Summer Fashion | Ted Baker Bikini

I've been going on about this super cute bikini from the start of my blog and early this week it finally arrived! Eeeek!! I've taken a few photos to show how it really looks as I'm sure everyone knows that website photos don't quite show things how they really are. I know, I know... I should've taken a picture of myself in it to really show what it looks like but far too many chocolate bars have been consumed for that so no such photo shall be posted I'm afraid (sincerest apologies). 

Anyway it is gorgeous!! In true glam style it arrived in a cute Ted Baker cardboard box packaged ever so nicely with tissue and protective covers. I'm not usually the type of person to make such extravagant purchases and needless to say my mum has already made a comment or two about 'watching what I spend' - oops! Sorry mum! And at ahem... £68 it was certainly not a cheap buy! Butttt it certainly is a good example of you get what you pay for. I bought Ted size 2 - equivalent to size 10 - which is my normal size and it fits perfectly! No unsightly muffin top like you can get with ill-fitting bikini bottoms and the underwired top is the perfect shape. All round fabulous.

It's not quite as pastel as it appears on the website but it is still pale pink and ever so cute with it's girly floral pattern. The clasp at the back is Rose gold in colour (I love rose gold so this was a bonus!!) and is engraved with the logo. I could go on forever but if you're after a high end bikini for your summer holiday this is certainly a brilliant choice! It is worth every penny. If, similar to myself, you've struggled to find any bikinis you like this year, I think it's worth investing in one that you'll keep rather than 2/3 that you'll only use for one holiday. 

Here's a few photos in natural light :) let me know if you've found any similar bikinis (preferably cheaper!!). Or if you've got any questions about the fit or style let me know! 

P.s how cute are the little mini hangers  that came with it?! 

What have you all bought for your summer holidays? :) 

Lots of love, 

Little Vintage Rose

Xx 

My Guide to | Underwear Shopping!

Just writing the title to this post made me blush ever so slightly! I best start off by saying that the subject of underwear (and ...ahem ...similar topics) are not something I often discuss. Some might say I'm even a little old fashioned when it comes to such things as I still feel (at the old age of 20) a little uncomfortable in underwear shops or departments. I'm not too sure why I do as I absolutely adore pretty underwear sets and nothing gives me more confidence for a day than knowing I've got a lovely matching set on! (Even if I am the only one that knows!) It somehow makes me feel like I have my life in order when my underwear matches - I hope that's not just me ... anyone?

Until just over a year ago I avoided all specific underwear shops, full stop. No exceptions. I just wasn't comfortable being asked by the lovely shop assistants - "Are you okay there?" or "what is it you're looking for today?" - as I wasn't one hundred percent sure of the answer to either. Until one day, whilst shopping in the Bullring I saw the cutest underwear set (or at least the cutest that I had seen up until then) beautifully displayed in the shop window and decided that I had to go in! Of course, I felt utterly uncomfortable but braved it anyway to get my hands on the cute pink set in the window. Since then I have grown to love underwear shopping and have developed a few top tips of how to feel happy and clued up to buy underwear, so thought I would share them with you just in case anyone feels the same way too!

My Top Tips

1. Know what you're looking for
I know that this made sound fairly simple but this was the biggest break through for me. When I first went in to Boux Avenue for the pretty pink set I knew what I wanted - the one in the window. If you know what you are roughly after you can ask for it if you can't find it and you can easily navigate to the section of the shop or department that you're after. The easiest way to know what you're looking for is to have a browse on the internet first.

2. Try them on in a few sizes 
As tempting as it can be to just pick up your usual size and save the hassle of trying a few sizes of bra on, I would recommend you always do so. The sizes vary from shop to shop so much that if you want it to be comfortable and worth the money, it's definitely worth a few minutes to just try them on.

3. If you want a fitting - get one! It will be worth it
If no matter how hard you try, you can't find a bra that fits, it's definitely worth getting a fitting. Boux Avenue are great for this. I would however recommend that you know if you do or don't want to have a fitting before you go so you can be firm if you don't want one!! Or take up the opportunity easily if you do. It's far less embarrassing than you probably think.

4. Take somebody with you
Whether it's your mum, daughter, sister or best friend, it's such a great idea to take someone with you. I feel so much more comfortable having a chat with my sister whilst deciding which underwear set I like most - plus it means the shop assistants are a little bit less likely to keep asking you questions

5. Have a browse
It may not seem like a usual thing to do to browse for a while but it's just what you do in every other shop so why not! There's often little extras like cute pyjamas to have a look at too - or even bikinis if you're feeling brave! Remember the shop assistants are just trying to sell you stuff, not make you feel uncomfortable - say you're 'just looking'!

