April Buys

I have made this confession before, but I don’t think it will hurt to make it again. As a blogger, I am very fortunate to be sent gifts every now and then, which is a really lovely ‘perk of the job.’ I try to be up-front about these gifts by thanking the sender on my ‘stories’. There is another part of my fashion blogging life that I feel the need to be transparent about and that is that I often shoot items I love with the tags in and then return them. I do this A) because I have a budget to stick to for myself and if I bought and kept everything that I thought was a ‘good buy’ then we would be bankrupt and B) because the part of the ‘job’ I enjoy the most is scouring for what I believe to be good buys and sharing them with you on instagram or the blog. I think it’s useful for you to see these items styled and without these ‘purchase/shoot/return’ items, my content would be fairly dull and probably a little frustrating for those who are looking for inspiration and items that are available to buy.  For most of you, this won’t come as a surprise, but I suppose there might be one or two followers who must think I have a Narnia like, ever expanding wardrobe, not to mention budget!

So, I thought it would be helpful and perhaps interesting (maybe not?!) for you to know what I have spent my money on this April. Please do let me know your thoughts. If it’s popular, I might make it a monthly feature?

Starting clockwise from the top left… 

Charlotte Tilbury Uptown Girl Palette – £39

Charlotte Tilbury is fast becoming my go to for make-up products. This eye palette is amazing and has a very simple, failsafe application ritual that creates what she calls a ‘desk to disco’ eye. What I love about Charlotte Tilbury is that she has very helpful Youtube Tutorials for each product, so that you can really learn how to get the best from your makeup.

Charlotte Tilbury Overnight Bronze and Glow Mask – £38

This is a new product and as I have just finished my favourite Clarins Radiance drops, I thought I would give this a try. My first application was last night, and I have noticed a subtle hint of colour today, but I think you are supposed to build up the colour over three nights. It smells great and has a very moisturising texture.

 Isabel Marant Red Top – Was £385 now £115.50

 After my big wardrobe detox and cull, I realised that my wardrobe was missing something in a vibrant red and since I love wearing red so much, I thought this would be a good buy. I also managed to purchase with an extra 30% off, so it was about £85 in the end. It arrived today  and the fabric is beautifully soft. I will be wearing it with denim shorts or over skinny jeans.

Six x H&M Ostrich Porcelain Side Plates – were £6.99 each now £2.79

These really remind me of growing up in South Africa and I thought they would look gorgeous on a dinner table as side plates. I always keep an eye on the Home Sale section at H&M.

Denim Skirt – H&M – £24.99

A denim skirt is so useful in the summer. I got my skirt out from last year and felt it was a little shorter than I would want to wear at this time of year. But this one is a great length on me. I took a size 8 and I am usually a size 6, so perhaps size up if you purchase?

 Don’t Think Twice it’s Alright Print – Etsy from £6.99

We are building a ‘music prints’  gallery wall in our snug (Sitting Room) with all of our favourites. This was the latest print to go up. I love looking on Etsy for this kind of thing, you can find some real gems if you know what you’re looking for.

Zara Yellow Flats – £29.99

I have been lusting after these ever since I saw my gorgeous friend Fran, (@thefashion_lift) wearing them. They are on their way to me, but I am very excited since they are leather and such a lovely, happy shade of yellow for the summer.

Monuskin Recovery Balm – £27.50

After using a miniature version of this for a while (it came in one of the Lookfantastic Beauty Boxes) I have fallen for it and decided to buy the big version. I use it at night and it feels really healing.

Off the Shoulder Dress – Mango – £35.99

I absolutely love this dress. It’s feminine and comfortable to wear and you can’t beat a white dress in the summer when you have a tan.

So there we go. Oh, and of course the washing machine! In case anyone is interested, this is the one we have bought. John Lewis were offering £100 saving until the 1st May. It’s almost identical to our current washing machine, which has been excellent, all things considered. Yes, it probably would have been cheaper to get someone out to fix it, and replace parts, but not THAT much cheaper and a friend reliably informed me that these machines are made to fail at their ‘7-year itch’! So I think it was probably money well spent.

Thanks for reading.

Love,
Chloe x