one jacket I wouldn't be without!

Well.....I actually have three versions of a similar kind of thing! This is the perfect inbetween-y weather style though. It ticks a lot of boxes for me. The colour for starters....there ain't many shades that khaki doesn't go with......it's such a neutral! This style can also straddle anything from smart to casual......it's so versatile! Whether you go for the camo print or just plain khaki there aren't many outfits this jacket doesn't compliment. It's the good old army shackett. Today's blogpost has been inspired by my two most recent ensembles. I've had a Zara camo jacket for about four or five years now. It's an absolute classic. Miss Selfridge have done something similar this season.

Miss Selfridge jacket

red alert!

There are two things I'm having a moment with currently......red and ballet pumps! It all started with the Topshop red Kick ballet flats. They have already earned their pay-per-wear.....and then some! It's amazed me that introducing that smidgen of colour has lifted so many of my outfits recently.....and now it's given me the confidence to get a bit bolder thus bringing more colour into my wardrobe. The minute I clapped eyes on this red coat today, I knew immediately it would come home with me. I will just interject here that I would not have looked at this twice online......not keen on the way Zara have styled it.

all that's missing are a few pretty tops!

I realise I may be being slightly optimistic here as as I sit here writing this post you could be mistaken for thinking it was November and not March! However as we should be heading towards being able to disregard our coats and knits sometime soon, I decided it might be a good time to review my recent purchases and see what's missing. I've stocked up on jeans, added a few jackets, even a couple of dresses but the one area I haven't made too many purchases is tops and blouses. As I popped into my local River Island over the weekend to try on the duster coat from my last post (though alas they didn't have it! 😞) I did happen across some more very tempting things....resulting in a new top purchase! Voila!

duster love

Not of the housework variety I might add! 😄. This look has been on my radar for a while....I've stowed the inspiration on my Pinterest board Style Notes waiting for the Spring to come around in the hope of being able to find the right kind of coat to replicate these. Love the dressed down styling....such an easy piece to wear over jeans.

just love ~ chambers & beau

A few weeks back I got it into my head that I'd like to bring something a bit different to the blog. A little idea started to germinate and eventually I plucked up the courage to ask the lovely Amy from Chambers & Beau jewellery if I could pay her a visit to see her at work. I have a couple of really gorgeous pieces from Amy that I'm always being complimented on and as Mother's Day is looming I thought it would be great to share some of the beautiful, bespoke, personalized gifts you can find at Chambers & Beau.  Previous to meeting up, Amy and I had only communicated a few times via messaging but I got that feeling we'd get along. Thankfully when I arrived at her studio, (I was a bag of nerves not helped by the 3 hour drive and a wrong turn!) we did indeed hit it off. I did warn her in advance that I can chat for England and she may need to chuck me out! See..... I wasn't wrong was I Amy? Anyway, here we are.....

a statement jacket......and some dress success!

Since Spring appears to be with us at last (please tell me this is not just a fleeting visit!) it's time to shed the coats. Yay! I am welcoming jacket season with open arms. Every year I seem to end up with a statement jacket of sorts. Remember the rather iconic Zara floral quilted jacket from a few years back? That still gets lots of lovely compliments. Last year it was the turn of the Stradivarius satin reversible bomber. This year it's all about the lady-like tweed jacket

gold-on!

The color du jour......yellow. This sunny shade is well and truly on my radar and I'm desperate to get a little injection of it in my wardrobe. Originally I had set my heart on getting myself a coat or jacket but having tried a few different shades I'm not sure I've found the right one yet.......or whether I have the confidence to carry it off since I'm a bit shy when it comes to anything bright!  However, since I have had a lot of success with all things red of late I figure the easiest way to incorporate a little of this colour into my wardrobe is by way of a new bag!

H&M bag

beauty revolution!

Heck......I'm not really qualified for this kind of stuff as.....hands-up I'm generally a cheap skate when it comes to skincare (preferring that old Carrie Bradshaw adage "I like my money right where I can see it.....hanging in my closet!") but that's exactly why this post is so relevant. The products I have ordered below all come in at under £8! Grazia magazine is to blame for revealing these bargainous beauty secrets. This week's edition has bought The Ordinary to my attention. Grazia has done a fabulous article called *Oh Hi - Lo Beauties* regarding "beauty dupes, namely products of comparable quality to their luxe counterparts". Naturally that little one-liner got me hooked on finding out more! I've zoned in on this brand in particular that there seems to be a real buzz about them at the moment. What makes this stuff even more appealing is that rather handily it's available on ASOS......if you have their Premier delivery (thoroughly worth £9.99 a year for unlimited next day delivery I might add!) all I can say is happy days as my order is currently winging it's way to me.  As I say, I'm no expert but I've ordered these three products to start off with as going by their descriptions they seem most suited to my skin. If you'd like to learn a little more about this brand I've found a fascinating post by Caroline Hirons here. I would recommend reading the comments to give you some honest reviews. I promise to report back once I've been using these for a while. These are the three products I'm going to trial first........

The top product is The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors + HA 30ml,  Aims to protect and hydrate your skin Non-greasy formula Lightweight creamy texture. Contains 11 amino acids.
The Middle product is The Ordinary Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 30ml,  Aims to brighten skin. Lightweight creamy texture Highly concentrated formula Contains vitamin C to illuminate your complexion and reduce signs of ageing. Apply to face morning and evening.
The Bottom product is The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2% 30ml, Mild 5% Lactic Acid superficial peeling formulation Offers very mild exfoliation. Reduces signs of inflammation and sensitivity. Contains purified Tasmanian pepperberry. Apply once per day, ideally in the evening. Can be diluted with other treatments to reduce strength. 
I have high hopes for The Ordinary skincare, I'm a huge fan of the Aldi Lacura Caviar products so I'm excited to see if The Ordinary lives up to expectations!
Anyone one else tried this brand? Perhaps you know of some other great drug-store price brands.....care to share?
As per, I shall leave you with an outfit round-up!

Topshop coat, past season, alternative here

H&M sweater, past season similar here

M&S trousers, here

Office Brogues, past season similar here

Zara coat, past season alternative here

YunionT white t-shirt, here

Zara Cardigan, past season alternative here

Gap trousers, past season similar here

Nike Blazers, here

Longchamp bag, here

Topshop coat, past season alternative here

H&M sweater, similar here

La Redoute ruffle neck shirt, here

Gap trousers, past season similar here

Office Brogues, here

Longchamp bag, here

Mango jacket, via Cancer Research, alternative here

Jaeger sweater, here

Gap jeans, here

Topshop Kick pumps, here

Balenciaga bag, similar here

Anyone joining me in placing an order for The Ordinary?

Normal service resumes.....as in all things clothing and shoe related next post!

Wishing everyone a fab weekend.....back soon!