Transitional Shoes

All images from www.spylovebuy.com

While it may not quite be time yet to drag out the winter fur lined boots (as much as I love them and would happily live in them all year round), it definitely is about time to put away the sandals for another year. 

Spylovebuy.com is an online store offering the latest in footwear including shoes, boots, heels and wellies. They also handily have a fashion blog on their site to provide tips, tricks and fashion news, including information on their most popular items and how to wear them. There's currently free 2-3 day UK delivery for orders over £15 (which is never hard to spend on shoes!) or just £1.99 for orders under this. Their international shipping rates are 3-7 working days for European countries at £7.99 an item or 5-14 working days for the rest of the world at £9.99 an item.

I've recently been browsing the site for shoes that would be perfect for transitioning into the colder months; shoes that can be worn with socks so your feet don't get too chilly but also that don't look overly heavy and clumpy for the milder autumn days.

These lace up platform ankle boots (£24.95) are a dressier version of the basic black canvas sneaker. The heel is chunky enough and low enough that they'd be comfy for everyday wear, but combined with the low curved top would help elongate the leg meaning for short legged girls these would look great with either trousers or skirts. 

Despite being a higher topped ankle boot, the pointed shape of these Western/Chelsea style shoes (£32.95) make them appear more delicate. The brogue detailing and tan colour hint at the warmer weather but the light fur lining makes them practical for chillier temperatures.

The cut-outs in these black biker ankle boots (£26.95) makes them perfect for either wearing with bare feet when it's warmer and then later in the season pairing with some cute socks whose design can peek through the sides. They're casual boots but would add a hint of edge to any look.

 

Out of all these shoes, these cut-out sandals (£24.95) err most on the summery side, but this would make them great for coming out the other side of winter as well, worn with pastel socks with a frilly trim. Whilst being counted as a flat shoes, they do have a very slight raised heel which I often find makes shoes comfier to walk in. 

Finally, these block heel cut-out ankle boots (£24.95) are a subtle but interesting design that would go with anything. They are the perfect everyday shoe for A/W with the feminine shape making them suitable for both causal and more formal wear. 

I absolutely love ankles boots and autumn shoes as gone are the hard-to-get-your-feet-in strappy designs or shoes that almost fall off your feet with every step. It's just a shame that with the new season often comes a lot of rain! 

Let me know which of these is your favourite pair. Now I just need to resist buying them all . . . 

Lara xo

Quirky Home Inspiration

Wishlist

With the prospect of leaving home looming, even if for only 10 week terms at a time, I've recently become obsessed with browsing homeware sites. Forever in my quest of looking for things a bit different, here's some quick inspiration of unique items that I've added to my ever growing wishlist.

1.

Complimentary Sloth Art Print / La La Land / £10

Who doesn't want a sloth above their bed telling them they look great every morning? End of. 

(however, if I did have endless money I would not only buy this but almost everything on their entire website - if quirky arty stuff is your thing, this is the site for you)

2.

Sitting Ballet Dancer / Next / £16

Whilst on first sight not a particularly quirky item, anyone who has tried looking for ballet themed decor that's not designed for a kid's room will realise it can be quite rare. This is classy and elegant but would definitely add a bit of character.

3.

Salt and Pepper Lovers / Prezzy Box / £4.95

I saw something a little like this in a little craft shop whilst in Swanage and never thought I'd find anything like it again, but panic over, google didn't fail me. The design really does make a usually very boring and basic item become interesting and unique.

4.

Storage Basket / H&M / £7.99

Admittedly this is from the kid's room section but who doesn't love something both cute and practical. It's fairly spacious too being 19cm tall and 22cm wide. It really is the ears and embroidered nose that do it for me though.

5.

The Bright Side Tin / Really Good Shop / £6

'Tin of Denial' and 'Money That I Used to Have' are, I'm sure, very relatable phrases for lots of people. It also is again very useful and has the potential to stop us simply hoarding receipts in our handbags. This would make a very witty gift for someone moving away to uni.

So which of these is your favourite? Also feed my addiction and let me know of any sites you know that are full of quirky things. Until then, back to my browsing I go!

Lara xo

Feel Unique Sale Picks

Real Techniques, Stila, theBalm, bareMinerals . . .

