Tuesday 16 September 2014

Shoes on a Shoestring # Primark Strappy Toe Chunky Heels





Hello!
I said I was having a chunky shoe moment! Here's another pair that I bought from Primark, they're definitely different to the other ones... for sure... I can't get enough of the chunky heels, they're really easy to walk in and I think they're a bit quirky and interesting. These are a suede effect finish and I love the strappy detail at the toe of the shoe, there's something quite delicate about it, and I think it looks really flattering. These were only £14 which I think is amazing, they look way more expensive!

What do you think of these?
Eleanor x

Wednesday 3 September 2014

Shoes on a Shoestring #9 Primark Pointed Toe Double Strap Flats




Hello!
I featured these in a recent post (here) about summer shoes for people that don't like feet (toe-a-phobes as I like to say). I had bought the tan version from Primark, and then decided that I needed the black pair in my life as well.. They're the perfect basic black flat, but a little more interesting with the double ankle strap and the pointed toe. At only £10 I had to get both colours! They're wardrobe staples, right?!

What do you think of these?
Eleanor x

Tuesday 19 August 2014

Shoes on a Shoestring #8 New Look Faux Leather Chunky Heels



available here

Hello!
Another Shoes on a Shoestring post! There are just too many great budget shoes around at the moment..
I picked these up on newlook.com and I luuuuurve them!! I'm having a chunky heel moment, I feel (lookout for some more coming up soon). I love the simplicity of these, the matte back faux leather, the chunky heel which makes them super easy to walk in, the small platform which makes them less steep but not too OTT, the little criss-cross toe straps, the ankle strappy... And not forgetting that these were only £27.99! Not a bad price for a cute little pair of chunky heels! I just think these are so simple and chic, really effortless, whilst there's something about them that gives a subtle nod to the 90s trend. Perfect.

What do you think of these?
Eleanor x

Monday 18 August 2014

Shoes on a Shoestring #7 Holographic Flatforms






I won't oversize the foot photo... it's just for a nail varnish demonstration!

Hello!
Another Shoes on a Shoestring post, I love doing these because I love buying shoes! So I've been craving a pair of holographic shoes because I've been feeling super 90's recently, I have seen various pairs of chunky sandals in a holographic variety on ebay at pretty reasonable prices, but I wasn't sure what to go for so I held off ordering any. Then Primark came to my rescue with these ABSOLUTE BEAUTS at only £12!!! Who can believe it? The fact that they're flatforms adds to their holographic 90's allure, and they've got one of my favourite shoe details thrown in there as well (the ankle strappy). Too perf.
I'm also totally loving amping up the 90's a bit further, combining these with a black glittery pedi (DIY ofc) I've used Barry M polish in gold mine glitter here, but something like Topshop's gypsy night would work perfectly too.
Definitely a love hate kinda shoe.. I think we all know which side of that I fall on!

What do you think of these? Have you found any great bargains recently?
Eleanor x

Thursday 7 August 2014

Shoes on a Shoestring #6 Primark Laser Cut Low Wedge






Hello!
I recently bought these low wedges from Primark because I LOVED the laser cut strap on them in this sort of cubey, geo flower design. They're a nice none offensive neutral colour (also available in coral, but not black.. Primark, get me some black ones!!) and the height of the wedge makes them perfect for daytime wear, if like me you could use the extra height! These were in the wide fit section which did make me wonder whether they'd fit, but they fit me fine (I don't have particularly narrow or wide feet) and the soles are actually really nicely cushioned! Who can say no to detail like that at only £12?

What do you think of these?
Eleanor x

Friday 18 July 2014

Shoes on a Shoestring #5 Sandals for Toe-a-phobes

Hello! It's been a while! My third year of uni has come to an end, my dissertation is handed in, and my exams are over! This year has been a complete whirlwind, hence my absence! But here I am again! I've missed blogging a lot!
I've been doing some shopping... and I've found myself buying a lot more shoes than I used to! And I've noticed a slight trend in some of my purchases.. I may have gone a bit sandals mad!



So this blog post is actually inspired by my sister, who is a massive toe-a-phobe. She hates feet and she'd never ever wear shoes that exposed her toes. Peep toes are OUT. I myself am not particularly phased by the odd toe, but in the summer my sister is faced with a real problem. Feet and heat. Shoes can't be too closed up because it's uncomfortable when the weather gets warmer, but open toe sandals are just not an option. This inspired me to go on the hunt for some solutions, and I think I may have found them! (Even if you're not a toe-a-phobe they're pretty nice shoes..)



So the chunky platform sandals are suuuper cool, these have got to be my favourites out of all my picks. I got mine in black and white, but they are also available in various holographic colours (I have my eye on the silver ones... is three pairs of the same shoe okay? Too far?) from ebay. These are actually a really sturdy shoe, considering they come in at just under £20, they're really comfortable, and give a shorty like me a great little boost in height with the chunky sole/platform. I think these look amazing on and they compliment so many different outfits, skirts, shorts, jeans etc! They're nice and airy for the summer months so feet aren't going to overheat, but they're not so open to make your feet cold on cooler days.. A great pair of shoes for spring, summer, and even warmer autumn days, they're so versatile!






Next up I'm bundling all of the flat ankle strap sandals in together. They're all really cute, I love that they're woven to allow for some extra air to the feet and it adds interest to them as well! Again, so versatile, they all look great with shorts, trousers, mini/midi/maxi skirts, everything! And they just look so summery! I love the femininity of the ever so popular ankle strap as well! These sandals are such a great price, and they look great too!



Finally, there's the double ankle strap shoe. This is more of a shoe than a sandal, but the sides are more open than you find on a typical ballet flat, which I feel makes them more comfortable to wear in the summer, as they're not so closed around your feet. I love the pointed toe on these paired with the double ankle strap, they're just so feminine and I think would compliment a pair of mom/boyfriend jeans perfectly.

