Mum on the Run - In a day time skirt outfit from Boden, Hobbs, French Connection, H&M - a little bit of everything really!

I came across such a nice man today. Well, I spoke to him via a machine anyway. Having realised that I had mis-placed my parking ticket, I was resigned to having to pay the full 24 hr charge.  I can only assume that the man took pity on the resignation in my voice when I contacted him and he let me pay only what I owed, rather than the full amount. So kind!

 

 

Today was the end of a really busy week - two Wardrobe Consultations and two Shopping Days meant that the need for flats was paramount. As it is colder in the mornings. I can now only wear skirts with thick tights - but that's OK because they can be shorter.

 

 

I started with the skirt (French Connection sale in the summer), added in the navy H&M knit with the sparkly cuffs, navy Boden blazer (I might have worn my cream leather biker if it wasn't still at the dry cleaners!) LK Bennett bag and a Mango scarf to pick up the coral/orange in the skirt.


Here's the print on the skirt. I suspect it is precursor to the print on Sarah's French Connection dress which she wore here

And here's the combination of the detail on the cuff on the jumper, next to the skirt. 

For anyone who is contemplating the Boden perfect cosy parka - this is what it looks like in the flesh! I tried it on today in our Boden pop up store.

And again here. I tried it in the navy, which I really liked, but for me it just didn't have quite enough togs (as in, duvet togs) although it does have a fleecy lining and it is waxed - so maybe it would be snuggly enough for even the coldest days.

Luckily today I had time to have a quick whizz around Primark so tomorrow I hope to bring you some of the goodies I picked up. I have a philosophy, if you're going to go into Primark you either have to buy nothing - or lots! There's no point queing to return only one item!

Mum on the School Run - In Gap cords, Oasis cardi, Next shirt and new Zara boots

 

Today I had my photo taken with my new friend - Una, from Per Una.

 

Poor Una, she doesn't look as if she's having the best time does she? Infact she looks bored rigid.

 

 

 

 

It really is rather chilly in the mornings now and I fear that it will be until next May at the earliest. I didn't really want to have to do this yet but I resorted to the big guns and dug out a thick cable knit cardi from last winter.

 

With purple cords, a denim shirt and grey/tan Zara boots which I bought for £30 in the sale over the summer, it wasn't too "wintery" looking -  and I was warm all day.

 

I find a denim shirt a great piece to have in my wardrobe because, apart from anything, they are warmer than most shirts. However I am looking to update it and so far I have seen a couple that I like - this one from Boden which is currently in the sale at £33.15.

 

 

 

I also like this navy popper front pocket shirt from New Look  (£22.99) which comes in black and pale denim.

 

 

 

and also this mid blue denim long sleeved shirt also from New Look at £22.99

 

 

New Look has a great selection of denim shirts - with tipped collars, a leather collar (as seen in the press but not in real life yet) and with a tartan yolk.

 

I must drop by tomorrow and see how Una is doing - she looks a bit pale - crikey even I look tanned next to her!

 

Today's outfit:

 

Gap cords, Next shirt, Oasis cardi, Zara boots

 

Expert tips and recommendations for great products from a professional make-up artist

Recently I was lucky enough to work Carol Maye, a fantastic make-up artist.  I spent a great day with her on a photo shoot and she shared all sorts of hints and tips with me, which I thought that you may also like. So, Carol has kindly shared her top five tips and top five make-up products with us.

Tried and tested by a true (and independent) professional, you can rely on the fact that Carol understands where we are coming from - and where we are trying to go. So, over to you Carol!

"The secret of a beautiful face isn't an expensively assembled makeup bag or difficult application techniques - it's about using the right products in the right places to bring your natural beauty to the fore.

Mick Jagger videos, glamorous Hello shoots, Cosmopolitan, Red and Mail on Sunday features - these are some of the many freelance makeup jobs that I have done.

 

[Me with Robert Plant on a photo shoot!]

