Beauty on a Budget - the perfect DIY Pedi.

I may well have been a bit premature wearing a pair of sandals yesterday, as today, after a sunny start, we have had yet more rain this afternoon.

The appearance of sunshine and a rise in temperature on Sunday meant I had to unexpectedly factor in a quick pedicure and nail paint before my feet were completely sandal ready and being as money is tight for so many people, Salon treatments can often fall by the wayside, so I thought that as I am fully qualified in many beauty treatments after re-training when my youngest child was a toddler, it would be helpful to share some knowledge with you, enabling you to save some pennies and get a reasonably good job done at home in a new addition to the blog called "Beauty on a Budget", which hopefully some of you will find useful.  This feature will cover purse friendly products that are highly recommended as well as giving you a bit of DIY insight.

Now if I had a £1 for every time a customer told me that they had a foot spa but never use it because it is either a) in the loft or b) in the garage, then I would honestly be carrying a 2.55 by now, but you gotta love a foot spa and it is a lovely and relaxing way to give your tootsie's a good soaking, and even more so if yours has a massage button so this is how your process should begin.  If you don't have any foot soak, bubble bath will do but don't use much as the bubbles can really froth up! Use a bowl if you don't have a foot spa.

If you have a foot scrub then give your feet a really good rub with this before soaking.  You can use a body scrub or some granulated sugar mixed with vegetable or olive oil which works just as well.

Soak until the water is getting tepid then dry your feet thoroughly and if your toenails need cutting, now is the time to do it.  Always make sure not to cut them too short as this can lead to ingrowing toenails when you get older.

Use a foot file on any areas of hard skin.  Use the pumice side first then the side that looks like a grater. I use a Boots battery operated pedicure system but have heard really good reports about the Pedi Egg.

For a luxury pedicure now is the time you would either apply a foot mask or put the feet into heated foot mits but for a Salon maintenance pedicure, this procedure is omitted so don't worry too much about rushing out and buying them. This post is about saving money and doing a good job with products and items you may already have.

Whilst the foot mask is on, I start the cuticle work but if doing your own feet at home and don't have a cuticle removing cream, just gently push your cuticles back. Never cut off any skin that isn't loose or hanging.

Toenails can get a bit mucky around the edges and underneath the nail plate and the best thing I find for gently cleaning around the edges is to take an orange stick and wrap a tiny bit of cotton wool around the end, then dip it into your nail polish remover. Be gentle and don't dig around. Change the cotton wool frequently and wipe over the entire nail plate as well.

If you have a cuticle oil, use it now, if you don't you can use any oil from the kitchen, rapeseed, olive, sunflower, its all about nourishing and any oil will do the trick, just massage around the cuticle area.

Soft nails aren't easy to file, but by now they should be dry enough for you to file off any rough edges from cutting earlier or maybe yours just need a file. Don't forget to file in one direction at a time only, never backwards and forwards.

Apply a foot or body lotion. If your heels are really dry apply some sort of cream every night and wear socks to bed.

You will need to wipe the nails over with nail polish remover before painting. Use a base, 2 coats of polish and always a top coat.  The base coat stops the nail polish from staining your nails.

Lots of people say how rubbish they are at painting nails and that they get it everywhere. I really don't think this is a massive problem as once they are dry, you can clean up any surrounding areas of skin that may have nail colour on them. I never use a cotton bud as I find it is actually too big, so yet again, the orange stick and cotton wool is invaluable. Just dip the end in your nail polish remover and gently remove any excess product.

Nail Polish - April by Chanel £17.50 from Boots. Sandals (old) - Russell and Bromley, now back in their box AGAIN.

Feet Treats on a budget, all available from Look Fantastic.

Bringing Spa quality treatments home with gorgeous Feet Treats from Space NK.

Did you do an emergency pedi when the sun came out?

Something for the weekend - free nail polish, discount codes, cheap shoes and my favourite umbrella.

My "Something for the weekend" post fell by the wayside yesterday, so I am a little  bit late with the all the news I wanted to share.  Firstly  I was very sad to hear about the demise of British Heritage brand Aquascutum but rumour has it that the company has been bought by a Chinese interest for £15million.  I have been rocking Aquascutum quite a lot lately in this awful weather with my beloved umbrella which is so old I am a) convinced it would now be classed as vintage and b) amazed that I haven't lost it!  I bought this when I worked in London, it must be at least 15 years old, I am not really sure but I do love it so!  I also had an Aquascutum coat which I threw out a couple of years ago, another one of those "kinda wish I hadn't got rid of it" items, that I usually live to regret but at least we can finally put those umbrella's away and enjoy some sunshine! Its been a long time coming!  One can only assume that Aquascutum will be "Made in China" like virtually everything else on the High Street, such a shame.

