Fiorella Strawberry and Pink Vida Moda Scarf Review

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to win a scarf in a Vida Moda giveaway hosted by Hollie of Pretty Big Butterflies. 

The lovely Johanna from Vida Moda invited me to choose a scarf from their current selection, and  a few days later it arrived on my doorstep. It was boxed and wrapped in the most cheerful, sunshine orange tissue paper, and unwrapping the parcel brought a much needed smile to my face that day. It felt like Christmas.

Inside was the most beautiful coral scarf and my first impression was of how soft the fabric felt between my fingers and of how great the quality of the fabric was. 

I chose the Fiorella scarf in Strawberry and Pink; a scarf in graduating shades of coral and peach with fringed edging. The colours are so pretty, and scream "summer!" to me, but it deserves to be worn all year round. I personally think the colours go well with burgundy, cerise, and plum for Winter. 

The fabric is made from the softest viscose I've ever felt, and although it's light-weight, it's reasonably thick and surprisingly warm.  I'm extremely impressed with the quality of this scarf; it's so reasonably priced at just £16.95 and to me it feels far more expensive. I've bought scarves that have cost far more that haven't had even a fraction of this quality.

The fringed edging gives the scarf a relaxed feel, making it the perfect casual scarf to wear with everything from jeans and a tee, to day dresses. I'll most likely be wearing it over my favourite dresses on a regular basis! 

Here I am wearing it and making it work for Winter with shades of purple and pink on a drizzly grey March afternoon...

I love it! (Excuse the bruise on my nose).

Unfortunately the scarf is out of stock at the moment. I don't know if it will be restocked, but it could be worth checking back at a later date just in case. It also came in a beautiful indigo and blue. You can find Vida Moda's selection of scarves here, which I'd also recommend checking out.

Thank you to Hollie and Vida Moda for the giveaway, and sending me this beautiful scarf! I'm smitten with it and know I'll be giving it plenty of wear this Spring and Summer.

Freckles and Fox Print

Today's outfit was dressed around a scarf, which is not something that happens all that often. I usually pick a scarf to compliment the clothes I've picked out. 

On this occasion, I had a good reason. I won a beautiful scarf and was asked to take a selfie of me wearing it, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and get an outfit post out of it as well. I'll be reviewing the scarf tomorrow morning, and today I'm focusing on my outfit.

It was raining lightly when I made it outside to take these photos late Monday afternoon, so the photos aren't brilliant. I couldn't pose in my normal spot because my Dad was sitting in the living room which looks out on to it, and being watched was making me feel self-conscious. I hid in the corner hoping to get a little shelter from the drizzle, but it's pretty much the least scenic part of the entire garden in the Winter. Sorry!

I took about a hundred photos and I'm not all that happy with any of them. I love the outfit, but I'm just not feeling all that great about the way I look at the moment. I was meant to wear a cardigan with this outfit to cover my arms, but accidentally left it upstairs; it takes me about five minutes to get up them again so that's where it stayed. Thankfully it wasn't all that cold.

Moaning aside, I really liked the way this look turned out. The scarf is quite summery, but I had the idea of trying it with deep purple, cerise and magenta to make it work for Winter. I personally think I nailed it. What do you think?

I went with one of my very favourite dresses, a fox print dress by South for Very which I bought late last Summer. I adore it. It's been my go-to dress all Autumn and Winter, and I've returned to it countless times, trying out different colour combinations. It's the most gorgeous deep cerise colour, with a sweetheart neckline and a lace insert above it at the front and back, but the best part is that it's covered in a lovely red fox print. It's gorgeous. I love this dress so much, I actually bought myself a spare during the winter sales, because I know I'll be devastated when it falls apart. I'm sorry to tell you it's now completely sold out.

I also wore berry coloured tights from Evans, and a pair of bright magenta ballet slippers from New Look. I have those pumps for a few years now, and I've barely worn them because they need breaking in. I hate breaking new shoes in!  It was painful just walking back and forth from the camera to take these photos! 

The scarf is from Vida Moda and I won it in a giveaway with Pretty Big Butterflies, but more on that tomorrow! The review will be live at 9am UK time if you'd like to read more about it.

Outfit Details

Dress-South at Very // Tights-Evans // Ballet Pumps-New Look (similar) // Scarf-Vida Moda

I have a bruise on my nose and I've no idea what I've done! Maybe I hit myself in the face with my Kindle in my sleep or something. Lol.

On another note, I can't believe how much my hair has grown in three months! I'm liking it much better now it's grown out a little, but I'm long over due a dye. My roots are atrocious! I know what my next mission is...

