped his ipad.....

and Albert seemed pleased with his Reindeer ears.

Our traditional Christmas breakfast of Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon Bagels (Bagels from Kossof's in Middlesex St, London - don't give me those shit supermarket ones!) and Bucks Fizz kept us all going until lunchtime and a few glasses of pink bubbly stuff got me through the stress of cooking an enormous lunch with all the trimmings easily.....

Daughters 3 and 2 awaiting their lunch....

Young Man and Daughter 1.

Then it was time to change into something a bit more comfortable to wear off some dinner on the Wii with the Dance Fit.....

Which completely wore out Daughter 3 and the Pug by the looks of it!

This Christmas seemed to be all about the "onesie" and Claudia found her's very comfortable as she snoozed on the sofa and eldest daughter's boyfriend looked a treat in his "Tigger" one but I didn't get a photo.

Luckily for me, in amongst the usual Slippers, smellies, DVD's, earrings etc I was very pleased with the new make-up I received, all bought by my three gorgeous girls, thanks kids!......

I don't wear a lot of make-up but feel I need to go for the make-up no make-up look, so asked for foundation (Jemma Kid), bronzer (Nars Laguna) and eyeshadow (Estee Lauder Surreal Skies) which I never use, along with a new Chanel mascara, Nars powder blush in Deep Throat and a Chantecaille lipstick in Geranium. I found all these pieces and more (which I still have to purchase at some point) from a make-up tutorial and I can't wait to try it all out!

The evening consisted largely of M&S party food and Poinsettia cocktails which I found on an old Nigella Lawson programme on the food channel and consists of 750ml of Cava or dry fizzy wine, 125 ml of Grand Marnier, Cointreau or Triple Sec and 500 ml of Cranberry Juice and was very festive but sadly the delightful colour of the drink got lost in my red cocktail glasses!

After eagerly awaiting the Downton Abbey Christmas Special, I then proceeded to fall asleep halfway through it but lucky OH saw me nod off and recorded it, which meant as everybody else had a lie in on Boxing Day morning, I got to catch up with Mary and Matthew and Patsy and Edie in Ab Fab!

Now all I need to do is decide what to spend my Christmas money on, which is proving far more of a dilemma than I envisaged!

Did you have a wonderful Christmas and did Santa bring you everything you wished for or do you have money burning a hole in your pocket like me?

Guest Post "How to clean your engagement ring" by Jeweller Harriet Kelsall and a blogtastic giveaway!.

2011-12-18T16:11:00.000Z

Harriet Kelsall runs the UKs leading bespoke jewellery design company. Harriet has had an amazing year winning many awards including the UK Jewellery awards and the Everywoman Retail ‘woman of the year’ award. Also they were chosen in February to be one of the first allowed to use Fairtrade gold and are the first independent to be certificated by the Responsible Jewellery council, as jewellery ethics are important to them too.

Whilst best known for their ‘clean sheet’ bespoke design service, they also have a great range of ready-to-wear jewellery perfect for Christmas presents which arrive gift wrapped with your own handwritten message – and I even have a few lovley pairs to give away to you (read on for more details!).

Harriet took time out of her schedule to give us some tips on maxing the sparkle of our engagement rings in time for Christmas..........

"In our 40s, we are certainly fabulous, but are also very busy juggling careers, relationships and kids. I notice my friends just don’t have time to go to the jewellers and get their rings professionally cleaned as often as they would like.

Whilst the official line is to always take your ring to a good jewellery for regular clean and check-over, it is very easy to give your ring a dramatically good clean at home – it takes about 3 minutes and you will be amazed at the results.

I should just emphasize that home cleaning is only really suitable for a really well made and sound engagement ring. But if your well made engagement ring is made from gold, platinum or palladium with with no stones other than diamonds, sapphires, or rubies you can do this as often as you like.

Sapphire engagement rings in particular really benefit from cleaning because light does not totally-internally reflect within the gemstone structure as it does with a diamond, and so they do so lose their sparkle when the backs get mucky. Even a little hand cream can build up and stop your stones from sparkling.

Be careful not to try this with soft gemstones – if you don’t have diamonds, sapphires or rubies, seek advice from a good jeweller about whether your gemtones are definitely ‘hard’ enough before home-cleaning as some stones like emeralds or opals could be severely damaged by home cleaning because they are porous and even just water can damage them.

· Before you start, have a really good look at your engagement ring. Check that the claws look really sound and that none of the stones are chipped or moving in their settings. If you do have any damage or any claws which look worryingly thin, it is important to take your ring straight to a professional in case you loose a stone.

· Fill a bowl with warm or hot water (with the plug in to avoid accidentally dropping your ring down!).

· Get a very soft bristled toothbrush like a baby’s toothbrush or a sable paintbrush and neat washing up liquid. It is important that the brush is soft so that the bristles can’t scratch the metal.

· Put a few drops of washing up liquid directly onto the wet brush and gently brush in and around all of the stones particularly concentrating on the stone backs (you should always find the backs of the stones are open from the inside of the ring on a good quality ring to allow for cleaning as otherwise dirt works in through the top and can never come out). Don’t’ apply too much pressure when brushing so that you don’t scratch the metal or push on the stones and dislodge them from their settings.

· Rinse of the detergent thoroughly (this is particularly important if you have sensitive skin as the detergent can be an allergen and cause contact dermatitis).

· Dry using a lint free cloth (ideally one especially for jewellery but actually a glasses cleaning cloth can work well too – just make sure the cloth is completely clean). When storing your metal cleaning cloth, you must keep it in a packet and not out in the atmosphere because otherwise the polish dry up and dust or grit can get onto it and then when you rub your metal with it, this will scratch the ring.

If there is any really caked-on dirt (e.g. anything like pastry that has hardened onto the ring) or if you haven't cleaned it for a really long time, it sometimes helps to soak the ring overnight submerged in neat liquid detergent like Flash before you start (that's right - the all purpose or floor cleaner! Or you can use any other similar non-abrasive neat floor or all-purpose detergents). Just pop your ring in a glass and completely cover it in this liquid detergent... being careful to put this in an unusual place so that you don't accidentally pour it away and loose your ring! This soak will help loosen off this dirt before you start.

In days gone by, people used to soak their diamonds in gin which also works but in my opinion is a waste of gin!

Another thing that my customers often say from our grandparent's generation is that you can clean a diamond ring with toothpaste but I don't recommend this as I think it is a bit too abrasive and could scratch the metal on a fine setting.

Have a very sparkly Christmas!"

If anybody would like to tweet Harriet with questions about cleaning their own engagement ring, you can contact her @HarrietKelsall

Now for the blogtastic giveaway! Harriet has very kindly provided 7, yes 7 pairs of earrings to form part of a fantastic Christmas giveaway. Each pair is made of sterling silver in the Hertfordshire countryside in small runs where the brand rarely make more than 10 of any particular design to keep things exclusive and unlike most jewellers, everything is made in the UK and contain such gorgeous materials as smoky grey river pearls, swarvoski crystals, rock crystals and hematine and all retail between £15.95 and £32.92 and come beautifully gift boxed.

To be in with a chance of winning one of these fantastic pairs of earrings make sure that you are a follower of the Blog on Facebook and simply leave a comment below by midnight Tuesday 20th December telling me why you deserve to win, along with your email address, yes its that simple! My favourite 7 answers will each receive a pair, chosen at random.

*Purple Label Jewellery are currently offering free delivery on all orders over £100 and their last order date for Christmas is 21st December.

A fortnight in Style - Sarah Jessica Parker.

2011-12-13T10:16:00.001Z

SJP has seen a hectic beginning to December that has left her precious little time for Christmas Shopping or putting the three kids to bed, but with a whirlwind of events to attend along with the première of her latest movie, we have seen designer outfits aplenty along with her usual casual daytime style.

Sarah Jessica recently told Stella Magazine that she was realistic about how she looked and that she tried to dress in an age appropriate manner and although she rarely puts a "fashion" foot wrong in my book, not all of her recent outfit choices have ticked my "age appropriate" boxes.

11th December - Out and About with the family in New York.

Wednesday 7th December - The Frump Factor. Wearing a dress that was more Mrs Doubtfire than Carrie Bradshaw to attend the New York premiere of new film "New Years Eve" and afterwards Sarah Jessica attended the Valentino party wearing the same dress.

Tuesday 6th December - The morning saw SJP step out of the house wearing bright blue tights for a Television interview to promote her new film "New Years Eve". Fast Forward to the evening and SJP had jetted off to the 34th Kennedy Centre Honors in Washington and returned to New York later that evening in casual attire but with no time to change her hair or make-up. The black Theyskens Theory dress swamped her petite frame and although I liked it, it just made her look like one of those old toilet roll covers your Nan used to knit. She could have had Mr Big under there for all we know!

Monday 5th December - SJP opts for a LBD with eyecatching tights for the Brain Trauma Foundation Gala Dinner in New York and doesn't put a foot wrong for me in this outfit. She rocks the "tights with a twist" which give a sexy edge to the whole ensemble.

Tuesday 29th November - It may be from the Louis Vuitton SS12 collection but the white silk and feathered dress Sarah Jessica wore on the Blue Carpet at the Unicef Snowflake Ball not only wowed the crowd but could not have been more fitting for the occasion and proved that once again she is the (Snow) Queen of Style.

Which looks are your favourites?

Something for the weekend - buying, wearing, drinking and sharing.

2011-12-09T10:25:00.002Z

Wow, what a hectic week this week has been, which I really didn't anticipate at all, but slowly the work came trickling in for Hollywood Lashes and Fake Tans which leads me to assume there are a lot of Christmas Parties going on this weekend.

My eldest daughter had some holiday to use up before the end of the year, so we had planned a day out to finish off the Christmas shopping and purchase all the yummy party food from the Marks and Spencer television advert which I can't get locally, as we have no M&S here. I am looking forward to these nibbles almost as much as the dinner, so I will try not to eat too much at lunchtime because I need plenty of room to eat those prawns wrapped in bacon at some point during the evening.

