eBay | Scottish Tartan Scarf

During the winter, I have always admired the tartan trend but this year it seems to have made a full-force comeback and I am loving it!

A good few months back I spotted that red tartan scarf in Primark and stupidly didn't pick it up. After heading back to my local store for it and to my horror finding it wasn't there, I turned to eBay in search of an alternative. That's when I stumbled across this little beauty. 

Tartan scarf | £9.99 + £2.50 p&p | here

The scarf is made by a Scottish brand called Berrydale. It's the perfect shade of red; not too bright, not too deep, and is 100% lambswool, so it's pretty cosy and is good quality. Admittedly I did expect it to be a little little wider, but it's nice and long and all in all it's pretty much perfect. I love it!

How have you been working the tartan trend so far this year? 

Love, 

Jo xx

What I Wore | 21st Birthday Edition!

Yes I'm behind on my posts; bite me. I'll get there in the end!

Today I'm getting round to doing probably my last 21st-birthday-related blog post; my outfit of the day!

Dress - Primark | Necklace - Primark | Sandals - Next

Blue ring - Vintage | Scrabble ring - eBay | Above knuckle rings - eBay | Nail varnish - Kiko Apple Blossom

I actually received the majority of this outfit for my birthday. I knew I was getting the dress as I had picked it out whilst shopping with my mum. It's probably one of the most flattering dresses I own, it is just the perfect fit, has a really nicely structured top and is a thin, silky kind of material which just falls beautifully. I love the retro style print as well; it's not like anything else I have in my wardrobe. 

I've bought some gems in Primark recently so if you haven't been in for a while, I'd definitely recommend you pop in!

The rings all featured in my birthday present haul post (here), and the vintage one is now probably my absolute favourite. My mum bought it for me at a small market when we went on holiday down south, from a lovely lady who was telling us the story that it once belonged to her great grandma. 

I decided just to shove my hair back in a rough ponytail to make the outfit look a bit more casual as I didn't want to look too dressy, particularly as we weren't doing anything much until our evening meal. 

What do you think of the dress?

Love, 

Jo xx

What I Wore | 11.08.13

Well, I have been a busy little bee lately!

 

Following on from my own graduation a few weeks back, we spent a week down south for my sister's graduation, during which I discovered that I got a job as a radiographer at one of the hospitals near home (which I am very excited to be starting come September!)! I am so thrilled to not have to hunt for work any more, but also seriously scared of the responsibility!

 Shortly after my sister's graduation, we took another little week long break in Cotswold! It's an absolutely beautiful place and we were so lucky with the weather, which I was convinced was finally going to take a turn for the worse!

 

This coming week, I also have my 21st birthday celebrations along with all my pre-employment checks for my new job so it looks like I have another busy week ahead, so exciting!!

 

 

Anyhow, I have an OOTD for you today. It's just an everyday outfit, which I'm wearing to run a few errands so it's nothing too exciting! I went shopping yesterday with my mum to choose a few nice bits and bats for my 21st, so I might pop up a birthday haul to show you those goodies if you're interested!

 

Cardigan - M&S via Charity Shop | Top - Primark | Sunglasses - eBay | Shorts - vintage Levi via eBay | Converse* - Amazon

 

Necklace - gift | Lilac hamsa hand bracelet - Matalan | Blue bracelet - gift | Brown bracelet - H&M

 

As soon as I saw this cardigan I knew I had to get it; it's unfortunately a little too big for me but I think I can get away with it with the sleeves rolled up! I found it in a charity shop for about a fiver.

 

I've had these vintage Levi's for a little while now and I wear them to absolute death. I think they cost me about £25 but they were totally worth it because you can wear them with just about anything. The sunglasses were another bargain eBay purchase at just £3.99!

 

I received the necklace as a gift a good few years ago now; I wear it on a day-to-day basis when I'm not sporting a more statement necklace. It's so gorgeous, really delicate and just the perfect length. Definitely still my favourite piece of jewellery, even after such a long time.

