What does your Valentines Day look like?

February 14, 2017February 14, 2017 | blueskygirlie

It’s Valentines Day! Whether or not you celebrate it, love it or loathe it, are taken or single, it’s a great day to spoil yourself and make yourself feel good. It’s a day all about love – whether its the love for a partner, for your friends, your family but most importantly yourself – because you can’t love anyone properly unless youve learnt to love yourself! In todays blog I’ll show you my picks to help you do just that…

Mind blowing blow dry spray – Schwarzkopf Got2b
Red lingerie set – Peacocks
Vanity case – Primark
Heart earrings/Movie Night purse/Diamanté brooch – New Look
Rose Quartz Facial Oil – Skin Chemists*
Red Gazelle Trainers – Adidas
Je t’aime brooch – vintage
The Righteous Butter – Soap and Glory
Heart dish – Clintons
Harley Quinn mini-figure – Lego
Love Heart sweets – Swizzles Matlow

I love wearing nice underwear whatever the day and Valentines Day demands some red accents so why not your undies! This lace bra and knicker set (£15 from Peacocks) is sexy but still wearable – as a 43year old, DD cup size with a mummy tummy, Ann Summers style is just not going to work for me! Feeling confident is sexy, right? The Schwarzkopf Mind Blowing Spray is a new discovery for me and its amazing! It makes your hair dry so fast and makes straightening really easy. The ‘Be Mine’ heart dish (£10 from Clintons) is perfect to put my rings on at night and the Harley Quinn Lego minifigure (£4 from all good Lego retailers) is a little gift from my boyfriend who just loves Lego (and I love Harley). The heart earrings were from the New Look sale and look really cute on as do my red Adidas Gazelle trainers – I’ve wanted a pair for ages so treated myself in the January sales and by buying the kids version (they go up to UK 5.5) I saved a fortune! The Skin Chemists Rose Quartz facial oil (£24.99 from Skin Chemists) is still keeping my skin soft and radiant (for more info see my review of it here) and smells lovely…just the thing to make you feel great about yourself!

I do love a pretty accessory and the heart brooch is a vintage one and the diamanté wreath brooch is from New Look. Love Heart sweets are always cute to give your loved one and dont seem to of changed that much since I was a kid (apart from maybe a ‘text me’ one!). And this vanity case (£5 from Primark) is just adorable – perfect for if youre going away or just to store stuff in your bedroom or bathroom.

I love Soap & Glory products so The Righteous Butter is a constant buy for me – if you’ve never tried their products then I did definitely recommend you do. And finally I couldnt resist the Movie Night coin purse (£4.99 New Look) its small, but perfectly formed and the perfect size for your cinema tickets, some coins and a bank card.

But ultimately my Valentine Day looks like just being with the people I love. As its half term and I have the day off I will be lunching then having a Starbucks date with my 3 sons/stepsons in the day and then later on will share a romantic dinner with my boyfriend. We dont ‘do’ gifts, just give a Valentines Day card because for us its every day that matters, not just February 14th. But whatever you do, however big or small, enjoy the day.

PS I also wrote about how I hate the commercialism of the day here – have a look and let me know your thoughts!

During February Skin Chemists are having a Rose Quartz month with lots of promotional offers on the entire range. This product usually has a RRP of £99 but during February is reduced to £24.99 – to shop it click here. My followers can receive an additional 20% off by using the discount code BLUESKYBLOG making the product only £19.99! The code is valid until the end of February.

*I was gifted this product but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

The thing I fell in love with this week

February 11, 2017February 11, 2017 | blueskygirlie

L’Oreal Elvive Colour Protect Low Shampoo / £6.99

As someone with thick, quite curly hair, I am not a fan of overwashing my hair especially since it has been vibrantly coloured. When I saw an advert about ‘Low Shampooing’ which appeared to be a more gentle way to wash your hair, I was instantly interested in what that meant.

According to the advertising, ‘low shampoos’ are a gentle way to wash your hair in one simple step. These cleansing creams have a no foam or sulphate formula and both conditions hair while gently removing impurities therefore helping keep your colour strong. You use them in place of your existing haircare regime 1-2 times a week so would probably only work for you if youre willing to not wash your hair too frequently.