So I thought I'd end by telling you my top three places to shop for underwear. I myself am a smaller size (34B/Size10)  in underwear and as such can't overly comment on how well structured the bra's are or whether they fit well for those wanting bigger sizes, however two out of my top three places do most certainly stock a wide range of cup and back sizes so it's worth having a browse!

I do have the matching pants to all of these but I thought I'd just show the patterns/styles! ☺
Top two are from Tesco (£8 each)
Bottom three are from Boux Avenue (£18-£26)

1. Boux Avenue
This is by far my favourite place to shop for underwear. They have super cute sets and bring out new ranges often so there's always something new to have a look at. Their changing rooms are adorable and even have different lighting levels (if you do so wish to try them out). I often go for the 'no lights' to show me at my best (har har har *posh laugh*). I shop at the Birmingham store and have always found the staff to be very friendly and helpful without interfering too much - you can go and try on what you want in the fitting rooms without being forced into a compulsory bra fitting that you most certainly did not want! The other bonus of Boux Avenue is that the sets more often than not have the choice of a full brief or a thong. I personally prefer the brief style bottoms for an underwear set and struggle to find pretty sets in some shops that offer that option. If you're looking for pretty underwear this is certainly the place to go, but maybe not so much if you're a plain underwear person who isn't fussed of frills - although they do have some pretty good multiway and strapless bra's too.I've bought sets from around £20 a set to £50 here depending on what offers and sales are on at the time, so there's quite a range of prices but I would say they are a nodding towards the higher end of the price scale.
(They do a good range of sizes here!)
p.s they also do a points card (a bit like Boots) so you can get money off once you've saved up some points. Make sure you sign up if you do shop here so you don't miss out - it's the VIP card and it's free to get. Don't miss out on 10% off if you're student, like me, too.

2. Topshop
Topshop is my favourite place for pants (or knickers as you may call them!). I am not so much of a fan of the bra's as they seem to prefer the bralet style which I don't personally find very comfortable. But for frilly pretty pants these are top notch. And they're always on offer either 3 for £10/£8 or something similar meaning it doesn't cost too much to get a nice set. The little extra that has meant Topshop has made it into my top three is the the cartoon print boxer style pants that they do too. I do prefer frilly pretty pairs but I also have some pink 'Moomin' pants from here too which I adore. (I would have posted a picture but I believe they are in the wash - oops!). It's just bog standard Topshop sizes on offer in the underwear section, so if you normally shop at Topshop you should easily find your size.

3. Tesco
Yep, thats right, Tesco have an absolutely brilliant range of underwear in a whole host of sizes. Not all styles are available in all sizes but I have seen some gorgeous sets which have been. This is probably the easiest place to buy underwear from too as no one bothers you one bit! You're free to look round as you please and try them on - you can even pay at the self service tills if you wish to! They also have the brief style (bikini style I think it's called) similar to Boux Avenue available to buy with the pretty sets which is super handy if you're not a thong type of girl! (As I'm not!) In the picture above I have two of my prettiest sets from here and at £8 a bra and £4 for pants, I haven't found anywhere that's better value for money either.

Of course there's lots of lovely underwear sets on offer in the likes of M&S, BHS and Debenhams, but I thought I'd just tell you about my top three places!

 I hope you've enjoyed my post and it's perhaps helped you out in some way. If it has I'd love to know, so please leave a comment below ☺

Lots of love and bye for now,

Little Vintage Rose

♥ xx

Saturday Shopping | Primark Haul

Good evening lovelies :) 

I wasn't planning on going shopping this weekend in an attempt to save some pennies (or even some pounds!) but I was easily tempted to nip to the shops for a couple of hours by my sister. 

I decided to have a quick look to see what Primark had to offer and didn't expect to buy much as usually I'm never that impressed by my local Primark store (I think others have better ranges than mine always seems to offer!!) but I was pleasantly surprised this time round! There was so many things in that looked gorgeous that I spent an hour looking round! I eventually tried on a handful of items I selected and bought everything I tried on which doesn't usually happen! (Things always look worse on than they do on the hanger it seems - boo!) 

I think if my bank balance had allowed I could definitely have bought more! But as I was so delighted with what was on offer I thought I'd share my finds in case anyone wants to pop out and snap them up too! 

