My blog title is ironic, it's absolutely rancid out there today but being the little ray of sunshine that I am I was singing The Levellers classic (HERE) at the top of my voice as we ascended the Hill of Doom in the torrential rain earlier. What a beautiful day (hey hey!), What a beautiful day, And nothing is impossible in my own powerful mind.
Anyway, onto more positive stuff - clothes!
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On Sunday me and my evil twin wore a Pink City Prints dress (via Vinted) over a Dilli Grey maxi skirt along with a vintage tooled leather bag, a bag strap I bought in Rhodes and my trusty orange fedora for a trip to the clearance charity shop followed by an afternoon of eBay listing.
On Monday I wore an Indian block print midi skirt by vintage Canadian boutique label, Papillion (eBay, 2020) with a 1970s Ayesha Davar cheesecloth blouse (also eBay, 2019) and a vintage Kashmiri velvet waistcoat (Vinted, this year) for an entire day of photographing stock and eBay listing.
On Tuesday (today!) it was the turn of a Dilli Grey block printed dress (eBay, 2020) and a Greek fisherman's cap for swimming, 'Spoons and an emergency trip to the dentist (I'm falling apart!)
I do love a bargain beauty buy....here's a few I've found recently.
Popping into B&M last week for some toothpaste, I spotted this Turkish olive oil soap. I'm not sure if our last bar of
Patounis soap, bought direct from the old soap factory in Kerkyra (
HERE), will last until we go back to Corfu so, at £1.25, I snaffled a bar just to be on the safe side. It smells absolutely gorgeous!
Having come of age in the 1980s, along with big hair and massive earrings, I've always loved having a tan, either from the sun or out of a bottle. I'd not used any fake tan since I ran out of it during lockdown but looking a bit pasty before I went to Fuerteventura I thought I needed a bit of fakery. I always used to buy St Moriz but hadn't tried their clear tanning mousse and I have to say, it's absolutely amazing. There's no stained sheets or that weird biscuity smell and the colour is lovely and natural looking, not orange in the slightest. Don't just take my word for it, The Independent rated it as Best Fake Tan HERE. The best thing about it is that B&M sell it for just £4.49 - a massive reduction on the RRP.
I don't know about your town centre but pretty much all of Walsall's high street shops have been replaced by those pile it high, sell it cheap places full of ex-Amazon stock, plastic-y looking wheelie suitcases and noxious looking vapes, which don't appeal in the slightest however Liz tipped me off about one of them selling Body Shop stuff at knockdown prices. These body butters, which currently retail at £7 upwards are 3 for £10! The moral is, don't be a retail snob and dismiss these shops before you've actually been in one.
If you're a travel cheapskate like me and refuse to pay for check-in baggage, this pack of reusable travel bottles, pots and a very handy little funnel are a holiday essential. These are currently £1 in Poundland.
I love a charity shop beauty buy! This Batiste root concealer retails in Boots for £13 but I spotted it in Scope for £1. I've used loads over the years but this is the best I've tried, it doesn't leave my roots sticky and greasy like the others do.
I'm starting to feel like a bit of a freak not having experienced any of the symptoms typically associated with the menopause, no hot flushes, no brain fog, no weight gain, no mood swings and - aside from the silvery grey roots - my hair is pretty much the same as it's always been (unruly, wayward and a lot of it) but a long-haired lass can never have enough hair conditioner and at 50p this Charles Worthington Menoplex found its way into my bag when I popped into the hospice shop this morning. It retails at £10.
I'll love you and leave you, we're off out on the town shortly belatedly celebrating Liz & Adrian's birthdays, which were on the 29th March. See you soon!
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I'm currently using that clear tanning stuff too. It's brilliant. Weather's blimmin awful here and I'm probably rusty enough not to need a fake tan. Hope the dentist visit went OK.
