Tuesday 29 November 2011

You'll still end up on a revolving dance floor in the middle of the river.


I was so excited when the nice people at Voucher Codes got in touch, asking me if I was willing to test drive these absolutely stunning shoes from Schuh, and I course said yes. I mean, just look at them. They are GLORIOUS. Super high, covered in sparkles... Oh, I just want to wear them to SO many parties, dance all night whilst getting steadily drunker on free wine and then stagger home barefoot, eyemakeup smeared all over my face, holding a glittery shoe in each hand.

The reality, though, will see me with a different pair of shoes in each hand because these shoes DO NOT FIT. I have pretty wide feet - okay, very wide, I actually wear a size 6 when I'm more like a size 5 - and these shoes are not made for girls with wide feet. There isn't a lot of give in them, and as such they pinch a lot. Wearing them out for the night is, sadly, unthinkable. I hope you know I mean this with the utmost sincerity when I say that I AM DEVASTATED.

But my loss is your incredible gain, if you have narrow size 6 feet. I am giving these beauties away! All you have to do to enter is...

- leave a comment on this post with your email address (written 'at dot com' style is fine) 
- follow this blog via GFC
- to get an extra entry, 'Like' my Facebook page and/or tweet this: I've just entered @essbeevee's giveaway to win some sparkly Schuh heels at http://essbeevee.blogspot.com

Entries will close in 2 weeks on 13 December and I'll announce the winner shortly afterwards!

If you aren't a size 6 or are just not lucky enough to win, you can get your own pair here - and make sure to look at the Voucher Codes website for some great Schuh discounts!

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Sunday 27 November 2011

You know what it's like to hold the jeweller's hands.

I mentioned this on Friday, but I couldn't resist a bit of extra pimpage. As some of you know, I have my own little Etsy shop where I sell handmade jewellery. I've given the shop a bit of a spruce up and a new name - Benita Blue - plus added some new items. Check it out! IT'S AMAZING.

If you fancy getting your Christmas presents sorted c/o me, there's 10% off with the discount code 'MODESTY' until 15th December.





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Friday 25 November 2011

Red gold and green, red gold and green.



Now I have two-tone hair, I was looking forward to doing milkmaid braids to show off the contrast, as the underneath of my hair is sooo much darker than the top. Turns out it’s pretty subtle, but I still like it. Although I’m having to be way more careful about hiding hairgrips now – darker hair hides a multitude of sins!

I’ve had this dress a few weeks now, and although I really like it, I’ve still been surprised at how many comments it has received. It’s quite demure, so a good style for work and has quickly become part of my work week rotation. I love the soft, floaty fabric and the print – my boss pointed out when I wore it last that I look like Christmas, all in red and green!

I bought it at Boohoo with a voucher they kindly sent me. I always think of Boohoo as more of a party dress shop, but shame on me for labelling them without investigating properly, as they have an amazing array of all sorts of dresses. No sequin prom dresses, though. Can you sort that out, please, Boohoo? Oh, and a red coat like this please thankyou.


Dress & Shoes c/o Boohoo
Necklace - Benita Blue
Coat - H&M
Belt - Topshop
Nails - Vintage Pink by Models Own

I also got these amazing wedges with my voucher! I showed them briefly the other week, but it was dark, you couldn’t really see them. They’re awesome though, aren’t they? I love how high they are. They’re just like a pair I was eyeing in Topshop, but were half the price and JUST as nice. And surprisingly comfortable – because they’re laced all the way up they’re really secure. I always find what makes high heels kill my feet is when they don’t fit right and move around, I tense my feet up to keep them on. Ouch. But not with these! I love themmm.

Just so this doesn’t turn entirely into a post about how much I'm loving Boohoo right now, isn’t my necklace nice? It’s from this awesome Etsy shop that is run by an incredible blogger who has lots and lots of dresses. OH RIGHT IT’S ME. Go and buy all your Christmas presents! From me! If you’re really, really nice, I’ll even give you 10% off for the next 2 weeks if you use the voucher code MODESTY. Go aheaaad.

OH YEAH AND I HAVE A NEW COAT!! Isn’t it nice? It is, right. Yes. It is the coat I posted about the other day, which I wasn’t sure about, but then I got lots of comments going ‘Ooooh’ and it made me suddenly realise how much I liked it. I thought it was going to be impossible to get the rust version as it was sold out online and I hadn’t seen it anywhere for ages apart from in size 6s and then I popped into H&M on Saturday and found it in rust AND black, both in my size. And rust had to win – it’s such a stunning colour (a lot more brown in tone than is in these pictures). I love the fur collar – it feels a bit showy, but it’s so waaaarm. I don’t mind looking ostentatious if I’m warm. Warm people are ALLOWED to be ostentatious, because they’re so smug that they’re warm. YEAH.

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Wednesday 23 November 2011

A red-haired girl I chanced to spy.

I’m someone who really doesn’t make drastic changes in her appearance – I’ve had the same haircut for at least 2 years, and despite my hair being a slightly crazy shade of red, it’s actually been that way for the best part of a year. What can I say – I find what works, I stick with it. So I was quite excited about going to the hairdresser on Saturday to go a bit redder… and quite shocked to look in the mirror at the end of the session to find out that I was a LOT redder. Well, I say redder, but I’m actually rather more ginger.

