If there is one time of the year when you can really bring out the sparkle, it has to be New Year's Eve, right?

That was my logic when thinking about styling for the big night.

It seems mad that we're tipping over into 2020. When I was younger, I thought that life would be all jet packs and sassy robot assistants by now - although I suppose there's always Alexa!

I definitely like the feeling of a clean slate and the opportunity to set some new goals. It really will be new year, new me this time as I'm planning to get back on it with the Fast 800 and I'm also starting my new job in January.

Really, the last decade has been incredible.

Do you love discovering new beauty products?

Are you bored of the main UK subscription boxes which seem to be a merry go round of the same old brands?

Then it could be time to try something fresh. Fabfitfun is an American premium subscription box which hits broader than beauty - it also includes stylish lifestyle products too.

In the past I've had everything from an Anthropologie yoga mat to a Kate Spade lunch bag. It comes out just once a season for around $50, and some products are a surprise while a few you can choose from several different options.

All the products are full size and the brands included are fairly high-end. After an unsure reaction to my first box, I really liked the fall box and I think the winter one is actually the best yet… Take a look inside!

As we go running full-tilt towards the end of another year, it’s a natural impulse to reflect on where the hell we are and what we want out of life.

The daily grind can be pretty full on here, and by nature I’m quite a driven person – but often I feel that I live too much in the future, rather than the here and now.

I’m at my happiest coming up with a plan or dreaming up some new reality, but sometimes I could really do with just stopping to smell the roses and appreciating what is around me.

For work Christmas parties, it's always a bit of a minefield to get it right.

Depending on where you work, it can be full on glitz, or it can be more Christmas jumpers and jeans. I do like an opportunity to dress up (you would never have guessed, huh?) but working at a university it’s definitely more on the casual side -  we tend to attract the anorak brigade!

So, how do you style your Christmas jumper to make it a little bit more dressed up and ready to party?

In the end, I came up with a compromise by pairing textures which felt glam with other items that really aren’t.

If you're still looking for a beautiful Christmas gift for a special someone who loves their makeup, or you're just into self-gifting and you want to splash out on some new beauty items to complete your look over the festive social season, step this way.

I've added a few gorgeous things to my collection lately, take a peek and maybe shop for yourself...

Sometimes it's go big or go home right?

My life used to revolve around epic nights out (although to be fair they tended to be either sweaty rock gigs or raves and I would never have worn heels to either!) and although it's safe to say they’re few and far between now, sometimes you know you have an evening coming up where you just want to cut loose for a change.

That’s where an outfit like this comes in. As an adult, you come to a place that some may call 'knowing your style' and others would call 'stuck in a rut'.

Really, I look at it as finding your style story.

You know through bitter experience what you’re going to feel physically comfortable and authentically yourself in - and you realise that without those two things, it's really hard to look good.

So empties posts were a huge craze in blogging way back when, but they seem to have been gathering dust for a while.

After seeing them resurface on a couple of other blogs though, I decided why the hell not? Why not go back to my roots and see what I've been using up lately?

For me, empties really are like buses…nothing… nothing...nothing…boom! Absolutely everything needs replacing all at once.

So, do I love and what can I leave?

Working at a University and parenting two small children doesn't exactly give endless opportunities for glamour, so getting dressed up is a rare occasion for me these days.

The launch of an exciting new cocktail bar, however, is a great reason to get your glam on, so even though there is always a small part of me (the super tired mum part) that would much rather be Netflixing in my pyjamas, I tried to step it up.

Olivia's Townhouse has already taken Birmingham by storm and has now moved East to take up residence in Nottingham's smart Chapel Bar.

With a focus on expert mixology, good times, dirty house music and prosecco brunches, I’ve no doubt it will prove popular here. The ideal venue for a post-work catch up or a girls night, the interior is unashamedly girly and totally designed with one eye on your Instagram grid…

Home renovation is a passion for many. And while it's true that there's not much in property more magical than finding somewhere run down and unloved with serious potential and transforming it into the house of your dreams, there are also plenty of stresses and worries involved in a large scale project.