So all in all, it has been a week where the ironing pile suffered, the Blog suffered, as did the housework, proving the point that we really can't do it all, so I am hoping that calm and some sort of order will soon be restored and that I can catch up with things indoors so that I don't end up feeling really stressed out with the festivities fast approaching.

What to wear to an undercover shopping centre often leaves me in a fashion dilemma especially at Christmas time when everywhere is packed and all that body heat coupled with instore heating can often leave you wishing you had worn a bikini to the Mall, so I left my coat in the car and layered a long sleeve jigsaw basic t-shirt under my Isabella Oliver 365 collection boxy jumper (still on sale here, I need another colour BTW) finished off with my Louis Vuitton Leopard print scarf, Citizens of Humanity Jeans (yes I know it seems I never take these off) and my Jimmy Choo patent boots which are now on their 3rd or 4th winter and continue to prove that the "cost per wear" equation works very nicely and provides as much justification to OH as possible, that they were indeed a worthy purchase.

My day out shopping meant I finally got to indulge in a Starbucks Red Cup, Eggnog latte. Although I have been on lots of Christmas shopping expeditions for the past six weeks, I have to go a bit further afield to find a Starbucks and I have to confess that the Eggnog Latte knocks spots off of the Gingerbread one I had in Costa Coffee the other week, but it is all a matter of personal taste and I do have a very sweet tooth!

It wasn't my intention to buy anything for myself whilst out shopping for the last of the presents, but I had an idea in my head about wanting a pair of boots in a similar style to the Isabel Marant Dixie Boots and the obsession was further fuelled by a picture in the A/W Isabella Oliver 365 collection catalogue.

I had already been given some birthday money from my Mother in Law (a bit early I know) and I decided to take it with me just in case I saw anything that caught my eye, although the intention was really to hold on to it until the start of the January Sales but when I saw these cute little Boots in Oasis, they were exactly the kind of style I had been obsessing about and reduced to only £35 (originally £65 according to the sticker on the sole) all my thoughts of saving my money for some New Year bargains went straight out of window, but I don't regret it, as they look fabulous on!

Oasis Block heel boot available online here.

The Dixie boot by Isabel Marant.

Katie Holmes loves her's and they are sure to be a very versatile addition to my wardrobe.

The Isabella Oliver look that further fuelled my obsession for Marantesque Boots!

The relaxed merino cowl neck sweater is SO on my January Sale lust list and the loungewear trousers would provide some well deserved daytime comfort to an ever expanding Christmas waistline!

and this Sandro cardigan from net-a-porter better go in the Sale as this will be another perfect companion for my new Boots!

I finished off the Shopping expedition with a visit to HMV to pick up some CD's for Santa to deliver to my nephews and as the queue was moving at a Snails pace, I had plenty of time to peruse the bargain DVD's that lined the approach to the Checkouts and couldn't help but grab a little bit of New York for just £3 (have you seen it and is it any good?).

My daughters and I are planning to go late next year as visiting the "Big Apple" has been another (long term) obsession of mine and Bloggers posts documenting their recent visits have all been saved to my favourites, well they say knowledge is power and I am hungry to absorb all that this great City has to offer, so if you have information that may come in useful regarding hotels or places I must visit, then please let me know!

With my Birthday less than a week away, OH asked me last night if there was a little something he could get me from Little Man. I admit my idea of a "little something" might differ from his and I need some new perfume so have given him the option of two of my favourites.....

Victor and Rolf, Flowerbomb from John Lewis and Chanel No.5 from Boots.

With their current "price match" promotion, John Lewis are almost £4 cheaper on this particular perfume than other online retailers and this extends to their full product range not just Fragrance, with up to 25% off on certain items.

Talking of Scent, I walked into Boots the other day and the Shop Assistant spraying the perfume at the store entrance asked me "Chanel No.5?" to which I replied "everyday of the week darling, every single day" as she squirted me with the only thing Marilyn Munroe used to wear to bed. My comment drew some giggles from nearby shoppers as well as Twitter folk, who I couldn't resist sharing this silly little snippet of information with!

You may remember my "Great Plains" Blog post from mid October (hello where has the time gone?) where I raved about the A/W collection with so many wearable pieces whether for daytime or evening looks, so it is with much excitement that the news dropped into my inbox that their Sale, with up to 50% off, has already started, so maybe shopping for that Christmas day outfit or party dress perfection has just got that little bit easier and a whole lot cheaper! Shop the Sale here.

How have you spent your week?

Gift Guide - for Glitter Girls.

2011-12-05T10:33:00.003Z

Who ever said "All that glitters is not gold" obviously hadn't seen todays Blog post which is full of golden sparkly gift ideas for glitter girls.

From the Illamasqua glittery nail polish duo to the Jimmy Choo ipad sleeve, there is something to suit every budget and fulfill the Christmas wish lists of the glitter obsessed and who knew that you could even get glittery Hunter Wellies so that you can add sparkle to your outfit on the worst of winter days!

Gisela Graham Gold Glitter Candle £18.95. Dune glitter wedges £79.20. Jimmy Choo ipad sleeve £260. DKNY sequin embellished leather wallet £130. Hunter Glitter Wellingtons £85. Lulu Guinness Gold Glitter Lips Clutch bag £225. "All that Glitters" Juicy Couture iphone 4 case £40. Illamasqua Glitter Nail Polish Duo £20.

Are you or do you know a glitter girl who adores a bit of sparkle?

Christmas Day Style - the "not too overdressed" edit.

2011-12-02T10:39:00.001Z

When it comes to clothes shopping for the festive season, not only are most of us in search of the perfect party outfit, but also something new to wear on Christmas Day.

Your choice of outfit will often depend on how you actually spend your day. If you are going out for lunch perhaps to a restaurant or hotel, the options are endless and you can really go to town and dress up and perhaps even get another days wear out of your party frock if its not too glitzy.

Dinner at the in-laws, maybe jeans and a sparkly top will cut the mustard but for me, every single year, I am always lumbered with doing the cooking which throws me into a complete outfit dilemma, I just don't ever know what to wear!
Now don't get me wrong, I love cooking the Christmas Lunch and most certainly make the best Dinner around, everything is homemade which includes bread sauce, sausagemeat and stuffing balls, devils on horseback, I do my sprouts with bacon and chestnuts (mouth watering yet?) in fact the only thing I stopped making, some years back was the Pudding as it cost three times as much as buying one and I was having problems trying to buy just one can of Stout, so it was no longer a cost effective option and I find a pud from a finest range doesn't taste much different to the Delia Smith recipe I used for over 20 years (sorry Delia) but all this slaving over a hot stove always leaves me in an outfit dilemma, sadly I have to be practical and don't wish to scatter sequins over the honey roasted parsnips, I don't want to wear anything that will make me too hot (the kitchen ends up like a Sauna anyway) or one that will show the fat splashes as the roasties spit goose fat all over me, I think its high time I invested in an Apron for sure!

Budget is always a problem and to be honest I hate spending money that I could save for the Sales but wouldn't feel right without something new to wear, so for a day indoors doing the cooking I am looking for something that can be worn again, dresses up or down easily and doesn't cost the earth. I started my search at Monsoon as I haven't looked at the website for a while and I was so impressed with the range of dresses that actually fit my criteria of looking great with statement jewellery and heels but just as good with opaques and boots, I felt that my choices deserved a blog post all of their own, especially with Monsoons current 25% off promotion! (see link at bottom of post for code).

Harper Dress £55. Patty Dress £70. Rula Wrap Dress £50.

Erin Drape Dress £50. Amanette Dress £55. Arora print dress £55.

With the most expensive of my choices coming in at just £70, now all I have to do is decide which one is better suited to a day in the kitchen and an afternoon laying around bloated after a massive Christmas Lunch!

So are you going out for lunch and looking for something more sparkly or like me, will you be cooking and looking for something more comfortable and practical to spend your day in and let me know if you have any Festive Season outfit dilemma's which I will feature in a future blog posts.

Pug- a- licious

2011-11-30T20:32:00.001Z

As most of you probably know by now, we have a new addition to the family, Albert the Pug.

Since picking Albert up just over 2 weeks ago we have all gone totally Pug crazy! We have always loved Pugs but it was my youngest daughter who kept on and on and on....... until my husband gave in and said she could have one and after numerous phone calls to Breeders across the country, we happened upon this adorable little fellow and now Claudia and I can be found cooing over pug pictures and lusting after clothes with Pugs on them, well I have always said I like animal print!

These Age of Reason Pug Print Scarves are so going on my Christmas list! available at Matches.

I may be a bit old for for these but I love them anyway! Markus Lupfer Sequin Pug Sweaters from Farfetch.

Looking for a Christmas Gift for a Pug lover?

The Pug and Bulldog Mug by Linea £2.45 makes the perfect stocking filler.

Carole Van Dyke "Charlie the Pug" cushion £70, both House of Fraser.

Jellycat Cosmetic and Wash bags, £10.99 and £16.99 from John Lewis.

With Pugs now in the Top 10 list of most wanted Dogs in the UK, are you lusting after something

Pug-a-lucious on your Christmas list this year?

British Fashion Awards.

2011-11-29T12:52:00.000Z

London gave the Hollywood red carpet a run for its money at the British Fashion Awards which took place in the Capital last night.

Style Icons Victoria Beckham, Olivia Palermo and Kate Moss were in attendance along with Alexa Chung and an array of UK Fashion elite including Alexander McQueens Sarah Burton who won best designer.

After receiving her award for best designer brand, according to Twitter, Victoria Beckham made a heartfelt speech and cried three times, bless her. One can only hope that she may now consider showing her collection in London with rumours of husband David making a move to Paris St Germain (you can tell I'm a football wife, although sadly not a footballers wife) VB will only be a train ride away.

Victoria gets it right every time in simple but elegant black full length gown.

Fashion Icons from either side of the Atlantic. Olivia Palermo and Alexa Chung both hit the Style Spot.

If anybody knows how somebody who has access to the worlds top designers would actually choose to wear this dress is completely beyond me. What do you think? I'm all for a bit of faux fur, a red lip and nude shoes but surely somebody should have told her that Halloween was a month ago now. My thoughts in one word, VILE.

Stella McCartney in a shapeless jumpsuit and Daphne Guinness as Lady GaGa.