You then leave on for 3 mins (I just clipped my hair up) and then rinse off. It seems a bit odd with no foamy lather but I recently discovered via a top hairdresser that much of the foaming in normal shampoos doesn’t clean your hair at all, it just makes you think its cleaner! In fact the most common foamer found in shampoo is Soium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), a man-made chemical is often used to remove grease and oil from engines or floors! Whatever the specific chemical, all sulfates remove natural oils from your hair and scalp, which can lead to dryness, thinning or even loss of hair or allergic reactions.

With this product you don’t use a conditioner but can use the day cream as a leave in conditioner (also new and priced at £6.99) if you want – I used it as a protection cream as I blow dried my thick wavy hair which it can also be used for. I do like a multi-tasking beauty product!

I’m already a fan of the Colour Protect range and pretty much only use them now I’ve had my hair deeply coloured red. The new Low Shampoo is available in three different L’oreal range varieties:

• Colour Protect Low Shampoo – helps keep coloured hair feeling protected and looking beautiful (my pick)
• Extraordinary Oil Low Shampoo – for dry hair leaves hair soft, shiny and resilient
• Extraordinary Oil Curl Nourishment Low Shampoo – for curly/afro hair helps to leave hair feeling nourished.

I usually hate the look of my freshly washed hair. I will never wash my hair the same day/night as going out for example, but after washing my hair looked really good. It didn’t look as ‘fluffy’ as it usually looks with normal shampoos and conditioners. Time will tell on how vibrant my colour stays but unless my hair was very dirty I’m definitely now moving over to low shampooing regime a couple of times a week rather than the traditional wash/condition I was doing.

The range is available at all good chemists and supermarkets (I bought mine at Superdrug) and more information on the new products can be found here.

Skin Chemists Rose Quartz Age Defence Youth Facial Oil

February 1, 2017February 2, 2017 | blueskygirlie

When Skin Chemists got in touch and said they wanted to send me a different kind of Valentines gift I was intrigued. Now I’m not a big fan of Valentines Day (I blogged about it here) but I am a big fan of beauty products and last year was very impressed with the Skin Chemists Snail Serum I reviewed (see the non slimy results here) so was excited to find out what treat I would receive.

Skin Chemists’ idea is to gift (or self-gift) a rose-themed beauty product rather than a bouquet of roses this Valentines Day because lets be honest, however beautiful they can be, bouquets of roses at Valentines are such a waste of money. I personally would always rather have something that will last more than a few days and more importantly something I actually want. So I’m definitely ready to break with tradition this February, are you?

PS If you’re single and thinking “Urgh, great a blog about gifts for Valentines day” I think February is always a great month to buy yourself a few beauty treats regardless…its still a bit cold and miserable plus your skin is recovering from winter and needs all the TLC it can get. So embrace the self-gifting (I know I do!!!)

I tested the Rose Quartz Age Defence Youth Facial Oil* and according to Skin Chemists, the oil is infused with a blend of hydrating, nourishing and protecting actives. These provide essential vitamins and minerals for the skin to leave the complexion illuminated, hydrated and refined.

The main active ingredients in the formulation are:
1) Rose Otto Oil to help restore moisture balance in the skin. Its anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties aim to repair and protect the skin, whilst firming and toning.
2) Vitamin E to reduce skin damage, whilst protecting against daily damage.
3) Almond Oil to provide deep hydration and nourishment, brightening and renewing the appearance of the skin.

So does it do what it claims – to smooth, illuminate and refine…?

The first thing I noticed, from the first day I starting using it was how soft my skin felt afterwards. The oil itself is very light and doesn’t make your skin feel sticky or oily plus it smells divine! The rose oil ingredient creates a lovely light floral aroma that makes you feel great even on the most miserable of days. Plus I had no break-outs while using it and considering I used it quite liberally over my whole face I think thats great as the fact it was an oil did worry me a little before I started using it.