You may have adored renovating furniture or getting the decor just right in previous situations, but dramatically changing an entire house is another matter entirely.

Luckily, if you plan carefully and approach the work with a clear head then you can mitigate some of the worst anxiety a home renovation can bring.

My husband and I moved in to No.80 in November 2014. The house is a 1900s Victorian five bed semi detached house that had been carved up into three bedsit flats for students, and it’s safe to say it was very unloved and dingy when we got there.

There were three floors of woodchip wallpaper, heavy fire doors and acres of brown nylon carpet everywhere. The place was an eyesore - but there were also so many positives. Tall ceilings, big windows, a long garden leading down to the canal with ducks and swans floating by, and a wonderful, vibrant neighbourhood - on the doorstep of a country park but ten minutes drive from the city, and bursting with independent shops, great schools and cafes.

All it needed was some love. 

Our mission became to turn the house back into a functional family home where we could raise the children we wanted. Change has been slow - that family did happen, and two babies halted progress a lot - but we’re finally making it happen and creating the home we dreamed of when we first moved, right here in West Bridgford, Nottingham.

Reading other home renovation blogs has been key for me in providing inspiration and helping me to explore ideas, as have my home renovation Pinterest boards - so I hope our story also inspires you.

At this time of year, the leaves are falling, the mercury is dropping and the shops are alive with the new season fashions from the autumn/winter runways.

Most of us are considering updating our wardrobes, adding those key pieces and retiring our summer garments in favour of cosy jumpers, leather skirts, ankle boots, scarves and a killer coat or two.

We carefully select the items we want to add to our collections and sometimes we choose to invest a fair amount in that must have, love forever piece.

But whether your new season additions are designer labels or high street, in order to give them the greatest shelf life you need to look after them correctly.

We all acknowledge that we should be looking for pieces which will have longevity - sustainability and budget wise, it's a clever idea - and the key to that is really taking care of the new items you choose to add this season.

So how do you care for all your clothes as if they are priceless couture?

There are so many things to love about it – its beautifully lightweight, soft against the skin, hypoallergenic and it helps to regulate body temperature – meaning it keeps you cool on a hot day, and warm on a chilly one.

Although delicate, silk is surprisingly hardwearing and retains its beauty for years –which is why so many legacy and heirloom pieces are passed down for generations.

There’s something timelessly chic about it too – and it’s a beautiful fabric for the transitions between seasons. Plus, it looks and feels perfectly luxurious.

So silk was high on the agenda for my travels to Italy, and as well as a beautiful patterned sundress from Twenty8Twelve, I had also packed this pale pink number, which was perfect for strolling around San Miniato on market day.

These days I'm a lot more selective about the makeup that I love. I research and think about my purchases far more, and buy less - now, if something is going to make it into my life, it has to be pretty special.

So I wanted to share the new season items adding a bit of extra autumn glow to my makeup bag lately.

Ah, beautiful Siena. This stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site was absolutely the highlight of our trip.

It offered just as much culturally, visually and atmospherically as Florence, but it was much less frantic and crowded with tourists - it felt like we got to enjoy the city on our own terms.

It's a place of winding, narrow passages steeped in shadow which suddenly give way to brilliant sunny squares filled with beautiful buildings. The perfect balance of vibrancy and tranquillity.

The centre is still very medieval, with stunning architecture - I felt just like I’d landed in Romeo and Juliet (Yes, I know that’s Verona, another city I love!). It really gave me a sense of what life during the Renaissance must have felt like.

The Siena cathedral is a Romanesque-Gothic dream with jaw-dropping ornate carvings, and I adored sitting in the Piazza Del Campo with a coffee watching the world go by.

Well, what a month. The last, extremely brief golden flare of summer came and went, and we’ve now slipped into a chilly grey autumn full of torrential downpours.

Despite the gloom, this time of year always feels quite energising for me. It's usually a time I refocus on my personal goals and there’s something quite optimistic about it, in spite of the darker evenings.

Usually, it's this time of year that I make big changes to my life - getting married, moving house or jobs, getting pregnant - they’ve all happened at this time of year for me. At the moment, there’s way too much on our plates as it is though!

