Showing posts with label shoes. Show all posts

FASHION: VIONIC NALA SANDAL REVIEW



I was so excited when I received an email asking if i'd like to try a pair of Vionic Sandals*. I'm pregnant and my feet are very swollen and I was finding most of my shoes were feeling uncomfortable! This email came at the most perfect time, i've been wearing them for a few weeks now so thought i'd share how i've been getting on. 

I picked the Vionic Nala Sandals as I wanted something I could wear to work, I work in retail and with it being summer i'm wearing alot of maxi dresses so I thought a pair of sandals would be perfect. The Nala style is a classic design, I went for the white ones which are really versatile, they also come in Red and Black. 

Vionic also stock heels and wedges, sneakers, loafers and flats, slippers and much more so theres something for everyone. 

The Nala Sandals feature a Midsole which absorbs shock and reduces the stress on feet, ankles and knees. An Outsole, which is  a durable rubber outsole with a patterned tread to provide traction and the Footbed FMT Technology to designed to hug your arches and support your feet. 

Honestly at first I didn't think they were working for me, they were quite uncomfortable and were really hurting my arches. I thought i'd continue to wear them and see if once i'd broken them in a bit if they were more comfortable. I'm glad I was persistent and gave them a chance. I'm used to wearing very flat shoes which I why I think they were hurting my feet. After a few days wearing them at work I noticed they were no longer uncomfortable. They are really comfortable and I can wear them all day at work with no problems. I've had lots of compliments on them and a few people have actually mentioned how comfortable they look. A few of the girls at work had actually heard of Vionic and were happy to hear that I think they are very comfortable.

I think £70 is a bit steep for a pair of sandals and I probably wouldn't spend that much but I'd be happy to pick up a pair in the sale. The Nala style is actually on offer right now so you can grab a pair for £50 which is more reasonable. I know a lot of people that would be happy to spend £70 of pair of shoes if they were comfortable. 

I went for my usual size, as I said my feet are abit swollen right now due to pregnancy but i've found that my normal size fits perfectly and my feet don't look like they are bulging out which is lovely. 










* this post contains a pr sample, i have not been paid for this blog post and it's honest and my own opinions.

FASHION: THE BEST BOOTS TO BUY THIS WINTER!

The UK’s most searched for boot styles 

Winter is here and so are boots! They are a quality buy for every woman, as they’re hard-wearing and will keep your feet dry throughout the colder weather. If you’re going to make any purchases this winter, boots are a must I wear boots from around end of September time right through into April so I tend to invest in a couple of good pairs of boots.
They’re available in a range of eye-catching styles but with so many styles to choose from, how do you decide? Brantano has analysed the UK’s most popular boots so you can see what styles are searched for most.  

Biker Boots 

Biker boots are tough and durable but are also great for women on the go, as they’re stylish enough to wear everywhere from the high street to family days out. 

Each month, they receive an average of 8,100 Google searches – peaking at 14,800 in November 2015. 
Liverpool leads the UK in searching for biker boots, followed by Manchester and London.  

Ankle Boots 
Ladies ankle boots are a perennial style classic that can be bought one winter and worn year after year. However, the casual style favourites are growing in popularity – currently averaging 49,500 searches a month – peaking last year at 90,500 searches during October and November 2015.  
Ankle boots are my favourite, they look great with jeans but I love wearing Ankle boots with dresses and thick tights.  

With the most searches for Ankle Boots Belfast takes the top spot, followed by Aberdeen and Hinckley.  

Desert Boots 
Available in a range of trendy autumn colours and materials, the humble desert boot achieves 22,000 searches a month in the UK. The style’s peak months were November and December 2015, hitting 33,100 average searches in both.  

The city that loves Desert boots the most? People in Norwich seem to favour this style above all others. Manchester takes the second spot, followed by Bristol in third.  

Chelsea Boots 
A versatile boot you can wear to the office or out with the girls, the Chelsea boot blends classic style with modern trends. You can keep them in good condition for years – and you’ll want to wear them again and again if these winter trend figures are anything to go by!