ReplyDeleteIt's so good, isn't it? I think we'll all be in need of some fake tan this Summer, I'm in danger of going rusty! Hope you're feeling better. I've got a gum infection and am on antibiotics, I'm falling apart at the seams! xxx
DeleteOh no. Hope it clears up soon. I'm still coughing my lungs up.
DeleteYou poor thing, that virus is really dragging on. xxx
DeleteHi Vix I came across this video yesterday and immediately thought that you would be interested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTRGGcIu0Ns
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elaine! I've been meaning to visit the Back to Backs for ages, they're always fully booked, that video is ace! xxx
DeleteGreat tip with the self-tanner, because I never know which one is good. Thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteYour evil twin is dressed just as nicely <3
Have a wonderful day and evening Vix
Fake tan is so confusing, that one is so good and no mess either. xxx
DeleteLovely outfits as ever! Love the Pink City Prints dress in particular.
ReplyDeleteWe have a B&M store in Stourbridge now. I still haven't been inside! But I could do with some of those travel bottles. I'm curious about the St. Moriz. I'm not sure if I tried it in the past and it was a little too dark for me, but the fact that it doesn't transfer, is appealing. I've been using the Bondi Sands one for a few years and love the shade, but I have noticed that it has stained some of my white tops and does not come off! I've yet to try it, but apparently, a dusting of baby powder stops it in its tracks!
You're one of the fortunate ones, not experiencing any menopause symptoms. Hopefully you're through it, although for some women I know, symptoms seem to continue even after their periods stop. It's no picnic in the park, that's for sure! xxx
Thanks, Claire! I do love Pink City Prints clothes, they're always so vibrant and flouncy!
DeleteI'd not ben in B&M until Wilko closed, it's good for booze, quirky foods and discounted toiletries (including Bondi Sands). I wasn't sure how clear fake tan would work but I'm so impressed, no transfer whatsoever. Once the tan's developed to a colour you're happy with you can shower to stop it getting any darker, well worth a try.
I know I am the exception where it comes to the menopause, the contraceptive pills I took stopped my periods and when i came off them at 55 I never had another, I'm so lucky! xxx
Hi Vix, fabulous beauty shop finds this week! I always shop in Poundland although not everything is a pound now... I got their cardboard seed pots this week 20 for £1 and am always on the look out for brand name nail polish, toothpaste and gel pens. We have a B&M which is full of surprises. Lucky you for no menopause symptoms, lucky me too I guess as I had a total womb ablation in my 40s which microwave zapped the lot and the only symptoms were hot flushes for a bit after. I have noticed Dilly Grey popping up on Vinted. I am going to try Thrift, I buy clothes from Whitestuff sales and for 10p a Thrift bag to fill with any brand unwanted clothing which earns you a £10 voucher and also when the items are sold on Thrift you can either have some cash or donate to charity. The Monsoon voucher glitch has come to an end by the way, they sent a very nice (generic) email saying they had rumbled it but let me keep the unearned vouchers I already had! Your hair is looking wonderful. I had a blunt cut on mine and gave up 3 inches but it looks thicker, my grey is replacing my hilites at the mo so no colouring needed. I think sunshine is on the way - will be looking to you for the lead on when to get those arms bared (your fake tan sounds good, I might give it a try). Have a good week - Betty
ReplyDeleteHello Betty! Yes, Poundland is annoying in that not everything is £1. I shouldn't run it down though, their head office is in Walsall and our football team, Walsall FC, play at the Poundland Stadium (classy or what?) I've found Barry M, Stila, Calvin Klein and Urban Decay in there over the years so it's always worth a look. Both their gardening and camping sections are really good.
DeleteI'm glad you mostly escaped the meno symptoms, too. Some of my friends have had an utterly miserable time.
There's been a few Dilli Grey dresses pop up on both Vinted and eBay lately, wel worth setting up a search and checking regularly, the quality is so good.
That's a shame about the Monsoon glitch but very decent of them to honour the points. I shall investigate the Thrift bag. Jon likes their long sleeved tee-shirts if they are in the sale.