 

Women from Caprice and Coleen Rooney to Karren Brady and even Ashleigh and Pudsey have been prepared for photo shoots and red carpet events by me.

 

In over 20 years as a makeup artist I have learnt many techniques that can give the subtle enhancement that we want to achieve in our day to day lives.

I have put together 5 top makeup tips to help create a youthful, polished look.

1. Firstly foundation. Less is definitely more. Try using a lightweight tinted moisturiser only where you need coverage. Always leave the delicate skin underneath eyes uncovered. Foundation sits in and emphasises fine lines so can actually age you if used too liberally. For this reason go easy on the powder too.

2. Go for a cream blusher. Choose a colour similar to a natural flush and use on the apples of the cheeks to give your complexion a youthful glow.

3.Eyelash curlers used prior to mascara will open up and emphasise eyes without the need for an unflattering overload of mascara.

4. A dot of irridescent white powder on the inside corner of the eye, next to the tear duct will brighten and widen even tired eyes.

5. Finally a slick of lipstick in a punchier shade of your own lip colour will instantly add polish and give a look of youthfulness.

Five top products that I have found invaluable are:-

1.Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser by Liz Earle used regularly helps create the perfect fresh faced base for makeup.

2. Touche Eclat by YSL- yes the first and still the best of the light reflecting and brightening pens. Use wherever the skin looks greyish to wake it up. Also use as a highlight to give the illusion of fuller lips and lifted eyes.

3. Eye lash curlers by Shisheido or Shu Umuera - both will curl even the straightest lashes.

4. Posey cream blush by Mac gives a very natural looking flush that works for most complexions.

5. Great lash mascara by Maybelline - still one of the best available for giving natural looking, thick, lengthened lashes that can be layered up without clumping.

I hope that you have found my make-up tips and choice of products helpful.  If you would like to book a bespoke makeup lesson with me at my Edgbaston studio, please just follow the link to my website Carol Maye make-up"    

 

These are my sort of tips fantastic, easy to use but with maximum impact - thanks Carol!          

 

 

 

Mum on the Run, wanting to run, very fast out of the door (to start off with) in Rigby & Peller

When I was first approached by Aaron Huckett of Publicasity, who represent Rigby & Peller, I was really interested to hear what he had to say. After all, most of us have heard of the brand best known for the fact that it was granted the Royal Warrant to make the Queen's underwear, and also for the fact that its staff fit underwear by sight, rather than by tape measure. 

 

Initially I was sent images from the A/W '12 collection, which features themes of gothic glamour with a decadent colour palette reflecting modern day romanticism (and yes, I did take that from the press release!)  The collection is illustrated perfectly by these beautiful pieces below.

 

 

This is the Alondra in black...

 

 

          

...whilst this is the Alondra Mulberry plunge bra

 

 

...and this set is the Fleur in midnight.

 

 

In addition to their own brand, Rigby & Peller also stock brands such as PrimaDonna, Marie Jo, Simone Perele and Aubade.

 

I was also invited to attend a store to be fitted.  It is always something that I have wanted to try. As part of my styling course in London, we all had to attend Selfridges for a bra fitting. Not one single bra in that place fitted me - so I thought that Rigby & Peller might have their work cut out for them.

 

At the store, which is more like a boutique, I met the lovely Peggy, who showed me downstairs to the changing rooms.   These glamourous pictures adorned the walls.

 

 

 

Once in our changing room, Peggy handed me a silk dressing gown and, whilst still wearing a bra, she assessed me and said what size she thought I was.  That was the bit I was nervous about -wondering whether she would guage my size when I had underwear on or not! She then went off and came back with a selection of bras to try.

 

I wasn't disappointed and Peggy was spot on with her sizing.  Out of the six or so styles I tried, as you might imagine, some were a better fit than others.  In each case, Peggy explained why that was and what I needed to look for in the future.

 

In addition to the bras, for which Rigby & Peller are best known, they also sell other pieces.  Here's a selection of  beautiful silk pieces which apparently are a popular purchase by men for the women in their lives. Not needing to know a detailed size makes them an easier purchase than a bra set.