By week two I felt my skin was looking dewy and definitely had a healthy glow to it which I loved. I didn’t see a huge difference in my fine lines but to be honest I’m lucky as I dont have a lot and this would probably be more obvious after a longer usage time. It definitely felt luxurious to use though and I got into the habit to using it before bed and it made me feel quite pampered which was lovely. All in all I liked the product – it is easy to use with its pipette style dispenser, comes in premium glass packaging (plus a lovely bright pink box!), made my skin super soft to the touch and smells just lovely. Suitable for all skin types, I think the oil would be a lovely treat for your skin this February.

During February Skin Chemists are having a Rose Quartz month with lots of promotional offers on the entire range. This product usually has a RRP of £99 but during February is reduced to £24.99 – to shop it click here.
And it gets better! My followers can receive an additional 20% off by using the discount code BLUESKYBLOG making the product only £19.99! The code is valid until the end of February so now is the time to treat yourself (or get someone else to!)

*I was gifted this product but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

Pretty in Pink

January 20, 2017January 20, 2017 | blueskygirlie

Its no secret I love pink. I like bright pink, baby pink and metallic pink…which is strange really as I wouldn’t describe myself as a particularly ‘girlie’ girl. But fashion for me is about feeling good about yourself and pink clothing always does that for me.

Todays look is based around a fabulous bargain jumper I bought from New Look. Its just £9.99 and is available in a number of colours – its shade is ‘shell pink’ which is a lovely flattering pink perfect if you dont want to go too pink (if thats possible, but hey I love pink!). It has a high neck, sloughy shape and fitted sleeves which creates a very flattering fit. I went for the small as I didnt want it too loose fitting. The jumper is available in 9 different colours plus some petite and tall options too and I definitely recommend it – find it here.

For a feminine look, I teamed it with a silver pleated skirt, pearl necklace and silver brogues. I wanted the look to be pretty but not fussy so kept it simple. I just love pleated skirts and keep buying them in various colours, as theres something about the ‘swoosh’ you get when wearing pleats that just makes you feel great!

The longer length necklace creates a flattering accessory drawing the eye downwards and for a cute quirky look I teams the brogues with glittery ankle socks rather than tights.

I think this is a pretty, feminine look without looking too girlie (I am 43!). So are you ready to embrace some pink for when Spring arrives? How do you style it, I’d love to know…

Jumper /New Look £9.99
Skirt / eBay (China) £14.99
Socks / Next Kids £3.00
Necklace / Dorothy Perkins (past season)
Shoes / 915 at New Look (past season)

The Strange Case of Self Doubt & the Confident Girl

January 13, 2017January 18, 2017 | blueskygirlie

Have you been watching the new series of Sherlock on the BBC? Well I’ve got a case for you to investigate mystery lovers…

This is me: at 43, I’ve studied hard, I have been travelling, I’ve worked at some of the best places in my profession; I have been married, I’ve been divorced, I’ve done it alone, I’ve created a blended family a fantastic new partner; I’ve forged a great career (although its now taking a backseat while I do the whole primary school thing), I’ve owned my own business; am a mother and step mother, bought and sold houses, chose to change my life and drop 6 dress sizes and generally aim to embrace life and all it offers. I travel, love having new experiences, care deeply for those I love and am always the life and soul of any party.

But I am still wracked with that pointless emotion…self doubt.

Maybe you suffer from it too? Its definition is this –

SELF DOUBT [self-dout] noun

lack of confidence in the reliability of one’s own motives, personality, thought, etc.

It is a strange thing to be seen as so confident and bubbly by everybody, as they seem to think you are never not confident as if you are a non-stop fun machine. I myself am a person of extremes – put me in front of a crowd and ask me to perform and I am in my element, but looking at a person on Facebook who has ignored my friend request will reduce me into a state over-thinking.

“They must hate me” I think.

“Maybe I’ve done something to upset them?” I ponder.