That was very brave to get 3" chopped off your hair but I bet it's looking fuller and swingier already. If I could wave a magic wand and let my hair revert to whatever its natural colour is I'd love it.
I hope the sunshine is on the way, it was so cold last night I had to bring my fake fur trimmed maxi coat out of hibernation! xxx
I'm swooning over your Pink City Prints dress, the colours are absolutely fantastic!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, our high streets are being plagued by those "pile it high, sell it cheap" pop-up shops too, while our regular high street shops are closing down right, left and centre.
I wouldn't say no to Body Shop products at knockdown prices, though. I love their body butters, but the Belgian branch of Body Shop has been declared bankrupt recently, so I can no longer get my hands on any.
I've never had any success with fake tan, so I'll be on the lookout - here or in the UK - for that St Moriz tanning mousse! xxx
Thanks, Ann! The photo on the Vinted listing didn't do the colour of that Pink City Prints dress justice, so many people admiredit when I was out I felt like a superstar!
DeleteThose cheap shops are a depressing sight, aren't they? They make Pr*mark look classy in comparison. I was amazed when Liz told me about the Body Shop stuff. Back in the day I bought everything from them and loved taking my empties back for refilling.
I'm really impressed with the fake tan. It doesn't go all patchy like most of the others do either! xxx
Another swooner over the pink City Prints dress!!! Also love your second outfit lots! I'm on the look out for a waistcoat of similar ilk!
ReplyDeleteThe beauty products are a bargain.
Do you have any grey hairs at all? I have a few on my head and CBC has loads which he hates!!!!
I dislike that kind of shop too as tbey have a weird plasticky smell which I hate.
Kxxx
Thanks, Kezzie! Those waistcoats are so hard to find lately, I was amazed when that one popped up on Vinted at such a good price although I needed to do a bit of surgery on it.
DeleteI've noticed my hairline is going silvery in places, there's not much (and that Batiste powder hides them really well) and the texture of my hair hasn't changed. The hair that Jon's still got is completely silver now! He's a silver fox!
That fake tan biscuit smell is horrible! xxx
My mum was saying what a nice colour my hair was today and I pointed out my grey hairs and she said, "I didn't start going grey until my late 50's...looks like you got the other side of the family's genes"- grrr!!! She did only count 4 though so maybe they'll stay at bay? I did mean the smell of those clothes shops that pop up in town full of plasticky clothes. I was actually bought fake tan for Christmas by a child...hmmmm...
DeleteI think 4 grey hairs are pretty good, Kezzie. A lot my friends were greying in their twenties. I've only noticed mine in the last three or so years. Fake tan?What a weird gift from a pupil! X
DeleteI grew up in Vancouver and was very familiar with Papillion. But the attitude towards the company has changed since the Air India bombing. The owner of the company was very involved with funding the Khalistan independence movement and he was eventually assassinated. People started to give the company a wide berth because many believe it was/is involved with money laundering for terrorist groups.
ReplyDeleteI do love a good beauty bargain. Canadian $stores can be hit or miss. Due to our smaller market we don't have the variety that the UK has. So when we are in the UK or Spain I run wild in Poundland, etc.
Going to be in Edinburgh in July and looking forward to a haul.
You've just sent me down a rabbit hole and I've been reading up about the bombing. Air India is my favourite airline and one I've flown with many times. There were some horrific aircraft bombing during the 1980s and although I'd heard of the Canadian one I didn't know the story behind it.
DeleteB&M (and Home Bargains) are definitely worth investigating when you're in Edinburgh in July. You might need an extra bag! xxx
Firstly, I loved both those pink dresses equally. They are gorgeous. And you look gorgeous in them.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, No menopause symptoms !!!!!! Urgh. What a lucky duck you are.
As annoying as those kind of shops are, you can find some great bargains there is you are willing to sift through all the plastic crap. There is one near us that has a great selection of out of date food and if you aren't picky about that kind of thing there are some real deals to be found. Megan.
