Summer Outfit Shopping Challenge 2019

Can I buy a Summer outfit for £20 or less including footwear and an accessory?

I set myself a blogging challenge for the start of this summer, get an outfit or a few for a set price, including footwear and an accessory too! What I mean is buying items that can be paired in different ways to create multiple outfits. This post will explain what I bought and why, and I will also review score the items individually as well.

Primark Dolly Shoes

Why I Set Myself A Shopping Challenge

So I had my first ever trip to the Horse Racing for a Hen Weekend in June… I had a great time! I came home with £47 profit and I decided to treat myself with it. As a mum I don’t get to go out much and I certainly don’t spend very much on myself anymore. Until I went on this shopping trip that I’m about to describe to you it had been almost two years since I had been shopping for clothes that weren’t for a special occasion, or Maternity clothes or Breastfeeding Essentials. It was time to browse and get something that I liked or loved and to try something and not feel guilty about it.
Everyone needs a treat once in a while don’t they?!

So I was talking to my best friend about setting myself a challenge that I could explain here on the blog. I concluded that if I popped another £3 on to my winnings I then had £50 to spend. With her opinions on items I picked out I decided to do this challenge, I allocated the money to my two favourite high street stores. I gave £20 for Dorothy Perkins and £30 for Primark.

My Challenge… Could I get an outfit for £20? Yes I could! In fact I got the equivalent of 3 outfits from Primark & 1 from DP! All for £50! Here is how!
By mixing and matching the various items that I bought I was able to make several outfits from them.

While shopping in Primark what I found was a mixture of full price (FP) items and sale items (S). My Dorothy Perkins outfit was complied of all sale items and then I would simply include jeans that I already owned from DP to finish the look, I did not include these in the final price because I already had them.

Primark Yellow Accessories

1. The Summer Shirt Outfit – A Garden BBQ or Day at the Beach – Primark – Worth £20 Total

Wear this shirt with either leggings on a cool day or a pair of shorts. Leave it untucked and long in length or tucked in for two entirely different looks. Pair with Dolly Shoes, Flip Flops or even Boots. You can wear something beneath the shirt if you want to, like this vest.

Blue Striped Summer Shirt £10.00 FP
Black Leggings £4.50 FP
Dolly Shoes in Yellow £3.50 FP
Hair Scunchie Tie £2.00 FP

2. The Practical Outfit – Day Out With Family – Dorothy Perkins – Worth £20 Total

Pair this gorgeous Rust coloured duo with black jeans or black jeggings and some dark accessories for a great transition to Autumn look. If you want to wear this shirt in summer it works great in an evening with jeans and heels too. The pretty buttons and pocket details really make the shirt stand out.

Rust Coloured Shirt S £12.00
Rust Ankle Boots S £8.00

Rust Coloured Duo of Shirt and Boots from DP

3. Every Day Summer Outfit For Home Or Casual Outings – Primark – Worth £21 Total

Who doesn’t love a practical pair of shorts that go well with almost everything? Well this dark green pair look great with a vest, t-shirt or even a short shirt. Pair with various shoes depending on the weather and also where you plan on going to.

Cargo Shorts £12.00 FP
T-Shirt or Vest £3.00 FP
Dolly Shoes £3.50 FP
Hair Scrunchie Tie £2.50 FP

Cargo Shorts with Vest with Yellow Accessories for a Hot Summer Day

4. Hot Weather Day Out or At Home Having Fun In The Garden – Primark – Worth £21.50 Total

Using the shorts once again for this combination but based more casually, dolly shoes for walking about and a vest with a shirt for casual but comfortable wearing.

Cargo Shorts £12.00 FP
Vest £3.00 FP
White Shirt £3.00 S
Dolly Shoes £3.50 FP

Cargo Shorts, White Arrow Shirt with Blue Dolly Shoes

Final Primark Purchases, Prices & Scores – Total Spend of £44.00

Striped Blue Shirt £10.00 –  –  – Score 4/5
Green Cargo Shorts £12.00 –  –  – Score 4/5
Green Vest £3.00 –  –  – Score 4/5
Blue Dolly Shoes £3.50 –  –  – Score 5/5
White Arrows Shirt £3.00 –  –  – Score 3/5
Blue Striped Vest £3.50 –  –  – Score 5/5
Yellow Dolly Shoes £3.50 –  –  – Score 5/5
Hair Band and Scrunchie £2.50 –  –  – Score 5/5
T-Shirt £3.00 –  –  – Score 4/5

Final Dorothy Perkins Purchases, Prices & Scores – Total Spend £20.00

Rust Shirt with Linen £12.00 –  –  – Score 5/5 LINK
Rust Wide Fit ‘Mayfair’ Ankle Boots £8.00 –  –  – Score 5/5 LINK

So I went over my budget very slightly, however the combinations that I have achieved with the clothing and accessories that I bought make it justifiable. Overall the items that I decided to purchase have had added uses because they were either useful, like the shirts I use for breastfeeding during the warmer months, or that the pieces were investments for the next few years (hopefully!) such as all of the shoes.

The previous Dolly Shoes that I bought in Primark were from 2016 and 2017 and they are only just beginning to wear out. I hope these new ones last me just as long! It’s also nice to grab the colours in season when you see them available. A few years ago I had metallic colours from Primark and I never saw them again! I still have a Rose Gold pair I keep for special occasions.

The Boots I got from Dorothy Perkins were an investment for many Autumnal days to come, because at £8 in the sale you cannot beat that kind of a bargain! Especially ones that fit well and are comfortable.

Primark vests are items I wear every single day as a breastfeeding mama bear. So grabbing a couple of these was essential to my shopping trip. (Now that we are currently having a heatwave in the UK I’m even more grateful to have gotten them!).

Primark Items:

Quality of Fabrics 4/5 – The fabric quality was mixed, the vests in Primark are always good, the shorts were thick and strong. The shirts were relatively thin and creased easily. The Shirt is 86% Cotton and 14% Linen.

Designs 4/5 – I thought the items that I chose all had design merits. The shirts were nicely designed with their patterns. The shoes were simply designed by great colours for Summer. I loved the shorts with multiple pockets and the scrunchie hair tie was such a pretty mix of both pattern and colours.

