Thursday Weddings

Dress: French Connection

Blazer: Zara

Bag: Next

Shoes: Kurt Geiger

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After a mad dash home from our Gretna overnight, Craig and I were heading to one of his friends wedding receptions - we really did need a week off with all the madness! We were only going to the evening reception, as we already had our overnight booked before the invitations came out but to be honest we were pretty glad. We have been to so many weddings in the last year, full day events, it was quite nice to be popping along in the evening. 

Craig bought me these beautiful Kurt Geiger shoe boots with are a gorgeous nude ankle boot with a neon pink sol. They are absolutely stunning! I originally tried on the black version with the neon yellow sole months ago and didn't like them on (I really need to realise neon and I are not friends). I love nude shoes - i'm sure you will have all guessed by now - so the pop of pink colour makes a nice change!

Knowing I wanted to wear these shoes, I grabbed this beautiful grey sequin dress from French Connection out the old cupboard. Now I am not a pink girl, at all, but something about this dress caught my attention! It is a super flattering fit, the material is light and comfortable, I love the tie at the waste to which I pull over some material to create a hanging effect. I'm a huge fan of FCUK dresses and always find the heavier the dress, the better it sits.

To finish off the look I grabbed my white Zara blazer to keep the outfit light and summery, perfect for a Summer wedding!

Let me know what you think!

Lori x

Back To The 18th's

Dress: Topshop

Belt: Vintage

Shoes: Primark

Just like Friday, Saturday was spent running around as I was on a tight schedule. I was running an event in work, it was my Mum's birthday and then at night we were heading off to Craig's younger cousins 18th birthday party. As you can imagine, I was absolutely knackered after work and a disco nap was most definitely needed.

The weather has been lovely over the weekend (obviously, whilst I was stuck in work) and so I decided to opt for a coral, wrap dress for a bright summer style! I love this dress, I actually had to track it down last year as every time I went in store, it wasn't there! I always find wrap dresses to be the most flattering. To break the dress up I popped on a gold twisted belt, I bought this from a vintage store in London a few years ago, everyone always comments on it.  

Was a fun night and I actually managed to stay awake well past my bed time! 

Lori x

Malawi Ball

Dress: French Connection

Bag: New Look

Shoes: Primark

If you saw me at any point last Friday you would have noticed I was running around like a headless chicken! I went straight from work to a Malawi Charity Dinner - we girls need time to get ready! With it being an important event I decided to dress appropriately and pull out this French Connection number. It is actually a little large on the top for me (Mum always said my boobs would grow, still waiting on that happening after 21 years...). It is boned on the inside to it pulls everything in and keep it all in place. The dress itself is quite heavy with all of the beading, but I love that, I always find the heavier the dress the better it will sit and hang. 

For my bag, I chose this envelope style clutch with block colours; Navy, grey and black. I felt the blue lifted the colours on the dress. Also love an oversized clutch, fits everything you need! Then, as always, keeping it simple on the shoe front with my very trusted nudes.

Was such a lovely evening raising money for a great cause. Our table won tickets to The Eagles and a huge bottle of Moet, which later went over two at the table - most hilarious opening of a champagne bottle i've witnessed (apologise to anyone who may have been smacked with the cork, it went firing into the sky). 

Lori x

Bank Holiday Outing

Top // Necklace // Short: Zara

Shoes: Primark

Watch: Michael Kors

Finally a weekend off, even better than it fell on the bank holiday when a lot of us were off work. I obviously had to take advantage! Headed out on Saturday night and decided I wanted to wear something a little different than my usual safe option - a dress. Found this top in Zara and fell in love. I love the bright orange colour, so summery, and the half crop, half full top. Very different to anything I own and would usually wear. Flashing just enough flesh whilst concealing everything that needs to be hidden! 

No summer look is complete without the obligated denim shorts. Got these last summer from Zara again, I do have to wear the belt or they would fall down! Not what anyone wants to see. They are baggy, so they don't cling around the thighs. This will definitely be one of my festival looks, minus the heels obviously!

To tie in with the orange and blue theme (I seem to be loving this combination of late) I popped on my tribal statement necklace with the orange and blue bands. I love this necklace, it is so bold and really adds effect. Finishing off with my standard nude shoes, creating the look of a longer leg, although they make me look like a giraffe in some of these photos - i'm actually very small in person! 

Had a brilliant night out with good friends and plenty of alcohol! We've got to take advantage of having a Saturday off don't we? Retail problems!

Did you have a good holiday weekend?

