Shoestring Chic

Musings on style without the £££ price-tag

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NEW - SALES SUCCESS!

Latest into my wardrobe are these nude leather slipper shoes from Zara, a great pair of flats which are so comfy you don’t even feel like you’re wearing shoes! They’ll be particularly spot-on come spring and summer, when understated flats look more tasteful than heels with bare legs, and the nude colour of the shoes will make my tan (which I’m determined I WILL have!) look better in comparison! At under £15 in the Zara sale, these are an absolute win.

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NEW - SALES SUCCESS!

Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of winter dressing - all those layers soon make me look like I've piled on Christmas pounds, and I feel dowdy and swamped rather than stylish!  So, my quest for the sales was to find a few great pieces that will look 'put together', and which will pull me out of the comfy jeans-and-jumper routine I've been in at the office lately.  A promotion also made me want to up my game in the style stakes, whilst allowing me to think: 'you deserve it!'  I wanted stylish pieces for work and play, with minimal effort and maximum impact - and hey presto, I found the 'Harper' skirt from Coast.

This was a great buy, originally selling at £75 but snipped down to £29 in the sale.  I love the 50s-style shape, it's dressy but not over the top when paired with a simple black long-sleeve t-shirt.  In summer I'll be wearing this with cami tops and sandals or wedges, and it would be perfect for weddings with a little jacket.  The skirt is beautifully made - the dusky pink satin layer is covered by a black patterned gauze, and the high-quality tailoring mean it's a really great fit.  It really does look more expensive than it was, the very essence of Shoestring Chic!  

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After a long, lazy Christmas and New Year hiatus I'm back and blogging!

Looking forward to writing up my latest Blonde On A Budget post, coming soon!

[xmas-wonderland]

Christmas Eve Eve!

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Topshop's 24 Days of Christmas at Oxford Circus - completed!

Topshop has been spreading the Christmas cheer this December with the 24 Days of Christmas at Oxford Cirucs.  There have been giveaways every day of the month, from a prize draw for a year's supply of shoes, to free snacks (see http://instagram.com/p/wMEz_UyxW9/), to complimentary hair styling from the Hersheson's Braid Bar (with purchase). Each event that you take part in earns a stamp on your 24 Days card!

The first twenty participants to reach 5 stamps are then awarded a £50 gift card - incredibly generous from Topshop!  I managed to collect 5 stamps without paying a penny, as there were five events which didn't require any purchase.  With a bit of careful planning, and the convenience of working just around the corner from the Oxford Circus store, I managed to do each of these five free events.  So now I'm feeling ever so Shoestring Chic with my fab, free, £50 gift card.  Merry Christmas Topshop!

[wwd]

Nicki Minaj for Roberto Cavalli.

Photo by Francesco Carrozzini

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The Classics: London Look

You can't go wrong with a trench coat and leather boots!

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NEW! Classic leather boots, a style staple

My day just got beautiful with the arrival of these sleek leather 'Sip' boots from Dune - half price in their winter sale which has already begun!

The sales are the ideal time to stock up on high quality staple items items, and I know I'll be wearing these boots all winter long.

[whatdoiwear]

Monique Lhuillier Pre-Fall 2015

Photo: Courtesy, for more runway gifs click HERE

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Such a beautiful collection!

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Some designer chic this week!

Don't you just love surprises? Having worked on an Alexander McQueen sample sale this week, my colleague very kindly brought me back this brilliant scarf.  I can now proudly say I own some Alexander McQueen!

The skull print design is synonymous with the Alexander McQueen brand and toughens up any outfit that looks like it should be a bit rougher round the edges... I love the burnt orange colour, and the silk-mix fabric is super soft.  It's a stand-out accessory that makes winter that bit brighter!

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Retro hair... Reckon I could be on a postage stamp? #hair #curls #retro

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Got my sugar high with a free personalised cupcake from @lolascupcakes at @topshop ! 😋 #topshop #lolascupcakes #cupcake #personalised #sparkly #christmas

[d-o-z-i-n-g]

DAY TIME/NIGHT TIME on We Heart It.

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Vintage sparkle!

Here's my fabulous new dress, very kindly donated to me by my boyfriend's mum!  She loved it back in the day and now it's perfect for me - it fits like a glove and I love a backless dress!  I couldn't have found a better outfit for the 1920s theme party that I went to on Saturday night...

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Follow Shoestring Chic!

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Foreo Luna Mini - Product Review

Thanks to the beauty cupboard at work, I've been able to get my mitts on the new Foreo Luna Mini.  With an RRP of £99, it's not so shoestring... but everyone deserves a treat now and then, right?  I've been tempted to invest in a Clarisonic but have never got round to it - so when I came across the Foreo, I jumped at the chance to give it a go!

The Foreo is a silicone cleansing device which pulsates to give your skin a deep clean and gentle exfoliation.  The blurb on the box states that it 'cleanses more effectively than washing by hand' (which I do), and 'diminishes the appearance of enlarged pores and blemishes'.  The device is waterproof and designed to be used in the basin or shower, so no need to worry about electrics in the water!  It's recharged by USB (cable provided), and claims to give 300 uses from a full charge.  And when you're spending £99 on a face scrubber, you want it to last - so the Foreo also comes with a 2 year manufacturer's warranty.

My skin routine has been the same for some time now - exfoliate with Neutrogena scrub and then lather on my amazing Vichy Normaderm cleanser.  I thought I'd give the Foreo a go to see if it beats my current cleansing!  So this week after exfoliating, I have applied the Vichy cleanser to the Foreo, then switched on and worked it in to my skin. The pulsating/vibrating motion does make it feel like it's cleaning deep into your skin, and there are two intensity settings, the lower of which would be ideal for sensitive skin.

Having used the Foreo Luna Mini for a week, I do think my skin is smoother and looks a bit brighter.  I don't think it's exactly revolutionised my skin routine but it does cleanse well and reach all areas of the face.  It's not harsh on the skin, and I've found that it seems to reduce any puffiness under the eyes - I think the pulsations act like a little massage!  Whether or not I would spend the full price for the Foreo is debatable, but for now I'll definitely be keeping it as part of my routine and seeing if it makes any dramatic changes.

[shoestringchic]

NEW!

Topshop has provided joy with its new season faux-leather jacket, in a gorgeous oxblood colour.  Also available in blue and black (complete with detachable fur collar), the jacket is warm, versatile, a great fit and goes with all my winter stuff.  And ever better... it's on a special 30% discount, priced at £45 instead of the usual £58 - for a limited time only!

UPDATE - Topshop has now reduced this jacket to £30 in its Black Friday discounts!!!  Worth every penny!