Outifit Of The Day - Miss Selfridge Peter Pan Playsuit, eBay find!

Okay this may look a tad rapey as this is my second post today, but I'm just trying to be friendly!

This is my first real outfit post! I hope you like it! It was interesting, but also difficult as the natural light just wasn't hitting my face in the right places haha! (Hence why I'm looking down a lot). But I tried my best and with a little sprinkle of Instagram, I think it's came out alright.

This little beauty of a playsuit was actually bought from eBay (brand new), for something like £12. Unfortunately I can't find it but I will do a post on pretty playsuits soon!

As mentioned in my last post, playsuits are my favourite thing to wear in the summer. They're easy to wear and can be dressed up or down and can be worn to any event. The only downside is when your going to the toilet, you're pretty much sitting there naked, but when has fashion ever been practical?!

Playsuit - Miss Selfridge

Camel Blazer - Internacionale

Biker Jacket - eBay

Nails - Collection 2000 hot looks in 56 Electric Dreams 

Sandals - New Look

Rings - Old

I've tried to show how it can look smart (blazer) and casual (hello biker!) but overall its a very pretty playsuit, with a lovely brick pink colour. 

What are your opinions on playsuits? Do you have a favourite piece to wear in the summer? Lemme know! Xx

Mini Bargainista Haul! June 2012

Good morning, good morning! To you and you and you..

Today is my first ever haul post! Aw haul virgin. Well this week I felt a bit magical, as I picked up so so many bargains! All these items have been bought in the past month, but the majority was bought this week as I popped into my small local shopping centre (Chequers Centre in Maidstone if your wondering).

Again sorry about the quality of the images, I will find my camera charger! I will also be doing a few more outfit of the day posts. I also have a very exciting post coming up *cough GIVEAWAY cough* but you'll have to sit tight and be patient for that. 

Here we have my mini bargain haul, enjoy!

Pink ombre denim shorts- internacionale Sale (paid £3.50)

These were part of the buy one get one half price sale in internacionale, so they were already on sale for £7, but I got them half price for £3.50!

White and navy triangle print shorts - Forever 21 £13.75

I bought these at the beginning of the month when I went to Westfield Stratford, these are my first ever purchase from Forever 21! I looked but couldn't find the link for these.

Neon yellow denim shorts - Internacionale sale £8 

I've featured these shorts in a post before, but I am in love with these. Seriously these are my favourite shorts at the moment! In the picture they look like those shorts that show off half your arse cheek, but they're not, I wouldn't wear them if they were! These are easy to style and I love them!

Gold spike necklace - New Look £5.99

I bought this as I could not find the Topshop spike necklace ANYWHERE. I was looking for the one which has gold and silver spikes hanging on it, but I had to settle for this instead. This is still really nice and feels like good quality, and it helps to de-girly-fie an outfit (cringe).

Rose gold bangle - H&M £3.99

I bought this in a M/L, as I thought it'd look nice quite high up on my arm, like how Kimberley from MIC wears hers. Again I can't find the link, but it should be still in shops. 

Faux leather jacket - seller on eBay about £12

I definitely recommend searching on eBay for staple items. I was looking for a certain leather jacket, as there's two types. There's the ones that are baggy at the back and then the ones that are structured, and I really don't like the baggy ones! (I'm so bad at explaining things haha) but yeah I was very pleased with this purchase.

Sport racer back vest - Madhouse sale £6

Okay I know this isn't going to be to everyone's taste, it looks a bit cheap. But I've been looking for a lazy, basketball style top to pull over shorts when I go Spain in August, and this'll do just that. It was on sale too, it was £12. 

Side strip leggings - Select sale £5

Okay now this definitely will get abuse haha. I showed my sister these leggings and she almost threw up. But there is a story behind these. I watched a documentary on Channel 4 called 'Sex Lies and Rinsing guys' and this lady was wearing a similar pair (shown above) and I thought it was a great way to wear the Sports Lux trend. Well I think they'll need some imagination but I'll try my best to wear them without looking like a chav:-)

So there we have it, a few penny pinching items. What do you think of the buys? Do you have any ideas on how I could wear these leggings :') ? Or have you found any serious bargains lately? Lemme know! Xx

Steal Their Style: Mary Kate Olsen

Hola mis amigos!