Thanks, Megan! It's been so grim lately I need all the bright clothing I can get.
DeleteI'm so lucky with escaping any meno symptoms, I never ever had period pains either.
Yep, those cheap shops are always worth investigating. We're big fans of outdated food, too. We go to a warehouse which sells out of date products by the case including loads of high end organic stuff as well as Fentimans and Fever Tree mixers. xxx
I love that color of fushia.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on.
Thanks, Dora. It's been so grey lately, I needed an injection of colour! x
DeleteI hope the nicer weather is starting for you soon. The warmth and light is slipping away from us in NZ, so will be with you soon.
ReplyDeleteSuch beauty bargins, seldom seen in our shops, but like you I'm not afraid of the cheap stuff.
Thanks for sending some of your light down our way, Julie! It's been relentlessly wet and grey for far too long! xxx
DeleteI've been reading how awful your UK weather is. We need rain badly so no complaints if we get some. Your beauty buys were terrific. I'm trying to eek out the last of my thick facial cream, but I'll have to stop Thursday. Love your braids and all the dresses.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I've not been out in plaits for ages, they're so much easier to cram in my swimming cap than a topknot.
DeleteYou are more than welcome to some of our rain, Sam - I'm happy to share with friends!
I love a bargain beauty find, it makes me feel less guilty about splashing out on shampoo bars in Lush! xxx
I just love your positivity Vix. When the rest of us are moaning about the weather you just get on with doing good fun things all the while wearing a pretty dresses and not forgetting to paint your nails. I’ve been swimming today. I do a session called SwimFit which is an hour of intense swimming under instruction from a swimming coach and afterwards I feel ‘fizzy’ because I’ve engaged my brain as well as my body. In the showers afterwards we were talking about hair and I discovered you can buy Anti-chlorine shampoo (Paul Mitchell make one) and a water-friendly barrier to apply to the hair before swimming. The conversation started because I wash my hair with a shampoo bar - I am old school and have short natural hair - but if you have coloured long hair like my fellow Swimfitters probably worth checking out. Are you watching Ripley on Netflix? It is menacingly good and even the Almalfi coast looks evil and besides it features my favourite actor, folk singer and good egg, Johnny Flynn. I didn’t have any physical side effects from the menopause but what I did start to suffer from quite suddenly in my mid-50s was overwhelming feelings of anxiety which was horrid. I sort of coped by myself and then did a CBT course by telephone during Lockdown which was helpful but what has really helped recently is face to face counselling. I thought I was starting counselling to help me cope better with caring for my husband who has Parkinson’s but the counsellor soon saw through that cover and what I have learnt about myself (I am 63!) has been mind-blowing. To really know oneself is one of the hardest things - or is that just me?! Thanks for writing your blog Vix and taking lots of fab photos, I just love popping in here. Sarah in Sussex x
ReplyDeleteHello sarah! It's lovely to hear from you. When it's raining at a festival I always don my most flamboyant frock and wellies, crank up our sound system and dance around our shop. I refuse to let a bit of weather defeat me.
DeleteI love the sound of your Swimfit session, it sounds just the ticket for not only maintaining a healthy body but a healthy mindset, too. Your poor husband having horrible Parkinson's must be such a worry for you and it's so important to do something for you.
I wera a swimming cap at the baths and the water is brine so my hair is safe when I swim but you've reminded me about Paul Mitchell products. There used to be a posh barber in town that sold his products and I'd always fancied trying them as they had such a good reputation. The barber has sadly gone but I might have to look online.
The new Ripley series sounds fabulous, the book is one of my all-time favourites and like you, I love Johnny Flynn. He was great as Ian Fleming in Operation Mincemeat. I shall see if it's on our screening service - or get Jon on the case.