Livia Firth sporting the most fashionable of accessories, her gorgeous husband Colin.

Abbey Crouch looking glam and gorgeous in a nude full length suede gown by Giles Deacon (who also designed her wedding dress).

Who was your best and worst dressed?

The post where the family discuss fashion.

2011-11-28T17:15:00.002Z

It was sometime on Saturday evening at the point where you switch over from Strictly Come Dancing to X Factor when suddenly, whilst browsing on Twitter, my husband enquired "Is Fashion only for the young?".

Hilary Alexander.

Slightly dumbstruck, I asked what had bought about such a question from a man and OH said he wondered if a woman of Hilary Alexander's age could make such negative comments about the dress Tess Daly had been wearing on Strictly. At that point I wondered if he ever read any of my Tess Daly outfit damning tweets and Blog posts and told him that if anybody had the credentials to pass judgement on such fashion matters, it surely was Hilary Alexander and also that he should bear in mind that Tess isn't actually that young and has pushed the 40 year old age barrier herself. Lucky old Tess for looking that great at 42, OH thought she was younger!

Hilary is a prolific tweeter when Strictly is on air and has been seen many times in the past talking about the outfits the celebrity dancers will be wearing on her "It Takes Two" appearances, so she is obviously a massive fan of the show and I don't think there has been one weekend since the show kicked off where I have seen her praise one of Tess's outfits or looks (a woman after my own heart obviously). I just can't help but wonder why Tess doesn't start taking some fashion advice from her, get some well fitting underwear to support her assets and stop having her hair in a "Croydon Facelift" ponytail, it is way too severe!

My 19 year old daughter (a first year Fashion Journalism Student at UCA) then decided to join in our conversation during X Factor and said "yes I do think Fashion is only for the young. Look at the outfit Amelia Lily is wearing on X Factor and tell me, could an old person wear that and the answer is no, and if they did, they would look ridiculous" to which OH replied "try telling Mary Portas that".

Amelia Lily's outfit for her second song on Saturday night.

I then set about telling them my ideas about fashion and the over forties, and about how fashion can still be enjoyed by women of any age in fact, it is just about interpreting the trends to suit your age group and your figure. There would be nothing wrong with a more mature woman wearing Amelia Lily's jacket, top or footwear but it may be best to avoid the pale pink metallic jeans! I also told my audience that there are many women who prefer to dress stylishly, always look immaculate, but who tend to avoid trend led pieces and instead invest in well cut wardrobe staples which they mix and match effectively to create a range of different looks. I think I managed to convince them both, although my statements left me wondering if I should start falling into the latter mentioned category instead of falling hook, line and sinker for every trend that comes down the catwalk, but I guess if you have always loved clothes, some things never change no matter what your age.

So what do you think, should Tess take note of Hilary's tweets? is fashion purely for the young? and if you are over 40, do you still lust after trends or prefer sticking with classic styles? Discuss!

This weekends best discount codes and special offers.

2011-11-26T16:12:00.003Z

As the end of November approaches, most years, I get this rather smug feeling that almost all of my Christmas present shopping is either done or on order and that everything bought so far has been wrapped up and that I deserve a huge pat on the back for being so organised. Then low and behold, both my Mum and my Mother in Law decide to give me the money to buy the presents for my four children, which means yet another eight gifts to go out and buy or order and no doubt wrap up for them aswell. This surely has to be one of the best things about getting old, especially if you hate wrapping up as much as I do!

Luckily there are more new discounts and special offers around this weekend that I can take advantage of and save the "old girls" a bit of cash in the process.

Sonia Rykiel Scarf at Style Passport. £34.30 after discount.

Style Passport are offering 30% off of full price fashion and beauty this weekend only and don't be fooled by the website's name, this is one destination that you can shop from all year round, not just for your holiday! Use code WEEKENDGIFT at checkout here.

Dorothy Perkins have up to £20 off of both Boots and Shoes along with free delivery on all UK orders with no spending threshold. Shop here.

If you are looking to treat somebody to a pair of ever popular Ugg Boots, Office have a 4 day promotion ending midnight 28th November with up to £70 off of selected styles which includes all the classic styles, Kids/Youths and Mens ranges here.

At Boots, receive a massive £10 worth of Advantage points with a £75 online spend until midnight tomorrow, 27th November. This weeks star gift is the better than half price Gorgeous by Gok giftset which was £45 reduced to £22 until Thursday 1st December. Shop here.

Still searching for the perfect party dress or outfit for Christmas Day, then hop on over to Wallis where there is 25% off of everything! Shop here.

20% off of everything at New Look until midnight Sunday 27th November using code 20NOVTREAT at checkout here.

This sequin front merino sweater from The White Company will add a touch of sparkle to your Christmas Day and it is exactly like a "Vince" one I wanted last year - perfect!

Get 20% off of womens clothing at The White Company, no code required, shop clothing here and £5 off Luxury Gift Sets for one week only with offer ending 30th November. Shop luxury gift sets here.

Selfridges are offering 20% off of Fashion, Accessories and Homewear and 10% off of Beauty, Fragrance and Wine using codes SELF20 and SELF10 at checkout here. Offer valid until midnight Sunday 27th November.

Have a happy weekend of shopping and tell me, do you end up doing other peoples Christmas shopping as well as your own?

You've got to be in it, to win it!

2011-11-25T10:56:00.025Z

I have to say I love to enter competitions and find myself retweeting and following any offer I see pop up on Twitter because just like the National Lottery, you've got to be in it, to win it, so you can imagine my surprise when I heard from Leeds based Handbag company Claudia Conova that I had won their "100 tweet" competition and got to pick a handbag from a small selection of their rather large range of arm candy.

The competition was being run in conjunction with the launch of the brands online shopping facility on their website, as their collection was only previously available from retail outlets including Viva La Diva and a selection of department stores and independents both here and in Ireland.

Smith and Canova are a division of the Extras Group Ltd which began life in 1995 dedicated to establishing its own brand of high quality handbags, travel bags and accessories. Since those early days the brand has established a strong foothold in the UK and Irish markets. Claudia Canova has been the little sister to the well established leather goods brand of Smith & Canova for 5 years. Since those early days she has grown rapidly and is now achieving the same popularity and sales figures as her big brother which are no doubt set to increase since the online shopping facility launch.

I opted for a black bag as I have wanted one for a while now and I since the launch of the Mulberry Tillie I have been a huge lover of the satchel style and my Claudia Canova bag gives more than a slight nod to the designer trend but at only £66, offers high end styling at a fraction of the cost.

I have to admit to being a bit fed up with my handbags at the moment, with no inside compartments, I can never find anything so I was thrilled that this bag has three inner compartments (the central one having a zip) an inside zipped fabric pocket and an outer zipped pocket on the bag, so finding things will be an absolute breeze. The bag also has a detachable across body strap, so useful for those obligatory Xmas shopping trips where you are loaded up with carrier bags and its own sleeper bag, should you ever wish to give this essential piece of arm candy a break!

The bag also comes in Brown and can be purchased here or view the full collection online at www.claudiacanova.co.uk

Upper Street Shoe Sample Sale.

2011-11-24T09:52:00.002Z

I have to confess I rarely post about Sample Sales but occasionally I get an email about an event that readers deserve to know about, especially when it concerns Shoes, so if you are in London this Saturday, have your credit card at the ready for the Upper Street London Sample Sale!

I have long lusted after a pair of bespoke Upper Street Shoes and often see the wonderful designs and craftsmanship via twitpics, which only serves to increase my longing for a bit of shoe porn that I can design exactly to my own requirements, but the next best thing would be to attend this one day only event which sees Upper Street London give customers the opportunity to purchase a pair of shoes from their ready to wear, one off shoe samples, with up to 50% off!

Sizes range from a 35 (uk 3) to a 43 (uk 10) and I am assured there is huge selection of styles to choose from, so forget about the Christmas Shopping this Saturday and treat yourself, your know your feet will thank you for it!

Will you be going?

Gift ideas and how to treat a Christmas Birthday.

2011-11-21T10:04:00.007Z

After I did my "fab gift guide for girls, going back to black" last week, I asked if readers had any specific gift ideas that they might need help with and Helena left a comment asking "what to buy for a Christmas 21st birthday" and being as I have a) my own birthday just 10 days before Xmas and b) have dealt with one of my daughters 21st birthdays in June 2010 and have my second daughters coming up in June 2012, I do feel pretty well qualified to comment on this subject.

Although Helena didn't mention whether the birthday person is a boy or a girl, nor the budget in question, I still feel that there are certain rules to observe no matter what the sex of the recipient or budget.

Having been bought up throughout the 60s, 70's and having had my 21st birthday in the 80's, I can only look back and remember that it was always on my birthday that we bought our "real" Christmas tree and the other thing I remember hearing constantly every single year was how, as my birthday was so close to Christmas, "I couldn't have a lot", a situation not helped by the fact my parents split up when I was nine years old, so understandably, my Mum didn't have copious amounts of cash to throw at my birthday celebrations and I can't help but think just how different things are these days and how, as parents, we would never let our children go without, no matter how financially challenged we may feel at this time of year. Most people I know would move heaven and earth to provide a wonderful birthday for their children even if it was actually on Christmas Day itself, I know I would.

With all of the above in mind, when it comes to any birthday whether it be for a 5 or a 21 year old, you have to treat it as if it were taking place at any other time of the year, the only difficulty that may arise is what the hell do you buy them! If you are unsure, as with my daughters, I always get them to write a list which usually ends up longer than a roll of Andrex, so there is usually plenty to choose from. They know they won't get everything, but at least that way, they will still end up being surprised by the gifts I do eventually buy for them.

For my eldest daughters 21st, we bought her a Mulberry Handbag, took her to afternoon champagne tea at Claridges and bought her 21 presents, all wrapped individually which ranged from a very expensive bottle of pink champagne, a copy of Vogue from her birth month and year (ebay), right down to little things like Chanel nail polish, underwear, costume jewellery and books. As she was presented with them, she did say what a wonderful surprise the 21 gifts were and you can imagine her face as she saw her Stepdad walk into Claridges later that day as she just thought we were going somewhere for lunch, it was worth every penny. The only sad thing is, the other two girls know exactly what to expect, so I may have to change the venue for their afternoon treat when their time comes!