Here’s what we’ve been up to lately…

The seasons are on the shift. The nights are drawing in, the leaves are going out in a blaze of glory and the mercury is well and truly dropping. I may not have studied for years, but I still get that back to school feeling every autumn.

Thinking back, its always this time of year that I’ve made huge shifts in my life as if by instinct – moving house, starting new jobs, getting married or pregnant. This season feels like the most transformative and full of change for me.

You’re coming down from the summer high, the winter festivities are still ages away, and things can feel a little low energy and lacklustre. So it’s the perfect time to reinvigorate by setting some new goals and planning ahead.

I’m not the only one who gets a kick out of autumn goals. Data from Pinterest shows that goal-related and personal development searches rise at this time of year.

It makes way more sense to set resolutions now than it does in January, when you have an uphill struggle against the cold, wet, miserable conditions and are all out of routine from the Christmas break.

Why not start to work on things now, when conditions are much more set up to help you succeed?

Quite often, my favourite looks are the simple, clean, classic ones. They are certainly what I feel the most comfortable in, and feeling comfortable, as we all know, is the secret sauce to looking and feeling good.

Easy breezy is my motto when it comes to vacation style. Life is so crazy busy at home that when I’m away, I prefer to give my brain a rest, and that includes matching separates!

One pieces come into their own for the chuck-on-and-forget factor, and I plan every outfit in advance so that I don’t even have to think about what shoes to put with it. Laziness can be chic occasionally, right?

One of the major things we wanted to tick off on our Italian escape was a visit to Florence, a city that has long fascinated us with its staggering cultural and economic legacy.

I was so excited to tread in the footsteps of the Medici and immerse myself in the history and the artistic heritage of this beautiful place

I've been trying to deny it for weeks, but it's definitely autumn now.

Normally, I'm a fan of the season - the chance to wear coat jumpers, scarves, and ankle boots, the leaves falling and those chilly golden mornings that can be beautiful. This year I feel like summer never really got going, so it's been harder to let it go.

One thing that has been cheering me up though is receiving my next FabFitFun box. This American import is a seasonal subscription box filled with a range of beauty and lifestyle goodies.

The FFF Summer Edition was the first box you could get your hands on as a UK subscriber, and although I had a bit of a mixed experience, I decided to hold on and get the Autumn box. And I'm so glad I did!

Here's a peek at the goodies inside…

One of the things I love most about Italy is that there's so much to do - places are relatively close together.

From where we were staying we could easily reach Florence, Siena, Pisa and Livorno. So we decided that a trip to the beach was a must-do, and there were plenty within an hour's drive from the villa.

We chose Marina Di Pisa, a picturesque little seaside town with a white pebbled beach that would be sheltered, safe swimming for the kids and set off.

If there's one thing I know for sure about my approach to style, it's that I'm totally a bag lady.

Bags - and their contents - always fascintate me. There's no aspect of fashion as guaranteed to get me obsessed.

Over the years, I've learnt that a well made accessory gives me a huge amount of pleasure. And although I still find the odd irresistible bargain, these days I prefer to save up for something that will really last. The first job I had with a bonus, I spent it on a Mulberry Alexa and my collection has just gone from there.

Italian style is all about maximalism and excess, so when in Rome (or Tuscany...) what better place to flirt with a new style?

I'm normally more of a fan of sleek shapes, clean lines and smooth cuts, but I decided to experiment with a new style phenomenon on my holidays - the slutty maxi dress. Oh yes.

Apparently the answer to many summer woes, this style of dress combines a loose, tent like shape with cut-outs, a plunging neckline or a high slit to mitigate the modesty of swathes of fabric - and I'll admit its a formula that I like.

There's nothing better than being covered up while flashing an unlikely erogenous zone (see: shoulder cut-outs) for the ultimate in low-effort, high-impact style.

And who doesn't want that combination on holiday, when the most important agenda should be sipping an Aperol Spritz in the sunshine?

Ciao, bellas!