I read a new magazine like every two days, and although I try to ignore the celeb crap, I sometimes can't resist looking at what they're wearing and more importantly, WHO they're wearing.

Two of the celebs that I don't mind reading about is the Olsen twins. They have effortless style, and look so glamorous when they're dressed up for events. They're ultra famous in America, and even produced an  'enormously popular' clothing line for Walmart (which is actually in the same company group as ASDA, who'd of known!). 

I have focused on Mary Kate Olsen in particular. She wears A LOT of black, and has a grungy yet girly style. It's interesting how easily she can change her style, depending on where she's going.

Here is some papped pictures and some cheaper yet still so so stylish alternatives, on how to get Mary Kate Olsen's style, enjoy!

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All of the below are under £35!

1: Boyfriend style denim shorts- £50 now £20 rollersnakes.co.uk

2: Black bomber jacket £25 ASOS

3: Round circle geometric sunglasses was £16 now £10 Urban Outfitters

4: Black faux leather long line coat £5 Everthing Five Pound

5: Large leather shopper was £38 now £22.50 ASOS

6: Plaid square shirt was £50 now £24 rollersnakes.co.uk

7: Black wedge ankle boot £35 ASOS 

8: Black plain jumper £17.99 New Look

What are your thoughts on her style? Think it's a mega faux pas or ultra stylish statement? Lemme know! Xx

How to wear: Neon Yellow Shorts

Good evening One and All!

I'm quite excited about this one, as today I picked up a mega bargain! If you follow me on twitter you will know what I'm on about (@monicabarrett9). 

Today I was slugging around my local shopping center and stumbled into Internacionale (the huge SALE sign dragged me in;)) and all sale items were buy one get on half price! UH-MAZING

Me, wanting to be all trendy and cool bought these lairy highlighter yellow denim cut-offs. I know they're not everyone's taste and most will think these will be very difficult to wear, well fear not. I had this outfit in mind when buying them, and I'm sure I could think of many other ways to wear them. As a lot of you know neon yellow is the colour of the season, so here is how I styled it!

(this is the first post that features, well me!)

Aztec embossed boob tube- Primark £4

Neon shorts - £8 internacionale

Spike necklace - £5.99 New Look

Fringe bag - George at Asda £8 (Last year, similar here!)

Sandals - Market stall £5 (similar here)

Black plaited belt - Forever 21 £3(similar here)

Rose gold bangle - H&M £3.99

The shorts are frayed at the bottom and have more studding at the back pockets. Their so adorable! They're also so so bright, the pictures don't do them justice.

I have edited the photo of me as I think these shorts would suit more a darker maybe more tanned skin.

I thought the bright cobalt sandals would make a fab contrast, I love it.

Would you like to see more of these posts? Have you thought of any ways of styling this season's colour? Lemme know! Xx

Hashtag #bbloggers! #1

Good evening!

This is a post that I think I will make into a weekly feature. Basically I attempt to participate into the #bbloggers conversation on twitter, and through that I discover lots and lots of different blogs! I'd just like to show you some of my favourites!


For those of you who don't know, bloggers (and others) use the hashtag #bbloggers in order to start a conversation on a particular topic eachweek. It's like a huge group chat and allows everyone to have their say:-)

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The first blog is made by a lovely lady called Rachel (@rachelmichaella.). The first post I saw on her blog was about bralets/crop tops- which I love!! I know they're not to everyone's taste, but Rachel showed how you can make them work and include some 'street style' photos, oh I love it love it love it! 

The graphics and design are to die for and really give the reader an insight to Rachel's style, and makes it a very unique and eye-catching blog. I'm jealous!

Here's Rachel's blog http://www.watch-this-place.com/

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Next is a blog called It's a BeautyFul Life by Ruby Morar ( @RubyMorar). Again I'll tell you about the first post I noticed. Which I have to say is the type of post I LOVE seeing on my dashboard. It's about Primark's new line which is coming to stores soon, and Ruby explains how Primark have created many new items that are similar to Zara's, amazeballs!