Quality British Craftsmanship that is built to last.

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There was some good news in the form of Shoe Porn this week with fashionista's favourite, Kurt Geiger opening an outlet called Shoeaholics! What a great name and what a great site!  There are some real bargains to be had, although some sizes are limited but there are plenty of summer styles at bargain prices and I think this will be one of those sites that you will need to check regularly to snag your size. www.shoeaholics.com

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If you haven't yet bought the June edition of Instyle and are looking for a new nail polish in one of the seasons hottest hue's then get thee down to the newsagents and you should be able to get your pick of the three sorbet inspired colours on offer!

Last night Twitter went into over excited fashion melt down as the Duchess of Cambridge stepped out for the Olympic committee gala concert wearing a stunning teal coloured gown by Jenny Packham.

I love how Kate seems to fall in love with a certain pair of shoes.  Last year we repeatedly saw her in her nude LK Bennett heels and she seems to have fallen hook, line and sinker for these sparkly Jimmy Choo's and who can blame her, they are the perfect accessory. 

£460 from Jimmy Choo.

Her plaited "updo" gave us full view of the gowns sheer lace back detail.

Simply Breathtaking!

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Not quite as glam as "our Kate" I popped into our local New Look the other day as my eldest daughter needed to take something back. The clothes were completely rubbish but I did pick up a little necklace for £3 because the colours made me feel patriotic what with the Olympic's and all.....

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This weeks discount codes:-

• 20% off childrens clothes at The White Company until 18th May. Use code AA805 at checkout and 20% off womens clothes plus free delivery using code AA802.
• 25% off of everything at Dorothy Perkins until 20th May. Use code DPVIPE at checkout.
• Up to 50% off in the Bastyan spring sale.
• 25% off all full price items at Kew 159 until midnight on Tuesday. 

Well my lovelies I am off to eat a slice of homemade Banana Cake and have a cup of tea whilst watching the BGT final.  Have a great weekend! x

Style File - How to do smart/casual for the office.

It is not the first time I have been asked about how to do smart casual for the office but it was a challenge I was up for when I received an email from Kirsty the other day:


Hi Sharron

I have just found your blog and would really love your advice.  I am 42, 5'7" and a size x and I'm really struggling with my work wardrobe.  I need to be smart-ish for work - not suits - but smart separates or dresses.

I recently had a wardrobe clear out and am basically left with two pairs of black trousers, a black skirt and various tops.  I need to build up a versatile work wardrobe that will let me mix and match items and accessories to produce a number of different outfits.

I would love to be good with scarves, jewellery etc to ring the changes but am never very sure what works well.  My budget is High Street I suppose - Next, M&S etc.

Any advice would be most welcome.

Kirsty

We had a few email exchanges so that I could get some more information before I set to work this morning in hope of producing a small capsule collection that would see Kirsty through spring and summer in the office with ease, but I also wanted to include pieces that could be worn at weekends or mix and matched with existing pieces as well.  Most people are on some sort of budget so I wanted pieces that would work hard for their money.

It sounded as though Kirsty was a bit sick of her black separates as so many women are and sometimes you just have to ring the changes, so I decided to include some navy into her wardrobe as it is often a far more flattering colour to wear.  I am loving orange this season and it looks great with a tan as well as the tan accessories I have chosen to complete her looks.  I have included some gold costume jewellery as Kirsty struggles with accessorising her outfits, I decided to stick with gold tones as they work well with orange and are easy to wear until she gains more confidence.  I have also included a lightweight summer scarf, a great way to bring her looks together.  When faced with a capsule wardrobe challenge I always try to choose everything from a department store to cut delivery costs, so all the clothes featured are available from John Lewis who stock a large range of brands as well as their own quality collections and offer free standard delivery if you spend over £30.

The tangerine dress will be invaluable in the office come summer and as Kirsty has a good waistline, the drawstring will emphasis this.  You can also conceal the drawstring and add the plaited belt to pull the look together when wearing the tan sandals. From LK Bennett its not cheap but will be a worthy investment and can be worn at weekends with flat sandals, the perfect hot sunny day dress and because Kirsty only needs to do smart/casual she doesn't need or want anything too structured.

