The perfect sandals for all seasons

I was inspired to write a blog post this morning as I admired my lovely new sandals on my walk into work. I should start by saying I’m very picky about sandals, and I have difficult feet. They swell considerably in the summer so can be difficult to dress. I also need to be able to drive in sandals and of course they have to be very comfortable.

These sandals come in both gold and silver (yay!) and are currently in the sale for a mere £18 – get them while you can! They are adjustable which means I can tighten or loosen them depending on how my feet are behaving on any given day and it tightens the fit across the foot (not just round the ankle) so they feel very snug. I could (and have) run in these. I really do love them.

I find the slightly matt glitter finish reminds me of brushed metal which is completely perfect for the muted seasons. These sandals would look their absolute best on Summers and Autumns.

Summer make-up recommendations

I absolutely love painting my toenails in the summer (in fact I’m not sure I could cope with bare nails). I’m currently wearing China Glaze ‘Strap On Your Moonboots’ on my feet which is just perfection with the silver sandals:

I find with the China Glaze polish that it does dry quickly so you can’t really afford to faff around when you’re applying it. Not really a problem for smaller nails but it means the big toe can be a pain. It dries fine though and the holographic finish is incredible (and particularly good for Summers – better than a high shine finish). I needed two coats.

Another polish I tried very recently (and absolutely LOVED) was OPI’s ‘I’m Not A Waitress’:

It goes on beautifully and the metallic finish is perfect. I needed two coats. I got so many compliments when I wore this on my toes. It is currently available on Beauty Bay, £7.17 with free delivery!

I’m a huge fan of Collection 2000’s sparkle top coat, available from Super Drug:

This was the nail varnish I wore on my wedding day! It’s a very fine silver glitter. I tend to wear it on its own rather than over other varnishes but if you already had a colour you loved and wanted a subtle sparkle finish this would be perfect. I think it is particularly good for Summers being so pretty and subtle. A Winter would be better off with something a bit more cool and glitzy like China Glaze Tinsel Town.

I try to only blog about make-up and clothing I’ve actually tried or seen in person, but I can’t resist including this nail varnish which I have actually ordered:

I’m very excited about China Glaze ‘When Stars Collide’ (and what a pretty name!) It looks like Summer perfection, I hope it’s not too warm when it arrives (all other photos online I’ve seen suggest it’s not).

UPDATE! It arrived and I tried it on – it is pure Summer perfection! Highly recommended!

Beauty Bay have China Glaze and OPI in stock and I would recommend eBay too, which is particularly good for finding discontinued colours. I think OPI’s typical RRP is £11.95 per bottle but I can often find them cheaper (around £7, sometimes less) on Beauty Bay. China Glaze prices really vary depending on what kind of polish it is. I managed to get ‘Strap On Your Moonboots’ for about £5 off eBay.

Summer work-out wear

And finally… I found a couple of great t-shirts for working out in and some jogging bottoms. Yes, even my work-out gear has to be compliant (which isn’t always easy!) It’s not just the colour, it’s the finish too. Nothing too shiny or high contrast.

I love the fact that the wave on the front actually looks a lot like the crescent of a moon.

This Roxy t-shirt is a pleasant change from the grey or navy I often end up buying.

The watercolour-style of the text is beautiful, as are the words. The cornflower blue is a nice change from navy, which is typically readily found (along with black). I also managed to get a fabulous tie dye t-shirt from Marks & Spencer but unfortunately they sold out. The pattern on the t-shirt reminded me of water (perfect for a Summer).

At nearly 5ft 10in I do often struggle with length when it comes to jogging bottoms and I find that the mainstream sportswear companies (Nike, Adidas, etc) cater for the average height woman which means that I end up with ankle swingers. I love the fact that Marks & Spencer actually do short, regular and long length jogging bottoms. Hurrah! And I have two pairs to show you.

These grey yoga pants are very soft and they hang nicely too. I do like a wider leg. The band at the top is nice and wide and comfortable. I’ve yet to wear them in a class yet but they are very stretchy and therefore I imagine won’t restrict my movement. I also like Marks & Spencer leggings in general because they’re usually pretty thick and you can’t see your underwear through them (particularly important for an exercise class!).

These are the ultimate in lounge wear. Incredibly comfortable and soft and warm. Great for a workout or lounging around in the winter 🙂