The Ultimate Transitional Piece...knitwear

8.31.2018

Jumper - M&S
Jeans - M&S
Shoes - M&S

Style Theory: Jumpers rock my world for this time of year they are perfect, in the warmer days wear with shorts and sandals, in the colder days with jeans and boots..

The king of all the transitional jumpers is the breton and this cashmere breton from M&S is the dream jumper to take you from summer to winter.. 



Super soft, washable!! and a great fit - I am wearing my normal size 10. I cannot tell you how much I love M&S cashmere sweaters, I have four of them, a couple I have had for a few years and they look as good as new.

The jeans are a great fit, high waisted (on me as I am short) a great length and wash. I sized down to a size 8 and they are pretty neat on me but I think after a wear or two they will not feel quite so tight!
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I love a pair of animal print shoes, you cannot go wrong with these, they go with everything from jeans to floral dresses and I love them clashed with sripes..

A few other pieces of knitwear I love in M&S at the moment...
Jumper - M&S £29.50
Earrings - M&S - in store

M&S £29.50
Slightly Ganni-esque jumper for a fraction of the price, wear part tucked into the side of jeans with trainers.
M&S £32.50
Another great sweater, I bought a similar one last year from H&M that I spent months tracking down. The perfect slouchy shape and autumnal colours.
M&S Cashmere £89
Either a black or red cashmere polo neck is an autumn luxury must have. I buy a size or two bigger as I love my jumpers slouchy, pair with neat fitting ankle length jeans and a pair of white stan smiths for a timeless, chic look.
M&S £125
Love the slouchy look of this cashmere jumper, the curved hem sits great over leather leggings/ trousers.
M&S  - Cashmere £75
I am loving a touch of camel this year, again size up, wear with jeans, trainers and a pale blue scarf..perfect..

Bring on jumper weather....

This blogpost was written in collaboration with M&S as part of monthly paid partnership, all opinions, product selection and imagery are my own.

The Future is......

8.23.2018

Zimmerman AW18
Rochas AW18/19
Celine AW18
Loewe AW18
Style Theory: ....Brown... Yes folks, it is the Autumn/Winter where brown is stepping forward as the star of the show. It is being dressed up in all types of more attractive sounding names such as taupe, caramel, rust, toffee?! but, basically, brown is back and you will see it all over the high street this season.

So from someone who wore the most revolting brown school uniform (St Philomena's School for Girls!) I find brown a little hard to get on board with it. Having said that, I think it is the colours you pair with it that can take from ghastly school uniform to something quite sophisticated, I am thinking browns paired with blues, with hints of pink or red and of course animal print, is the ideal way to bring a touch of brown into your wardrobe..so here's the best on the highstreet..
Topshop £49
This is bound to be another sell out Topshop dress, perfect now with tan flat sandals in the winter pair with black or tan knee high 70s style boots.
Topshop £34
A less full-on take on the trend, this top perfect for the summer with denim shorts and into autumn with jeans and sandals, easy to wear and style.
Topshop £49
Also big news this season..snakeprint, add a splash to your wardrobe to tick off two trends at once.
Topshop £49
The best colour combination, brown and a turquoise blue, I am still a huge fan of a pj style top, they are super comfy and look chic. I would wear with skinny, ankle length jeans and blue shoes.
&Other Stories £89
Old skool, teacher chic..wear with a black vest top, jeans and tan sandals now, wear with a black polo, jeans and high heel boots in the winter.
&Other Stories £59
Love a combo of brown and red, the perfect mix.
Zara £29.99
I bought this skirt, it is gorgeous rich colour, great material and has pockets...but..I bought a medium and it is too small so have to size up two sizes to a large. Seriously, Zara sizing is all over the place!! It is really annoying as I hate no.1) taking things back no.2) having to size up two sizes.. Anyway I will reorder in large.
H&M £34.99
Love this dress and it would work in the winter with knee high tan boots and a biker jacket.
H&M £34.99
I am a fan of an off the shoulder jumper, it reminds me of the slinky looks of the 80s..pair with skinny jeans and knee high tan boots for a 80s/90s look.
Zara £39.99
Love this whole look, especially the slouchy jumper, looks fab with the snakeskin skirt..
 
So there is a quick round up for my first of my Summer to Autumn blog posts. I really believe in buying things that can be worn all seasons, it just makes your clothes work harder for you and means we all end up spending less money on things we are unable to wear. I am definitely up for adding a little brown/toffee/caramel to my wardrobe, it will add a warm Autumnal feel to my last years clothes..

