Frills 'n' Spills

I love wearing lipstick but eyeshadow is still a bit of a new one for me so I have been trying to push myself out of my make-up comfort zone. I always feel a bit weird wearing really heavy eye make-up when it is still light outside (yes, I know it's a strange things to be bothered by!) so I opted for a soft brown/bronze look instead. It still looked like I had made an effort but I didn't feel too overdressed walking into town, win win!

It has been a while (nearly three years in fact!) since I last wore this skirt but the sunny weather a few weeks ago was the perfect opportunity to dig it out again. Yellow can be a bit of a difficult colour to wear but paired with white, it is much more wearable and this felt like a really fun and cheery outfit that really put a spring in my step. There's nothing like swooshing around in a maxi skirt to put a smile on your face! The skirt itself is pretty sheer, despite being lined, so I pulled out my trusty lace-trimmed cycle shorts to make it decent. I'm not sure quite why it is quite so see through but I thought I would rather be safe than sorry. The H&M shorts are notoriously hard to get hold of but I managed to find some in my local store so stocked up. I just wish I could get hold of a black pair too!

I'm not quite sure what happened with the lighting in these photos but I promise my make-up was the right shade in person! I have been mixing my Nars Orgasm illuminator with my beloved Dr Jart BB cream for a natural glowy finish recently and I really like it paired with a peachy lipstick (my favourite is the Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Pink Brandy, it is such a gorgeous shade and so easy to build up.

I love cropped cardis like this as they nip me in nicely at the waist and stop me from looking too shapeless. This thin cotton one is ideal for me as I can wear it over a vest top without feeling too warm- always a problem when you radiate heat! This necklace is one of my favourites and has the perfect colours to match my nails and make-up which is always a bonus!

These sandals were one of the best things I bought last year and they were the first shoes I thought of to pair with this outfit. This is a long skirt so the block heel added some much needed height and they were simple enough to not distract from the rest of the outfit. The nail polish I am wearing is the Max Factor mini nail varnish in Diva Coral and it is the perfect summery shade- you all know how much I love coral! ;)

 

This post contains items that were sent for review

You can see how happy I am with this dress with the cheesy grin I have here! I kept my make-up pretty simple, mixing my Nars Orgasm illuminator with my beloved Dr Jart BB cream for a natural glowy finish. Lipstick-wise I paired Allure with Max Factor Xperience Sheer Gloss Balm in shade 02 for the perfect peachy shade. 

P.S. I was sent these items to review but if I didn't love this dress, I wouldn't feature it!

I know I have been raving about these skinny jeans but they are just so darned good! The cuffed hems were slightly annoying but they do mean that I can show off my snazzy shoes nicely ;) These sandals are the best thing I have bought in a long time and seem to match everything in my (ever-growing) wardrobe, I will definitely be buying a spare pair for when these wear out...

I normally end up pairing grey or red with this dress to make the pastels more wearable but as soon as I remembered my orange shoes, I was sold. The orange colour looks fab with the lemon yellow and these heels are just so darned comfy that I would wear them with everything if I could! You can see how pale the dress is here along with my pasty limbs, the orange looks almost neon in comparison!

Now I know some of you will be rolling your eyes at a bit of a cliche post but as it has been over 3 years since I have last done a 'what's in my bag' post, I think I am entitled to show off my new Fiorelli handbag without too much grumbling right?! ;) Usually you would find all of the stuff seen below... and a layer of receipts and debris filling up my bag but as this is a new handbag, it hasn't had chance to get completely full yet. Just give me a week...  ;) The colour of this was what first drew me to it, and the basket weave makes it feel very summery too. The fact that it is HUGE, is a massive bonus. I can fit everything but the kitchen sink in here...

Sunshine yellow handbag from Fiorelli c/o Spartoo

Like many other people, I carry round a lot of stuff. After the usual purse, phone, keys I have whichever book I am reading at the moment (P.S. I just finished The Cuckoo's Calling and it is really good!), my diabetes stuff with my beloved Frodo key ring, Sudoku book for doing on my daily commute and toiletries. I love the fact that the compressed deodorants are teeny but with the same amount of product, deodorant/bodyspray is a necessity in this hot weather!

My purse is a lovely red leather Radley with a really cute dog in a boat, the perfect summer activity,  The latest Radley dog to win my affections is this "Catch of the Day" as it has the Radley dog and a puffin, two of my favourite things... There was a really nice blue purse with them on but it has now disappeared from Radley's website - if anyone comes across it, get in touch! The brown pouch holds all of my diabetes stuff, after nearly 16 years I have managed to really pare down the amount of medical stuff I cart round with me (not that you would know if from the size of my bag!)

What's in your handbag?

 My favourite grey cardigan and mustard belt were the perfect match to pick up the colours in this dress and you know how much I love being matchy-matchy!

Slightly bleary eyes courtesy of a nice early morning start! I have been using my Macadamia hair oil set recently (my lovely gift from #SWBXmas)  and my hair has never felt smoother! I will definitely be buying the full size of this once I have finished off the taster set.

These woolly tights always remind me of the ones I used to wear at school all those years ago and they are great for wearing with those slightly shorter skirts and dresses in winter. I love them so much that I have at least 3 or 4 pirs in constant rotation- not bad for a Primark bargain! 

For a few glorious hours, I could put my sunglasses back on and pretend I was back in Italy. I actually wore this dress when I was away but when the sun came out I pulled it out of the wardrobe again. Paired with my favourite summer shoes, it was probably my cheeriest outfit to date...

The shape of this dress is one I tend to favour with its nipped in waist and swooshy skirt but the pattern is not something I would usually choose, I don't tend to like things that are too direct a rip off of the catwalks and this was definitely inspired by that Stella McCartney show but it's pretty fun and looks great in the sunshine too...

For someone who never used to wear yellow, I sure have a lot of it! These shoes from Clarks are so comfy and such a talking point you would be crazy not to buy them (especially when they are on sale!)

Still in love with my watch despite my initial misgivings. I always find the things I am slightly ambivalent about are always the ones I become completely attached to (case in point a ridiculously unflattering gold Gap cardigan which is still floating around somewhere, rips and all...)

Although Peacocks is now officially defunct, there are still a few stores clinging on for dear life and there just happens to be one in Stroud. I bought this dress on a bit of a whim as I don't usually wear long sleeves, but the zingy print and gorgeous colours sold it to me. I think you will agree that it is perfect for this 'summer' weather we are having too! I liked the way the long sleeves balanced out the length too, it was the only way I could think of, to make sandals office appropriate!

Recently I have been loving all things yellow and this belt picks up the yellow in the pattern on the dress perfectly...

Clarks shoes, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... You all know how much I love Clarks shoes and these are definitely no exception. The shoes have a pad underneath the ball of my feet so even though I was dashing around all day, my feet were really comfy, without even a blister. These shoes come in 4 different colours and I am seriously tempted to buy them all, at least I know that they are comfy right?!