WHY YOU SHOULD INVEST IN A CALVIN KLEIN BRA

I'm pretty sure we have all seen the endless pictures of Kendall Jenner accompanied by #mycalvins and either openly or secretly wished we owned a pair to flaunt in the way she does. I was lucky enough to get a white Calvin Klein bra 'crop top' for my birthday and 2 weeks later I'm here to persuade you all to buy one for yourselves.

1. The comfort
Because this is kind of like a sports bra cut, forget the underwire, overly tight straps and hook and eye closures that cannot be undone with one hand, it is potentially the most comfortable thing I have worn. Of course it doesn't give as much support as a regular bra, but just don't wear this for the days you are marching round town doing Christmas shopping.

2. You can wear it literally anywhere
I have never been a person to wear a bra while sleeping (I know there is argument about whether you should, or shouldn't and what is best for you, but I just cannot be dealing with that discomfort when I'm trying to sleep), but this is one that is somewhat acceptable to wear in bed because of the comfort. I won't lie, it is pretty liberating to be wearing this and a pair of shorts in bed. I will wear this around the house aswell, and the days it is in the wash are sad ones.

3. It still looks good no matter how, or where you wear it (plus you feel bloody brilliant in it)
For me, this stands as my favourite bra now, forget the fancy lace numbers with all the enhancements - this is bra I feel the best in by a mile. For my age, and petite size I have quite large boobs, and I don't really enjoy the way they look most the time (of course those with a smaller pair will say the opposite and wish for them), but in this bra that isn't the case. This white one is a little on the sheer side in certain lighting (something to bear in mind if you are wearing it out), but it doesn't stop me rocking it on the daily.

If I haven't sold you these enough, take the fact that I am putting aside a chunk of my next paycheck to treat myself to both the grey and the black versions as your final hint...

I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH COLOUR

 Jacket: Select

Top: New Look

Jeans: New Look

Bag: Primark

Shoes: River Island

Sunglasses: Primark

Earrings: H&M

Just a few outfit pictures I begged my sister into taking for me before I went into town the other weekend - a really simple all black look with some leopard slip ons and the Rimmel Kate 107 Matte Lipstick to spice things up a little. Perhaps not the best for the unforeseen sunshine but I struggled with the jacket on to maintain the look... The things I do for an outfit. Although maybe not to everyone's' tastes, I actually really like the clashing leopard and snake prints in the bag and shoes. 

DAILY GRUNGE - THE OUTFIT

Flannel - H&M  /  Vest - TkMaxx  /  Bag - H&M  /  Jeans - Primark  /  Shoes - New Balance 410

The majority of my wardrobe consists of monochrome so for me it's not difficult to create grungy, dingy looks, but today I think the combination was worthy of a post itself. A black and white flannel shirt seems to make any outfit that little bit more edgy and it just seemed to pair really well with the sort of acid wash grey loose vest. I actually found it in TkMaxx for £8 the other day and instantly imagined this outfit, and it's lovely quality too. 

I think some ripped jeans would have tied this outfit together that little bit more, however they were in the wash so standard, slightly looser jeans were on the cards. I've also got a corresponding makeup look too with quite a warm red smokey eye and some cool toned lips that'll be going up at some point soon, so look forward to that one. 

WORKOUT GEAR ON A BUDGET

I've always wanted to be a regular work out do-er, but have never had the gear, the effort nor time and to be honest I deemed it as expensive and thought I needed branded clothing and a gym membership. A while back I started doing cardio videos in my living room from Youtube and got into it, but I only vest tops and leggings which served me well but wasn't quite cutting it. I searched around and ended up getting the bulk of my equipment at a really good price.

The Workout Mat you see behind is from Primark, and usually these cost £5 but mine was reduced to a mere £2, so a total bargain. If you can't get a Primark mat, I suggest looking in TkMaxx as I know mine has a lot of fitness wear as well as equipment. I also got a sports bra/top from Asda actually, and this cost me £6 and is a standard grey stretch material that is absorbent as well as giving plenty of support.

The rather exciting trousers/leggings are from Primark too, and these were £7. They were the nicest pair they had in my store, as I didn't want just black and they fit really nicely when I tried them on. They are hard to describe, but they sort of have a monochrome pattern which almost looks like a water marble nail design. These are cropped and sit around my mid shin, although I am 5'4" with short legs so bear that in mind.

I have been really enjoying working out at home with this gear, and I feel much more comfortable doing so too. This lot cost me £15, so is definitely worth it (although I have ordered some Nike Free Runs which could arrive any day now and if I like them/keep them I will certainly to a post on them). Right now I do a mix of dance cardio workouts and a Candice Swanepoel toning workout which really feels effective - you can certainly feel the burn.

