The Summer Sales: An Extra 10% off with ASOS!

Hi guys,
All the summer sales seem to be dwindling down, but if you're a concerted bargain hunter like me, that can only be a good thing. It means that rather than getting 30% or 50% off, you can now get up to a whopping 70% off at all of your favourite shops. And if you like ASOS then I have even more exciting news. As well as the sale having up to 70% off, you can now get an extra 10% off all sale items when you enter the promo code TAKE10 at the checkout: that means that theoretically, you could get up to a whopping 80% off your favourite ASOS goodies!

Here are some of my favourite pieces with 70% off (80% off if you remember to apply the extra discount code!) I'm having a mini shopping spree, because I just can't believe how cheap everything is! Purple ruffle front blouse, Was £28 Now £8 (Or £7.20 with that code!)
Top with floral print and cut out back, Was £36 Now £10.50 (Or £9.45 with the code)
Midi dress with embroidered lace top, Was £50 Now £15 (Or £13.50 with the code)
Studded leather look jacket, Was £70 Now £21 (Or £18.90 with the code)
Studded shoulder coat, Was £100 Now £30 (Or £27 with the code)
Lucky U chunky jumper, Was £35 Now £10.50 (Or £9.45 with the code)

There's currently the perfect mix of high summer pieces and more wintery pieces (some of which will still be just as on trend for the approaching autumn/winter!) I just ordered the floral print top, the lucky U jumper and I'm giving serious consideration to buying the coat with the studded shoulders too. I just can't resist a good stud, and I really can't resist a bargain as good as these!

Have you done any shopping this weekend? Have you picked up any bargains, and which shops have you been shopping in? I'd love to hear all about it, and any sale shopping tips too!

Love Tor x

Shoes: Quirky Leopard Print Heels!

Hi guys,
Largely due to the popularity of Jeffrey Campbell's mega-heels with fashion bloggers around the world, quirky and unusual shaped sandals are very much 'in!' I've got a pair of the Jeffrey Campbell rocking horse shoes, and they get compliments everywhere I wear them. But I have a not-very-secret, secret about them: they just aren't that comfortable!

These platform sandals, despite their height and the kinky heel, do look like they'd be comfortable though. I think it's because of the buttery soft leather upper and the adjustable ankle strap. I'd never heard of the brand Casadei before, but when I fell in love with these shoes I did a little research. Launched in 1958 in Italy, Casadei is a family-owned company that's proud of it's values and roots. I love Italian leather shoes, and the styles are a perfect blend of classic and glamourous.

I admit that I can imagine Nancy Dell'Olio wearing these, but wouldn't they look amazing with a tan and bright red toe nails? Team with jeans or a little black dress for that little bit of WAG glamour we all aspire to every now and again (Even if we don't admit it!)

The additional discounts on the Spartoo sale means that these shoes are now a whopping 70% off: reduced from a huge £526.99 to a much more affordable £158.10. If you want a pair of your own you can buy them here.

Love Tor x

* Post written as part of a new partnership with Spartoo shoes

The Summer Sales: Starting with River Island!

Hi guys,
The summer sales are well and truly in full swing! I popped into the city for a mini shopping trip yesterday, and struggled to find a single store that didn't have a huge sale sign in the window! As has become tradition, the first sale I want to talk about is River Island. Usually I come out with bagfuls of stuff, but this time I only picked up two vests: one of which, I have to say, is the most flattering vest I have ever owned!
I could have spent a small fortune on bags and shoes, which are always the highlight of the River Island sale for me, but I showed some rare restraint, and actually put the two bags I was carrying back! So if you do pop to the River Island sale what can you expect to find in store? And what do I think are the biggest bargains available? Here are my picks:
Red oversized slouchy jacket, Was £35 now £20
Black and white drop hem dress, Was £28 now £15
Black and white 3D flower Tshirt, Was £15 now £7
Orange skull studded slipper shoes, Was £28 now £12
Red one shoulder pencil dress, Was £45 now £15
Pink fluro 'famous' belt, Was £10 now £3
Pink stone ring, Was £8 now £2
Cream studded clutch bag, Was £50 now £25

I chose these pieces because you'll still be able to wear them through the autumn too, and given we aren't expected to have much of a summer, if you pick up any high summer bargains then you're unlikely to get a lot of wear out of them!

The sale is available in store and online at RiverIsland.com, and is well worth checking out! Have you shopped the River Island sale so far this sales season? And have you had any amazing bargains?