Is it because I’m too loud / odd / fat / fit / obsessive / dreamy / pretty / ugly / bullish / fussy / common / snobby / ethnic / funny / miserable ? etc etc – delete as necessary.
I have always been a worrier. I will worry about anything and everything and again those niggling little thoughts can creep in – the ‘what ifs’… Suffering from any form of anxiety can be crippling at times but I believe telling people about it is half the battle, particularly if you’re good at hiding it. In my 30’s I suffered quite badly with anxiety and panic but ultimately I had to acknowledge that the only thing holding me back from living the life I wanted was me. It was a watershed moment and I changed my life – big time…but thats for another blog. I still get anxious about things of course but I do not and will not let it control me. (as an aside I’ve found regular exercise key in making this change to my mental health)

Being a mum can make self doubt rear its ugly head far too often too. “Am I doing the best I can?” I ask myself as I rush from work, via the school run to after-school swimming then rewarding my son with dinner out as a reward as he passes into the next swim group. Of course I am, but its easy to look at people around me particularly via the rose-tinted glasses of social media and think – “Wow they’ve got it all under control…activities every night after school and perfect children, maybe we should start violin lessons and I should stop letting the kids go on the computer so much”. However once you start comparing your life to others lives you will never stop…and probably total madness would follow!!! My mantra is now “I am doing the best I can and I am good enough.”

Ah social media. As someone who works in marketing and uses it everyday in my role, I can see the good it can create but I also think social media is a particular issue our parents did not have to deal with; whether its the Facebook show offs, the people trying to tell you how to parent or the general taboo of admiting that sometimes life and motherhood is really bloody hard, I’m learning to take it all with a pinch of salt and remember… however much it is presented as reality it is not actually real life!

I was recently picked for a fabulous opportunity – to film an advert for Garnier Olia hair dye and be the face of their Intense Red shade 6.60 for 2017. All the attention, praise and compliments was really quite humbling and its really nice to see yourself through other peoples eyes…in fact it is quite amazing. Not only was I feeling good about how I looked, I was suddenly being told how well I had done, how proud I should be of myself, and you know what, the more they said it the easier it was to feel it.

I compliment people all the time but find it hard sometimes to accept a compliment or praise graciously, as if I am embarassed by the fuss. I wonder why that is, why it feels like showing off when it is, in fact, just being proud? It is one of my proudest moments so far and has definitely helped me stop telling myself “you can do better!” quite so much!

Being in a TV advert definitely helps you get used to really focusing on how you look which is usually the time when that self doubt can creep back in for me. When you photograph yourself all the time for your blog it seems strange to say you suffer from worrying about how you look, after all how I look is a big part of the blog. It is a ‘chicken and egg’ situation as one of the reasons I started blogging was to help my self esteem and it has been very good at helping that – generally people are very kind and supportive and I have not come across many trolls. But do I look in the mirror and love what I see? Well lets just say I am working on it…

So what has this bubbly, mainly extravert; worrying, sometimes introvert actually learnt? I have realised I am far too hard on myself and really need to give myself a break – we all do. We were the generation that was told we could ‘have it all’, but that is pretty much impossible. We must make our choices and pick our battles and celebrate each success however small. It is ok to not get everything right, in fact to learn and develop it is a very necessary thing. The key for me is to keep trying, to never give up and to try and be the best version of me I can be.

So I continue on my lifes journey trying as best I can to banish this pointless, undermining emotion and remember the amazing journey I have taken to get here – to this exact point, with all its ups and downs, its failures but also its many successes – it is this exact journey that has made me, me!

I’m realising I am the only me I’m gonna get and you know what, I’m pretty damned good at all this life stuff.

I’m still wondering my that person on hasn’t accepted my Facebook friend request though…

More La Redoute

December 31, 2016January 1, 2017 | blueskygirlie

You know I adore La Redoute (read about my first haul here) and I always have a saved wishlist waiting online for when they have their big promotions or sales and recently they had another 40% off promotion which equaled another La Redoute haul…so I went for it. Want to see what I got?

Red coat, slogan sweatshirt & white shirt

This is a perfect set of layering pieces and great worn with a pair of jeans for a smart casual look.

