Category: Budget shopping

Spa and Style event at The Lyrath Estate Hotel, Kilkenny

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Hi guys and gals! 

Well what an amazing few weeks! I am completely blown away by the fabulous events the past few weeks, including the two ‘Dream It, Do It’ events which I was asked to speak at along with the amazing Spa and Style event which I was invited to at the Lyrath Estate hotel in Kilkenny this week.

Today I am going to talk you through the Spa and Style event which I attended on Wednesday evening in Kilkenny and which was hosted by the Cocoa Brown queen herself, Marissa Carter! I will also include a full outfit post which I know a lot of you fashionistas are asking about! 

So keep those eyes peeled and keep on scrolling to see all about the event and what I wore! 

  
On Wednesday 18th of November, I made my way to the fabulous 5 star hotel that is, the Lyrath Estate in Kilkenny. I was honoured to attend the Spa and Style event at the Lyrath which was a fabulous evening filled with all things fashion and beauty – the perfect girls evening! 

When we arrived, we were greeted by the lovely ladies on reception and of course by our amazing host, Linda, who had an evening planned for us which was out of this world! 

We made our way to our rooms, which may I add were beautiful. We were blown away by the attention to detail in the rooms and also so lucky to have an amazing balcony off our room which enabled us to view the gorgeous grounds of the hotel. 

We glammed ourselves up and made our way to the yellow room in the old building of the hotel for some champagne and nibbles. While there, I had the amazing opportunity of meeting the other fab bloggers who were there for the evening. The fabulous Laura, from Laura Dempsey make up, Jen from Too Dolly make up, Nikki and Ber from the fabulous online store My Shining Armour, Nic from The Naked Blondie, Dawn from Glamour! By Dawn, Karen from KarenMaherMakeUp and of course the beautiful Linda. We had a beautiful dinner at Yindees restaurant which is a gorgeous Asian restaurant at the hotel followed by a tour of the award winning Oasis Spa. 

  

  
What came next was fantastic! We watched an amazing fashion show from upstairs in Yindees, which meant we had a birdseye view of the show which was being hosted by the fabulous Marissa Carter. It was my first time to meet Marissa, and oh my goodness, what an amazing woman she is. 

The fashion show kicked off with amazing pieces of clothing and accessories from boutiques around Kilkenny, including Lola Rose and the Kilkenny design centre.

All of the gorgeous girls from the hotel spa, ‘Oasis spa’ were there showcasing the fab products available in the spa along with an amazing display of the Elemis range.
   

  
  
I know a lot of you guys have been quite anxious to know all the details on my look for the night, so here they are! 

Jumpsuit – Zara €45

Shoes – Rhianna for River Island (3 years old) €110

Belt – Penneys/Primark €4

Bag – Zara €29.95 

Watch – Marc by Marc Jacobs

Earrings – New look (no price)

Rings and bracelet- Pandora

Hair and make up – I completed the look myself!  

 
So guys and gals, that’s my look! I hope you enjoyed reading about my amazing experience at the Lyrath Estate Hotel and Spa, Kilkenny. It truly is one of the nicest hotels I have stayed at. Just fabulous! 

A huge thank you to the Lyrath for an amazing evening and for looking after us. Also to Linda who was our amazing hostess for the evening. 

Stay fab all,

  

Irish Blogging Conference Cork – What I Wore

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Hello everyone, and a very happy Friday!

Apologies for the delay on this post as I know a lot of you have been asking me questions on the outfit which I wore for the Irish blogging conference which was held in Cork last weekend. 

  
Firstly I want to say what a weekend it was! We had the ultimate ‘lols’ all day long with some extremely inspirational speakers. To say I came away with being totally inspired along with some excellent tips and tricks would be an understatement, but unfortunately I came home with a flu which I wasn’t that happy about, but hey it’s that time of the year! 

Today I am going to share with you the details of each item I wore on the day. I know a lot of you have been lusting over the knee high lace-up boots I wore so keep on scrolling!!!

 
Outfit details – 

  
As the conference was being held in the Clarion Hotel Cork, we decided to stay the night before. I initially intended on wearing a black swing dress but found this little number in none other than Penneys the morning of the conference on a stroll around cork. 

Hair and make-up – 

My hair was simply curled using a hair straightener, and my make up I done myself. I used my trusty old products and for the lip I used the Penneys/Primark lip liner all over the lip which may I say is amazing and lasts!  

