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Showing posts with label Cos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cos. Show all posts
Friday, 6 June 2014

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

Weekend Greetings Blog Buds, it's....
 

We hope that as you read this, you're making lots of exciting, cocktail-soaked plans for the next two days. To help speed along the rest of your office-bound day, here's a quick rundown of the week gone by in Mouseland. Grab a coffee (and  cupcake - go on you deserve it...), this week the Mice have mostly been...

Getting down and dirty with what's sure to become a skincare stalwart - GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment.


This week has been very much about relaxing and recharging after too much fun at the weekend, so there have been lots of lazy nights-in with the obligatory at home beautifying. While finally getting round to watching Pitch Perfect (loved it - ideal girls' night-in movie), we decided a mani and face pack were in order. We picked up a pot of GlamGlow's Supermud last week and had planned to do a full review in a month or so on the basis that products generally don't have instant effects and we'd need to give it a fair go. Well, scratch that. This is a wonder product and we don't say that lightly. 


Slather on a thin layer of the pepperminty mud, it has some weird lumpy bits which are apparently tea leaves, so don't worry about those. You'll feel a tingle as it goes on and then you leave it for fifteen to twenty minutes while it dries to papier mache consistency and sucks out all the bad stuff. In a disgustingly fascinating twist, you can actually see the gunk that's been drawn out through the dark spots as the mask dries down - love a product you can actually see working. Once the time's up rinse it off with warm water and you'll reveal glowy, velvety smooth skin. Any blemishes are instantly reduced and here's the really miraculous part - pores are miniscule, actually noticeably tiny. A couple of days on and I'm still marvelling at my new skin. Go and buy a pot now, make sure you spread the word, and thank us later.

Rediscovering H&M's cooler, edgier big sister store, COS. We try do a spot of wardrobe rehab every few months, editing out things that don't fit, are worn-out or broken or that we just don't wear anymore. Aside from leaving us with a more streamlined, tidy collection of clothes, this also means we have room for new season pieces. Win, win!

A recent clear-out also lead us to identify a bit of a gap in our work wardrobes. While we've got the basics covered, we're missing those colour pops and more interesting pieces that can lift a dull day behind your desk. En route to Zara on a mission to fill the gap, we wandered past Cos and spyed a bright green top calling our name. We haven't shopped in Cos for a year or so for one reason or another, but we popped in to check out the top, and left an hour later laden down with bags... Because we're short and quite small we have to dodge the boxier, mid-length stuff, but Cos does a great line in well-cut, nice quality pieces with a dash of added quirk. Everything we picked up feels far more high end that highstreet and we've already worn (and been complimented) on lots of our purchases. Cos is very much back on the 3BM high street shopping radar. 

Here are a few of our fav buys:

COS Graphic Print Skirt
£79

 
£55
 
 
£79
 

While we were in there, we also couldn't resist adding to our pool of wardrobe staples. If you haven't discovered yet, Cos does the best basic T-shirts on the high street (think T by Alexander Wang without the giant dent in your bank balance), at this price, you can snap them up in every colour.

£19
 
 
Giving it even more lip with yet another new lipstick purchase. Yup, we know that we said last week that we aren't really lipstick girls, but this week's new lip product may just tip us into full-blown lipstick addiction... Lipstick Queen's Velvet Rope in Star System.



Velvet Rope is a matt lipstick but unlike other matt products, it doesn't feeling drying or waxy and glides on leaving a silky slick of colour. Quite aside from the fact that it gives great lip, we adore the packaging which is very Tom Ford-esque and makes us feel like Marilyn Monroe.


We played it safe this time with Star System, the perfect nude, but we're now eyeing up Black Tie and Brat Pack - much punchier reds - and have a feeling that our Lipstick Queen collection may be growing exponentially in the very near future...
Coffee drained? Only cupcake crumbs and a smudge of icing left?

Phew, because that's a wrap!

We hope you have a wonderful, wonderful weekend, we'll mostly be making sure we live by our weekend mantra...

 
Lots of love
x
The Mice

Wednesday, 27 March 2013

New Shop Alert: '& Other Stories'...

If, like me, it's starting to get a little embarrassing answering every 'Where is your top from?' question with 'Zara', then '& other stories' might just be the answer to all your worries! 

Brought to us from the people behind H&M and COS, this new brand aims to provide lasting fashion at an affordable price. More luxurious than H&M, but with more variety than COS...sounds like a winning combination to us Mice! And for once we aren't years or even months delayed to receive it in London, along with the other fashion capitals of the world - Barcelona, Berlin, Milan, Paris and Stockholm, '& other stories' is just setting it's mark on the fashion scene with it's first seven stores. 

The 45 designers of this new creation are based in Stockholm with a secondary workshop in Paris, providing a wide variety of style...dainty, floaty and pretty mixed with bold, simplistic and clean. The design team includes former APC and Acne designers and with such reputable fashion minds I have a feeling '& other stories' will go from strength to strength, especially in London. 

I scurried on down to explore last week, located at the Topshop end of Regent's street with another entrance on Argyll Street, it is perfectly accessible from Oxford Circus tube. Set over two floors with a cool stripped back interior, the setting is airy and open creating a stress-free shopping experience, despite the many people cramming themselves in to get a look at this new fashion baby! 