Your menopause-induced anxiety episode sounds horrible, I'm so glad you sought professional help. As always your comments are both thoughtful and thought-provoking. I'm continually having lightbulb moments about who I am - at the moment I'm beaming with pride over how there's a group of regulars at the baths who call me "the fish woman" because of my swimming style, I think it's the first time as an adult I've been admired for what I can do with my body rather than how I adorn it! Much love to you. xxx
Hi Vix. The image of you doing the hill of doom walk and defiantly singing the Levellers in the rain really made me laugh! : ) Roll on the summer. It's been a very long winter and sick of the rain now. Thanks for the heads up about the St Moriz... I can't go into a B and M without finding something to buy. We bought olive oil soap in Greece but will look out for the Turkish to buy until we go back. Not doing too badly with the menopause but can tell hair's thinning and envy your long locks. Lovely outfits, too. Louise (Midlands) x x
ReplyDeleteHello Louise! It's being so cheerful (or slightly deranged!) that keeps me going! What a lovely day it's turned out to be today, though. Liz & I were in Brum yesterday and were absolutely soaked by the time we got to the art gallery!
DeleteI'd never really gone into B&M until Wilko shut down and you're right, there's lots of tempting little treats in there. I ended up carrying a really groovy storage unit back up the Hill of Doom in the rain the other day, I couldn't leave it behind for a fiver!
I hope your meno symptoms subside and your hair returns to normal soon, how annoying. Bl**dy hormones! xxx
The weather is just appalling right now, isn't it? Your lovely pink dresses are so cheering though.
ReplyDeleteI always check for beauty buys in the chazzers, you can often get packs of brand new bath bombs that haven't been opened. I'm definitely going to try the St Moriz. I've used the tinted version before and been happy with the colour, but not the smell, so I'll give this a go. There's a B&M in Halesowen, and also a lot of chazzers there, and I can pop in and see Burbo, if it ever stops raining! Xxx
Hasn't it been grim, Annie? By contrast today is lovely, I walked down to the baths in my denim jacket at 7.30am this morning and wasn't cold or wet for once!
DeleteYes, the charity shops are a rich source of decent products especially after Xmas when everyone's clearing out their shelves to make room for all the bath products they've been given over the festive period!
The St Moriz is great, we'll all need a bit of fakery when summer finally arrives, there's been none of those freakishly warm days we often get in March and April to kickstart the tan! xxx
The colour of that City Prints dress is absolutely stunning! You look amazing in every outfit though. I’m always a bit unsure of buying toiletries in the charity shop. I always wonder if they’ve been tampered with, have you ever had any bad experiences with them? I was really tempted by a Ted Baker body lotion in the chazza today xx
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Louise! Pink City Prints make some beautifully vibrant clothes, I love finding them seconds, they're £££s new!
DeleteI've never had a problem with any beauty stuff I've bought in charity shops - nail varnish, body lotion, hair stuff, even the odd bit of Lush. Definitely go back and snaffle that Ted Baker stuff! xxx
Home Bargains have great offers on plants this week. Got a couple of rhododendron bushes for a fiver each. That was to cheer myself up for a) the weather and b) the hefty bill I was left to pay after MOT this week! My menopause started at age 48 and lasted for at least 10 years! Germaine Greer wrote a book about menopause but I don't recommend it! According to her, we're all finished after menopause!Thanks for cheery post! xxx
ReplyDeleteThe one in Walsall doesn't have plants but the branch we popped into in Birmingham city centre yesterday had some absolutely gorgeous plants at a fraction of B&Q's prices but I didn't fancy lugging them home on the bus! You definitely deserved a treat what with the weather and that MOT bill!
DeleteOh dear, your menopause sounded like a trial. Good old Germain Greer and her positive attitude (not!) xxx
Our equivalent of the pound shops is the Dollar stores -- and one does well to investigate their offerings in the odd corners. I've found 4711 pitched into tubs with kiddie nail products! * Menopause? I was working full time (on deadline) and caring for two very fragile, very demanding parents during that period of my life. Don't remember much of it now, and that's probably just as well...but the aftermath involved clearing out their household and you, dear Vix, know what *that* entails! I do recall that's when I took up golf. Me for being outdoors, whacking at things with a stick.