There are 49,500 average monthly searches for Chelsea boots – with last year’s peak in November and December 2015 reaching 90,500 per month. 


Chelsea boots are another favourite of mine, they are so versatile and classic that you can wear them with so many different outfits. 

Knee High Boots 
A winter favourite and a style classic, knee high boots are an enduring favourite. Whether you need a dependable pair of winter-proof boots for the school run, or you want to make a statement by wearing them over the kneethis is the perfect style for colder weather. 
Unsurprisingly, knee high boots popular throughout the UK – with 74,000 average monthly searches. During November and December 2015, the style hit 135,000 searches per month! However, it remains to be seem if their 2016 popularity peaks as high as it did in 2013.  

The most popular area in the UK for knee high boot searches is Newcastle Upon Tyne, where Geordies can’t get enough of the style. This is followed by the even colder Edinburgh and Nazeing in third 

Riding Boots 
Riding boots are a style fairly similar to knee highs but with an equestrian edge. They receive an average of 8,100 searches per month. The style peaked in October and November last year, managing 12,100 in each.   
However, the popularity graph above shows the main spike of interest was back in 2013 and interest has been slowly declining. Are people getting rid of the riding boot? Unsurprisingly, the style that’s similar to knee high boots is most popular in the same cities: Newcastle, Edinburgh and Nazeing.    

Wedge boots 
Wedges are perfect for everyday way, and wedge boots are ideal as soon as the weather starts turning cold. The style gets 8,100 average searches per month and peaked in October and November 2015 at 14,800 searches. 

Where are wedges most popular in the UK? Essex takes the top spot, followed by London.  

Wellington Boots 
We thought we’d end the article on a true winter staple: the humble welly. Wellington boots are a favourite thanks to their weatherproofing qualities – it’s no wonder they’re so popular! There’s an average of 27,100 searches a month for Wellington boots in the UK, peaking between November 2015 and January 2016 at 40,500 searches. 
Type in the slang term ‘wellies’ and this figure gets even higher – with 40,500 average monthly searches. Surprisingly, the popularity spikes were in November 2015, June 2016 and August 2016 – with 60,500 average searches in each month. Perhaps people were gearing up for festival season?    

As for who wants wellies the most? Well – the people of Guildford are most interested in this functional footwear, followed by Bournemouth and Norwich.  

Which boot wins this season? 
It’s fairly clear that knee high boots are the most popular style in general, with the highest amount of monthly searches of any style. If they experience a similar peak to last year, we’re sure to see the trend soar in popularity once again. Shop Brantano’s range of knee high boots and pick out your next pair today. 

As i'm quite short and have big legs I don't think that knee high boots are for me, I tend to stick to ankle boots and chelsea boots. I would like to find some knee highs that suit me but i'm yet to find a pair. What are your favourite boots to wear in the winter? 









*Sponsored post provided by Brantano 

FASHION: THOSE SUMMER HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS

I'm going on holiday yay! You know what that means I need to go shopping!! I only need to get a few bits and pieces as I went on a couple of holidays last year so I have lots of clothes. I just want to get a couple of new bits so i've been looking online and will be nipping into Primark at some point.

I thought i'd do a post to share some of my holiday must haves, these are essentials that I need to bring with me.

First up is swimwear, as I have big boobs decent swimwear is really important, i've got a couple of Freya bikinis which i'm going to bring with me, i'm tempted to pick up this one from Cleo by Panache which is a gorgeous bandeau style, the colours so bright and I love the frilly bottoms.

Some comfy shorts are a must have, if you plan on doing any walking, excursions etc then you need to get a comfy pair of shorts, I stocked up on loads for Florida last year but I recently spotted these Khaki ones from New Look that I need to get because they are sooo pretty.

A decent pair of sunnies is a must have! I usually stock up on a few Primark pairs aswell. These Quay Australia ones are lovely, I recently got a similar pair in TkMaxx which i'll be bringing away with me.

These wedges are gorgeous, they are Ted Baker, you can get them from the Jones Bootmaker website. I love the colour and I think wedges are perfect for holiday, they are so comfy and you can wear them with so many different outfits. I usually bring a pair of wedges and then a couple of pairs of flat sandals.