Accessories and Beauty Haul

A little earlier in the week I shared my recent clothes haul with you guys, and today I've got an accessories and beauty haul for you. I decided to divide my haul up in to a few posts since I've splurged a little (a lot) on myself lately. It would've been a bit overwhelming in one post, but I can't deny it's been lovely to have the freedom to treat myself to a lot all at once without feeling guilty. Hurray for unexpected funds!

I was supposed to schedule this post for yesterday, but I must have gotten too excited at the prospect of hunting for Fall Out Boy tickets first thing Friday morning that I forgot to actually schedule it. I've wanted to see Fall Out Boy play live since about 2005, and I've finally got tickets to see them next March! There are no words to describe just how excited I am! Though I could've done without the two hours of ticket stress it took to get them! I love having things to look forward to, and this one will be something for me to aim for and work towards. I shall get myself there in one piece if I have to crawl! I can't wait! Did anybody else get tickets to see them on their UK tour?

Anyway, enough rambling; this is my haul of random beauties...

So, I made it to Cath Kidston this week. Twice...  On Christmas shopping excursions with the sister. I really shouldn't be allowed near that shop as I just want everything, but I was fairly restrained. At least on the first trip... I bought a basket full of Christmas essentials like cards and gift wrap on the second trip, but to be fair they were all just a £1 or £2 each! And needed.

Ah Cath Kidston accessories! Oh how I love them. I treated myself to these accessories as it's an area I'm lacking in. I bought three brooches and a set of hair clips. 

The polka dot and floral hair clips were £4, the blue tit bird brooch was £5, and the red rose brooch was £6, all bought in store. I picked up the toadstool brooch (isn't it gorgeous?!) from ASOS which was on sale for £4, it's usually £6. I did spot it in store, as well. I adore toadstools, and their new toadstool range is all amazing.

I couldn't leave without this cream rose bracelet, which was £6. I already have it in dark red and I wear it constantly, so I just had to have this one as well.

I got this gorgeous green polka dot purse on sale at Cath Kidston's outlet shop in Bicester Village. I couldn't resist the beautiful emerald green colour, as it's one of my favourite colours, which I can never get enough of. It's beautifully made like everything Cath Kidston tends to be. I just love the quality of CK oil cloth purses, they're so hard wearing and last for years without showing the slightest sign of wear. I've got two other CK purses I've had for four or five years now, and they're still going strong! This one was £12 on sale, and originally would have been £28.

I went in to The Body Shop looking for banana conditioner, which is my new favourite hair product, but they were out of stock. They did have a banana shampoo, though, which I didn't even know existed, so I bought it to try it out. It has the same sweet banana smell that reminds me of those banana yoghurts I used to find it my lunch box at primary school when I was growing up. I can't wait to try it. It was £4.50.

The Models Own nail art pens came from ASOS and were both on sale for just £3 each, down from £6. I bought pastel lilac and pastel blue. I really love the Models Own nail art pens as they're so easy to work with, and I hope to collect the other colours before they sell out.

Some of my first purchases of late were these three beautiful scarves. I had been coveting the polka dot and tartan Accessorize scarves for a month or two, so as soon as I could afford to, I had to pick them both up. I used my sister's student discount, so I at least saved myself a few quid. The polka dot one retails for £19, and the tartan for £17; they're both stunning and wonderfully thick.

The pheasant scarf is from TU at Sainsbury's and I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. I mean, how often do you see a scarf with pheasants on it? It's so very English, and since I love our local / national wildlife, I just had to have it. I didn't buy it straight away, but went back for it and as there was a promotion on, I got it for £6 instead of £8. The quality is fantastic, so you guys need to go check it out!

I bought these boots from Simply Be, which are wide fitting ankle boots by Catwalk Collection. I fell in love with them online, but it took me a little time to warm to them in real life. They just weren't as stunning as I had anticipated, and didn't have studs all the way around on both sides, like in the photos online. However, they are great fitting boots and they do look lovely on. I bought the 7 in EEE, but I think the 6 would've been better. They retail for £45, but I found a 20% off discount code which saved me £9. I'm still considering buying them in black and forest green. These ones are 'wine' and are much more burgundy in real life.

And finally, we have the panda print ballerina slippers from Next, which I blogged about last week. They're adorable and only cost the bargain price of £10! For that price, what's not to love?

What have you been buying lately?

I ♥ Fall Tag

I saw this Autumn inspired tag on Sarah's blog and decided to steal the post idea as I was having a bit of writer's block. This tagged post is all to do with Autumn and Halloween. Well, technically, the questions are titled with 'Fall', but I'm English and in England this season is more commonly known as Autumn, so forgive me for answering a Fall question with the word Autumn in my sentences.