As I write this, I'm suffering severe withdrawal symptoms from our stunning Italian getaway, which was filled with so much of the stuff which makes a holiday great - delicious food, beautiful scenery, golden sunshine, discovering new places and culture, and spending time together as a family.

Landing back into a distinctly autumnal UK has been a shock, and we all feel like we've been away for months. Italy is a hugely special place to us and somewhere that we return to time and again. Blame the gelato!

Holidays give us all a chance to relax the usual rules in many ways, and that includes experimenting with style and wearing things that we either wouldn't be bold enough to at home or that the weather never quite gets good enough for...

A couple of years ago, when I went to Lake Garda, I shared a post each day of the outfits I wore, and I'm planning to do the same again. So here we go with day one of my holiday style diary.





Travelling is an area of style that I find hugely interesting - the challenge of finding a look that is both stylish and comfortable. I'm not sure I've ever really nailed it, but God loves a trier!

A taxi ride, a two hour flight and a hour's drive in the rental car from the airport to our holiday villa, with a baby and a pre-schooler in tow means that comfort and practicality have to be the top of the agenda, as well as finding something which works for both the English and Italian climates.

Silk trousers are usually my comfy-but-chic travel secret, but this time I opted for these loose fit sand coloured trousers. I sized up thinking they'd be small but they were actually a bit too big. I paired them with a navy cami top - the details on this one, such as the large buttons and square cut neckline with thick straps really sold it to me.

On the UK side of the journey, where it was colder, I chose this patterned jacket to slip over the top - its soft and easy to roll up and slide in your bag when you hit hotter shores. The silhouette is quite tailored and formal, which I liked paired with the looser trouser shape, but the pattern gives it more of an off-duty feel.

On my feet, I like to wear something I can slip on and off super quickly, and these nude coloured jelly flats were ideal - easy to kick on and off and very low-key. I've had them for years but they're such a useful shoe.

A large, lightweight scarf is something I'm never without when I travel - it comes in handy when the temperature drops mid-flight, and also provides an airy layer to keep the sun off your shoulders or use as a makeshift blanket or pool cover-up on holiday.

I love the embroidery on this one, which you can't see very well in the pictures. It looks like an abstract or a floral from far away, but close up you can see its actually ants. I'm not a huge fan of creepy-crawlies in real life but I do love accessories with insects for some reason.

This was also the case with my headband, which is a navy, red and gold striped satin with a bee print. I am totally loving the return of alice bands at the moment and expanding my collection all the time.

The Le Pliage tote is one of the most practical, chic and versatile bags I own and nearly always acts as my travel companion - it works as well for city sightseein and shopping and it does for a day at the beach or cabin baggage and holds a tonne of stuff.

Our first day was mainly about reaching the destination and then relaxing, unpacking and discovering the villa - and Theo had to join in with some of my outfit shots, of course.

When is a dress more than a dress? 

I ask, because this polka-dot Zara number has been taking the world by storm. Not only is it plastered all over your Instafeed and every single style blog out there, now it even has a day in it's honour designed to empower women.

So what exactly is it about this piece that captures the collective imagination so well?

Modest to the point it could be accused of being sack-like, the dress is so popular that it even has a dedicated Instagram account. It has universal appeal because it suits so many occasions, from a summer barbecue to officewear, to a night out.

I’m definitely repeating myself here, as I seem to say it every single time I pen one of these life updates, but time really has been spinning away on fast forward.

Already this rather patchy and disappointing summer seems to be mellowing into the slide to autumn (I had to put a cardigan on in the house last night. And so it begins…). There have been some big shifts going on in the background since my last update, and some of it already feels quite far away.

But we still have our family holiday coming up in a couple of weeks to look forward to, so the summer isn’t quite over yet.

When you think of a luxury home, what do you picture? A period property renovated with the finest materials? A striking new build with acres of gleaming glass?

You’re probably picturing a luxurious bathroom with marble flooring, a rainforest shower and a freestanding bath. A king size bed draped with throws and pillows in front of a Juliette balcony. Or a pristine kitchen with acres of spotless quartz worktops. What you’re probably not picturing in this dream home is children.

Revolution Beauty has been one of my favourite affordable makeup brands right back from when they first launched.