The navy jacket not only dresses up these outfits, it will look fab teamed with jeans and ballet pumps at weekends.

The bag is classic in both style and colour and is perfect for both the office and weekends and will age beautifully.

The ballet pumps and the aviator sunglasses are also classic in style and easy to wear.

The trousers are smart enough for work wear but will look great with a loose oversized denim shirt and the ballet pumps at weekends.

Ted Baker oversized t-shirt in dark orange £39. Gold Aviator sunglasses £20. Pretty Ballerinas navy pumps £129. John Lewis navy/orange scarf £30. John Lewis Gold spiked necklace £17. Thick gold bangle £15. Warehouse cropped trousers at John Lewis £35. Dune Cork Sandals £75. Plaited Belt £18. Phase Eight white cowl neck top at John Lewis £28. LK Bennett Tangerine shift dress from John Lewis £135. Collection by John Lewis navy sateen jacket £79. Phase Eight navy stripe top was £39 now £27.30. John Lewis leather tote bag £85.

How to wear

The weather is warming up slightly so the navy blazer will be invaluable until things really hot up and can be worn over all the tops and the dress. 

All the items mix and match but to give you an idea of how I envisage them being worn here goes:-

Orange top:  Now - Trousers, oversized orange top, navy blazer, scarf, bangle, navy pumps and bag.

When its warmer - Trousers, oversized orange top, gold necklace, tan sandals, sunglasses and bag.

Dress: Now -  Dress, jacket, scarf, bangle, ballet pumps and bag. 

When its warmer - Dress, necklace, belt, sandals, bag and sunglasses.

Once you have the basics it is so easy to add to this capsule collection with navy chino's, a pair of nude court shoes, a selection of cardigans and knitwear in different styles in navy, orange and beige and some printed blouses.

I hope she likes it, I've fallen in love with all these pieces so want to get a job in her office!

The Blog is 3 years old today so lets talk about blogging and bloggers backlash.

Yes it's true the blog is 3 years old today! I can hardly believe it, doesn't time fly when your having fun! I think I can safely say its been a blast, but there have been times when I have felt disillusioned with the whole blogging business and have taken a couple of weeks off on the odd occasion, but time permitting (first and foremost I am a working mum) I certainly can't see myself giving up on my favourite pass-time any time soon, sorry guys, looks like you are stuck with my fashion and beauty waffling for a while yet, I won't be taking up knitting or crochet in the foreseeable future.

I did have to question the whole business of being a more mature fashion blogger on a couple of occasions recently. A few months back I got contacted by a journalist regarding an article she was working on concerning celebrities that dress better in their 40's than in their 30's and was happy to be interviewed.  At the end of the conversation she did mention that they might want a photograph but I never heard anything, until a couple of weeks ago when I got a call to say that I had probably forgotten all about it, but finally the article was about to feature in the Daily Mail and that they did a require a photograph of me.  As most of you will know by now, I am most uncomfortable when a camera is pointed in my direction!  Oh how I wish I could be one of "those" bloggers who can pose, smile, put hand on hip and totally enjoy putting themselves "out there" on their blog, but sadly that just isn't me, although twenty years ago it wouldn't have bothered me one bit!

I laid awake all night after that phone call, not worried about what I would wear, but about what people would say and think, not just on my opinion on the subject matter at hand, but on my appearance as a whole.  This was only a week after Sam Brick had hit the headlines and appeared both in the Mail and on our TV screens in a This Morning interview and knowing that this deluded woman had met with so much bad press and negativity (some from myself via Twitter) I could just see what I would be up against and visualised comments such as "who the hell does this over 40 woman think she is to comment on celebrity style" blah blah blah, so I backed out. Friends thought I was crazy as the blog would get so much more traffic but I knew it would upset me if anybody got nasty and I realised that I cared far more about my feelings as a human being than about "hits".

Fast forward a few weeks and I was excited to see some of the lovely ladies whose blogs I read on a regular basis were featured in a Daily Mail article on Monday about "School Gate Style".  I loved the feature but when you see that one of the participants daughter's felt the need to write in and defend her mum as a person, I knew I had done the right thing.  I can't see how people can be so nasty and accuse the bloggers who took part in the article of "having nothing better to do" and "living off their husbands money" all things which are far from the truth, but it got much more personal than that, when what they were wearing and their look in general was called in to question.  The whole thing was disgusting but it appears that all these people moaning seemed to have plenty of time on their hands to log in and leave a comment and should have perhaps used this time to put a bit of lipstick on before leaving the house! OK so I know I slagged off Sam Brick but that was different, these women aren't so full of themselves that they are proclaiming to receive marriage proposals in the playground, just that they care about what they look like and have an interest in fashion!