The boyfriend style coat is made from a twill type material rather than wool, so a couple of layers are required if I’m wearing it outside, but I do love wearing red – it always makes me feel great.
You can’t go wrong with a classic white shirt and this one has a nice bit of stretch in the cotton so can be worn firted underneath things.
And the sweatshirt? Well its always nice to be polite, oui?

Shirt / £19 – find it here
Sweatshirt / £14.40 (on sale) – find it here
Coat / £49 – find it here

High neck lace top

This top is a really great addition to my wardrobe and can be worn both to the office and dressed up for a night out. It is lovely quality and looks much more expensive than it was. Its definitely a new favourite piece.
Lace top / £24.50 (on sale) – find it here
Camisole / Primark (past season)

Metallic party top

Who doesn’t want to sparkle at Christmas? This 1980’s style top is made from the most amazing fabric – it looks like molten metal. Its dressy without being too over the top and is the perfect choice for a night out when you dont want to look too dressed up. The frilled front and buttons up the back just add to its loveliness.
Frilled top / £34.30 (on sale) – find it here

Grey trainers

I am not one to buy unbranded trainers but I loved the laid back vibe of these. The different shades of grey felted wool look very stylish and they go with practically anything! Just no 50 shades of grey jokes, ok?
Trainers / £39 – find them here

All items available from La Redoute right now – find the website here. All prices accurate at time of writing – their winter sale has just started so why not grab yourself a bargain!

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2016January 1, 2017 | blueskygirlie

I just wanted to say a big thank you to you all for your support this year, following my little blog/Instagram/Facebook page and joining me on this journey. I started this blog at the end of 2014 as an outlet for my creativity at a time when I had very little opportunity to be creative and with an aim to help me grow my confidence about myself and share that with other women while showing that age did not define style.

Just over a year later and 2016 has been a real year of change for me…a new job, changes in my personal life meaning I have had to focus much more on my son and his needs and then, out of the blue, some amazing opportunities linked to my Instagram and blog.

I have also learnt this year not everyone is on your side, in fact some people can be downright nasty, but getting toxic people out of your life is never a bad thing. It can hurt of course, but experiences like that just make you love your supporters (whether they are family, friends or strangers you only talk to via the internet) even more and I am very lucky to have a wonderfully supportive partner and some loyal and loving family and friends.

I am really proud of what I have achieved this year. I have found my place at work and created a role that really suits me, grown my blog and Instagram followers, worked hard at keeping my blended family happy and full of love, continued my fitness journey by keeping up my running every week (over 450 miles run this year!) and topped the year off by filming an advert for Garnier!

I wish you all a wonderful holiday period and a healthy and happy 2017! I’m off to eat some more Quality Street…

The boon. Christmas Shopping Challenge

December 14, 2016December 14, 2016 | blueskygirlie

When boon. got in contact with me and asked me if I wanted to take part in their Christmas challenge I just couldn’t say no. Their challenge if I chose to accept it? To find some fabulous Christmas fashion available on the high street now, paying via my phone using the boon. pre-pay Mastercard and then share it with you guys.

I had to find the following –

A Christmas party outfit that could be worn 2/3 different ways
A secret santa gift for a friend that says they’re not a hipster, but are, bought from a charity shop.
A Christmas party accessory
A Christmas jumper

So far, so exciting. But first of all I bet some of you are thinking, what is a boon. card? Well, good question. I am new to using boon. (and Apple Pay in general) and was a little nervous at first. But my worries were unfounded – its super easy to use, very secure and a great way to stick to a budget (something I always need help with!)

So boon. (the full stop is part of its name) is basically a digital, prepaid MasterCard. You download the app and sign up to use it with Apple Pay and store it in your Apple wallet. You can top-up your account via your bank account, debit or credit card and it works via your phone at any contactless payment terminal.

It is very secure (my primary concern) as when you add a credit or debit card to Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apples servers. Instead, a unique device account number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored on your device, then each transaction is authorised with a one-time security code. You have an app on your phone that tracks your payments, sending you a message when money leaves or enters the account as well as providing you with a statement of your spending.