A MONOCHROME MANICURE

As a change from the festive reds, glitters and just coloured manicures in general, I recently decided to experiment with monochrome nails; greys, blacks and whites. Almost my entire wardrobe consists of monochrome garments so why not incorporate that obsession into a manicure?

The first offering is Ciaté Cream Soda, a pale, cool toned grey that looks effortless and chic on it's own and slightly more edgy when layered with a glitter like the Next Confetti Effect Polish in New Tricks; a clear base jam packed with odd geometric shaped glitter and small circular flecks. I really like the look of this one on the nails, although I would recommend using two layers of topcoat as the glitters do curl up slightly and catch on things.

The two classic black and white polishes are from Mint London, a brand I decided to try at the Clothes Show Live, as they were running a 4 for £5 offer alongside a large goody bag too. I've only used the black - Cirque Le Soir so far, and it was extremely glossy and opaque in 2 coats, although I could have gotten away with one thicker coat. My only complaint is the drying time, as it is quite a thick polish but I used my Ciaté Speed Coat over it and they were touch dry in a couple of minutes. The white is called Dogtown and I am tempted to use this one soon, as I do think white nails have such a crisp look... until you get a smear of ink on a nail in the school day.

Have you ventured into the monochrome manicure world yet?

AFFORDABLE JOGGERS: LAZY WEAR

So, as you may know I am going to the USA (Florida to be specific) in a matter of days when I am writing this post, and I will be there by the time this goes up. I was on the lookout for some joggers or leggings that looked quite nice for the journey, and I stumbled across these in Primark for £7 and I could have squealed.

I saw something similar in H&M for something around the £15 mark which is still quite reasonable, but for finding something cheaper that I still really like the look of, I obviously decided to save a few pounds.

They are a grey wool looking material with black accents like the waistband, heel cuffs and pocket linings, and I really like the style. Being short like myself, it is often difficult to find things like this that still look slim, but these seem to look really nice on me.

Overall, a great bargain and I know these will be my choice of at home loungewear from now on, and if you spot these in Primark, definitely get yourself a pair.

THE CHUNKY MONOCHROME JUMPER

The seasons are changing, and for me, that means buying more clothes. I was in the need for some new jumpers, and I had three ideas in mind; a monochrome option, a camel coloured one, and an oatmeal coloured one. In H&M I found the perfect 'salt and pepper' esque jumper and I cannot wait to get more wear out of this.

It cost me a mere £14.99 which is really affordable for a jumper, and it's just the right thickness - not too overheating, but not too thin that you need to wear something underneath for warmth in the colder months. I am picturing wearing this with ripped jeans, a leather jacket and ankle boots, or even some leather coated jeans if I can find any and a beanie - the looks are endless, which is why I really love it. It is a nice length, not cropped, but not oversized or long, and although it's not completely fitted, it isn't too baggy (I want an oatmeal one with these qualities instead).

I am hoping that H&M come out with some more jumpers of this style so that I can grab a couple more, but if you have been seeing any nice ones in any other stores, let me know.

THE H&M HAT

Hats don't suit me at all, as much as I wish they would, but as I have mentioned far too many times on here before (apologies), I am going to Madrid very soon and I needed something that'd stop my head overheating in the sun, and when in H&M this was the best one I could find that didn't make me look a tool, nor too tourist-like, positivity.

I've tried to find a link online, but I have had no luck on the H&M website. It cost be £7.99 though so it wasn't too bad at all. I'll describe it in the simplest way possible; it's black, it's straw, it's round, and the edges are rolled up. I don't know what the name of this style of hat is, I had it earlier but it's gone (and I call myself a blogger).

I didn't actually realise that there were 2 sizes of this, medium and large, until I saw a huge 'L' on the label I had just cut off, so it's a little big but with a bit of arrangement (or some bobby pins subtly through the straw), things are fine.

I look forward to wearing this hat in the heat, with some round sunglasses and beachy hair... it sounds like a plan.

YET ANOTHER SUMMER SHOE

Shoe hauling, again? New look, again? New Look have really been winning on the shoe front recently, and as I am off to Madrid very soon, I thought it'd be a wise idea to get something a little more open in case I don't want to be stuck in my Vans all day long.