I’ve had my issues in the past with their customer service, but one thing which has always remained constant is the brilliant quality of their products. They move quickly to respond to trends and have also developed standout flagship products of their own, like the Conceal & Define range.

Most recently, they’ve ventured into skincare, and have also been going strong with the launch of a more premium line, Revolution Pro. It was this which drew me to place an order, having heard really good things about the Pro line setting powder, specifically for use in battling my under eye area, which takes a lot of careful concealing on a daily basis. I made an order of some of the new products and a couple of sale items that I caught my eye.

What a week. My life has been as up and down as the crazy weather at the moment - one minute brilliant sunshine, the next torrential downpours - so I was glad to finally reach the weekend just gone.

Certain things have been going really well - like my Fast 800 pre-holiday plan, which I’ve been bossing - while other, like settling back into my job, haven’t been as easy.

And what do you need in such turbulent times? A good old natter with friends. So I was excited to be heading out for tapas, wine and a major debrief with some of my lovelies. Even though this involved breaking my winning diet streak by inhaling churros, I’m still not sorry one bit. It was good for the soul!

And if you can ignore churros with salted caramel sauce, you’re basically a robot anyway.

All the cliches about time flying are true.

It feels like I’ve gone from shuffling into the induction ward at the hospital at two weeks overdue to have my daughter to celebrating her first birthday in the blink of an eye. Ever since the arrival of both my children, life seems to have been stuck on fast forward. Our days are crazy busy, but so full of joy.

The fact is, I never really longed to be a mother. I never felt broody. I never wanted to hold babies when they were brought into the office by colleagues who had become new mothers. And yet, having my son Theo and his much-wished for younger sister Romilly has been the best experience of my life.

And so we celebrate together - for Romilly hitting her milestone first birthday, but also for us as a family, finding our new shape and our strength together.

I'm going to throw it out there, I actually love packing. It might be an illness.

Something about the enforced restriction of trying to fit everything into a carry on - I almost never check a bag, because who wants to hang around an airport for longer than strictly necessary? The challenge of trying to bring everything you need and edit down your wardrobe. It's all sort of appealing.

The Internet is awash with checklists and packing videos (looove a bit of packing porn!) but surprisingly, there isn't all that much about packing for a business trip as a woman. I'm all about keeping it simple and travelling light, so when I need to travel for business I plan out what to take meticulously.

The real key is to take a good look at two things before you fly - the itinerary and the weather. These will dictate what you need to take in order to be comfortable and on point, whatever you'll be doing. Then aim to pick pieces within one colour palette that can be combined together in different ways.

Go for trusted, versatile basics that work hard for you - remember that simplicity is always in style. Packing for business travel doesn't need to be a headache.

Body image after having a baby is a funny old topic.

Your body has done something life-changing and momentous - growing, sustaining and nurturing an actual human being - and that seismic event also comes with some pretty seismic shifts in your looks.

Many women feel under intense pressure to drop weight quickly after they’ve given birth, and this is not only foolish, but can also be dangerous. Softer, bendier bones, wider spread hips, larger boobs to feed baby and a dinnerplate sized internal wound in a softer mid section, often with abdominal separation, are the somewhat grim body realities post-baby that mean it's not a great idea to be harsh on your body soon after you’ve had the baby.

If there’s one word that most working mums would pick above all others to describe their life, I’m guessing it would be ‘busy’. 

I’m sure I was busy before trying to combine a full time job with the constant demands of two little humans, but working motherhood has been a steep learning curve in time management, prioritisation and dealing with all consuming waves of mum guilt. Finding the time to run a blog has been a constant factor in all this.

From the outside, it looks simple enough. But the process of writing and editing articles and running solo photo shoots  - never mind all the promotion you could do to increase the reach of your posts - is extremely time consuming.

So, whatever the reason for you feeling super busy - how do you create the time to give to your blog?

FabFitFun is the American import that has hit our shores with a splash recently.

Beauty junkies and fans of unboxing videos on this side of the Atlantic will have enviously watched as subscribers in the states revealed their hauls of lifestyle goodies from the company for a while now - and at last, we can get in on the act as the box now ships to Europe as well.

