Frump to Fab 2016 - Lets make it AWESOME!!!

lessonlearned

Of course we will have you Hedgesparrow . What a sweet name. But I think I will just call you Sparrow because it sounds even more cute!!!

Well good afternoon Fabbers......

Fab Friday again.......how time flies.

I'm wearing jeans, a grey fleck jumper which has a huge cowl collar - a look I really love. I topped that with my Trench Mac. So whilst not exactly glamourous I think it looked quite "pared down chic" - a look I'm getting more and more fond of. Must be part of the "Kondo Effect" - getting more and more minimalist. :rotfl:

It's was lovely and warm and bright this morning and I was plenty warm enough but I have stuck to my resolve to wear gloves more often. My hands are grateful - a lot less dry and sore.

My mac (bought over 18 months ago for just £8 from a Chazzer) has given me such good service this winter. The weather has been so mild that I've hardly worn my thick winter coats at all and of course we've had rather a lot of rain too. So that Mac owes me nothing .....actually it's still looks like new so I won't be parting with it just yet. That was a real bargain.

Sparrow - I know what you mean about wanting to just veg out in comfortable clothes of an evening. Rather than jammies I tend to go for either jeggings, leggings or the "better" joggies. Basically anything in a soft jersey type fabric that doesn't cling too tightly and which is heavy enough to be decent for you to,answer the door....:rotfl:

Another option I sometimes go for is I have a couple heavy cotton or denim maxi skirts - Nice and warm and no tights needed, just some cosy socks if it's cold.

I also have a selection of long "boyfriend" cardigans which look good with both trousers or long skirts, just as cosy as a dressing gown.

Well today I went to Aldis and I noticed they had some of that new wonder cream that has been all over the press this week. It's their Lacura brand and it's called "caviar" cream. It's £6.99. Apparently it compares very favourably with "Creme de la Mer" which is beloved by celebs and which costs around £235.

The girl on the checkout said it was flying off the shelves. Anyway at that price I bought both the day and the night cream to try.

I also popped in to Dunhelm and bought some new bed linen and some pretty vintage style cardboard storage boxes (ready for my next Kondo session.) I'm going to put my spare cosmetics, lotions and potions, costume jewellery and various "Komono" in them.

I have painted up a large wall mirror I found in a junk shop for £15 in a pale blue/grey and I'm going to paint some old picture frames to match. They will match the storage boxes. Ive already got some nice silk paintings of birds and flowers I bought in China to put in the frames so it should make the room pretty and feminine. The walls are plain white so it should add a bit of delicate colour.

i wanted to finally "finish" the room but as I won't be living here forever I didn't want to spend a lot of money. . So I'm quite pleased to have sourced everything on such a tiny budget. It's quite a small room so I think by giving it a sort of vintage Scandinavian style and keeping things simple it makes the room feel light and airy and makes it look a bit bigger. Of course the mirrored wardrobes, and mirrored bedside cod all help the illusion.

Speaking of simple.......nice easy dinner tonight, "stinky fish" as my boys call it....smoked haddock to you and me.:rotfl:

lessonlearned

Ps Angry Bear. Wow. That's some weight loss. Well done you.....

Re the perfumes.....get the assistant to spray those stick things for you to take away with you. You need to find out how it smells over the longer term not only when it's just freshly sprayed.

I like the smell of fabreze too......;)

Sounds like you might prefer a light citrusy type of smell, maybe some of the unisex fragrances rather than a very sweet heavy perfume.

Tops......as a rather well endowed woman - even when I was a size 10 I still had big boobs - I have struggled quite a bit over the years. I have learned not to go for fabric that is too flimsy or revealing or anything which is clingy. So I tend to go for quite thick T shirts that don't reveal bra outlines too much and which don't cling, usually in either a v neck or a scoop neck to minimise my boobs. A round or crew neck makes me look fat, a v neck makes me look "curvy".

Blouses or shirts can be tricky because of button placements but if I get it right they can look good. Again if the fabric is a bit flimsy I wear a camisole underneath.

Despite being "busty" I still go for fairly tailored tops only I like them to skim or drape rather than cling. Those that drape to one side can be quite flattering. Draping also can help disguise mutton tops or a less than perfectly lean midrif.

I avoid smock tops or anything too baggy because instead of having a slimming effect they make me look either dumpy or pregnant. Same with tops that have an elasticated waist. I think they draw the eye to the tummy area.

On thing I have found is that a camisole type vest acts a bit like shapewear and allows the fabric of the top garment to skim nicely over the lumps and bumps.