1. Favourite Fall lip product?

I have a new found love for Benefit's Benetint lip and cheek stain after getting a small pot of it free with a magazine recently. One coat of it gives a subtle, natural look, but it can also be built up to create a more intense pout. It makes my small lips look so much fuller, and it gets extra points for being versatile and giving my cheeks an English Rose glow, too.

2. Favourite Fall nail polish?

This Autumn I'm really loving Barry M's Raspberry, Racing Green, and Ruby Glitter polishes, and also NYC Backstage Brown. Each colour works so well with my Autumn wardrobe, and even though they're all inexpensive polishes (which are fab as they don't break the bank), they all dry wonderfully smooth, and can remain chip free for days.

Ruby Glitter (Centre), Raspberry (Right)

Racing Green (Right)

Backstage Brown

3. Favourite Starbucks Fall drink?

I'm not much of a Starbucks drinker. I don't drink tea or coffee, and I personally prefer to head to Costa for a sweet treat. On the rare occasion I visit either, it tends to be for a hot chocolate when I'm out shopping and freezing because the temperature is below zero. I do remember loving the hazelnut hot chocolate I once had in Starbucks in Covent Garden, though.

4. Favourite Fall candle?

It's technically designed for the festive season, but during both Autumn and Winter I love the scent of the Christmas Cupcake and Vanilla Cupcake Yankee Candles. They smell like a mixture of vanilla cupcakes and shortbread, and smell delicious. The aroma of cakes baking in the kitchen reminds me of cold dark Sunday afternoons when my Mum would often be baking something delicious in the kitchen, so they give a really comforting, nostalgic smell.

[Source]

 5. Favourite fall scarf or accessory?

I've just purchased myself a new knitted teal snood, and it's so warm and cosy. It's definitely my new favourite accessory, and it's in one of my favourite Autumn colours.

I also adore my navy polka dot scarf, and my cut off crochet Accessorize gloves, which I have in two different colour themes.

[Source]

6. Haunted house, haunted hay ride, or haunted corn maze?

I can't say I've ever experienced any of the above. Halloween was never much of a big deal in England when I was growing up. People are beginning to get in to it more these days, but I've never stumbled up on a 'haunted' social event.

7. Favourite Halloween movie?

Hocus Pocus! I grew up watching it every Halloween, and over the years it's become a tradition to watch it every year. Childish, maybe, but it brings back good memories, and let's face it, nineties kids, it really can't be beat! When I was little, I wanted to be Sarah Jessica Parker's character... what was I thinking?

I love to dig out the Scream saga, and Labyrinth, too.

8. Favourite candy to eat on Halloween?

I don't have a preference or any traditions, as I don't usually make much of a deal out of Halloween, apart from watching movies and occasionally carving a pumpkin... I'm not a big fan of sweets, but you can never go wrong with some Haribo Star Mix or a bar of chocolate.

9. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

I haven't dressed up for Halloween since I was eleven. If I had somewhere to go and celebrate, I like the idea of dressing up as Amy Ferrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory. There was a photo of a girl who did just that on Tumblr last year, and I thought the idea was brilliant!

When I was younger, I was usually dressed as a ghost.

My pumpkin from last year.

10. What is your favourite thing about Fall?

I love crunching through dead leaves, buying new clothes, layering, keeping warm in cute gloves and scarves, and knowing Christmas isn't far away. I love how pretty everything looks with a backdrop of colourful leaves, and feeling the frost on my skin on cold mornings. Oh, and ordinarily, I get excited for bonfire night.

 Halloween 2011

What do you love about Autumn/Fall?

Feel free to give this challenge a go, too!

I just can't help myself...

This afternoon my Mother was on a mission to get me out of the house for a little while since it'd been about two weeks since I last escaped from imprisonment. We popped in to the next town which has a small high street, as I wanted to look for some studded slippers in New Look. What I wasn't intending to do was buy FOUR pairs of shoes, SEVEN nail polishes, and a few other bits and pieces.

 

I think I have a problem!

 

One thing is clear: I'm not to be trusted in a real life shop when I have a little money in my bank account!

 

So, who would like to see my New Look/Superdrug haul?

 

I can reveal I bought four pairs of studded flats!

 

 

 

 

I went in intending to hunt down these wide-fit studded slippers. (I've been hunting for wide fit slippers as my Topshop ones are a little tight around my toes). I've been admiring them online for months, but was hesitant about ordering them online as I wasn't sure which size I needed. I have wide feet, and one foot a half size bigger than the other, which makes things awkward. I'm a UK 6-7 but usually take a 7 because of this. It turns out the sizing was very generous in length and width, even for a wide fit shoe- the size 7 was far too big, and the size 6 was perfect!