Dress – 

The dress I wore is from Penneys/Primark and don’t kill me, but I honestly can’t remember how much it was! It came in this print along with some other plain colours. I loved the print and style of the dress as it sat perfectly at the top of the boots.

  
Sleeveless Blazer – 

I’ve had this sleeveless blazer for quite a while now as when they first came on the scene, I had to have one! This one in particular is from Boohoo.com and was no more than €20. I thought it added that extra little something to the outfit, but also brought the look together as a whole. 

  
Hat – 

My “blogging” hat as Mr.James Kavanagh would call it is from none other than Penneys/Primark. It was €10 and comes in lots of different shades.

  

Knees high lace-up boots – 

So last but by no means least….the god dang boots!!! I have been looking for a pair of these boots since last year when they first became popular in outfit posts. I searched and searched for a pair which were not expensive as you know me, the better the bargain the better the buy! So while scrolling on Boohoo.com one day about three weeks ago I stumbled upon these beauties!! Guys they were JUST €49!!! I lasted all day in them as they are super comfy and have the perfect heel height. 

  
So guys and gals that is all the datials on my look for the blogging conference! Pretty simple and not expensive at all! 

Don’t forget to head over to my Instagram (Jennifer_carolan21) for all updates on my blog, all things fashion, ootd’s and slimming world! 

Facebook – TheStyleShaper

Stay fabulous as always, 

  
 

Illustration – Holly Shortall

Pictures – My Own

RUST is a MUST!

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 Hello everyone, and a very happy Tuesday!

  

Burgundy and black are taking a back seat this winter season with the colour rust becoming the more prominent colour of choice in clothing and also in footwear.

During this post I am going to show you a selection of items from our fabulous high-street  and online which will carry you right through the season whilst being bang on trend and which won’t break that bank account of yours! 

So ladies I will now invite you to sit back, relax and enjoy all these beautiful pieces which come in this glorious colour that is Rust! 


RIVER ISLAND 

 
 

1 – Rust brown tassel scarf €22

2 – Rust brown shirt dress €55

3 – Sleeveless waistcoat €55

4 – Floppy hat €33

NEW LOOK

  

  

  
1 – Roll neck sleeveless jumper €24.99

2 – Rust ankle strap heel €22.99

3 – Button front A-line skirt €24.99

4 – Belted A-line skirt €17.99 

5 – Rust flared sleeved top €29.99

6 – Sleevless waistcoat €24.99


ZARA

  

1 – Rust flared jumpsuit €49.95

2 – Rust cropped trousers €49.95


MISSGUIDED

  

  
1 – Sleeveless faux suede belted trench coat €49

2 – Longline faux fur gilet €77

3 – Tasell front heeled shoes €42

4 – Knee high peep toe lace up boots €63


VAVAVOOM.IE

  

Rust wide legged jumpsuit €36.99

So ladies, they are my must have rust coloured pieces from the beloved high-street and online! Rust right now is bang on trend is making its way into many collections this season. 

All pieces can be purchased online from the following : 

http://www.newlook.com

http://www.RiverIsland.com

http://www.Forever21.com

http://www.vavavoom.ie

http://www.missguided.ie

http://www.zara.com

Happy Shopping! 

Stay Fab, 

  

The Style Shaper Winter Picks – ‘Coats and Capes’ from River Island 

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Hello Everyone💕

Happy Fri-yay🌟  I hope you all have a fabulous weekend💕

The last few days I have been lusting over some absolutely fabulous winter pieces from the high street. To say River Island have got it in the bag yet again would be an understatement as their collection for Autumn/Winter is stunning! 

Let’s face it, Ireland is going to be freezing as always so I thought I would focus solely on coats, capes and also the sleeveless jacket as they are making a huge appearance in most high street collections for winter. 

Here are my favourite coats and capes from River Island which I think you will all love, also don’t hate me because I am showing you winter pieces!! I know we haven’t even got our summer yet🙈☺️

   
 How STUNNING are these sleeveless trench jackets? They remind me of something Kim K would wear! I love the burnt orange colour which would be fab over a shirt or blouse. If you wanted to go for a more casual look, this over a long tee would work great. They come in at €100, but are a timeless piece to keep in your wardrobe to carry you through the changeable seasons.