The other thing I find useful is "distraction" - ie draw the eye away from offending areas. So if you have a bit of a tummy then show a bit of cleavage......not too much of course :rotfl: Addng a nice necklace or some pretty earrings again helps draw the eye away from the tummy area.

The other thing that really helps is a good fitting bra. It can work wonders, not only improving the look of your boobs but it can also help define your waist.

It's all about making the best of what you've got - showcasing your good points and deflecting attention away from the features you are least happy with.

hedgesparrow

Chanie - Thank you for the recommendations, I will check out Sainsbury's clothes and those bloggers. I already have quite a few long vest tops that cover my bum so I could wear those with the jeggings and a jumper. Hope your daughter feels better soon and you get some good sleep.

Coppers - Thank you, that matches what I saw on another video somewhere. I'm not very religious about moisturising at the moment, and like you say, the weather takes it's toll.

Before I read your replies I watched a Zoella video about an everyday make up routine. Talk about a shock. I didn't wear that much make up to my own wedding. I knew I didn't like full on foundation but I'd never even heard of some of the products! I get a lot of cast offs from my mum (who is a lot more stylish than me) so I do have some nice make up already. I just need to figure out how to experiment a little more. I don't think I'll ever wear as much make up as she did in that video.

I watched another video on how to look beautiful without make up. It was a bit Marge Simpson (involved pinching your cheeks!) but then even she put on bronzer at the end! It made me realise that I do need to pep up my morning grooming routine. Might look for some eye brightening cream too. I'd never heard of that and it sounds interesting! It would be good to have a morning routine that makes me look a bit more fab as I never wear make up to work.

As today is my day off I put on some make up to go to the library and did my normal timid attempt. I feel like I look okay with it on though. I tried a new eyeshadow that my Mum gave me but I didn't put too much on as when I first tried it the other day I looked like I'd been crying.

After the trip to the library (no books on make up:() I went to poundland. I'm going out this weekend for a friends birthday so I don't have much cash but I decided to let myself spend a pound on something that would make me feel more fab. I looked up and down the aisles and found a big purple flowery ring that is almost ridiculous but I really like it. It's on my fingers now as I type and it keeps making me smile. It's cheap metal so it will probably turn my finger like Dumbledore's cursed one but I'm enjoying it for now!

Floss

Hedgesparrow my morning routine is shower, serum, moisturiser, undies & tights, shift dress, cardi & scarf. Makup is bareMinerals Ready compact foundation on top of my serum & moisturiser, then eyeliner under my lower lashes, lippy, blusher, glasses & perfume. Then tidy my hair, check my back view in long mirror, shoes & downstairs for coat, bag & keys and out of the door. Can be 20-25 minutes, usually nearer an hour by the time I sort my long wavy hair, which generally is put up in a pleat or bun out of the way. I don't do eye makeup during the week and have my lashes dyed every 6 weeks when I have my brows waxed.

hedgesparrow

It's great having all this input! Thank you all. It obviously does pay to make an effort because my husband just came home from work and after a conversation about what we are doing on the weekend said "You look nice by the way". Result! Just wearing my hair down and a tiny bit of make up clearly makes a difference.

Someone asked about perfume and I meant to say about it in my earlier post but I forgot. When my Grandmother died I realised that she always used the same perfume and so when I smelt it, I was reminded of her. That's a lovely memory to leave and my Mum wears just one perfume too. I decided I wanted to do the same and went on an epic hunt for "my perfume". It had to be suitable to wear at work or at home.

While I was searching I found a website called Fragrantica which was really useful. If you like a particular ingredient you can click on the notes section and pick it and it tells you lots of perfumes that have that smell in it. I then created a list of one's to try and I went to lots of department stores and tried lots. Eventually I went for Issey Miyake pour Homme in the end which was woody and citrussy. I like the idea of people smelling it and remembering me.

maman

lessonlearned wrote: »

Speaking of simple.......nice easy dinner tonight, "stinky fish" as my boys call it....smoked haddock to you and me.:rotfl:

:rotfl:


I used to poach smoked haddock but it's far less 'stinky' since I've been baking it in foil.


Very busy on here so apologies if I just ramble a bit.


I bought thermal leggings to wear to football under my jeans, then realised how comfy they were for wearing on their own round the house. So I've now bought a couple of pairs which are great with a long jumper for relaxing. I think it's probably the dressing gown that looks frumpy so no problem with wearing PJs after a bath. I'd suggest buying some PJ 'legs' from somewhere cheap like Primark or Matalan which come with toning tops as they're designed specifically for lounging rather than bed.


For a weekend 'uniform' I like jeans, jumper, boots and a scarf. The scarf gives colour close to your face and hanging vertically is quite slimming. If you're planning to lose weight then I wouldn't ever spend too much but those tunics like short dresses can be quite forgiving. These are a bit expensive
http://www.whitestuff.com/womens/kaftans-tunics/
but gives an idea.