Cost Price 4/5 – Overall I felt most items were affordable for their price and function, the shorts were great quality for their price and the dolly shoes I find are always good quality but very affordable.

Value for Money – 4/5 – I think that Primark items are usually good value for money, some more than others but generally you get what you pay for. I have washed and worn the vests multiple times and they still look good.

Dorothy Perkins Items:

Quality of Items – 5/5 – I was very impressed with the quality of the shirt and the boot that I have purchased. The shirt isn’t thin and is well made, and the shoes look well stitched and are well presented with no marks.

Designs – 5/5 – I love the Rust shade that DP has chosen for some items this Season. Additionally the shirt has a lovely shape to it and is rather flattering when worn. The Boots are comfortable and were available in Wide Fit which is a design bonus. The heels aren’t too high and are wedged to allow comfortable wearing.

Cost Price – 5/5 – I wouldn’t have considered purchasing either of these items unless they had been in the sale already. Their original prices were Boots £35.00 and the Shirt £22. I am very lucky to have gotten them so cheap with a saving of £37.00!

Value for Money – 5/5 – For the amount of money that I have paid for these things I am more than happy to give the value for money spent a 5/5.

Overall I’m very happy with my shopping purchases. It’s also been a couple of weeks now and I have worn the shirts several times, I’ve also worn the vests multiple times and they have been washed and worn repeatedly in this lovely warm weather. I haven’t needed to wear the Dolly Shoes yet but they are an investment for when my current two pairs give up the ghost so to speak! I’m still happy with every piece that I bought, I guess you could say it’s been money well spent! I look forward to wearing the rest of the items over the warm summer weeks…

Here are a couple of images of me wearing some of the new items…

Rust Shirt (Left) & White Arrows Shirt (Right)
Blue Striped Shirt and Yellow Scrunchie Hair Tie

Thank you for reading this blog post today, I hope you’ve enjoyed it. Have you gotten any retail bargains lately? Have a great time if you’re off out for some retail therapy!

Sabrina

Primark Beauty Items – Tried, Tested and Compared

REVIEW WEEK ON SEVERN WISHES

Primark Beauty Items – Tried, Tested and Compared

I’m not usually one for buying cheap products, and especially when it comes to using them on my skin because mine is classed as sensitive. However I have seen so many good reviews about these particular items that I felt the need to give them the benefit of the doubt. So I went out to get some, to test them for myself.

This small Primark Beauty “PS…” haul cost me just £5.50 towards the end of 2017 for these 5 items. One is a Tapered Brush, One is a Brush Cleaner Tool, One is a Facial Cleanse and Massage Brush, and One is a 2 Pack Beauty Blender Sponge Set.

Because I wear makeup so infrequently it has taken me a good while to compare these items to other products that I might use on a regular basis.

Now that I have however I feel that I can rate the items accordingly as I do with all of my reviews, and also offer some brand alternatives that I have and do use, and therefore do a short comparison on a few of them.

✩ The PS… Items ✩

Name: Tapered Powder Brush
Design: Black and Gold
Information: A Tapered Brush Used To Apply Powder To The Face
Price: £1.50
My Rating: 3✩’s

Review: This brush is soft and pretty, it is a nice length to hold but the brush itself doesn’t hold a great deal of powder product. it is definitely not the best brush I have owned, neither is it the worst. I would use it to apply my powder if i didn’t have another brush that was clean for example. I really like the design and the colours, it looks lovely in my brushes pot! Overall I don’t think I would buy it again because I have better brands, I love Spectrum Collections Brushes for their quality. These PS… Brushes are more than good enough for infrequently makeup applications however, or for taking on holiday with you…


Name: Makeup Brush Cleaner Tool
Design:
 Pink
Information: 
A Tool Designed To Aid The Cleaning Of Makeup Brushes
Price: 
£1.50
My Rating: 4✩’s

Review: This item is used as a tool for helping to clean makeup brushes. The ridges are very useful for gently rubbing your brushes up and down over it. When used with a mild soap or even Micellar Water the tool worked well to remove dirt.
I have a Spectrum Collections and a Makeup Revolution London Brush Cleaner Tool, and they all work in a similar manner. Some are just manufactured better, they have better grooves and designs and are made from better quality plastic so they are more hard wearing. But I have to say this PS… cheaper alternative still did a decent job with my brushes.

Name: Facial Cleanse and Massage Brush
Design: 
Pink and Cream
Information: 
A Brush And Tool Designed To Help Cleanse The Skin On The Face
Price: 
£1.00
My Rating: 2.5✩’s

Review: This item is used as a cleanser, however I didn’t notice a huge amount happening to my skin when I used it. The product is okay, the brushes are not as soft as I would normally use for my delicate skin. Therefore I didn’t press too hard when using it. I do prefer to use other forms of skin cleansing such as gentle massage with products on my fingers as opposed to bristles on brushes.

Name: 2 Pack Beauty Blender Sponges
Design: 
Orange and Yellow Shaped Sponges
Information: 
Shaped Sponges Used To Apply Makeup To The Face
Price: 
£1.50
My Rating: 3✩’s

Review: These sponges are designed to apply makeup, however the quality isn’t like that you would expect from a brand such as Real Techniques. The sponges are okay until you have used them and washed them a few times. Then I find that they are losing texture use after use. Sponges aren’t supposed to last forever though, and replacing them regularly is a good thing. I would only ever use them to apply concealer under my eyes for example. And with how infrequently I put on makeup they aren’t a bad buy really. If you can afford a better brand then do, because these PS… sponges won’t last you as long. But they still get the job done!


✩ In Conclusion ✩

Would I buy these items again? Probably not, they are definitely affordable and good value, but they aren’t for me as an every day staple. I would however consider this range if I didn’t want to take my best items with me on holiday for example. These cheaper alternatives that still work and are designed well, they are ideal for this sort of thing, long weekends away or holidays abroad…

I have to say the brush cleaner was a good tool, overall I would say this was my favourite item out of everything I purchased, and I would consider getting another if I ever needed to replace the ones I have. It’s handy for a quick clean or to throw in my travel bag for a weekend when I haven’t had the time to clean my travel brush set!