  
I’m a sucker when it comes to light colours and pastel shades. Both types here carry a beautiful faux fur collar which is an added bonus if you ask me! Fur has become so popular for winter in the last few years and these two pieces are just perfect! The beige sleeveless gilet comes in at €65, which I don’t think is that bad for a beautiful piece, and the grey ribbed jacket comes in at €73.

  
Let’s just take a minute………….. How fab is this brown belted shearling jacket? I think it looks so expensive and cape like! This one comes in at €80, which I had to look at twice as I thought it would cost a hell of a lot more!! The black one beside it is also a bit of a bargain at €60 which again you wouldn’t think for such a sleek looking jacket. Both are belted, the black one being sleeveless.

  
FUR AND FEATHER ALERT (faux that is)

I love both of these gilets. The first one being that little bit more daring and out there, the one to the right is more gentle in terms of its beige colour and overall appearance. The beige gilet is actually feathers, and does look quite fur like which comes in at €87. The brown faux fur gilet is that bit more expensive and comes in at €90! 

  
I mentioned this grey half fur sleeveless jacket on my Instagram and Facebook page recently! I think it’s so smart, but also bang on trend. It comes in at a whopping €100, but I definitely think it’s worth the price tag! To the left is a great jersey longline sleeveless jacket which would be so simple to dress either up or down. It comes in at €73, but you could also purchase a less expensive faux fur collar and place it around the neck area to change up your look.

  

 
Love these two coats. You honestly can’t go wrong with black or black and white! Both pieces will work incredibly well whether it’s dressing a look up or down. The black and white one I noticed has just come back into stock so there has obviously been a huge demand for it – it comes in at €67 which is fantastic for a River Island coat! It also carries a beautiful faux leather look collar for that extra little effect. The black crombie coat comes in at €120 which is that little bit more pricey, but for a classic piece you couldn’t go wrong! 

  
Cape loving!!! Check out these star buys. I have to say I am loving capes at the minute! I purchased one already and have it sitting ready to be worn! These two again are quite different in terms of price as to the right is a brown laser cut fringed suede one which comes in at €127 and the black faux suede leather look one which comes in at €55. Both I think are stunning, it just depends on what you want to spend on a piece.
 

I couldn’t leave without a little bit of leather! Just look at them!! A leather jacket is an essential piece to carry in your wardrobe! 

Now I have to put my hands up and say there is a huge price difference between the two of these leather jackets. I honestly thought the one with the fur would come in a lot more pricier but I was wrong! Yes, one is 100% leather and the other a leather-look jacket! 

To the right – a leather look jacket with a removable faux fur collar which comes in at €87

To the left – a fitted 100% leather biker jacket which comes in at €160 – but don’t let the price tag scare you as you will have a leather jacket forever!

So guys and gals, they are my fave picks from the River Island new season collection for winter. I hope you enjoyed a sneak peak at them!
All of the above items are available online at RiverIsland.com and I am sure will be appearing in your nearest store soon! 

Stay Fab all, 

  
  

 

 

🌴Holiday look book🌴 ~ Kusadasi Turkey

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A huge hello to all you beauties💋

Apologies for the delay on this post. Unfortunately due to a little set back I was unable to blog, but I’m happy to say I’m back!!!

If you are following my Instagram (Jennifer_carolan21) you will have seen that recently I visited the beautiful Kusadasi which is a very popular holiday destination in Turkey. I asked the question wheather you would all like to see another holiday look book and the answer was yes!!! 

I do apologise in advance for the lack of effort in this look book as some days I was not up to dressing up for the simple reason that I was actually in Turkey having my teeth done which I also surprised a lot of you with on my Instagram! (Full dental blog post will be live soon) 

✈️Airport ready✈️

 Jeans – Penneys/Primark

Espadrilles – River Island 

Shirt – Zara (sale)

Bag – DKNY 

Passport case – Cath Kidston 

🍸Evening look🍸

 
Dress – Penneys/Primark 

Embellished wedges – Penneys/Primark 

Bag – DKNY 

Neckpiece – Zara (sale)

☀️Day look☀️

 This was one of the days we went to the market! My face is pretty swelled as I had a lot of work done the day previous! 

Play suit – Penneys/Primark (last year)

Sandles – Forever21

Tassel bag – Penneys/Primark 

🎀Evening look🎀

 I love love love this top! It’s from Penneys of course and is just fab! It has two long slits up the side which adds that little extra detail.

