Gingham galore!

Ok, so my favourite trend at the moment has to be the super cute, ultra chic and so simple to wear ...GINGHAM!

I really have gone a bit crazy when it comes to the classic print. 

So here's my way to style an oufit with just a gingham shirt.

 Enjoy!

So, an oversized red gingham shirt worn as a shirt dress with leggings, a black fedora hat and heeled black boots can do wonders to spruce up a casual day time outfit. A really summery look and so comfortable to wear. At the back of my mind if you replaced the boots with a pair of white converse this would be a great airport outfit as it's so airy and light.
When I wore this outfit to work my manager said "aw meg, you look like a picnic..." i'll take that as a compliment.

My boots, bag and leggings are from New Look and the shirt and hat are from a vintage store in Norwich (You can see me talk about these product in an earlier vlog we did below)

So there we go guys, I hope i've given you a little inspiration on how to style gingham in a fun, fashionable and easy going way.

lots of love

Meg xo

Outfit of the day - childish 90s vibes

 Jacket - Next || Top - Vintage || Belt - Vintage || Skirt - River Island || Shoes - River Island || Scarf - Vintage 

Feeling a bit like a childish 90s throwback with this outfit. Denim - check. Teddy bear scarf - check. Bright orange Velma like jumper - check. Jelly shoes with ankle socks - check. Yes I have very chubby legs that aren't a very good shape and are incredibly pale that even through dark tights they pretty much glow but i'm cool with that!

Thanks for reading.

Alex 

xox

Micellar miracles

I'm somebody that has suffered from really bad skin ever since my mum told me not to wear foundation when I was 13/14 and I of course, did. Slapping on my 'miss sporty' foundation and concealer on my walk to school (serious skill though right?) so she didn't know. I'm not normally one for regrets but that really is one of my biggest. I had amazing skin and nothing to hide! and just because other girls were wearing it at school I felt I had to conform.

My skin is extremely sensitive, so you can only imagine what cheap foundation did whilst it was suffocating it day in day out when it wasn't needed at all. So yes, I have really bad skin/acne to this day and after using soooooooo many different remedies to try to prevent it such as Quinaderm, prescription tablets, Clearisil, Simple and every other brand in the world made to prevent and tackle spots IT JUST DOESN'T WORK OK!!!
So my usual morning and evening routine would just be to remove my make up with over expensive make up remover wipes, moisturise with Palmers coco butter and be done with it. However, my friend Dani suggested that I used Garnier Micellar cleansing water, describing it as "its just great water.......for the face!". After such a great description (ha ha), and after using hers for a week I was sold.
And it really is just like water specially designed for your face. I love that it's so light and it really does sooth my skin. Over the past two weeks of using it i've seen a reduction in break outs and my skin feels a lot smoother as i'm not smuthering it in strong chemicals and millions of different ingredients.

You can buy this product at all major UK drug stores for a smashing £3.49!
 It's definitely worth it.

Meg xo

Charity Shop Finds - Tartan Skirt

So last week me and Meg had a stroll round some local charity shops and I stumbled across this beauty. I really couldn't say no to it even though I had said I didn't want to spend anymore money. I'd been eyeing up something similar from a few online shops but when I flipped over the the tag and saw the price it was a one way sprint to the till. How much was it I hear you asking? £1.50!! ONE POUND AND 50 PENNIES!! This is exactly why I love charity shopping. Bargains galore! So get yourself down to your local charity shops and do some good for you wardrobe, bank account and the lovely causes they support!

Alex

xox

Wishlist 001

Hello from the both of us! 

 This week our joint post will be on what items we are craving and what's on the top of our wishlist.

These items will vary from lifestyle, beauty, clothing, food, and accessories!

Here we go ;

MEGS WISHLIST

Buddha

(Really sorry about poor picture resolution) But, I recently moved into my own house and I am really desperate for a buddha head statue! However, I was told it's unlucky to buy yourself one? Anyway, I think i'd double this up as a jewellery holder/ornament. PERFECT!

RUB THE BUDDHA BELLY TO PURCHASE

(by that I mean just click the link)

Bag

My jaw dropped when I saw this, from afar it's very mulberry-esque and it's just so perfect with it's little handle and shoulder strap for when it gets heavy! Can I be Alexa Chung yet?

This can be found here

Bowler Hat

Look at these super cute bowler hats! I reaaaaalllllly want the baby pink one to plonk on my head. Makes any outfit look kitsch, chic and quirky.

They can be found just here

Polaroid Camera

How cute are these mini polaroid cameras ? I want the baby pink one desperately, and omg it would match my hat!!!!!

ALEX'S WISHLIST

Vivienne Westwood Bag.

It's my birthday in a few weeks and I am seriously swooning over a Viv bag, there's so many beauties to pick from but I think this is my favourite and I would be very happy to call it mine *hint hint boyfriend/mother*

A home!

