Hola!

A couple of days ago I arrived back in the UK after spending a week in sunny Spain. I know you're probably thinking "whaaat, another holiday?!", but the past couple of months have been a bit bleugh and I just felt I needed to get away and head to Malaga, which is practically my second home.

Honestly, I would have to say it was one of the best holidays I have ever had. The hotel was meh in places, but there was a sea view if you cricked your neck around far enough and the other side of the balcony overlooked some beautiful Spanish buildings that looked like Mr Kipling's French Fancies. 

The main reason I enjoyed it so much was because of all the different places I went to. It felt as if every single day was an adventure. Since losing my dad almost four years ago, family holidays don't exist anymore. It's just my mum and myself now, as understandably my older brother plans his own trips with his girlfriend. Whilst in Spain, we met up with a friend who took us to places I didn't even know existed. It was like having a personal tour guide! He showed us little bars tucked away on the seafront where you can go and watch the sunset, let us have a walk along the pier belonging to the Marbella Club Hotel and told us all the inside gossip on the popular hotspots of the rich and famous in Puerto Banus. On top of that, we drove all the way to Gibraltar! It was so surreal. 

I say this every time, but I really didn't want to come home. Every place we visited felt like paradise.

I seem to recall in one of my previous holiday posts I included 'OOTD' photos, where I emphasised how I am by no means a model but just someone who would like to share my outfit choices with you. So yeah, we're doing it again. (And for the record, I am still not a model).

Dress - Topshop
Heels - ASOS

Sunglasses - H&M
Dress - Ralph Lauren
Sandals - UGG

T Shirt - Topshop
Dress - Zara
Sandals - UGG

Dress - H&M
Heels - ASOS

Crop Top - TK Maxx
Midi Skirt - Bershka
Heels - ASOS

If you'd like to check out more holiday snaps, feel free to follow my instagram: @xchloeanne. After having such a dreamy week, I have major post-holiday depression now I'm getting back into the swing of work, but something's gotta pay for these trips, right?!

Hope you all enjoy the weekend!

Chloë

xx

I guess you could compare me to a volcano right now - I've gone from being completely dormant and only blogging once every couple of months to fully erupting and being unable to stay away!

I just had to tell you about my latest purchase though. I popped into my local charity shop this afternoon and my eyes lit up as soon as I spotted these beauties. Much to my delight, they were a size 5 and fitted perfectly. 

What first drew me to these was the beautiful tan colour, and being wedges, I imagine they will be so much easier to walk in than the strappy ASOS heels I recently tottered around Mallorca in. After picking one up to look for the size, I noticed they were in fact Russell & Bromley, and priced at £5 I just couldn't say no! Since buying them, I've been wearing them all afternoon and they're very comfortable. My only little niggle is that they pinch ever so slightly around the top which is just down to the peep-toe style, and I'm sure the leather will continue to soften over time. 

I really love the style of these. The wedge is around 7.5cm high so they are perfect to wear throughout the day and I really don't find the height to be an issue - I certainly don't feel as if i'm tipping forwards in them when I walk. I also think the little gold plaque at the back displaying the brand name is a lovely touch. I'm sure I will get so much wear out of these this summer, and imagine they will look great with skinny jeans or even dresses and skirts.

Working in a shoe shop I'd like to think I know the tricks of the trade when it comes to shoe care, so I've since applied some neutral wax to them and it's really helped to enhance the tan colour and remove the little scuffs and scratches that were present. Honestly though, at £5 I really can't complain!

After doing a bit of snooping on Google, I found out that this style of wedge is called 'Candyfloss' and the suede version is on the Russell & Bromley website priced at £115, so I really did get a bargain!

So, if you ever find yourself struggling to contemplate spending hundreds of pounds on a designer pair of shoes, remember to check out your local charity shops first - you never know what gems you might come across!

Chloë

x

¡Buenas tardes!

I've just returned to the UK after sunning myself for a week in Mallorca - it was beautiful! I began writing a blog post during my outbound flight last week and could have sworn I'd saved it in my drafts, but for some reason it's completely disappeared so it looks like I'll have to start from scratch.

