I was going to write a huge long essay about blogging and where it's come in the last six years since I started A Rose Like This but instead I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone that's followed me. Whether you found me a week ago, a month ago or have been following me for years! The blog wouldn't have grown and become what it is if it wasn't for all you lovelies reading it!
I can't wait to show you what could happen in the next year or so! Exciting things ahead!
Dress: c/o Lindy Bop. Necklace: (old) Topshop. Shoes: Charity Shop. Clutch: (old) Next. Bolero: (old) George at Asda.
Oh god I'm just so in love with the Renee Rose Print Twin Set! I just had to announce it before I discuss this beauty in more detail with you. I've been a fan of Lindy Bop for a number of years now specially as I love the vintage look but unfortunately can rarely find reproduction items in my size and to fit my price range. I also know that I can find pieces at Lindy Bop that will subtly nod to my vintage tastes for my day to day wear as well as pieces like this Twin Set which help me feel like I'm ready for a 1950s prom! Speaking of proms I wish I'd had somewhere like Lindy Bop that I could have turned to at the age of 15 to find a prom dress so I didn't end up in the whole black floor length dress I did go in!
Now you know my love of roses so it should be no surprise why I love the print so much. The fabric is also very comfortable to wear, I was worried that the lining may have been a unbreathable fabric which would make wearing this for any long periods of time a problem but I'm so happy that this isn't the case! My only issue with this set is the sizing. Now generally speaking I'm a solid UK20 in modern clothes so to speak but when it comes to Vintage reproduction I almost always need to size up to a UK22 however when I got this dress in the post in the size 22 I could get in it but I could not breath at all to the point I was fearing that I'd have to spend the rest of my days in this dress (can't help being a little dramatic I'm afraid!) but luckily swapping sizes wasn't an issue so here I'm wearing the UK24 and it fits me like a glove. Though unfortunately this does mean that the UK26 would probably only fit a UK22/24 at a push. I did find that the jacket is a little big in this size but not massively so. I've also taken up the straps but this is only due to the fact I have a really short body and isn't a problem for me at all!
I hen decided that this dress deserved my full vintage glam look so I set my hair, which I've since has cut so holds the curl much better. Donned my cat eye and false lashes along with my usual red lipstick and felt utterly lovely! I kept my accessories pretty minimal with an old Topshop Necklace, my red next clutch bag (which unfortunately doesn't hold a lot but brought out the red roses beautifully) and my newest shoes which I picked up from the charity shop for a bargain! I love this so much that I'm planning to wear it to an upcoming wedding and take my jersey bolero just for when it gets chilly in the evening!
Way back at the beginning of March I was invited to a Ladies Day by Lovedrobe a number of us bloggers were invited to Manchester and have our make up done and try on some of the new drops from Lovedrobe! I met up with Betty Pamper and Kellie at the station where were popped on the tram to Media City where we met everybody else and arrived on mass to the event!
We had ever flowing fizz and nibbles (which unfortunately I couldn't eat as I'm celiac, however they did look delicious!) We were then allowed to basically try everything we'd like on and snap away they also had two lovely make up artists so we could also have our make up done if we wanted, which I of course opted for as any excuse to be made over and I'm there! From the collection of clothes it was everything I've come to expect from Lovedrobe lots of cute floral's and pretty safe choices with a few more daring numbers for the more quirky among us! As you can see from the image of all us blogger babes together there was something for everyone!
(Please ignore my awkward face!)
Here I'm wearing the Elephant Print Shirt Dress in a UK22 something I've found with Lovedrobe is that more often than not I need to size up at least one dress size as they seem to run a little snug. Which for me isn't a problem but I know if you're at the high end of their size guide on the site some pieces unfortunately may not work for you. I actually really like this dress and it's something that would be perfect in the summer for me, though I'd probably take it up a little as it's super long on me! Would be the perfect length for anyone with lovely long legs though! The next dress I tried on was this Wrap Over Check Dress again here I believe I'm wearing a UK22 I felt a little like an art teacher in this (which for me is definitely a good thing!) I also think the wrap over hugs my curves really well in the snap above! I must thank my Pro photographer Betty for all the snaps of me she took!
The final dress I tried on (and the one I ended up taking home as part of the goodie bag!) was this Floral Print Shift Dress again here I'm wearing a UK22 I found that this dress was very narrow around the knees but I loved the print so much that I really didn't mind! Again this dress was too long on me but I've since taken it up to make it more wearable for my stumpy little legs! I thought me and Betty both rocked this so decided to show us both together!
Thanks again to Lovedrobe for a fabulous day that I was lucky enough to spend with some of my favourite ladies!
Here I am with resting bitch face! (I was actually really interested though!)
So a few weeks ago now I was invited to the Holland & Barrett Natural Beauty Event at Castlefield Rooms in Manchester. I was super nervous about attending this event as it was the first one that I didn't really know any of the bloggers at but the team from Iprospect who organised it were so warm and welcoming it soon felt really at ease! I also think sometimes attending a blogger event on your own means that more people will approach you when you're flying solo! They'd also put lunch on for everyone attending which was lovely and even made sure there was some special Gluten Free options for me, which was unexpected but so lovely of them to do so and the food was so good!
The room was light and airy with stands around the parameter and a presentation section in the centre. This was for when we were treated to a talk by the Beauty Marketing Manager from H&B, before this event I had an understanding that they did offer some beauty and skincare options but I wasn't aware how extensive their range was and I absolutely loved hearing about it and also feel like I learnt ALOT! (which you can hear me rambling more about on my YouTube video) They have a massive range online and I'm pretty sure this is something many people wouldn't know! H&B also have DIY tutorials and articles about the products on the site as well which are always handy! We also had a little talk from The Beauty Kitchen about their body Scrubs and the Make Your Own bar in Holland & Barretts new superstore in Chester which I'm definitely planning on having a look at next time I'm there (SPOILER: I've used the scrub and it's completely different to what I'm used to but I LOVE it!) They also treated us to a demo of their DIY lip balm kits, I didn't realise how easy and quick they'd be to make!
If this wasn't enough us bloggers also had the opportunity to get our make up done with the new Beautiful Movements make up range which is all mineral make up and something I've never really forayed into beyond mineral foundation powder! So I decided to get a full make up look done which you can see on my instagram here. I absolutely loved the make up and my skin didn't feel heavy or caked up, I was also amazed that there was something to counteract the redness in my skin and dark circles in powder form as I usually use heavy duty concealer for this! I'm really looking forward to trying more of the range. The make up artists were also the nicest girls ever which make the experience even more fun! There was also the option to get a manicure with Zoya polishes which are stocked at H&B but I was chatting away so much to all the lovely bloggers I met that I didn't get chance, though I'm a nail biter anyway!
Dr Organic were also there to discuss some of their newer ranges and firm favourites, I'd heard of them before but I didn't realise the number of products they actually had under their umbrella! These ladies were also really nice to talk to and there wasn't any stupid questions we could ask which put all of us at ease! I'd spoken to them about my dry skin/scalp complaints and they were really helpful in pin pointing me to what could have been causing it!
I just want to say a huge thank you to the girls at Iprospect and Holland & Barrett for putting on the event and I can't wait to include the treats we were given into my beauty and skincare routines and see the results!
See my Youtube video on the products and ramblings about the event below!
