I was recently contacted of someone from George at Asda if I wanted to take part in a challenge where I had to create a whole outfit for a day at the races for £60. I love George at Asda clothing so I was really excited to take part.

I've been to the races only once before, but I know that it's allowed to be over the top. I just wanted to be elegant and classic so I had clean lines and structure in mind when I started looking.

I browsed through the occasion dresses they had in my sizes and unfortunately some of the ones I would have picked were sold out, so I had to chose something else. I found a lovely blue and floral printed dress that I chose to try. But unfortunately it didn't fit, so I sent that on to one of my blogger friends to have it and do a review in it instead as George didn't want me to send it back. I couldn't wear it so why not let someone else make use of it?

Instead I chose a stripe dress that came in bigger plus sizes. When I got it I was very surprised with the material and quality of it as this dress was made in a lovely thick material as oppose to a cheap jersey material like I had pictured it to be. That being said, I'm very rarely disappointed with the clothes I order from George as they are great quality and who doesn't like budget friendly fashion?






The dress is quite short so if you're not comfortable with showing this much legs and thighs it would be lovely with a pair of cropped leggings. I don't mind it being short so I would wear it like this as I think it is a good length on me. I'm still pushing myself out of my comfort zone, so by wearing short dresses I get more confident showing my legs.


I'm a stripe addict at the moment and this dress is no exception. I love it. I wish I had sized down from size 26 to a size 24 for a better fit, but I didn't want to take any risks since the other dress which also was a size 24 didn't fit, so it's annoying that there is no consistency in the sizing. When I wear this dress in the future I would wear it with a belt to add a bit definition to it.

I also picked out some accessories to go with the dress so I opted to keep in simple in monochrome with white handbag and black wedge shoes. I also picked a cardigan in case it would be a cooler day and this cardigan is such a steal buy at £10 cause the quality and feel to it is amazing. It's one of the nicest cardigans I've ever seen. It has a zip closure and edgy zip details to the side of the cardigan. I got this in size 24 which is perfect size on me. Soft medium knitted cardigan that I know I will be an essential layering piece in my wardrobe.













Details of the outfit with the lovely details on the cardigan, the lovely white mini bowler bag with black details. This bag is really lovely and just the right size for a day out at the races. You get room for your essentials, a little bit of make up, a program and also a place to put your cardigan away if it gets too hot to wear it.




My favourite part of this outfit was these shoes. Aren't they cute? And not only are they cute, they are so extremely comfortable to walk in. I am wary of heels due to my balance disorder, but these has a mini wedge heel that is perfect for me. They are cute, stylish and elegant and will go with everything. Another bargain buy at £14. I'm wearing size 6.5 and find them very true to size. I've got wide feet, but these are standard width, but they are wide enough for my tootsies.

I think George has got so many exciting clothes for a very nice price, so I tend to look there first for anything that I need. Sizing can be a bit hit and miss, which unfortunately seems to be the trouble with most retailers these days. I would say if you are top heavy like me, chose a size bigger if it is fitted and stay with your normal size if it's a bit of stretch.

Do you like George at Asda for clothing?


Xxx 

I was given the opportunity to review a dress from BBW Couture. And since I'm using this blog as a medium to try new things and push myself, I chose to steer clear of my favourite shape dresses the retro 50s flowy dresses which BBW Couture has a lot of lovely patterns in by the way.

I had a look on their website, which has so much lovely clothes, so if this brand is new to you, take a look as the prices doesn't break the bank either.

I chose this beautiful Black and White Contrast Dress*. I'm wearing a size 24/26 and it's a snug fit on me. But I kind of like it! It's not uncomfortable snug, since the fabric is nice and strechy. I am not normally comfortable showing my VBO, but after getting used to the idea and seeing so many other lovely blogger ladies rocking the look, I thought why not give it a go?



I'm so in love with this dress and the design of it. I love the black and white and the white side panel adds an interesting feature to the dress. It's made in a lovely scuba material, but the sizing is a bit small for me. It's a 24/26 which is still a bit snug to me. It's supposed to be a midi dress, but on me it's a mini dress. I'm not extremely tall either at 5'6 so I think it is my rather curvy upper half that is the reason why this dress is shorter on me than on the model in the photo on the website. I don't mind this as I prefer shorter dresses and skirts anyway. I like my legs, so I have no problem showing them off. What about the VBO??? Well as you can see, it's there!! But so what? I know I have a belly and it's there. If I hate that much I could try and lose some more weight, but why not embrace it while it's there instead.


I chose to accesorise this dress with blue and bright pink. I love the bright pink handbag and matching lipstick. These heels are some old ones from Evans, but they are so comfortable and are the max height I dare to walk in due to my balance disorder.




Wearing my lovely new statement necklace that I got in my Joyful June present. I love it and it works so well with this dress. So thank you my secret giver.

I look forward to wearing this dress with some opaque tights and bright coloured shoes in the colder months and I could also easily see myself wearing this dress as a top with another skirt. With the monochrome look the options are many, so it's a classic style for the years to come.

Do you like bodycon dresses?
Xxx 

*this dress was gifted to me, but all views are my own.

A couple of weeks back I was offered to try the Veet Easy Wax Electrical Roll On Kit* and since I do normally wax my legs I said yes.

I had to wait over week or so to let my hair grow out sufficiently enough for me to start waxing. My hair growth on the legs are very fine and since I'm fair the hairs are not very visible even a couple of weeks after removing the hairs.