(And I really like it!)


It’s lighter than my hair has ever, ever been before, and it’s still a huge shock every time I look in the mirror. I don’t really think these photos quite show how light it is, but it’s got blonde highlights going through it and is a lovely coppery tone on top, and a darker auburn underneath. It’s DIFFERENT. It’s really quite strange to see what I’d look like if I actually was ginger – the colour is surprisingly natural, and with my deathly pale skin, I think I could actually pass for a natural redhead (until my roots start to show). So, yeah. NEW HAIR OMG.

I took these pictures at the weekend to show off not just my hair, but my cosy new boots! They’re also quite a departure for my style as established on this blog, but actually I’ve never been one of those people who was against this style of footwear. In cold, icy conditions they are absolutely amazing at keeping me toasty – and more importantly, upright! I adore the stylish flat boots I posted last week, but the sole is smooth as a baby’s bum and, believe me, I’ve tried to wear those kind of boots in the snow before and gone flying a painful number of times.

Jumper – GAP
Skirt – Warehouse
Tights – New Look
Boots – c/o The Nature Shop


These boots were sent to me by The Nature Shop - they're by Love From Australia and are perfect for my annoying wide calves as they lace up at the back, meaning they’re adjustable. They’re so snuggly, I never want to take them off. They do loads of other brands on the website too such as Keen, Teva, Merrell, Chaco, and Timberland, and their delivery was super fast.

And yes, I know… I’m not wearing a dress! Sometimes I mix it up and wear skirts. Just for a change. This is one of my favourite cold weather outfits, so cosy!

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Friday 18 November 2011

I just curse the sun so I can howl at the moon.

Today's dress is the sister of this dress - am I the only person who links items of clothing together like that, or am I just weird (probably just weird). I got them at the same time, and even though on the hanger I prefer the other dress, this one looks so much better on. It's a touch longer, and the skirt is way more spinny. But, they're pretty damn similar, anyway, which I don't mind because I am on such a cranberry kick at the moment. Plus it kind of matches my hair! Which may be changing soon...

Dress - Hype
Boots - New Look
Belt & Jewellery - Topshop
Nails - China Glaze 'White Out' with Model's Own Nail Art Pen

I'm absolutely living in these boots at the moment. I got them from New Look - again - and I can't go on enough about how awesome their wide calf range has been this year. I also totally want these. Aaaaand in black.

Plus, Topshop's jewellery sale continues to rule. The Topshop near my work always has the best jewellery sales! I picked up this amazing fox ring for £2.50 and the little initial necklace for £3.50. Plus, a fair few Christmas presents... including one that I liked so much I bought for me too, but now I can't wear it until after Christmas! Foiled. The belt is from Topshop too - another sale bargain, just a little while ago (I saw it on Emma and sought it out).

I wore this outfit on Saturday to go into London for a friend's birthday. I've gotta say, I'm kind of loving all my friends turning 30. It's a lot like the year we all turned 18, but with nicer alcohol. And less tequila. This time was marked by the birthday boy strawpedoing a mini bottle of Cava, so.


PS - Sorry for the graininess on some of these, I'd changed my camera settings without realising it! But hey, you can see the river for once!
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Wednesday 16 November 2011

Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn.


Last week I attended the Motel party along with almost every other blogger under the sun! It was a fantastic chance to see their new Christmas collection, which is gorgeous - so many lovely dresses! Plus, it was awesome to see lots of my friends and meet some lovely new faces.

We were given the chance to choose an item from the new collection and after lots of deliberation I chose the red 'Heidi' dress - I was all set to choose something else but I fell in love with it after seeing the photo Ellie posted!

The ladies from GlossyBox were also in attendance with some yummy cupcakes and a competition to guess the number of products in their GlossyBox. I was way out with my guess but never mind!

It was a great night with yummy candyfloss, balloons and of course, lots of lovely ladies! I'd love to list them all here but there were SO many I don't want to forget anyone! Well done to Selina for getting everyone all together!

The lovely Emma!
Amy, Dina, Jazmine and Emma with their purloined balloons - mine is still going strong!
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Monday 14 November 2011

Short skirt, long jacket.

It's kind of good, really, that it hasn't got properly cold yet (seriously, even the weather doesn't believe that it's November) because I REALLY need a new coat and I just cannot choose! It's getting desperate though - all the buttons have fallen off my maroon one and the lining in my beloved tartan number is pretty much shredded. But, man, coats are EXPENSIVE. And I keep finding ones that I quite like, but none that I'm totally OMG about, which is actually worse because instead of setting for one OMG coat, I just want five NICE coats.

It's just SUCH a hard life, honestly. Anyway! Here are some coats that I like.



This really reminds me of the adorable parka I lived in at uni. So adorable.



So adorable, and the be-ribboned collar is removable too. I keep going to 'visit' it.



This is so, SO similar to this coat which I own, and love, but, um, can't I have it twice?



Really not sure it'll suit me... BUT SO PRETTY.



I seem to be massively into my fur collars this year, apparently. Pretty!



It's not practical, it won't be flattering... BUT I WANT IT.

Now show me coats that YOU like!
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