The blog itself is easy to use, and you can see Ruby has put a lot of effort into her posts and those important little details. I love the title and she posts about a broad range of subjects, so your never bored!


Ruby's Blog; http://inside-ruby.blogspot.co.uk/

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Last but definatley not least, an insightful and thought-provoking blogpost from a lady called Nic (@Strawbry_Blonde)

. It was a great post considering the topic of #bbloggers of the night was related to PR samples etc. She posted about asking for samples and the post itself was really detailed and a pleasure to read.

Her layout is amazing and so easy to use. I love the colours and the name! The post was a bit different than the conventional 'ooh look at me nail varnish' type posts (not that I dislike nail polish posts, they're actually one of my favourites) as it was very opinionated and allowed me to discover more about Nic, which is vital to keep the reader interested in the blog! 

Overall I love this blog, my favourite thing has to be the top logo, it's so cool!

Nic's blog; http://www.strawberryblondebeauty.com/

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My opinion on the #bbloggers chat

I'm always nervous about asking for samples, but once I went to the benefit counter in House of frazer, and I got chatting to the lady. After we went through the products (I actually lied and said i was shopping for a present for my mum, I tried to sound as convincing as possible!) I asked politely if I could show (my mum) a few samples, to see if the products work for her skin. Result! I got about 5 samples of the range with the like cork lids. As a result i bought two products, I think its defo worth the try! Its not like your going to see them again!

I am very savvy and love bargains and will stalk the internet in order to gain some samples etc (sad I know!) but it can be really effective when trying new products.

Have you had any success with product sampling? Or have found some killer blogs? Lemme know! Xx

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser- A Slightly Different Reaction

Good evening!

I haven't written a post in a good few days, but I was a bridesmaid at a wedding yesterday so this weekend has been a tad hectic! 

Anywho today's post is about Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. Woo. Fab. Another post about a fricken' well known product. Well I'm sorry! It seems that I've endured a bit of a different reaction to the product than most of the bloggersphere! I'm not going to explain the ins and outs of the product cause I'm sure your sick to death of hearing about it, so let's get on aye.

I've tried to love this product, I really have. But it just doesn't work for my skin, I'm really gutted..

It makes me break out. Big time.

I was actually a bit upset! I've heard such a rave and hype, and yes it takes off make-up and I love the hot cloth method, but each time I use it I get about 2 more white heads appearing on my face!

(Oh my god there's so many exclamation marks in this post) But yes, sadly my skin hasn't taken too kindly to this product.

I have combination skin, and during the summer months (well, whats meant to be summer) I tend to get oily t-zone. I've tried to cleanser a good few times to see if it just happened the once, but nope.

Have you had a similar experience? Or not loved a product that's been raved about so much? Lemme know! Xx

Free Nail Varnish? Yes Please!

Good afternoon!

It seems that this month has been all about the freebies when it comes to magazines!

Last month I was up Bluewater and picked up InStyle Magazine. This really isn't my usually read, I tend to go towards Company Magazine and Grazia. Anywho they had three different Nails Inc polishes to collect so I nabbed the light blue/violet one. Its called Bluebell.

This is my first Nails Inc. polish ever, and was very pleased with the durability! It stayed on my nails and didn't chip for a good 4 days, which is ages in my books! I usually change my nails either every day or every two days. 

This month there was the Ciate Nail Pot, which came with Marie Claire. I heard of Ciate as there was a bit of a hype surrounding their caviare polish range, so I also picked this one up in a nude colour. 

This colour is perfect for this weekend as I'm going to a wedding, minimal chic!

(sorry about the quality!)

For day to day wear, I collaborated the two polishes to give a mature, understated look. Here's how it came out!

Yes my handywork isn't too great, but the colours really compliment each other, and they're not to bad as freebies go!

Have you spotted any unmissable freebies this month? xx

Miss Selfridge Sale: Top Picks (Photo Heavy)

My oh my, Miss Selfridge certainly have outdone themselves this time round!