So those are my sandal buys of the summer! I'm letting myself off for being excessive with how many i bought because 1) I'm doing a blog post about them, and 2) they were so damn cheap!! I may well have a few more shoes on a shoestring posts lined up over the next week.. I'll try and infiltrate them with a few other different things as well to avoid monotony! But who can get bored of bargain shoes really?

Which are your favourites?
Eleanor x

Sunday 19 January 2014

Soap and Glory Scrub Comparison

Hello! So a while ago in bootsI saw an offer on soap and glory products (as there often is). It could have been 1/3 off, or 3 for 2 or something to that effect! Anyway, I couldn't decide which scrub to buy, because everyone seems to love all of them! And they all smell so good! So I put a couple in my basket... and justified it by telling myself it'd make a great comparison post on my blog... So I thought I'd better actually write it, so that I haven't lied to myself completely! I'm still pretty new to Soap and Glory (please leave product recommendations below) so for people like me, here are my thoughts on a couple of their scrubs and which I'd go for...

Flake Away:



This was the first product I ever tried from soap and glory! I bought it quite a while ago, and as you can see from the picture, I have finished it up completely (in terms of texture and how it looks, it's quite similar to the Breakfast Scrub, so see the picture of that below for reference)! I absolutely love this scrub, It's very grainy and very abrasive which I like very much, I feel like when you use a scrub you actually want it to SCRUB! This one for sure lives up to its name "flake away" as it would definitely get rid of dry skin (I don't have this much, but I imagine it would work wonders) but it doesn't leave your skin feeling dry when you get out of the shower, as contains loads of amazing ingredients like almond oil, shea butter and sea salt and is advertised as a "spa-strength" exfoliator which I think is very true. This leaves my skin nice and soft and you can really feel it working while you use it! I love the smell of this as well, it's really sweet and the only way I can describe it is as smelling of sweets haha!
I would recommend this one if you're looking for a nice tough exfoliant, and even better it comes in a large sub, or a smaller one which is perfect for travel, or if you just want to try it out before committing! Personally I wouldn't use this every day, as I think it could be a little too abrasive to use so often, but it's a great once a week scrub, or great for getting rid of all traces of fake tan, or prepping for fake tan too, because it leaves you with a completely fresh base.

Sugar Crush:



In the pot this one has a way more gloopy consistency than flake away, as flake away was far harder. Although this ones still isn't completely liquidy like a shower gel or anything, just not as hard as flake away. This one is definitely less grainy and less abrasive than flake away as well, there doesn't seem to  be as many exfoliating grains (oh god the science) packed into it, which I think makes it a better daily exfoliant. My skin actually felt quite moisturised after using this because of the almond oil, and it still felt soft and fesh, despite not having been buffed quite so hard haha! This one smells absolutely amazing as well, like sweet lime and a bit coconutty? When I smell this I always think it's what it would smell like if you were in some tropical exotic jungly location using one of those outdoor bamboo showers, well this is what it'd smell like. Fresh, fruity and sweet.
I'd recommend this one if you're looking for a milder exfoliator to be used a couple of times a week, it's not too abrasive so if you're skin's a bit more sensitive this might be a better one to go for? But I would probably say you need something a bit harsher if you're prepping for fake tan or looking to get rid of it, or if you want a really good body buff to blast dry skin, this one might not be grainy enough.

Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em Body Buff:


I had the highest hopes for this one, because it has some great ingredients; babassu oil and jojoba seed for moisturising, and sea salt for some super exfoliating, but I found myself feeling a bit left down by this one. When you open it up it looks to have mini pink micro exfoliation beads, and chunks of sea salt, so I expected this one to be super scrubby (I really like it when scrubs are really abrasive) but it wasn't at all. I felt like it barely exfoliated my skin and actually left a bit of a residue on it which made shaving afterwards a bit difficult. The smell of this one is quite nice, but definitely not as amazing as the others. It's sweet but mild, and a smell that I think would be quite nice in hair products actually haha! I can't describe the scent though, it's a tricky one! Nice but not overpowering, so maybe good for people who find the scents of the others too overpowering.
I probably wouldn't recommend this one as all to be honest, as I don't think it works as a scrub and leaves a bit of an annoying film over the skin, so I probably won't be finishing mine off and just throwing it away. The good news is that this also comes in a travel size which is the one I got to try, so I'm not wasting too much money!

The Breakfast Scrub:




Back onto the positive! Another scrub that I really like! This one is like a stage in between Flake Away and Sugar Crush, it's more packed with grains that Sugar Crush, but not quite as grainy as Flake Away, so this one's like a "medium" exfoliator between the two. Again packed with great ingredients, shea butter, oat, banana, almond, honey, and "cupuacu bio scrubs" which sound very fancy! I don't know what they are, but they definitely work! I think this one has a nice moderate amount of scrub, it's not too harsh, but it definitely still gets the job done! Again, my skin is nice and soft after using this and doesn't feel stripped or over scrubbed. The smell of this is so cool, it literally smells like a bottle of maple syrup, it's so authentic! It's absolutely gorgeous, and quite a break away from the more sugary fruity smells of the other scrubs. And it doesn't leave any weird residues (scrub 'em and leave 'em is the only one that does in my experience).
I would recommend this for people wanting something to use probably around twice a week, something that's pretty abrasive but not too harsh, and just keeps their skin feeling soft and smooth.

So there's my run down! I will definitely be repurchasing Flake Away, and Sugar Crush and the Breakfast Scrub when I run out of them! You probably don't need to own all 3, but I'm a bit out of control and really like all 3 of them, so why not?!

Have you tried any of these? Which would you buy?
Eleanor x