If you've followed my blog so far you'll know I'm off to a Christening tomorrow and I was unsure what to wear. I found a whole new outfit from Primark which I'm going to team up with some accessories I already have! I'll post how I style my outfit early next week if you need any inspiration for summery event outfits this year! 

Here's what I bought for the Christening ... (plus some cute flowery socks!) 

Floral Dress (£13)

Peach cardigan (£6) 

Tan peep toe shoes (£8) 

Floral socks (£1.50) 

I was super excited about the peep toe tan shoes as I think they'll go really well with lots of summer dresses and I might even get away with wearing them to work as they're more formal than sandals. 

The cardigan is light and slightly elasticated so it fits well. I think it'll be perfect for summer nights when I still want to wear summer dresses but need some added warmth! I don't think it's quite warm enough for winter though!! 

I had to have the cute little socks! I've bought a fair few pairs of frilly topped socks this year as I think they're so adorable even if I do just potter round the house in them! Some people seem to get away with wearing them out and about with sandals but I don't think I quite pull it off haha! 

The rest of what I bought has an unintentional blue theme! I just bought lots of things I liked without an eye to matching anything up in outfits but it seems I've successfully purchased two outfits worth! Minus some bottoms for my blue outfit! Maybe I'm finally getting the hang of attempting to be stylish!!  

Here's the rest of what I bought from Primark today... 

Cornflower blue cardigan (£6) 

Blue check/floral top (£8) 

Blue open toe sandals (£8) 

The cardigan is just the same as the peach one but in a lovely cornflower blue! I just couldn't resist it in such a beautiful pastel shade - and at six pounds I thought they were quite bargainous too!! 

The top is in a sheer fabric so will have to be worn with a top underneath but will go with some tailored trousers for work or jeans/skirts for summery days out! The collar comes up quite high which gives it a tailored look - great for work. 

The sandals are very universal and will definitely be coming on holiday with me this year! 

I was also rather impressed that all the items I bought fit really well. I have size 7/8 feet and always struggle to find shoes that fit well which can sometimes result in unhappy shopping trips or blisters later on! I bought size 7's in Primark today and they fit better than a lot of shoes I have at the minute - I'll definitely be shopping for shoes there more from now on. All the clothes I bought fit well too - something that I don't often find with my Primark buys. I'm usually an 8 or a 10 and have bought anything from a 6 to a 14 in Primark before just so that the clothes fit well but everything today was size 8 or 10 so that was a bonus too! 

I'd love to know what you've all found in Primark recently! Have I missed any great buys? :) 

Let me know in the comments and I'd also love to know what you think of my posts in general so feel free to comment away and I'll reply as soon as I can :) 

Love, as always, 

Little Vintage Rose 

Xx 

Outfit of the Day | Off to lectures we go

Outfit of the Day | Off to lectures we go

Well today started off looking summery, hence my ootd was light and cheery! Little did I know that the rain was heading my way but luckily I got back just before the showers started - phew! So my outfit held up whilst I went to my whole one and half hours of lectures. It's a hard life I know. I would just like to add I am in 9-4 every  other week this summer so this is my week off. Sort of!

Skirt - Oasis (Sale item)

Sandals - New Look 

Top - New Look 

Watch - Michael Kors 

Earrings - Isle of Wight Pearl

Phone Cover - Cath Kidston (for iPhone 5s)

Keeping with the pastel trend this summer I teemed my blue geometric pattern oasis skirt with creams and neutral tones. The top is lace so I wore a nude crop top underneath so I didn't have to worry about which underwear I chose! I always do this so that I don't have to be too fussy about what to wear underneath!!

As my top has  a pearl detail collar I teamed my gorgeous pearl earrings from Isle of Wight Pearl with my outfit just to give it a touch of coordination!

The Oasis skirt was my top find in the summer sales! I bought it for just £10 at the Birmingham (Bullring) Store along with a pink floral patterned one of the same style (for £30). Oasis do many skirts in this semi-tailored style and I find they're perfect as a smart day outfit and I've even dressed this one up with heels for a girly night out. 

My nude sandals from New Look (which I think were £20) are THE comfiest sandals I have bought in forever! I always struggle to find a comfy pair of sandals that I can spend hazy summer days in without getting blisters and ending up hobbling home, but these fit the bill perfectly. They're current season, and with student discount are an absolute bargain. They seem to be wearing well so far too so fingers crossed they'll last me for at least this summer. 

