I put some new shoes on and suddenly everything’s right

By Sarah Redman

Yes I chose my title inspiration from Paolo Nutini – if by any chance you don’t know him then have a Google or hit up YouTube or iTunes. At the moment I’m obsessed with his new album, Caustic Love.

The title also has some inference on the point of this post. It doesn’t take a genius: New shoes.

Nude pumps & Cuticle tattoos

These are just your bog standard Ballet Pumps from H&M, retailing at £7.99, these beauties come in pretty much every colour. A put on an go kind of shoe, these are made of faux suede so are soft and sweet. Not fantastic for a day of serious walking but they look cute, a versatile and cheep. Sold.

Harley & Freddie playing tug of war in Knole Par, Sevenoaks

Unfortunately these have now been slightly chewed at the back by puppy who is now one year old – and yes still running off with my shoes. Sob!

Are you a fan of a simple pump? Let us know and leave a comment below, Tweet us @thesarahsblog or post on our Facebook page.

Summer colours

By Sarah Redman

This lovely little post contains a few outfits for my friend Georgia’s (of Life’s little Ponderings) 20th birthday!

I am loving this sunny weather and so are my girls. So for G’s birthday BBQ and night out we all chose summer brights for our outfits – sorry there are no full length photos (we may have been more focused on the Pimms than the photos).

From L to R: Sarah Redman, Alicia Berman (AB), Georgia Plummer (GP)

I wore my new patterned crop top from New Look (Blue Tribal Print Crop Vest £5.99), AB wore a simple red cami from Miss Selfridge, while birthday girl GP wore a yellow tee from ASOS (Petite top in texture £22.00) and stunning a statement necklace from Zara (retailing between £19.99 & £29.99).

My outfit was completed with a nude body con skirt from H&M and wooden chunky heals from Clarks. AB wore a white skort also from Miss Selfridge (Origami skort £30.00) and her shoes were nude heals from Russell and Bromley. GP competed her look with a floral patterned skort from ASOS (Premium skort in bright floral £35.00) and some awesome wedges from Topshop (Wish Buckle Espadrilles Black £42.00). Yes they are on my wish list so I knew them straight away!

How are you styling your looks this summer? Is the brights trend for you? Let us know and leave a comment below, Tweet us @thesarahsblog or post on our Facebook page.

NOTD

By Sarah Redman

Not a classic OOTD (outfit of the day) but a NOTD (nail of the day).

Today I have gone with a nude look. This weather is playing havoc with my ability to decide on a nail colour. I’m done with winter now – I love a cuddly knit but I’m just so fed up of being cold – so I’m not sure on my dark polishes, my effects and my glitters. But then again, I’m not really ready for my bright summer styles. So I’m left with my muted pastels and after painting my nails I’m not complaining. It’s a nice in-between.

I have gone for a nude. My nail polish is by Ciate and came as part of my Mini Mani Month. It’s called Amazing Gracie and not only is it pretty, but it reminds me of my lovely little sister, Gracie, back home. My base coat is Ciate Underwear and my top coat Ciate’s Speed Coat. I have also used Essie‘s Apricot Cuticle Oil.

What’s your favourite nail colour of the moment? Let us know and leave a comment, Tweet us @thesarahsblog or post on our Facebook page.

Bourgois colour edition

By Sarah Redman

Bourjois is a make up brand I have really gotten into recently, starting with their healthy mix foundation and then healthy mix concealer (Love, Love, Love); I have even tried their flower perfection primer (Not bad I must say – and a handy pot!) Now I have moved onto their eye shadow, as you do, so with the release of their Colour Edition 24 Hour Eye Shadow I had to have a try.

This is a cream-to-powder formula, which is really handy – no smashing of a powder pallet – the cream stays together even when travelling. This product also boasts a metallic sheen, which is eye catching during the day and can be built upon with their darker shades for an impact eye statement look for the evening. Bourjois also claim that “94% of woman found Colour Edition 24 Hour more luminous than their regular eye shadow” (See their website).

Available in six shades ranging from every day lighter shades to blue and purple hues. These hues are perfect to take you through from Autumn / Winter 2013 to Spring / Summer 2014 with Nudes, Navy’s, and Berry shades being very popular.

