Shopping '& Other Stories' and 'Zara'

Seeing as it's payday-week I may have given in to shopping temptations & broken my self-imposed spending ban.

First of all I discovered the amazing store that is & Other Stories. It's just round the corner from Liberty on Regent Street & is the luxury counterpart to H&M.  In keeping with the Scandinavian fashion powerhouse that is H&M & COS, the store is a veritable treasure chest overflowing with beautiful clothes, accessories, lingerie & beauty products. I couldn't justify them on this occasion but I LOVE this black bustier, gold ring, wine coloured tassel sandals & grey mohair beanie.

Instead I treated myself to a couple of staple jewellery pieces that will go with everything & have been adorning my hands & wrists ever since. 

The gold ribcage ring & silver wave bangle came in at just £10 for the ring & £12 for the bangle, for the quality I think the price is amazing. Across the store they have definitely made an effort to keep prices as affordable as possible.

My next purchase was this pair of Zara boots.

I've been on the lookout for a new pair of heeled ankle boots for ages & I actually prefer these to the Ash Jalouse boots I was toying with buying. The fact that they were £29.99 was just an extra bonus!

I wore them to the Grazia event at the Harrods Fashion Lab earlier this week & they are far more comfortable than the four inch heel would suggest. They also come in black & sand but I'm glad I went for the khaki colour. The sludgey green is really versatile & neutral, working well to break up the all-black outfits I gravitate towards during the winter.

Have you made any new purchases? I love seeing what other people have been buying so please leave a link to your shopping posts or a comment below!

Harriet x

Pay Day Wishlist

At around this time of the month when the spending ban is well & truly enforced, all I want to do is shop. Because I can't actually go out & spend money I make lists instead. So here are the 9 items that in the last week before pay day are tempting me the most.

Clockwise from top -

1. Rebbeca Minkoff Mini MAC Bag, I've been toying with the idea of buying one of these for a couple of years now. I keep putting it off because they aren't available in the UK & ordering one off a US website is an extra complication that always sees me getting something else instead. This year I've decided to bite the bullet & order one from Shopbop which does free UK delivery. At the moment I'm liking this orange one, but I'm going to hold off a couple more weeks to see if any other spring/summer colours will be released.

*still kicking myself for not getting last years neon yellow version*

2. Nike Free Runs, my favourite gym trainers/ running shoes. Not cheap but definitely the most stylish & comfy trainers out there. Completely customisable you can create any colour combination that takes your fancy. My next pair will probably be extra gaudy & colourful.

3. Ash Bowie Suede Wedge Trainers, up until now I've been firmly against the wedge trainer movement. Until I saw these! I love how the Ash take on the trend looks a lot less clumpy & more feminine than many of the others out there. I'd pick these up in the nude (safe) version pictured, but they are also gorgeous in coral & turquoise if you're feeling braver!

4. Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint Minis, one of the many things in my Cult Beauty basket, I love that these come in little 5ml tubes, perfect for throwing in my handbag & gym kit. I haven't tried anything by Jouer before but after reading the reviews I'm hoping this will be a great tinted moisturiser & help keep winter skin at bay!

5. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment, I've heard so much about this lip product! Again its a hard brand to find in the UK, but this month I'm looking forward to visiting their Marylebone store & treating myself to one. Baby soft lips in February? Yes please.

6. Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts, a completely luxurious purchase, but that's exactly what I'm craving right now! This Cult Beauty find is described as 'a natural version of valium'. Now, I don't suffer from the insomnia & stress that it claims to cure, but we can all do with 'restoring energy levels & emotional well being' of an evening.

7. American Apparel Stacking Enamel Ring, I spied this cute little ring on Oxford Street with Isobel. A cheaper option than the ship ring, but nonetheless a nice little treat to brighten up a February outfit. It comes in lots & lots of colours.

8. Gold Ship Ring by BARK via My Flash Trash, a gorgeous dainty signet style ring. I love the ship design & think its such a romantic ring for Valentines month.

9. Rag & Bone - The Skinny Jeans, I've been looking for some ripped skinny jeans for ages & this Rag & Bone pair tick all the boxes (bonus points for being grey). I love the casual style, but with the super skinny finish I think you can still dress them up enough for drinks at a cool bar. Another Shopbop item, I couldn't find them cheaper anywhere else.

Harriet x

January Sales!

'Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping'
Bo Derek - (80s Actress/ Model & Pinup)

So I have a shopping problem, some of my earliest memories are of discovering the joys of shopping & if I'm being honest (& very shallow) it's probably my favourite pastime.

