Tag: Primark

Wedding Guest Worthy? – The Black Culotte Jumpsuit

They say ‘never wear white to A wedding’ but what about black?

For a time I would have said black was far too morbid a shade to wear to a wedding. I love my brights, so any excuse I have to wear them and I usually jump at the chance (prints galore). Recently however, I’ve been seeing how simpler pieces can sometimes be a good investment, as they can be worn for more than one occasion.

Styling a classic black dress, or in this case a jumpsuit, the right way can easily make it wedding guest worthy. I’d say the key is to liven up your outfit with brighter accessories and avoid black shoes/accessories if possible. Remember you’re not going to a funeral and if it looks like you could be, change it!

The great thing about wearing black is that you have more opportunity to play with colours and patterns when picking out your accessories. A statement pair of shoes can really add that wow factor to an otherwise simple outfit. I went for this bold metallic pair that I recently purchased from Primark and this gorgeous gold/pearlescent effect bag from The Vintage styler. My gold chunky necklace added just a bit of bling and finished off my outfit perfectly.

What I Wore – Shop The Look:

Culotte Jumpsuit – M&Co
Necklace – Timeless Junk
Pearlescent Box Bag – Vintage Styler
Heels – Primark (In store only)

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Samio x

Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.

June 28, 2015
Primark Mini Jewellery Haul

I recently popped into Primark to pick up some jewellery and to generally have a browse. I often find myself heading to Primark for accessories like belts and jewellery and things, as they are always so affordable there, that I find I always get a lot for my money and this time was no exception.

Although I have loads of necklaces, I currently have a thing for really delicate pieces, so I’ve been slowly adding some like this to my collection. I spotted the dainty initial necklaces and thought that they were so cute and they were only £1.50 each.

I decided to get the matching initial earrings set too. Although I already had some similar ‘S’ earrings, for the price of just £1.50 for a three pack, it was worth paying just to get the other two that I didn’t have.

I knew I wanted to pick up some rings, as rings are something I’m seriously lacking in my jewellery collection. I was in luck when I spotted this super cute set of eight for just £2.50. The quirky yet feminine designs immediately caught my eye and I absolutely love them. There were a number of other designs available too but these were my favourite.

My final purchase was this gold cheetah head (I think it’s a cheetah) keyring. Okay, so this one isn’t technically jewellery but it was in the jewellery section and it was cute and I needed a new keyring, so I bought it (it was £1). I’m waiting until our new door gets fitted and once I have my new house keys I’ll be using this.

In total I spent £6.50 on all of these items. It wasn’t the biggest jewellery haul ever but for what I spent I certainly think I got a lot for my money and I love these cute little pieces.

What do you think? Have you purchased any jewellery from Primark recently?

Samio x

June 19, 2015
Major Wardrobe Clear Out & Some Items I Won’t Be Getting Rid Of

Today is the start of a massive wardrobe clear out for me (she says, sat typing on her blog instead of doing what she actually should – the clear out). It’s been long overdue and as I have much of the day free today, I thought that I best go ahead and do it. It’s going to be an arduous task but as each of the items in my wardrobe are at least triple hung, the rail is starting to bend and I’m running out of shelf and draw (and loft!) space, I know it cannot be put off any longer!

It’s time for me to majorly downsize and start afresh but there are some items of clothing that I shan’t be getting rid of, including this here outfit.

I bought these high waisted denim shorts only a couple of months ago from Primark. It’s been years since I bought denim from Primark but after trying on these I was pleasantly surprised and since purchasing I have been wearing them loads. This fit isn’t perfect on me but I think this is more due to my body shape as opposed to the cut, as I have a small waist and larger bottom but it’s nothing that a good old belt can’t solve. So I’ve teamed them with this brown chunky vintage waist belt that I love.

On the top half, another basic, yet wardrobe staple: The tank top, also purchased from Primark. I have loads of these and they happen to be multi purpose tops for me, whether it’s day to day, for bed or for the gym, I couldn’t go without my black tank tops. So I’ll be keeping those.

The shall is a fairly new-ish purchase. It’s by Glamorous but I actually purchased it from TUK (I think it’s called) in The Northern Quarter for just £10 on sale. I love it because it looks so cute thrown with jeans and a vest and instantly livens up an outfit. So I’ll be keeping key pieces like this, that are unique and add a bit of something to an otherwise plain outfit. Unless of course I’ve had it forever and its time in my wardrobe is done.

