Primark summer mini shoe haul

So we have had a tiny amount of sunshine and that's enough to make me dream of a new summer wardrobe. What new pieces I want to get this year to go with older stuff etc. Basically if I could have one of everything in Zara I would be happy haha.

Anyway I have been thinking about some new summer sandals and my first stop was Primark as they usually have loads to choose from. Last year I bought some from New Look for about £15 but in Primark they are basically the same for half the price.

I picked up these 2 beauties. One is a aztec printed sandal £6 and the other is a black open sandal £8. They both fit nice and are really comfy. I am sure both will walk many miles over the summer.
Also I couldn't leave my daughter out so I picked her up some super cute open toe sandals with velcro £3.50, so hopefully they will stay on her feet.

Jodie x

Spring shoe round up

It might finally be time to put my over the knee boots away and start to wear some open shoes.
Here are my favourites

* Zara leather buckle ankle boots, special price £19.99
* New Look basic ballet pump white £9.99
* Dorothy Perkins scallop edge ballet pump aqua, sale £9.60
* Dorothy Perkins asymmetric pointed ballet pump, sale £12.60

I feel that with this selection I could team these with anything and get numerous casual or party looks.
What will you be wearing this spring?

Primark Yellow Bag

I was currently rocking my Zara Mini City handbag which I still love but I have been wanting something a bit smaller now that I have finished work for maternity leave. I don't need to carry as much stuff or try and squeeze in my dinner.
I still need to carry my maternity notes everywhere that I go and some other non glamorous pregnancy essentials (breast pads anyone?).
I knew that I wanted a across the body bag so I can be hands free when I'm finally pushing my pram and I knew that I wanted a nice summery colour. I mainly wanted a pastel colour such as baby pink, blue or mint green but when I saw this bag I knew this was the perfect one. It only comes in bright yellow or black and my local store only had 2 yellow left and tonnes of black so it must be a popular pick.
Primark do have some super cute and cheap mini satchels at the moment which I nearly decided on one but I love this one so much more as it's a little bigger and has a front pocket. I really don't have anything negative to say apart from some of the Primark bags quality can be terrible. The last one left of the shelf the handle was stitched on all lopsided.

Anyway here are the positives:

* bright colour perfect for summer with contrasting black piping and zip. Looks super stylish.
* cheap! at only £8.00
* adjustable strap.
* good amount of pockets, good size front pocket with clasp, zip to main pocket and I smaller zipped compartment inside.
* small in size (not positive for everyone but it was just what I wanted).

As this bag has been such a hit I have seen it on eBay for buy it now prices of £20 which is crazy seeing as the RRP is only £8. If you can still get your hands on this bag I would recommend it as I plan to use it future summers to come.

My favourite lip products for Spring Summer 2014

So I have been wearing my make up very natural lately if I wear at all. Pregnancy hasn't been a blessing to my skin as my cheeks are alot more red and irritated due to the hormones. Anyway here are my favourite picks for a beautiful spring summer lip.

Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip balm
I do have the other version of this in the little tub which is thicker and all round better but this balm stick also holds a special place in my heart. It is perfect to keep in my handbag for on the go applications. It still feels very moisturising and nourishing on the lips.

Maybelline Colour Whisper - Pin Up Peach
This is by far my favourite lip product of the year and that I find myself reaching for the most. It isn't as intense and as think as a lipstick on the lips but still gives great colour payoff which is also a bit glossy. It leaves my lips feeling nice and there is no drying. The colour doesn't last for a long time when eating or drinking but I don't mind reapplying this beauty. Unfortunately this isn't out in the UK so I had to purchase mine from ebay but this colour is just the perfect shade of a pinky peach, definitely more on the pink side. I now want all colours on this haha.

NYX Butter Lip Balm - Brownie
Another import from the USA I'm afraid but I think the newer version of these are availab now in the UK, they are in different packaging. These are in between a lip balm and a lip stick feeling much lighter on the lips but with some colour pay off. I have 3 shades and Brownie is the perfect nude, my lips but better. It looks more dry in the tube than I thought but still feels nice and buttery on the lips. The colour payoff isn't as good as a Maybelline Colour Whisper as this feels thicker and drier. These are more like a well tinted lip balm. This is nice if I just want a small wash of colour and it smells good enough to eat.

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish - No. 16
This is the perfect Pink lipstick for summer that I love so much. I am a huge fan of these Kate lipsticks and this is by far my favourite shade. It isn't too scary bright pink but the colour is really pigmented. It smells gorgeous and is great value. The only problem is that it can cling to any dryness on my lips but so do my high end Mac lipsticks so I either need to make sure my lips are in good condition to wear this or to wear a wear a small layer of balm (but the colour payoff won't be as good).

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine - No. 15 Coral Intuitive 
This is just a classic beautiful lip stick that is perfect for any occasion. As it is from the shine range it isn't a thick lipstick, it is a lightweight lipstick with shine. It's probably quite similar to my Maybelline Colour Whisper for texture and application on the lips. This is a beautiful pinky peach shade more on the side of peach for this spring summer. It has good pigmentation but the shine or colour won't last for hours eating or drinking. But with packaging looking this good you will be happy to show it off for all to see for reapplication. It is very pricey but I see this as a investment.

Swatches from left to right: Nyx lip butter, maybelline colour whisper, rimmel Kate and ysl rouge volupte.

