OOTD: Naughty-cal with Next

Split Sleeve Dress: C/o Next  | Slipper Shoes: C/o Next  | Envelope Clutch: C/o Next  | Sunglasses: Primark 

Daisies Necklace: Sphere of Life  | Bracelets: Gina Stewart Cox  | Bangle: H&M

Yay for the sun! 

Today was a day for pulling out the day dress, I've had this in my wardrobe just waiting for the right weather. Today it was literally screaming 'wear me.... not those other guys' Those who know me would tell you that I am a huge dress fan, I could literally be a Stepford Wife-Esq woman. If the weather wasn't all over the place I'd quite happy live in dresses, cardies and heels. 

I think my love of the humble dress comes from being so short, with 28 inch legs it can be tough getting items that look 'right'. As much as my legs are stubby I also have womanly hips so petite items can cling, in all of the wrong places. It can be frustrating when stores cater for 'regular' lengths, maternity, long legs and the more curvy frames but not petites; when I was younger it put me off shopping at one point, which is what lead to my love of dresses. 

The dress I am wearing today is by Next and more importantly Next petites. I love that Next caters for all shapes and sizes, their clothing is also cut amazingly with ample room for the occasional bloat. Even their shoes are available in half sizes, which means that I don't get blisters on my heels from the shoes rubbing, or I don't get sore tootsies from being all squished up. 

This is a simple outfit and is suitable for most day's. Shopping at the weekend, running around at the park with your children or partaking in a hobby or two. I love the hidden deep pockets but I just wished I had popped a belt on, this size maybe just a tad too big, but it's oh-so comfortable. 

What do you guys think? Have you been rocking the nautical, blue's or monochromes? You can take a peek at other bloggers stripe outfits by clicking over to IFB (Independant Fashion Bloggers) HERE 

Vivacity by Oriflame

The 'IT' Fragrance

Fresh, feminine and light. Oriflame's newest fragrance 'Vivacity' is the fragrance to set your sights on.  As a fragrance snob I was amazed to find that I loved a fragrance that wasn't worn during fashion week, or splashed across the glossy covers of Vogue or Cosmo. Don't get me wrong I do own many fragrances such as Body Shop's Love Etc... and Indie Perfumes from Etsy,  these aren't worn by the glitterati but I still quite happily spritz them on each week; it is rare though that I am seduced by a fragrance such as the one's mentioned. 

What surprised me was that I love this fragrance. Any other smaller branded fragrances I find tend to smell like they are trying too hard to be different. I find many of the lower brands fragrances turn on my skin or give me a head ache with the exception of a few. 

If you covered the branding on the Vivacity bottle and box, you could easily presume this Artdeco designed bottle was made by either D&G or Chloe. Spritzing the eau de toilette I would be shocked if you didn't think it was either D&G Light blue wearing glasses and seeing clearer or Escada's Pacific Paradise.

Vivacity smells fresh but feminine, light but sultry and if this was a female woman it would be someone who is confident, self assured and ambitious.  I actually prefer this over it's similar counterparts and this lasts longer than Light Blue and the dry down results in a scent that is soft and seductive. 

The notes are pink grapefruit, bright mandarin and pink pepper blended with a variety of flowers such as peonies and orange blossoms; amber, vetiver and musk's are the notes that sealed the deal for me, you can't beat a well done amber fragrance. I would say this is suitable for everyone. From teenagers just getting into fragrance to the more mature woman looking for a daytime scent. 

Vivacity was released on the 11th of May and has a current launch price of £12.95, as of June 7th this will increase to £17.95 so get your hands on this straight away. 

Click HERE to get your seduction on. 

Nike X Liberty : Swoonables

Liberty oh Liberty how you make my heart sing.... 

Nike and Liberty are an un-likely pairing but one that has resulted in these 3 ah-mazing designs. The SS13 range were just released on the 9th and all ready are selling like they're going out of fashion. If your a fan of  classic styles such as the Air Max 1 (with the visible air bubble), Blazer Mid and the popular Roshe Run then these will be right up your street. 

Available in 2 iconic Liberty floral fabrics. Pepper is comprised of teeny delicate floral shapes outlined in black to give the flowers a modernised depth. Here's a close up of the fabric but in a different colour. 

The second fabric is Capel. Capel is comprised of a more prominent floral but in a lighter palette. Capel has been on classic Tana since 1993 and is extremely popular, I personally love this print in pastel tones as they are just so feminine and delicate without looking too shabby. 

Each style varies in price but these will cost around £100-£150 depending on style. You can customise your own 'kicks' (check me getting down with the kids) over on the Nike website via their Nike ID service. I recently used this service to order my hubster some funky ass'd trainers (non Liberty) and we were amazed by them. If you follow over on Instagram you will have seen them all ready, if not you can take a peek by clicking HERE 

I wanted to show you how unique this service really is by styling 2 different designs, using the same trainer design. Here is my first design which I need  want (desperately) 

As much as I like the primary tones in the bottom design, I am very much a pastel girl at heart. These were designed using the same base trainer but both are so different. 