What are your thoughts on brown..do you, like me, shudder a little when the colour is mentioned due to memories of a revolting school uniform? As always I love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Fran xx

Beauty and Skincare at QVC...

8.01.2018

Earrings - BohoBetty @QVC £15
Bag - BohoBetty @QVC £40.50
Lipstick - Julep Duo @QVC £24
Blouse - Topshop £29
Sunglasses - Old
Style Theory: QVC is an aladdin's cave of all things beauty, they stock so many different products from skincare to beauty, all at pretty amazing prices. I was asked by QVC to try a few products out and was overwhelmed by the choice. They have everything from Elemis, to Tan Luxe to The Ordinary to Tula so here is a quick round up of my favourite products....
Julep Whipped Matt Lip Mousse Duo £24
This Julep lip mousse is amazing, I love it, the colour is vibrant, it feels amazing on and lasts and lasts, I know I have mentioned it before but for me it really is a hero product.. I am wearing the 'amore' lip mousse in the photo above..
Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm £53
This is the most beautiful cleansing balm, I have finally got my head around using balms rather than (slightly naughty) cleansing wipes. I had a facial recently and the beautician used this, my face felt incredible afterwards, my skin looked clear and glowing. This is a supersize pot so extra good value.
The Ordinary 5 Piece Retinoid Collection £41.52
The cult skincare brand 'The Ordinary' is well worth trying, reasonably priced and actually works - I had no idea QVC stocked this brand and love this 5 piece collection. Nadine Baggott persuaded me to try Hyaluronic acid (she is the beauty and skincare expert) and I absolutely love it, I use it on my forehead and around my eyes (not too near though). Definitely the perfect set to set aside for the autumn as Retinoid is to be avoided in the sun or used with high sun creams..
Alpha H Liquid Gold Resurfacing Body Cloths Duo £33
These are the most amazing find, they are incredible!! They are like babywipes with one rough side which you rub over (dry) skin and it exfoliates it, making it perfect to fake tan then turn it over to the smooth side and it lightly moisturises. Honestly, it is amazing, it works so well, my skin feels so soft afterwards. I gave one of my duo packs to my sister to try (as I like having a couple of opinions) and she called me after she had used them absolutely raving about them! I will definitely be buying these when mine run out..
Vita Liberata Body Blue Sunless Glow £32.84
I have been a fan of Vita Liberata body blur for a while, and this is a step up as it is a fake tan as well as having all the original body blur abilities to literally disguise every flaw, bruise, thread vein on my legs. It gives me a lasting tan too, I love it, super easy to apply with a mitt and I am ready to go. Perfect for any event and the fact it washes off to reveal a lovely glow is a bonus. This is a supersize bottle so will last and last.
Philip Kingsley Elderflower and Rhubarb 3 Piece Hair Collection £49
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer is another iconic product, raved about by beauty journalist and a must have if your hair needs a strengthening boost. I pop it on once a week before I wash my hair and apart from smelling divine it helps strengthen my hair and gives it a lovely shine. The shampoo and conditioner are great for giving volume and shine, I have quite fine hair so have to intersperse this with other lighter shampoos to avoid my hair being weighed down. They all smell amazing.
Tan Luxe Wonder Oil £35
This self tan has had really mixed reviews, I have used it quite a few times on my legs and found it gave me a beautiful even colour. It is an oil, which I found a little strange as I have always used a mousse, but it was easy to apply with the roller ball then used my hands to blend (and made sure I washed them straight afterwards) I have a base tan which this enhanced but I found as the oil is clear it was slightly tricky to work out where I had applied and where I hadn't. It is one for the self tan experts, if you are a novice I think a mousse with a colour in it so you can see where  you have applied a better option.
Gatineau Tan Accelerating Lotion £48.96
This lotion is fab, you put it on for two weeks before going on holiday then in the evenings to enhance and prolong your tan. It smells lovely and as this is a supersize bottle, lasts forever.
Julep Skip the Brush Blush in Peony Pink £17
Jess and I have been sharing this, it is a cream blush that turns into a powder, it gives me a lovely healthy glow, Jess uses it on her lips too it looks super cute!

These are the fab products I have tried so far so can honestly report back on, but I have a few more to try so will keep you updated...absolutely love working with QVC they have the most huge assortment of goodies, from steam mops (obvs) to the most beautiful jewellery to homewear...it is official, I am hooked...


*This blogpost was written in collaboration with QVCuk all opinions, product selection and reviews are my own.