Bras for Comfort, Style and Feeling Pretty

Howdy,

I feel super excited to share with you some of the best bras around on the high street, in my opinion. If you are a lady with an ample bosom like myself then you may find this post really helpful. Down below I have some of my favourite tried and true bras that I really can recommend to you, all are perfect to be worn everyday but some are more specifically designed to be worn under a white shirt or a strapless dress. Did I say they are all from Marks and Spencer? I do shop around for bras but always end up back at this shop. They have a great selection and really do think they cater for the younger audience to.

I found it really hard to find a "nude" bra because all of the shops have nude bras that just look cream on me, and I have brown skin.  It is also hard to find a strapless bra that you are not forever hoicking up. They seem to either be so tight so they don't move, you that you get that nasty roll on your back or loose where they tend to gape. What's with that useless rubber glue they place around the cups? That is just a big hot itchy no no! If the bra is fully cupped there is no need for this glue. I have also had a hard time with wonder bras, I found them the most over priced and ill fitting bras yet! Just my opinion of course.

Anyway lets jump into a few I recommend and why....

My first bra I am showing is The racerback full cup bra from the Marks and Spencer Collection and it just £16
Matching knickers available and it comes in sizes 32-38, A-E.

It is an underwired full cup racer back bra. As this bra comes with the usual eye lit closure on the back it won't ride up. I have found that with most racer backs they tend to ride up, especially if you have the weight of your chest at the front then the back tends to ride up. By having a normal eye lit closure you avoid this and have a very pretty almost butterfly like racer back. Quite fun to wear under a baggy T-shirt maybe flash a little of this design off.

All over lace bandeau strapless bra from Marks and Spencer Collection £20
No knickers available with this bra but it does come in three colours Almond, Black and White,
sizes 30-40, A-E.

Now this is the bra of all bras, the first bra I have owned to not show under a white shirt as it matches my skin colour so well. Also the first bra I have worn strapless and would happily choose to wear it strapless on an regular basis. If you put this on, wear a tight T-shirt, you will not know its strapless. No pinching at the top of your chest to hold you up/in. This is my magical bra of wonders, I own the almond and white version. Who knows might even go back for the black, of all my bras in this post. If you were only getting one I recommend this, £20 well spent in my opinion. Also it actually looks very pretty on and the cups are incredibly soft. Also by changing the straps you can wear this 4-5 different ways, perfect for those one sided/ bardot tops that you can see everywhere at the moment.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley first brought out her underwear line with Marks and Spencer around 2012 and I have loved pretty much every piece she had brought out. If you fancy a comfortable yet slightly sexy piece then look into her line. Here are a few of my favourite pieces.

Silk and lace padded beau plunge bra from the Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Collection £27.50. Bra comes in 5 different colours and the matching knickers are available. Bra sizes 30-38, A-E.

This picture does not do the bra justice, it is a pretty petrol green colour. It is super pretty and will give you a tiny amount of cleavage, but nothing too crazy. This is one of the more delicate bras in the line and like all of the bras I own from this collection they are made so well and contain a certain amount of silk. This is why they are so soft and look so luxurious, just take care when washing (I will get on to that later). This is my oldest bra in this collection and I think in time it has faded slightly but I take care of it and I feel it still looks pretty good. On the inside of your right cup with all Rosie bras you will find her signature. Whys its there i don't know. But obviously was a small touch to the collection that she wanted to add.

My last bra I am going to show you is probably the prettiest and most sexiest of them all, it is a Balcony bra made with luxurious silk and french designed lace. Its is £27.50 and available in sizes 30-40, A-E knickers available.

This bra is made up of mostly silk and it is slightly more padded than the rest, saying that its still nothing crazy just a little thicker than the rest. The cups are structured but very comfortable and its almost a shame to cover it up with clothing ;-) It has a slight vintage feel to it and reminds me a bra a burlesque dancer would wear.

All of these bras would look fantastic on everyone so go treat yourself and I hope it helps someone out there who is still on the hunt for a strapless bra or just a comfortable bra that will last and does not cost a fortune. I have a job where I have bending up and down a lot and I would wear all of these bras to work, even the plunge bra.

As for washing these bras, I always wash them on a synthetics 40°C wash with all my other laundry the only thing I do is to place them individually in a delicate laundry bag first. Here is a link to the ones I use, they are the best and I use them for many other items of clothing too. All these bra are machine washable which is a big plus to me, you wear a bra once and wash it. Who would be running to the dry cleaners every few days with bras and what an extra expense that would add up to be!

As I have enjoyed wearing the Rosie H-W range of bras for the last few years I will most definitely be checking out the new swimwear range she has out now too. Some of the pieces that I have seen look fantastic and I feel would be very comfortable when on holiday in the sun.

Yay to Marks and Spencer for offering quality pieces at affordable prices, its always nice to boost your ego with some nice underwear pieces. Everyone deserves to feel pretty.

Thanks for reading
Kara xx

How I Prepare a New Bag

Howdy,

If you have recently bought a new bag or are planning on getting a new one then I think a few of these tips will help you to prolong the life and colouring of your bag. I know this is extra expense on top of the bag itself but when you are investing in a bag I don't understand why you wouldn't want to protect it.

