Hey there!

For those of you who have been following me for a while you may know I am a regular attendee of Bristol Fashion Week. The week happens twice a year (SS and FW) and is a chance for the lovely brands at The Mall Cribbs Causeway to showcase their beautiful stock in a spectacular fashion show incorporating trend, colour, dance and catwalk models all hosted by the flamboyant Henry Holland and TV personality Mark Hayes.

As a part of the management team at Warehouse in The Mall I was able to see first-hand the inner workings of the show and even collaborated with the talented senior stylist Ray Gaddu in order to curate a series of outfits from the Warehouse SS17 collection to be shown on the catwalk. Excited to see the finished product I attended the show on two separate days in order to view the different brand collections rotating over the week of catwalk displays. Blogger invitation in our hands my younger sister, and fellow fashionista, and I grabbed ourselves a glass of bubbly and took a few street-style snaps outside the location. 

Sophie wore a vintage, boutique dress, a stunning one-off piece sourced from California alongside a basic jersey, earrings and fishnets all from H&M in The Mall and boots from Dr Martens. 

My outfit was a mishmash of Atheleisure pieces and structured corsetry, with hoodie from the SS17 H&M collection, sweatpants from Pull & Bear, boots from Lasula, cap from Las Vegas and corset from Hour Glass Angel, plus accessories from H&M and Accessorise. 

DAY 2

A buzz had descended over Bristol and there were hundreds of people shopping and taking advantage of the amazing freebies and offers floating around during the Fashion Week extravaganza. The stores involved in the fashion show tend to offer a percentage discount over the week and The Mall had exploded with a hive of activity and shopping. Taking advantage of our blogging passes, we decided to check out the show the following day as this particular catwalk was presenting pieces from the Warehouse SS17 collection, and therefore was of great interest to me. The show followed the same major trends in print, colour and shapes however the brands displayed were different. The Warehouse collection was a showcase of our brightest and boldest 70s-style prints styled in a 1950s segment of the show. I loved seeing the collection sent down the runway and certainly noticed a ripple of approval amongst the audience. 

In fully branded style, Sophie and I both wear pieces from Warehouse, with Sophie rocking accessories from H&M and my accessories from Gucci, Carvella and coat from a vintage boutique in Birmingham. 

We loved the shows and are still enjoying all the little bits we received in our goodie bags! Thanks for having us Cribbs Causeway! We'll be back in September for the FW17 shows...

xx

Hi guys,

Today's post is a bit of a review of a few of the Forever Health UK products. Forever are a health and fitness company specialising in Aloe Vera based products, sports nutrition and beauty products. One of their lovely reps Luke got in touch with me to see if I'd like to sample a few of their bits. As a keen gym-goer, dancer and general health enthusiast (obsessive) I was keen to get involved and give you guys a break down of what I noted about these specific products. 

Luke dropped me off a gorgeous little tote bag stuffed full of lovely Forever Health products. The first thing I noticed was the beautiful branding. A white tote bag with a gold embossed logo and gold rope handles, super classy! Inside the bag he had popped a few of the products he thought I would get on with the best. These were ARGI+, Forever Fibre, Forever Prox2 Protein Bars and a tube of Aloe Moisturising Lotion. This post is going to focus on the sports nutrition products and I will put up a separate post reviewing the moisturising lotion. 

Starting with the ARGI+ and Forever Fibre supplements - I took the ARGI+ sachet dissolved into a glass of water before heading off to the gym for a sweaty session. The product is intended to give the user a burst of energy and increase oxidisation in the body to improve the functionality of muscles. Turning a pretty purple/red colour I took a deep breath and downed the whole glass, expecting a bitter taste as with most fitness supplements. However I was pleasantly surprised in that the product tasted just like Ribena! Letting it settle for a few minutes I grabbed my gym bag and headed off, feeling a gentle buzz warming the pit of my stomach. ARGI+ will not have the same effect as a product such as Red Bull or a caffeine stimulant as the core ingredients operate in stimulating the body to oxidise more rather than using invasive chemicals to increase heart rate, however I did feel a certain swing in my step during my session and noted a few extra calories burnt on my standard 30 minute treadmill run. 

The brainchild of Sam's many years of fitness instruction, Bosom Buddies is a brand that focuses on support and fit whilst still being conscious of fashion trend and beautiful colours. Sam is always developing the brand to suit her many different clients and adapting the fits of her garments in order to maximise the comfort and functionality of the clothes. 

 Dazzling in some beautiful print combinations, the brand investigates the line between sportswear and fashion by using strong graphics and colours. The pieces are eye catching and can be mis-matched or paired with their suitable partner to create a full-body look. Using a quality, UK-based supplier for the Lyrca and materials used within the designs, Sam is keen to help her clients find their boldness and freedom through fashion and exercise. 

My two favourite pieces are both in the dance wear category. As a dancer myself and an avid gym-goer, I know what I would attracts me to sportswear. I like to match my whole outfit with colours and prints on the top and bottom, and I like strong and flattering cuts in quality materials. I was particularly drawn to a pair of bootcut, lycra dance trousers (perfect for jazz or contemporary) in Asian inspired prints and colours. 

I had my younger sister Sophie try on a few outfits so I could get a better idea of the fits and cuts of the pieces. Sophie is a professional dancer in training and would be the ideal candidate to put the garments through their paces. Picking out a couple of cute, scrappy sports bras and pairing them with leggings and the beautiful dance trousers, these were our favourite looks... 

Go and visit Bosom Buddies and say hello for a fitting and wonderful styling experience. Plus they might still have some champagne left!

Rounding the corner, visitors are welcomed by layers of handmade bunting and fairy lights guiding you down a paved alleyway into the hidden café area. Strewn with gorgeous, little accessories and charms littered around the walls, ceiling and doors, the Vintage Birdcage really has put a lot of effort into the cutesy décor and aesthetic of their eatery.