This one sounds a bit drastic because of course I have a home, but my boyfriend and I are looking to move out desperately and everything we are looking at keeps falling through. Fingers crossed something comes up for us soon.

Varsity Jacket.

I have loved varsity jackets for ages and occasionally steal my boyfriends but I think it's about time I get my own. I adore this one from Forever21. Most things baby/pastel pink and i'm sold anyways but I love the fact it has faux leather sleeves to toughen it up a little. 

Disco Pants.

I know i'm incredibly late on the band wagon but i've always been kind of afraid but extremely intrigued by these bad boys and I think it's about time I gave in and tried them. At £22.99 from New Look how can I go wrong?!

What are you all wishing for atm?!

Meg & Alex 

xox

Appreciate my assets

Love your body, appreciate your assets.

Back to the beginning of time (or to what I can remember), I have had a constant battle with my weight. From being told I need to switch places with my friend on the fairground ride because I'm the larger one or being forced to do the BMI test in science and P.E class with the reading being 'obese', it was drilled into me at a tragically young age that I wasn't normal, that I was overweight, that I was an A* target for bullies because I had a couple of extra pounds on me. (Thankfully, I was a ballsy little bitch when I was younger so I  never did get bullied as such but the god awful, three letter word that we all dread did get thrown around a fair few times)

By the age of 14/15 society had got the better of me. Larger people were there to make fun of and 'skinny' people were what you aspired to look like. I was young, naive and I was making myself Ill, becoming obsessed with fad diets and exercise. For instance, I'd go to school and eat nothing but a pot of baby food and a rusk and be faced with a rumbling stomach for the rest of the day, desperately trying to fill myself up on water.

Now, body positivity is all about promoting that what you are suits. If you're a size 0 or a size 20+ who cares ? As long as you're fit and healthy who else is to say you're overweight or underweight? it's YOUR  body, YOUR life, YOUR confidence, now all you have to do is learn to appreciate that. 

At current, I'm at the largest i've weighed and over the past year i've gradually seen my dress size creep up.

 Blaming it on all of the excuses possible, "Primark's sizes are odd anyway", "oh it must be the make of the skirt", "yeah its my boobs, that's why its not fitting". Sound familiar? We all have to face the facts. If you like food, you're going to eat a big fat cupcake, or a greasy slice of pizza, WHO CARES !!!!!!! As long as it's in moderation and you're not on the road to a heart attack, you appreciate that pizza, you foodgasm over that cupcake, you enjoy it ! 

Now i've grown with society, and faced the facts I will never be skinny, yes I could shed some pounds and drop a few dress sizes, tone my body and shake some flab off of my butt but at the moment it's not at the top of my to do. 

 I'm in a happy relationship, my boyfriend doesn't like spooning a twig.  When I was younger my mindset was very much "boys wont like me because i'm fat". Honestly girls, it's not the case. 

I don't actually believe in 'diets' as such. If you want to watch what you eat you need to look at it as a life change. Diets will last for a week and you'll get bored, seek temptation and cave. If you want to tone up, slim down, it's a life change you need to look at. More exercise, your 5 a day and healthy sleeping pattern.  Health is key, not others opinions.

I hope to think you'll take what i've said into consideration and start to appreciate your assets. Its not a quick transformation, but gradually your confidence will over ride your anxiety issues about weight, you'll get there, I promise :} 

Meg xo

Sunny Spring - outfit of the day

Top-Henry Holland/ Cardigan - Tescos/Skirt-Primark/Shoes-Primark/Bag-Tescos/Accessories-Gifted

Dress-Primark/Cardigan-Tescos/Blazer-H&M/Tights-Primark/Shoes-Primark/Bag-Tescos/Belt-Topshop/Accessories-Gifted

This weekend has been beautiful! Love a bit of sunshine, puts everyone in such a happy mood. My weekend involved friends, BBQs, pubs, bikes and of course we ended it all with some Nandos. These are the two outfits I wore for all of the shenanigans. I normally wear so much black it was nice to put some colour into my outfits and it instantly made me feel more summery and happy!

Hope you all had a magical weekend.

Thanks for reading.

Alex
xox

Vintage haul and vlog - First Youtube video!

We decided to take a trip to our local vintage shop which is shutting down, it's so sad to see it go! But we grabbed ourselves some great bargains in their sale. If you're local to Norwich they'll be open for the next 4 weeks bringing in new stock every week until it's all gone. You can find it on St.Benedicts street and it's called Prim.

                                                       We decided to film it all so say hello to our first Youtube video!

If you would like to see any of the items on or how we style them then please feel free to let us know! We aren't sure whether making videos will be a regular thing for us yet but we hope you enjoyed our first video and maybe they'll be some more to come in the future! 

Alex & Meg

xo

Lush cosmetics; Bubblegum lip scrub review.

Hey guys,

Today I'll be reviewing the ever popular Bubblegum lip scrub by Lush cosmetics. 

My boyfriend bought me this little beauty for my birthday and I haven't been able to stop applying it ever since, it's like an addiction.