 

Love,

Jo xx

My Guest Post for Ellie etc | eBay Wish List

Hello lovelies, I know I haven't posted for over a week but I promise normal blogging will resume soon!
I have been busy with elective placements but am delighted to announce that today I have found out that I will be graduating this summer; I am now a fully qualified radiographer and I am absolutely over the moon.
Relief is not the word!

Anyhow, the purpose of today's post was just to direct you over to a guest post I have written for the lovely Ellie over at Ellie etc. I have compiled a wish list showing some of the items that have been clogging up my eBay watch list for a good while, so if you're interested in taking a look at that then please do pop over and take a peek; the link is here. Why not take a look around Ellie etc whilst you're there? I'm genuinely a big fan of her blog and I'm sure you'll love it too.

Ellie has previously also written a guest post for me, the link is here in case you fancy a nosey.

Love,
Jo xx

What I wore | 23.05.13

As promised, here is an OOTD featuring the bargain aztec midi dress I recently bought off eBay.

Last weekend I went to a badminton awards do, and I am delighted to say we came home with a bundle of trophies; we won the league and are moving up to the first division next year, yippee!

 

Anyway, I'm sure when I get brave enough I will be showing you my FOTN's as well as outfits, however for now I am going to wimp out and just show you what I wore. I also must apologise for the terrible lighting and lack of arm candy: typically I was on the last minute.

Unfortunately for me, I can't say that's a rarity but when is any girl ever on time?

 

 

Dress: eBay | Necklace: Primark | Bag: Vintage | Shoes: Miss Selfridge | Hair: styled with Enrapture Encode Totem Styler* (review here)

 

 

This red aztec midi dress is my new favourite, hands down. I bought it from this eBay seller for around £10 including delivery. Unfortunately they no longer stock this exact dress but I have found the same dress here from a different seller for £15 plus p&p. 

I find midi dresses an absolute dream to wear; just pop a statement necklace over the top, grab a clutch and voila. Perfect for those all too familiar last minute 'Oh-My-God-I-have-nothing-to-wear' dramas!

 

In hindsight I wish I'd have chosen black accessories, but to be honest I was totally going for comfort with the shoes. I've had these Miss Selfridge heels for a while now; they were a gift from a friend and are literally the comfiest heels I have ever worn.

 

Plus they happen to be a perfect colour match with this bag, which I usually tuck the strap into and use as a clutch bag. God only knows how old the bag is; it was my late Grandma's and is the softest leather you have ever come across. I've really gotten good use out of this little gem.

 

What do you think of this outfit?
Are you a fan of midi dresses?

 

Jo xx

Collective Haul | Primark and eBay

My word, has it really been 3 weeks since my last post?! *slaps wrists*

Boy have I missed you guys!

Life has been pretty darn hectic lately, leaving me with little energy for anything else other than work. I have my last day in placement coming up this Wednesday which I am genuinely going to be so sad about; the radiographers I have been lucky enough to work with over the past 3 years are amazing people and I'll miss them so much!

But the end of placement also brings essay and dissertation deadlines, plus a cheeky VIVA exam so my luck is in this month, I tell thee!

Anyway, during the Easter break (gosh, doesn't that just seem like yesterday?) I managed to fit in a spot of shopping...standard. My friend Laura and I popped down to Newcastle to visit our friend there at uni for a couple of days, and we spent our time having lots of giggles, food, cocktails and doing lots shopping of course! It was a lovely (and seriously needed) break. So here are the few bits I picked up from Primark whilst I was there.

Grey cardigan | £8

Grey and cream contrast dipped hem top | £8

I love the colour of this cardigan and admittedly, I only bought the shirt because I liked the contrast of colours and materials. My original plan was to remove the chain as I couldn't decide whether or not it looks a bit cheap. However now I'm unsure whether or not to take it off!