Speaking of flights, flying directly to Palma didn't quite go to plan; we were unable to fly over France due to strikes so therefore had to take an 800-mile detour over Belgium and Germany which added an extra hour onto our flight time. It wasn't ideal, but the main thing was that we arrived safe and sound.

Despite travelling to Mallorca before with my family, rather oddly we never visited the city of Palma, so that was first on the list when returning this year.

I'm stepping a little out of my comfort zone here, but for those fashionistas amongst you, I thought it may be interesting to show you a couple of outfits (please note: I am by no means model material!)

Photo Above:-
Sunglasses: H&M
Kimono: Jane Norman
Cami: Dorothy Perkins
Shorts: ASOS
Bag: Miss Selfridge
Watch: Fitbit
Flip flops: Accessorize

Photo Above:-
Dress: Topshop
Kimono: Jane Norman
Shoes: ASOS

Photo Above:-
Dress: Topshop
Shoes: ASOS

Photo Above:-
Top: TK Maxx
Kimono: Jane Norman
Shorts: Suite Blanco
Sandals: Forever 21

Photo Above:-
Top: TK Maxx
Skirt: Hollister
Sandals: Minnetonka

Until next time, or should I say... ¡hasta luego!

Chloë
x

Good afternoon!

It's been a diddly-darn while since I last wrote on my blog, but today I thought I would do a 'What's in My Bag' style post for those of you who like being an itsy-bit nosey and enjoy seeing what others carry in their bags on a day to day basis.

The bag I'm currently using on my days off is the Marc Jacobs 'Too Hot to Handle' Satchel - I love it! The size is so practical and the colour goes with everything. I'm usually always a sucker for black handbags but I thought the cement colour would be a nice change; I certainly haven't had any regrets. I purchased this bag last year (more about that here) and have been wearing it everywhere recently.

So... yeah. I carry quite a bit of tat around with me. The purse is a little on the large side and takes up rather a lot of space, but it can store so many pennies and cards that I refuse to downsize. The Louis Vuitton 'Cles' is what I use if I'm running out the house or on the move and don't require every loyalty card under the sun. It's such a handy little pouch - it's big enough to store cards as well as a couple of coins and also has a keychain where I like to keep a spare house key.

Yes, the pink glittery thing is indeed a braces case. Hopefully I won't be needing it for much longer, but currently I have an upper removable brace so I take the case with me everywhere as well as a mini toothbrush and toothpaste. SO sexy.

Ahh, perfume. I have used the same one for years. It's 'Viva la Juicy' by Juicy Couture, and I still love it as much as I did when I first smelt it. It's floral without being too overpowering or sickly sweet. The only niggle I have with this is that it doesn't seem to last long on the skin, but that's nothing that a fresh spritz can't fix.

Now onto the not-so-interesting stuff. A black Bic biro (other brands are available!) is somewhat of an essential, right?! You never know when you might need to take note of something when you're out and about, and while you can just whip out your iPhone and jot things down in the notes app, nothing beats physically writing something down.

A mini makeup bag is another essential. There is nothing worse than having a long-distance relationship with your makeup bag during the day, especially if your skin likes to get oily midway through the afternoon. Powder is essential. Other products I like to stash in my bag are lip balms/lipsticks and a waterproof mascara for teary-eyed emergencies.

Mini hairsprays deserve all the awards. They're rather bulky to carry but do allow you to say goodbye to unwanted frizz and flyaways. Alongside the hairspray, I always have a hairbrush on me just in case when my hair gets knotty.

Then there is, of course, my phone. It could easily be mistaken for an extra body part as I never go anywhere without it... i'm sure you can relate!

What are your handbag essentials?

Chloë

x

Now that Autumn is well and truly here, it's time to swap those skimpy summer outfits for the biggest, chunkiest cable-knit jumpers you can find. This time of year is a firm favourite for me in terms of fashion - I just love the colours and the cosiness! 

