urban fashion

Did I Get Quality ‘Basics’ in the Sales?

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Cotton Vest from White Stuff – Generous fit, soft, pretty colour/style. Too expensive at normal price, plus the stitching detail goes a bit wonky above the buttons. I actually bought this to wear as a breathable, loose pyjama top.

Maroon Tee from Newlook – Lovely rich colour and so soft! I bought this to wear under jumpers or zip through hoodies.

Mustard and Pink Jumpers from H&M – Accurate fit but they are shapeless and feel like cheap 1970’s school jumpers but thinner. I love the colours and the length though so I’ll be wearing them with a short-sleeve flannel shirt underneath.

Cotton Rich Joggers from M&S – Generous waste, medium leg length (I forgot to get some from the ‘tall section’ lol). I have thick thighs, and what I call an ‘arse-extension’ as all the fat is on the top and back, rather than the sides of my butt and these are still baggy at the back!? The material has a yoga pant feel not a traditional tracksuit bottom feel but they are quite light and soft. Perfect for chillin but still presentable enough to go out in with ankle boots.

Shaggy Hot Peach Jumper from M&S – Flattering colour and so snuggly soft! Unlike the too-big trousers, M&S think this jumper is XL but it fits like a 14! Shockingly the seam of the arm half unravelled after an hour but I’ve sown it back up as its the last one in stock. So cozy, I’m going to be living in this for the next few months.

Jazzin Jane Trainer from Rocket Dog – Most of Rocket Dogs shoes are naturally wide fitting. These are breathable, soft and light, even though they have protective rubber soles. The chunky buckle is so easy to fasten.

Faux Cowboy Boots from Nasty Gal – Rubber sole is much softer than traditional wooden soled cowboy boots. Easy to walk in and I can wiggle my toes but the fit is slightly snug across the width of them. I could do with a 7 and half these days really. Bought more for posing, than walking in though so I’m not bothered.

Conclusion

Although people leave reviews online about fit and quality, I always thought that it’s mainly items on rails in shops that get put in the sale because they are low quality. I’ve changed my mind, and next time I’ll read more than just a few reviews!

I think sales are a good way to try out basics from brands that you’ve not bought from before.

Overall, I think I did well to get such huge bargains on the items that I’ll get a lot of wear out of. I know that at 5’8 I’m a bit leggy and that a shoe size 7-1/2 or 8 is difficult to find in fashion shoes, so I’m chill with that too.

My Year in Style 2019

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Here are all of my style related posts from 2019. I hope they serve as inspiration if you are a little stuck for ideas or where to buy something.

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80’s Alternative Urban Hoops – Claire’s; jumper EMP; Skirt EMP; Boots – Clark’s

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Chillin Love Your Bones Tee – EMP.co.uk; Bootcut jeans – charity shop (originally Topshop); Dusky pink trainers (not shown) Nike custom Air Force 1’s

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Pirate Wench Earrings – EMP; Blouse – Hell Bunny; Skirt – EMP; Leggings – Matalan; Boots – Ebay

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Modern Vintage Blouse – Hell Bunny; Shrug – Joe Browns; Skirt – EMP; Boots – Joe BrownsSwing vests can create a more flattering shape than tucking in your tops, if you have narrow hips and/or a podge.

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Urban Casual Vest – Boohoo; Utility pants – ASOS; Trainers – Zara

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Tee Bloody Nora Pam

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Autumn Smart Casual Shawl – Matalan; Leggings – Matalan; Boots – Lands End

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Winter Smart Casual Jumper – Matalan; Jeans – ASOS; Over knee ridding boots (not shown) Shuh.

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Alternative-Casual  Tee – The Mountain; Arm warmers (worn under stripy top) – Forage; Boot cut jeans – Charity shop (previously Topshop); Chunky PVC ankle boots (not shown) Shuh

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Pins Old English Company; Jenni Fairy W on Etsy; Punky Pins

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Penguin Pin Kate Elford on Etsy

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Christmas Tree Earrings Marks and Spencer

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Tote Bag Tikea on Amazon

 

🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

Why I think this £5 Lime Green, Snake Print Vest Will Suit Every Body Shape

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 3 Comments

I don’t always review single items of clothing, unless I’m really happy with them and want you to know about them too and I absolutely love this Lime Green, Snake Print Swing Vest £5 from George.

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How Summery is this!

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It’s such a bargain at £5 with adjustable straps, a soft jersey material that doesn’t feel like it will bobble, a decent length and a really flattering swing cut. Unusually for me, I got a size 10 as I knew it would fairly roomy from the reviews but they go up to size 24 (my Mum was a 20-22 and she always loved George clothing).

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This is me and my podge (after having four cans of non-gluten free larger the night before) and as you can see, when the vest isn’t pulled tight it just skims over it perfectly! I also have deep stretch marks above my boobs but by raising the straps slightly the neckline covers them, while still looking sexy.