Usually sale items only come in extreme sizes, but Miss Selfridge is always my go-to shop as they always have all sizes in stock. Here are my top picks for the sale! (I've tried to pick items which are stocked in lots of sizes)

Let's start with shoes! There are so many gorgeous pairs, it really was hard to narrow it down!

1- Harlem Leather Extreme Sandal £58 now £25; The colours on these are  so so summery and would look great with a tan. I'd pair them with a printed playsuit and blazer.

2- Pulse Cream Cage Sandal £68 now £30; what an amazing deal! Metallics are in this season and the nude colouring helps to not make them too lairy. Paired with a bodycon, these'd look fab for a night out.

3-Forest Green Snake Sandal £30 now £15; Turquoise and brown always look great together. Throw in some snakeskin and you've got beach ready feet! These would be brilliant with anything.

4-Fusion Tan Ankle Chain Sandal £32 now £15- Okay these have to be my favourite. I've really been loving ankle details e.g. anklets, and again these have metallic detailing. LOVE THEM.

1- Vintage Floral Cami Dress £37 now £17; I love this dress, it could be dressed up or down easily. It reminds me of ragdolls and is so adorable!

2- Peach Lace Maxi £45 now £20; I thought this would be a great wedding guest dress. From this picture it looks like this dress would show off some amazing shoes!

1- Navy Button Detail Shorts £30 now £15; I know these shorts don't look like much, but this style is the perfect tummy flattener. The panel at the front hides all the lumps and bumps, would look gorgeous with a shirt or printed vest.

2- Aztec Print Panel Leggings £22 now £10; perfect illusion leggings that immediately give the image of skinny legs. I'd team these with a plain burnout tee and Chelsea boots.

3- Lily Print Legging £20 now £10; I know this print is a bit loud, but I really like it. The pastel colours are really in season and would go great with gladiators.

1- Coloured Strap Bodycon Dress £42 now £20; After seeing a very similar dress on IcleLivzi's instagram I new I had to feature this dress. It really adds a pop of colour to a night out.

2-Geo Print Cross Back Dress £39 now £20; I love cut outs and this a very easy way to wear them. The duck egg blue would compliment all skin tones:-)

3-Pink Bow Back Playsuit £32 now £15; Playsuits are my go-to wardrobe essential. They're so easy to style and this one has amazing back detail!

1- Pink Mesh Jumper £37 now £17; This will last you all year round. Pop on with shorts or jeans!

2-Neon Print Vest £35 now £17; Saving the best til last! This is part of Miss Selfridges Designed By range. It's so so on trend, I'd wear it with any shorts, as a bikini cover up OR under a blazer and skirt for evening wear!

Sorry for the photo heavy post! Have you found any stunners from the Miss Selfridge sale? And I hope I've conveyed my sense of style into this post, I really want my blog to be personal and friendly:-) xx

Manuka Doctor Blemish Cream

Hello! This is my first skincare post, so I'll tell you a bit about my skin before I go into detail about the product.

- I suffer from breakouts, but not as serious as acne

- I have a few blackouts around the nose area

- I have combination/oily skin

So yeah, a miracle worker please haha! After discovering that Millie Mackintosh (major girl crush) is the face of the Manuka Doctor skin care range, I had to pop to Holland and Barrett's and make a cheeky purchase. I decided to go for the cheaper Blemish Cream (£5.99 for 25ml). 

Manuka Doctor is a range that uses purified bee venom as an antiseptic and spot fixer. I was intrigued so gave it a go. I've been using the cream for about 2 months and I really want to say that I've seen an improvement and that it's a miracle worker, but really, It's not for me.

Manuka Doctor claim that it's a

"non-greasy cream that helps keep blemishes under control. The cream cools as it repairs, providing a topical antiseptic solution."

£5.99 Blemish Cream

To be honest I have seen no difference in my spots nor have I felt it prevent spots. When applied it stings a little, but to me it didn't do anything. It doesn't calm any redness or anything like that either. Maybe it's just my skin being fussy and annoying haha, it must work for some, but not me!

