On Lingerie - fit, storage and finding quality and bargains.

So, mostly I'm a cartoon-character-underpants-from-Primark kinda gal. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna pay money to wear a torture device (i.e. thongs etc) all day. But I do like to have pretty things. Weirdly, my interest in the pretty tends to manifest in inner layers while my outerwear is often quite boyish, simple and (almost) practical. This is something that has been becoming truer with time. I'm just not into fussy clothes, being cold or having my movement restricted in any way (i.e. wearing skirts and being unable to sit certain ways, run around, climb things etc - yes, this is a daily concern for me). I feel the blog hasn't been representative of this shift as I tend to only do the odd, rare OOTD when I'm wearing something particularly interesting/stylised/unusual etc.

A favourite - Black lace with underwire from Marks and Spencer. No great support but lovely all the same.

However, I digress. We're talking about what lies beneath, not the other stuff. This piece is basically to discuss how I find tasteful lingerie without spending a fortune. First off, for underpants, I think Primark is fine. I mean, you need a discerning eye at times, but that can be accomplished on your own. Topshop and Urban Outfitters during sales or in general is also good. And Asos can have some great pieces.

A very cute pastel piece from Topshop.

Bras are something I don't go cheap on. For one thing, they tend not to have my size in a lot of places. But mostly because if you need descent support, they just don't cut it. I really like the bras in Urban Outfitters, for example, and I even have one from there but let's just say I won't be going running in it anytime soon. For the practical ones, with proper support, I tend to go higher end and shop in department stores like Brown Thomas and Shaw's. The trick is to buy 3-4 really good ones a couple times a year. Also, it's often said but getting fitted a couple times a year is also recommended. Bra size fluctuates hugely throughout your life. Weight can effect it as breasts are made up of 80% fat but hormone changes and other factors can also have an impact on bra size. You might be certain you're wearing the right size but I've consistently been wrong when I went and had it checked out. Places like Marks and Spencer also do pretty decent bras with good support at a lower price point. For ones that are more about cuteness/appearance, I love Topshop, Asos and labels like Freya, L'Agent and Myla. But I never buy bras that are less necessity and less practical at full price. Sales are where I consistently manage to pick up awesome pieces. Especially the higher end pieces from brands stocked in Brown Thomas.

An Urban Outfitters piece - there is literally no support but it sure looks pretty.

An Asos piece that laces up the back - super-adorable.

With other stuff like garters and stockings, I also tend to go higher end. But, once again, I do my purchasing during sales. I don't spend a lot of money on tights because I rip them all the time, I usually buy them in Dunnes, Primark or Topshop. Mammy also buys a ton of socks, basic underwear and tights for all of us at Christmas so I don't need to do much stocking (heh, geddit?) up during the year. As I mentioned, I don't wear skirts and dresses as much anymore. When I do, I hate the work involved in wearing tights - the constant rearranging, pulling up. And, in recent years, they've started to seem somewhat juvenile. That's why garters make more sense to me. If you get a good one, everything stays put. Not so high-maintenance as tights and somewhat more elegant, non? All of mine, bar one, are from Brown Thomas sales. Same goes for my stockings. And, boy, does brand make a difference here. The one garter I bought elsewhere was from Primark and looked lovely but didn't work at all. It just worked its way down my legs when I walked. For garters and stockings, quality just cannot be faked.

The red one in the middle is the Primark one that just did not work.

An example of the types of bargains you can find if you keep an eye out - cost less than the Primark one!

A final note is storage. I store underpants folded in two in neat piles, bras lying flat on top of each other, socks balled and tossed in a drawer, tights and stockings folded in quarters and in piles and garters folded neatly in tissue and tucked into a corner. I take care of my good pieces and they last because of it.

So, there you are. I hope this was informative - I just thought I share years of trial and error and my keen ability to scope out a bargain!

Keeping things tidy.

Wide-Eyed and Blind Gift Guide VI - Stocking Fillerz - This time it's Personal.

And here's the final gift guide! The image above lllustrates a few items from the list but the full list is compiled on Luvocracy - which is basically the shoppable pinterest! Find my collection here and buy directly from it!

Christmas Gift Guide - Part IV - Home IS Where the Heart is!

So, for this guide, I decided not to go through explanations of each choice. The following have click through links below for shopping. They are largely very reasonably priced and mostly unisex. They're loosely themed around the home for those people who want to be surrounded by beautiful things.

I will say that some personal faves are the teapot and cup from Carolyn Donnelly for Dunnes Stores which retail at twelve and two euro respectively. I'm planning on buying these for myself as I'm loving the tea ceremony vibe. And they're so pretty!

The Buffy lunchbox is pretty major, right? And, at $15 dollars, it won't break the bank.