Finally my Underground wedge creepers. Obviously I’ll be keeping these as they are my wedge of choice when it comes to comfort and they have served me well over the past three years of ownership. That’s right, three years and they are still going strong. They were definitely a good investment. Some may say three years is too long and it’s time to get red (and I would agree with most things) but no, na ah, not going to happen. Theses babies are here to stay.

Anyway, enough rambling from me. Time for me to begin my massive clear out. Wish me luck!

Samio x

March 26, 2015
The Blue Floral Print Coat & Dinner at Solita

I think I need another month of not eating meat as since going back to my carnivorous ways, I’ve not stopped eating burgers. With so many great burger joints in Manchester though, it’s often rather hard to resist. On Friday I met up with the boyfriend after work and after going for a few drinks around The Northern Quarter, we ended up in Solita for a meal.

It was my first time at Solita, so I wanted to try as much as I could by getting starters and mains (any excuse). To start we went for the Buffalo Wings and the Deep Fried Mac ‘n’ Cheese Balls to share. The wings of course were splendid and the Mac ‘n’ Cheese Balls were delicious, I only wished there were more of them.

For the main, Damien went for the Catalan burger; Consisting of grilled chorizo, roasted red peppers, pepperjack cheese, roasted tomato aioli, nicely presented with a padron pepper skewer. I went for the Manc-Hattan burger; Consisting of pastrami, melted Lancashire cheese, fried black pudding, Lancashire sauce and Coney Island mustard. Both were served with skinny fries and we went halfs on our burgers (because I really wanted to try Damien’s Cajun burger). I loved both burgers but my favourite was the Manc-Hattan burger. I would rate it high up there on the burger scale in terms of creativeness and taste. We washed our meals down, with red wine for me and a beer for Damien. The staff were friendly and attentive and the food was delicious, so I’m sure I will be back again soon.

What I wore:
Coat/Jacket – Lavish Alice (Last Season)
Tank Top – Primark – In Store Now
Bracelets & Necklace – Primark – In Store Now
Earrings – Topshop
Black Skinny Jans – ASOS
Bag – Zara (old)
Shoes – Urban Outfitters (old)

Samio x

March 23, 2015
Primark Jewellery Haul

Where can you say you bought, three necklaces, eight bracelets and nine pairs of stud earrings for £7? Primark, that’s where!

From recent blog posts you may have noticed I’ve had a growing fondness for Primark lately. No longer just the store where you can buy ‘cheap stuff’ but actually a place where you can buy on trend pieces and a real high street contender for the most affordable fashion pieces and now a great place to buy your fashion and statement jewellery too.

I’ve been buying fashion jewellery from Primark for years now but recently I’ve seen it massively up its game. I only own a few ‘real’ jewellery items and the rest of the time I like to change my accessories as often as I change my outfits. I often find this can be a pricey affair but luckily not when shopping at Primark and here are some of the sets I purchased on my recent jewellery shop at Primark.

I thought these bracelets were really cute and at only £2 for a pack of eight, the price was more than alight too. I like how you can alternate and layer these bracelets to make your own unique combo.

…The same goes for these necklaces too. You can wear them separate, or all together and at only £3 a set, I think that they are an absolute bargain.

The stud earrings were £2 a pack and for nine pairs, I think that’s rather great value. I love the pretty designs and think that they are perfect for everyday wear.

Samio x

March 22, 2015
The White Backpack

I think I’ve mentioned before how much I love Zara bags (and of course Zara in general). They always seem to do such well made handbags, that I often find are sturdy and last a long time in terms of faux leather bags, not to mentions the designs are always super cute too. This backpack was no exception and after being on the lookout for a new gym bag, then spotting this appropriately sized backpack, I just had to purchase it.

So I don’t know what me, one of the clumsiest people ever is doing purchasing a white bag but like I said, I just could not resist and as I’m a lover of the whole monochrome look, I’m quite pleased of how well it goes with my black attire.

As handy as it is for carrying round my gym kit, I’m sure I’ll also get plenty of use out of this for overnight trips too as it’s the perfect size. I just love it.

Backpack – Zara
Roll neck top – New Look
Necklace – Primark
Jeans – Asos

Samio x

March 17, 2015
Manchester Blog Meetup

On Saturday, my boyfriend Damien and I were heading into town to the Northern Quarter for a spot of lunch and a few drinks. It was on our way into the centre that I decided to have a quick scroll through my Twitter feed and as I did I spotted that there was a Manchester blog meetup taking place in the Northern Quarter that afternoon. I instantly wanted to get involved and so I sent a tweet to Jasmin, who had organised the meet up and asked where it would be as I was keen to pop along. It was perfect timing too and after quickly nipping to the shops, Damien and I headed to kosmonaut, where the meetup was taking place.

