Mama Style | The Editor Cut

There's a very fine line between knowing your personal style, and getting stuck in a rut.

And when it comes to jeans, I've begun to start fearing I'm trapped in a time warp. I'm old enough to remember when skinny jeans became a 'thing' (if that doesn't carbon date me, I'm not sure what does). I thought they looked weird and there was no way I was swapping my trusty bootcut denims out for those drainpipe legs.

Until I did, of course, not least because that was all you could actually buy in the shops. The last few years have seen the 'mom jean' become the more on-point option - but only on people who aren't actually moms.

It's the kind of style that looks amazing on some people, but with my childbearing hips… Not so much.

So I've always swerved the style until now.

TILI Abstract Beauty Box Edition

OK, so I WAS supposed to be on a bit of a break from beauty boxes. After all, I have more mini body lotions and eyeliner pencils than I know what to do with. And while I have in subscribed from a regular one, Tili came along and caught me off guard.

Launching at random times through the year, Try It Love It is a selection of products curated by the UK's biggest beauty retailer, QVC. Like any edit, it can be a hit and miss affair, but on the most part it's more hit.

You can see what you're getting before you buy, and I've found it to be a great box for trying out brands with lots of buzz. I was sort of on the fence with this 'Abstract' box, but in the end it was just too good to miss out on.

The selection of products here is loosely themed around helping you to mix up your makeup bag and rewrite your own beauty rules. Containing £89.77 worth of products for just £20, it was a must try.

The Secrets To Looking Luxe For Less

When it comes to your look, you want to combine comfort and practicality with expressing your personal style.

Clothes are a way to express ourselves to the world and shape how it sees us. Many of us covet the latest designer fashions, but affording them is a different matter. You may follow the catwalk reports and flip wistfully through the pages of Vogue for inspiration, but can you actually afford any of those items for your own wardrobe?

Even if you could, there are other priorities in life and other bills to pay. Not many of us would feel comfortable buying a top that cost the same as our mortgage payment!

Designer fashion is nothing if not pricey, especially when it comes to those key items like shoes, handbags and coats. Saving up for a designer piece is an investment for many and a lifetime dream for others.

But there are still ways to get what you want without going into debt - either by finding ways to purchase designer items for less or by getting an expensive look without the matching price tag!

With a few tricks and tips and a little resourcefulness, you can get the look you want. I'm going to share how I find designer items for less.

Mama Style | Crowdsourced Girls Night Outfit

Have you ever crowdsourced an outfit?

Most of us have moments where, if we're honest, we suffer a little bit of a style wobble. We doubt ourselves and our taste and suddenly every single thing we try on somehow just looks…wrong.

At times like that, it's great to get a second opinion, but what if you took that further and let other people decide on your look?

Summer Primark Haul | Fashion & Beauty

Hands up who loves a good Primark haul?

 The giant of the high street is not a place I get the chance to visit often anymore, but if I do happen to be in the city centre it's hard to resist having a look.

There aren't many shops with such a vast range of products - from staple basics like tights and vest tops to on-trend childrenswear, a revamped beauty offering that's been garnering praise from professionals and high fashion pieces at super accessible prices. 

And of course we all know it's scientifically impossible to emerge empty-handed once you've gone past those shiny glass doors. My mum was up visiting from Cornwall recently and she wanted to pop in and stock up on a few things because they don't have one where she lives.

I'd almost forgotten how much of a thrill it is chasing down the gems in there, and I found quite a few this time - I had to do a serious basket edit before checking out.

Here's what made the cut...

How To Travel In Style - Whatever Your Budget

Seeing the world is an adventure that is high on most people's bucket list.

And whether it's spending months trekking around South East Asia living out of your backpack or flying to the top VIP suite in Las Vegas on your Cessna Citation X+, everyone wants to feel good when they travel.

But if you don't have the champagne budget, is it all out of the question? Can you have the trip of a lifetime without unlimited funds?

It turns out that travelling in style is just as much of an attitude as a credit card limit. You can have the A-list experience without living on beans on toast for months to fund it. Here's how…