OOTD - Vintage Polka Dot Midi

Todays outfit of the day is really my vintage item of the day which I found at Instow Vintage Fair a week ago.  As I said in my previous post I love midi skirts and love polka dots so this is the perfect combination.  It's a lovely fishtail skirt which is smart enough for workwear but can be dolled up with some killer heels (i found some perfect ones in my collection) to wear on a night out.  

I love the 50's vintage pin up style and this skirt fits perfectly into this, I also couldn't resist showing my work in progress sleeve off too in my pic.  I can't wait for the next vintage fair and seeing what great bargain items I can find.

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Instow Vintage Fair - My Vintage Finds

Instow Vintage Fair featured a few weeks ago on the run up to what was a lovely little village fair packed full of vintage and retro charm.  Myself, hubby and a friend went along to the gorgeous village of Instow, North Devon on a blustery Sunday afternoon and I was particularly excited to find some special vintage treasures.

I love rummaging through stalls and finding those one off pieces and as soon as we entered my hubby had spotted something straight away.  A medium sized lock box (very manly) but he instantly thought of a use for it.

My nose was trying to hunt out some vintage fashion and there was an abundance of autumnal colours and textures to choose from.  I had my eye on a few things and especially one coat which I hope will be there next month, a gorgeous French Cashmere coat (I wish I'd have bought it)!  My buy of the day was a lovely polka dot grey fishtail skirt, I love polka dots and I love midi skirts so a perfect combo, I will be featuring this in my outfit of the day very soon.

This vintage fair is growing in popularity and I can see why, whilst shopping for great vintage treasures you can enjoy coffee and homemade cake and your very small entry fee goes towards a fabulous and worthy local charity North Devon Hospice.  Instow itself is a beautiful place and this little fair is definitely worth a visit.

Next month Instow Vintage Fair is focussing on the party season ahead and is on November 17th.   Check out their facebook for all the information and up to date news and vintage traders.

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Fright Night Fashion Inspirations

Halloween is nearly upon us and although not as celebrated in the UK as the US, we do love an excuse to throw a good party.  So when I was contacted by New Look to style my perfect Halloween inspired ensemble my first thought was, how would I go about adding a splash of glamour to All Hallows Eve.

Long gone are the days of having to wear a tacky costume made from awful and badly fitted fabrics, the high street has given us tons of choice in fabulous AW13 trends and vamping up a current must have keeps your wardrobe fresh and exciting for the parties ahead.

A great trend this AW13 is Dark Romance, this mysterious and alluring style incorporates gorgeous lace dresses, textured velvet and gothic inspired pieces.  The dark hues in this trend create a sexy and sleek take on the All Hallows theme and look magnificent paired with daringly killer heels and bold regal coloured accessories.

Take on a sophisticated witch, sexy spider or haunting zombie bride with some fabulous fright night inspirations from your favourite fashion retailers.   Check out my Glamour Puss inspired outfit purrfect for adding a touch of sparkle to any halloween party. 

Outfit inspired by New Look

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My Skincare Must Have - Dermalogica

I've have set my sights on this skincare range for quite some time now, first falling in love with the products back when my sister was training to be a beauty therapist.  I loved being a guinea pig from having facials to even getting my arms waxed (a very strange experience i might add!)

Until recently it was a little out of my price range but as I draw closer to the big 3-0, looking after my skin has never been so important.  As I have said in previous posts, my skincare regime has always been a bit slap dash and least of my worries but finding a gentle and non-drying facial wash or cleanser has always rendered a mission impossible as depending on weather, humidity and everything in between, my skin can not make up its mind whether it's oily, dry or a bit of both.

After trying out some of this well-known brand, I've totally fallen in love with the Dermalogica family.  I was introduced to a new beauty website Beauty900 that is authorised stockists of the products and is run by a beauty salon based in Essex.  The lady who runs it Shumaila knows her stuff and provides this great skin care range in her salons and online for everyone to love this brand as much as I do.

Beauty900 give you heaps of choice and provides not only Dermalogica products but tips and advice on how to look after your skin and use the products effectively.