I thought I'd do a different blog post today by posting an autumnal OOTD. Oh, and sorry for the bad quality photos, I had to take them on my iPhone :-( (#firstworldproblems).

So here it is! A pretty simple outfit but I do think you could easily wear this look in the daytime as well as at night. I picked up the black top and the patterned skater skirt from Bershka earlier on in the week whilst I was in Barcelona. I was actually really impressed with their clothing! It's super affordable and they stock some really nice pieces for the autumn.

I picked up the burgundy cardigan from Topshop (similar here). It's a little on the long side so would probably suit somebody enviably tall with a model-like physique a lot better, but meh, it's Autumn and wearing clothes a little on the oversized side is perfectly acceptable, right?!

Last but by no means least, I just have to tell you about my latest splurge. I have lusted over this bag for quite some time now and have always seen it as my 'dream' handbag. It's the Marc Jacobs 'Too Hot to Handle' satchel - the satchel being a miniature version of the tote. I'm not a huge fan of big handbags as I don't like to carry much apart from my phone and purse, so the size of this bag is perfect for me. There's also a long strap so you can wear the bag across your body - super handy for when you simply don't have a hand free! I'll have to be honest, I really didn't plan on buying this bag in the colour 'cement'. 99.9% of the time I only buy black handbags so I can wear them with absolutely everything, but this lighter shade is a nice change and looks lovely with the gold hardware.

Have you picked up any nice fashion pieces this month?

Chloë

x

If you've read my previous blog post you will know that I've had a reason to celebrate recently. Now before you all turn up on my doorstep clutching glasses of champagne and party poppers, I'll let you in on a secret. I'm not a mahoosive fan of drinking. There, I said it. Call me boring if you like, I'm just yet to find an alcoholic beverage that I actually enjoy (although I did have a glass of Prosecco the other night and I was pleasantly surprised). Anyway, instead of getting completely bungalowed on a bottle of bubbly, I decided to treat myself with a bit of online retail therapy. First stop, Harvey Nichols. You might not think it, but I'm actually pretty clued up with shopping and I'd say I buy the majority of the things I own in the sale or at a discounted price. Part of me doesn't believe in spending hundreds of pounds on a handbag as I really don't think I could justify it - I'm only a sales assistant in a shoe shop after all! So after browsing on Harvey Nicks, I came across what must have been the cutest Marc by Marc Jacobs bag I've ever laid eyes on but my heart sank when I saw the price. What does a girl do in this situation? Do you guiltily click "add to basket" and dread the moment you check your bank account or do you think sensibly and exit the tab ASAP vowing to never tempt yourself like that again? Well, I did neither... I simply opened a new tab and went straight onto eBay.

OK, so you won't always be able to find what you're looking for on eBay, but more often than not there will be someone out there selling that very item you've been pining for. You probably know what's coming next... I FOUND THE CUTE MARC JACOBS BAG!! It was brand new and still had its tags intact with zero bids and only two hours left, so I spent the rest of my Saturday night glued to my laptop screen refreshing the page every few seconds like a madwoman. Judging by the following photos it's fairly obvious that victory was mine and I won the auction, and I saved around £120 just by shopping around!

What do you think? I love that it's both black and off-white as it can be worn for both smart and casual occasions. It's currently still on the Harvey Nichols website here for those of you who might fancy having a little nosey!

Chloë

x

It's certainly no secret that I'm a bit of a shoe fanatic - working in a shoe shop definitely doesn't help! You may have noticed that all of the shoes pictured above have something in common... that thing being the colour. I always buy black shoes; in my opinion they're the most versatile as they can be worn with pretty much any other colour and you know you haven't the problem of trying to match them up with your outfit. I tend to only wear heels on a special occasion and to me, black just makes everything look smarter and a bit more formal - you can't go wrong!

First up is this black pair of heels I bought from New Look last summer. They have zips at the back and straps across the front to help keep your feet in place, so if you're anything like me and have narrow ankles, rest assured - they won't be falling off your feet! I've only worn these once; they're not as high as some of the other shoes I own but  I find them harder to walk in as they don't have a platform.