Lori x

London and The Gaucho Grill

On Friday night, after a fun-filled day of shopping and walking in the sunshine and lots of frozen yoghurt, we headed off to a restaurant that had been recommended to us. We were pre-warned it would be busy so had already booked in advance. Getting off at London Bridge we couldn't quite work out where to go to find the restaurant - how people functioned without Goggle Maps I honestly don't know. Eventually after walking up and back down a street I stopped passersby who pointed us into the right direction. Walking along the path we spotted Tower Bridge and I knew we had to be in the right place. The Gaucho Grill is a modern, stylish restaurant overlooking the bridge. The view was gorgeous and the staff were all lovely and welcoming. We had already stated on booking it was for my 21st and every staff member wished me a Happy Birthday which was lovely. Our waiter brought over a board of different cuts of steak, asked which cut we liked and how we liked it cooked then recommended what he thought was best. I have to say the steaks, both mine and Craig's, were fantastic! Well worth the money - let's just say it's not the cheapest place but they were possibly the best steak I've ever had.

Dress: Zara

Shoes: Kurt Geiger

Dress wise I went for this flared Zara number. I love how it begins to flare out at the waste, perfect for any self-concious ladies out there - Very flattering around the waist / tummy area. The neckline is absolutely gorgeous and quite different to your staple straps. I also love the coral colour and simplicity of the block colour. Moving into Spring/ Summer it's time to pop those LBD's back in the closet and play around with some colour. You may have noticed that lately I have been wearing a lot of plain clothes as opposed to prints and patterns, I just find them so wearable and versatile. You cannot go wrong with a block colour outfit. My Kurt Geigers (again) making an appearance as I only brought one pair of heels that I could pop on with anything and these babies ticked that box! Make-up wise I kept it pretty understated and opted for big, bouncy hair instead. I have found a new holy grail product for my limp hair and will do a review of it over the next week!

Before we left, the restaurant brought over a plate which read 'Happy Birthday' and gave me a selection of different chocolates. This was without Craig even asking or prompting for anything - was a really nice touch and made the evening that little more special!

Overall, we were both really impressed with Gaucho Grill and would highly recommend to any steak lovers out there. I will say that the restaurant is very loud, with the music and then everyone trying to talk over it. We liked it because it gave lots of atmosphere about the place however, if you don't like the hustle and bustle of London/ dining then this is not for you.

Have you been to Gaucho Grill?

Lori x

London and Beyonce

My 21st Birthday has been getting dragged out since the actual date on 26th December and finally, my present from Craig arrived. A few nights down in London, one in which I got to go see Beyonce - can we all take a moment to appreciate how good this present was? And I have to say she was all I had hoped for and more. Had me smiling from ear to ear from the start to finish, Jay Z appearing on stage was another bonus. If you never got the chance to go and see her on this tour, I highly recommend you go next time! 

Dress: Dorothy Perkins

Necklace: French Connection

Shoes: Kurt Geiger

Bracelet: Thomas Sabo

Outfit wise I went for this gorgeous pastel blue shift dress which I spotted in Dorothy Perkins and knew that it had to be mine. I love the plain pastel shade, they are everywhere this spring, and the cut is so flattering. Luckily when we were down South the weather was fantastic - wouldn't be hard consider I live in Scotland where it snows 70% of the time! So this shade was perfect for the sunshine! My parents bought this necklace for my Christmas and I haven't worn it out yet as it is hard to style, however I loved the statement necklace against the dress. Shoe wise I opted for my trusty Kurt Geiger heels, so comfortable yet stylish. When walking to and from tube stations sensible shoes are a necessity. Fortunately, our hotel was only a 10 minute walk, if that, from the tube station so I didn't have to suffer for long!

Make-up wise I wanted to keep it bright and natural. Created a pastel smokey eye with my Urban Decay Vice 2 palette, it is filled with so many usual, colourful shades you could create any look you want. Lips I used my new YSL Lip stain in shade 2 - a neutral, pink colour for a 'my lip colour with some extra va-va-voom' look. I still can't believe that I got to see Beyonce live! The full night was insane. Her dancers, the outfits, the sound, the show - everything was perfect! You can see exactly why she is the best in the world.

Hope you like this look!