I purchased the Colour Edition 24 Hour Eye Shadow in both 03 Petale de glace and 05 Prune Nocturne.

These shades are great for a day time look with a little metallic sheen or you can build up the colour for a smoky eye style evening look. This product is easy to work with and has great staying power. It can be applied using your fingers but I have found the best result with a variety of eye shadow brushes as the pick up the most pigment and make the products easier to blend. I’m looking forward to trying more colours from this range.

Have you tried Bourgois’ creme eye shadow offering? Let us know and comment below, Tweet us @thesarahsblog or post on our Facebook page.

The Mini Heel

By Sarah Redman

This is a new kind of sensible heel and yes I have been raiding my mothers wardrobe again. Because to be perfectly honest, whilst I could walk all day in them and they really are comfortable, going with trousers, skirts, dresses – whatever, I probably need a few more years until I invest my money in heels that I can wear daily rather than those that just look really good on the shelf.

These lovelies are called ‘Far Away’, sold by Office at £55.00. My mum seems to love them for a summer take on a smart shoe for work, going back and buying another pair. This summer this versatile summer shoe, with a 3cm heel, comes in ‘Natural Leather‘ seen in the photo below, ‘Red Leather‘, ‘Navy Leather‘, and ‘Black Leather‘.

 Keep checking The Sarah’s Blog for a new post on how I’m styling these lovely summer shoes.

Do you own a pair like these or have any tips for my next post on them? Let us know by leaving a comment or Tweet us @thesarahsblog

New Nude: Faded Glitter Tips

By Sarah Redman

My treat for revision the other day – nails. I am waiting on my delivery of Ciate nail ‘wow kits’, so I thought I would dig into my shoe box of nail polish [Yeah, they fill a large shoe box now…] and find something I haven’t used for a while and have some fun.

So here they are:

(Please excuse the poor state of my nails)

New Nude: Faded Glitter Tips

I decided to give the ‘nude’ nail an update, starting with Art Deco’s 294 Sparkling Beige Ceramic Nail Lacquer –  a Christmas present from the wonderful Josh Johnston, which I haven’t used in a few months. This colour has quite a sheer coverage, so I have three coats on, but it doesn’t feel heavy or peal or easily. The only thing worse than chipping – when you have too much polish on and it just gives up sticking to your nail.

Art Deco’s 294 Ceramic Nail Lacquer

To give this shimmering shade a fun twist I have used Barry M’s 351 Yellow Topaz Glitter 247 Nail Paint – another Christmas present, this time from my sister Gracie Redman. This ‘colour’ as I have been informed by Jem Hill, apparently glitter is now a colour in girl world. But I figure if my parents can paint four colour swatches onto our dining room wall entitled ‘Frosted Dawn’, ‘White Cotton’, ‘All White’, and ‘Wimborne White’ and I still can’t tell the difference between these shades/colours (another debate for another time), then glitter can be a colour! But I digress, this colour is great for a top coat or as I have used it here, for a faded effect from the tip of my nail.

Barry M’s 351 Yellow Topaz Glitter 247 Nail Paint

I love this look, it’s subtle yet still gives your every day look a bit of sparkle. The nail polishes work well together and with the right base and top coat can last for days as small chips can easily be touched up or hardly notice with the pale colour scheme and the light reflection from the glitter flakes towards the end of the nail. The faded tip is a nail art technique I hope to experiment more with pastel shades over the summer months. Keep checking our blog to make sure you don’t miss out!

If you like this look or have experimented lately yourself leave us a comment or Tweet TheSarah’sStyleBlog @thesarahsblog

Should I?

By Sarah Redman

Once again I have found myself online shopping. I promise I only meant to check my emails!

But it is Forever 21… However I am on the verge of buying these lovely summer wedges [see below] after seeing their great 21% off regular priced shoes for 2 days only offer.

These are just the shoes I have been looking for as a replacement for last years cheep and cheerful, (yet probably my best go-to-summer-shoe) wooden healed, light brown wedge sandals – which as much as I may want them to, they probably will last no longer than May.