 

The pieces were displayed so beautifully that I didn't want to go too close to them, for fear of spoiling them. The bras come in a wide range of sizes, from a 28D to a 40K in wired bras with non wired bras going up to a 48N cup.

Rigby & Peller also sell swimwear, some which comes in different cup sizes (up to a 38H) and up to a dress size 24, which is great for ladies with curvier busts.

Here I am, complete with my gift of a set of bra and pants. I have to say that a gift wasn't something I had expected in the slightest. I really just wanted to go along for the experience, whether I came away with anything or not (bought or otherwise).

Thanks to Peggy and Rowan for their fantastic service. It was also great hearing about which stars and members of the Royal Family they had fitted.

So, my verdict? It was a lovely experience which was completely hassle free - unlike my underwear buying experiences of the past. We all know that a good bra which fits well is worth its weight in gold and I have to say, now that I have reached my 40's, I do appreciate things like beautiful underwear even more. Hec, I even feel quite grown up now! Finally, at the grand age of 42, I have a matching set of underwear! It would be lovely to receive more as a gift (hint, hint hubbie) or as a treat to myself at some point.

Also for those ladies with a particularly large bust, or a small back, or anyone who finds buying underwear that fits a frustrating experience, I would definitely recommend Rigby and Peller because those ladies definitely know their product.

In a final email to Aaron thanking him for inviting me along, I asked him to keep me updated with anything which he thought I might find of interest, only just stopping short of asking him to keep me "abreast" of further "developments."  So nearly a major faux pas! 

Mum on the Run - From Glamourous to Grungy in a few easy steps!

 

So, this was the deal last Thursday, with the benefit of a make-up artist...

 

 

...and this was the deal today, without. Please move in with me Leah (the make-up artist)!! I could have made today's shot smaller - but that would be cheating. In my defence, it was 5.30pm when this was taken and I hadn't done any re-touching during the day but...

I do think that there is something to be said for us all, once in a while, having our make-up done professionally.  I am hoping to bring you a post shortly from a make-up artist with whom I worked on a shoot the other week, with lots of hints and tips on how to update your make-up and what to wear (or not wear) as the years progress!

Today's outfit started off much better than it ended up. I was working with a client this morning and so wore a dress and heels but there wasn't anyone on hand, who was willing, to photograph it. Having returned home, I felt all "wrong" being dressed up and so changed for the school/ballet run into something much more comfortable and practical.

Today's outfit: GAP jeans, Next denim shirt, French Connection jumper, H&M coat, LK Bennett bag, Topshop shoes

Tomorrow I will share with you details of  my trip to Rigby & Peller where it's true - they really do fit your bras by sight! Oh help!!!

A trip to London wouldn't be complete without a visit to Liberty, Cos, Uniqlo, Russell & Bromley and ...Boots!

No trip to London would be complete without a wander past Liberty. I don't always need to go inside to appreciate the store - in fact it's probably safer if I don't! For me, these beautiful flowers encapsulated the very essence of Liberty.  Aren't they beautiful?

 

It was just after I had seen these beautiful flowers, and whilst in a little dreamy world of my own, that I thought I had better check my emails. This I did, only to find one from our eldest's school informing me of an incident of nits. So that was me back to earth with a bump!

 

 

Before my visit to the Fold on Thursday, I wandered a little way down Regent Stree to Cos, before making a bee-line for Oxford Street and then one of my favourites, South Molton Street.

 

I spied these beauties in Uniqlo on Oxford Street - Orla Kiely scarves which are part of her new range for the store.  At under £10 they are a great way of adding a little bit of Orla Kiely to you wardrobe at an affordable price. She has also done a range of long sleeved T's, dresses and hoodies. You can take a look at the collection here 

Then I continued down to Russell & Bromley in hot pursuit of these leopard print loafers which I showed you the other day. I like them even more in the flesh than in the pictures...