This would be a great day-to-night top if you added gold statement earrings or bracelet and heels. My only niggle is that it’s more acid yellow then a true lime green but everything else about it makes up for that.

❤Chrissie❤

October & November Round-up

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I’ve been a bit of a nomad these past few months going between home, my blokes flat and his Dads. No wonder I haven’t been sleeping, my body doesn’t know where ‘my own bed’ actually is anymore! Here is a two month round-up for you.

October (a fair bit)

I reviewed this Maleficent tee which I bought from Pop In A Box who sell Funko Pops! but also other alternative pop-culture things.

I was lucky enough to get gifted some products from my one of my fave natural brands Yaoh to review. Total skin saviours in the crazy changing Autumn weather.

With Halloween coming up I put together a Modern Witchy OOTD. I’ve found that this style of dress is perfect if you want something over-the-knee and strappy but have a bit of belly as they emphasise the right curves and hide the ‘I’ve eaten way too much pizza’ kind. I also love this style of boot because they look stylish, don’t cut across legs mid-calf (which is never flattering) and the heel is low and chunky enough to support a wobbly wench like me.

It was my blogs 6th birthday! I’m so glad that I’ve stuck with this particular blog for six whole years and that you’ve all stuck with me too. Thank you so much!

Dyspraxia Awareness Week (7th-13th Oct) celebrated 30 years. For any posts I’ve written relating to Dyspraxia just type the word into the search bar on the lower right side of this blog.

I reviewed Ciate Dewy Stix in Gleam Gold and had mixed feelings about it.

I bought some seasonal and creepy-cute pins from Little Lefty Lou and Em & Sprout (the cat I’d previously bought from Punky Pins and it tends to spin around upside-down unfortunately).

I put together 6 Simple Autumn Style Essentials as we all want to be stylish and warm!

For Halloween I also treated myself to these pre-loved Monster High dolls from ebay which were about a quarter of the price they would have been new. One is a punky vampire and the other is a goth looking ghost. #stylegoals

I reviewed Ciate polish in Paradise Lost – part of their Gelology collection as it’s perfect for Autumn and the upcoming party season.

I compiled a list of Spooky TV Shows to Binge Watch – old and new.

I was so happy to be gifted these beautiful Moonstone rings from Gemstone Silver Jewellery to give my thoughts on.

I bought the oversized bat-wing jumper from Boohoo and lived in reviewed it. Why I look like the actor Ron Perlman in this particular photograph I don’t know.

November (not so much)

My hair was very happy that I reviewed this Shampoo and Conditioner from Yaoh but I begged to differ at one point!

10 Cozy Ideas for Autumn & Winter. I love doing posts like this each year as it makes me feel all cozy and optimistic for the months ahead.

I was gifted an Exercise (resistance) Band by Care Co. and had a lot of fun and some mishaps reviewing it.

When Hunkemoller asked my to choose something from their range of PJ’s and loungewear range I knew I wanted these velour joggers immediately. Here’s what I thought of them.

I thought it only fair to share My Autumn and Winter Skin and Hair Saviours with everyone.

I’d say this photo pretty much sums up my October and November lol

❤Chrissie❤

August Monthly Round-up

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 2 Comments

Well this is a bit late as the very end of August caught me by surprise for some reason.

Style

I bought this Rick & Morty tee from EMP and it’s a slim but flattering fit, soft material and a good length for tall gals.

I reviewed some gorgeous iridescent trainers by Hype.

I was prepared for the weather changing (before the resurgence of the British heat wave) and picked out some easy Autumn fashion ideas.

Food

As a vegetarian with a wheat and dairy intolerance, I often get asked “Then what do you eat?” I decided to show everyone what’s in my fridge (items in door included).

Beauty

I bought two two products from two different ranges by Nip and Fab, that compliment each other really well. They also look a little different too! Here’s my review.

It took me a long time to realise I was defeating my hair just by washing it the wrong way, before I even started styling it! Here are my tips for turninig thick frizz into shiny waves.

I think this is fairly self explanatory, here it is.

Random

The Bloke mentioned that I tend to look very serious in a lot of my selfies so I took some silly one’s when we were having a laugh.

❤Chrissie❤

Hype Iridescent Trainers

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I was looking on the Schuh website for my Autumn Wishlist post and came across these wonderful iridescent trainers by Hype (not available on the U.K. Hype site anymore) for £20. I think they deserve their own post!

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These are comfortably wide, have a medium grip on the sole and don’t dig into your toes when the front creases. The inner sole is slightly padded so you could be on your feet all day and not have your feet or joints hurting. They are proper lace up trainers with long laces, not those fake pull on ones.