It's also affordable to purchase Nike ID trainers especially when going through Quidco or other similar cashback sites, I found my husband's fully designed trainers cost less than generic ones. Currently you can get free delivery and 9% cashback going via Quidco, take a peek HERE.

You can get yours from Liberty (some are sold out but are due to be restocked) by clicking HERE or head on over to Nike to get your design on HERE. 

Are you guys Liberty lovers? 

Skechers - Sketchy Business

Sketchers Shape-Ups are those strange looking trainers that resemble see-saw's or disability shoes. No matter how many pops of colours they add or how many celebrities they glamorously have advertising them, I simply cannot love them. I'd rather suffer through a hundred squats and sit ups than wear these. Maybe that's just a pride thing on my part, or due to living in a small town? I'd be laughed at for sure, little children may also throw stones at me due to wearing these (true story). 

For those who have had an interest in this product (Shape-Ups specifically and not Skechers) you may have heard about them activating muscle, strengthening your core and toning your legs and butt. Maybe you even bought a pair and got your rock walk on. These babies cost from £50 up to £80 so they aren't exactly cheap, factoring in why you're specifically purchasing these (specifically to get fit rather than style), you would expect them to work wouldn't you? 

Well, here's the kicker (get it), Skechers have been ordered to pay $40 million pounds due to marketing this product unfairly. Skechers marketed these as a product that would help consumers lose weight, they used Kim Kardashian and Brooke Burk to promote them enticing so many people to frivolously buy into their claims.  

They were also ordered to pay out an additional $5 million for attorney fees, I'm pretty sure Skechers are regretting hyping their products now. What I can't understand is why a large popular company such as Skechers, would really feel the need to falsify their claims? 

Yes, I'm aware most companies do to some extent but I wouldn't have imagined that Skechers wouldn't feel the need due to them all ready having such a huge fan base. There were 70 lawsuits made in relation to the claim that they lied about the benefits, Skechers deny the claims of course but said they settled to close the case quickly. I know I'd blooming fight my corner regardless of the time it took, especially when it meant having to fork out $45 million in this economy. 

Apparently Reebok had a similar problem last year with their rocker shoes, they were made to pay $25 million. The moral of this story is to not buy into these toning, rocker trainer claims and spend the money on some new gym clothes (or chocolate). Anything these trainers claimed to do, you guys can do yourselves. YOU CAN DO IT! Feel the burn and all that jazz.  The Federal Trade Commission have since banned Skechers from running their ad's for this product, so at least it's a step in the right direction. Fingers crossed more companies have their knuckles rapped for falsifying claims and duping innocents, into parting with their hard earned cash. 

What's your take on this guys? 

A Boost A Day With Healthspan

I have a variety of long term health problems which are a pain in the butt, I struggle with energy most days and others I'm simply a like a blob of jelly. I have tried so many energy boosting items in the past and to be honest, they either don't work or they taste like poop. 

I was asked to test out Healthspan's Multivitality Boost to see if it would boost my energy, I couldn't wait to test these out because I have been looking for the ideal energy boosting product for years. I simply wanted to feel healthier and more energetic.  

The Healthspan multivitamin boost box contains 30 sachets of blackcurrant and orange powder which you simply mix with a little water, and drink as you would juice. It's advisable to take 1 per day I opted to try blackcurrant first. Here is the blackcurrant all mixed up and ready to go... 

It did start of blackcurrant coloured but turned orange for some reason? I was scared of how it was going to taste, having tried other similar products which tasted so bad. This however didn't taste false, chemically, gassy or salty (yip I have tried so many BAD products before). This actually reminded me of weak Robinson's blackcurrant cordial  which I really like. 

The orange also tastes lovely. Just like the blackcurrant the orange tastes like weak cordial and I personally preferred the orange flavour but both are palatable. It did take around 3 days for me to notice a difference, at first I noticed I felt more fresh and awake especially in the afternoon, when I would normally get that heavy eye sensation and want to curl into a little cocoon to sleep. It's hard to describe how I felt but I do know I felt more 'with it' rather than being on my normal fatigue roller-coaster.   

By the end of the box I was sold. My sons had all got that sore throat, sickness and fever bug that was going about, normally I would fall ill even before all 3 of my sons had. This time around I kicked that bugs butt before it even affected me! This hasn't happened for years and it felt good, I'm guessing it's down to the vitamins in this product as it seems to much of coincidence for it not to have been. 

These contain the whole of the B vitamin family as well as Vitamin C, Biotin, Folic Acid, Magnesium and Zinc,  which is pretty awesome.  I remember buying a well known brand from Boots not too long ago and the multi-vitamins smelled like beef, they were so huge I simply couldn't swallow them, yuck!  

So if you're looking for that extra oomph during the day, wanting to boost your immune health or overall energy then I'd fully recommend these guys. 

Have you tried these before? which flavour did you prefer? 

