Beauty on a budget: webuybooks.co.uk review

I don't know about you, but this beauty is on a budget. A serious one. As much as I love shopping, I am very bad at getting rid of stuff, which means stuff piles up in my place. I try to get rid of the things I'm no longer using. It helps if I think about someone else getting to use the things I'm no longer using, but still it's a process.

What helps even more is when I can get something in return for my stuff. *KERCHING*

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I tried webuybooks.co.uk not too long ago to get rid of some books and DVDs that I no longer needed. (They also take CDs and games.) It's a web based service where you tell them what you have and they offer you a price for them. If you accept the offer, you can compile an order and send off your items to them. They inspect them, and transfer you the agreed payment. You can read about how it works in detail on their site.

Generally you should have £10 worth of items before you can send an order off, although sometimes they will offer you less money if you can't make it to £10 (i.e. £7 rather than £8). I assume this is due to the cost of processing orders.

I sent them 20 books and 3 DVDs and got £29 in return. It's not going to make you rich, but it's a nice little bit of spare cash. I was happy with my experience.

I found the process pretty simple and easy. The only hard part is you need to box up your items yourself, so you need to find a suitable sized box and then you need to take it to a collect plus location, which for me is difficult. There isn't one near me, or on a bus route, so I usually have to ask a friend with a car to take it for me, but this may not be a problem for most people.

Before I knew it, I'd had my money transferred into my bank account, just as promised.

Overall, I'd really recommend this service - was really great! The only downside is that you get so little for some books, but it's easier than trying to sell each one individually myself on eBay or Amazon where I may not see any returns.

Finding the right fit in a bra

I have been in love with Bravissimo every since I noticed my bras weren't feeling quite right. I had been wearing a 34B for years and after putting on some extra weight thought that maybe I should have a bra fitting.

I went into Bravissimo and they told me I was a 32E! Well that was quite the surprise, but wow, how comfortable that bra felt.

Now I know how to tell what bra fits well both in band size and in cups. I don't think I was wrong all those years - I think I genuienly fit into a 34B at one point. Maybe it was a bit too large, maybe I was actually a 32C or a 30D, I don't know for certain, but now I find that I vary between a 32E, 30F, and 30FF. But most important of all - I know to try the bra on, and not trust the size on the label.

Sounds so simple, but I was missing out on that. ¬_¬;;

Anyway, I wanted to also post about Bravissimo because not only have been brilliant in sizing, but they also have amazing customer service. I have literally worn bras from there a few times and realised it wasn't right for me and they have given me a refund - no questions asked! Even when I say 'well, I've worn it a few times already...' they haven't even blinked and accepted it for a full refund or exchange. I seriously couldn't be more happy about their customer service.

If you haven't tried them yet, give them a chance. At the very worst, you can simply return your bra!

I guess I should say, the only downside to Bravissimo is that while they have a wide range of band sizes from 28 to 40, they seem to cater mainly to larger cup sizes from D to L.

Here are some of my most recent purchases - well actually bought them a few months ago. So I can honestly say they have lasted well and are truly comfortable.

Satine bra £29 This bra is so comfortable! It does run a bit small in the cup, so I'd recommend going up a cup size than your usual size (The sales woman recommended this and I'd say she was right!) (So if you usually wear 36E, you'll probably want 36F in this one).

I have the Satine bra in nude and it's gorgeous! I never realised how hard it was to find a decent nude bra until I went to an E/F/FF cup! Once you're no longer a cute A/B/C cup, it can really feel like stylish bras just don't exist - all the more so in nude (which people often call 'beige' and seem to think some be relegated to an old woman's knicker drawer).

Fanciful bra, £ 32

Patsy bra, by Freya £30
I have two of these and really love it. it has some light padding, which I adore - who wants nipple show-through?! I also nabbed one of these in a pale pink from Debenham's. I hope Freya keep making this style. It's so lovely, although I do find the band stretches a bit, which is why the 30 felt a bit tight at first, now feels very comfy. I originally got a 32 band but it became far too loose on me too quickly.

Remember if you go down a bandsize but the cup size fit fine, you should go up a cup letter as you go down (i.e. I went from 32E to 30F, so only the bandsize got smaller, the cup size stayed the same even though the letter changed). Or, down a cup size if you wanna increase the bandsize (i.e. from a 32E to a 34D).

Yep, bra sizes are so confusing to the uninitiated!

Pantone Colour of the Year: Radiant Orchid tights

The Pantone Colour of the year for 2014 is radiant orchid - a lovely and vibrant violet purple.

On a recent stroll through Covent Garden, I dropped into one of my favourite shops - Tabio tights and socks and picked up a pair of 60 denier violet tights. So thought I'd share some beautiful violet or radiant orchid tights today!

They have a lovely spring vibe, but I still feel like I can wear them in this cold, sunny, winter weather!