The only criticism I have is because I have ankles that can get a bit thick after a long day, the tongues aren’t the softest and can feel a bit pokey. It’s fine if I double over my socks though.

I think I’d like a holographic/iridescent backpack next, to go with my laptop case and trainers.

❤Chrissie❤

July Monthly Blog Round-up

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 5 Comments

Turns out I’m still figuring out how to get my eye makeup to show up under my glasses. I’ve tried black eyeliner on the top and sparkly gold colours on my lids and lower lash line. This is the amazing result – oh. I’m going for masses of metallic blue and green liner next time, maybe a bit of pink!

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Ordered from Zad’s in Chorlton as I really fancied some veggie junk food. It did not disappoint – OMG it was lush!

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I reviewed the Pixi Strobe and Sculpt palette. It came out at just the right time when I needed to restock a few things, which all happened to be included in this palette! Read my review here.

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Not so great timing was finding this yellow colour corrector by Nip and Fab which you can mix with foundation that’s too orange – when I’d just thrown out three foundation which were, yup, too orange. Still, useful for that in the future and I can use it under lighter coverage foundation to tone down any redness I have.

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I found some really nice firm tofu called Toofoo. It’s great grilled with a coating of chilli oil or some BBQ sauce.

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When I heard that LUSH were releasing a solid foundation called Slap Stick and that it came in 40 shades with three undertones, I had to try it. See what I thought here.

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After half a year of summer I’d gotten a bit fed up coconut water or almond milk based smoothies. I chucked a load of blueberries and raspberries and water into a blender and blended thoroughly, then I added around 10 ice cubes and pulsed to create a slushy . It tasted wonderful!

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I bought some amazing unicorn inspired brushes and realised I couldn’t fit them into any makeup bags I own. I saw this sparkly pencil case in Tesco and they fit great…Now that I’ve sawn off the giant pointy bit at the end. I actually think they look better now and are easier to use.

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I have combination hair, y’know oily roots, meh mid-lengths and frizzy ends. I can’t tell you how many pre-wash treatments or overnight treatments I’ve used and two thirds of my hair LOVED them but my roots looked like I’d been at a festival – for a year. So I thought I’d share these two products that have solved the need for all of that, read the post here.

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This has been my fave outfit since the heatwave broke and I can stand to wear trainers – rather gladiator sandals – again. Doing outfit flatlays is hard! I miss Polyvore.

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❤Chrissie❤

 

 

Monthly Round-up June

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 3 Comments

Style

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Find this in a pile of the Bloke’s old clothes and ‘adopted it’.

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I finally found two dresses, that hide my pizza handles; are a practical but un-frumpy length (at least for me) and aren’t too prom-dressy. Both from EMP.

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When you can’t be arsed hiding your natural resting bitch face, ha! This Casual Urban Summer outfit felt surprisingly cool (before the heatwave) and also worked well with gladiator sandals for casual evenings.

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I’ve been trying to find sunglasses like these very old ones but haven’t been having much luck, as I guess they are very early-2000’s in style. I’m also learning how to take selfies with a point and shoot camera…I need more practice.

Food and Drink

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Someone gave us an Aloe plant about a year ago and this is the first time that I used it in a drink. It tastes so bitter but if you only use half a finger, somehow that tartness goes away when you mix it with anything sweet, like perfectly ripe strawberries.

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The Bloke has bringing me veggie koftas by Gosh from the ‘posh’ Tesco in Didsbury. I don’t always have enough energy to make and fry my own falafel or to get to the deli before they close so these are a great alternative and last for ages in the fridge.

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We bought some chilli seeds around two months ago and now we have this lovely gangly thing. In the morning it raises it’s leaves and then bends toward the sun in an arch throughout the day. Just after sundown, it lowers it’s leaves again and stays still. I’ve just pollinated it, with it’s own flowers but I can’t see any yellow pollen so I have no idea if it worked and we will get chilli’s.

Beauty

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Hempz, Herbal range are some of the best products I’ve ever used to style my crazy, frizzy natural hair so they were a joy to review.

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These three are the most borrow-able items in my blokes bathroom and they smell great too so I thought I’d review them in Pinching My Blokes Skincare.

Lifestyle

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I was offered a free star map from Modern Map Art and chose to get one done for my Dad for Fathers Day. Here’s my review if you want to know more.

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I found this, which made me laugh as it was so appropriate at the time ^_^

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I’ve nearly finished series 5 of Gotham. It has it’s usual gangster slant and a new intelligent baddy for young Bruce. They’ve added more of a horror element this series and also the violence is less comic book and just plain graphic. I’m not a big fan of either of the above. Poison Ivy and Butch aren’t pictured here, probably for good reason, so as not to spoil the surprise of how they look.

I made this using the Geek Alphabet created by The Nifty Nerd. Such a great idea!

❤Chrissie❤