ReplyDeleteHello Beth! 4711! Goodness me, that takes me back. I rescued a bottle when we were clearing out a great-aunt's house when I was about 7 and it was my prized possession, I used to take it on holiday and felt really sophisticated! Wasn't it Napoleon's favourite?
DeleteOh yeah, I know about the fragile and very demanding parents along with the clearing out of the family home all too well, I think I aged about 25 years during those turbulent years! Whacking something with a stick sounds like excellent therapy! xxx
Why did the idea of 'menopausal hair' make me laugh so much ... I don't know I have a weird sense of humour. Your evil twin should have a day off and stop copying everything that you wear. ;-)
ReplyDeleteNow you've mentioned it, it does sound ridiculous doesn't it?
DeleteMy evil twin can be a right pain sometimes! xxx
I enjoy your "Evil Twin" versions of your outfits - they help me see details that my eye skims over in the regular pics. I see Papillon all over the thrifts (it's usually on the cheap side, kind of a bargain basement Desigual), but had never heard of that Air India incident! (reading the comments above).
ReplyDeleteIt's been cloudy and rainy here - we are hoping for some sunny skies for our annual (and somewhat delayed) trip to Vancouver for our anniversary. We'll take the rain, though - if it means a less horrid Fire Season. I don't mind the rain as much as the cold, which can just fuck right off.
I have never heard of Sharons and Kevins (ref one of your comments - thank you!!!!), but it made me laugh (I knew that type and I was not one of them).
Thanks, Sheila! I wonder if the Desigual-type of garments that Papillon went on to sell after their 1970s Indian cotton, block printed creations were actually made at the same factory as Desigual? We used to see a lot Desigual sold on street stalls for a few rupees all over India. There seemed to be a rash of awful air disasters & bombings during the 1980s, in the Uk it was Lockerbie that everyone remembers.
DeleteI hope the weather cheers up for your trip to Vancouver. Those forest fires we occasionally see in Greece are really scary and it certainly puts a bit of rain into perspective.
I always wondered what the Shaz and Kevs called us indie-music listening, jumble sale dressed kids!
Happy travels! xxx
You look so dreamy in all of your outfits. The purple dress outfit is utterly gorgeous. If I ever find time to do illustrations of fashion bloggers again, you'll be the first on my list.
ReplyDeleteYou are so kind, Ivana! xxx
DeleteThanks for the positive post, even the weather doesn't make you feel bad. I really like the dresses you are wearing and the way you put them together, the fisherman's hat (such hats were worn by almost all fishermen in the Greek islands in the 70's) you integrated it so beautifully into your outfit, I have no words🌷!!
ReplyDeleteI'm all about the positivity, I drive people mad with my cheerfulness!
DeleteI love my Greek fisherman's hat. I found another one yesterday but Jon's decided he wants it!
I never realised there was such a thing as menopausal hair! Although mine is also unruly and wayward, and there's definitely a lot of it.
ReplyDeleteYour outfits are fabulous, as always. I especially love the cheesecloth blouse. It looks gorgeous teamed with the block print skirt. X
Lovely that you're making the most of Vinted (so addictive!), and I'm in love with that Pink City Prints dress in such a beautiful colour and loved that Delphina dress in the previous post!.
ReplyDeleteAnd so fabulous bargains!, olive oil soap is always a great idea, same for body butters by The Body Shop. And so fab little containers for travellers!. But the most amazing thing is that fake tan that works and it's not smelly nor sticky!. Obviously, I tried some fake tans back in the eighties-nineties and hated all of them!. You made me laugh on your needing of 'a bit of fakery' ;DD.
That Meno-plex conditioner also made me laugh, we menopausal women are becoming a marketing objective!. At least we're more visible!
besos