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

For a very long time I've been researching what it takes to live a fit and healthy lifestyle. Well, when I say researching, I do mean merely googling different workout routines and meal plans every couple of days but still - you get the idea. To be honest, I don't typically love exercise but it is something I'm trying to incorporate into my life at least a couple of times a week. The one thing that used to bug me was never knowing how many calories I'd burned after a workout. It's all well and good making sensible food choices and counting calories, but after exercise you run the risk of over-eating if you don't low how many calories you've manage to torch.

This is where my new gadget comes in, the Polar FT4. This is a heart rate monitor which allows you to track how many calories you've burnt during your workout and also lets you know your average and maximum heart rate zone while you're exercising. It's basically like having your own personal trainer on your wrist! I've used this a couple of times now and I definitely wouldn't like to be without it - it's SO useful.

To use it, simply attach the Polar transmitter to the front of the belt and place it around your chest. You need to dab the black strip of electrodes with a little bit of water before you exercise so you can get an accurate measurement of your heart rate, but then you're good to go!

Once you've finished your workout you can rinse the strap with water to clean it and then let it hang to dry ready for next time. With the FT4 model you cannot sync the watch wirelessly to receive your workout results but you can use the Polar website to keep track of everything by typing your data in manually. This may be too much effort for some but if you're serious about keeping track of your workouts you shouldn't find it too tedious.

I really think this a great piece of kit for those of you who may be looking for an accurate estimation of how many calories you've burned during exercise. It's really simple and easy to use and it comes in a variety of colours - always a good thing for those fashion-conscious gym-goers! I opted for the green one as I thought it'd make a nice change from pink, but there are also silver and blue options available on the Polar website here.

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

When I have a day off there's always one activity that springs to mind... one which usually involves me scurrying through my purse looking for any form of useable currency or guiltily handing over my debit card to the sales assistant. You've probably guessed by now that I am indeed talking about shopping, and when I spot bargains or any kind of price reduction I'M THERE.

Today's purchase came from TK Maxx, which has recently become a favourite shop of mine. You can find all sorts of designer brands at amazingly discounted prices whether it's homeware, clothing, handbags, shoes... basically every girl's dream, right?

I don't usually bother looking around the shoe section as I used to find the nicest shoes in smaller sizes and could never find them in the size 6 section! However today I found these little beauties; they're the Ralph Lauren 'Polly' Sneakers which usually retail at £65, but I picked them up for just£24.99!

Being predominantly white makes them incredibly versatile as they'll go with pretty much anything - especially denim jeans for a simple, casual look.

They're so comfy and lightweight too... two necessities when looking for that perfect spring/summer daytime shoe.

What do you think of them? What do you usually like to wear on your feet during the warmer months? 

Chloe

x

26.2.15. Exactly two months ago marks the day one of my closest friends gallivanted halfway across the world to visit Australia. The way I've phrased it sounds like she chucked everything into her suitcase and dashed off on a last-minute getaway, but the trip was planned waaaaay in advance!

I thought I would share with you some of the lovely gifts I was given - mainly because they're WAY too cute not to and perhaps it would provide some sort of present inspiration to any of you who may be holiday-ing and wondering what on earth to bring back for your friends/family/pets etc... (i'd probably advise against the kangaroo earrings for pets though... just a thought).

Just to clarify, this clearly wasn't bought in Australia but during the stop-off in Singapore.. heheh.

It's Tuesday, and my room looks like an absolute pigsty. To be completely honest, I still have so many presents from Christmas just floating amongst the piles of clothes and wrappers and God-knows-what. Anyway, today I made a start at clearing the decks and found many empty product bottles and containers which inspired me to write this blog post... maybe my messy room was actually a blessing in disguise!

First up is the Boots Vitamin E Night Cream. This is extremely moisturising and sinks in really quickly - i'm not a fan of those creams that take forever and a day to absorb into the skin! I really can't fault this: it's nourishing, affordable and makes my skin feels super smooth and soft afterwards - an absolute winner!

Next is the Max Factor Lash Extension Effect Mascara. I absolutely LOVED this throughout the year of 2014. The wand was perfect at keeping those pesky clumps at bay and the mascara itself really elongated my lashes without making them feel dry and rock-hard. 

Another one of my favourites now - the No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser. This is lovely for removing stubborn makeup and can even be used around the delicate eye area which means you don't have to each for a separate product. As you can probably tell, this isn't an empty bottle, but I have repurchased this twice since my old one ran out, promise! For a more in-depth review, please see an older blog post of mine here.

This is something I don't actually remember buying, the Dove Instant Hydration Nourishing Lotion. I'm a little bit lazy when it comes to body moisturisers, but this is wonderful. It's very runny - I'd describe its consistency to be similar to cleansing milks, but this means it's very light and sinks into the skin very quickly. 

Last of all is this Pantene Perfect Curls Hair Mousse, which I swear I've owned for years and years. I rarely use hair mousse as I do fear it may weigh my hair down, but this one was lovely and left my hair looking shiny and feeling lovely and soft. When wearing my hair curly I didn't particularly notice  any difference to how well-defined the curls were, but if you're only looking for a mousse to make your hair that little bit shiner and more manageable then I'd definitely recommend this one.

What are some of your favourite products that you've used up? Did you repurchase any?

Chloe 

x

There's nothing I like better than a mid-morning snack. 

..Well, there probably is, but for the sake of this blog post, we can pretend that rice cakes with almond butter and chopped banana are THE best things in the world. If there is such a thing as a Holy Grail snack, for me this would probably be it. I'm guilty of being that person who just loves to snack, but sometimes it can be difficult to find the right sorts of things to nibble on. I know that if I don't prepare snacks in advance, I'll sniff out the nearest chocolate bar before you know it. That's where these little babies come into play - they're so simple to do and are perfect for slaying that darn hunger pang you get at 11am!

It sounds silly, but a few months back I didn't even know almond butter was a thing. I discovered it after watching Niomi Smart's 'Healthy Snack Ideas' video  which totally inspired me to rush out to Holland and Barrett to buy some. I assumed it would have quite a sweet taste as almonds typically do, however I'd describe this as more of a savoury spread (probably because the only other spread i've tried is Nutella, haha) which has a slight grainy texture to it. 

That being said, it's delicious with some chopped up banana and in my opinion it makes the perfect mid-morning snack.

They honestly take less than 30 seconds to prepare and are sooo yummy.

So there you have it - no more excuses for not having time to make healthy food choices!