The tips I have below are suitable for all leather and suede bags. I have done lots of research on what to use and followed the guidelines in my care booklet that came with my bag. This has worked well for me and I recommend following your care booklet before your first use. However desperate you are to use the bag, protect it first, it only takes one accident to have a stain forever (I would want to cry if that happened). First read the instructions on all of these products before using them and follow the guidelines you are given from the company you are buying from. If your item doesn't come with a care booklet, you can usually find all of this info on their website.

What I used:

Collonil leather gel 
Collonil 1909 Supreme protect high quality waterproofing spray
Super soft lint free polishing cloths

I used one of the lint free cloths to just dust over the bag, I know it had not been used but fluff is still everywhere.

Then I started with a new cloth and used a small amount of the gel in an inconspicuous place first. After I knew it was fine I lightly rubbed in circular motions gel over the bag doing the back first. Once the gel was dry I used another cloth (this is why you need a pack of them) to then lightly buff the gel. By the time you are doing this the gel will have been absorbed into the leather so there really isn't much to bluff but I did this all over the part I had gelled just to ensure it had all gone. I then repeated this for all leather areas.

By using this gel you are going to help keep the leather in good condition. Like our skin, leather will dry out if it not kept moisturised. By using this gel it will keep the leather looking bright in colour and subtle for a lot longer than if it wasn't treated.

I then let the gel completely dry, then moved on to the waterproofing spray. The spray is going to protect all leather and suede materials, this is going to help it be water resistant and keep the colour as vibrant as possible, like an SPF for your bag, as things fade in the sun. Also the spray works extremely well on the suede too. It will help to also keep the bag free from as much everyday dirt and pollution as possible.

As this was the first time I was using my new bag I decided to use the gel twice then the spray twice too, I read that if the bag was brand new then they suggest doing the above things twice. It also should work well as a base layer to keeping it well cared for.

The gel and spray had no no bad effects on the leather or the suede of my bag and I feel very happy to continue using them, there was a squeaky bum moment when I first tried these products out on my bag, but not anymore. I shall be repeating this process in a couple of weeks time and as I know it will prolong the life of my bag I am all for it.

Tip: When using the spray, shake the can well and only use in a well ventilated area. I opened the doors and windows to my conservatory and closed it off to the house and that worked well. No smell got into my house and the smell faded from my conservatory after a few hours. I would have gone outside but in typical UK fashion it was raining! 

I have been loving this bag SO much. You can tell who is a Mulberry fan as I have had people spot it and walk up to me knowing what it is. I had a work colleague say this was her next bag and I can see why she wants it, she is a big Mulberry fan too.

Thanks for reading
Kara xx





































Tip, never use a duster the material used to make to make up dusters contains small fibers that will shed.

Vitamasques- Manuka Honey Sheet Mask

Howdy,

This is a mask that came in my Glossybox and as I always say, sheet masks are some of my favourite to use, so let's give this a go. I cleansed my face as it suggests and placed the mask on for the 20 minutes recommended, the mask was very cooling and smelled slightly fruity, nothing strong or over-powering.

After the 20 minutes were up, I rubbed in what was left on my skin. My skin was very cool but felt hydrated. After 5 minutes my skin felt sticky to touch, you wouldn't want to go to bed straight after this, putting your face on a pillow would have felt awful. As time went on the moisture that was left did sink in and my skin seem to enjoy the mask. Hour or so later my skin appeared bright and had no bad reactions to this mask at all.

The next morning my skin felt soft and I didn't feel that it looked any different. I still needed to apply a moisturiser first thing to my face. It was quite a nice mask to use, I wouldn't use it in preparation to a night out though, the sticky feeling may make applying make-up a little tricky.

My rating: 7/10

Recommend/ worth the money: Yes, the mask costs £3.99 each or a box of 4 for £12.99 making them about £3.25 per mask. 

Pros: It is quite moisturising and feels very cooling, I bet this would be lovely to use on a holiday if you had been out in the hot sun all day.

Cons: Not readily available but you can order them from Vitamasques or Look fantastic.

Thanks for reading

Kara xx

When Good Things Happen For No Reason

Howdy,

You know when nice things happen occasionally for no reason? Well, that just happened to me.

I have the day off work tomorrow and a friend is coming over with her children, so as promised to her eldest I thought I would do an Easter egg hunt for them in my garden. Being the 30 year old child that I am I tweeted "So excited to do an Easter egg hunt" and about 5 minutes later I had a tweet from Tesco. I had a short conversation with them on Easter eggs and Easter egg hunts, they then sent me a link for Easter egg hunt ideas and asked me to DM them. They replied to my DM with a voucher for some Easter eggs from their Finest range! I never asked or hinted at this and I never even tagged Tesco in my tweet, how cool is that!

I can now use this voucher and go get us some more Easter eggs and make the hunt even more EGG-citing (I couldn't resist that)

Here is what Tesco had on their shelves available to buy from the Tesco Finest range

All the eggs range in price from £3.00 up to £9.00 and to be honest they all looked YUMMY! Tesco Finest Eggs also have a selection of eggs in the "free from" range, these eggs are free from milk, wheat and gluten.