You can find the PS… Beauty brand at your local larger Primark stores and the range is always changing too, so be on the look out!

✩ TOP TIP ✩
Need something cheap but cheerful for your handbag or holiday that you could still rely on? Check out the latest PS… items in a store near you. For the prices I think the quality is better than you might think…

Until next times review, that’s it everyone, thanks for reading!

 Sabrina 

Severn Wishes Two Year Anniversary Giveaway

╰☆╮ The Severn Wishes Two Year Blogging Anniversary Giveaway ╰☆╮

It’s the end of my second year of blogging and I thought what better way to celebrate than to have a Giveaway! I have been happy with my past year on Severn Wishes, having collaborated with several companies and enjoyed every moment of that. I have also decided to reach out to some more brands this year due to my lifestyle changes happening in the summer!

I must admit that the majority of the items I am giving away are based for female entrants, however that doesn’t stop you entering and giving it to your girlfriend or wife or significant other! If you have enjoyed my blog and supported me over the last how ever many weeks or months I am certainly grateful!

I’ve had another successful year of blogging and reviewing, and I wanted to share some of the success with you, my loyal followers. I’ve also won several giveaways myself recently and there are items within them I simply won’t use. I wanted to pass those on and I’ve also purchased some bits during the last part of 2017 that I use myself and love. Because I review every aspect of my life I wanted the variety of my blog to be reflected in my Giveaway!

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I really hope that you all like this huge hoard of prizes! A bundle worth over £30! Here we go folks, a photograph of all that you can win plus the details are in the list below!

☆☆☆ Items In The Severn Wishes Two Year Giveaway ☆☆☆

☆ PS Insta Girl Soft Focus Shadow Brush – High Impact Eyes
☆ Pink with Rose Gold Foil Heart Makeup Bag
☆ Dorothy Perkins Lips and Hearts Blush Scarf
☆ Nivea Raspberry Rose Lip Butter
☆ Beauty Boulevard Glitter Lips – Guilty Rose
☆ Derma Tech Solutions V10 Body Butters in Coconut – Cranberry – Vanilla – Chocolate
☆ Makeup Revolution London Strobe Highlighter – Flash
☆ Makeup Revolution London The One Blush Stick – Vibrant or Sheer for cheeks or lips – colour is Malibu
☆ La Petite Rose – 10 Citrus Scented Mini Wipes
☆ Heart Shaped Bath Bomb – Berry and Coconut Flavour
☆ Dorothy Perkins “Mermaid at Heart” Aqua Socks
☆ Treatbox Stick of Rock – Strawberry Flavour

☆ “Dear Brain Please Shut Up” Inspo Card
☆ Roses and Hearts Notebook

╰☆╮Follow Me On My Social Media For More Chances To Win╰☆╮

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube

╰☆╮How To Enter╰☆╮

I always use Rafflecopter for my giveaways, at the giveaway closing the site chooses someone at random who has entered correctly. This time there are tons of new ways you can get extra entry points, so just make sure you clicked on the links above and make sure you follow me! That is if you don’t already follow me across my main four social media pages! You can also gain extra points for blog post comments!

You will also find all of the Terms and Conditions for this giveaway at the end of my post.

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✩♡✩♡✩ GIVEAWAY ✩♡✩♡✩

✩♡✩♡✩ Please Click Here To Enter ✩♡✩♡✩

Good Luck!!!

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I hope that you will all enjoy entering this massive giveaway to celebrate my blogs two year anniversary and good luck to all of you who do enter! Have a great March!

✩ Sabrina ✩

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╰☆╮Terms and Conditions╰☆╮

This competition is running from March 11th 2018 until April 8th 2018.
The winner will receive their prize bundle in mid April 2018.
This giveaway is only open to entrants from the United Kingdom (UK).
Only correct entries via the link supplied will be accepted.
Severn Wishes reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice.
No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason, and all entries are subject to verification upon the giveaway ending.
The winner will be announced via social media once the winner has been verified and contacted. The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise another name will be drawn from the correct entries.

Clothing That Is Comfortable During Pregnancy, Maternity Wear Reviews and My General Clothing Hacks and Tips

╰☆╮Today It’s Time For A Pregnancy Clothing Post! ╰☆╮

I want to discuss my general clothing hacks I use to make pregnancy in the second trimester more bearable, and I want to talk about the clothing that I am finding most comfortable during these colder months of the year. Finally I will conclude with some Maternity Wear Reviews on items that I have purchased during January and have now thoroughly tested.

So I am now getting to that stage of my pregnancy where I need to consider what I am wearing. My regular jeans no longer do up and I am finding other clothing honestly pretty uncomfortable to wear, especially while seated. There are some things I can still get away with such as my Tunics, Long Jumpers, Jumper Dresses and stretchy Leggings. But there are other things that I have now decided it’s time to invest in, and I thought I would share my thoughts and experiences in case there’s anyone out there who needs some advice as they too get to this stage of their pregnancy journey.

Sabrina’s Top Tips

You might be looking at your wardrobe and thinking, baby is due then, I won’t be fitting into these items this year. Well fear not, because a few weeks ago I was feeling exactly the same. Get an old suitcase or a storage box and place everything that you love but you know you won’t fit into, inside it. You can always come back to them once you’ve lost some of the baby weight. Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t look good and be comfortable while doing so. Here are some of my shopping tips.

Always try your usual size in maternity wear before the larger size you think you might be. It may come as a surprise, but especially before getting to the third trimester many of us won’t be putting on all that much weight. Your baby grows steadily so you have plenty of time to make small adjustments to your wardrobe. I have still purchased Size 8 trousers for example, just Maternity ones with the added “Over Bump” material. Plus another tip is to always check the sale rails, at the end of line and end of season sales, you may just pick up some bargains. I managed to do just that and will be reviewing those items below.