Lori x

Ashtree House

Valentine's Day came a day later for myself and Craig. Due to work and his cousin's engagement party we decided to treat the following day as our V.Day. Having just had both our 21 birthdays at the end of the year, we decided that none of us needed any presents - the surprise bouquet that turned up at my door on Friday doesn't count, apparently! So we decided to head away on an overnight, spend some time together and that's exactly what we did! We headed to the Ashtree House Hotel in Paisley which is a beautiful country house situated just off the main street. On arrival we were greeted by the lovely owners and shown our room on the first floor. When I opened the door we were both completely blown away, the room was absolutely beautiful and huge - as was the bathroom! Equipped with a flat screen TV, couch, king size bed (which FYI, is possibly the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in) a walk-in, power shower and the largest bath ever! The roof and some of the walls could have done with a quick lick of paint but for what we paid for the overnight it was nothing we couldn't put up with. We also had a gorgeous view over the town, we had definitely found a little hidden gem!

Most of the hotel guests were heading to a wedding and so the hotel restaurant was closed for the evening. We were recommended a restaurant at the bottom of the road and after a quick look on trip advisor and spotting that it was #1 out of 97, we quickly booked our table! We headed off to Cardosi's, literally at the bottom of the ridiculously steep hill our hotel was on, and were welcomed with open arms. The food was delicious but the portions were far too much! I had the Chicken Balmoral, chicken and haggis in a peppercorn sauce on top of a slab of veg and mash, however I was given two chicken breasts stuffed to the brim with haggis and a mountain of mash. I was only able to finish one of the breasts and even that was a struggle. Craig opted for steak and could only eat the meat, none of the extras that came with, it looked as though we had hardly touched our meals because there was so much waste.

Outfit wise I popped on a pastel pink slip dress, floaty and cute for Valentine's, then threw the lilac cardigan on top as the straps are so thin I wasn't entirely comfortable flashing so much flesh. I had spent so long curling my hair then ended up throwing it into a messy ballerina bun - typical! I thought it went well with the softness of the dress, pulled some strands loose and voila, job done. Make-up was kept simple too, I have been enjoying a more natural look and only using products to enhance my features as opposed to slapping it all on!

*Cute Valentine's Photo*

After the best nights sleep in the world's most comfortable bed, we headed to breakfast and of course had to have a fry up. Been a while since I have had a full breakfast but oh my, it was delcious! The staff were very friendly and attentive, nothing was too much. We sat at the window to enjoy the view and the sun was shining brightly, nothing but perfect! If you are ever in the area, looking for a lovely getaway or even a place close to the airport for a quick stop-off then I would highly recommend the Ashtree House Hotel. 

Hope you like this post!

Lori x

Engagements and Lace

Jumpsuit: Need That Look

Shoes: Primark

Belt // Bag: River Island

This Valentine's Day was spent with lots of loved ones. With a week off work I was able to head round to my Gran's house and join the Friday Club once again, then heading to an Engagement party at night, through in Linlithgow with my boyfriends family. Since it was Valentine's Day, the day of love, it had to be some form of pink or red ensemble.

I instantly fell in love with this gorgeous pink, lace jumpsuit, similar to Lucy Meckleburgh from Towie's. Jumpsuits have been something I have grown to love. They are unbelievably comfortable to wear and you never need to worry about anything being on show or too short. The only downside is when you are heading to the loo, but that's hardly enough to put me off!

The pink lace was a little much so I popped on this gold and black belt to break it up and add some dimension. It also creates some curves. I decided to stick with nude shoes as they blended with the nude fabric and created the illusion of longer legs. Tying it all together with a gold clutch bag!

I wanted to keep my make-up quite natural and understated so I used my Double Wear as a base to give me flawless, airbrushed skin.I always use this foundation when heading to a special occasion, it doesn't budge and gives such a beautiful finish. Sculpted with my Sleek contour palette then added lots of Benefit's High beam to the cheek bones. I also used the bronzer on the lids of my eyes to add some dimension. The only statement I used was on my lips with Rimmel's Apocalypse Lip Lacquer in 102 Nova.

What did you all get up to for Valentine's Day?

Let me know what you think of this look?

Lori x

Swinging Sixties

Blazer: Marks and Spencers

Dress: Missguided

Tights // Boots: Primark

Earings: Swarovski

An unexpected afternoon lunch was on the cards this dreary Monday afternoon when my Mum invited me along to join her and her friend for lunch - Who am I to turn down a free lunch?

I always have and probably always will, love the sixties era. There is something so beautiful and chic about the style that I just adore. The women of the sixties weren't afraid to wear bold colours and patterns or experiment with crazy eye make-up - think I was born in the wrong era. When I saw this high neck skater dress on Missguided I knew that it had to be mine! Due to the cold weather it was essential to pop on thick black tights, although the dress is on the short side, I'm sure tights would be on regardless. It's funny though, white is never a colour I opt for regularly, in fact it's probably a rare occurrence you would catch me in the shade resembling my snow-like skin - I always feel that it can wash me out. However, there was something about this dress that made it into my basket and quickly hit the 'check-out' button before I could turn back!

