April Collective Haul

Hi my name is Lara and I am a shopaholic...

 

I have been very naughty (read extremely naughty) this month to make up for last month's lack of shopping :P Hey who can blame me with all the fabulous new collections gracing shop displays and River Island emails finding their way to my inbox?!

 

Speaking of River Island, I have placed two rather large orders on their website this month, however they were all stuff I needed in my life (not making excuses here. Honestly, I'm not :P). So here's what the postman had to carry all the way to my house.

 

First up, my Dorothy Perkins synthetic leather jacket needed replacement after taking up residence in my wardrobe for 6 years or so and this time, I decided to invest in a real leather one which will hopefully last a lifetime. This River Island number made the cut and it cost €100. Some may say it is expensive but I think it's worth investing in a good quality leather jacket especially if you know you will wear it a lot...I know I do!

 

 

I scored a bargain with this tailored high wasted shorts as it was reduced down to €14 from €40. I have already worn it with the Orsay blouse further down and it is very comfortable and the material feels nice too. The jumpsuit is the same material as the shorts and I had been meaning to buy one for ages now but I feared it might make my hips look more obvious. I opted for black as a safe option and I'm pretty pleased with how it looks on. The jumpsuit retails for €55.

 



 

Next up is this uber cute embossed leather luggage which will come in very handy for the weekend getaways I have planned this summer. I wanted something small but not too small and this one is just the perfect size with more compartments on the inside. The cute flower design is an added bonus. It comes a little pricey at €87 but the cost per use will justify the price tag ;)

 

Summer isn't complete without a new bikini right? I saw this Pacha Ibiza for River Island number and instantly fell in love with it. To be honest, I wasn't expecting it to be this bright but in summer you can get away with pretty much anything. It cost €44 for both pieces. The sunglasses were an unexpected find and I was delighted that I found a pair that actually fits and doesn't make me look like a bug. It only cost €17 and the black tortoiseshell design on the handles gives it an interesting edge. The flowery orange wallet is actually a travel organizer which will come in handy to keep passports and transport tickets in one place when abroad. This was €20.

 

 

The highlight of both orders has to be this gorgeous pair of shoes which were technically meant for Easter but I slept in and so they have to wait for another occasion to shine. They were €65.

Moving on to more clothing purchases, Mango is another of my favourite stores and I have bought some nice pieces from their new collection. First up is this pair of tailored trousers which look really nice on. Their neutral colour goes with just about anything in my wardrobe and since its material is very light and cool, I can see myself wearing this even on summer nights. I paid €29.99 for them including the stylish textured leather belt.

 

Mango offer some stylish basic tops and cardigans and I couldn't resist not getting one of each of these pink and mink coloured soft sweaters. They have cute little buttons going down the back and they have a slightly oversize fit...right on trend! The Aztec embroidery top is one of the pieces I am looking forward to wear come summer. The colours in it make for a very versatile piece that can be paired in a lot of outfit combinations. All tops were €29.99 each. The feather print scarf is actually a Peacocks find and cost a mere €4!

 

The last piece from Mango is this navy blue jersey dress which is quite a smart number. It cost €49.99.

 

As I said for the River Island shoes, I didn't go out this Easter and so the €139 Mexx jacket which I bought for the day had to stay in my wardrobe. The colour is more bright in person than it is the photo and it is a hybrid between lemon yellow and lime green. I like how it looks with white and navy blue items as well as neutral pieces so expect to see outfit posts featuring it soon.

 

 

From Orsay, I found this cute lace blouse with silk collar and cuffs. I paired it with the River Island high waisted shorts and they looked really good together. Best part is it only cost €19.99! Also from Orsay are these cure earrings that only set me back €5.95. 

The last clothing purchases of the month come courtesy of Stradivarius. I bought this white skater skirt and baby blue oversize knit from their new collection and I wore them together to the Coccinelle Winning Keys event. The top was €27.95 and the skirt €19.95.

 

On to beauty purchases. I had to buy a backup of L'Oreal Elnett Hairspray and this cost the usual €7.90. I also bought some polishes off Ebay from O.P.I.'s Muppets Most Wanted Collection (€20.86 for all three) and Orly Nailtrition for €9.56.

 



I have also placed a small order on the E.L.F. website as they have restocked on the Studio Lip Exfoliator. I decided to get some more items and they have also included Royal Mineral Eyeshadow and Pink Kiss Super Glossy Lip Shine for free with my order. This is what I got:

 

2 Studio Lip Exfoliators
Studio Lip Lock Pencil
Studio Moisturising Lipstick in Rosy-Go-Round
Nail Polish in Champagne
 

Lastly, I have bought two pairs of prescription glasses from Zenni Optical after I had a change in prescription. I opted for a pair that is exactly the same as the one I had before but this time I got the red ones as well as a tortoiseshell cat-eye pair. I paid €45 for both of them, shipping included.