Love Tor x

If you buy one thing this Spring, make it neon!

Hi guys,
One of the emergant trend from this month's spate of Fashion Weeks for A/W13 is neon. We saw it at Henry Holland,  and neon detailing (even for nails and make up) was everywhere.

So this season's neons aren't going anywhere: meaning if you buy seasonless pieces, they're the perfect investment that you can wear now, and still be wearing this time next year.  Think neon jewellery, ballet pumps and lightweight, layerable shirts and tees.
Pink jumper, Gap. Perspex and orange necklace, H&M. Pink lipstick, Dior.  Bracelets, both Topshop.

The best thing is, the current love affair with neon isn't even a new Spring/Summer one. It actually started last year, which means there were, and still are, plenty of fluro neon items to be had in the January and end of season sales. I picked up my neon pink jumper from the Gap sale at the end of January for just £15. And I just ordered a great pair of neon detail sandals from Sarenza to keep me on trend all summer too.

Make up-wise, I think neon is difficult. I certainly wouldn't feel brave enough to wear a neon eyeshadow or (gulp!) neon mascara. But neon lipstick can look great: this neon pink lipstick from Dior has a high gloss shine that makes the colour pop even more, and really draws attention to your lips.

Admittedly, it isn't a trend for the fainthearted. But the benefits of wearing neon are multiple! It instantly makes you look tanned (I don't know how, but it does!), appear on trend with very little effort, and a little bit goes a long way: even a neon cuff is enough.

What do you think of the neon trend? Would you wear neon, or is it just a little bold for you?

Love Tor x

Daily Wear: Sale shopping at Westfield London

Hi guys,
On Thursday I went for my final sales shopping trip to Westfield London: and there were still plenty of bargains to be had! It was also my first trip into London with Wilbur, and I would say it was a very successful trip all round! I love Westfield, so it was great to be shopping there again: regional shopping to good, but you really can't beat London shopping, can you?

I hit up all of the usual high street stores, and after toying with a Balmain-style jacket in Zara, I picked up this coat, reduced from £95 to £50 in Topshop:

Coat and boots, Topshop. Jeans, Miss Selfridge. Hat, Urban Outfitters sample sale. Satchel, car boot sale.

I fell in love with the super-soft fur and the pleats at the back. There's a lot of fabric in this coat (it's soo heavy!) so it was a damn bargain! I also picked up a dress and some towels in Debenhams and two Little Marc Jacobs outfits for Wilbur. Westfield London hands down has the best selection of children's clothes shops I have ever seen: definitely worth the drive down just to dress the little man. And definitely worth it for my new coat: I love it!

Have you had any final sales bargains this weekend? If you're nearby and looking for something to do, I heartily recommend a trip to Westfield London. I'm hoping to get down again before the sales are over: I didn't get to check out nearly as many of the stores as I wanted!!

Love Tor x

*I received a gift voucher from Westfield London to help me write this post


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Boots sale: Where there is Soap there is Glory

Hi guys,
One of the sales I always check out is the Boots sale: straight after Christmas all of their gift sets are reduced by 50%. Later in the month the reduction will be increased to seventy percent, but the products available by that point are usually pretty limited: shoppers have already snapped up all the best stuff!

As well as picking up a few birthday gifts for family and friends, the thing I have my eyes peeled for are Soap and Glory sets. I really love the scent of their bath products and buy them regularly, full price or not. So getting them in the sale is a real treat! When I popped into my local Boots on the 27th I got the hand wash and hand lotion set for £5 (reduced from £10) and the travel miniatures set for £9 (reduced from £18) which I will be saving for our next holiday in February!

Other great brands and products I spotted were Charles Worthington hair sets, French Connection bath sets for men and women (complete with lovely wash bags) and even some gorgeous Jamie Oliver cookery sets. There were huge Champneys boxes full of products too - basically I could have spent a small fortune filling my bathroom with gorgeous lovely-smelling goodies!

Have you checked out the Boots sale yet? Are reduced toiletries on your sale shopping itinerary? And if so what have you picked up so far?

Love Tor x

The January Sales are here! Simple tips for success....

Hi guys,
They're here! Christmas is over, and the part of the celebrations every girl who cares about fashion really gets excited about is upon us: the January sales. I don't really know why they call them the January sales, as technically they start at the end of December, but nonetheless, they're here!

