I must admit that I am definitely one of those women who absolutely loves shoes. They are one of my favourite purchases. My bulging wardrobe and frustrated husband will both testify to that fact! Shoes are one of those things that I find so easy to buy, there is no having to get changed or knowing if it will fit, like when buying clothes. I can’t pass a shoe shop without wanting to go in or at least have a good look in the window. You can never have too many pairs of shoes especially when you need flat shoes, high heels and work shoes all of course in a variety of colours.

I love the shoes in Office as they always have some interesting styles and colours, and this pair is no exception. They are cutely named the tip top pump and come in purple and pink suede. There is also a version available in black however I think the girlyness of the pink and purple is half the appeal! Of course being suede care is required as to when you can wear them – they are certainly not made for the rain! However with the hot summer they are predicting this year, hopefully there should be plenty of rain free days to wear them on.  They are available from Office for £40 and I think worth every penny!

I’ve been trying Revlon’s new ColorStay Ultimate Lipcolor which claims to provide the wearer with 12 hours of food and drink proof lipcolor in one application. I’ve always been a bit wary of lipsticks with this claim as I find it hard to believe that any lipcolor could actually last that long particularly through dinner!

I have the premium pink colour which in the clear tube looks a girly pink colour but I find it more vivid when actually applied to the lips. Probably helped by my very pale skin which makes most colours look quite vivid. It goes on very easily, almost like applying a lipgloss. It seems very moisturising when you first put it on however after a few minutes my lips felt slightly tacky as it dried.  Even once dried on the lips it still gave a lovely colour without looking feathery.

To properly test the lipcolor I decided to try it on before dinner to see if the claims were true. Even after my dinner and lots of dapping with a napkin the lipcolor was still firmly in place and no reapplication was required. The lipcolor lasted all evening and looked as good as when it first went on. To replace the shine I simply applied a coat of vaseline over the top.  After washing my face before bed I was very impressed to find the lipcolor still in place!! It requires a bit of makeup remover to finally take it off however does come off easily enough with makeup remover and cotton wool.

Overall this lipcolor definitely lives up to its claims of providing 12 hours of food and drink proof colour. I would recommend it as it saves all those trips to the toilet to reapply your lipstick and I shall definitely by buying a few more shades!

I’m now starting the search for maternity clothes, as I figure that at 4 months even though my bump isn’t necessarily large enough to need the maternity range, at least I still have the energy and desire to go shopping! Topshop has a good maternity range and I’ve managed to pick up a few of the essentials I will need to keep me going for the next few months.

The black trousers shown above are perfect for work, and the wide leg style should look good even with a big bump. The elasticated side panels are very discrete and there is enough give to allow you to wear them all the way through your pregnancy. My favourite is the blue scarf front top which can be worn at any stage of the pregnancy and shows off your best assets during pregnancy; your growing chest! Its simple enough to be worn in the day or dressed up with some jewellery in the evening. I’m hoping that they will bring this top out in a few colours, and I’ll be having one of each. The grey, flower dress is also a good purchase and again can be worn in the early or late stages of pregnancy.

Topshop on Oxford Street has the largest maternity range of all the stores – owing of course to the massive size of the shop! If London isn’t very near though they do have there entire range available online which can always be returned to the store if they don’t fit. When buying I would also recommend getting your usual pre-pregnancy topshop size, there is no need to buy larger when the item is from the maternity range as their clothes have plenty of give for the bump.

Having been converted to the Clarins range  with a gift set at Christmas I’ve finally run out of moisturiser so decided to visit the Clarins counter to see what was on offer. Clarins Hydra-Matte Lotion claims to be a fresh, non-oily lotion ideal for shiny, combination skin. Its meant to contain active ingredients which help absorb oil in the t-zone whilst adapting to the drier areas such as the cheeks.

This product is a light weight lotion which is quickly absorbed and doesn’t leave the skin feeling oily. I have been using the lotion for a few weeks now and its been working really well for my combination skin. I find that when you first apply it it does actually absorb the oil in the t-zone and help keeps your skin matte for the first few hours. I also get some very dry patches which this lotion also works well to moisturise. The only disadvantage is that after a few hours your skin can start to look shiny again, however I am yet to find a product that controls the shine any better!

I’m now starting to get to that point in my pregnancy where my normal clothes are a bit tight, so I’m considering making a few new purchases! I’m stuck with the dilemma of whether to give in and buy the maternity jeans with those awful elasticated panels, or whether to try and find some low waisted, slightly larger jeans that would hopefully last me all the way through my pregnancy.

I decided to try buying low waisted slightly larger jeans as I don’t feel ready for those elasticated styles however as my pregnancy progresses, I may regret that decision! I’ve been looking for some wide leg, flared jeans as I am  hoping that will help to balance out my shape slightly.

Topshop Bette jeans are one of the best wide leg 70’s style jeans around, however Topshop now only has a very limited range as they seem to have stopped doing this style. They have quite a few pairs in the sale but most are the shorter length which doesn’t really work for my height. Fortunately I visit H&M and have found they do a few similar wide leg jean in a range of colours from stonewash through to dark denim. These jeans fit perfectly and are very low on the waist which will hopefully accommodate my growing bump. At only £25.99 they are a bargain so even if I can’t wear them all the way through my pregnancy at least I won’t have spent too much!