Archive for the ‘In Praise Of…’ Category
So yesterday it was my niece’s first birthday. Yes, the little cherub who gripped my finger when she was just a few days old is now one, and she was having a party.
The venue had been booked and the date had been pinned in the diary months ago. All I had to do was not show up looking like a bedraggled and embarrassing aunty. But what to wear? Well luck would have it when Wish Want Wear, the designer dress hire company, came to my rescue fairy godmother style and loaned me a dress.
Wish Want Wear is genius – you can borrow a bang-on-trend designer outfit for any occasion for a very small cost but not pay the designer price tag for it. If only Wish Want Wear was around three years ago when I desperately needed a dress for Royal Ascot.
Perusing their extensive website, I wished I had a wedding to go to just so I had a valid reason to get a gorgeous gown for the night. Or an invitation to Ascot again. But I had to be sensible for a day time birthday party so I settled for a dress by MW Matthew Williamson, the Carnaby maxi that I teamed up with a gold necklace, gold watch and gold hooped earrings. I liked the mix of colours on the print, which gave me a lovely contrast when accessorising and the sheer panelling on the shoulders and back was just beautiful.
The price tag on my chosen dress is £430 but the hire price is only £65 (currently on sale at £45) and includes a back-up size and free returns. That’s less than buying a new dress off the high street. There isn’t a subscription, there are no dry-cleaning bills, just the comfort of picking a posh frock from your computer and having it delivered to your front door.
You can also select how long you’d like to keep an outfit for whether it’s for 4 days or more, and if you’re not sure, for £25 you can ‘try before you buy’ by borrowing 3 outfits and having 24 hours to try them before sending them back in the pre-paid Royal Mail envelope.
I can see how this could become addictive but it’s guilt-free and makes practical sense. I’ve bought some beautiful dresses and yet I’ve been waiting for the right moment to wear them. Sadly I don’t get too many uses out of each one. There was one dress in my wardrobe with its tag still on for 3 years!
I’ve decided to sign up to Wish Want Wear so the next time an occasion calls for it, I can borrow a designer dress from this never-ending wardrobe and be confident it’ll be worth it.
*This dress was kindly loaned to me by Wish Want Wear for review purposes.
Stop the traffic, this is a fashion post! “Whaaat?”, I hear you say. Yes, that’s right, this is a fashion post. Please don’t give me a hard time because I’ve not mastered the art of posing with one leg up (and all that jazz) but when the lovely folk at bonprix approached me, something inside me leapt at the chance to do something out of the ordinary on Just Nice Things.
Bonprix has a new collection of beachwear and looking at some of their other outfits especially the dresses, I am missing out on some beauties for my heaving wardrobe.
I was kindly sent this paisley sleeveless maxi. I confess it was a couple of months ago but with the unreliable weather we are blessed with in old Blighty, it’s been very difficult to actually wear it and I ended up leaving the country!
So when I was in Marrakech a few days ago, I took advantage of the sunshine and 30 degrees heat. And here I am, posing around the ruins of El Badi Palace:
I am fond of maxi dresses because I hate my short legs and fat thighs and they cover them up. But also these long summer dresses look elegant, they keep me cool and make me look tall at the same time. Paired up with some accessories and sandals, I’m sorted. I even attempted to match my nails with the dress…they remind me of those rocket ice lollies.
Sadly this dress is no longer available but there are plenty of others to choose from at bonprix and they are all priced very reasonably for exceptional quality. I know because my mum had a good look and if you know what Asian mums are like, they know how to spot quality fabric! My paisley dress was about £25.
If you’re getting ready to go away then it’s worth looking at the selection bonprix has to offer to get you in the mood for summer…or if you’re an optimist like me, we WILL have glorious sunshine. For first orders, you can get 20% off and free delivery until 30th June.
So, how did I do for my debut fashionista post?
*PR sample
A few weeks ago I previewed some new collections from the house of Orly. New colours, new bottle design, new label.
From the forthcoming autumn collection, this teal green number leapt out at me so to tease and torture you, here’s a quick mani of Teal Unreal:
Thoughts? Pretty enough for the summer, isn’t it? I don’t think I can wait till the autumn to buy this.
By now you will have got sucked into the hype of Bourjois’s four new cream blushers – a first for the Parisian beauty brand. Is it worth the fuss? Hell, yes!
The pretty little round pot powder blusher epitomises everything that is Bourjois, and these cream blushers are rightfully something to get excited about. It’s amazing to believe Bourjois is celebrating it’s 150th anniversary this year.
Creamy in texture, they set to a soft, velvet finish and are packaged in Bourjois’s unique rounded pots. I also love the fact they are lightweight, sleek and easy to slip into a little make-up bag for on the go, which is why I took one for my travels.
My favourite is the darkest shade of the range, 04 – Sweet Cherry as it suits my skin tone beautifully. Number 3 Healthy Glow is another gorgeous one. I don’t pack on too much, just enough to give a soft and subtle flush to the cheeks as you can see.
The cream blushers cost slightly more than their powder version at £7.49 but the quality and results speak for themselves. I know Superdrug has a 3 for 2 offer on at the moment so this is a golden chance to reap the benefits of these blushers.
By the way, here’s a snap of Leanne of Do Not Refreeze and myself sunning ourselves on the French Riviera in celebration of Bourjois’s new launch. (This may or may not be a photo backdrop behind us as we shiver the cold, English weather.)
*PR samples