When awful things like this happen, it does make me question why I continue to do it, but fashion has always been my passion and age and size have had no bearing on this whatsoever, its the way I have always been so I can't see that changing any time soon.  I have also met some lovely people along the way, like minded individuals of all ages, some who have achieved great success through blogging so it can't be all bad can it? I get lots of lovely and very exciting invitations to fashion events although can rarely attend them as I have to put my son and my work first, (which annoys me immensely) so if any PR's are reading this, I do appreciate each and every one and will try to make more of an effort in future!

So if you will join me in raising a virtual glass of the bubbly stuff, not just to celebrate my blog's birthday but to those women out there who care about what they look like on the school run or in the office, to those who have achieved great success through their blogs, to women of any age who just love fashion and to anyone who takes the time to leave me a comment or to email me personally!  Cheers!

Oh and I forgot to mention another Daily Mail article on Fashion Bloggers boasting about freebies on twitter, so brag about gifted items at your peril ladies!

My Met Ball Favourites!

I'm probably a little bit late with this, so please forgive me as I have been working all day and have only just had a chance to look at the images from last nights Met Ball, so just thought I would share some of my favourites with you.

 

Christina Ricci in Thakoon.

Beyonce in Givenchy Couture. Gorgeous dress but it looks a bit odd on the carpet almost as if her legs have been cut off! I'm sure it is just this photo!

Eva Mendes in Prada. I am so loving orange at the moment!

Jessica Alba in Michael Kors. Now this is the kind of dress I would want!

You know how much I love a blush tone, so Scarlett Johannson in Dolce and Gabbana makes me smile!

No surprise with her choice of designer but you gotta love Anna Wintour in Prada.

She co-hosted the evening with Anna Wintour and Carey Mulligan also wore Prada.  I hope it didn't feel like fish scales, but she makes a beautiful modern mermaid.

Jessica Pare in L'Wren Scott

Amy Adams in Giambattista Valli

Sofia Vergara in Marchesa

Solange Knowles in sunshine yellow Rachel Roy

Sadly the "jury's out" on my most adored Style Icon in Valentino. Me slightly disappointed in this choice of dress, hell yes!

Florence Welch doing her best "knitted toilet roll holder" in McQueen.

Who were your favourites?

Style Advice - Two Weddings, Ladies Day at Ascot, one outfit.

One of the things I love most about Blogging is helping readers with their style dilemma's whether it be  for their perfect special occasion outfit, on trend pieces to update their wardrobe or the perfect basic's to form the backbone of their closet, so when Jo contacted me last week saying she had fallen in love with a pair of shoes but needed my help to find an outfit to go with them, I couldn't resist the challenge.

The Brief: The outfit would be worn to an early June wedding, Ascot and another wedding in August.

• Jo couldn't find the matching bag on the website where she had found the shoes, but knew that she wanted one to match exactly if I could find one.
• As the shoes were black and white striped, Jo wanted a red dress as she didn't feel she could  wear either black or white to a wedding.
• She wanted to wear either a hat or a fascinator with the outfit.

As the shoes were from Dune I was sure there would be a bag to match but after double checking their website and finding Jo was right, there wasn't one, I was convinced she would have to go for a plain clutch bag, but luckily I did find the matching one she was longing for, online at Debenhams.

Kaliko Saucer £50 from Debenhams. Drop Earrings No1 by Jenny Packham £20 at Debenhams. Francesca Dress from Phase Eight £120 (also available from House of Fraser). Bow Detail Court Shoe from Dune £85. Stripe Clutch Bag from Dune at Debenhams £55.

With three events and a limited budget, Jo was looking for just one dress to take her through summer and beyond and with the red dress I chose from Phase Eight I felt it was something that would see her stylishly through summer as well as many a christmas party if worn with metallic accessories and Jo already owns a pair of silver strappy sandals and a matching bag which have only been worn twice and formed part of an outfit I chose for her last summer when she had another wedding to attend. The dress would also look fab with a sequin jacket or a black cropped faux fur jacket and black court shoes for a winter event or just team it with nude heels for a night out at any time of year. I am in no doubt that a plain red dress will be a worthwhile purchase for any womans wardrobe.