I wrote a quick post of tips for January Sales shopping last year, and was simply going to link to that again for this January. But actually I realised I'd missed out on some great tips, and if you want to have sales success you have to be prepared. So I've written the list again! Here are my new and improved top tips to get what you want from the January sales:

1. Plan ahead! In the week before Christmas (leading up to the sales) when i'm shopping for my Christmas presents I'm also looking at the things I'd like to get for myself: If I see something I really like I even try it on, because believe me, trying things on just isn't feasible on the first days of the sale. That way I can run in, find it, and buy it as soon as the sale starts.

2. Set a budget. And then stick to it! I know it's easier said than done, but when you hit the sales it's easy to forget how much you're spending, and spend much more than you wanted to. When I'm going sales shopping I take out the amount I'm prepared to spend in cash before I hit the shops: that way, I know exactly what I'm spending as I go (it's so easy to lose track with cards) and when it's gone, it's gone!

3. Last year The Telegraph reported than one in ten people do their Christmas shopping in the January sales. Whilst I'm not condoning such bah humbug behaviour, I do do some of my present shopping for birthdays throughout the first half of the year (My nieces birthday is in January, and my sisters birthday is at the beginning of Febuary for example) in the January sales. It just makes good sense: you get more for your money, meaning people get better gifts!  Plan ahead for this like you would when shopping for Christmas: write a list of the people you're looking for presents for, a few ideas and all their vital statistics (sizes etc) to take with you to the shops.

4. Make a list of things you need, and more importantly, a list of things you DON'T need. I am a self confessed coat and jacket addict. I don't need any more: it would be a waste of money. But I really need new jeans. Having a piece of paper to shop with that spells out that I need jeans, knitwear, make up etc and I don't need jackets, coats or anything with sequins on it makes it much easier to stay motivated to only buy what I need.

5. Finally, don't give up! This is a tip I shared last year that's still just as relevant now. If you've got your heart set on something but it's sold out don't give up: just think outside the box. If you really wanted French Connection shoes but can't get them from French Connection, for example, try Sarenza or Zalando or any other website that sells big brand names. And for high street clothes, ASOS is a veritable gold mine of sale items that have sold out elsewhere: it's where I got that River Island dress I wanted last January that was sold out on their website!

Are you prepared for the January Sales? Do you have anything on your wish list that you're hoping to pick up? Or have you been too busy thinking about Christmas to prep for the bargain hunting afterwards?

Love Tor xx

Top tips for January Sales shopping

Hi guys,

Ahhh, it's that time of the year again! Not content with our Christmas consumerism, it's time to buy everything we didn't buy at Christmas, but at huge discounts. And use those Buy.com promotional codes before they expire! And who am I to argue with that?

In line with my money saving drive, I'm not hitting the sales in the mad way I usually do: instead I'm just looking for the perfect leather jacket at a huge discount (fingers crossed!!) But if you are looking to hit the sales with gusto, here are my top tips:

1. Make a wish list. Going into the sales without any idea of what you really want to buy means that you'll end up buying everything pretty thing you see, but probably don't need (and if you're anything like me then instantly regret it). Instead make a list of things you want and need. Make sure these are things you would buy at full price anyway, and fit in with your existing wardrobe. Remember that 50% off something you don't need it actually a waste of money!

2. Set a budget. And then stick to it! I know it's easier said than done, but when you hit the sales it's easy to forget how much you're spending, and spend much more than you wanted to. When I'm going sales shopping I take out the amount I'm prepared to spend in cash before I hit the shops: that way, I know exactly what I'm spending as I go (it's so easy to lose track with cards) and when it's gone, it's gone!

3. Don't forget to look online, but don't expect it to be simple. Sure, you don't have to queue to try things on, or wait for the shops to open in the rain, but you still have to be fast and organised. Once you've found something you want to buy, if you don't get to the online checkout fast enough, several stores will remove the item from your basket if another customer wants to buy it (I'm thinking of you River Island!) So being speedy and methodical are key: having accounts set up with the companies you want to shop with will make the process even faster.

4. Finally, don't give up! If you've got your heart set on something but it's sold out don't give up: just think outside the box. If you really wanted French Connection shoes but can't get them from French Connection, for example, try Sarenza or Zalando or any other website that sells big brand names. And for high street clothes, ASOS is a veritable gold mine of sale items that have sold out elsewhere: it's where I got that River Island dress I wanted last January that was sold out on their website!

And that's it! Happy shopping!

Have you been sales shopping yet? And did you get any amazing bargains, or have any more sales shopping tips to share?

Love Tor xx