Last chance for 10% off at ASOS!

When I found out that ASOS were offering a discount code for a limited time only in collaboration with Valentine's Day, it was happy days. ASOS discount codes are increasingly rare these days so whenever I see one, I'm on it! Armed with some very generous ASOS vouchers I received for Christmas, the discount code was put to good use:

Swing dress in Baroque print - £28 - £25.20

I saw this amazing print and I was SOLD. Anything with Baroque print is fine by me. I'll be wearing this with my black blazer or layering to transform it into a mini skirt or to create a contrast sleeves look. It's just such a versatile piece - the possibilities are endless. I don't usually go for swing / smock dresses so fingers crossed this isn't a tent!

Skinny jeans with Baroque flocking - £15 (sale) - £13.50

Jeans wise, I usually go for normal blue denim or black. One of my best friends says I have colour issues. Apparently I need to step away from black and invest in some actual colour. I thought these jeans were a good start to introducing colour into my wardrobe. The flocked pattern is really interesting and reminds me of the trousers Zara sells - but at a fraction of the price. These beauts were already on sale but with an extra 10% off, I didn't think twice.

Thigh highs - £5 - £4.50

I live in thigh highs so thought it was worth investing in a couple more pairs!

 Photographic Galaxy print joggers - £30 - £27

Right now you're thinking: Lucy, why on earth did you order joggers?! I'm still a little baffled as to why. But I think it was the print that sold me. I'm not too keen on the waist band / draw string area so I'll cover these with an over-sized tee. Really want to get some Nike Liberty X hi-tops to tuck these bad boys into. It's sports luxe, dah-ling. 

Boyfriend cardigan - £40 - £36

Remember that time where everyone had or wanted a thick arran knit cream cardigan? I think stores like New Look did them in other colours too. I liked them, but couldn't jump on that bandwagon as I'm pale and cream / white washes me out. I love grey. I love salt and pepper speckle knits. So this ASOS cardigan was love in knitted form. 

New Look ankle strap court shoes - £24.99 - £22.50

I saw these heels featured in More magazine and I loved the elegance of the ankle strap paired with the edginess of the stud detailing. I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can wear these with bare legs!

To get in on the action use the discount code: VALENTINE10 for 10% off at ASOS. 

Ends at 11:59pm tonight so get your skates on! :)

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#3 Life as we know it...

Part 2 of my Barcelona trip is coming soon I promise! Apologies, my absence lately has been DISGRACEFUL. But whilst I haven't had a spare moment to shift through Barcelona pics, I wanted to post SOMETHING. Mainly to prove that I'm still alive. Here's what I've been up to lately:

• Travelling here, there and everywhere. I'm staying in three different hotels this week so I should hopefully have some hotels reviews up on here soon!

• Checking out various different Christmas markets. I went to Winchester last weekend but it was so packed, it wasn't the most enjoyable of experiences. Plus finding a parking space in the Park & Ride was an absolute nightmare. Not what you want after driving two hours straight.

•  I have been involved with an international Bloggers Secret Santa which I'd love to do again next year. My lil box of goodies is UK bound though so I have it easy! ;)

• Taking full advantage of the recent 20% off Urban Outfitters event. I was hoping to get a lot of Christmas presents from there but ended up buying things for myself... FAIL

Magic Carpet Skirt / £35 / £28

Baroque cardigan / £48 / £38.40

Studded sleeve sweater / £55 / £44

Rob Ryan cushion / £40 / £32

• Tonight I'm off to an Awards do. I had no idea what to wear so have just opted for a LBD and heels. I'm hoping I deal with the paparazzi on the red carpet better this year - last year I was a deer in headlights!

• Later in the week I'm off to a James Bond formal so I get to dress up as a Bond girl. I expect to be sipping many a Martini and hearing "my name's Bond. James Bond" WAY too much. It could get annoying.

• And next week.... I'm off to Paris!

So yeah.... it's been a busy few weeks!

What have you lovely lot been up to recently?

Sod's law

Remember that ASOS 20% off code that expired a couple of weeks ago? Well, me being the complete sucker than I am, pounced on it like no one’s business. It’s too easy to shop online. Particularly when the website in question is ASOS. I managed to find some beauts but alas, the shoes I’d been stalking coveting for so long had sold out in my size. But life goes on, right? I placed an order regardless and received some absolute gems in the post:

Blue velvet playsuit with relaxed ‘legs’ so when worn, looks more like a dress. 

Way too big (oh the joys of sale stock…) but it was too beautiful to send back.

The most versatile of dresses. Perfect for dates, nights out in general and 

a day at the office. Elegant and a decent length skirt for once 

(not looking at anyone in particular… *coughs* Topshop *coughs*).

Stockings. Amazingly toasty and look so cute teamed with a short skirt.

But I couldn’t get those damn shoes out of my head. I checked back most days and was all set to give up when yesterday, the miracle of all miracles happened - my size back in stock. Without thinking, those bad boys were in my basket. Officially my smallest (and cheapest!) ASOS order ever.

Hopefully they’ll be the perfect substitute for my black Primark courts which stretched with wear and alas, won’t stay on my feet any more. Being ASOS, I expect the quality to be tons better and fingers crossed, they’ll actually last. Plus they have a wedge rather than a heel – satisfying my love of wedges (both potato and otherwise!)