The DIY Ukulele from Urban Outfitters is a cool idea for music lovers and I'm sure Daniel would love it. I, however, would not love how distracted I'm sure it would make him.

I love sentimental gifts so the Happy Jackson 'Hello Beautiful' case is perfect. It's nice to remind the people we love about how great they are. Motivation!

I actually love all these gift ideas. Any favourites yourselves? Hope you're enjoying these guides. Christmas cuddles, C x

Wide-Eyed and Blind Gift Guide - Home by fitzpac featuring a zipper top

ASOS Collection Catseye Glasses Pencil Topper, €3,98 / Happy Jackson zipper top, €20 / Peel Stick Chalkboard in Neon Green, €18 / Paint Job Bike Decoration Sticker, €5,21 / East End Prints: Home Wall Art at Urban Outfitters, €30 / Furry Googly Eye Hip Flask at Urban Outfitters, €17 / DIY Ukulele Kit at Urban Outfitters, €42 / Metallic Heart Mug - Marks & Spencer, €5,98 / Back Scratcher at Urban Outfitters, €7,18

Christmas Gift Guide - Part III - Food and Drink.

I like eating. And drinking things too. Here's some suggestions for tasty gifts.

1. Seasonal beer/Hampers.

There's a pretty decent selection on Amazon. I've chosen this Spirit of Christmas Gift for £18.50 and Brewdog's Punk IPA Gift Set for £8.99. Most good off licences do up little selections or hampers as well and there are plenty of beer subscription sites if whoever you're buying for is seriously into their beer.

2. Cheese!

M&S do an awesome plate which supposedly serves 15-20 people. To me, that sounds like it'll serve me 15-20 times. It retails at £25.00 and can be bought in stores or online.

3. Lindor.

I'm crazy for Lindor and when I first saw their Maxi Ball, I fell in love a little. I know there's one waiting for me in my stocking and I'm gonna bet many other people would be happy to be in the same position. They cost thirteen euro and are available in Superquinns, Supervalus, and other stores nationwide. 

5. Coffee Angel.

Daniel and I went to a talk about Coffee Angel at Electric Picnic a couple of years ago. I'm not a coffee drinker (which makes Italians despair) but I gather this is good coffee and good coffee equipment. They have several locations in Dublin and you can buy this great kit with a grinder, aeropress and single-origin coffee for 64.95e. 

6. Lorina Pink Lemonade.

I'd bathe in the stuff if I could...no, wait, that'd be a waste...never mind. Still, I think a few bottles with a cute bow would be a lovely gift. Lorina usually retails around 3 quid a bottle but there's often deals, so keep an eye out! 

7. Dunnes Ice Cube tray.

I love giving anything heart-shaped to people I love. I'm kinda cheesy like that. Ergo, this ice cube tray. A cute stocking-filler retailing at 5 quid, it'll save money on buying ice. Which I just don't agree with. At all.

8. Avoca Cookbooks.

This trio of cookbooks from Avoca can be bought online or in stores for 26.95e. As well as being cute, they contain deliciousness that any previous visitors to the cafe wouldn't mind having in their home.

9. Where Chefs Eat.

This book from Phaidon is a great idea for serious foodies and can be found in most bookstores, online and in Urban Outfitters. It's a pretty thick volume and designed beautifully so I think the twenty quid pricetag is pretty good value.

10. Nik's Tea.

Best green tea, hands down, that I've ever had. I'm IN LOVE with this brand! It's Irish and can be found in food stores like Liston's, Fallon and Byrne and online and retails around 4 euro. 

BONUS IDEA: Man of Aran Fudge.

This crap is AMAZING. My brother and I used to eat it to stave off boredom when we went to my sister's Irish dancing competitions and it was salvation. I had some recently and it did not disappoint. Like several entries on this list, it's Irish and buying Irish is something we should all be doing as much of as possible. (Even if you're from elsewhere - it all helps!) You can buy gifts of a selection of their 23 different flavours and they're all great. I actually can't say enough good things about this brand. Prices start at just 4.60e.

MY GOD. IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

Christmas Gift Guide - Part II - Nice-smelling and beautifying stuff.

I like stuff that smells nice, don't you? I also love when people give me beauty sets I'd be to mean to buy for myself. I don't wear a lot of makeup but I think it's pretty fun to play around with. Therefore, here's a list of things I think are lovely to get of whiff of or a gift of and some things for painting your face!

1. The Mandarin, Clove and Cinnamon range in M&S.

I have the handwash and candle and can vouch for both. Prices start at around five euro and everything is 3 for 2!

2. This Too Faced Glamour To Go palette is majorly cute and compact, with most of what you'd need on a daily basis and, to boot, retails at under thirty euro. It can be purchased in Boots or online and makes a good gift for any gal on the go!

