Easy to apply liquid liner

I feel a bit rubbish doing a really short blog tonight when I've just noticed Edna has new followers! Hello! Thank you for following my blog...I really hope you enjoy it.

And sorry for being so short and sweet tonight. Home from work late, barely awake, and decided that it's probably also a good idea to pack my hospital bag in case my baby decides to arrive early (only just over four weeks to go!) so I'm vaguely putting things into my gorgeous Lin & Leo bag.

I've been meaning to blog about Prestige bargain liquid eyeliner for a while.

I've never heard of Prestige cosmetics and haven't bought anything else from them other than their liquid liners...but they are brilliant! A total doddle to apply - it's so easy to get a nice smooth line. It has a good, strong colour and stays put all day. All for £5.99! I've got classic black and burgundy and love both.

Bargain Preen

I've been meaning to post a photo of my Preen for Debenhams dress ever since I bought it back in March but I've only finally got around to getting the camera out this week. This is going to sound repetitive but yet again it's one of my non-maternity, maternity dresses and I love it! I love the contrast of the casual grey jersey with the frilly, chiffon black hem. And I'm hopeful that it will work just as well when I get a waistline back again!

Preen for Debenhams Editions dress - £45

 

I'm wearing the dress with a Zara blazer (which is always appearing on Edna and I gloat about it only costing £10!), Max C handbag and leopard print Kurt Geiger shoes.

My jewellery is a Lola Rose necklace, bought on the cheap from London Fashion Weekend, a wooden bracelet that was a present, and the orange ring is from the Untold range at House of Fraser. The heart print scarf was from a shop near Spitalfields market but I can't remember what it's called.

 

Discovering Galibardy jewellery

A few weeks ago, a quirky little apple ring caught my eye in Grazia...it was even more appealing because it didn’t cost an absolute fortune.

Apple ring - £18

I immediately looked at the brand Galibardy online and found a treasure trove of quirky jewellery, all of which is less than £50...most much, much less.

I think sometimes a little bit of quirky jewellery can be great to take a classic outfit and make it a more interesting. Rather than twinset and pearls, you can go for twinset and a ‘Robot Bambi’ necklace and it stops the frump factor.

I tend to like one or the other though – quirky jewellery or some quirk in the outfit itself or other accessories...not in the entire outfit, otherwise there’s a risk of looking a bit of a tit!

It’s all about the balance and if you strike the right balance, I think there’s a place for a balloon dog necklace in every grown-up woman’s jewellery box!

Queen cat ring - £16

Quill feather ring - £12

Percy rabbit ring - £18

Bike necklace - £16

Robot bambi necklace - £21

Rabbit in hat necklace - £18

Balloon dog necklace - £16

Simple summer sandals

This week's lust item has been on my radar for a very long time...I was tempted to buy a pair last year. This year, there is every chance they're going to end up on my feet!

Clarks Kestral Soar sandals - £45

I love the simplicity of these Clarks Originals sandals. I know there's a risk that they could look a little orthopaedic but I think they fall just on the right side of sensible and are actually simple and flattering. I can imagine them on my feet with a bright, neon polish on my toe nails and maybe the hint of a tan.

I'm selling them to myself on the basis that they're also uber comfortable. I've already been into Clarks and done the sole squeezing test to see how supportive they seem - they passed with flying colours. I know the next step is trying on but I have to approach that stage carefully, as it invariably leads to the purse coming out!

Denim dreams

It may be because I haven’t had a waistline for a while...or that I've seen lots of denim in magazines recently...or that as little as I wear jeans, I'm missing squeezing myself into the occasional pair of skinnies...but I've become a little obsessed recently with denim. Denim in all forms, not just jeans...although jeans are really what I am lusting after.

I know you can get maternity jeans – and I do have one pair of hand-me-downs – but they’re not quite the same. And because I’m quite short and heels are a bit of a no-no at the moment, maternity jeans with flats make me feel even more squat than usual and my legs more sausage-like!

I’m now dreaming about the day that I can squeeze myself back into some jeans and try and look a little like Mary-Kate Olsen in this amazing outfit.

For now, I may satisfy the urge for denim with one of the Dorothy Perkins dresses shown below. Dorothy Perkins has a whole plethora of denim loveliness in store and is definitely worth a look!

But lots of denim has been catching my eye on the high street...

Zara red jeans - £39.99

Reiss 1971 Birkin high waist kick flare jean - £89

Twist & Tango chambray pocket mini dress - £82.50

Topshop 70s denim high-waisted skirt - £25

Dorothy Perkins light wash denim ruched dress - £32

Dorothy Perkins blue denim bow back dress - £32

BDG twill ankle cigarette jeans - £45

River Island mid wash denim bow pocket a-line skirt - £29.99

Oasis coloured cherry crop jeans - £45

Mango jeans - £44.90

Essential black jersey!

I blogged a few weeks ago about the latest designer collaboration ranges at Uniqlo...and not long afterwards I ventured into a store and made a purchase. Yet another non-maternity, maternity dress! 

It's a draped black jersey dress from the Costello Tagliapietra range, with a diagonal hemline and ruching around the chest and neckline.

I know black jersey dresses aren't particularly exciting but I find them so useful and have already worn it loads. Although I bought a size bigger than I'd normally need, I figure that post pregnancy...at some point down the line when I have a waistline again...I can cinch it in with a belt. 

I wore the dress with a sales bargain Zara blazer (£10!), sales bargain Max C bag (£10 too!), M&S scarf, Lola Rose necklace and ring, Bex Rox bracelet and my amazingly comfortable Cath Kidson espadrille wedges (with not very exciting maternity leggings!).