I've made a little list of my favourite products, I'd love to know if you love Dermalogica as much as I do.  It's a must have skin care item and a definite on my christmas wish list this year.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant 

Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair

Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel

These three products are miracle workers for my skin, I know everyone if different but from having quite troublesome skin as a teenager into my early twenties, the overnight clearing gel works a treat and has reduced my breakouts ten fold.

Take a look at Beauty900 and check out the products for yourself, also check out their blog to stay up to date with offers and beauty advice from the experts.

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*This post contains samples which were kindly given to me for review. All opinions are my own.

OOTD - 90's Inspired

Today is normally my day of lounging around in my joggers and hoodie and catching up on everything before heading back to the 9-5 on Monday but today me and the hubby went to a fabulous vintage fair (which will be featured in a post this week) to explore all the goodies they had to offer.  I ended up picking a gorgeous polka dot fishtail skirt, perfect for work and pinup inspired outfits and then eating some yummy chocolate cupcakes.

So today I thought I had to make a little more effort than normal (instead of my normal Sunday, give your face and hair a break day!)

I'm not one for buying lots of clothing but I do love a bargain and most of my wardrobe is either vintage pieces, up-cycled clothing and fortunately for me I have a wonderful sister and sister in law that give me tons of items that they have hardly worn or have never worn (I'd call myself a bit of a fashion magpie, really)

Today I chose some comfy yet 90's inspired items, great for spending the day routing through rails and stalls finding those beautiful vintage items.  I teamed my staple skinnies, a loose black animal print top, my amazing Doc Martens (i absolutely love them) and a black/red check coat (given to me by my sis in law).

Take a look at my 90's inspired OOTD, check back for my post featuring the lovely people at Instow Vintage Fair and my fabulous vintage find.

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Instow Vintage Fair - Oct 20th

I love supporting local events and this is one of my favourites.  In a sleepy little coastal village of Instow - North Devon hosts a fabulous vintage fair, this Autumn Fair is on Sunday 20th October and the first 50 people will receive a gorgeous goodie bag as well as being able to shop for lots of lovely treasures from the variety of different stalls.

The vintage fair is attracting more and more people every month and is becoming a popular hit on the Vintage scene.  If you are in the area or fancy travelling for a lovely day out, then this is a sure fire hit for any retro fashionista.

Check out the facebook page for all the info www.facebook.com/InstowVintage

I am hoping to get down to this fair on Sunday and will be able to show you my vintage finds and if the weather is good get some fab pictures to show you how lovely this area really is.

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Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask Review

I've been trying out a sample of a rather lovely face mask for the past couple of weeks.  I don't normally use Face Masks, my beauty regime is quite simple as I don't tend to use lots of products and also never have the time to just chill for 5 minutes but this product I've definitely come to love and it's perfect for my budget.

This refreshing face mask was easy to apply and had a lovely refreshing fragrance, perfect for putting your feet up for 10 minutes while it got to work.  After removing the mask with some warm water, my skin felt so soft and after using it a couple of times a week over the past few weeks, i've noticed a reduction in how oily my skin normally is.

This facial mask is made with natural ingredients including french white clay which absorbs oil, dirt and impurities without stripping your face of its natural oils.  It also contains natural Zinc Oxide which is has antibacterial properties helping to prevent breakouts and any blemishes you have.  To soothe and soften the skin which was by far my favourite part it contains Lime Butter and organic Peppermint to give you a fabulous glowing complexion.

This face mask is such a bargain at £1.50 for 3 sachets and Amie do a whole host of products including make up, which is next on my list of things to buy.  The brand is available online at www.amieskincare.com or from Waitrose and John Lewis.

This brand produces lovely quality products that are kind to your skin and the environment and are definitely worth a buy!

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Top 5 Easy Beauty Tips

I love it when things are easy and simple and taking care of my skin happens to be just that.  As a teenager I had troublesome skin so using harsh product or so called miracle workers didn't work for me but keeping it natural and giving my skin the basic nutrients it needed to heal worked wonders.

I try to stick by some golden rules for keeping my skin looking in tip top condition without using lots of products but feeding my skin all the right things and trying to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Here are my Top 5 Tips for easy skin-care without using lots of products:

Tip 1 - Feed your skin the right things 

Our body needs a balance of the right nutrients and fuels to lead a healthy lifestyle and our skin is no different.  Eating a wide and varied balance of vitamins, quality proteins and essential fatty acids to keep it looking its best.  I try my best to eat a variety of fruit and vegetables and Kale is a great food which contains a host of vitamins including A, B, C, E and K which is fab as I've been growing this in my veggie patch.