Luckily for Damien, Jasmin, who had travelled up from London, had brought her boyfriend, Paul along too and so it wasn’t long before the pair of them were enjoying a pint each and chatting about ‘guys stuff’.

It was my first bloggers meet up and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so nice to chat to many other like minded bloggers and of course exchange blogs with one another (I always love finding new ones to read). The turn out was really good which was of course great but it was a shame that I didn’t get chance to chat to everyone there, as there were so many of us. It was a great afternoon though and I got to meet a lovely mixed bunch of beauty, fashion and lifestyle bloggers.

This is some of us not long before we left (many had already just gone) but here are some of the lovely ladies I got to chat to.

Damien and Paul sat enjoying their pints.

Lots of chatting and several glasses of wine later, we wrapped things up at the bloggers meet up and after everyone headed their separate ways, Damien and I went to Hold Fast Bar for another drink. As impromptu as it was, we both really enjoyed the meet up and had a really good afternoon. I always enjoy meeting new people and sharing interests, I think I’ll have to make it to another meet up again soon.

What I wore:
Cardigan – Forever 21
Vest – Primark
Denim shorts – Primark
Necklace – H&M
Belt – Asos
Bag – Aldo
Boots – H&M (Similar here)

Samio x

March 2, 2015
Primark P.S. Love Nude Lipsticks Review

As much as I love my pricey products, I’m also really into finding great budget buys when it comes to makeup. It’s all good and well spending £15 on a lipstick that you wear for nights out but when it comes to that day to day shade, that you know you’ll be constantly reapplying and eventually repurchasing, that £15 starts to look a lot more pricey than you first thought.

Lately I’ve been really into my nudes (well haven’t a lot of us), it’s certainly been a lipstick trend for some time now and it’s got us all going crazy to find the perfect nude tone to perfect our pouts. So it makes me very happy when I find a selection of nude lip shades that won’t break the bank and I it was of course in Primark where I discovered this lot.

Now I’m no stranger to the Primark P.S. Love range. Selling everything from makeup brushes, to consmetics, this is a budget brand that I’ve purchased from a number of times. This time I thought I’d give their lipstick selection a go and here’s what I picked up.

Liquid Lipstick

So this one describes itself as a ‘liquid lipstick’ but lets face it, it’s basically a gloss. This one was £2 and it’s shade is ’10 nude’. It come’s out as a pale pinkish coral tone.

This one has a really pleasant smell. It smells of perfumed candy (just the description that comes to mind when I get a whiff). It’s tasteless however, so there is no worry of getting an unpleasant taste in your mouth.

It feels creamy on the lips and stays liquid once applied (just like a gloss). The colour is rich on first application, so there’s no need to layer it up to get it to look the colour it does from the product. I’m really keen on this liquid lipstick shade and I think it gives the lips a great, glossy pout.

Deep Colour Ultra Shine Lipstick

This lipstick glides on easily and colour has an even coverage and is instantly visible on the lips. This one cost £1.50 and the shade is nude, however on me it comes out looking more of a pinkish tone, which I actually rather like. The lipstick has a slight sheen but I wouldn’t say it’s ‘ultra’ shiny. Still, I like the way it looks on the lips.

The only thing I’m not keen on about this lipstick is the smell. To me it smells like old school makeup, which I’ve never been keen on. It’s not too overpowering when it’s on your lips but I can smell it when I apply it. It’s not the most unpleasant thing ever but I just personally prefer sweet scented lipsticks. Overall though I like the colour and the way this lipstick feels on the lips.

Matte Long Last Lipstick

This lipstick is delicious. No I didn’t eat it but it smells so good, like strawberry laces! I actually keep removing the lid just to sniff it. Although it smells of sweets, it doesn’t actually taste of sweets (it’s tasteless), which is probably for the best because I’d just end up licking it off.

Anyway, this one is also a bargain price of £1.50. I can’t remember what the label said because I ripped it off without a moments hesitation but I’m pretty sure it said ‘nude’ as that’s what I was shopping for after all and if not, it was certainly the most nude looking one in the ‘gold lid’ collection.

This lipstick feels so smooth and creamy on the lips. It actually keeps my lips feeling hydrated and stops them drying out.

I love the colour of this one, it’s got sort of a deep lilac/grey tinge to it, although I would still describe it as a nude.