As I mentioned in my very first blog post I have some saving to do in 2013, this means hiding my credit cards and reigning in the spending somewhat. However if its on sale and an absolute bargain then I don't see that as cheating. Plus I need it. Obviously.

I was going to wait until all of my January Sale bargains had arrived before I did this post, but some of them are taking a while to get here & I wanted to have it up before the sales end, so some items will still be available!

First stop SPACE.NK, I had completely forgotten to check out this luxury beauty sale until I saw the video Vivianna Does Makeup did on the bits she picked up! This is what I went for.

'Little Treat' by Aromatherapy Associates. £12 - reduced to £6.

I LOVE Aromatherapy Associates, such a gorgeous luxury brand. I saw these 'Little Treats' before Christmas but forgot to go back & pick any up, so I was delighted to see them 50% off in the sale! I picked up quite a few of these as I think they make an adorable little gift for someone. 

'Blueberry Water Booster' by Dr. Brandt. £30 - reduced to £15.

I've used this supplement before & had great results from doing so. It's a green tea concentrate with each dropper full equivalent to drinking 15 (!!) cups of the potent antioxidant filled stuff. It gives me the same great benefits that I get from a regular green tea habit - but as I'm not wild on the taste of green tea this is a great alternative for me! Great skin, health & energy levels? Yes please!

'Salon Glaze Conditioner' by Frederic Fekkai. £24 reduced to £12.

Already a fan of Frederic Fekkai hair products I thought I'd give this a whirl. As someone with wavy hair I'm always looking to add shine (our hair reflects less light) so hopefully this will live up to its claims & the brand.

'Shaker Bottle' by David Kirsch. £5.50 reduced to £2.50.

I added this to my basket as it'll be handy for preparing my protein shakes on the go. 

'Lip and Cheek Palette- The Pinks' by Kevyn Aucoin. £44 reduced to £22.

My most exciting Space NK purchase! The picture really doesn't do this palette justice, the colours are gorgeous, bright & right up my street. I've had a play around with it and I'm so impressed, great texture & pigmentation. 3 lip glosses, a cream blush & a lipstick all with a lovely big mirror, I think this is a bit of a bargain at £22, new handbag essential!

THE OUTNET

Not technically 'January Sale' but heavily discounted none the less.

'Paris Can Wait' Jersey Top by Zoe Karssen. £65 reduced to £39.

I love Zoe Karssen's designs, I live in basics like her jersey tops and tees but I'm not sure I would pay full price for them. They stock a lot of her last seasons line on The Outnet & after the discount they are much more purse friendly. I can't wait to wear this with skinny jeans, biker boots & a cute jacket, casual outfit done.

WAREHOUSE

'Colour Block Tweed Biker'. £65 reduced to £20.

I saw someone wearing this way back in the Autumn and loved it. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this little gem in the sale at £20! I snapped it up straight away. I love the oxblood colour and cropped biker style, a great item to freshen up my winter wardrobe.

ZARA

After being distinctly underwhelmed with the Zara sale first time round, I had another look today & noticed that there have been some serious markdowns in the meantime!

'Printed Platform Wedge' £49.99 reduced to £16.99.
An elegant monochrome wedge, I think these will look great with a dark manicure & black skinny jeans in the Winter or a tan, coral nails & a white skirt in Summer.

'Studded Cowboy Low Cut Boots'. £69.99 reduced to £19.99.
I couldn't let these boots pass me by! £20 for real leather boots is pretty hard to beat. I know I'll get a lot of wear out of these, the small heel means that I can run about all day in them & I love a pair of brown ankle boots (see this post).

'Neon Studded Bracelet'. £15.99 reduced to £3.99.
Again I saw this bracelet a while ago and was drawn to the neon colour and chunky studs. However I'm glad I waited - £4 is a lot easier to justify than £16! Another addition to my neon jewellery collection that I love teaming with neutral grey & black clothing.

&....... I'm still contemplating these!

'High Platform Sandal'. £49.99 reduced to £19.99.
I WANT these! I love the bright cherry red and the pop of colour it would bring to an outfit. But I really don't need another pair of heels......

'Studded Hell Ballerina'. £29.99 reduced to £16.99.
A basic black ballerina shoe with a twist. Perfect with black skinny jeans.

'Wool Herringbone Jacket'. £69.99 reduced to £39.99.

I Love the cut of this jacket. I think it would be a super stylish & flattering addition to my wardrobe. In a cool tone dark grey that I love.

Did you pick up any bargains in the sale? I would love to hear what you got. One shopping addict to another ;)

Harriet x