The one on the left is Belgian dark chocolate and butterscotch and on the right Belgian milk chocolate and caramelised hazelnut. If I was going to just buy one egg, the one on the right would have been it. It sounds amazing, mmmmmm.

This egg looks like it belongs in a Harry Potter movie, the bronze shimmer effect looks fantastic and really does fool you into thinking it isn't really chocolate. It is again Belgian (the whole range is) and comes with a hidden milk truffle inside.

I'm sure with this one it would be all over your lips like sugar from a doughnut, still so fun though. Who doesn't want shimmery lips? ;-)





I decided on getting these three eggs. Cheeky little mint one for me, an orange one (as its his favourite flavour) for the husband and also a large Belgian chocolate for the girls to share. As after all this Easter egg hunt is all for the children..... mostly.

Here are a few little eggs that I hid round the house and garden.

The mini Lindt eggs are perfect for hiding round the house and the larger Milkybar eggs are a good size to hide out in the garden. Not so small they get lost in the plants.

I also previously purchased little baskets, some masks and a little game, where you can create pictures on felt eggs.

These little bits all come from The Range, they had the best selection of Easter goodies for children and all for £1 each.

The Happy Easter sign is made out of wood also from The Range and cost £2.

You don't need to spend a lot to enjoy these little treats.

Making felt eggs.

What we made.

Who wouldn't want a basket of eggs, mmmm.

Thank You Tesco for your random act of kindness, you really added a nice touch to our Easter Egg Hunt. The girls got to take home a larger egg to enjoy. I don't think I could have hidden that very well in my garden. My husband and I will enjoy our little eggs very soon I'm sure, even though it isnt quite Easter yet.

Here is a link to some Easter Egg Hunt Ideas that Tesco sent me, it might give you some ideas of a new game or two to play this Easter.

I have had such a great day and the weather has been amazing, I may even have got a little tan. All this running around my garden has worn me out. The girls had a great day too so I think it will be early nights all round!

Happy Easter everyone,

Thanks for reading
Kara xx

INGLOT Fusion Blush & Illuminator

Howdy,

This is the first make up item I have ever tried from Inglot, I was running low on my Laura Mercier blush so it was time to try a new one.

You can buy Inglot products either from the shop or online, and you have the option to just buy the product or you can buy the magnetic case to go with it. When first buying from them it might cost more as the cases for the products do add up to be about 2/3 of the cost of the blush itself. But as they are magnetic and re-useable you will only need to buy them once.

I purchased the Fusion blush and illuminator in the colour 203, which retails at £9.

The magnetic blush holder palette retails for £6.

The blush come in this black packaging.

The blush comes sealed and the packaging is magnetic.

The blush is also magnetic and can be changed easily.

It is very compact and perfect for travel

This blush works out to be £15, which is not pocket change but isn't up there with the likes of Laura Mericer, Chanel or Dior. As I said earlier, you do pay the extra price for the case, so when it runs out or you wish to replace it you only have to pay the price of the blush itself.

It goes on nicely and is really pigmented so you need a light hand when applying it, I think this is going to last a long time. Check out Inglot if you are interested, they have a shop on Oxford Street too. Inglot have quite a large selection of products and the larger eyeshadow palettes look interesting, especially as you can design your own palette. We all have a few colours we don't use in a palette, this way you design it and pick all the colours you would use.

Thanks for reading
Kara xx

Labiotte, Whitening Sheet Mask

Howdy,

I really laughed when I saw this mask, "whitening sheet mask" but I'm brown can I use it??? haha Maybe not quite so politically correct to some but then if you know me I'm the first to not be politically correct. I like to push the boundaries of skin colour, being that I'm smack bang in the middle of colours is the only way I get away with it, I think. ;-)

Anyway back to this mask, firstly thank you to my bestie Katherine (Chops) for finding some sheet masks for me all from TK MAXX and all only £1. xx

I cleansed my face as usual then applied this mask and left it on for the 20 minutes as it suggested, the mask felt so full of moisture. The mask looked like it had been dipped in a jar of white cream as it wasn't the usual clear liquid you find on most of the masks I have tried. It smelled quite strongly of lily.

After the 20 minutes were up my skin felt very oily and greasy, I wasn't too worried as usually what ever is left on your skin gets absorbed. After an hour my skin still looked oily and felt sticky too.
The next morning I woke up with super oily skin and SPOTS, I have those annoying little red spots/bumps on my chin and across my forehead. My skin feels horrible, I cleansed my face as I usually do and applied a little make up. It looks awful, my skin is clammy and sticky to touch and my make applied awfully.

I have only had my make up on for a couple of hours and I am going to take it all off and try and get my skin back to normal! I have a lot these red itchy spots all over my chin and forehead, my skin irritates and itches. This is horrible and the worst mask I have ever used bar none.







My rating: 0/10

Recommend/ worth the money: No way, even if this mask was offered to me for free I wouldn't take it.

Pros: Price, its very affordable even when not on discount it only costs around £1.50-£2.00

Cons: Smell, after effects of greasy skin, gave me spots.

Thanks for reading

Kara xx