I'll be interested to know how you get on with the Aldi creams LL. I used their Expert creams for an age and then all of a sudden it made my eyes stream.


Completely agree with testing out perfumes. For floral not too heavy ones I'd suggest going to M&S an trying out the L'Occitane floral/herbal ones. I'm almost out of my favourite Clarins Eau Dynamisante and have to make a decision very soon.:eek:


I have friends who've had huge success with 5:2. What seems great about it is that it's so flexible. They make a point of having the 'fasting' days when they're busy and distracted and the definitely not when they plan to eat out. It seems easy to plan a low calorie day just twice a week and eat normal food the rest of the time.


Our local Cancer Research CS was having a £ day today. I got a chunky Zara cardigan, pair of suede gloves and a bag of tapestry wools for £2. The hall where I go dancing hasn't had any heating for weeks (awaiting refurbishment) so I'll be pleased with the cardy to keep me warm.


I did Fab Friday: black jeans, long purple Max Mara jumper, boots and my 'Dr Who' scarf. While I have a number of floaty scarves I've been largely wearing the more woolly ones in recent weeks. Today's is a long, stripey one from John Lewis in pinks, mauves, reds and black.


I've been experimenting with my eye make up too. Today I smudged a pale brown onto my eyelids/crease and I think I prefer it to the pencil but still trying things out. Made an appointment for eyebrow waxing for Monday and I'll have my nails done (shellac) too. All about getting ready for next weekend's wedding. Oh and I tried my dress on and it fits!!:D


Sorry I haven't responded to anyone by name but have read all your great posts:).

lessonlearned

Sparrow - glad you found your signature perfume. I was going to suggest something like Issey Miyake Pour Homme or Jean Paul Gaultier not sure what it's called but again it's Pour Homme - the one in the blue bottle shaped like a woman. (I often pinch DS2s but don't tell him......:rotfl:) I also still like CK1. They all have that same light woody, citrus type smell.

And how nice that you husband commented on your appearance.......that's lovely.

Yes I now bake the stinky fish in a foil parcel too;) - it's better than poaching but it still pongs......in the morning I will fling open all the windows and get busy with the fabreze ........ I really don't like stale cooking smells.

The other night we had curry. Next day when I got home after being out all day I really noticed the smell. It was too cold to open the windows that night so I lit a perfumed candle and then opened the windows next morning.

I think I'm a bit OCD about house smells. :rotfl: The windows get opened every day, even if it's just for a few minutes.

Some good bargains there Maman.

Ellsbel

Lovely to see so much activity on here - "hello" to newcomers and returners
I'm in a long Royal blue jumper today with a cowl neck, and leggings. I'm in for most of the day, apart from picking up DS1 on his return from skiing, so I'm dressed for comfort but good enough to pop out in, too. I love this particular jumper actually but I'm noticing the first signs of "bobbling" on it, so sadly I think it will have to thanked and released at the end of this winter, in true Kondo style:D
Maman I've also got dynamisante on today! It's a favourite weekend smell of mine, for some reason:)
Sorry I've not responded to you all but will need to head out very shortly.
Have a good weekend everyone:)

maddiemay

Ellsbel wrote: »

Lovely to see so much activity on here - "hello" to newcomers and returners
I'm in a long Royal blue jumper today with a cowl neck, and leggings. I'm in for most of the day, apart from picking up DS1 on his return from skiing, so I'm dressed for comfort but good enough to pop out in, too. I love this particular jumper actually but I'm noticing the first signs of "bobbling" on it, so sadly I think it will have to thanked and released at the end of this winter, in true Kondo style:D
Maman I've also got dynamisante on today! It's a favourite weekend smell of mine, for some reason:)
Sorry I've not responded to you all but will need to head out very shortly.
Have a good weekend everyone:)

Ellsbel have you tried using one of those little bobble removing things? you can get them on haberdashery stands/yarn shops etc, I have a battery operated one now (sort of thing that Kleeneze/Betterware sell, worth it's weight in gold for wool, acrylic and sweatshirts even cashmere).

Rummer

Good to hear so many of you are fabbing and feeling better

My fabbing must be paying off as two people gave me compliments yesterday and today my OH commented that the diet/fitness regime was making an obvious difference I am doing this for me however it was lovely to hew that others have noticed!

Still exercising regularly and in general sticking to the 80/20 healthy eating approach.

I have been steadily moving my body care products over to ones that are organic with fewer chemicals and I am planning on trying more as my usual products run out. So far I have been really impressed with the things that I have tried.