Skincare Heros : Etat Pur

I was recently given the opportunity to try Etat Pur, I have saw other reviews and post for this brand and it was always on my wish list so I was stoked when it arrived.  Etat Pur believe in going back to the start, using specific ingredients rather than huge long lists of un-pronounceable ingredients that do little to improve the skin problems. 

Etat Pur have it right in that they realise everyone's skin is different, they cater to each each persons skin types and problems and offer targeted and effective solutions. I was asked to fill in a small questionnaire, this helps you to find the right products from the start.

My main issues were that my skin had become dull and lifeless, I wanted to reduce my pores and provide moisturisation and eye care for my under eyes. 

The products which were recommended were 

B21 Light Moisturization Emulsion.

This is not a cream or a lotion, it has a unique, light consistency that works far better than any thicker cream but without the greasy, shiny finish. It absorbs quickly and is simply amazing, it has reduced evened out out my skin's patchy dry area's. This is something that no other brand has ever done for my skin and to be honest, I didn't it was ever possible that my skin would even out like this. 

A60 Citric Acid 

This product targets dull skin with a loss of radiance, it also evens out the complexion and tightens loose skin. I absolutely adore this product, I really can't emphasise just how much I love this and it is going to be in my skincare routine forever. The bottle of this is quirky, you simply push the button and it delivers the right amount of product. Only 4 drops is needed to cover the whole face. It's an astringent, exfoliant and regenerates new cell formation while leaving you looking radiant and fresh. 

A04 Acmella

This product targets expression wrinkles. I specifically have these on my forehead and that little gap of skin between my eyebrows, and at the side of my eyes. Acmella flowers have a botox like effect, and contain myrorelaxant molecules that smooth out the skin.  I don't use this every day but it does play apart in making my skin look awesome. 

B42 Smoothing Eye Contour Cream 

This has a strange consistency, like egg whites. It's fresh and light and again only a teeny amount is needed to provide the right amount of care. It works to alleviate signs of fatigue and stress, rejuvenating the eye area so you look fresh and rested. 

Without sounding like I'm obviously hyping these products (which I am) I really do adore this range. I really didn't think it was possible to get this level of glowing skin, this quick. I haven't had to wear a full face of makeup since using this. 

In this picture I am ONLY wearing Maybelling eyeshadow and Artdeco All in One mascara and eyebrow pencil. No concealer, foundation, BB cream or cover up at all. 

This is my skin before using Etat Pur (it did get worse than this about 1 week prior to starting Etat Pur), you can see there are red pimples, scarring, uneven skin tones and there are dry patches around my nose. I would have had to cover up before going out as these skin issues were more visible in person than on this image. 

So you can see that even in as little as a couple of weeks, there have been huge improvements can't you. All in all I am hooked, I would fully recommend this brand to everyone as they really cater for all issues from sensitive, ageing, dull, spotty, scarring and even pigmentation marks. 

You can get visit Etat Pur by clicking HERE, they also offer free delivery with your first order. 

Gina Stewart Cox & The Elephants

I have had a fair few emails since adding my ootd posts to Lookbook, most wanted to know what my accessories looked like as you can't really see them but I had tagged them as Gina Stewart Cox. These two bracelets are my all time favourites and look especially good in an arm party. 

Gina Stewart Cox are the amazing brand behind some pretty awesome jewellery pieces. I have my sights on a few more bracelets.  I have a definite weakness towards the bracelets particularly and especially love the bright colours, I feel my arm party needs some brights to pep it up. 

The black one is the silver double knot and can be found HERE. The beige silver elephant is one that makes me feel all warm inside, yes a little bracelet can make you feel warm too due to it's back story. 

Gina Stewart Cox (GSC) works alongside the Elephant Conservation  (ECN) who are a small organisation in Kanchanaburi, West Thailand. The ECN works with the local people and other non-government organisations to help find solutions to stop conflict between humans and elephants. 

There are less than 2,000 wild elephants nationwide which is a teeny number. Their survival is threatened due to illegal farming, logging and land clearances as well as increased numbers in the human population. GSC's aim is to encourage the villagers to become less reliant on income from the land, this will reduce the conflict between the wild elephants and the surrounding humans. 

GSC  employs local villagers to create each beautiful piece of GSC jewellery rather than farming sugar cane, farming sugar cane is hard, strenuous and success is based on luck. Elephants also love sugar and can raid cane fields putting all of those hours of work to waste. With GSC working alongside these villagers, they no longer have to work away from home and depend on someone else caring for their children as they can work from home. Getting to this point took 2 years of work, building relationships between the company and workers and training them to a high level. 

By purchasing an elephant product with GSC you are helping to give back to this amazing project, gaining a gorgeous bracelet, good karma and that amazing warm feeling. 

Scary arm but look how pretty this arm party looks. 

You can get your own arm party started by heading over to Gina Stewart Cox HERE, each piece is quality made and just looks so chic in my opinion. I'm more of a silver and white gold girl but they do cater for gold girls (and guys) too.