It’s A Wonderful Life Dress

I know, I know, it has been a long time. I have not had a moment spare for frocks and frivolity, which saddens me. But when I saw this dress, I just had to post. ‘Tis the season for prints and amazing dresses and a hint of kitsch. I’m back on it.

I love Christmas, and holiday-themed clothing. I love the movie It’s A Wonderful Life. I love prints. I love Fifties shapes and fit-and-flare. I want this dress so badly.

Costiness: $155.99 from Modcloth

Birdy Maxi

I blame my friend Igg for this one, as she asked us to choose between two dresses on Twitter, and I just *had* to look at what else was on the website she linked to.

Oh, serious dress envy. I really want this one. No budget for it, like, but it’s stunning (if you wear the belt with it, otherwise it’s an attractively patterned sack). This Japanese Bird Print Drapey Maxi Dress does exactly what it says on the tin. Not for 18andEast the trend of giving frocks girls’ names or whathaveyou. No, full on Ronseal. Gawd bless ‘em.

Costiness:£30 (in the sale, so hurry) from 18andEast

Wahanda Review

Full disclosure: I was asked by Aidan at Wahanda to make this post and was given a voucher to use to test the booking system. I was asked specifically to look at Hair Offers & Deals in Leeds City Centre. The questions I answer below come from Wahanda.

What is your initial impression of Wahanda as an online home for health and beauty?
It doesn’t feel like one at all. It looks like a much less attractive version of Groupon or Wish, with a much more restrictive set of deals. The name and the look of the site don’t shout health and beauty, or spa and luxury, or even fun and leisure. It all feels very utilitarian.

Is it a site you would visit for the online community?
No. I did read the reviews when deciding where to book, but most weren’t very helpful (many refer to free events rather than purchases) and there isn’t much of a community aspect going on. Unlike Yelp, Lush forums, Mumsnet, Twitter etc – there’s nothing that makes me want to stick around after I’ve got the basic information I’m after.

Would you recommend your readers to use it as a tool to find the best hair offers and deals in their local area?
No. There are very few deals on the site for my area. Most listings ask you to contact the salon via a button rather than stating an actual deal – why would I do this rather than just ring the salon myself and ask if they had any good deals, bypassing Wahanda? The listings are far from comprehensive, and there aren’t many good city centre or local salons on there. The limits on the deals that are there are fairly extensive – the one provider I had heard of had so many restrictions it made me never want to go back there even outside a deal.

I struggled to find somewhere to spend my voucher, though decided in the end (a bit like when your nan gives you a voucher for some shop you never use) and haven’t yet phoned up to book the actual apppointment. I am less than enthused about it. Most of the deals seem to either include a glass of wine (with no similarly treat-like alternative for non-drinkers) or require you to take a friend for the exact same service or both. The reviews also indicate that, much like Groupon, the savings on the normal salon prices are vastly overstated. None of the reviews are overwhelmingly positive about the salons visited. More along the lines of “well, it was OK for what I paid on a deal”. The salon spaces don’t seem to be that nice, descriptions of being in a busy area or far too small. Obviously none of the leading businesses in this sector in Leeds are on the site, and nor are any of the cool up and coming independents. It seems to be tired old salons or desperate new stylists within them in need of a new customer boost. Not my style.

What hair deals would you like to see more of in your local area?
More deals for people going on their own (I don’t understand why I would want to take a chum with me for a haircut or colour), more deals on colours and treatments without cuts (I’m more likely to take a risk with a new stylist on the former than the latter), less of an emphasis on cheap glasses of wine as a sweetener, more and better salons, more actual deals. Only two salons in the city centre when I tested the site last week actually had current hair deals. It strikes me that I would be more likely to buy e.g. a spa voucher (if the selection was MUCH better) for a present for someone on this site than bag a decent hair and beauty deal for myself. And I wouldn’t right now as things are.

Sorry Wahanda. The concept is good, but the execution is poor in pretty much every way. And my email provider thinks you’re spammers, which is unsurprising given the nature of the mails I have received since signing up to the site. I will write a second review when I have booked and received my treatment.

Lace-up Wedges

I always struggle for shoes to wear day to day with pretty dresses. I often default to boots when it’s not sandals weather, but find that I am a bit bored of the stompy ’90s look. I do have properly glamorous heels, but anybody who has seen me out and about knows that my CP leads to rubbish balance, and frankly they hurt. That’s fine for events, but not so good for daytime wear.

These F-Troupe wedges from Urban Outfitters were something I spotted in filming pics from the set of Doctor Who’s 2013 series. Jenna-Louise Coleman, the new companion, is sporting a pair.  A lightbulb went off in my head…WANT. They’re exactly what I need. Work well with tights and skirts/dresses, black, bit of heel from the wedge, flat rubber sole, lovely to look at, comfortable. Practical without being a statement. Perfect.

Costiness: £145 from Urban Outfitters

Kuchina Shoes

I am not one of those people with 500 pairs of shoes, nor do I find shoe-themed confectionery and accessories even faintly attractive. I am fairly sure I couldn’t walk in these. But they are kind of pretty. They’re a 7, but I’m a small 8 and the backs are open. Mmm. By Carvela Kurt Geiger, in the sale.

Costiness: £39 (was £150) from Shoeaholics

Uniqlo Undercover Hoodie

I adore this. It might be a bit cutesy for me to actually wear, I’m not sure. I love the subtler, more elegant elements of the Uniqlo/Undercover collaboration, but this kept leaping out at me earlier today as the rain thrashed down outside.

Costiness: £29.90 from Uniqlo

Patently Glam

One of the most popular posts on this here blog is about the Dr Marten boots I own and have owned in my life, with hundreds of page views every week. I do love them dearly. One pair I’m unlikely ever to get my hands on is the Swarovski 3 boot, alas. Patent leather, studded with crystals, and yet tough-but-spangly instead of glitzy-but-grim.

Ooh, shiny. Sadly for me, also spendy, and I am skint.

COSTINESS: £420 from Dr Martens

Bluebird Dress

It’s cold and dark and I am alone and dreaming of summer.

So I am looking at this frock from Swonderful in New Zealand, where the seasons are topsy-turvy and therefore it is already summer there.

I love this blue, so pure and intense, and the print is gorgeous with its swirls and birds and touches of one of my favourite hues of yellow. The broderie anglaise is also adorable. It has cheered me right up.

Costiness: $245 (New Zealand dollars) or around £153 at the current UK exchange rate from Swonderful

How To Decorate Your Front Room For Christmas

I’ll never get in any lifestyle mags, but check out how my Christmas tree is both classy (strict colour scheme for baubles and tinsel) and also mum-baiting (chock-full of Doctor Who and Star Wars figures).

The theme is continued throughout the room. The height of glamour.

Why not watch the slideshow and pretend you live among such rarefied surroundings?

Marks & Spencer Standards Slip

I spotted this little mishap at Marks & Spencer in Pudsey on Saturday evening. It was still there 30 mins later, so I reckoned it was fair game for a photo.

Poor dummy, knickers ’round her ankles.