A fashion crush inspired by a maxi

This is the quick blog I was hoping to post last night until I found out at 11.30pm that Blogger was having a total technical meltdown and skulked off to bed!

I'm hoping to blog again later but wanted to at least get this up for now.

I saw a photo yesterday of Rachel Bilson looking amazing in a floral maxi dress and sharp black blazer and immediately wanted to dig out a maxi dress from my own wardrobe and wear it this way! It could look so whimsical and frothy and yet the blazer and accessories toughen it up...and I love it!

I know that my mantra on Edna is to avoid too much celebrity chatter but now and again I allow myself a little...particularly when someone looks so good! I don't think I've ever watched anything that Rachel Bilson has been in...and wouldn't even be able to name anything in fact...but she certainly knows how to put together a gorgeous little outfit!

All photos In Style UK

M&S scarves - treasure amongst the dross

My recent shopping trip to buy my much-needed bigger pants took me into M&S for the first time in a while. I know I've said this before - and it's an often heard complaint - but M&S sells some utter, utter dross. A sea of revolting clothing in fact!

I did spot a few nice pieces but these were totally over-whelmed by the onslaught of dated, unflattering, bizarrely printed clothing. Even the latest M&S ad campaigns made me raise an eyebrow - the idea of putting Lisa Snowdon or Danii Minogue in clothing that makes them look frumpy and dated. What the hell hope is there for us mere mortals?!

Despite this traditional M&S complaint, one thing they do well (aside from the obvious undies) is scarves. I always spot a scarf I'd like to buy and they're usually a reasonable price.

The latest one on my radar is the star print scarf below, which I saw in a gorgeous green. It was almost a lust item of the week but I decided to feature a few M&S scarves as I could have happily bought more than one. These are some of my favourites...none of which should make you look like your 90 year old nan going for tea!

Ditsy floral scarf with silk - £29.50

Dip dye stripe scarf with linen - £22

Scatter star print scarf - £15 (shown in pink but I want it in green)

Animal print tassel scarf - £15

Pure cotton stripe ruffle scarf - £19.50

Pure cotton stripe scarf - £15

Butterfly print mesh scarf - £19.50

Edna gets interviewed

A while ago I got invited to be interviewed about the Edna blog...something hugely flattering and slightly nerve-wracking! Despite rambling on my blog each week, I'm not used to answering lots of questions about myself. After spending a lifetime getting around to answering the questions, my interview has finally gone live. It's on a website called 'Unique-Women-Clothing' and the lovely Jeneve interviewed me and patiently waited for me to finally put together my answers.

I hope you like the interview which is here: http://www.unique-women-clothing.com/katie-warrick.html

One thing I've learnt from the experience is that I use far, far too many exclamation marks. Life really doesn't need quite so many. I will live my life from now on with slightly fewer and be extra vigilant on the Edna blog that I'm not over-indulging in them (!).

Thanks again to Jeneve and 'Unique-Women-Clothing' for the interview.

Leopard print loveliness

It's a contrast this week in what I am lusting after and what I've actually bought. My lust item is a piece of leopard print loveliness. My shopping has been upsizing in the knicker department, as my pregnant body has outgrown my pants and I've upscaled a few sizes! I feel much more comfortable and less likely to lose a leg to strangulation by knicker elastic...but it's not been a purchase that makes me feel very attractive.

This little LK Bennett leopard print dress would!

LK Bennett Wilder aquamarine dress - £195

I know it's not to everyone's taste and some of you will still feel a little uncertain about leopard print. For years we were indoctrinated that is was tacky and brassy and overtly sexy. I don't agree with this at all. Admittedly if you're wearing a skin tight, uber short, low cut, satin leopard print dress that's straining across your curves, then that is a bit over the top. But I think that's a cumulative effect rather than because you're wearing a leopard print!

I think leopard print - even in turquoise as here - can be very chic. This dress works because the rest of it is so demure - long sleeves, on the knee and in jersey fabric. It works with a blazer and some simple heels for the office. It stands up on its own for a night out. I'd tend to keep it simple and avoid too much decoration when wearing this dress.

However, at £195 this is most definitely a lust item from a distance with a possible eye on a future sale!

Maxis for everyone

Shortness does not preclude maxi dress wearing. Fact! Even those of us below 5ft 5” can find maxi dresses that suit us...and heels are not necessary to carry them off. It’s all about the cut, the length, the style and fabric...basically finding a style that suits you and your body shape.

I don’t think anyone looks great with a dress that’s dragging on the floor (unless it’s your wedding day and you’re carrying off a train!) and if it's too long, there’s always a risk of foot entanglement as you go about your day-to-day business!

At the same time, mid-calf is an awkward length, fraught with the risk of unflattering frumpery! I quite like a length that is just above my ankle – the sort of length of my leopard print maxi bought at London Fashion Weekend. Long enough to be maxi and not midi but not too long that I’m going to get myself tangled and trodden on.

The choice of maxi dresses on the high street these days is huge...these are some of my current favourites.

My favourite...French Connection broadway stripe maxi dress - £82

Topshop multi deckchair stripe racer back maxi dress - £30

 

Monsoon butterfly printed maxi dress - £70

Therapy 70s slinky floral print maxi dress - £48

A dress for my imaginary summer holiday to a Mediterranean island, where I lounge next to a pool for days on end! Miss Selfridge animal print belted dress - £39

Never Fully Dressed satin ‘Melanie’ maxi dress - £69

Reiss ‘Sardinia’ striped hem dress - £95

Expensive but very lovely NW3 by Hobbs fly hook maxi in washed silk - £179