What are your thoughts, do you think the chains look cheap?

 Bronze spike statement necklace | £4

Stack of 6 rings | £2

I've been lusting after a statement necklace for a while now and this spiked one fits the bill perfectly. At that price I couldn't really leave it behind. I only bought this stack of rings as I instantly fell in love with the gold triangle one...I'm not even a size small in rings, but they didn't have a medium stack left and I loved it so much I bought it planning to wear it on my pinky instead.

Finally, I have also recently bought a couple of bargains off eBay.

Bright blue H&M dress/top (definitely a better top length, trust me on that one!) | £5.51 incl p&p

Red bodycon Aztec midi dress | £9.99 including p&p | this eBay store

I loved the colour of the H&M dress (it was sold as a dress but unless I want to spend my time with my bum fully on show, I think I'd better stick to wearing it as a top), and the lace detail down the side is really lovely. Great bargain if I say so myself!

I found the Aztec midi dress and it reminded me of one I'd seen either in Topshop or Miss Selfridge, I can't remember which one! I will probably be doing an OOTD to give you a better look at it, let me know if this is something you'd like to see?

So there we have it, my recent purchases. Hope you are all well, I'll try my best not to be absent for so long next time!

What do you think of my purchases?

Should I remove the chains from the Primark shirt?

Jo xx

What I wore | 29.01.13

So I am going to share with you my first ever outfit post today! Oh how I spoil you.

 

After reading Victoria's blog post on her new bargain camera tripod (which can be purchased here) I was sold, and quickly snapped one up (highly recommended if you just need something to prop your camera up; absolute bargain), hence today's outfit post!

 

So on Saturday I went for a very belated Christmas meal with one of the badminton teams I play for.

As there was still a lot of snow, the shoes were soon proven to be a stupid choice, however my friends dad very kindly lent me his walking boots to walk into the restaurant and I did a quick change of shoes in the restaurant porch...how classy!
Much rather that than break my ankle though.

 

Anyway, here's what I decided to wear.

 

 

Jacket: Primark | Shirt: New Look | Bandeau top (underneath shirt): Primark | Skirt: Excite Clothing* | Bag: Accessorize | Shoes: Amazon* | Necklace: eBay | Hair: styled with Enrapture Encode Totem Styler (full review coming soon)

 

 

This faux leather jacket is one I bought years ago for the bank-breaking sum of £8.
Bit of a bargain, right? And seeing as I'm still wearing it 5+ years down the line, I think that has to officially be one of my best purchases yet.

This gorgeous studded collar shirt is the one I got in the New Look Boxing Day sales (the post can be found here) for a mere £8, and I thought the bargain 99p necklace really brought out the studs!

The skirt is one I purchased after winning two items of my choice from the Excite Clothing website.
I had been after a skater skirt for so long, but just never got round to buying one so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity! It was a little too big to begin with, so my lovely mum worked her magic and fixed it up for me.

The bag was another bargain: £8 in the sales a couple of years back, and the Amazon shoes I bought using a voucher generously sent to me by Daxon (post here).

I have also very kindly been sent an Enrapture Totem Styler to try out. This product is definitely one to watch, so make sure you pop back for a full review and proper photos of the result of these later on in the week!

 

Phew, waffling over!

 

All in all this was a pretty darn cheap outfit, don't you think?

 

Have you bought any bargains lately?

Do you have that one item of clothing that you  just wear time and time again?

 

Jo xx

 

Ecotools Makeup Brush Set

A couple of weeks ago I did a haul post (here) for you lovely lot which included my bargain brand spanking new Ecotools makeup brushes which I bought off eBay.

I know it's taken me a while, but as promised I have finally got round to doing the review, so here goes!

The Ecotools set consists of five different brushes and a brush roll which is really handy if you do any travelling or if, like me you commute to work and do your makeup once you get there (just because I'm too lazy to get up any earlier).