One shop that I regularly rely on for Leggings is Primark. And the beauty of the sizes of their brand, it seems to me that you can often fit into more than one size. I am a size 8 usually, but I have just bought some size 10 and size 12 leggings that I find fit comfortably over my growing bump. Let me explain why I have chosen these, not only are they are much cheaper than the Maternity ones available online, but also if you aren’t very tall like me then you can usually buy a regular length or a long length style, and find that they will fit just like high waisted leggings – perfect! And they also wash well too being made of cotton or polyester! Mine only cost £3.50 a pair and I got 4 different colours as well. They are great for layering when heading out and for comfort when staying at home.

New Look

When I first began looking at Maternity wear I had recalled friends telling me they had shopped in New Look. I like the brand and I didn’t want to spend a fortune on these first few items just in case I grew out of them. But the weather is so cold in the UK at the moment I really needed to find a decent pair of Skinny Jeans or Jeggings that I could wear out and about, shopping and such.

After a few moments around my local store I realised there was barely any choices, and a lot of it was available online only now. So I settled for the only pair in the shop that I did like, they were soft to touch and also skinny as I had wanted.

They were called Emilee Under Bump Maternity Jeggings at £19.99. Soft material for both the legs and the bump section was why I purchased this pair. They are great on, and the bump part still has enough room for me to grow a little more into them. I was happy with them and hope once the weather is warmer I won’t need them as much. They washed well though too. The leg part was definitely true to size because I chose my regular UK size 8 and a 30″ leg and they were a perfect fit. Highly recommend them, there is way more choice online and I may invest in a blue pair of Over Bump at some point in time too.

Dorothy Perkins

During the January sales I was looking at certain tops but I didn’t want to invest in too many that branded themselves as just Maternity wear. I bought some Jumper Dresses from Dorothy Perkins that have enough give in the middle for a second trimester baby bump. They are soft and will keep me warm in these colder months. I have no doubt that they will also be perfect next Winter while I’m (hopefully) still loosing the baby weight. I have bought many Tunic style jumpers from DP’s over the past few years and find that the plain ones are great for the home and the bling ones are great for going out. I will review these items below and give any links still available.

BooHoo

I did however purchase a couple of Maternity jumpers from BooHoo in their January sale, these looked like regular tunic jumpers until you looked closer, but they had the slits either side to give room for a bump. I feel like I will be able to grow with these, but I could still wear them after I have had my baby as well. To be honest if I wear them right now they don’t look like they are specifically Maternity wear but I know they will become very useful the larger I grow. I was happy with what I paid and if they continue to wash as well as this first fortnight of having them, I assume they will last me through my pregnancy and beyond. I will review these items below and include photos and links where possible.

George at Asda

My final Maternity Wear order came from George at Asda. I really needed some work wear trousers, because I got to the point where any other sort was digging in to my tummy and making me rather uncomfortable. I work full time and I spend a lot of hours on my feet too, so I required something hard wearing, soft and easy to wear but also the correct material for my job role. Our uniform is specific and I needed to rely on the item to be washed several times and worn a minimum of 5 days a week.

I finally found the best looking, most positively reviewed and the best price online, maternity work trousers on the Asda website. George at Asda do have a fantastic maternity range, but most stores don’t stock the items, they are only available online. I had reservations at first because I always like to touch the material and try the items on, this time I just had to trust in my choices. I also had to pay a delivery charge which I thought was expensive, just for the convenience of receiving my items. A click and collect service available 9 days later would not have been suitable for me, I needed them within a day or two because I found I was growing overnight.

My order arrived by courier and was good in that sense, I was updated by email and by text which was very useful. The items themselves were all sealed individually so I knew that the contents were brand new, and I could tell by unpacking them they hadn’t been handled before. I had to guess what sizes I would need, and luckily everything fitted me and I haven’t needed to return anything. I went for my normal size, a size 8, because reviews on the website said most things fitted true to size. The maternity trousers were the items I was most impressed by. The main reason was because of how soft the material was that went over the bump. It was not only comfortable to wear but it was lightweight too and caused me no issues between sitting and standing.

I also purchased some over the bump leggings in a two pack and a two pack of short sleeved t-shirts for comfort around the house when I get a little bigger. I thought these were okay value for money, the materials used made the items soft and they washed well too.

╰☆╮ Reviews ╰☆╮

New Look

New Look: Maternity Under Bump Jeggings in Black (Emilee on Tag)
Materials: 71% Cotton, 25% Polyester, 4% Elastane. Trim: 95% Cotton, 5% Elastane.
Colours Available:
Black.
Price:
£19.99.
LINK

Very soft material and comfortable to wear, the bump part still gives me room to grow into them. Purchased at 13 weeks pregnant and at 17 weeks they already fit way better and room for bump because they are lightly elasticated. Perfectly the right size for both my buttocks and my leg length, I chose my pre-pregnant trouser size and they are a great all round fit. Ideal for the colder weather days and the black looks great when paired with a bright top.

New Look Overall Scores
Appearance 5/5
Quality 5/5
Value for Money 4/5


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BooHoo

BooHoo: Maternity Mia Side Split Jumper.
Materials: Polyester 95% and Elastane 5%.
Colours Available: Camel, Khaki, Berry, Black or Grey LINK
Price: £15.00

 

Soft to touch with side splits in the fabric to accommodate a growing bump. I’m a UK size 8 and ordered a UK size 10 of each item. They fitted true to size on my shoulders with the arms ending at wrist length. I thought the overall length of the fabric was good, it will allow me to grow into them but is suitable for this stage and in weeks to come. Both items washed easily and were comfortable to wear all day. The material is quite thin but ideal for Winter layering by wearing a long sleeved thin tee beneath the jumper. I purchased these BooHoo jumpers in both black and in khaki green.

Although the jumpers are very nice and are comfortable to wear they are also very plain in appearance. Wearing a long necklace or a scarf to brighten the outfit up is ideal for days out. Where as I have purchased these for both inside and outside my house, wanting myself and bump to be warm and comfy throughout the next couple of months.

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BooHoo: Maternity Sarah Side Split Ribbed Jumper.
Materials: Polyester 95% and Elastane 5%.
Colours Available:
Berry, Black or Blush
Price: £7.00 (On Sale Price Correct As Of 11th February).
LINK

A very nice jumper and overall it is both soft and comfortable to wear. It is more of a Spring colour and length compared to the Tunic style jumpers I purchased (review above) but it is one I could wear around the house now and look forward to wearing in the warmer months to come. I believe there is still plenty of growing room to be had due to the side splits in the fabric, and the length of the arms were perfect for me. I purchased this in a UK size 10.