Next are these wedges, again from New Look. They have lovely cutout detailing along the sides with a peep toe at the front. I bought these a few years ago but have only worn them once or twice as I forgot all about them! I think they'd be lovely with a long maxi dress to give you a bit of extra height, but they still great paired with jeans for a more casual look.

These are perhaps the highest heels I own at 12cm high but they're surprisingly comfortable and thanks to the platform at the front, they're rather easy to walk in. I ordered these online from Kurt Geiger last year as I've always wanted a pair of classic black pumps - they look good with everything! But, my issue with these came with trying to get them to stay on my feet. Working in a shoe shop taught me a few little tricks, though - using half insoles in the front helps to get rid of some of the depth in the shoe and pushes your foot towards the back, helping your feet to stay in place. I also had to use really thin full insoles in these as they stretched slightly after wearing them, but I think I've finally managed to keep them from slipping off!

This is yet another pair I bought from New Look. I guess these are in-between being a shoe and a boot, commonly known as a shoe-boot surprisingly... haha. I love the cutout detailing on these, the pattern looks almost like flower petals which gives a slight feminine feel to the shoe. I have a feeling these would look great with a skater style dress but again, wearing them with black trousers would create a smarter, more formal look.

Ah, these are probably the most impractical shoes of the bunch. Again, I got these from New Look (surprise surprise!) These are probably classed as more of a boot, but I added them into the collection anyway due to their really thin stiletto-like heels. These are rather difficult to walk in to be honest - the last time I wore them I noticed that my weight shifted towards the front and it was hard to balance on the heels due to their tiny surface area. To make matters worse I was trying to walk in these down a gradient and ended up having to take baby steps at a snails pace!

Last of all are these Redherring wedges that I picked up in Debenhams. These are so comfortable and again, they go with everything. I've only ever worn these around the house as they were another pair that I'd put in the wardrobe and sadly forgot about, but they're lovely and such a classic style.

I hope that was somewhat interesting for you... personally I love seeing other peoples shoes as I think you can tell so much about a person from the kind of shoes they wear! 

What are some of your shoe staples?

Chloe

While it is still a couple of weeks away, April 9th marks my 20th birthday. I'm definitely not one to write a huge wish-list of gifts that I demand my friends and family to buy for me; I was always taught growing up that you should work hard and earn the things you wish to buy for yourself as you learn the value of money and tend to appreciate and look after them more. Of course it can be a little different when you're younger: struggling to hold onto that single £5 note you've earned from delivering hundreds of papers around the neighbourhood, but as you get older you have to learn to budget your money and as my mum always says, "always save for a rainy day!".

For months and months I have longed for a lovely new leather wallet, searching high and low to find "the one". I don't wish for this to come across as materialistic in any way, as I would 100% agree that there are many more important things in life to be worrying about, but sometimes I do think it's important to take the time to treat yourself as well as those around you. I do enjoy buying things for others more than I do myself though - it's rewarding seeing their faces light up for a split-second and knowing that your good deed has brought them a little bit of happiness!

ANYWAY, that went off on a bit of a tangent and for a second I was almost going to have to look out my snorkel - things were about to get waaaay too deep! Below are some pictures I took of my lovely new purchase, complete with its own Karl Largerfeld dust bag.

The wallet comes in gold and silver, but I opted for the gold as I think it looks more striking against the black leather. On the subject of leather, it's so soft and has a butter-like feel to it... the quality is incredible. Inside there are eight card slots and a zipped coin compartment to keep those pennies safe. It's a little bigger than I expected, measuring 21cm long and 10cm high, although I very much prefer having enough space to store receipts and tickets etc as opposed to cramming everything into one zipped compartment.

I have to say, I absolutely love it. It's just what I was looking for, and believe me, I'm extremely fussy with things like this! I think wallets are quite personal as everybody has their own little preferences, but I'm very happy I took the risk of ordering this online as it's everything I was hoping for :D

Karl Lagerfeld Quilted Leather Wallet - The Outnet