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Tip 2 - Sweet Dreams

Getting a good nights sleep is another easy one to stick to because our bodies relax and regenerate throughout the night.  Also another easy one is wash your bed linen regularly (I know most of you already do this) but our pillows especially can be a breeding ground for bacteria and dead skin.

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Tip 3 - Mobile Phones

We've all got one but did you know that our mobiles can actually cause skin breakouts.  Depending on how much you use yours and I know I do a lot, bacteria collects from resting it against our face.  Just giving it a quick wipe with an antibacterial type wipe can help prevent future breakouts.

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Tip 4 - Stimulate your skin

A must for my skin-care regime is moisturiser and I've recently been introduced to how to apply it correctly for maximum effect.  When you skin is slightly damp, put a small amount in your hand and press together to get a warming effect.  When applying to your face, use upward motions going from lower cheeks up to your forehead, this will help stimulate your skin and create a lifted feeling.  My favourite moisturiser at the minute is Ultra Nourishing Cream by Melvita.

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Tip 5 - Be Patient

If you are like me, then sometimes I like to feel instant results or instant pick me ups but as the saying goes 'all good come to those who wait' is true when it comes to skin care.  Not only does feeding and nurturing your skin take time and care but it is also true when you buy products that help give improvements to your skin.  Personal experience has seen that you need to give products a good 3-4 weeks before you start to see a noticeable difference so don't get disheartened if you don't have immediate effects.

The key is to feed your skin all the right things to keep it healthy, products can help enhance and perfect but good basic care from within sets the wheels in motion for skin perfection.

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Vintage Buy - SOTD

I absolutely love ASOS Marketplace to find lovely unique pieces and as I'm a big fan of vintage and retro clothing and accessories, it's perfect for finding great items at a bargain price.

My recent buy is from Captains Locker, unfortunately the online boutique has decided to go offline for a while but I'm sure they will be back very soon with tons of fabulous items.  I'm so glad I got my purchases in before they shut as they had some fab items.

My recent purchase had to be these cute vintage red Elmdale Mary Jane shoes, they are super cute and I can't wait to where them.  They are perfect for work too.

Forget about Outfit of the Day, these are my Shoes of the Day!

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Fashion, My First Love

I've always loved fashion, style and everything in between but when I was growing up careers in anything so called fluffy subjects were not really readily available and if you were academically capable then doing subjects other than the norm where not recommended as a good choice.  It's laughable that Media Studies was a fluffy choice!  Oh if I knew then what I know now!!

I have never been a girl thats gone with the flow, stuck to the rules and followed what everyone else is doing, by the time I got to college I knew I'd made the wrong choices although don't get me wrong I was capable but I didn't love what I was doing.  At the time I did just go with it, as I wanted to get to University which in turn did happen.   University was amazing and I met awesome people including my bestie and my gorgeous hubby.

I had a crazy few years, finally landing a job that had nothing to do with my previous qualifications which gave me the confidence to really put my heart into something I loved doing, again was an off the cuff application that I never though'd I'd get a look in as I had no experience.

My brother is now going through exactly the same process, starting college, choosing what he thinks he wants to do with his life!  I say do exactly what you love!!! I'm lucky enough to now be on the other side with some good and bad choices behind me and many more to come I'm sure but my advice is clear and simple, you will be working for a great deal of the rest of your life (unless you're lucky enough to win the lottery) but for those of you choosing or hesitant to take a chance, just do it!

I took a chance and although I'm not doing what I love full time yet, I am now much happier that I have my foot a least a little step further into the door.  I love styling different outfits, writing about what I love and working with lots of interesting people.  Blogging has given me so much in the little time I've been doing it and has helped me build my portfolio and contacts and am happy to be part of a larger network of fellow bloggers.

There are plenty of opportunities out there but you have to have the confidence to grab them.  Even if you don't think you have enough experience for something apply anyway and let your personality shine through, you never know you might land your dream job!

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