I have a couple of Kimonos which I always bring on holiday with me as cover ups for by the pool and on the evenings when it gets chilly. I really like this lace one from Asos which would be perfect for both day to night. I think it would be awsome for a festival aswell.

Finally, I always get myself a new beach bag. This one from New Look is so pretty and it's a great size for keeping all your bits and pieces in for by the pool. You can fit plenty of suncream and towels in this one. I love the Moroccan style print and think it would be perfect for hand luggage on the plane aswell!!


Are you going away this year? Where are you off too and what are your holiday essentials?







* Sponsored by Jones Bootmaker


BEAUTY: GETTING HOLIDAY READY


LESS THAN A WEEK TILL IBIZA!  I'm off to Ibiza on monday so I've started getting in the holiday mood. I've started my packing and got my nails and hair booked in for later this week.
I thought i'd share a few products I will be using to get holiday ready this week before we depart for sunny Ibiza.

For the last few months i've been back on my healthy(ish) eating and trying to get down to the gym as much as possible. I've been quite ill this month so I haven't been working out as much as I wanted to but I really didn't want to make myself worse. I've been following my Charlotte's 3 Minute Belly Blitz dvd* which is great as you can do it at home when you have some time, the dvd is split up into 12 3 minute workouts so you can do a couple if you don't have much time and want to fit a quick workout into your day. See my full review on Charlottes 3 Minute Belly Blitz here 

I've got my hair booked in on friday, I should be having my roots touched up, I want them a little bit darker and then I want my hair to get much lighter into the ends. I have picked up a couple of these Loreal Feria Dip Dyes and might add some pink or purple into the ends just to make my hair abit fun. I really love having colour in my hair but i'm not aloud for work so I always tend to add some colour when i'm not working. I actually picked these up in the poundshop.

This Veet EasyWax Electrial Roll On Kit* is such an easy way to get long lasting results. Following the step by step guide is so simple, there's just 6 steps to get salon- wax results at home. The Veet wax system gives you long lasting results for up to 28 days meaning I shouldn't need to shave whilst i'm away. The kit is suitable for the bikini area aswell making it ideal for my holiday preparations. This EasyWax roll on kit is part of the Natural inspirations collection and is full of natural ingredients such as Shea Butter and Pine Tree resin, great to soothe and leave the skin feeling moisturised and soft. I will be using this properly later in the week and will do a full review on it when i'm back from Ibiza.

I have also included fake tan in my getting holiday ready.  I sometimes like to apply fake tan just for my first day so that I don't feel super pale. We get to Ibiza really early in the morning so the fake tan will just make me feel a little more confident in my bikini before I start to build up that tan. This Vita Liberata NKD skin matte wash off instant tan* is ideal for that first day glow and then you can just wash it off once you have started to get a natural colour.

I've been doing a Teatox by Slimming Solutions* for the last week, I should finish the course just before we go on holiday. I have really enjoyed the Teatox and will be reviewing it in full on my blog. As I said above I have been eating more healthy and excerising more so I have lost a few pounds over the last few weeks. I've noticed my skins felt clearer and my tummy is less bloated. The tea tastes lovely aswell, I really enjoyed having it every morning and every other night. I have another 14 day course which I will start again once i'm back to flush out all of the alcohol and naughty food i'll be eating in Ibiza.

Finally I have booked to get my hair and nails done. I love having my acrylics done before I go on holiday. Having nails makes me feel so nice and feminine. I can't really have nails at work because they just don't last, it such a waste so I love getting them done before I go on holiday. I've been using this Soap and Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream most nights to get my feet looking nice and soft ready for those sandals and flip flops. I'll buy a nice nail polish that will match my nails and paint my tootsies before we go too!


So thats it we are all ready and prepped for ibiza! Is there any must have products you get before you holiday or what rituals do you do before a trip away?








this blog post contains pr samples, they have been marked with an asterisk (*) I have not been paid for this blog post and all opinions/ views are my own.