I opted for a cross between a hat and a fascinator and the headband will make it feel more secure when being worn. Jo is blonde, but if a brunette had come to me with the same brief, I would have chosen  red headgear. I am a huge fan of massive hats but they can swamp petite ladies and Jo didn't want anything too big.  I also like a big flower corsage for those who shy away from hats and they can also be worn  around your wrist if you opt for a sophisticated "updo".

If you are planning on buying one look for a multitude of functions, play with your accessories and hair styles to create a range of different looks - add either a tailored black jacket or a silver sequinned one if the weather is chilly. Swap the stripe clutch for a plain one in either red or black, do the same with the shoes.  For the three events mentioned, for one wear your hair straight, then curl it, then wear it up. Swap your hat for a jewelled headband or simple large flower.

It wasn't the ideal way to choose an outfit and to be honest the shoes wouldn't have cropped up on my wedding guest chic radar, but she had fallen for them hook, line and sinker, and although I don't normally base my outfits around a pair of shoes, if you ever fall head over heels for a pair (excuse the pun) you don't have a lot of choice.

Jo has text me to say she loved everything and has ordered it all, now lets hope she remembers to get me a photo this year!

If you have a bigger budget, the silk jersey Alexander McQueen dress at £495 from net-a-porter makes a great alternative as well as a great investment.

“If you need help finding an outfit for a summer invitation, have a look at the House of Fraser dresses page or don't be afraid to email me!”

Something for the weekend - rainy days and wedding days, Jenny Packham for Debenhams and hopefully it will be a blue Saturday.

Who would have thought that after last weeks SFTW post featuring a picture of Gene Kelly from "Singing in the Rain" that I would feel the need to use another rainy day picture a week later!  Honestly it remains relentless doesn't it and I am almost on the verge of buying a new coat, I am so sick of my one!

Last Saturday, Little Man and I went round to the village church (Minster Abbey, one of the oldest in the country) to see his hairdresser get married.  She is a lovely girl and we had told her we were going months ago, so off we went in the wind, sub zero temperatures and the rain to wait for a bride who arrived 18 minutes late by which time I not only wished I had worn gloves but I had turned my umbrella in the right way about 10 times by the time she went into the Abbey.  When she arrived I could have cried for her in that awful weather and really had a lump in my throat.   You pay out all that money for your wedding day and even if you get married in August, if you live in the UK there is never a guarantee of clear skies and no rain.

The bride had come to me for an eyebrow wax earlier in the week and said she had sent her Mum out to get her a bridal umbrella as the long range forecast gave rain for Saturday and thank goodness she did!

This Saturday we are sitting indoors with the heating on watching the FA Cup.  Little Man got ready early this morning and I hope for his sake, Chelsea win. I really don't want an inconsolable 11 year old on my hands this evening!

The rain did actually let up for a while on Monday afternoon so we went for a little walk up the other end of the Island where I live, which is notorious for its cliff erosion.  Lots of homes and even the local Post Office in this area have fallen foul of the wearing away of the land, and it was interesting to see just how far back the coastline has come since I was a child, and even more recently with a fence which once formed the boundary of a camp-site visibly hanging in the air like something you walk over when you go for a trial or finally leave camp on "I'm a Celebrity".  

After I posted about the Kurt Geiger mid season sale I sent the link through to Uni Girl whose favourite shoe brand happens to be Carvela and she couldn't resist the nude heels I had posted about and text me a photograph of them once they arrived.  She is very happy and I am very jealous because I want to be able to walk in heels that high.  She has assured me that they are really comfortable but I think I am going to take her word for it........

If you invest in the June edition of Marie Claire, you can get 25% off at Kurt Geiger, so make sure to grab a copy and get your discount, plus you get the added bonus of a free Body Shop lip stain, so its a win win situation!

There are also some Bank Holiday discounts around if you fancy a little online purchase:

10% off and free returns at The White Company here.

25% off dresses at Kew.159 until midnight on Monday here.

Free worldwide shipping at Heidi Klein until midnight Tuesday here.

I had a little browse of the new No.1 by Jenny Packham range, the new addition to the Designers at Debenhams stable and was very impressed by a collection that would be perfect for both bridesmaid and wedding guest with a plethora of pretty sparkly accessories, bags, hair pieces, shoes along with some beautiful dresses which appear to be selling out fast as my favourite one has now sold out and is sadly no longer on the site.

Check out the collection here.

Whatever you are doing this weekend my lovelies, have a great bank holiday.