Top – Penneys/Primark 

Denim shorts – New look

Sandles – Forever21

Black tassel bag – Penneys/Primark 

Long gold and blue chain – Penneys/Primark 

☀️Day look☀️

  

I have to say, this little dress was the best thing I ever bought! I literally wore it everyday to the pool and around the resort. It was so handy just to throw on during the day and be comfy at the same time.

Dress – Penneys/Primark 

Flip flops – Penneys/Primark 

Bikini bag – Penneys/Primark 

Bikini – H&M 

🍸Evening look🍸

 
Oh I remember this day like it was yesterday! I had so much work done in the dentist that day to the point I shed a tear out of pure self sorrow! So dressing up was not on my agenda! 

Shorts – New look

Sandles – Forever21

Black crop top – Penneys/Primark

Chain – Penneys/Primark 

White long kimono – Minx Carlow

Black tassel bag – Penneys/Primark 

🌴Day look🌴

 
I actually found this buried in a suitcase with the tags still on it! It’s from Penneys/Primark, but from when is a good question! I thought the colours and pattern were fab so I decided to throw it in for a change during the day! 

🌸Evening look🌸

  

Cullottes – Penneys/Primark 

Shoes – Penneys/Primark 

Top – Market in Turkey (€10)

Chain – Penneys/Primark 

Pink fluffy bag – River Island

🍸Evening look🍸

 I have to say, this was one of my favourite looks! So many people have asked about the trousers and I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint! 

Top – Penneys/Primark 

Trousers – Market in Turkey (€5)

Neckpiece – Zara (sale)

Wedges – Penneys/Primark 

Bag – DKNY  

🌴Evening look🌴

 
This was our last night in beautiful Kusadasi! 

Dress – Penneys/Primark

Shoes – Penneys/Primark 

Neckpiece- Penneys/Primark 

Bag – DKNY  

So guys and gals they are my looks from Kusadasi! I know they weren’t very thought out, I kind of dressed to how I was feeling! 

I am in the process of writing a complete in dept post about my dental treatment at Tour Medical in Turkey, and I will let you know when it has gone live, so keep an eye out over on my Instagram and Facebook pages!

I have also had a few people ask about the hotel which we stayed in. It was called the Palmin Sunset Plaza and was just fabulous! Talking to a few people over there, it was by far one of the nicer hotels. The rooms, hotel, facilities, staff, food and entertainment team were superb and we didn’t have one thing to complain about!

  
Stay fab all, 

The Style Shaper x

A sneak peak into the Primark A/W collection 2015

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Hi guys! 

So, I know our Summer has just landed, but so has the Autumn/Winter collections for most high street stores.

Today I am going to share with you a sneaky peak at some of the pieces that were shown at the Primark press day yesterday to give you all an idea of what’s in store for your winter wardrobes from none other than (my fave) Primark/Penneys!!!

I just want to say that Primark have without a doubt upped they’re game big time! This collection is by far one of the best I have seen produced. 

Please excuse the lack of writing in this post as I don’t know as of yet the price range for any of the items, therefore this post will consist mostly of pictures for you to lust over!

Enjoy!

 
   

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

I hope you have all enjoyed that little look! 

I am honestly overwhelmed by the collection, style and design of all the pieces. They are beyond perfect for this coming winter! 

Stay fab all, 

The Style Shaper x💋

The Style Shapers holiday picks ~ Penny’s/Primark, H&M, Zara and River Island

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Hello all, I hope your enjoying this beautiful weather at the minute, let’s hope it lasts! 

So as some of you know I am away to Turkey in just under two weeks and I have decided that I am going to do another holiday look book as I really enjoyed writing up the last one but also because it had a fantastic reaction on my blog! 

This week I visited The Whitewater shopping centre in Newbridge, along with Penny’s/Primark in Waterford City centre. I picked up some great little staple pieces from Penny’s/Primark, H&M, Zara and River Island which I am going to share with you as I am just in love with all the pieces (especially the picks from Penny’s/Primark) Also I just want to say a huge WOW at the Penny’s/Primark store in Waterford! It is amazing, and has the most perfect shoe section ever!!

 
First up are these silver beauties which I posted on my Instagram page (Jennifer_carolan21) and also to TheStyleShaper Facebook page (head over and give it the thumbs up). I found these in the Penny’s/Primark store in Waterford and just fell in love with them and also with the price, they were just €5!! Like come on you couldn’t go wrong! They are perfect for summer, but what I loved most is the fact they look stylish and will go with almost everything. 

