Hey folks
As a size 18 with a 36FF chest and size 8 feet it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to buy nice clothes and shoes very easily in Turkey (where I live and work at the moment). So every summer when I come home I bring an empty suitcase and load up with clothes, shoes and beauty products. I thought I might share some of my fave buys of the summer:
In terms of beauty...
I finally went to Boots and did the colour match for foundation. As someone with medium skin that tans very easily - I need about 3 different colours to get me throughout the year. Summers in Istanbul are hot and humid and I have quite dry skin. I absolutely love the Hydraluminous foundation and I'm excited they actually had a shade that matched me!
I also got the Maple Glow Palette as a gift and I must say its very good. Pigmented enough to show on my skin, interesting colours that can have you from office to glam and small enough to travel with. I was really impressed with this!
I also discovered the Bobbi Brown Primer Plus which is perfect for working in a hot sweaty office and making sure your makeup looks on point and gives you good sun protection too]]
I have a skincare routine which I am really happy with (37, dry) that relies on a lot of The Ordinary products. I use the hyaluronic acid during the day under my moisturiser and at night I use the advanced retinol emulsion followed by the rosehip seed oil.
Buying shoes
to the horror of Mumsnetter I am a HUGe collector of Irregular Choice mid heels. I always pick up a couple of pairs when I'm back in the UK. And I wear them. Everyday. At work. Sorry (not sorry). My favourite pair I picked up were these
I also love Melisa shoes for summer as they look smart but are cool and comfortable so I bought a pair of these for work. The colour is lovely - a vintage-y greeny gold. And they're scented (not sure why!)
Shopping for clothes
My favourite place to buy clothes is Debenhams. I like that you can find stylish (for me) clothing that is pretty decent quality and don't insist in dressing plus-sizes in a variety of tunic-y tents. I discovered the brand Solo and bought a couple of their beautifully cut patterned linen dresses ( one and two ) which again, are perfect for a hot office.
My BFF convinced me to have a personal styling session at John Lewis. I've just been given a promotion and wanted some smarter, better quality workwear that still expressed my personality (I LOVE colour). I was really hesitant because I've never done anything like it before but my friend assured me it was a terrific experience, there was no obligation to buy and it meant I would try things I would normally walk past.
Well - I LOVED IT. For two hours I had a great time drinking prosecco and trying on beautiful clothes I would never have picked up if I had been by myself. It really helped me get outside my clothing rut. Even better, everything was discounted between 50 - 70%! I highly recommend this service ( I went to the JL in Edinburgh) and I think I will now just do this once or twice a year to update my wardrobe instead of getting sucked in by the fast fashion available. I have such wonderful quality pieces now.
My absolute favourite pieces were
These silk trousers (more olive than brown) which are as light as tissue paper and utterly gorgeous
This kimono dress which I would never have picked up in a million years but with a belt and gold sandals looks so chic
And finally - thanks to a suggestion here..
The Mia Tui Jennie bag in rose gold as my new work bag. Yes, I need to be able to carry a LOT of stiff and this is just perfect. Perfect size, perfect colour, robust and plenty of pockets. I also used the pouch with the long strap as my cross body bag this summer as it was the perfect size for my wallet and phone!
Anyway, I hope this is helpful to some people. I have taken so much from this forum - I thought it was about time I gave something back!