Overall I’m pretty impressed with these lipsticks. It’s amazing I was able to buy three decent lipsticks for £5 when usually I pay at least that for one. My favourite out of the three has to be the Matte Long Last Lipstick, for the fact that I really like the unique tone of it, it feels good on the lips and it smells gorgeous. The liquid lipstick would have to be a very close second though, as I really like this shade of gloss against my skin tone and again I love the smell.

I give the P.S. Love nude lipsticks a thumbs up and would certainly recommend them.

Samio x

In the images in this blog post I am also wearing the Primark P.S. Love Liquid eyeliner, which you can read my review on here.

February 26, 2015
Primark P.S. Love Eye Liner and Eye Brightener Review

I’ll be honest, I’ve never been one to spend much money on eye liners. So when I spotted these ones (along with the eye brighter pencil) in Primark recently, I didn’t even hesitate to make the purchases. Unlike many other makeup products, for me (going off past experience) most eye liners have been pretty much the same, especially when it comes to pencil eye liners. If it’s black and it comes out bold, then it’s fine by me. And with regards to liquid eyeliners, I’ve often found a firm wand, as opposed to a flexible one, works best for me when creating a cat eye flick.

Smudger Eye Liner

At one end this liner is a pencil and at the other end it has a small foam smudge stick, perfect for creating a quick and easy smoky eye look. It also comes with a sharpener in the lid, so you never have to worry about it going blunt when you’re on the go.

On the below image I applied my line using just this black eye liner and as you can see it came out bold and I was able to create a perfectly precise flick. (I didn’t apply mascara, just so that you can see how the eye liner looks alone.)

Next I used the smudge stick end of the eye liner to create a subtle smoky liner.

Then I went along the bottom of my eye with the pencil to create a more smoky eyed look.

Liquid Eye Liner

I always have to carry a liquid eye liner in my makeup bag, just because you never know when those bold cat flicks might need to come out!

The wand of this liquid eyeliner is firm and so works well at creating that perfect flick.

In the image below I simply drew over the smoky eye liner (from the images above) with the liquid eye liner to at first give a subtle smoky eye with a winged liner.

To create the look below, I then made the line thicker to create a dramatic cat eye look, again using the liquid eye liner.

Highlighter Crayon (Eye Brightener)

This is such a handy little highlighter crayon that you can keep in your bag when you’re on the go. It’s perfect for highlighting below your brow or on the waterline of your eye to make the whites of your eyes appear brighter and bigger. You can also you the pencil at the inner corners of your eye (as I have done below) to add a highlight and again brighten your eyes.

I’m super pleased with all three of these products, at only £1 each, how could I not be. I also on like the fact that these products come nicely packaged. It means that they would look good as part of a present. For Birthdays I often like to buy my friend’s lots of little gifts rather that one big thing and things like this make nice little inexpensive present fillers as part of a gift.

I seem to go through so many pencil and liquid eyeliners, so I will certainly be purchasing these ones again for myself. I’m also sure the highlighter crayon will often come in handy and will be a another item I repurchase once it’s finished too. Overall I give these products a big thumbs up!

Samio x

February 9, 2015
P.S. Love: Primark Lip Liner Review

There’s nothing like a good lip liner to keep your lipstick looking on point. However, as much as I love spending money on new and colourful lipsticks I often feel slightly short changed when it comes round to buying lip liners. Although I do see them as almost a necessity when applying my lipstick, I still don’t love the idea of forking out much cash on them, especially when you’ve already purchased a pricey lipstick.

Many times I’ve gone for the more budget buys when it comes to lip liners and still been satisfied but when I came across these P.S Love lip liners from Primark’s makeup range, at such a low price, I wasn’t sure how good they would be. At only £1 per liner, I thought I may as well give them a try and after purchasing all three colours available, I couldn’t wait to get home and try them out.

This is a review that needs very little words so I’ll let the lips do the talking. A few things I will say about these lip liners though, are that they glide on easily and are strongly pigmented. They are scentless and long lasting on the lips.

Nude

I’ve been looking for a reasonably priced nude liner for ages and I’m so glad I’ve finally found one!

Pink

I already own so many pale pink lip liners, it was good to get my hands on a bright one at last.

Red

I get through so many red lip liners. I love this one, so at this price I best stock up.

I would certainly recommend these lip liners, especially if it’s your first time trying out lip liners and you want to buy a few products that aren’t going to break the bank. Also, if you’re like me and often enjoy a red lip, I’d definitely say to try out the red lip liner. I go through so many red lip liners and the cost quickly adds up but from now on I know where I’ll be continuing to purchase mine from. I only hope they start adding more colours to the range! I give these lip liners a big thumbs up!

Samio x

January 29, 2015