If it's not your own child's 21st, then perhaps think about Liberty Spa vouchers, Agent Provocateur underwear, concert tickets for girls, red letter days, football tickets with hospitality, a Louis Vuitton/Hermes tie for boys. Leather filofax are great for those that need to get organised and Luxe City Guides for travel lovers/gap year make for great presents for either sex.
Your choice of gift will depend on whether you want the recipient to have something they can keep forever to remember the occasion by, or something to enjoy at the time. If I had the budget I would be buying Cartier or Rolex watches and Chanel 2.55's for my lot, but as mentioned earlier, the most important thing is to forget about Christmas for one day and concentrate only on the birthday and remember, if it is your childs birthday, never buy your real Christmas tree on their special day!

Marianne, left me an interesting tweet on the subject of Christmas birthdays "I was born on 23rd Dec and my son 25th Dec. He has half yearly parties. God help anyone who wraps our b/day gifts in Xmas paper". Do you have any advice on the subject?

Something for the Weekend - Make your Christmas Shopping a little easier with the latest Discount Codes and Special offers from your favourite stores.

2011-11-18T18:28:00.001Z

Whether its Christmas Partywear for yourself or presents for others, there are some great offers again this week from all your favourite High Street and online stores, so take the strain off of your budget and get shopping with these top deals!

COAST - 20% off enter "xmasgift" at checkout on full price items and benefit from free express delivery until midnight Sunday 20th November. Shop here.

ACCESSORIZE - 25% off until Sunday 20th November using code ACCNOV25%AF at checkout. Shop here.

MONSOON - Check out the Christmas Shop, Partywear under £69 and Festive Style Guide at Monsoon and receive 25% off your purchase using code MONNOV25%AF at checkout. Shop here.

MY-WARDROBE - Baby its cold outside, so take advantage of the 20% off coats and jackets code at my-wardrobe. Use code NOVOUT2 at checkout until 27th November. Shop here.

OASIS - have launched their ‘Up to £30 off Promo’ on this seasons Winter Must-Haves; stylish dresses, knits, coats, jeans and boots, and celebrate the festive season in style! Shop the complete selection of offers here.

BOOTS - The Yves Saint Laurent "Paris" perfume brings back memories, I haven't had this for years but used to love it and Boots are now offering this perfume at half price, was £50 now £25 for the 50ml spray, buy here. You can also save £5 when you spend £30 or more on Fragrance (including fragrance gift sets) Using code: FRAGRANCE1 Ends:Sunday 27th November.

This weeks special offer at Boots is the Sanctuary Pamper Gift Case with a massive saving of £21, now only £19, perfect for a girlie night in! Buy here.

John Lewis - You've got to be in it to win it and with every £100 spent online at John Lewis you will receive automatic entry into a prize draw to win £1,000 of shopping vouchers, now that sounds like a dream prize to me!

Tamara Mellon resigns as Chief Consultant at Jimmy Choo.

2011-11-16T20:07:00.000Z

No matter what her critics may think about her sudden resignation from the company she co-founded back in 1996 with cobbler Jimmy Choo, I am actually quite pleased because it has bought to my attention (as if I didn't already know) that this is one sassy and fabulous 44 year old style crush who is a massive lover of animal print, shaggy fur and sequins.

Born in July 1967 Tamara is the daughter of an entrepreneur and a former Chanel model, so its no surprise that she would be a mixture of both beauty and brains. I remember once seeing her on an MTV episode of Cribs and trust me, this is one lady whose wardrobe you could get lost in! She mentioned on the show that every season she has the complete collection of Jimmy Choo's, something you can do when you actually own the luxury shoe label and with an estimated personal wealth in the region of 99 million, her sudden departure from the company doesn't mean that this stylish lady will ever be poorly shod!

Much excitement surrounds the rumours that Tamara will be starting a new luxury lifestyle brand but I am also interested to see in which direction the Jimmy Choo brand will go, either cement its place at the top of the luxury shoe market or can we expect to see something more mainstream after its previous H&M, Hunter and Ugg collaborations.

Would you like to see more collaborations from the Jimmy Choo brand?

View the latest from the Jimmy Choo collection here.

The Fab Gift Guide - Presents for Girls, Going back to Black.

2011-11-14T09:31:00.000Z

Whether you are looking for some great gifts for mums, sisters, aunts or girlfriends or are in dire need of pointing a useless present buying husband or boyfriend in the direction of this blog post, there is no getting away from the appeal of the colour black when it comes to present giving or receiving.

Black accessories go with every outfit, high heels take on a sexy edge (especially those with a red sole), lingerie makes a sultry statement and gifts with black packaging not only look slick but also expensive even when on the smallest of budgets and with my gift selection starting at just £20, whats not to love?

Take a look at my "back to black" gift selection and make someone happy with a beautiful gift this Christmas.

Tom Ford Black Orchid Gift Set £65. Agent Provocateur Soap on a Rope £20. Onyx Teardrop Earrings from Boticca.com £61. The White Company Noir Candle £30. French Connection Polka Stud Gloves £35. Anya Hindmarch Lotions and Potions Wash Bag £135. Nixon Leather and Acetate Watch £100. Pure Collection Cashmere Infinity Scarf £79.

Anya Hindmarch Glitter Clutch £275. Stella McCartney Chemise £182. Christian Louboutin Sandals £635. Aspinal Italian Extra Large Journal £60. Alexander McQueen Skull Pashmina £245. Marc Jacobs Daisy Anniversary Perfume £50. Yves Saint Laurent Skinny Belt £180. Chanel Vintage Bag £2070. John Lewis Faux Fur Hat £60.

If you could choose just one black gift from the list, what would it be?

Look out for more "Fab Gift Guides" in the lead up to the festive season and if there is a colour, budget or gender specific present buying dilemma you are facing, that you would like featured in a future blog post, don't be afraid to email and ask for help!

Back to Basics.

2011-11-11T12:32:00.000Z

There is no doubt that when it comes to buying clothes, my three daughters are certainly a "chip off the old block", as they say. Every spare penny they have is spent on clothes, even though two of them are at University and should be learning how to budget for a whole term.
The one that lives away spends most of her living allowance on clothes as each term begins, then comes home every few months starving for some of Mamma's home cooking after months of living on Pot Noodles and even takes back a food parcel of cupboard essentials in addition to a batch of home cooked meals that I freeze for her. Then we have the one who still lives at home, who basically lives off us, whilst we watch her come home most days with a new item of clothing, in addition to there hardly being a day that goes by, without some courier or another delivering her a parcel, for which I solely blame Asos and the amazing Sales they have been having at 5pm on a Sunday and a young girl has gotta get her fashion fix, but the part that I don't understand about their clothing choices is the lack of basics that make there way into their wardrobes.

They buy lots of separates each season, this winter think snakeprint, florals, leopard print, checks, in skirts, trousers and cardigans, I can also think of a pale pink chiffon layered skirt with a scattering of sequins that won't ever get worn, but it's pretty, so what the hell.

So my point is, they then end up with a load of garments that never get worn simply because they have nothing to go with them, and I can guarantee said items will eventually end up making their way onto Ebay by which time they are more or less worthless. Such a waste of money which could be saved, if only they bought some plain and simple basics.

I broached the subject of basic neutral coloured t-shirts with my youngest daughter recently and she told me that buying basics is boring and that she doesn't want to spend her money on items that don't "excite" her and then she added "oh well, you can buy them for me, they are only cheap". You can just imagine my response and lets say it was a more colourful version of "get stuffed"!

So this whole scenario got me wondering at what age do you begin to realise the importance of basic tops and t-shirts and begin to see them as essential pieces, not only to team with patterns but also for layering purposes to give a different dimension to lightweight knitwear which will also give you the benefit of extra warmth in Winter.

When all else fails, any wardrobe dilemma can be sorted with a simple t-shirt and pair of jeans, it is a fashion formula that always works and can so easily be dressed up or down depending on the occasion and not one that needs to break the bank, every high street store from Primark upwards will offer simple vests, short or long sleeved t-shirts, buy cheap and you may have to replace them more often than if buying a premium brand, but they will still be your "go to" choice to slip on under your sequin jacket for after work cocktails or wearing under your fairisle cardigan for that weekend trip to the Supermarket. I couldn't live without them, could you?

James Perse Thermal long sleeved t-shirt £130. Splendid cotton & modal blend top £65.

The perfect long sleeve T comes in a range of colours. £39 from 365collection at Isabella Oliver.

American Vintage nude short sleeve t-shirt £55 from Matches.

Is it time you went back to basics?

Afternoon Tea fit for a fashionista.

2011-11-09T15:23:00.000Z

After taking my eldest daughter to Claridges for Champagne afternoon tea for her 21st birthday last summer, I have been looking for any old opportunity to take a trip to London and go back as I was so enamoured by the surroundings, the service and the delicious fayre that was consumed, and seeing as a friend of mine has recently gone for a new job in Fashion, I jumped at the chance to say we would go to Claridges for afternoon tea, should she be successful in her application, but when I received an email yesterday alerting me to the new and stylish afternoon tea at the Berkeley, I may have to switch our location, as it is a job in Fashion afterall!

I couldn't believe that for Autumn and Winter 2011, you could expect to see Lanvin, Miu Miu and Burberry make their debut on the Cake Stand, as Pret-a-Portea adds a creative twist to the traditional English afternoon tea with cakes and pastries resembling the latest catwalk designs for the style savvy! Seriously how amazing is that! If you can't wear Lanvin, you can at least eat it!

This sumptuous, sweet sensation is available in the Caramel Room between 1 - 6pm daily and costs £37.50 per person. If you try it, please let me know what you think!

Get Party Dress Perfection at Phase Eight.

2011-11-08T13:01:00.000Z

I can't believe that we are only about 46 days away from Christmas, which means we are even closer to the onset of the party season, with many of you receiving invites galore to Office Parties and Christmas Cocktails, with some starting as early as the end of November.