One thing I did find with them was the sizes are a little off as I am usually a size 4, but had to go for the size 5 as my toes were peeping over the tops a bit so if you are purchasing them just try them on before hand to avoid disappointment and also effort of going back to change them!!!😅

  

Next up is this beautiful skirt. I think that what I was most drawn to was the colours in this, and also how well it would look with a tan on holiday! The print is fab, almost an Aztec style which carries the cutest little gold zip at the back and which will be perfect themed with a simple white tank or crop top. This was just €10 girls, just perfect!

 
So, I seen a very small black tassel bag in Zara for around €26 on my travels around Whitewater, but thought it was a bit pricey for such a small bag! Never fear however because of course Penny’s/Primark have one near enough like it for a fraction of the price! This was just €8! 

This bag also comes in a tan colour and would work perfect for the festival season too!

 
While visiting Penny’s in Waterford during the week, just as you walk in were these off-the-shoulder tops. I thought the colour and lace design would be perfect for holidays! This one in particular was €11.

Off-the-shoulder tops are appearing quite a lot on the high street this season and are becoming quite a frequent go-to look for the festival season, but also are working great while channeling those 70’s vibes.

   

For my holiday in Turkey, I wanted to find a piece that I could just throw on while going to the pool or beach instead of trying to pull on shorts! I found this beach dress in Penny’s/Primark in Newbridge from the Ocean Club range for just €9. 

It is an off white colour and has an adorable little tie for around your waist which adds a nautical feel. I went a size up in this for length and comfort. 

  
  
Oh my fave! There were so many bits and pieces that I wanted in Zara, they have fab dresses, culottes and tops in at the minute, not to mention their shoes and accessories! 

What I wanted to get in Zara on this visit were some casual tank tops to throw on during the day. I love the design and material in the Zara tanks. I picked up some plain coloured ones in peach, white, powder blue and this stripped one which were just €4.95 each.

  
  

I am loving H&M at the minute! Sometimes I feel that it can be really hit and miss, but they have upped their game big time this season! 

I popped into the Whitewater store and managed to pick up this fab bikini, along with a blue and white stripe shirt identical to the floral print one I picked up in Portugal. These shirts are so light in weight due to the cotton fabric that they would also work perfect over your bikini heading to the beach!

The top – €14.95

The  bottoms – €4.95

The shirt – €19.99

  
   

 

  

Espadrilles have made a huge comeback this year again. First brought to life by Chanel, the high street have gone crazy ever since. This year we seen the peeptoe sling back espadrille becoming a popular choice which are fab as they are coming in in beautiful pastel colours and prints. 

I found this pair in the River Island in Whitewater and fell in love with how sparkly they were! I am planning on wearing these to the airport as they are so easy to wear and perfect for the long flight.

These were €25 and I have to say, are the comfiest shoes ever! Well worth the buy!  

  
So there the few bits I’ve picked up so far, I’m not showing too much as I want to keep the pieces to show you in my next holiday look book. 

Stay fab all!

The Style Shaper x 

The Style Shaper picks with Boohoo.com ~ 🌸70’s Vibes and boho chic🌸

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Happy Sunday everyone! 

  
After visiting a very well known online site Boohoo.com, I decided that due to their fabulous section on 70’s styles and boho chic section that I would share with you some of my fave pieces that are bang on trend, perfectly priced and that will carry you right through the summer season, wheather its holidaying or for festival fun! 

Here are my fave fab picks which are ALL under €35! 

  

Long tassel crepe skirt – €16

Crochet crop cape (Black and Ivory) – €19

Pleat detail wide leg trousers (Black and Ivory) – €27

Floral print strappy jumpsuit – €34


 

Flower lace long sleeve smock dress (Black and White) – €34

Denim shift dress – €27

Printed wide leg trousers – €20

Lace maxi dress (Black and White) – €20



Orange feather necklace – €5

Layered bead and chain chocked – €16

Printed sheered of the shoulder crop – €16

Lace trim swing cami dress – €20

Printed tassel dress – €27  


 

Suede effect tassel bag – €24

Boho printed double split maxi co-ord – €30
Tribal stripe cami maxi dress – €27

Crochet tassel cross body bag – €22


All of the above pieces are available now from Boohoo.com and are perfect for this season, and let’s face it, you couldn’t go wrong for those price points either!

Happy shopping, and hopefully you have seen something that tickles your fancy! 

Stay fab you lot,

The Style Shaper x