While I was waiting for my hair to grow out I took a look at the Veet website where they have an excellent How to remove hair guide. I have removed hair with wax at home before, but it never hurts to freshen up your knowledge and you might get a new tip or two as well.

The contents of the box are these.




It's a really easy concept. You get a container that you plug into the electric cable that comes with it. You take the wax container and put it into the container and switch on the electric to make the wax warm up. It also comes with a handy holder for the wax container while it is heating the wax up. This takes between 20-30 minutes.


It's very easy to use, you just check the wax on the inside of your arm to check if it is warm enough or too hot and if it feels right you can just go ahead. Roll the wax on with the direction of the growth, use the fabric strips that comes with the kit and after a few seconds, hold your skin taut and rip it off horizontally with your leg in one rapid movement. I had exfoliated my legs the day before to prepare for the waxing as well, just thought I would mention it.

The result of my waxing was unfortunately not the best. I had lots of hair left after doing the waxing. Some came off, but more than what came off was still left! I was gutted as I have tried home waxing with other products before and it's been working really well.

Before Waxing

After waxing

  I decided to the other leg with talcum powder to see if it might help a bit as the talcum powder helps on making the skin dryer and can help on achieving a better result.

Close up of leg after using talcum powder

Xxx 

*this product was gifted me and all views are my own.

Time for another one of these interviews and this time it is the colourful and stunning Hayley that is telling her story on fashion and blogging. Hope you enjoy it.




Name - Hayley
I live in - London
Age - 31
Height- 5'8
Size- 22 (ish)
Blog - curvesncurlsuk.blogspot.co.uk

So Hayley, you’re from London? Are there many other bloggers in your area?

Yeah there are quite a few I guess but not as many as I would have thought. And I've met some great blogger gals from all over the country. Wish we could meet up more often!

How long have you been blogging?

I'm a baby blogger - I only started at the beginning of the year. So 6 months.

How did you get into blogging?

I used to read plus size fashion blogs all the time, and follow bloggers on social media. And I just got more and more interested in their body positive message. I've always loved clothes and dressing pretty and so I just thought I would add my voices to the many amazing ones already out there and talk about being fashion conscious and plus size. About accepting yourself and wanting to look gorgeous regardless.

How much time do you spend on blogging?

I spend a few hours every week writing my posts. But the social media side of it I am doing everyday. Chatting to other bloggers, reading blogs and articles, being part of a community that supports me and that I feel a valued member of. It's an everyday thing rather than a hobby for me.

Where would you like to take your blog?

I'm not sure to be honest. I love the feedback I get from people saying my style inspires them. I love that people find my confidence and body positivity inspiring. My absolute dream would probably be to write a column, or to collaborate with a brand on designing some clothing. We'll see... For now I love just being part of this community and spreading a hopefully helpful message amidst media that can be quite oppressive in the way it judges women and their bodies. 




How would you describe your style?

I am a vintage girl through and through. I like bold, bright, cheerful fashion. And I ADORE dresses.

Who or what is your fashion inspiration?

My mum has always been bigger and always dressed beautifully. She and I have different styles but we're both very distinctive with what we wear.
I love vintage inspiration - from Elisabeth I, to Marilyn Monroe, to Stevie Nicks, to Debbie Harry, to The Spice Girls - I love looking back to see how women have just owned fashion!

How is your wardrobe?

My wardrobe tends to be neater than you'd expect. I am chaotic everywhere else, but I look after my clothes. I love doing laundry - haha!

What are you like? The bargain hunter or are you quality over quantity?

A bit of both. I've stopped buying things I won't wear and now tend to spend more money on things I love. As long as it's a dress and fits me nicely I am going to get a lot of use out of it.

Do you blog about anything else than fashion?

Occasionally about mental health, body positivity and confidence, but I tend to stick to fashion. I have another blog for nonsense rambling (which I love to do!)




What is a must have item for the summer?

I love a maxi dress and a good pair of flip flops. I get a lot of maxis from New Look inspire and you can't go wrong with a pair of Haviana flip flops!




Favourite online and high street shop?

Online - Lady V London, Collectif and Asos Curve
High street - New Look or Debenhams

Tell me about your best bargain

I love catching the Collectif sale. Always a hundred beautiful dresses to be had. I can never resist one of their Dolores Doll dresses.

I have to admit that I really really admire this ladies style and hair. It's so beautiful. I still haven't met her, but Hayley I really hope we can get a chance to get together soon as it would be really good fun. :)

Xxx 

A few weeks back Mike and I went to Lewes to meet up with Leah and James since it had been a while since last time we met up. It's always such a treat to meet up with them as we have such a laugh when we are out and about together.
This time we had decided to meet on neutral ground in Lewes a place where neither of us had been before.

It was a beautiful spring day, but still quite cold, but we had a great time. Leah and James are so fun to be around and Leah and I we laugh a lot so it's like an injection of happy pills being with them. :)

Can't remember what Leah said here, but it was something funny. :)

We are trying to blend in ;)

From lovely Southover Grange Gardens.

 

Leah and I took some outfit photos in this beautiful garden, called Southover Grange Garden which is a beautiful spot to go for a picnic or have a relaxing time with friends. Plenty of benches and a cafe as well. Lovely architecture and a very picturesque little stream that are passing through the park makes this a perfect little place to vind down.

Lewes Castle

Next time I go to Lewes I have to visit Lewes Castle as I love castles. It looked really nice.