There's no denying that, when it comes to travel, Instagram is the king of all platforms. The image driven nature of the site is perfect for showcasing those gorgeous destination shots, from jaw-dropping scenery, to flat lays of beach bags and swimsuits, and even the obligatory hot dog legs by the pool.

But have you ever tapped into the feed of an influencer or even someone you know and wondered just how they got that perfect shot? What do they do? How do they find those gorgeous locations?

It turns out the key to having extremely Instagrammable travels is quite simple - it all boils down to the research that you do beforehand. Find your inspiration, plan your sessions and you'll soon have a feed that could be the envy of all of your friends…

Weddings make even my cynical heart beat a little faster, because they truly are a celebration of love.

My usual style is far from romantic and frilly, but if you can't switch up your look for a wedding when can you? I took ‘love’ as my theme when I was finding the ideal wedding guest outfit to wear to the celebration of our family friends Kate and Jon.

What's the best thing you get through the post? It certainly isn't bank statements and takeaway pizza menus, but a little box of beauty treats curated by you might just hit the spot.

I'm back on the Latest In Beauty bandwagon, after they overhauled their offering and started bringing in some big hitters.

They still operate the same model - you pay monthly for three, six or nine items, which you select yourself to create a custom box.

Only now, the brands they are offering have dramatically improved to include a lot more high-end and niche brand items, which they package into a monthly hot list  - like a menu for you to choose from. It's all a lot more exciting than the last time I was signed up, and I found a huge amount to choose from this time.

Here's what made the cut…

There’s something about summer that makes me want my beauty essentials to work even harder.

Perhaps it’s the feeling of being more on show or even the boosted social life that lighter evenings bring, but it’s a time where new product launches always seem especially attractive, in the hope of these hazy warm days that we’ve been sadly missing so far this season.

I demand a lot more of the products I choose to use at the moment, and there’s a mix of new discoveries and old favourites which come into play.

From anti-aging toners to multi-tasking hero creams, gradual tanners and terrific tools, here’s a little round up of the items I’m having a summer beauty fling with...

When you have a special occasion to go to, isn't it lovely to be able to dress in something light, feminine and pretty?

While wedding guest outfits for day to night and -  even worse - pregnant wedding guest outfits are a notorious summer minefield, christenings have a lot of the same problems.

There can be quite a bit of uncertainty about how to balance your own style with feeling appropriate for church - never more so than when the child who is getting christened is your own! Christening outfits for mum can be a minefield of body image and situation that its hard to navigate.

The day is about the little one and welcoming them into the world but it's also about celebrating family and the journey you've taken with motherhood.

It’s something that every working mother faces, but none of us can prepare for – the return to work after maternity leave can be quite a rocky road.

You certainly aren’t alone in finding it a struggle to navigate a changed work place, trying to think professionally for the first time in a year or more and also coping with leaving your child. There’s a whole cocktail of emotions – intimidation, detachment, excitement, heartbreak – which you’re facing all at the same time.


I should know. I’m facing them too.

I returned to work in my marketing job at a university a couple of weeks ago, after a year away with my lovely daughter, Romilly Hero. It’s my second return to work experience (I also took a year out after having my son, Theo) and I like to think I’ve learned a few things the second time around.

Beauty Pie is one of those brands that are low-key changing the world -  and certainly my makeup and skincare regimes. If you’ve been living on Mars for the past couple of years and haven’t come across the brand, it’s the product of famed beauty guru Marcia Kilgore, the woman behind Bliss Spa, FitFlop, Soap & Glory and Soaper Duper.

It operates a subscription model – you pay a monthly fee and in return get access to top formulation luxury products for the price of a Starbucks order. If you’re not a member, you can still order the products, but at very over-the-top prices.

There are various pros and cons to this approach, but I was intrigued enough to give it a go, and over time I’ve been impressed enough with a critical mass of their products – most especially the skincare – that my subscription was one I couldn’t consider cancelling, even during the lean months of unpaid maternity leave!

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.

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.

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.

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?

 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...

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…