Have you tried any of the other Manuka Doctor range? I'd really be interested on how you got on! X

Studding Ideas

As mentioned in my last post, I love DIY-ing (is that the correct phrase..). And I often use studs as a way of updating an outfit. It's a very cheap method, and I've received many compliments from the work in the past! So here is some ideas that I created using studs.

(Left to Right)

Adding studs to the pocket of shorts

OR you could do the whole side!

Adding a line of studs to the back pocket

Studding the lapel of a blazer

Two easy shirt collar ideas

Studded slippers (hello cheap Topshop Vectra3!)

And a studded bikini.

(Pictures 2 and 8 aren't mine)

I hope this post has inspired you to get studding! To buy studs, type 'craft stud' into eBay and you'll find loads of different sizes and shapes. A lot of the ones i bought were about 99p for 50! Bargain! X

Lustworthy Jewelry

Good morning! I have composed a list of my favourite jewelry from this seasons high street!

1- H&M £3.99*

Rose gold is the metal of the season! I love wearing this above my elbow and can even wear it as an anklet.

2- New Look £5.99

This necklace falls at a perfect length. The style is on trend and I love the brushed gold.

3- Topshop £15

I've been searching for a nice hand chain after seeing Caggie Dunlop style one in her ISWAI campaign. This looks like it's very good quality and the colours compliment each other beautifully.

4- Miss Selfridge £7.50

No, I'm not a hard core catholic. But I love this style, I feel like it adds a bit of edge to an outfit.

5- H&M £3.99

A lovely little ring, would look great with a tan. A classic all round ring.

6- H&M £3.99

This is leather and neon yellow. Erm. Neon yellow has flashed it's little head a lot this season, and i think this is an easier way to wear it than in something like jeans. Plus it looks like a belt. Pretty cool.

7- KUKEE £3

Yes you saw that right. THREE POUNDS. This is from a handmade only jewelry shop. It's so cute and so so affordable. 

*This bracelet is not listed on their website but is definitely in stores at the moment.

Have you spied any hot pieces this season? Let me know! X

Umberto Giannini: Serum and Treatment Review

Good evening! This is the first hair-related post of mine, so I'm going to tell you some facts about my hair.

- It's been dyed since I was 13 (first using home dyes, now it's done at a salon)

- I've straightened it frequently since I was 12

- It's naturally straight but I straighten it to control my layers

- It's quite long, just below the boob

- I wash it nearly everyday and blow dry it indefinitely.

I am no stranger to hair products, trust me I've tried a lot. About a month ago I popped to Boots and there was an offer on so i bought some hair products.

Firstly is Umberto Giannini Sleek and Chic Anti Frizz Serum

£4.99

The first thing I noticed is how thick the liquid is. It's got roughly the same consistency as John Frieda Frizz-ease. Which made me think 'hmm what if it weighs my hair down' but I used 2-3 pumps and tousled it through my mid-lengths. To be honest I did not notice any difference when using the product on damp hair. It has no strong fragrance, and well did nothing. The next day I dried my hair and it did make my hair glossy and 'sleek'. It didn't look greasy, but neither did it help to straighten my hair or remove frizz. I won't be repurchasing.

I'd give it 2/5.

Next I tried a product that is new to me, an overnight conditioner.

Umberto Giannini Spa Rituals Overnight Magic Hair Repair

£5.61

First of all, this smells divine! I think it's a very 'either you love it or hate it' smell. It smells very clean and herbal, I really like it. Anywho, before bed I pumped this into my palms and put it through my mid-lengths. It has the same consistency and colour as a normal conditioner. Giannini stayed true to their word, in the morning you couldn't tell it was in my hair! My hair felt normal to any other morning, but I could tell the difference it had made once i got out of the shower. My hair felt so so smooth, and very 'balanced' if you know what I mean. Like it had it's health restored, but not improved. I'd say it's very useful if you've had a dry spell (sounds wrong haha). Like if you've gone bit OTT on the tongs and dye.
I give it a 3.5/5 and I probably will repurchase this.

Have you tried any of the Umberto Giannini range? I'd love to know what you think! X