On this occasion I walked away purchase-less, however I did like what I saw, lots of open knits, clean over sized shapes, eye catching prints, luxe fabrics, simplistic basics and statement jewellery. Pricing is set in the mid range between H&M and COS, a common price point is £39...I found myself sometimes a little confused picking up pieces surprised at how reasonable the price was and then at other times quickly putting a £49 teeny tiny cami back on the rail! I tried on some great pieces and if my shopping trip had been in closer proximity to pay day I would have definitely have left with multiple bags of fashion deliciousness, this only means I must return very soon after the 10th...!

To give you a better idea of what to expect I have pulled a flavour from the website, go on try resisting clicking through and adding a few sneaky bits to your basket...!

Linen Blend Maxi Dress, £39

Open Knit Mesh Jumper, £39

Cut Out Leather Dress, £145

Silk Cami, £39

Zip up Cotton Cardigan, £39


Double Breasted Blazer, £79

Leather Print Dress, £195

Slim Fit Jeans, £45

Cut Out Back Top, £29

Peplum Dress, £55

Twisted Box Chain Necklace, £25

Stacking Rings, £12

Rhinestone Ring, £12

Rope and Ring Statement Necklace, £39

How can I forgot to mention that there is also a huge focus on beauty and lingerie, you can literally pick up everything you need here bar your lunch and dinner! The lingerie is beautiful, lots of lace crop top styles with thin straps and pretty skinny backs in gorgeous pastel hues.....

Spearmint Lace Bra, £17

Padded Simple Bra, £19

Soft Lace Trim Bra, £17

Fishnet Crop Bra, £25

New shopping destination accomplished...you're welcome!!


Wednesday, 25 April 2012

Heiress vs Penniless: Victoria, Victoria Beckham Style Dresses


In the last week she's celebrated turning 38 with a fruit platter in LA; caused controversy by posing as an air hostess on a Cathay flight en route to China; launched the limited-edition Range Rover Evoque that she's designed (which comes complete with an £80,000 price tag); helped a Starbucks barista whip up a couple of frappuccinos; and presented her Victoria Beckham aw12 collection in Beijing.  

Who is she?  Spice Girl turned WAG turned fashionista and all round super mum, Victoria Beckham of course.  



Today VB arrives in Hong Kong to celebrate the debut of her Victoria by Victoria Beckham ss12 collection at Lane Crawford.  We'll be watching Twitter like hawks for photos of Victoria serving Big Macs in IFC McDonalds or lying roadside on Queen's Road Central with the bag lady (for non-HKers, see photo of one of Hong Kong's most famous landmarks below)...




We have to admit that we were a little sceptical when Victoria Beckham first turned her hand to fashion design back in 2008.  With only two years between the hot pants and hair extensions of Baden-Baden and the launch of her Debut line at New York Fashion Week, VB undoubtedly pulled one of the greatest fashion transformations since Nicole Ritchie have her Zoe-over.  From that very first collection, we've been huge fans of Victoria's dresses.  Razor sharp tailoring and total va va voom sex appeal but with the practical touches that remind us she's a working Mum (hidden corsets and two way zips to adjust to the wearer's stride and prevent hair and make-up malfunctions).  The only minor issue being that her designs always sell out as fast as retailers can restock.  Oh, and the hefty four figure price tags...  

Last autumn at New York Fashion Week with six week old baby Harper on her hip, Victoria launched her diffusion line, Victoria, Victoria Beckham and our VB crushes heightened.  The Victoria line is quirkier, fresher and younger.  The ss12 collection included ruffles and pockets, fun prints (moons, cats and clouds) and colour-blocking in crayon bright hues.  With prices for the line running from £395 to just under £1,000, it's a little more gentle on your pocket but still out of most of our price ranges. 

So what's a girl with a craving for a slice of the VB magic to do?  Well the high street has really stepped up to the challenge and whipped up some fantastic pieces with a healthy pinch of the Victoria line thrown in this season.  We bring you Victoria, Victoria Beckham inspired dresses for less than the cost of one of Harper's socks      

Heiress: Victoria, Victoria Beckham Sequinned Cloud-Print Georgette Dress
£795
Image via: www.net-a-porter.com

Images via: www.style.com

Penniless: Zara Printed Dress with Contrasting Collar
£35.99


Image via: www.zara.com

£12

Image via: direct.asda.com


€69
Image via: www.cosstores.com

£485

Images via: www.net-a-porter.com

Image via: www.style.com

£120
Image via: www.frenchconnection.com

£30

Image via: www.topshop.com

€125
Image via: www.cosstores.com


£395
Image via: www.net-a-porter.com

£95
Image via: www.whistles.co.uk

Heiress: Victoria, Victoria Beckham Catwalk ss12

Image via: www.style.com

€69

Image via: www.cosstores.com


Heiress: Victoria, Victoria Beckham Catwalk ss12

Image via: www.style.com

£50
Image via: www.lipsy.co.uk

£50
Image via: www.warehouse.co.uk

£10

Image via: direct.asda.com

£78
Image via: www.lipsy.co.uk


Heiress: Victoria, Victoria Beckham Catwalk ss12

Image via: www.style.com

£32

Image via: www.asos.com

£620

Image via: www.net-a-porter.com


£149

Image via: www.asos.com

And to finish this post, a word of warning, no one likes a copycat.  This rip off of VB's cat dress does Towie's Sam Faiers no favours.  It's not big (enough) and it's not clever...

Image via: www.dailymail.co.uk
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