So, phone in hand, I was ready to shop… but what did I choose?

The Christmas Party Outfit –

Sequin sweatshirt / £10.00
Metallic pleated skirt / £15.00
Leopard boots / £12.00
Earrings / £2 all Primark

This will be my boxing day/night outfit but then I will wear the top with black jeans and the leopard boots for a more casual party look later in the week for a night in the pub and the metallic pleated skirt with a lace top and heels for a sexier, party look which would be perfect for New Years Eve. Mix and match party dressing – perfect!

The Secret Santa Gift –

I saw these 1980’s Ladybird books in one of my local charity shops and I just had to get them! Retro and cool Ladybird books would remind any hipster of their childhoods and we all love a bit of nostalgia dont we? They could even frame the illustrations and front covers to create some really cool art for their walls.

Disney is always a hit whatever your age but then I saw this ‘Frog Chorus’ one and I had to buy that too…how perfect for Christmas is that!?! I have no idea why this is a Christmas song but it is on about every Xmas compilation I own! All together now “Bom, bom-bom, baw-ah-wah, Bom, bom-bom, We all stand together…”

Ladybird books / £1 each all Scope Charity shop

Did you know some charity shops take boon. too? If they have a contactless payment terminal you can use your phone to pay just like anywhere else and if you want to get in on the secret santa action, boon. are currently running a competition on Facebook where you can win some credit for yourself too. Check out their Facebook page for more details!

The Christmas Party Accessory –

Lately I have been wearing more things with a high neckline and consequently have been moving away from wearing necklaces, prefering statement earrings and bracelets. This stunning duo look glitzy without being tacky and would go with any colour party outfit. I like that the earrings are hooped rather than chandelier style, keeping their style contemporary and the bracelet is adjustable like a necklace – perfect if you have tiny feeble wrists like me!

Diamante bracelet / £4
Diamante earrings / £3 both Limited Edition by Atmosphere
I also couldn’t resist these gift bow earrings…so cute for subtle Christmas dressing up.

Bow earrings / £1 Primark

The Christmas Jumper –

Ok, so I’m gonna level with you – I’m not really a Christmas jumper person. I like being festive and I LOVE sparkle and embellishment but having a cheap, novelty jumper on isnt really my thing. I will if I have to, but at 43, I’d rather create something a bit more stylish. However I do like to embrace the festive period so I thought about how could create a Christmas jumper that wasnt actually a Christmas jumper and my stylish solution was this…

Pink roll neck jumper / £9.99
Brooch / £5.99 Wreath brooch / £5.99 all New Look

I added a couple of my own vintage brooches, and….et voila!
Bow earrings / £1 Primark
Vintage brooches / my own

I love this look – it has all the sparkle you want at Christmas but it is not silly, plus you can wear it all year round – if you want to make it a bit less Christmassy you can just remove a few (or all) of the brooches. I’m going to wear it with a metallic skirt and silver brogues over Christmas for a pretty, girlie look.

Skirt/Socks/Shoes my own

So you’ve seen my Christmas Shopping Challenge buys – I stayed within my budget and came home with a set of items I just love and think will improve my existing wardrobe, plus I donated to charity too. I hope you love my choices as much as I do and they inspire you this Christmas whether you are buying for yourself or for friends and family.

This post was written in conjunction with boon. but all views expressed are my own. Find out more about putting boon. in your Apple Wallet here.

Orange is the new black

December 3, 2016December 3, 2016 | blueskygirlie

Last year I saw this coat in magazines and on bloggers and fell in love…I missed out on buying it but bought it this year via eBay…hoorah!

My boyfriend looked at this coat and as politely as he could said…”Please dont wear that when youre out with me.”

OK, so its not to everyones taste (my boyfriend included) but it definitely makes a statement! Worn with a simple outfit of black polo neck and skinny jeans this coat looks so striking…and I love it!

My shoes are from New Look and I have hardly taken them off since I bought them! They are so comfortable and perfect for Autumn dressing. They cost £19.99 and I think they are a great AW16 wardrobe addition.