Tag Archives: charity shopping

Head2Toe Bedminster Project

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We were recently invited by Bedminster BID to come and spend some quality shopping time in good ol’ Bemmie as part of their #Head2Toe challenge, which celebrates all things thrifty. As a couple of potential future Bargain Hunt contestants, we are always very happy to rummage for hidden treasures which is fortunate as Bedminster is a haven of quirky second hand shops, cool vintage shops, and of course, your humble charity shops. We jumped at the chance to spend some time in an area of Bristol that we don’t often get to explore, especially when set the challenge of pulling together an outfit each.

We waved farewell to our toddlers at Windmill City Farm (we didn’t leave them to their own devices, the Dads were there too) and set off with our money bags to North St, West St and East St.

As vintage lovers, we headed straight to two favourites on North St, Rhubard Jumble and Patina Vintage (conveniently they are pretty much opposite each other). They are both such lovely shops and we spent a very long time admiring their wares and trying on all sorts of wonderful things. We even spotted some Able Mabel headbands in Rhubarb Jumble, a place where we both found success! Victoria left with with an exceptionally jazzy animal print shirt, whereas I found the perfect pink jumpsuit!

We then hit A LOT of charity shops which was excellent fun. We naturally got sidetracked by all the fun toys and books for the girls but we also had a lot of success in the clothes department too. We both hit the jackpot in St Peter’s Hospice where Victoria found the perfect pair of M&S trousers, to go with her funky shirt, for the princely sum of £5.99! I (Jo) was on a complete roll and managed to bag an entire second outfit for £5.98. The poppy print dress and red belt go perfectly together and yes I am aware how smug I look about it! I must say, as a pregnant lady, I find charity & vintage shopping especially rewarding. It’s really hard when most of your wardrobe doesn’t fit anymore but nobody wants to spend a fortune on clothes that they might not want to wear post baby!

So, what do you think? Did we do well with our outfits?

J&Vx

This post was written in collaboration with Bedminster BID, who kindly paid for our new outfits.

She and Home: Benefit Cosmetics

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Benefit7Benefit at House of Fraser Bristol kindly invited some local bloggers for an evening of makeup, wine, cakes and sweets in order to introduce us to the rocking world of Rockatuer, Benefit’s latest blusher. As Benefit fans, it was hard to resist an evening of indulging in all of their pretty offerings!

We both LOVE makeup but are by no means experts so it was really useful to watch the Benebabes, the lovely Lucy and Kate, demonstrate how things should be applied. We both find buying makeup quite an overwhelming experience. There’s just so much choice and I (Jo) am usually far too self conscious to ask for help from one of the assistants. I have tended to go for Benefit purely because I like the packaging and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone here! Thankfully for me, Benefit packs just as much substance as it does style!

Benefit8Lucy showed us how easily the Rockateur blush, which is £23.50, can be layered up to take it from daytime wear to an evening look. We were both really impressed with the beautiful rose-gold colour and how nicely it lifts the face. Benefit describe this blush as being  for “girls who don’t blush easily” which perfectly fits the cheeky tone of the brand and is also true of the product! Lucy then used the Watt’s Up highlighter, £24.50, (which I loved so much I ended up buying – naughty!) to bring out Kate’s cheekbones and used the Smokin’ Eyes Kit, £28.50, to create a beautiful smokey eye. The look was completed with a quick swish of the They’re Real mascara, £19.50. Smashing.

Benefit4Benefit3After the demonstration, we were all given the opportunity to have ours brows mapped.  This involved measuring to find the exact points at which our eyebrows should be! After marking out the perfect points, Lucy used Benefit’s Brow Zings (£23.50) to create the new brow. The transformation was surprisingly drastic and we both loved our newly improved look! For me, it turns out that my eyebrow shape is as it should be but that I should add a bit of length! I’ve already got quite a lot of brow so I was slightly unnerved about adding more but it turns out it’s a much better look!

Benefit6benefit2Jo: I bought this beautiful Cath Kidston dress a couple of months ago from the St Peter’s Hospice charity shop in Clifton Village, Bristol. I did an audible gasp when I saw it on the rack! It’s exactly my style with its beautiful sleeves, autumnal colours, floral print and unusual neckline. Phwoar! With all that going for it and the fact it was my size, it was clearly meant to be! The slight dip in temperature meant I could finally wear it last week and, I’m pleased to report, it was certainly worth the wait! I teamed it with black patterned tights from Topshop and my F&F red polka-dot shoes (reviewed here). Continue reading She and Home: Benefit Cosmetics→