How is a girl to resist?

At only £25.99 [Down from £32.90] with 2-4 working days at £3.95 I am struggling for a reason why not to.

What do you think? Should I go for it?

Tweet thesarahsstyleblog via @thesarahsblog or leave a comment!

Mid Season Sales: New Shoes

By Sarah Redman

Yes I have been hitting the mid season sales, I hope you have to!

*Gap up to 75% off  = me getting three items for under £35… your lunch break sorted.

Although one of my latest purchases from Gap was a great canvas and leather clutch – literally haven’t let it go. But this created a dilemma  I clearly needed new shoes to go with the new bag. Obviously.

So here they are:

I love the gold detailing on these Dune shoes the two tone is so on trend and really easy to style with summer brights. The gold adds a touch of glamour meaning this shoe is a great transition piece between day and evening wear.

This pair of heals are the most comfortable I have bought in a while, with a small amount of cushioning for the ball of your foot and a sensible heal you can walk all day in them – as I did around Bluewater after I bought them!

If you like this post and the shoes or have some of your own mid season sales purchases to share then please comment or tweet the sarahs style blog @thesarahsblog

Nails for a ‘not quite summer’

By Sarah Redman

Nails are the must have accessory at the moment, long, short, studded, sparkly – however they come it seems to be the quirkier the better. But sometimes its just all a bit of a faff! So below are my favourite spring / summer ‘easy colours’. If you like what you see or have any photo’s you want to share with us, feel free to leave us a comment or tweet us @thesarahsblog

Nude nails:

These are my favourite at the moment, with the weather changing its mind every three seconds I need a nail that can take me from sunshine to hail stones (not kidding this happened to me the other day). This colour or shade if you prefer is easy, just make sure you have the right one for your skin tone – when you have it don’t let it go. Nudes can have varying shades of pink etc in, so some shades or brands might suit you better than others. I have quite pinky skin so my favourites are Ciate – Pocket Money 107 (above) and Mavala 396 Velvet (Mavala usually retails between £4 and £5, however shows as cheaper on Amazon).

Here are a few other shades to help you find your look:

• Barry M’s Nail Paint 310 Mushroom
• Natural Collection Pink Manicure
• Natural Collection Oyster Pink
• 17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish Forever

Violet nails:

I have always loved this as a summer shade, pastel nails go with most outfits and bring a bit of summer even if you are at work and in head to toe black. Each year i find a new shade that i love slightly more, this year i’m loving Rimmel London’s Lasting Finish 702 Marshmallow Heaven. This has all the purple pastel you need, but is slightly darker than some other brands which I prefer as a transitional polish between this everlasting winter and spring / summer 2013.

Here are a few other shades to help you find your look:

• Mavala 170 Touch of Provence
• Mavala 184 Frozen Berry
• 17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish Parma Violet

Mango nails:

 

I love this shade, part of Mavala’s ‘Simply Delicious‘ range for spring / summer 2012, Mavala’s 182 Fresh Melon along with the other fresh colours gives a great summer nail. There are six colours in the range and I almost have them all! This one is one of my favorites, bought in Paris in the summer of 2012, it opitimised summer days and was fresh and light on the nail. One of my all time favourites.

Here are a few other shades to help you find your look:

• 17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish Glisten
• 17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish Mellow Yellow
• 17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish Sherbet Lemon

Mint nails:

A mint nail is great if you want a fresh look, there are a lot of mint or turquoise colours on the high street for 2013. 17’s Lasting Fix Nail Polish Mint Choc Chip is a favourite I have had for a while and is quick and easy to apply. This nail polish will last you for ages and go with most colours for a fresh summer accessory.

Here are a few other shades to help you find your look:

• Natural Collection Topaz
• Natural Collection Winter Moon
• Topshop Nails Gone Fishing

*Don’t forget a hard base coat and a top coat with a good shine!

‘Sensible Shoes’

By Sarah Redman This is a concept, that to be honest, I never liked. The higher the better, besides i like my legs in ‘Standing Shoes’. However, saying this I was wondering through TK Maxx the other day and came across the …