Shopping My Stash - My Spring Favourites

So now that it's Spring and the cold sun is shining I have decided to switch my makeup rotation around a bit to get me in the mood for Spring/Summer.
I've seen a lot of new makeup releases doing the rounds lately but while they are all very pretty I've delved into my stash to see what pretty pieces that I already have.
1. Benefit World Famous Neutrals - This eyeshadow set never gets old! the colours are beautifully pigmented and very longwearing. It is perfect for daily casual makeup or glamorous evening looks. See my full review and swatches here

2. Too Faced Summer Eyes - This is a great way of introducing abit of colour into my look without being scared. I am never one to wear bright crazy coloured eyeshadow but here you get 3 looks and Too Faced include a how too to achieve a gorgeous summer look. See my full review, swatches and a tutorial here

3. Benefit Hervana Blusher - This is my second favourite Benefit Blusher after Coralista and it is a gorgeous light pink and it smells just heavenly seriously it smells so good you need to sniff it. You also get a good quality application brush with it that isn't too small so I do use it. There is just something special about swirling your brush around to mix the colours for a pretty pink flush. See my full review here

4. Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish No 16 - again this is just a perfect choice for a everyday wearable pink lip that gives you that Spring/Summer vibe. I was obsessed with Coral everything last summer and I still am but I am currently trying to change it up abit and head towards the more pinkish rose hues. More info here

Let me know what your Spring/Summer picks are by linking to your blog below as my favourite way to discover makeup is by reading blogs :-) x

New Cat Print Vans Authentics

So you may already know that I work in a skate/bmx shop and I am lucky enough to help with the upcoming seasons buying and I have to say Vans is usually my favourite appointment. As the rep is so lovely and is sometimes kind enough to throw me the odd free sample or two but most of all I love seeing the new seasons prints and here are my favourites for this Spring/Summer. I had to pre order these about 6 months ago and they have just arrived through our shop doors today. Sadly we are not selling these for you to buy as my bosses were optimistic that they would sell well so they just ordered the one pair for me but I'm sure that you can pick them up at your local Vans store or Schuh.
As a crazy cat lady these are my ultimate pair of Vans and they are available in the best selling Authentic style! They also do a matching backpack and snap back cap. These are classed as unisex and are available in sizes uk3 and up. They are in collaboration with the ASPCA charity to raise awareness of cruelty against animals. They also have some products with dogs on. You can buy these shoes directly from Vans here

My Favourite Maternity Clothes

So there's no better excuse for a wardrobe overhaul than when your pregnant and your clothes no longer fit. I have trawled for hours online to find that all my favourite high street stores no longer stock maternity clothes in there shops anymore it's all online only. This is very frustrating as I would have liked to have seen them and tried them on first. Most maternity collections are pants I have found that my favourites are from New Look and Asos, not to mention any ebay bargains that you can bag.

Anyway I am lucky to be due a summer baby so I can get lots of cute spring/summer clothes to wear. Here is what I am currently wearing:

New Look V Neck Red Tea Dress £22.99
This is just stunning and it can be worn casual or dressed up. I wear it with black maternity leggings and some black ankle boots.

New Look Navy Butterfly Print Dress
Like most of the new look dresses they also make them for their normal none maternity line. The material on this is nice and loose and thin so it's very breathable and comfortable to wear. It clings to you in just the right places. Again I wear this with black leggings and black ankle boots until it gets warmer.

Asos Star Print Dress
This has a tie at the back and it has a nice length to it. I've seen so many short maternity dresses just urgh there is no need for that. My above dresses are all just above the knee so not too short. The material of this is quite thick so it may be too warm for summer but I am enjoying wearing it for now. It can be worn with some cute flat shoes or boots. I bought this brand new with tags from ebay at the bargain price of £12.99

ASOS Ridley Skinny Jeans Mid Wash £22.99
These are just beautiful they are very flattering and nice and skinny. I have some gap skinny jeans which are not skinny in the slightest. It's also hard to find under the bump maternity jeans that don't fall down with the elasticated waist band but these don't. They are tight on the bottom of the leg so if I do get the dreaded pregnancy candles I will have to give these a miss.

New Look Striped Knit Cardigan Shell Pink £17.99
This is from there normal line and is the perfect spring summer cover up to go over my dresses or tshirts. I love the very pale pink colour and it's very comfortable to wear.

These are my favourite pieces but I have lots more of New Look pieces that I love dearly such as their maternity tshirts and leggings. The material and fit is just right. I also feel the need to mention bras as wearing a bra when pregnant is not easy. Due to the extreme soreness in the first trimester I had to go bra free most of the time and when my sickness was bad I didn't want any tight band around my mid section as it made me want to be sick even more. So the answer is to get a bra with no underwire or padding! As easy as it sounds they were hard to find I found my favourites from mothercare which also have clips for when I want to breastfeed which will be handy.

New Vans

So if you saw a previous post for some Vans Era Cat print shoes from last year I am still waiting for them to arrive. They are due soon as part of the Vans 2014 Spring Summer collection. So while I'm waiting impatiently for those ones I had a shoe shaped hole in my spring wardrobe so I've bought these.
They are Vans Eras in navy blue suede with a grey and while polka dot print upper with white laces. I think they are so cute and the print is spot on (lol) what I wanted! Nothing to colourful or crazy. These will be my perfect Spring casual shoes and they are currently available to buy in Schuh.