BooHoo Items Overall Scores
Appearance 4/5
Delivery 5/5
Quality 4/5
Value for Money 4/5

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Dorothy Perkins

Dorothy Perkins: Zip Hem Knitted Tunic Jumpers.
Materials: Viscose 71% and Nylon 29%.
Colours Available: Burgundy or Black.
Price: £17.00 (Price correct as of February 11th).
Burgundy LINK
Black LINK

 


I have purchased some items from Dorothy Perkins in the January sale which I believe will double up as maternity items. These are all jumpers and in varying lengths. The tunics both have a nice zip detail in the lowest sixth of the material and are fitting on me true to size. I bought size 10’s in order to grow into them slightly but they were already fine around my shoulders. I am lucky enough to fit into the majority of brands clothes UK sizes of 8 and 10.

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Dorothy Perkins: Yellow Striped Frill Sleeve Jumper.
Materials: 100% Polyamide.
Colours Available: Yellow with Black Stripes.
Price: £7.00 (On Sale – Price Correct As Of 11th February).
LINK

The yellow and black striped jumper was an impulse buy, I liked the pattern as well as the ruffled sleeves. It’s style reminded me of Peplum and it was a good quality material too. I thought I could wear it for the first few months of my second trimester, before my bump gets too big. It’s a stylish looking item that I would happily wear out with a pair of my maternity trousers. It was in the sale so there are limited sizes left, but it’s comfortable to wear and I would recommend it, the sleeves are a bit different and a nice change and addition to my wardrobe for Spring.

Dorothy Perkins Items Overall Scores
Appearance 5/5
Delivery 5/5
Quality 5/5
Value for Money 4/5

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George at Asda

Asda: Work Wear Maternity Trousers – Over Bump Tapered Trousers
Materials: Body 100% Polyester and Trim 95% Viscose with 5% Elastane
Colours Available: Black
Price: £8.00
LINK


I looked into a variety of trousers that I could wear to my day job, but the place that I kept coming back to was George at Asda. Online they have a range of Maternity clothing at quite affordable prices too. I was drawn in by the price and the good reviews beneath the item. I wanted a pair of trousers that would be comfortable to wear at work all day, that would wash and wear well, and an item that would grow with me in the coming weeks. I decided it was best that I order two sizes, one my current size 8 and the other a size 10 that I could grow into if need be. Better to have both than to order a second delivery so soon.

I was impressed with the quality for the price, and they might be of thin material but they certainly are comfortable to wear, and it means that they dry quickly after washing too.

George at Asda Items Overall Scores
Appearance 4/5
Delivery 4/5
Quality 4/5
Value for Money 5/5

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Thank you for reading this review post today, I hope you have liked it or found it useful. Feel free to pass the link on to any friends who you feel may benefit from my reviews or tips. Have a lovely day!

 Sabrina 

SS17 Fashion Trends, How To Wear Them This Season And How To Combine Your Current Wardrobe

Welcome to today’s Blog Post, in this piece I am going to be discussing the main Fashions for this Spring and Summer. How you can wear them this season, and how you can combine new items with your current wardrobe to stay on trend.

There are several main trends this year, and the majority of them have been doubled up to ensure maximum ‘on trend’ efficiency. Brands seem to be fusing together different styles to create new ones. I will give you an example, Denim and Embroidery. A lot of companies are now uniting various denim styles with patches and sown on patterns. Of course this relates back to some of the 1990’s fashion trends that saw embroidery on a variety of things, including jeans. But now it seems to be on everything, from T-Shirts to Jackets, Jeans to Coats… Other examples have been gradually making a come back, hinting on 1920’s and 1930’s fashion, with cold shoulders, bardot tops and dresses and of course lots of lace.

I will now list all of the trends that I have come across through research, personal shopping trips and reading about what is appearing on the latest catwalks, so that you can see what I’m talking about. Here are most of the current trends…

✩ Denim and Embroidery ✩
✩ Embroidery and Lace ✩
✩ Denim and Pink ✩
✩ Lace and Cold Shoulder ✩
✩ Cold Shoulder and Gingham ✩

✩ Gingham and Silver ✩
✩ Bold Prints and Glitter ✩
✩ Floral Prints and Stripes ✩
✩ Stripes and Studs ✩
✩ Ruffles and Mesh ✩
✩ Mesh and Sheer ✩
✩ Sheer and Florals ✩
✩ Stripes and Cold Shoulder ✩
✩ Florals and Gingham ✩
✩Gingham and Bold Prints ✩

Now I’m going to talk about a few of the trends that I like the most, and give examples of my fashion and any styles that I myself have worn during the summer so far.

Stripes are a go in my wardrobe at ALL times of the year and in all seasons. I have striped tops, dresses and various other items, striped pieces in my opinion don’t ever go out of style! Check out my latest Fashion purchases on that named category to see what my latest fashion spends have been on. Mainly T-Shirts if I’m honest, some of which are very much on trend right now…

So what I noticed more about this summer more than any other in recent years, was how many brands got on the ‘Floral’s for Summer’ idea. This is a simple one of course, everyone knows how much flowers thrive in the warmer months of the year. Yet it was different somehow. People were combining unusual colours and prints that had never before seen each other. Next time you’re shopping take a look at Floral Fashions…

Let’s get down to some of my examples now, and how I have recently styled them.

✩ Florals and Gingham / Gingham and Florals ✩

I adore Gingham, and until a couple of years ago I barely had any of it in my wardrobe. These Shorts I already did a separate review on, but I wanted to explain why they were so on trend still. They combine two trends, Floral Print and the Gingham Print, in one item. Not only that but depending on what you choose to partner them with, could mean your outfit ticks several ‘On Trend’ boxes in one go!

Shorts from BooHoo (See My Individual Review For More Details)

Here I am in my Gingham and Floral outfit. I love how the flowers really stand out on the pattern.