It's eco-friendly features include:

• Bamboo handles
• Synthetic, cruelty free Taklon bristles
• Recycled aluminium ferrule
• Brush roll make from natural cotton and hemp
• Reusable storage pouch

But are they any good?

L-R: Blush brush, concealer brush, eye shading brush, eyeliner brush and lash and brow groomer

Blush brush - this brush is so soft and great for either blusher or powder. I have personally been using it for blusher and it blends the colour in really well (no looking like you've been using stencils), without any shedding whatsoever. A truly great brush that I'm not quite so sure how I've lived without up to now - my favourite of the set, hands down.

Eye shading brush - Another great brush that does exactly what it says on the tin. It makes even application effortless and again, no shedding and so so soft.

Eyeliner brush - Now I don't use gel eyeliner but I have instead been using this on my eyebrows to fill in my bare bits. Again, fab. Allows a good amount of precision: not too sloppy and not too severe.

Lash and brow groomer - Unfortunately I can't say I will be getting much use out of this brush, although it did come in handy when I opened a new mascara earlier this week which gave me clumpy lashes. The clumps were really easy to remove using this brush and it seperated my lashes well.

Concealer brush - Great quality (are you getting the general gist here?). Soft, no shedding, no complaints.

 These are really great brushes that I would truly recommend to anyone, whether you are just starting out with makeup or are an absolute enthusiast.

Have you used any Ecotools products before?
What did you think?

I purchased my Ecotools set from this eBay seller for an amazing £3.98

They are unfortunately no longer stocking them, but you can purchase the exact same set here for £4.18 plus free delivery.

 Thanks for reading,
Jo xx

Collective Haul | Including Matalan, eBay and The Range

So last weekend I popped into Matalan to have a little mooch around, and believe it or not they actually have some lovely stuff in there at the minute!

I thought I would show you lovely lot what I bought.

 (I have shoved a few other recent purchases on the end too, seeing as there wasn't really enough of them to do a separate post for!)

So here's the Matalan lot to start off with:

 

Navy blue and brown quilted jacket £30
Apologies for the awful picture but I've wanted one of these for ages, and this one is perfect!

Chunky knit contrast sleeve cardigan, £20
Now this looks a lot better in real life than it does in the picture, and it is so cosy it's unreal.
 Also comes in grey and black

Pack of 3 stud earrings, was £4 now £2
I only really bought these for the turquoise crosses which I love

Pack of 4 bracelets, was £6 now £3
Pastel colours...enough said

Double layer peace pendant necklace, was £5 now £2.50
I've been looking for a really long necklace for ages now, and this fits the bill perfectly

Floral paper bin, £4
Boringness made cute, yay

Matalan have some fab jewellery at the minute. Definitely worth a peek.

Aaaannnddd the rest...

Red superdry hoodie , £25 from a private eBay seller
Okay don't judge me on this one!!
I play a lot of badminton (and have a lot of lazy-arse sundays) and have been after a red Superdry hoodie for so long because of their amazing fit and I love this gorgeous red colour. I just couldn't justify the £45 price tag, so when I saw this one for £25 I snapped it up... and boy am I glad I did, it's the comfiest hoodie ever!
Please say I'm forgiven?

Ecotools set of 6 makeup brushes, £3.98 from this eBay seller
Fab seller, review coming soon

Urban Thirst pineapple and raspberry vodka flavouring, was £5.99 now £4, TK Maxx
Dislike the taste of vodka, enjoy its effect... this could be the solution.
And what a fab bottle!

Cardigan, £5.50, charity shop (initially M&S)
Very granny-esque

2012 diary, £1.99, the Range
Preparation at its best. Only 2 months 'til Christmas guys!!

2 sheets of pretty paper, 49p each, the Range
I have plans for these, expect a DIY post in the near future :)


And that's the lot!


Have you made any purchases recently? I'd love to see your posts if you would like to link them below!


Thanks for reading,
Jo xo