I love Feel Unique because of the range of brands they stock, from drugstore to high end. They also offer free worldwide shipping on all orders over £10 and that definitely is never hard to spend! Therefore when I get an email announcing there's now a sale on, temptation goes into overload and I spend the rest of the day trawling through what's on offer. Here's some of my favourites:

Real Techniques Brushes

There's a surprising amount of Real Techniques products in the sale, from sets to individual brushes. I currently own the core collection set (reduced from £20.99 to £16.79) so I'm now after the eye starter set (again £20.99 reduced to £16.79). Let's be honest, you can never have too many makeup brushes, especially when the more you have, the less often you have to wash them!

theBalm Mary Lou Manizer

I've seen this floating about a lot lately, both on blogs and in YouTube videos, and now it's £12.80 instead of £16 it's definitely very tempting. It can be used either on the eyes, cheeks, or all over if you really want a glow and from what I've seen gives a very subtle yet pretty finish. 

bareMinerals Cream Eyeshadow

This is a fairly new release from bareMinerals claiming to prime, brighten, smooth and sun protect as well as adding colour. The tones are all very neutral so would be perfect for a super quick every day makeup or for travel since you wouldn't have to faff around with brushes. It's currently £12.75 for certain shades instead of £17.

Stila Eyeshadow Trio

Saving the best till last, this limited edition product really is adorable and I've been wanting it ever since I laid eyes on its beautiful packaging. Aside from this, it also looks a very practical product containing 3 complimentary shades without taking up unnecessary space so again would be ideal for travelling. They have 2 other variations available, both of which are cooler toned but only 2 of the three options are reduced to £13.50 from £18.

What products are you lusting over at the moment?

Lara xo

London Shopping | Wishlist

If I Were a Rich (Wo)Man . . . 

 

As a post birthday treat, I took a trip to London yesterday for a show, meal and a spot of shopping. Admittedly, most of it was a case of just looking, however with another trip to London planned for next week and an ever increasing wish list, the prospects for my bank card aren't looking too good. Living in a town with limited shopping facilities, I found myself drowning in the huge array of stores along Oxford Street and here are some highlights that may just be finding their way into my home.

1)  One store I particularly wanted to visit was Victoria's Secret having lusted over American bloggers' hauls for ages. I was specifically looking for sportswear (new gym clothes are always a motivation to get back to it) but for the prices I was very reluctant to buy anything despite wanting the adorable trademark pink shopping bag I'd seen everyone with. Whilst looking for alternatives, I found the H&M sportswear collection which isn't stocked at my local store and I must say I was pretty impressed. This pair of grey running shorts were a particular favourite.I especially liked that they are lined with a contrasting pink tighter inner short and for £14.99 are definitely a cheaper option.

2)  From looking online at shades, I've really felt a desperate need for a Nars duo but when I saw this 

at the counter I thought it was the perfect colour combination. It's called Kuala Lumper and reminds me of the hyped Estée Lauder raisins duo I was always gutted I never got my hands on. The lighter shade is a rose gold colour and would be ideal for a subtle lid option whilst the other is an aubergine-y purple  that would really bring out blue/green tones in eyes. Out of my wish list I think this is the item I really want the most.

3)  This Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in bronze for me is just the perfect summer multi-use item. From swatching the shades I think they would equally work well as individual eye shadows as well as using it to create an overall glow as intended. My only concern would be whether it would appear too bronze on my very pale skin.

4) I've never been a perfume fan, always being far too fussy that it was too sweet, too lingering, too floral, too masculine ... In fact I don't even own a single bottle, only small sample vials that I'll use if I feel in the right mood. Of course, I was first drawn to the packaging of this (admit it, we're all a sucker for the appearance of products sometimes) but I'm so glad this drew me into taking a sniff as it really does smell divine. Daisy Dream by Marc Jacobs just had the most subtly 'pretty' scent which isn't too much or too little of anything. I had to spend the rest of the day resisting walking around with my wrist glued to my nose. This is definitely an unexpected item on my wish list, but one that if not bought, will almost certainly be making an appearance on my Christmas list (too soon? Maybe . . . ) 

5) Finally something that there's been a lot of hype about; the Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner. When I first saw this released I thought nahhh, I don't need that, I do just fine with my drugstore pot of gel liner and little brush, however then the lady at the Benefit counter cast her magic spell and now I feel it creates such a perfect, precise and even line that it would make the whole eyeliner chore so much simpler. If you've tried this, please tell me, as I want to know whether it was just her training which made this look so easy or if it actually is!

I think wish lists are great; they help you remember everything you saw but give you the time to consider if you still want them later on. I personally keep a list in my phone whenever I see something which also lets me compare whether I really want a new item so much more than another product that may already be on there. 

With the plan being to go to Westfield's on Monday, hopefully I'll be ticking things of my wish list and not just adding to it!

Lara xo