✩✩

✩ Sheer and / or Mesh in Fashion ✩

Sheer Mesh T-Shirts are also on trend right now, I had this lovely Floral one from New Look. Check out my review of it by clicking New Look on my categories.


✩✩✩

✩ Florals and Bold Prints ✩

A really good example of Bold Prints and Florals are these other Shorts I got also from BooHoo. Comfortable and affordable, these excellent shorts have such a vibrant pattern, and really stand out. I would pair them with a plain black bardot top, a double Fashion ensemble to ensure a great looking Summer outfit.


✩ Gingham / Chequered Print and Bright Colours ✩

I absolutely love to recycle old clothing into new trends. This year I’ve been able to dig out my ‘vintage’ chequered pieces, such as these two skirts. And then pair them with new items such as bold print and brightly coloured T-Shirts. One is around twelve years old and from New Look, the other is around eight years old and was from Primark (and yes I can still fit in them both). Recycling your older items is a great way to stay up to date with the latest trends, plus you never know when items such as these will be in fashion again, sometimes it’s not very long at all!

(Primark Original)

(New Look Original)

✩ Embroidery and Denim ✩

Another trend I particularly like is the embroidery one. I am really getting into this, it brings back all the 1990’s Fashion from when I was growing up. What I actually plan to do is make my own shorts, but I have cheated slightly, and gotten a pair that was already started with patches. I am going to add my Iron On Patches that I have received inside my various Treat Boxes, on to these shorts to make them unique. Here is a shot of them with the patches, but I have yet to decide on my final design.

You could choose to put patches on any kind of Denim item, I liked how these would brighten up the black, but they work just as well with blue too!

These shorts will look great this Summer with either a crop top or with a white tee with very little pattern to allow the embroidery to take central focus.

Another way Embroidery has been used in Fashion in recent months is to line T-Shirts, on either the hems or the sleeves, or both. Here are examples from Dorothy Perkins that I have purchased this year. They go excellent with a variety of Denim colours. Check out my DP section on the main page for my reviews.


✩ Cold Shoulder / Bardot and Lace ✩

Finally, another style I want to discuss is the Cold Shoulder one. As I mentioned earlier in the post, the Bardot style and the Cold Shoulder trend have both been reinvented for modern day fashion, and I have to say I really took to both. I never thought it would suit me, but actually I am happy to wear both tops and dresses. Here is one example, where I have paired my BooHoo Gingham Shorts with a Lace Cold Shoulder Top from Dorothy Perkins.

Here I am in this outfit. I really like combining trends like these to make my own style.

Thank you for reading this Fashion post today, I really hope you have enjoyed reading about the latest trends and my takes on how to make them unique for yourself.

 Sabrina 

Title Image taken by Megan from Makeup by Megan

BooHoo Gingham Floral Shorts Review

BooHoo Gingham Floral Shorts Review and Try On

Check out how awesome these floral shorts look on! They look even better in person too, the camera doesn’t do them justice in my honest opinion.

I wanted something current and new for the summer, beach days being one thing I regularly undertake. Here I am at a beach, wearing said shorts, with my accompanying choice of white tee with Dragonflies on, staying within a nature theme (tee from Primark). Sadly it wasn’t quite warm enough to wear them with bare legs, and I feel the black leggings make them stand out anyway against the sand.


My Overall Review Scores for these Shorts are;

Value for Money 5/5
Fit To Size 5/5
Comfort 5/5
Detailing 5/5
Durability 5/5
Appearance 5/5

Details
Materials; 95% Polyester and 5% Elastane
Wash at 30 degrees

At just £10.00 these shorts are a real bargain this summer. Whether you are going on holiday or you just want some new beach wear for SS17. I recommend these beautiful shorts for several reasons. The first is that the price is excellent for the quality of the fabric, they are in no way see through, and are thick and soft to touch. They sit at the waist and are great for small girls like me, because they make your legs look longer!

I’m so pleased that I purchased these gorgeous summer shorts. They fitted to size and the material is great, comfortable and washes and wears well. The details are also excellent, the gingham is so on trend right now which I love, and to combine that style with summer florals is just a winner in my eyes. Both for my wardrobe and for my style.

Here is the link to the shorts on the BooHoo website for those who want to take a closer look.

Thank you for reading this review today, I hope you will visit Severn Wishes blog again soon for another Fashion post. Until then, happy shopping!

 Sabrina 

A special thank you to my partner in crime, my best friend, Megan, for taking the photographs of me at the beach.

Severn Wishes One Year of Blogging and Big Giveaway

♡ One Year of Blogging, Over 100 Posts Celebration and A Giveaway ♡

When I realised I was getting close to a year of blogging I knew that I wanted to hold a giveaway to thank everyone who has been supporting me this far. Whether you follow me on a social media or you just read my blog regularly, it’s you who have helped me to be a better writer and photographer. I have been collecting items for this for quite some time, so I hope you’ll like the selection that I’ve gathered…

I have been so lucky in my first year, I have worked with many companies including Spectrum Brushes, Gift Company and many more. Not only that but I already have so much lined up for the Spring and Summer of 2017 to share with you all as well.

During the past thirteen months of Severn Wishes being live, I have posted more than 105 articles, most have been reviews and reveals, but other posts have been about my Lifestyle and Travel experiences.

During the next year I hope to continue writing in my honest fashion and to bring you even better photography as my knowledge and learning increases.

What can you expect over the Summer months from Severn Wishes?
Jewellery, Makeup, Homeware, Games, Fashion, Cooking and Craft posts, and so much more besides.
I am already speaking to some companies who want to collaborate with me, and I cannot wait to bring all of this excitement to my blog for you all to enjoy!

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting me and my blog.
♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

✩♡✩♡✩ Giveaway ✩♡✩♡✩

Without further ado I am going to tell you exactly what you can win in this new and latest Severn Wishes giveaway!
If you saw some of my recent posts you will have read the clues that I left revealing some of the items you could win!
Featuring Soap and Glory, Primark, Nivea AND Makeup Revolution!
I give you my One Year Giveaway bundle!!!!