I have to confess, I haven't been to any office or work "do's" for about 12 years now, but with my birthday being just ten days before Santa comes a calling, I feel the pain of any woman on the hunt for the perfect party dress and especially one that isn't going to make her look like an oversized Christmas bauble, or worse still, "mutton dressed as lamb", but there is one high street collection that dishes up a serious dose of high octane, grown up glamour this season and if you haven't yet checked it out, be sure to take a good look at Phase Eight.

I adore the blue maxi skirt pictured above and can just visualise myself wearing it, lounging around the house being hand fed "After Eight Mints" by Hugh Jackman whilst somebody else stuffs the Turkey, but I took a quick reality check and thought about the kind of dress I would want to wear out over the festive season.
Nothing too short, check. Nothing sleeveless, check. Nothing too low cut, check. An injection of either sequins or lace, check. In fact the Phase Eight Christmas collection, ticks so many boxes, it would be hard for me to choose just one!

Fringe Dress, £140. Sequin Jersey Dress, £120. Zig Zag Sequin Dress, £89.

Tapework Dress, £110.

I think the black jersey sequin dress will be the one winging its way onto my party dress wish list, a touch of understated sparkle and the comfort of jersey after a three course set menu and a couple of cosmopolitans, will do the trick nicely and will allow for some "knock em dead" accessories. I just need to work out how I can afford either the Anya Hindmarch sparkly clutch or the Miu Miu glitter shoes to wear with it!

What are your style priorities when looking for a party dress?

Can we really wear the same clothes as Alexa?

2011-11-07T10:36:00.003Z

In answer to the question that forms the title of this blog post, my answer would always be, that it depends on garment involved as I don't think any of us would go out of our way to dress in the same way as our daughters but I have to confess that I have, in the past, copied one of Alexa's looks. It was only a simple outfit which consisted of wardrobe basics (that can be worn by women of any age) and only required the purchase of a cheap pair of red ballet flats to achieve (I already had the breton top, jeans and camel coat) but what do you guys think about Kris Jenner (mother to the Khardashian sisters) and Alexa wearing the same Pucci dress?

To be perfectly honest, it isn't an outfit that would have me trashing my credit rating for, and although I think it looks fine on Kris, we have to remember that the plastic surgery (it was screened on the show in the build up to Kim's shambolic wedding) she has undergone to remove her middle aged "jowls" and give her a much younger womans jawline, helps tremendously when wearing a garment with a high neckline, but that said, I definitely think this is a look/dress that this particular 50 something woman can pull off with ease and I would almost go as far as to say, Kris looks better in it, with her slightly larger frame filling it out nicely as opposed to the slimmer British fashion icon.

Alexa's wore hers for the opening of the Pucci boutique at Saks Fifth Avenue on Tuesday and Kris wore hers for an NBC interview on Wednesday.

What do you think?

Going back to Nature with Love from Australia.

2011-11-05T15:00:00.000Z

It must have been fate that just as I was thinking about putting a new pair of sheepskin boots on my Christmas present wish list, that I was contacted by natureshop with an offer to review a product from their website and knowing that "Love from Australia" is a footwear brand that has a huge celebrity following which includes the likes of Nicole Scherzinger, the Beckhams and more recently the cast of TOWIE, and was one of the collections stocked on the website, it seemed only natural to get back to nature with a new pair of winter boots from this highly desirable range.

I had originally thought I was in the market for a classic style boot, but as soon as I saw the Cozi Sand, it was love at first sight and when they arrived, I wasn't disappointed with my choice, they are utterly gorgeous and I was so impressed with natureshop and the ethos behind the website which carries a range of products which includes clothing and footwear for men, women, children and babies and are passionate about providing nature inspired products because of the role they play in ensuring a sustainable future. Sounds good eh?

Even somebody like me who doesn't consider myself to be particularly environmentally friendly when it comes to my fashion choices, couldn't have been more impressed by the fact that Natureshop are a carbon neutral online retailer which stocks a large range of premium "nature inspired" brands that are both healthy for the body and good for the environment, every brand they stock is committed to operating in an environmentally sustainable manner.

With free overnight shipping, free returns and a 365 day returns policy, every single aspect of your purchase is designed to offer a "risk free" shopping experience for the customer. Natureshop is also committed to spending in excess of 10% of their net profit on a combination of carbon credits and charitable donations, making it the perfect place to shop for sustainable goods.

www.natureshop.co.uk

Would you be interested in buying from brands that offer sustainable fashion?

Something for the Weekend - a round of this weeks discount codes, sales and special offers.

2011-11-04T10:40:00.000Z

Got to love a bargain at this time of year especially as our need for retail therapy can end up on the back burner as we start to spend every penny of our spare cash on Christmas presents, food and drink. So whether its for a sneaky little purchase for yourself or the need to make a start on the present buying, there are some great reductions and discounts on the internet for both.

House of Fraser - Today is the final day of their two day brand event. OH wants some new jeans, so now will be the perfect time for me to get him a pair with a great discount, but the question is, will they stay on top of the wardrobe until Christmas?
The only thing about this great sale is my beloved snake print top from the Linea Weekend range which cost me £45 has now gone down to a bargainous £27, so I have to confess to sobbing quietly over my keyboard when I saw it, but the fact that one of the daughters has put Bailey Button Ugg boots on her Xmas list and they are now reduced to £156, means all is not lost! Shop the big brand event here.

The White Company - Until 9th November get 20% off of the Noir Fragranced Accessories range. The candle pictured is reduced from £30 to £24 and any item in the range would make for the most gorgeous Christmas gift or stocking filler and the range includes perfume and bodycare along with home fragrance. The White Company are also offering 20% off of all womens dresses and tunics. No code required, reductions are shown on the website. Shop here.

Bastyan - If you adore quality as well as style, then get yourself over to Bastyan where there are lots of desirable pieces just begging for a place in your wardrobe! Get up to 70% off in their mid season sale which has some gorgeous pieces including a sequin lapel jacket and party dresses along with those all important wardrobe basics for winter layering. Bastyan are also offering up to £100 off of selected coats, perfect for that all important statement coat purchase. Shop mid-season sale here and the coat promotion here. Bastyan are also offering 10% off of full price orders over £200 along with free UK standard delivery using the code bastdel200 at checkout.

Karen Millen - Currently offering £50 off coats until Midnight Saturday 5th November along with free next day delivery ending at 3pm on the same day. Coat discount is applied automatically at checkout. Shop here.

The Coat to last you a lifetime from Karen Millen.

Every girl needs a new pair of party shoes this season and Office are offering free UK standard delivery on their branded ranges including their new Stargazer collection of party shoes.

Naturally my favourites are glitter. £80. Shop the Stargazer party shoe collection here. The promotion also includes the brands Ugg and Converse.

What's on your shopping list this weekend?

Plus Sized Party Style.

2011-11-03T11:30:00.000Z

When I first saw a picture of Gabourey Sidibe at the premier of her new film "Tower Heist" last week, I couldn't help but admire the woman rocking her curves in a silver sequin dress, but it got me thinking, with the festive season fast approaching, where do plus sized women go to buy their party wear?

It is a dilemma that faces a huge percentage of the female population and one I often get emails about, and no matter what age group you fall into, most plus sized women I know don't want to dress like Demis Roussos in an over sized Kaftan inspired garment, they want dresses that their much smaller friends would happily wear and admire, after all, nobody wants to be the girl who never gets asked where she bought her party dress from!

With so few options available on the High Street for stylish and feminine occasion wear, its always good when a new brand or website pops up on the fashion radar, and with three daughters who have all had friends that have struggled to find either plus sized prom dresses or party wear, its good to know that there is help at hand with a website that has plus sized party dressing all wrapped up and all in sizes 12-32.

Plussize-dresses offers a range of dresses from designers such as Anna Scholz and Simply Voluptuous and with an easy to navigate website, you simply click on the type of dress you are looking for i.e. casual, party or formal, and you will be spoilt for choice with a range of dresses fit for your special occasion that will flatter every conceivable body shape and size!

My favourite styles include the Anna Scholz purple frill trimmed dress, the Fashion World lace print maxi and the little black dress, again by Anna Scholz, after all, a LBD is a garment that every woman needs in her wardrobe no matter what her size!

So if you or somebody you know, doesn't conform to High Street sizing but still wants to look fabulous at party time, you know where to go!

Time to get Uggly.

2011-11-02T07:38:00.000Z

When it comes to dealing with sub zero temperatures, it is not just a warm winter coat that is required to cope with the cold.

No matter how thick and warm your outerwear might be, when the great British winter is in full swing, it is important to eliminate any gaps where the cold can get in, so this is where hats, scarves, gloves and footwear come into their own, as without them, you don't stand a chance of being able to brave the weather with any degree of comfort and you wouldn't send your children out without their essential accessories, so why would you not invest in some winter warmers yourself?

When it comes to Winter boots, for me Uggs are an essential item of footwear and although they divide a nation, just like Marmite, you either love them or you hate them, nobody can take away the benefits of owning a pair of Uggs when it comes to keeping warm in winter. They are not so suitable when there is a torrential downpour or snow on the ground (although you can use a protector) but they certainly keep your toes nice and toasty no matter what the "in crowd" may think about them.

Uggs were not a one season wonder, as some thought they would be, but their days of being teamed with a Juicy Couture Tracksuit, are long gone. I have had five pairs in total. My original cream short classic and long metallic brown pair had to be thrown away as they were so worn out, but three pairs are still remaining and with my three daughters having 7 pairs between them, I think its fair to say, as a family we couldn't brave the cold without them.

Those poor old "Sundance" style ones are the oldest and are looking like they have seen better days!

Don't be put off by the style of boots you initially associate with the Ugg name because the brand has come a long way since the original and classic styles (although I still prefer these) with leather, biker or lace up versions to choose from, none of which necessarily scream "Ugg" when you wear them, but still have all the benefits of the soft and squidgy sheepskin lining to keep your toes warm and cosy.

One thing that is of the utmost importance is to purchase your Ugg Boots from a reputable retailer like John Lewis or from the company itself and although they are considered an investment purchase by many, you can often find seasonal styles in the Sale, like at Office where Sale prices start at £85 or at House of Fraser, again with prices from £85.