Online shopping vs in-store shopping

Shopping. We all do it. Clothes shopping, food shopping, present shopping… the list goes on. For centuries shopping has involved visiting a store, picking out your items, exchanging these items for currency of some sort and leaving with said items. The act of shopping was then revolutionised in the 1990s when it first became possible to shop online. Amazon appeared in 1995 and then a year later, hello eBay.

But is online shopping all it’s cracked up to be? 

Or has it done us more harm than good?

You are enticed

It is only too easy to be lured in by offers and discount codes. All reason goes out of the window. They want me to pay £5 for postage? Ludicrous! But look here… spend an extra X amount of pounds and get free shipping… bargain! I’m guilty of falling victim to stupid things like this. But the way I look at it, if I paid for postage, I’d never see that money again. However if I spend an extra £20 on something I’m unsure of, I can at least return it for free and get my money back. It makes sense.

At the moment, online January sales are a big danger for purses everywhere. This is the time of year when you find something a bit ugly – yet oddly intriguing – and think “hey, it’s in the sale and it’s only £5. Who cares?”  And despite the sales, I will still end up buying non-sale items. In fact most of my basket is suddenly full of non-sale stock. How did that happen? Boo.

Online shopping is addictive

It really is. In fact it can be compared to the addictiveness of gambling. You see all these bingo adverts announcing “only £10 to play – and get a free £20 from us on top of that as a thank you”. And it is exactly the same with online sites. Spend £75 and get free shipping. Spend over X amount and get X percent off. They encourage you to spend more and more.

 

Shopping online can even become a little bit of an obsession for some of us. You find something you like but they don’t have your size. I’ll check again tomorrow you say. But you don’t just mean tomorrow. You check back every single day. And several times each day may I add?

Lazy or convenient?

One bonus of online shopping is that if it’s tipping it down outside, you don’t have to go out. You don’t even have to get dressed. Order naked if you like. No one cares. No one can see you. Bloody brilliant. But let’s face it, it is a little bit lazy. No physical activity whatsoever is needed other than some wrist action (for the mouse) and finger motion (typing). It is obviously a lot healthier to go out shopping and get the exercise… but staying home is just more convenient. You don’t have to lug all those heavy bags back home. Instead you have lovely Mr delivery man (or woman as the case may be) to do that for you.

It’s too easy

You can add many things to your basket – it can’t hurt right? You don’t have to buy it all. Decisions can be made later after all. When you’ve had your fix and finally decide to view your basket, you faint momentarily over the total it’s reached. How did it get to three figures?! The “removing from basket” stage is a painful one. It’s like giving up one of your children.

The whole process is just way too easy. There are even options to save your card details for “next time”. And it never feels like you’re spending money. It doesn’t feel real.

But nonetheless enjoyable

Yes, online shopping has its annoyances but it also has its good points. It can be quite an enjoyable experience. You can put your feet up and sit comfortably with a nice cup of tea. You don’t get all hot and sweaty like you do racing around the shops. 

And my favourite bit? No queues! You don’t have to get up ridiculously early to avoid the queues as these sites operate 24-7.

How do you prefer to shop? Online or in-store?

And me? I can’t decide. I shop online more but that’s just a convenience thing. Plus some of my favourite brands are only available online.

I think that when you physically go shopping, you feel more satisfied walking out of a store with a pretty bag. The bag itself is the statement.  You are saying I have been shopping. And everything within this bag now belongs to me. There is also the mystery of what is inside your bag. No one else knows but you. I often wonder what others have bought.

By shopping in-store you have handed over your card / cash at the till. You physically have your goods straight away – no waiting involved. It feels more real.

For the last month or so my biggest obstacle from hitting the shops has been the snow. Hence I have done most of my shopping online. Here’s a little taster of some of the things I’ve ordered lately. Enjoy!

Topshop

I saw Ellie Goulding on TV wearing this blouse and I fell in love with it. I don't think that the Topshop website does it justice - the detail is so much more incredible in reality. My only disappointment is that it's quite see through so I'll need to pick up a vest to go under it.

I love kimonos and bed jackets. Nicole Ritchie's Winter Kate range does some lovely ones but sadly, they're a bit out of my budget! This one from Topshop is so airy and comfortable. Again, it is a little see through for my liking (it doesn't look transparent online) but it looks lovely with a lacy black camisole.

ASOS

I got these in the ASOS sale and they were an absolute bargain! Words cannot describe how lovely they feel - the outer material is so soft, I can't stop stroking it!

Urban Outfitters

I love photography and my dream is to get a DSLR one day. I have been lusting over camera necklaces for ages now but I find a lot of them are too "big" and poorly made. This necklace from Urban Outfitters is small and dainty - perfect!

These cut out trousers really caught my eye. And they must have caught many other peoples' eyes too as they're now completely sold out!!

Office

A steal at £10 in the Office sale! They arrived today and I have never had flats like them before. The insides are very cushioned and padded - walking in them is such a delight!

Rocket Dog

I am a fairisle / nordic / alpine (whatever you call it) fanatic. And I really struggle whenever it snows. I salute those of you who go out in heels! These looked so comfortable with the fleecy insides and they have a good grip on the soles. I hope I can rely on them if it snows again!