I knew it wouldn't be many posts later until I mentioned my beautiful Michael Kors watch. It is gorgeous. I must admit that until I bought this watch (last Christmas) I had never really gotten into wearing a watch nor had I really been interested in getting one. But, and this is a big but, when I spotted the gorgeous rose gold range in by Michael Kors I just had to have one and now I wear it almost everyday. I especially love the gems adorning the outside. It's just too cute!

♥ My Everyday make-up look ♥

Here is a little sneak peek into my usual everyday make up look. Of course I do something different with my make up almost everyday (as we all do!) but I quite liked my make up today so thought it was a good one to share. I never really go for bold statement colours unless its for a special occasion or a evening out so everything I use tends towards a natural look. Let me know what you think! ☺

Everything I used for today's hair and make-up...

Well as you can probably tell my hair was natural today so I just combed it through with my tangle teezer first as my hair always gets super cotty as it's really fine. I then used my round brush just to define my natural waves (well they're more 'I went to bed with slightly wet hair as I couldn't be bothered to dry it properly' waves, but let's stick with natural for now) and to curl my fringe under. You can see both of these brushes in the top left of the photo above. I got my tangle teezer for £10.99 from boots, but you can get them for under £10 in some online stores. Definitely worth the investment if you have fine hair that's always getting knotted up like mine. I just gripped the sides back using some basic blonde coloured bobby pins from boots. I always think the bit up bit down look is cute, as well as easy, for days when my hair is natural.

Now for my make up. As I have mentioned in my previous blog posts I have blemish prone skin which means I have to take good care of it to prevent non-stop break outs. I've found the Clinique Anti-blemish solutions range to be pretty good for keeping unruly skin in tip top shape, and you can the starter kit (the sizes in my photo above) for just £40, which for skincare products that work isn't that bad I'd say. SO after cleansing my skin, I used the toner, moisturiser and anti-blemish gel from this range before applying my make up. I find it's always best to wait a few seconds for the gel to dry before starting make-up application.

Of course, I applied the Porefessional by Benefit Cosmetics primer first of all, just to even out my skin tone and blemishes. I followed this with DiorSkin Nude BB Cream in shade 001, which gives a lovely dewy glow to my skin and ensures a good even skin tone. This shade is perfect for super light skin like mine and doesn't at all look orange or require a lot of blending like other BB creams. I have quite dark circles under my eyes (especially while back at uni as sleep doesn't seem to be in everyone's routine here even though I LOVE getting an early night), so my 'The Eye Eraser' by Maybelline is a lifesaver on early mornings. It covers dark circles and helps disguise eye bags so gets a 10 out of 10 for a good non cloggy concealer. I also used my Maybelline Fit Me concealer to cover a few blemishes. Just to avoid any oily patches developing in my day I lightly brushed on my Dior Forever powder in shade 010 using my EcoTools brush. I only used it on my T zone to prevent taking all of the colour out of my cheeks. I used Benefit Cosmetics 'They're Real' mascara which enhances my eyelashes beautifully - I never knew they were that long until I used this!! - along with my Browzings kit just to touch up my eyebrows and keep them ship shape. A touch of Dior lip reviver lip glow just added a pink sheen to my lips and boosted them with some much needed moisture.

All that was left was to add a couple of sprays of my favourite perfume - Daisy by Marc Jacobs - and I was ready for the day! I hope you've found my blog useful or interesting - or even both!! 

See you soon,

Little Vintage Rose 

xx

Benefit make-up must-haves ♥

Benefit make-up must-haves ♥

^ My everday make up look is above ^ 

I always keep my makeup neutral, opting for no eyeliner and only a pale gloss or balm on my lips.

So as I reviewed all of my favourite Dior products, I thought I probably should give my second favourite brand (Benefit Cosmetics) a mention. In fact I think my favourite make-up product has to be Benefit's Porefessional - afterall it was my first 'expensive' make-up purchase and triggered my ever-growing make-up and beauty collection! 

Having called it expensive, at £24.50 a tube I think Porefessional is actually great value, but I say expensive in comparison to the cheaper brands such as Revlon/Maybelline/Bourjois (which I must add also do some amazing products at such good prices!)  It lasts for ages - for me about 3-4 months when I use it everyday. 

Anyway I haven't actually told you what it is yet...oops! Porefessional is Benefit's primer and it is honestly the best one I've found yet! It makes skin feel silky smooth and helps to even out any blemishes or fine lines. Not only is it a great make-up base, when my skin is fairly clear I can often just wear this with no concealer or foundation as it has a slight tint to it, unlike many other primers which are just clear. 