My favourites are of course the Leopard print!

Which camp are you in, do you love em or hate em?

All I want for Christmas - is a Doris and Co Mug.

2011-11-01T12:13:00.001Z

When tweeting with the lovely Louise, founder and owner of Doris and Co, last week, I couldn't believe my luck when she very kindly offered to send me one of the brands gorgeous stonewear mugs, providing I solemnly promised to drink my tea from it every morning, well what could I say? In fact I told Louise it was worse than taking my marriage vowels, but when my mug arrived on Saturday morning, I soon realised it was a promise that I could make with ease, as I fell in love with my mug as soon as I saw it!

The mugs form part of a pottery and kitchen wear range that were originally conceived as inspirational keepsakes for testing times, with 19th century English sayings to remind us of a history of frugality and industry. The Doris and Co mug shape is taken from an 1830's child's mug - upscaled to half pint size for modern use, the perfect size in fact, for that all important morning cuppa.

It was as I unwrapped my package and became so impressed with the attention to detail in the wrapping and beautiful presentation, that I knew it was something I should share with readers, as these mugs would make the most beautiful Christmas gifts and with slogans that include "Mother" and "Old Friends are Best" I can think of quite a few people who are usually really difficult to buy for, that would fall in love with a beautiful piece of stonewear, just as I did. In fact I don't think I have had a mug to call my own, since I lasted worked in an office!

Beautiful packaging and attention to detail with delightful dried dark pink rosebuds, which are part of the gift wrap option.

It was so fitting that the mug Louise chose for me arrived on a day when I was wearing my Chanel Particuliere Nail Polish! Nothing like a bit of Mug/nail polish matchy matchy, to go with your morning cuppa and also that every morning, its moto will remind me not to be idle as I don't wish to be disgraced, no siree!

I swear my tea even tasted better!

Do you know anybody who would love one of these for Christmas?

www.dorisandco.co.uk

Say hello to the oldest pair of shoes in my wardrobe.

2011-10-31T12:19:00.000Z

I can't remember exactly which year I bought them, but it was pre OH/Little Man and at some point during my five and a half years as a single mum, so I guesstimate about 13/14 years ago.

Those years were exciting times, because I actually had a life. A good job that enabled me to pay my own mortgage, three very young and beautiful daughters, a social life that would kill me now and most importantly, I didn't have to hide any new clothing or shoe purchases and I could buy anything I wanted without having to answer to anyone, see I really did have it all and that is before we get onto the subject of Remote Controls!

I remember I bought a glossy magazine (nothing unusual there then) for reading on the commute to work in London and as usual, I flicked through the fashion pages before I got down to any nitty gritty reading and that was when I first spotted them.

It was the outfit they were styled with that first grabbed my attention, I remember it was cream, a fluffy jumper and a pencil skirt, and if memory serves me right, either one or both of those garments were from French Connection. Then my eyes worked their way down to the footwear and suddenly I fell in love, you see I have always been addicted to shoe porn!
I was sucked in by the pewter colour, the pointed toe and how I felt they made the models feet look really sexy with the way they were cut quite low across the front of the foot. This was long before anybody had coined the phase "toe cleavage" and I thought they were bound to be designer and nearly fell off my coach seat when I read they were from BHS!

I felt a little bit embarrassed to admit that I liked a pair of shoes from BHS, but I couldn't stop myself catching the Number 8 bus from Liverpool Street to their Oxford Street flagship store at lunchtime to buy them. I can't remember what they cost, maybe somewhere in the region of £20 and they were from a Premier Collection range that BHS had just launched at the time, not that I was interested in anything else from that particular department store, as it was usually only somewhere that I used to buy Light Fittings from!

I had completely forgotten that I still had them as I am not really a horder and sell so many things that I later regret, but I know why I still have these, basically because I wouldn't get anything for them on ebay, as they are not designer!

It is lovely to see them after so many years and to be enveloped by the warm and fuzzy memories they bring back, of nights out clubbing, having far too much to drink, having so much fun with my friends, dancing the night away and I guess in a way, I do actually still like them and perhaps they should be worn again, what do you think?

What are the oldest pair of shoes in your wardrobe and is there a story behind your purchase?

Dress Trends for Fall at Ellos.

2011-10-30T13:15:00.004Z

Come winter, I tend to live almost everyday in jeans and rarely ever wear dresses except for a night out on the town, but this season I have made a little promise to myself that I must make more of an effort to dress up during the day and not to become so reliant on my jeans, especially if going into town for a spot of shopping or to meet a friend for lunch.

Ellos dresses are a great winter daytime wardrobe option with all of this seasons trends to choose from including berry colours, leather, winter florals and fairisle knits, and if you don't want to cover up a great dress on a chilly day, think about layering over long sleeve tops and keeping warm by accessorising your dress with a great scarf, chunky cardigan, short furry jacket, opaque tights and either flat or heeled boots.

All dresses pictured above are available from Ellos (part of the very popular La Redoute group).

How the A List wear this seasons dress trends.......

Claudia Schieffer in Winter florals.

Eva Longoria in Berry Colours.

Jennifer Aniston wearing black leather dress.

Which winter dress trends will you be wearing this season?

All I want for Christmas - Selfridges Beauty Advent Calender and Christmas Crackers.

2011-10-28T14:24:00.000+01:00

I have to make a little confession about Christmas and it is something that my OH always moans at me about, but the truth is, I still buy Advent Calenders for my daughters as well as for Little Man.

Even though the girls are now 22, 20 and 19, they admit to finding it hard to part with certain Christmas childhood traditions, especially those that involve chocolate and who can blame them, we all get old way too quickly and there is something so deeply satisfying about opening up that little cardboard door to reveal the minature chocolate laying beneath, just thinking about it makes my mouth water and makes you think of your childhood, I know I used to get more excited about my Advent Calender than I did my presents, so I was more than a little excited to hear that there is a way that I can have all the fun of a Christmas Advent Calender but without the Calories!

Product Junkies like myself will be more than a little pleased to hear that we don't need to consume Chocolate before breakfast time, to get a daily dose of Xmas excitement in the lead up to the big day, because Selfridges are selling an exclusive luxury advent calender for us grown up girls, filled with mini sized beauty must haves from all of our favourite brands including Lancome, Khiels and Shu Uemura that would make a great gift, if you didn't want to treat yourself. I have already had a request from one of my girls for this!

Beauty Advent Calender available exclusively at Selfridges, £80.

If you would prefer your pocket sized beauty treat to accompany your Christmas Lunch, then check out the Lancome Christmas Crackers. These would be a perfect way to finish off dinner for both me and my girls and it would be great to leave the paper hats, crap jokes and plastic whistles to the boys for a change. Just imagine how chic the table would look but you can guess who would end up getting the anti-ageing serum.......

Lancome Christmas Crackers £38 from Selfridges.

Do you think its time to start some new Christmas beauty traditions?

Jasper Conran ss12

2011-10-28T11:05:00.006+01:00

I can't believe that we are almost into November and I still have London Fashion Week pictures to share with you. The Jasper Conran show took place on the Saturday, day two, and apart from a sudden and very heavy downpour of rain which sent the back of my hair and my leopard print jacket into something resembling a smelly wet dog, I had another great day with Pearl and Lawrence.

Its fair to say that good or bad runway photographs seem to have more to do with exactly where you are positioned within the show space and nothing to do with your photographic equipment or the picture taking ability of your mobile phone, as the pictures from the Jasper Conran show were by far the best I took on my iphone and it was the only show that I happened to be over on the far side and right next to the photographers pit.

I adored the colour palette of black, grey, red, white and pink and the simplicity of the garments, and I couldn't help but think how easy it would be to slip on one of Jasper's dresses to feel a million dollars next summer.

The matching headbands added a touch of "Jackie O" glamour to a collection which screamed simplicity, a term often associated with Jaspers designs and accessories were kept simple with clear perspex bags and flat sandals designed for the ultimate in summer comfort.

The A line and Tunic dresses make the perfect shape for more mature figures and the slashed to the hip maxi's, palazzo pants and open backed dresses gave the collection a young, sexy feel and meant that this was a collection for women who adore beautiful clothes no matter what their age.

Kirstie Allsop FROW at Jasper Conran.

View the complete runway show at Jasper Conran here.

Jasper interviewed directly after the show.

Taking a look at Marisota.

2011-10-27T15:46:00.000+01:00

I always get excited when a brand I have never looked at before comes to my attention and when I recently heard about Marisota, I was pleasantly surprised and couldn't wait to see what the website had to offer.

I always feel it is an important part of blogging to alert readers to new brands/products and not always necessarily with a designer price tag. We all have to be realistic and the country is still in the middle of a recession, so High Street price points are a must for many.

When featuring High Street or Designer fashion, we have to bear in mind that not everybody who wants to wear lovely things and look stylish is your "bog standard" size 16 or below, there are many women out there who can't find trousers long enough or who can manage to find boots that easily and comfortably fit their calves, and I have family members who struggle with both of these issues when shopping, so taking a close look at Marisota online was a real breath of fresh air as all sizes and shapes are catered for, with the brand offering trousers in up to five different leg lengths and boots in up to 4 different width fittings.

I have to confess to being a bit of an outerwear junkie come Fall, so I couldn't resist a browse at the coats and jackets, after all, give a woman a glamorous coat and she could live all winter in a t-shirt and jeans and still look fabulous.

I fell in love with four styles in particular, all of which are worthy of a place in my wardrobe and I couldn't ignore the leopard print jacket or the fur trimmed coat, both of which would be perfect for adding the "glam factor" to next February's fashion week and we all know that every woman needs a camel coat in her life and I am no exception, so I couldn't help but adore the classic style of the cashmere blend option pictured above and love how the style will flatter all body shapes, so if you only buy one coat this winter, make it camel. I also kept my eyes open for a jacket that will take me through many a party season and you all know how I couldn't possibly resist a touch of glitter or a sequin or two, and a sparkly jacket is the perfect way to dress up your LBD or jeans and cami, to have you cocktail ready in no time at all.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see the British Design Legend that is Zandra Rhodes, has a collection of clothing and homeware goods and the website also has a fabulous beauty and gift section selling make-up and perfume from all the top cosmetic companies including Clinique, YSL and Benefit, perfect for some early Christmas shopping or for a little treat for yourself, afterall we all want to look and smell gorgeous this Winter.