First of all I'd like to admit I'm a little odd when it comes to putting things on my lips. I can deal with lipstick but anything sticky and glossy is a huge no no for me, so for somebody that suffers from dry lips it's a bit of a nightmare.  As you can imagine, I was slightly apprehensive to begin with about this product but I think I've finally found my angel of the lip world. 

It's completely blown my mind. I've been using it for two weeks straight, applying it every morning ,15 minutes before I start my make-up routine and 15 minute in the evenings before I go to bed. 

As you can see,  the texture is tiny little crystals that look like sugar granules and I just brush it on my lips and wait. The longer you leave it on for the better AND you look like a sugar diamond princess fairy that's raided the sugar factory in the process, LOOK! 

Also, I wish it was possible to upload a smell to my blog post, that way it would win you over instantly. Its scent is incredible and hits the nail on the head with what you imagine ' bubblegum' to smell like. Oh, and im quite partial to a lick of my lips when I've got it on too...is that weird?

The only down side to this product is that it looks so pigmented with the striking pink on the outside but when you apply it its just clear, but I think that's just me loving everything pink and pretty and aspiring to be like Nicki Minaj.

So go grab your 'My boy lollipop' lip scrub for a fab price of just £5.99 to get your lip smacking, beautifully soft and totally snogable new lips, you'll never look back, I promise.

Meg xo

Hair care routine with Meg ; How to tame ultra long, thick and frizzy hair.

Do you ever walk past a mirror or a very clean window out in public, catch a glimpse of yourself and think, Oh my...have I transformed into Hagrid over night ? Well, calling all girls with long, thick and bloody frizzy hair, you're not alone! In this post I'll be sharing my hair care routine, and how I maintain healthy locks that look (somewhat) tamed but with a tussled and edgy look. Take a peak.

Ok, so Step 1 :

PRETEND YOU'RE A MERMAID (a.k.a wash the filth outa your hair guuuurl)

My personal preference of Shampoo at the moment is Umburto Giannini which look a little something like this.

I then use the Aussie, '3 minute miracle' and leave it on for one to three minutes (obviously the longer the better) and I can't begin to explain how impressed with this product I am, its a must have for girls with uncontrollable hair! 

Then, on top of this I use the Umberto Giannini Conditioner (and a lot of it)  purely to de-tangle my hair to make it easier when brushing a couple of stages later.

Step 2 : Towel dry your hair so it looks a little something like this, drip free, so you don't have to over do it with the blow dryer.

Step 3: Brush the blues away !!! For this, I use/suggest a Natural Bristle, round, wooden handled hairbrush as they're sturdy and will actually get through the thickness of your hair.

 I separate my hair into sections and make it knot free .

Step 4 : I apply a GHD heat serum and blow dry my hair with the Lee Stafford hot pink hair dryer (which is another recommendation of mine) downwards to create a sleeker and more controlled look (also drying your hair upside down damages your hair girls!) 

So you're then left with this kind of look ...

Now, depending on preference and how well you've blow dried it (I will admit, this was a good day) you may be able to leave it looking like this which you could then accesorise with cute headbands, headscarfs or turbans for a cute and quirky style.  But if it's still so so super frizzy and you're in need of taming the beast some more go ahead and straighten it or add a few curls in place like this.

Just remember girls, there's something for everybody so embrace your hair, make it your statement, learn to appreciate it, work with it, mould to it and you'll soon learn to be content, just like I have. 

Meg xo

Collective Haul 001 - Primark & Forever 21

I thought i'd kick of our first real blogpost with you some bits and pieces i've picked up in the last month or so, in a few of my favourite places to shop. I go through phases of being in love or hating Primark, but recently i can't seem to walk into one and not walk out with something! I also went to London a few weeks ago and picked up some Forever 21 goodies, we don't have one near us so I always make sure to stop in whenever I'm near one.

Cardigan - Forever 21

Shirt & Skirt & Shoes - Primark

 Jumper - Primark

 Shoes - Primark

Tights - Primark 

Necklace & Earring - Forever 21

 Skirt - Primark

Top & Shoes - Primark
Necklace & Belt - Forever 21 

I thought i'd include a few outfit pictures so you can see what some of the pieces look like on and how I'm styling them. I'll have some outfit posts coming soon including some of the pieces seen here, so keep an eye out for that!

Thanks for reading.

Alex

xxx

Welcome!

Hi there!

We are two average girls with a passion for body positivity, fashion, beauty and many other things! Both being obsessed with blogging and Youtube for years we have finally decided to give it a go ourselves and see where it takes us. We wanted to start a blog to share with all you lovely ladies our fashion sense and how we style things for our body shapes and hope that maybe whatever size or shape you are, that you can take some inspiration from it likewise for our beauty ideas and everything else we decide to share with you.

You can also follow us on our instagram which is - californiakissesxo

ENJOY!

Alex&Meg 

xxx