✩♡✩♡✩ What You Can Win ✩♡✩♡

✩ Marble Soft Cover Bag ✩
✩ Nivea Lip Butter – Vanilla and Macadamia ✩
✩ Soap and Glory – Super Tonic ✩
✩ Makeup Revolution I ♡ Unicorns Unite Mini Gem Brushes ✩
✩ ‘Flawless’ Makeup Mirror and Keyring ✩
✩ Heart and Stars Hair Bands Selection ✩
✩ Marble and Rose Gold Stationary ✩
✩ Wooden Craft Flowers – Be Creative ✩
✩ Lots of Sweet Treats – Yum! ✩

 If you don’t know the drill by now click the link below to enter on rafflecopter, and all of the terms and conditions can be found at the end of my post!

♡ Good Luck! ♡

Severn Wishes One Year Blogging Celebratory Giveaway!

✩♡✩♡✩ Enter Here ✩♡✩♡

✩ Sabrina 


Terms and Conditions
This competition is running from April 23rd until May 31st 2017.
The winner will receive their prizes in June 2017.
This giveaway is only open to entrants from the UK.
Severn Wishes reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice.
No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason, and all entries subject to verification.

Primark Clothing, Footwear, Accessories and Stationary Haul

Primark Clothing, Footwear, Accessories and Stationary Haul in April 2017

On my most recent trip to my local Primark I found so many lovely items I just felt the need to share them all with you. As most of you will know Primark always go all out with their clothes, there’s always a huge supply of sizes and colours of tops, jeans and footwear, to name but a few.

I was after some new t-shirts for the summer (hopefully we’ll get a decent one this year) and when I came across a couple of other things I knew I just had to have them. I learnt a long time ago that if you see something you want or like, and it’s available to you, both in your budget and your situation of course, then you should purchase it. No point in going back a fortnight later hoping it will be there, because in my experience it very rarely is!

So what can I talk about first, I think I should show you my new tops, and when I say they have a range, I mean there were around one hundred different slogans and pictures and designs, so much that it took you a while to go through them all. They also have varying styles and necklines which I will go into more detail about below.

Summer T-Shirts

Here is my list of t-shirts from the images above, the prices ranged from £2.00 – £3.50.

Navy Blue Feathers – Stretchy Vest

Green Daisy Tee – Slouchy Top

Green French Quotes Butterfly / Moth Design – Crew Tee

Grey Paris and Eiffel Tower ‘J’adore Paris’ Design – Crew Tee


White with Red Stripes and Black Sketch Hearts – Crew Tee


Navy Blue and white heart symbol and ‘Kind Heart, Fierce Mind, Brave Spirit’ – Crew Tee

The details on several of these t-shirts were the reasons behind getting them. Especially the ones that have a design covering the entire piece of material. I also love anything with either French wording or something Paris related on it.

The Crew Tee style is a rounded neck which has short sleeves, they are usually true to size especially on the shoulders and arms, although there isn’t much difference in waist between a 6 and an 8. I purchased both sizes this time around.
The Slouchy Tops often have a more casual feel to them, slightly less fitted and have three quarter length sleeves, I can often wear two sizes in these as well.
And the Stretchy Vests have no sleeves but often have the higher levels of detail on them, often thicker material and they are definitely true to size.

My Overall Average Review Scores for All Tops Mentioned

Value for Money 4/5
Fit To Size 5/5
Comfort 5/5
Detailing 5/5
Durability 4/5
Appearance 5/5

Overall I am very happy with my purchases. I think if you’re between sizes it can be difficult to choose something that will suit you, but I think the range that Primark supplies is one that can usually be accessible to everyone. They don’t discriminate whatsoever and ensure they stock their exact same tops available from sizes 4 to 20 (that I have seen in my local store).

These tops always wash and wear well, and when they do eventually fade they are easily replaced with a new design, Primark never fail to have enough choices.

I look forward to using these tops in a variety of outfits this year, and they are perfect still to layer up as it gets colder in the Autumn. Keep a look out for me wearing them in my social media.

Such Pretty Shoes

Next I want to show you these incredibly great looking ballet or ballerina shoes (or as I like to call them dolly shoes). They came in a range of metallic colours but I preferred these three, aren’t they fabulous?!

As you can see the colours are vibrant, they have had improved comfort inside this year (thanks Primark!) and they have such cute details with the bows and beads on the front. The bases all have a little grip and they have small heels as well.

If that wasn’t enough to draw you in then perhaps the price will. At just £3.50 a pair! I think they are some of the best Dolly Shoes on the high street right now! (I always get mine in Primark or New Look).

Available in Silver, Gold, Space Grey (I sound like I’m giving out the iPhone colours right?) as well as Metallic Purple, Pink and Blue. They also had a Nude and a Black shiny shoe too.

So a part from looking amazing what did I like about these enough to buy them. Well, I live in this type of shoe during the summer months. They go perfectly with dresses, skirts, shorts and jeans, and these colour choices are so versatile too. Also if you’re heading away this summer, they are lightweight and almost flat, easy to slide into your suitcase.

My Review Scores

Value for Money 5/5 !!!
Fit To Size 4/5
Comfort 5/5
Detailing 4/5
Durability 5/5
Appearance 5/5

These shoes are all (in my opinion) fitted to size and are great value for money. So far they have been durable with very little wear and tear on the base, I have walked almost 10km in one pair since I got them, and a part from the usual bits that stick to the bottom of your shoes, no visible wear of the soles. They are comfortable to wear too, although easy to scuff so be aware of that and where you’ll be wearing them out to. The general appearance is very nice, the details on the Gold and Space Grey with the little beads are very sweet and grab your eye. Shame that the Silver didn’t have any too, so they loose a point for that. I really have enjoyed purchasing and testing these for review, now I just have to hope for some sunshine!

Overall I think these are great shoes, the range is excellent and I would consider getting more when these wear out or if more colours become available.
My final score for them averages at 5/5 and I can recommend you taking a look when you’re next at your local store.

Accessories

Finally on to the accessories, I bought this cute headband in the hope of doing some creative hairstyles with my curly locks on a summer afternoon, weaving the floral hair band in them. Here’s hoping, isn’t it sweet! I’m not going to any festivals this year, but this would also be perfect for that if you like that sort of thing.