Have you had a look at the Ladies clothing catalogue from Marisota?

Chanel Nail Polish - new colours for Fall.

2011-10-26T10:23:00.001+01:00

As regular readers will know, I am a complete sucker for a new season Chanel nail polish and this winter is no exception with three metallic shades that will have you set for the party season and which will make the perfect partner to that Little Black cocktail dress.
The newest metallic colours were first seen on the Chanel A/W11 runway earlier this year and so that you can see how the colours look on the nails, I have used some images from Nail Guru Sophy Robsons website which is a great source of inspiration for nail polish buffs like myself.

Graphite, Quartz and Peridot.

A models nails getting ready for the Chanel runway in Graphite.

Peridot will leave your nails looking as though they have been dipped in molten gold.

Yay! Got one!

I asked for Graphite but hubby came home with Peridot but I'm not complaining, I think its even better in real life than in the images I have seen previously.

Which one would you choose?

Periodot and Graphite available online from Selfridges here. All three shades available from Boots here.

This season also see's the introduction of Chanel's new Matt Top Coat which will give every colour of nail polish you own, a velvety matt finish.

I'm really not sure that this a trend I will be buying into, I've always been a sucker for a high gloss finish!

Top Coat Velvet echos the velvety finish of the rouge allure velvet lipstick and was also seen on the Giles and Loewe catwalks and although I am quite fond of a matt lip, I may need a little more convincing when it comes down to my finger tips.

The matt top coat is available from both Boots and Selfridges from the links above. £18.

Get the Hair Style you have always wanted with GHD.

2011-10-25T14:29:00.000+01:00

I often wonder how I coped with my hair before I invested in my very first pair of GHD's some years ago.
As I have got older, my hair has become "massive" and not in the Ali G "Staines Massive" kind of gangsta way, more to do with the fact that as it dries naturally, it is about 6 inches wide on either side of my head and has become quite curly over time (not in a nicely curled by your GHD kind of way) and now the only way to tame it, is with my trusty GHD hair straighteners.

For anybody who does use hair straighteners but doesn't own a pair of GHD's, converts like myself will tell you that these are the "creme de la creme" of the straightening iron world, as they manage to tame hair that is normally wild and way out of control, as well as being able to create a range of hairstyles that would normally require more than one styling tool to achieve.

At first I just used to use mine to straighten my hair, but with a little help from my hairdresser and the tutorial video's that were shown in the Salon opposite the wash basin's, I soon began to learn how to style my hair in various different ways by using my irons to curl it for a touch of glamour or wave it for some California surf girl style and I was amazed that I didn't need to purchase any other stylers, my GHD's could do the lot!

Don't be fooled into thinking that only longer hair styles can benefit from some GHD styling, shoulder length and short styles can be teased with waves, flicks, curls and short mens styles have a GHD styler especially designed for them (my husband loves his and it stops him from stealing mine) so there is a styling iron for everyone and who wouldn't want to find a pair under the tree this Christmas?

With the introduction of a new limited edition, 1920's inspired styler called "Scarlett" (pictured above) and with Katy Perry as the face of GHD, the brand has taken on both a glamorous and "cool girl" vibe which puts this range of must have styling tools, at the top of every girls "hair must have" list.

Check out the "back to cool" section at ghdhair.com and learn how to copy styles seen on the Catwalk from sleek ponytails at Louis Vuitton to Minnie Mouse inspiration as seen at Topshop Unique.

Check out the complete range of stylers, brushes and hair products at ghdhair.com and get the hair style you have always wanted!

Strictly Come Dancing and Red Carpet Style.

2011-10-24T18:58:00.000+01:00

I wasn't a fan of either dress worn by Tess Daly on Strictly Come Dancing last weekend. Saturday night saw her in Pucci, a designer I am a massive fan of, and although I loved the dress, I just didn't feel it was appropriate for the show, something a touch more glam was in order.

Since the newly revamped Strictly first hit our screens we have seen Tess in some gorgeous gowns that are usually well suited to a presenter of a ballroom dance show, but the Pucci number was just too casual and as Kate said during out Twitter conversation, "far better suited to a Summer BBQ". I couldn't agree more.

I awaited Sunday nights sartorial offering and again was disappointed, it may have been Stella McCartney, but was just a tad too tarty and the hair too severe on an over forty something lady, flashing too much flesh and it wasn't just me, most of my Twitter pals agreed.

The Stella McCarty dotty number and its variations have had various celebrity red carpet outings and it certainly looks better on some than others, but for me the dress that looks best is the one that doesn't have the sheer panels going down either side. If worn without an undergarment, it makes people think you have no underwear on and when worn with a slip, it ruins the line of the dress, a lose lose situation if you ask me.

Susan Sarandon should have put more thought into the undergarment department. Usually a woman of great taste and style, the visible bra strap is a definite "no no" whatever your age.

For me, who wore it the best without a doubt, Livia Firth. Just take a look at her hair style and the shoes, for me, that is what makes the dress work. When you compare the footwear worn by the other celebrities, they are just all wrong. I really don't understand, when celebrity stylists who have numerous pairs of shoes at their disposal, wouldn't be trying on various options, to see what looks best. Livia's simple black accessories undoubtedly take the dress from "yay to nay".

Interestingly, the Stella McCartney spotty/sheer dresses were obviously not a huge hit with UK buyers as neither net-a-porter, Browns or Matches are stocking the dress or its variants online. net-a-porter has an all in one, but I have found the dress worn by Kate Winslet and Livia Firth at mytheresa if you have a spare twelve hundred pounds and I must say, I think the website have styled it perfectly with shoe boots and a nude clutch.

Who do you think wore Stella best?

Rigby and Peller Bra Amnesty

2011-10-24T10:04:00.003+01:00

"I really don't want to lose my breasts, they're fabulous". Samantha Jones, Sex and the City, Episode 2, Series 6.

Even if you have only lived through the ordeal of Breast Cancer via your favourite television programme like me, there is no doubt that thousands of women face diagnosis of breast cancer every day, and it is one of the most scary forms of cancer for any woman, as no matter what your age, nobody wants to lose either one or both of their breasts.

Premium lingerie specialist Rigby and Peller, a brand who operate by Royal Appointment and have been around for over 50 years, are getting involved with Breast Cancer Awareness by offering a "Bra Amnesty" where you take in your old bra to get money off of a new one, from either the stunning new Autumn and Winter or Mastectomy collections.

Up until the 31st of October, for every bra that you recycle, you will receive £10 off per new bra that you purchase, with £1 for every 10 recycled bras, going to Breast Cancer Care, a charity close to the heart of Rigby and Peller's founder June Kenton. June is a breast cancer survivor who was inspired, after her own ordeal, to create a delicate lingerie range coupled with a specialised fitting service designed specifically for mastectomy sufferers

I know this week is Half Term, but I shall try my hardest to go to Bluewater as I have wanted to be properly measured by Rigby and Peller and buy one of their bra's for some time now and I am sure I am one of the 80% of British women currently wearing the wrong size!

So start looking after your breasts, they're fabulous, and get yourself along to your nearest Rigby and Peller store to try out their unparalleled fitting service for yourself and remember to take your old bra with you to take advantage of the £10 off offer, your clothes will look so much better for it!

Something for the Weekend - Grab a mid season sale bargain.

2011-10-21T18:06:00.000+01:00

With mid season sales in full throttle, I thought this particular "Something for the Weekend" post, should focus on a bit of bargain online shopping, just in case it is too cold to traipse up and down the High Street this weekend and who doesn't love a great reduction?

Dorothy Perkins.

VIP week begins today with a massive 25% off of everything online. Just use code DPVIPE at checkout. Shop here.

Top Pick - I love the colour of these Magenta Skinny Jeans was £30 after discount will be £22.50.

A website that has recently cropped up on my radar is Style-Passport, but don't be fooled into thinking the website name means that this fashion e-tailer only stocks clothing suitable for holidays, as that is far from the truth. With a range of brands including Halston Heritage, Anya Hindmarch and Barbour, there is a range of clothing for every season and their sale is fantastic if you are looking for this season designer pieces with massive discounts and one thing I really love about the site, is the fact that if you are heading off for a winter sun holiday, there are Prada sunglasses and DVF bikini's and kaftans to keep you effortlessly cool by the pool.

Top Pick - This Equipment shirt is a new season piece with 50% off and is perfect for layering under cardigans or wearing with coloured skinny jeans (see above) and heels for dinner. Equipment shirts are always high on every fashionista's wish list, so don't miss out. Was £253.00 was £126.50. Shop the sale here.

Reiss - Up to 40% off.

This silky jersey Sammie dress from Reiss is bound to become that "go to" dress for every occassion from Christmas Parties to summer weddings. Was £129 now £84. Shop the Sale here.

If last winters coat is looking a little sad and worn out, then it must be time to shop the Monsoon, 30% off winter coat promotion. With free UK and international delivery there are even more savings to be made!

I'd throw winter coat practicality to the wind and invest in this Rebecca Box Coat with its glamourous faux fur trim. Shop the promotion here.

One of my favourite footwear sales just has to be Office. Huge reductions and a High Street take on many designer styles makes this the fashionista's favourite footwear destination, and I just couldn't resist two top picks from the massive amount of reductions. The first is for a classic boot that will take you through the winter in style because every shoe wardrobe needs a pair......

Was £100 now £70.

and my second pick is for a pair of shoes to take you through the party season at a bargain price and these would look superb with the Reiss dress featured above.

Was £85 now £20. Shop all reductions here.

Are you planning on making any additions to your wardrobe this weekend?

Flashing the Flesh.

2011-10-20T10:32:00.000+01:00

I don't mean to constantly slag off celebrities of a certain age for their outfit choices (remember Elle in her shiny black PVC trousers and Cate Blanchett wearing some monstrosity that resembled a granny's blanket), but the reason I do it, is because we can all learn some serious style lessons from other peoples fashion disasters.