 

The slippers are far nicer in real life than they appear on the website. They look far better quality than I'd imagined and feel like a suedette fabric. I couldn't choose between the two, so I decided to buy both as they'll work with different coloured outfits. The slippers were just £17.99 each and can be found online- navy, black. They also come in purple.

 



 

After deciding to buy both pairs of studded slippers, I found these beautiful ballet pumps in the sale area. They're studded all over, and again, are made from a faux suede material. At first I couldn't find the purple in my size and was upset because I loved them. Then after I'd discovered the red pair in my size and had fallen in love with those too,  I was just on my way to the till when I found the purple in a size 6 hanging behind some other shoes, and couldn't get to the checkout fast enough! Again, the size 6 was generously cut, but I don't think these ones are wide fit pumps. They were both just £8 each. I can't find my receipt but I think they were about £16-17 originally. Such a bargain!

 

I can justify buying four pair of shoes because I hardly own anything besides flip flops and sandals, which is shocking! I only spent just over £50 on all four, so I don't really feel guilty. I fell in love with a pair of burgundy slippers, which I may go back for after I've been paid. They also had some great creepers.

 



A couple of nights ago, I came across the Scottie Dog scarf online. I almost ordered it, but decided to wait a few days. There were several things at the top of my wish list I desperately wanted, but I had to decide which I wanted most. Obviously, the shoes won today (plus a few more pairs...). So while I was in New Look I picked up these cute thin chiffon scarves for just £2.99 each! I can't argue with being able to update a few outfits for so little. They're both available online- Scottie Dog, Skull print.

 



How adorable is this white Scottie dog print?!

 



 

The skull print is of quite happy looking skulls with faint crosses in between them.

 

I also bought a couple of accessories I had my eye on...

 



I almost bought this trio of hair slides along with the scarf the other day, so I had to pick them up when I saw them! They were only £3.50 and perfect colours for Autumn. They can be found here.

 



 

This feather beaded necklace was on sale (50% off) and just £3.00 down from £6.00. I thought it was cute and would work well with my red polka dot tea dress. Sorry about the terrible photo.

 

From New Look we headed over to Superdrug, and I splurged a bit in there, too...

 

I needed a new face scrub so bought Garnier Fresh Essentials Refreshing Scrub in Grape Extract.

 

I picked up my normal hair dye- Schwarzkopf Live Color XXL Real Red. I was looking to buy one of the new bright semi-permanent dyes, too, but they didn't have them. I'll probably pick one of them up online instead.

 

And a very boring purchase was a basic toe nail clipper. I'm sure you all wanted to know that!

 



 

Now here is where I went a bit nail polish crazy. I couldn't resist them and ended up coming home with seven! In Superdrug there was an offer with Barry M- buy any two Barry M products and get a free croc or web effects nail polish. I took advantage of the offer twice! The standard polishes were just £2.99 each, and the free croc effects polishes are worth £3.99.

 

 

I chose an interesting looking polish which is black with pink glitter flecks (353 Ruby Glitter) which I can't wait to try; a burgundy shade I've been wanting for a while (273 Raspberry), and chose the burgundy croc effect as the freebie (343 Burgundy Croc).

 



 

I then sent my Mum to the till with another three, as the offer was one per transaction. I picked up a two-tone teal colour (334 teal); a new bottle of my current favourite polish- a green-black polish I think of as beetle green (299 Racing Green); and added the black croc effect polish (323 Croc Effects) as the free one.

 

 

Then, if I hadn't done enough shopping, I bought a bronze-brown NYC nail polish in the pharmacy when picking up a prescription. I've heard some great things about budget brand NYC Color, but had yet to take the plunge and give them a try, and for £1.79 there really isn't much to worry about. I decided to try a brown as it's the one colour I don't own in my nail polish collection, and looks like the perfect nail colour for Autumn.

 



 

And, finally, I bought Grazia and Cosmopolitan magazines. Cosmo had a couple of free gifts. Mine has a great fuchsia Missguided lipsplash lipgloss. It's so vibrant and although it's not a colour I'd usually buy myself, I'm really taken with how it looks against my skin tone! The other freebie is an Oral B 3D White Brilliance toothpaste, which appears to be a whitening toothpaste.

 

I'm tired just thinking about all these purchases! That's me done until the next pay day, when I should really concentrate on Christmas and birthday present shopping since it's all creeping up fast. There are several things I ordered online last week I'm still waiting for, but I'll save those for another post.

 

I pushed myself a little too much whilst out and about and have been curled up for the last few hours feeling sorry for myself. I'm off to relax and play with my new purchases.