...but they still won't be gracing my feet. It was nice to have tried them though. I took another couple of shots of them in the window of another Russell & Bromely but haven't featured them as I thought that we were in danger of loafer overload!

And my one purchase of the day. Our youngest daughter's favourite tooth paste of which we had run out. You should have seen her when I gave it to her the following morning. You would have thought that I had given her the world - or at least something from Hamley's - rather than a £1 tube of toothpaste from Boots!

Mum on the Run - A day out with the Fold in London

Yesterday I had a day out in London - and what a day it was!

 

Along with Amanda Start (the Online Stylist) and Victoria (Feathers & Frills) I was invited by Push PR, who represent The Fold, to style some of their fantastic dresses.  We were also joined by Jo and Eva - the winners of the competition run by the Fold. Greeted with champagne and cupcakes, I knew that we were in for a treat.

 

We had three looks to style: something for the weekend, power hour and social butterfly.

 

This was my something for the weekend look. The beautiful Oxford dress in coral with the Le Marais blouse in ivory layered underneath it. .

 

Accessorised with a black patent belt, black heeled Rockport loafers and a teal bag, it felt fantastic and I loved the style of the dress. Great for a cold Sunday afternoon.

Grace the photographer took lots of shots of us outside - but for this shot I turned the camera on the ladies directing us.

This was the outfit that I wore for the "social butterfly" look. It's a sample dress in a really beautiful fabric, which was incredibly warm. The style is called camelot and it's available in winter white and navy.

I accessorised the dress with velvet peep toe shoes and a bright clutch, plus a fierce necklace which I wore as a bracelet to contrast with the "prettiness" of the dress.

The neat fitted top half, three quarter length sleeves, nipped in waist plus a little volume in the skirt make it a really flattering style for lots of ladies.

 

Clearly the sign in the background is a reference to my age!

This is the lovely Leah at work - doing her best to make me look glamourous!

And here's the beautiful Amanda, looking as glamourous as you might expect! She has the most amazing blue eyes and her make-up is beautiful. Great red lips!

Here's Victoria from Feather & Frills looking sultry in the Rockefeller dress in merlot Can't wait to see the offical photos of this outfit. It will be stunning.

Here are Jo and Eva - celebrating winning the competition in style!

This is a beautiful shot of Jo, also in the Rockefeller dress...

...and Eva in the Camelot, which looked stunning on her. Such a beautiful lady!

 Now this fab lady works for Push PR and PR is her perfect job! We watched her virtually stop traffic so that shots could be taken and also charm the staff at a restaurant - persuading them to let us use their tables for a location shot. Larger than life, she flicked her hair, batted her eyelashes and charmed everyone.

 

This is Polly - the founder of the Fold. I think my best question of the whole event was directed at Polly. Still establishing who was who, I asked her for how long she had been involved with the Fold. She was very gracious in her answer!

Here we are left to right, Polly (the Fold!), Amanda (the Online Stylist) , Kathy (the Fold) Victoria, me, Kat (Push PR)

 

 

Thanks to everyone from the Fold and Push PR for organising the event. Special thanks to Kat from Push PR for all her hard work in organising the outfits and shoes, to Polly for leaving her first career to pursue her real passion and to Amanda - for asking Push PR to invite me along in the first place. So kind! And to Frankie, the whizz on Instagram, Twitter and all things that confuse me! I only hope that I haven't left anyone out.

On the Run - A very busy Mum in a lovely French Connection dress

Today I am bringing you Sarah, who is wearing the French Connection sub zero dress.  Sarah lives close to me and we often have "clothes chats" when we bump into each other in the supermarket, in the street, at ballet - wherever really!

Sarah dropped me a text after I featured the French Connection trousers in the same print, in a post in August entitled "How to choose and wear prints".  She told me that she had just bought the dress in the same print but said that she was unsure how to wear it as it was a bit short. But let me tell you, this lady has amazing legs!