Up on the "mutton dressed as lamb" radar this week, yet again, is Jennifer Aniston clad in a silver sparkly number slashed to the waist at the Elle "Women of Hollywood" awards earlier this week.

Now we all know Jen is a) beautiful and b) has the most fantastic figure anybody could wish for, and in the past, I have celebrated her California Cool Girl Style, after all, in my mind, this was one lady who always looked as if she had stepped out of a Calvin Klein ad with simple but sleek dresses on the red carpet and her effortless biker chicesque daytime attire, but recently, she has made some very out of character outfit choices.

I talked about her wearing a dress that I thought was way too short recently and now she has gone and done it again in a dress which breaks one of the most important fashion rules for the over forties, "you only show one or the other", which means its either cleavage or legs, never both.

Now don't get me wrong, I am a sucker for a sparkly number and I adore this dress, but know that it is not appropriate for somebody of my age (unless worn over skinny jeans and a roll neck, see there is always a way!), as it is exactly the kind of garment all three of my daughters would covet, albeit a High Street version, for a night out on the dancefloor!

When I saw that Jen's dress and subsequent style was the first thing up for discussion on yesterday's Loose Women (whilst I was tucking into Hard Boiled Eggs, Dukan stylee, in an effort to get within a couple of stone of La Aniston's body weight) the divine and outspoken Janet Street Porter was of the opinion that she is "trying too hard" whereas the gorgeous and curvaceous Sally Lindsay ( ex Corrie and Mount Pleasant) said that had she at any point her life, a body similar to Jen's, she would go to the shop for milk, wearing that dress, proving as always, how to dress when you are over 40, divides opinion into the "if you've got it, flaunt it" or the "trying to hard" camp!

Some of Jen's more stylish red carpet looks.

I am still trying to figure out, with her pretty disastrous love life (or so Grazia constantly tells us) has she suddenly decided that with no sign of a reconciliation in sight, its time to show Brad exactly what he is missing or has she just employed a new Stylist?

The Great Plains Edit.

2011-10-19T10:51:00.000+01:00

When the postman delivered my Great Plains autumn and winter lookbook earlier today, I had to put down the cheese sandwich (yes the post does come rather late in this house) for fear of choking on a lump of Cracker Barrel, as I gazed upon the new season loveliness, that in my mind, is the best Great Plains Collection yet.

I have bought the odd piece from French Connections big (but much smaller, brand wise) Sister in the past, but this time round, Great Plains has all of this seasons must have's covered, with a range of easy to wear daytime separates, statement coats and evening wear to die for, along with some gorgeous accessories.

Hot on my hit list is the Dolly Ra Ra Dress £77 and sequin scarf £31 pictured above. What else would a girl need to be the belle of the ball?

The purse friendly price point gives you a range that is "affordable luxe" at its best, and offers proof that this is a brand which deserves a closer look, and as much of the limelight as the famous High Street brand from the same design stable.

Lace Dress £72.

Molly Moleskin Cape Style Military Jacket £125.

What do you think of the Great Plains collection and have you ever bought from them?

All that Glitters.....High End v High Street.

2011-10-18T11:49:00.000+01:00

I will never forget the gorgeousness that was the D and G sparkly shoes I spotted in Puerto Banus last year and I have wanted to bring out my inner "Dorothy" in a pair of glittery heels ever since and it seems I am not the only one. Victoria Beckham tweeted about her new, cobalt blue, sparkly Miu Miu shoes on Thursday and treated her followers to a picture of the glittery beauties....

How gorgeous are they?

Then just to confirm that a pair of glittery heels must take top priority on my xmas party shopping list, I popped into Dune and spotted their sparkly heels, which trust me, are so totally fabulous in the flesh and so much better than the website picture depicts.
So with party season fast approaching, I can't think of a better way to accessorise your little black dress than by adding some sparkle to your outfit with some glitter heels.

High End Sparkly Shoe Porn.....

Miu Miu Leather Pumps £370. Miu Miu Glitter and Suede Ankle Boots £555. Gold and Pistachio peep toe Boots £555.

Pedro Garcia Glitter Pumps £260. Miu Miu Glitter Pumps £400. Miu Miu Bow and Glitter Ankle Boots £555.

Acne Ballerinas £320. Miu Miu Glitter Sandals £420. Taccetti Pink Glitter Pumps £274.

Purse Friendly Sparkly Shoe Porn.....

Dune Platform Court £90. Dune Platform Peep Toe £90. New Look Silver Glitter Platforms £24.99.

New Look Black Glitter Court Shoe £24.99. Glitter T-Bar Sandals £24.99. Carvela Glitter Platforms was £120 now £79.

Will you bringing out your inner Dorothy for the festive season?

An evening of Frocks.

2011-10-17T08:54:00.001+01:00

Getting snapped in the same dress twice or turning up to an event in the same dress as another guest has become an occupational hazard of Facebook, where your pictures are plastered all over your Wall for the world to see, so if you are looking to wear something different, a one off designer or vintage piece to see you through the party season, then an Evening of Frocks, the only event for glamorous dress lovers, is the place to be!

Next Thursday, 27th October, Buy My Wardrobe presents an evening dedicated to selling pre-loved designer party frocks. The emphasis will be on fabulous show stopping pieces and accessories that have been barely worn by their previous owners, who just happen to be some of London's most stylish women!

The event takes place at Home House, one of London's most luxurious members clubs and help will be on hand to ensure you leave with nothing less than your perfect party look!
Tickets start at just £5 and can be bought directly from the buymywardrobe website here and you can purchase a 30 minute session with one of Nicky Hambleton Jones stylists for just £20 at the event here.

Have fun and be sure to report back with pictures of your purchases!

Blouses and Bags.

2011-10-14T21:44:00.000+01:00

Blouses.

I'm not going to talk about Liz Hurley's age and the length of her hair, I'm really not, I promise, although I think its time a few inches got chopped off the bottom, but I'm here to talk about her blouse, as you all know I am loving snakeskin this season. Liz's blouse certainly gets the thumbs up from me, especially as I recently bought a snake print top and this seasons is all about the print after all!

Here is my Linea Weekend number, £45 from House of Fraser.

Also wearing, Boris and Natasha by Opi, Nail Polish. Large Rose Gold watch by Michael Kors. Citizens of Humanity Jeggings from the outnet and Shoe Boots by Head over Heels.

and a seriously bad picture of me wearing it! Well I was in a hurry as my friend was beeping the horn outside 10 minutes earlier than I expected to be going out for a Curry!

So delicious, but back to the Blouse. It's a Top really, as the buttons don't go all the way down the front of the garment and although the picture is rubbish, it is a great fit and so flattering over the tummy, I would recommend it to anybody carrying a bit of extra flesh (fat) in that area as it really does skim over the lumps and bumps.

Bags.

You may well remember the picture above that I took of a lady at London Fashion Week because I loved her Whistles leopard print Carrie skirt and Vintage snakeprint bag. I also loved the way you wouldn't have dreamed that the two prints would work together but they did, and whilst out shopping today, I spotted a gorgeous bag by Label Lab in House of Fraser in the same colourway.

The bag is described as a Clutch but has a chain strap and is really big ( H45 cm W24 cm D6 cm) so would be fabulous for day as well as evening. £130 from House of Fraser.

Happy Weekend xx

Going back to your roots.

2011-10-13T21:16:00.000+01:00

It was rather early in the morning yesterday when I caught some television presenter or another talking in the background as I was making the packed lunch in the kitchen, about the latest hair trend to hit Tinseltown, that of proudly showing off your roots!
After doing a post about going grey recently, I was interested to find out more about why Celebrities are purposely letting their hair grow and having the roots dyed to make it look as though they have no grey and are therefore proud to show off a fair amount of re-growth only normally associated with the lazy, the poor, or those appearing on the Jeremy Kyle show.

I thought the whole thing must have been in my imagination as the day wore on, seriously, how could anybody want to show their roots to the world, whether they are tinged with flecks of grey or not? I mean the Ombre hair trend was one thing, but this seemed totally outrageous until a google search proved that this whole root debacle has indeed turned into a trend with celebs across the pond on both the east and west coast.

Top UK hair stylist Richard Ward says more and more women in their 40's and 50's are asking to have their hair dip dyed and Ward says he always advises against clients going completely grey until they are in their 60's but just like Ward, I wonder how realistic it is that people would believe a dark regrowth on a woman in her 40's or 50's would actually be natural.

Still its always good to know that I am bang on trend, where the celebs go, I follow.....

4 weeks regrowth and I am not due in for another 2 weeks - Yikes!

What do you think about the dip dyed trend and would you try it? Would you ever go to a hairdresser and have your roots dyed dark? I have to say I am tempted to go for Elle's look above!

Meet my mate..

2011-10-12T17:24:00.000+01:00

Although she is a few years younger than me (ahem), Vanessa and I have been best friends for many years. I first met her through her elder sister as we both used to travel to work in London together and it transpired that both girls grew up just around the corner from my childhood home and knew my brother very well.

At 37, she remains one stylish lady who loves to shop on the High Street and you can always rely on her to be one of the best dressed on a night out and she constantly makes me feel ashamed when she pops round for a cuppa, looking all glam, and I am in my bleach stained housework clothes, so it came as no surprise when I found out that she had been picked out for a street style photograph by Look Magazine!

I think having this picture taken is a massive achievement as it is normally much younger women/girls who get snapped for these kind of photographs, so I was as pleased as punch that she got "papped" whilst on a shopping trip to Westfield, Stratford last weekend, for the Look Magazine website, proving that even in her late 30's she has still "got it" when it comes to style!

Well done Doll, you look fab!

Vanessa has an Autumn shopping trip outfit all sewn up and with the sun still making an appearance on a regular basis in the south east, the choice of a loose knit is perfect for layering and the flat ballet pumps and cross body bag are the only sensible choice for shopping in style when you plan to be on your feet all day, loaded up with purchases!

Steal her Style ......

Dorothy Perkins Poncho £38. (Vanessa's actual one is no longer in stock). Leather and Suede Cross Body Bag £30. Basic Ballet Pumps £20. Orange Roll Hem Jeans was £30 now £17.

View all the Look Magazine style search pictures here.