I was looking for these for a long time, I originally found some in River Island but Megan got them and I thought I wouldn't copy her (although I do for the majority of other things) and after seeing similar in New Look for £19.99 I was determined to buy them . I saw them in a size 5, stupidly didn't buy them and then they went out of stock everywhere in a 5 and I kind of gave up on them. But... my mum managed to locate some on a trip to the town today and I haven't been so happy about shoes for a while now.

I went for black as I thought they'd go with all of my wardrobe, and I love that they are some sort of sandal-shoe 'cage' hybrid, as I can get away with them when it isn't too warm as well as in the hot weather. I also like that it covers the toe as well, I just seem to like the way it looks, as well as a tiny bit of a heel to make them look more dainty.

I can tell I'll be getting a lot of wear out of these shoes and if I do I may have to pick up the white pair as well...

ALL MONOCHROME EVERYTHING

PLAID SHIRT: NEXT £16 (SALE)

FELINE MEOW TEE: EBAY £7.99 

DISCO PANTS: PRIMARK £16

CHUNKY SANDALS: NEW LOOK £24.99 
CHAIN NECKLACE: OLD

PHOTOS: THE BEAUTY PIER

Today marks the day in which I will be putting up an outfit post and what should be an ongoing theme most weekends if you enjoy this one (let me know in the comments).
I am a lover of monochrome and so putting this outfit together was no chore, and I feel like the Next Plain/Flannel shirt really made the outfit come together - so a thanks to Megan for letting me borrow hers, I am not on the hunt for one of my own.

The chunky sandals with the turned up disco pants seem to add a bit more 'glam' if you will to the casual upper half of the outfit, and I honestly think the balance is just right with this outfit.

Do let me know if you enjoyed this post, I plan for them to be quite concise when I put them up, as a nice end to the week of posts here on the blog.

CURRENT JEWELLERY STAPLES

It isn't often that I write fashion related posts, unless I am really loving something or it is really worth rambling about and taking a post away from one of my much loved beauty products. But this, my friends, is worth the post. I love jewellery, it's one of those things that I feel completes any outfit, and so I will be sharing some of my favourite pieces of the moment.

This neon necklace from Topshop has really been lifting my general monochrome outfits. I like how the neon chain leans somewhere in between a green and a yellow, and the gold spike at the end hangs nicely to close of the neon-ness. Did that even make any sense? But this is a good'un nonetheless.

You may remember if you were one of my earlier followers I did a post on my Joules & James Rose Gold Watch, and I still wear it (even though the rose gold is fading a little to reveal a hint of silver in some lights), this is just my go two when I want some wrist-action. On the path of rose gold and wrist-action, this spike stud rose gold bracelet is by far one of favourites of the bunch, and I wear it with so many outfits.

Another necklace is this monochrome triangle one which I got in the sale in Dorothy Perkins a while back and I still love it. Sometimes, I like to wear a necklace to spice up a monochrome outfit, but other times, I add monochrome on monochrome and I like that option too.

For earrings, these triangle ones from Topshop have been floating my boat recently to add a little edgy-ness to my outfits. They are rather big, but I quite like the way they look. I also like these ones from Matalan which are round studs with jewels/diamonds in. I like these for a little more glamour to my lobes (how weird do I want to make my sentences sound?).

Writing this, gives me a craving to go and buy some more jewellery... statement necklaces are where I am headed....

 

OOTD - Monochrome with Neon Yellow Accents

Hi everyone!

Another OOTD post for you today! I ended up going shopping the other day, and most of the things that are featured in this post are what I bought. I ended up buying myself the cardigain I was wearing in the last OOTD that I borrowed from Megan as I love it so much and it's a really versatile item to have in your wardrobe.

Cardigain - Primark £8, Dress - Primark £5,

 Monochrome is big this spring, and I am embracing it quite a bit. I don't feel like wearing entirely black and white, as I feel a bit dull, so I thought the neon yellow accents were a great idea!

Neon Ring - Primark £1 in sale, £2 originally

 I really love this ring. It's a simple way to add a small pop of colour to any outfit. I never would used to have liked anything like this, but now I can't get enough of it!

Shoes - Primark roughly £6 (old)

 I went with some simple shoes with this outfit, as I didn't want to take the focus away from the neon yellow by wearing a coloured or nude shoe. The bow detailing is a cute way of evening out a little bit of the harshness of the monochrome.

Neon Yellow Bow Belt - £1 (sale) £2 originally (Pack of 2- Black and Yellow) Primark

This neon bow also was the way I incorporated the colour into this outfit. I spotted this in Primark the other day and fell in love with it!

So that is my second OOTD posts for you guys!

How did you like it, let me know what you think in the comments!

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