3. L'occitane Soaps for Gentlemen are packaged beautifully and I like the idea of men being given stuff that is purely to treat themselves as well as women. Plus, L'occitane soaps are AMAZING. They retail at twenty two euro and are available here.

4. L'occitane makes various Verveine scented products and it's my favourite scent by far. It's the soap I've been using for five years now. I LOVE it. So, this gift set would be a dream. It's fifty euro which is marked down and is pretty good value if you price individual items. Buy it here.

5. The Stila Lip Glaze Trio in Elegant Emerald is great as a stocking filler or for those on a smaller budget. Pick it up in Brown Thomas for fifteen euro and fifty cent and leave it in that iconic little bag for a sense of luxury. 

6. The Dr Hauschka Aromatherapy Kit is another good value item which is unisex and could be shared. The packaging is lovely and the scents sound amazing. It can be found at Nourish for sixteen thirty.

7. Paul Costelloe's perfume bottle for Dunnes Stores is a touch of elegance and vintage glamour that is something I would never buy for myself but I think most would adore as a gift. It retails at thirty euro so it's a bit of an indulgence but a sweet idea. 

8. This makeup brush set from Topshop is no longer available and I've yet to find one as nice. However, such a gift would be lovely. 

9. This candle from Carolyn Donnelly for Dunnes is just the right scent and the right price. I don't really agree with spending crazy amount of money on candles and the ones in Dunnes are never over-powering. Retailing at twelve euro, it hits all the right notes.

10. Finally, the Topshop Best Of Kit is so covetable. The pouch, the items included - I want it all! It retails at forty pounds and it's quite a bit of bang for your buck.

That's all for now, folks! Next Gift Guide is food and drink!

Taking photos...

I rediscovered my own camera yesterday. I've been stealing/borrowing my dad's since I've been home for the summer and because it's so much lighter, smaller and sharper than my own it got all the attention. However, I had forgotten that my camera has a really pretty black and white setting so I'm back to using that now. There's a lovely quality to the black and white shots, especially with flash. I had this idea of taking photos in the bath and then I kinda took over the entire bathroom for a bit. The idea of mirrors and mirroring images distracted me for ages - much to my dad's disgruntlement...It's a pity I'm such a control-freak and feel the need to be both in front of and behind the camera...makes things difficult...but I quite like the results of my struggles this time around. For me, it's really important for every aspect of an outfit post to be aesthetically pleasing - the photography, setting and concept as well as the outfit - but it's often difficult to manage to get things perfect on my own. I'm gradually getting better at being less of a controlling weirdo though, as I've allowed my sibs to take some photos. It's just awkward as I become insanely shy and uncomfortable if someone else is pointing the camera. Anyhoo, I think this post kind of outlines the closest thing to any one aesthetic that my style might adhere to; the love-child of Mario Testino's photos, Kurt Cobain and Carrie Bradshaw's wardrobes, shoujo manga and punk in it's original and derivative forms...

...when I'm not dressing according to other aesthetics I float towards like dude/goth/Stella McCartney/Alexander Wang/Kate Bosworth....

Dude looks like a lady.

I looked somewhat lady-like and elegant today...weird. The reason being was that I returned home yesterday to several collared t-shirts and dresses from Penney's. Mam had bought them for me for no real reason. LOVE when that happens! Yay for having a mother with impeccable taste. Said shirts and dresses are quite preppy and girly with a touch of vintage inspiration. The dress that I wore today has a super-adorable print á la Prada S/S 2012. It was the basis of the outfit and inspired a more polished look than I usually go for. The weather necessitated the wearing of a coat so I threw on a rather pretty purple one that Mam bought me a couple years ago. I added a purple hat to match and to stave off the rain as the coat didn't have a hood and all of this added up to quite a lady-like look.

Hat - Vintage - Coat - Max C - Bag - Melissa J - Shoes - Boutique in Portugal - Leggings - Dunnes - Dress - Penney's - Earrings - Rodrigo Otazu - Pearl bracelet - Topshop - Gold Baptism bracelet - Cardigan - Marks and Spencer

The Japanese influence continues!

...I now blame it on my friend, Conor, as well as all the manga. He's off to Japan soon (exciting) and I spent the whole day with him and some other college buds today so Japan is doubly on my mind! I'm very tired after our invention of a new sport and lots of climbing and exploring so this isn't going to be an uber-detailed post. I will say that the following outfit was not only quite kawaii but it also was very practical! No problems running or climbing in this bad boy!

Peter Pan collared shirt - Penney's - Playsuit - Penney's - Hi-tops - Converse - Backpack - Royaltex - Cardigan - Marks and Spencer's

Sidenote: I'm super-excited to try out this new skirt that Mammy just gave me! It doesn't photograph all that hot but it's amazing! Yay for having a stylish mom to steal old clothes off of!