Although this is by far the best primer I have tried yet, Maybelline do a fantastic high street alternative at around 1/4 of the price - and it lasts just as long! While trying to save money I looked for good alternatives to my more expensive products, and found that Maybelline's Baby Skin face primer gives the same silky smooth effect. It isn't tinted so I've found it's best to apply a bbcream or foundation over the top, but it works just as well for this purpose. The only downside to it (hence why it's so much cheaper!) is that it can feel a bit greasy, which isn't great for days when my skin is already feeling blemish prone.

My other benefit find that deserves a mention is the 'browzings' eyebrow palette. It comes in either light or dark shades, which you can select depending on your hair colour and skin tone. The palette contains a wax for shaping eyebrows and a powder for filling in any gaps - with a little teeny tiny brush for each, which just adds to the cuteness! (I love mini things!!) And as if it couldn't get any more adorable, you get a miniature pair of tweezers for any stray eyebrow hairs! It's perfect for everyday use and also for travel as it contains everything you need to keep your eyebrows in shape in a compact palette. 

I hope you all find my reviews helpful! I have tried many more make-up products and won't be writing reviews for them all, so if you're interested to know if I've tried something just ask in the comments and I will write you a review if I've tried it ☺ 

Thank you for reading (if anyone has!!) 

Little Vintage Rose 

xx

My favourite beauty items ♥

My favourite beauty items ♥

So for my first blog post I thought I'd review some of my absolute favourite beauty items! I've tried so many different make up brands all claiming to make you look beautiful and after trying nearly all of them I've finally whittled them down to the ones that work and the ones that don't! 

You can see just a few of my favourites above!! ^^^

I'll start with my favourite brand of all - DIOR ♥

I cannot praise their makeup enough! For younger skin it is the perfect combination of light consistency (for those that have quite oily skin like me) and enough coverage to mask any unsightly blemishes. 

DiorSkin Airflash - this product is perfect for an early morning start as you can get quick even foundation coverage in seconds. I must admit when I bought this product I wasn't too sure it would actually work - surely a spray on foundation would look messy?! However as long as you shake the can before application, the spray is even and gives a lovely light coverage - perfect for daytime. Despite the hype you DO have to blend this in after spraying, but nowhere near as much as you have to with an ordinary foundation. (they did try to say that no blending would be needed at all, but no matter how good you are there's always a few bits that need a tweak!!) The only down side is that the can does seem to run out quickly if you use it every day, but I will certainly be buying it again! 

I have very pale skin and often find that even ivory shades look orange, but the lightest shade (100) is perfect.

HydraLife Pro-Youth Sorbet Creme - I have oily blemish prone skin and struggle to find moisturisers that don't cause break outs but still moisturise my skin enough. I was so pleased to find this creme which does both! It's a little pricey at around £60, but is perfect for younger skin and lasts ages! I use it almost everyday, twice a day, and have had the pot for about 6 months! It comes with a handy applicator to avoid putting dirt from your fingertips onto freshly cleansed skin. My favourite thing about this moisturiser is that it gives a light dewy feeling to my skin after application - great as a make up base! Certainly worth the investment!

DiorSkin Nude Foundation and Compact Powder - The perfect duo! Dior's light coverage Nude foundation and powder are perfect together. With many foundations and powders, mixing between brands and ranges to find what suits you best is nearly always the way forward - with the exception of these two products!! The powder takes the shine away from oily skin without clogging up pores and sticking to the foundation (I have tried using the Dior Forever powder over the top and although it still looks okay, you lose the dewy skin look!) I use the lightest shade of both (010) and it is perfect fro my porcelain skin tone.

Top Tip - Sign up for a Debenhams beauty card! You get £5 off your next purchase just for signing up and earn loads of points every time you buy from there! I don't buy ridiculous amounts of make up and often have £10 off to spend as if you purchase make up items in one month you get £5 to spend the next month! Watch out though - each £5 only lasts for 6 months so you can't save them up forever! Plus it's just a points card so you're not having to pay on a store card to receive these great benefits! Don't miss out ☺

Anyway that's enough from me for now! I hope my reviews are useful if you're looking to try new make up! I'll post again soon with more reviews of benefit make up (which I also love!!). Look out for more blog posts on lipsticks/glosses and my summer fashion finds. 

Little Vintage Rose 

xx