This blazer was a present for Christmas which I haven't had a chance to wear yet. Lets be honest, it has been far too cold to step outside without a ski suit on, never mind a blazer. Two, my blazer may be ridiculously pretty but it is also ridiculously hard to pair with anything patterned. Noting that I was wearing a plain white dress I seized the opportunity to pull this off the hanger, I think I heard it squeal with excitement about it's first (of many) outings!

You may have noticed that I have been messing around with my photos over the last few weeks. I am trying all different things; outdoors, indoors, settings, styles - trying to find what's best for me. I'll get there eventually! If you have a preferred style then please let me know what you like best?

Lori x

The Importance of a Good Bra

This is a post I would never have thought about writing. In all honesty, up until about two weeks ago I didn't even think I had much of a chest, never mind finding a good bra for it. So, with it coming up to Valentine's Day and many ladies heading off to treat themselves (and maybe some boyfriends) to some new undies, here's a little story for you all. You may want to pop the kettle on...

A few weeks ago I met with one of my closest friends who I hadn't seen for quite a while. One of those pairings where you may not see each other quite as often as we would like, not through lack of trying, but we stay in completely different places and both work full time jobs which means meeting for lunch sometimes just isn't feasible or as easy as it sounds. When we did meet it was like we had seen each other only the other day - that's the type of friendship that we all need!

On this particular meeting I was telling her that the previous night I had decided it was high time I emptied my underwear drawers and get rid of all the mutant knickers in there, the ones that haven't seen daylight since I was around 12 - Lord knows why they are still there, probably couldn't get them over one leg! On doing this, I noticed that my bra sizes ranged from ridiculously small (talking smallest size possible) to ridiculously big (who was I kidding?) and coming to the realisation that, at the grand old age of 21, I still do not know my actual size of bra. 

We headed off to Debenhams, after doing some research and discovering they are rated the highest for most accurate size. For some ladies, getting a bra fitting can be quite daunting, but the lady from Debenhams put me right at ease from the get go. She never made me feel uncomfortable or self-conscious at any moment - big up for Debenhams Glasgow. On inspecting the god awful bra I decided to wear that day, she pointed out that a) it was far too small for me (yay!) and b) the dangers of wearing a bra that didn't fit properly.

With it being too small, the wire pushes your breast to the side and in the worst case scenario can cause lumps which we all know, can mean Breast Cancer. This struck a chord with me. How could I have been so unaware of the dangers of something that I use everyday? That is obviously the worst case scenario, there are in fact many other health risks at hand such as; tension across shoulders and neck, headaches and even spinal problems - all of which I would like to avoid! Not only that, the difference it made when I popped on the size I should have been wearing, unbelievable! 

So please ladies, lets avoid any of these risks and go do something so simple but so effective - plus it's free! It genuinely takes a grand total of around 10 minutes and the women of Debenhams (probably most places that do fittings) are more than happy to pick out a selection of bras for you to try on. Go get your bra fitted - then treat yourself to some new undies! With it being Valentines just a few days away I have chosen some of my favourite pairings as inspiration;

 

 

 
Click the images to take you to the products!

Lori x

Edinburgh and Cocktails

Dress: Versace

Shoes: Topshop

Watch: Michael Kors

Continuing on from my previous Edinburgh post here we are with the evening look! We were heading off to a cocktail making class and dinner at Le Monde and were alerted that the dress code was to be 'Cocktail Dresses'. This is a dress that my Mum used to wear before passing down her pieces to me - nothing better than being able to get my Mum's old frocks, love that we are similar size and have similar taste! I haven't worn this Versace number before as, well - it's Versace! It isn't one for the dancing really, lets be honest. So with the dress code, I found it only too appropriate to dust off the cobwebs from sitting in the back of my wardrobe. Perfect timing with one of the latest and biggest trends of the season being Pastels. 

Who wouldn't love this unusual neckline? I have never seen a dress like it, so delicate and elegant. The fit of the dress is absolutely perfect too - not too fitted, not too loose! Going along with the pastel theme I popped on my pink heels from Topshop and teamed with a grey clutch (never got a photo with the bag unfortunately). 

Make-up for the evening

There was no other palette I could possibly opt for than the Urban Decay Naked 3. The rose gold based shades were the perfect natural colours for an understated, delicate look. For my lips I used 'Pale Mauve' by Bobbi Brown to keep my lips neutral but the pink base still gives a slick of colour. Hair wise, I straightened and pinned back the front layers loosely to give a softer look to the overall outfit.

Lori x