Anyway, I asked Sarah to let me have a photo of her wearing her dress, so here it is. In her accompanying email she said:

 "From a mum perspective - it's a bit short so I put leggings with it as we were going to a children's party and I knew I would be clambering on the bouncy castle to assist Seb, 2.  I also have my trusty cross-body bag (crew - 2011) which has lots of room for nappies / wipes / drinks / hats / suncream - and I don't get too upset when the drinks bottle leak etc but I'm hoping to upgrade to a cross body leather satchel at some point ! A Handfree bag is essential for me !

I've got a v old navy jigsaw cardi - bought in the sale and some shoes from Dune which both my mum and sister also now own ! Mine were last year's but they had exactly the same ones in this year."

 

What I really like, is the way that Sarah has taken a dress which, at first instance, could look difficult to wear in the day time, and styled it in such a way that it works for her - clambering over bouncy castles and all. Also, the neat style and small print are great for her petite frame and I love the way that she has kept the rest of her outfit neutral so that the dress does the all the talking. Lovely! I am hoping that she might get a chance to wear it for an evening event so that we can also see it without leggings. If anyone can pull it off, Sarah can.

 

 

 

Style Guile smile - Atterley Road - THE new on-line shopping destination

When an email dropped into my inbox telling me about a new on-line shopping destination, Atterley Road, set up by Katie Starmer-Smith, formerly of Jigsaw, you probably won't find it too hard to imagine that my ears pricked up! With an exchange of only a handful of emails, it was arranged that I would speak with Katie.

Ideas for a new business often arise because what is currently available doesn't quite meet a person's individual needs - and Atterley Road is no exception.

When Katie looked in her wardrobe she found that half of it was made up of premium high street brands and that half was made up of independent labels.  However she felt that there was no one place that catered for what she wanted from an online shopping experience - a place where she could find good quality pieces from reliable, established premium high street brands, sitting alongside independent boutique labels, at a good price. And so that is how Atterley Road was born. So, brands such as Jigsaw, Whistles, Hobbs, NW3 and Farhi sit alongside independent labels such as Pyrus, Made and Bellerose. The aim is to provide stylish pieces that fit well, rather than on trend pieces which need updating each season, whether it's for the school run, a lunch out with friends or just a lazy weekend at home.

The best way that I can describe Atterley Road is to say that it sits between ASOS and Net-A-Porter. Atterley Road currently has 30 brands on board for A/W '12 with nearly another 30 appearing for S/S '13. Katie has just taken on six new Scandanavian brands with a visit to France lined up for next week to take on some independent French labels. She carefully selects the pieces that are sold, editing the collections by asking herself would she wear the piece? Who else would wear it? When would she wear it? and How many ways would she wear it?

Katie, a former designer at Jigsaw has standards - very high standards - and demands a lot from her clothes both in terms of cut, fit, quality, price and versatility. Years of working at Jigsaw, where attention to detail was everything, have seen to that - and that is what she is seeking to create at Atterley Road.

Three months of intensive market research, questioning women up and down the country, with and  without children and from different income brackets, satisfied Katie that there was a demand for Atterley Road and the first five weeks of trading have supported that.

What I think is fantastic about Atterley Road is that it gives exposure to independent labels, who may not otherwise have had that exposure.  Also, as someone who lives in a large city which has the stores with the premium labels but not the independent boutiques, I am really excited about extending my knowledge and discovering new brands which I may not have done so otherwise - safe in the knowledge that Katie has cast her discerning eye over the fabric, fit and quality of the garments first.

For those unsure of how to put the pieces together, the "Features" section of the website details the perfect pieces to include in a capsule wardrobe, how to wear stripes and three ways to wear the oversized white MiH shirt.

Katie is also passionate about good customer service and is constantly testing, checking and monitoring her procedures to ensure that nothing falls short of what she expects.

My only problem with Atterley Road? It's not real!  I would love to spend a few hours there but given that it's not, I will have to satisfy myself with browsing the site and waiting expectantly for a time when I can cast my beady stylist's eyes over the new brands  for S/S '13.