Mermaid Flower Headband £2.00

Here are my scores…

Value for Money 4/5
Comfort 4/5
Detailing 4/5
Appearance 5/5

A very nice item that I would wear again, and I hope to make use of it over the summer.


Primark Stationary

I was impressed with the range of items in my local Primark this month. The range was massive but I just chose a few items, some are for me to keep and some are for upcoming giveaways I am holding. There were these gorgeously soft ‘pencil cases’ in marble, but I am using my one as a eyeliner holder. I have many pencils and to stop them getting battered by larger items in my two makeup bags I thought why not have a small case just for them. Because they are long like pencils this works brilliantly.
The marble notebook is stunning, I could use it as a background for macro photography of small review-able items as well.

The other set is a Union Jack one, I haven’t used them yet, but I love that it represents Great Britain, I am proud to be British, that is basically why I got them. They will be used as blog backgrounds in images I think.

Before I show you my detailed images, here are the prices for anyone wondering.

Marble Pencil Case / Makeup Bag – £3.00
Marble ‘A5’ Notebook – £2.50

Union Jack Flag Pencil Case (flat)  – £2.00
Union Jack Flag ‘A5’ Notebook – £2.50

✩ (Look out for my next Giveaway for a chance to win something featured in this blog post). 

Until the next time I decide to do some shopping (which let us be honest is usually once a month at somewhere or other), then thanks for reading this review post. If you have any comments or questions feel free to post them in the section below 🙂 Have a wonderful day!

✩ Sabrina ✩

Click Here for Primark Site

June Primark Haul

PrimHaulPicIt’s been some time since I’ve been to Primark, and by that I mean I haven’t shopped there since about October last year. I would usually pop in every quarter of the year to look at the latest trends and update my wardrobe. But due to circumstances beyond my control I have had to wait several further months before I could get any true retail therapy in there.

I did leave myself a budget to stick to before I went in, and I made a pact with my husband to not buy any more dresses (I have a whole wardrobe just for my dresses and it’s full). Once inside the store I smiled with happiness that it wasn’t too crowded and I got my basket. Let the shopping commence! (Insert smug emoticon here).

So let me tell you about my recent experience at my local Primark. I was very pleased to see a great deal more staff on the floor than there was the previous time I shopped. They were eagerly folding and rearranging the various stands and railings after each group had picked up what they wanted. I enjoy browsing and taking it all in, providing its not like sardine humans at Christmas… (i detest clothes shopping at Christmas).

My usual way of shopping is to begin at the top and work down, the top being my body and not the shop floors. I go for tops and things first, move down to waist and lower and end with accessories and shoes. Though this trip was more about revamping my torso part of my wardrobe, mainly because I had cleared out a great many old t-shirts and long tops earlier this season.

So beginning with all manner of tops and tees I began to wander and I was soon tossing all manner of things into the basket I was carrying. I picked up crop tops, t-shirts and even (i guess you would call them) dress-tops. I was quite impressed with the choice this time around. Nothing else caught my eye until I went to find a changing room and ended up grabbing a summer hat, I don’t actually own one (until now) so it was something I was happy to spend money on (and for a bargain £2 in the sale how could you not love it!).

I sorted out my basket as I waited for a cubicle and soon I was in it trying on my items. I was lucky that half of them looked good or great and after I had finished I had rejected 8 out of the 16 items I went in with.

So what of the 8 items, well here is a mass picture of most of them from when I got home and I looked at my haul all together. I had told myself not to pick up lots of navy and black, as I do tend to go for those colours on a general basis. I was happy that I could choose other colours and that they suited me. Summer, in my opinion, is the perfect time to try something new, and for me, that was more colour in my clothes!

PrimarkHaulJuneSWI will now outline my favourite pieces from my haul, and I’m throwing in some photo’s too for a little outfit inspiration!

I’ve purchased a few cold-shoulder clothing pieces like tops and dresses from high street stores since the start of SS16, but in Primark I found something a bit different. It was this fabulous ribbed crop top which I fell in love with before I had even tried it on. When it fitted my figure like a glove I just had to take it. It’s rare for me to find fashion that fits so perfectly. With stripes and Britain colours I just loved the design and the fit of this item, and was happy with the price as well at £5.00.

Prim07Dress-tops, as I like to call them, are a staple in my wardrobe. I haven’t had many new ones in the past year though and when I saw a pair with a dip hem back I just loved the style. I wasn’t sure how they would look on me because I’m classed as the top top end of a petite, just shy of standard height. I usually have issues with lengths of clothing especially jeans and things. But I loved how these tops looked on my figure and were perfect on my shoulders. They were only £7.00 each which I thought was a decent price for the length of them.

Prim02Prim01
Prim09There were two styles, one white with a black pattern that reminded me of a Buddhist mandala. And the other was black and had the pattern of the moon cycle and read, ‘Crescent Moon, Half Moon, Full Moon’. I was and still am a huge twilight fan, so although I wasn’t looking to buy anything black I loved the idea of this design, so I tried on both, and loved both.

Prim03Prim15

I was most impressed with the t-shirts that Primark had this visit. Some had such lovely designs and I was very happy to try them on and find that they were true to size as well. Here are a few shots of the t-shirts that I got in my haul. I particularly like the Britain flag made from butterflies and the symbol feathers tee, so there are close-ups of those.

Prim06Prim08Prim10

Another crop top that I tried on and really liked was this pale turquoise ribbed crop top. It was thick enough to wear individually and was soft and comfortable when I tried it on. Once again it was a true-to-size fit for me which made it all the more appealing. I’m hoping to pair it with skinny jeans (like in this pic) and with shorts on the warmer Summer days.

Prim04Along with all of the items above I also bought a long yellow t-shirt that had a nice rounded hem, and I also had a t-shirt that had a ‘Hogwarts’ design, I grew up with the Harry Potter books and so I thought it was about time I had something to express my joy of them. Another tee that I loved was a plain white one with tiny hearts on it, I had a pinafore dress at home that I wanted to wear over the top of this one. And we cannot forget the hat I spoke about earlier.

I really hope you have enjoyed checking out my Primark haul, and that maybe you have some inspiration of items that might be in your local store!

Prim12Prim11

★ Sabrina ★