Valentine’s Day Gifts for Him

Choosing gifts for men on Valentine’s Day can be quite a task, after all, you’re not going to go down the chocolates and roses route now are you?  Are you?  Cards are easy to exchange and there are lots to choose from, however gifts are a different matter.  We’re all just recovering from the Christmas gift spend and you want to give a Valentine’s Day gift (particularly if you’re expecting something in return) that is not too serious, doesn’t convey too much of a message, probably, and doesn’t break the bank. 

  
You can only give so many heart motif gifts where men are concerned, after all, whereas girls can wear hearts (on their sleeves or otherwise) all the year round, men normally don’t want to be that obvious. My favourite here are Perilla’s heart socks, a very subtle way to wear a heart and a clever gift, otherwise Valentine’s Day Gifts have to be lighthearted and/or colourful and a gift that’ll remind him that if he forgot the roses/candlelight dinner/diamond earrings on the day he better make up for it fast………………..

     
And just in case you’re of a mind to give a little luxury……..

    

Competitions ending tonight – click through to each one and sign up before it’s too late………

Win a £250 Gift Voucher with Feel Unique

Enter to win three gorgeous faux fur accessories from Perilla - http://www.facebook.com/events/323330714365026/

Win a velvet edged cashmere scarf from Adventino - http://www.facebook.com/events/306807966028960/

Ronit Zilkha’s ribbed cashmere scarf competition - http://www.facebook.com/events/232579400151061/

Come and join me on:
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/ShopaholicGuide
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/thesiteguide
LinkedIn:http://uk.linkedin.com/in/shopaholicguide
Google+: https://plus.google.com/108093314539272860897/posts
And contact me at phd@thesiteguide.com

30% off Two Black Knit Dresses at Ronit Zilkha for Lullilu Until January 31st!

 



Because it's January, when we all love a treat and there's nothing better than bringing on a bit of ladylike Little Black Dress glamour,  there’s a special offer on two of Ronit Zilkha for Lullilu’s favourite black knit dresses just until January 31st - her fine merino wool fit and flare Clover dress, and flattering Cape Dress, both of which are now just £99.  Please note that these are both in very limited supply.

We know you'll love her merino Clover dress, not just a little black knit dress but a versatile wardrobe essential that you'll want to wear over and over again, and the gorgeously wearable Cape Dress, beautifully crafted in the finest of knits with a sleek form fitting shift covered with a fine gauzy overlay.
 
Wear both with high boots during the day and killer heels at night, these two favourites will never let you down and you'll take yours with you everywhere.

As one customer said recently; ‘Just to let you know that my dress has arrived and I absolutely love it. I have been looking for a dress like this for what seems like half my life!'

Special Offer:  Quote SG33 in the promotion box at www.lullilu.com for a 30% discount off your order and please remember that this is just until January 31st.

How to Choose Valentine’s Day Gifts for Girls.

This can be a tricky one.  What kind of message do you want to give?  If it’s the ‘marry me tomorrow’ kind, then life is easy – book the restaurant – I hope you’ve already done that – order the roses and choose the (conflict free) diamond.  Sorted.

Of course most Valentine’s Days are not like that, and it’s about how to say ‘I love you’ or ‘I care about you a lot’.  You can just do the restaurant and flowers bit, or the candlelit dinner for two, but most girls love a little something special.  Jewellery, chocolates and roses are the traditional Valentine’s Day gifts, and here are some of those plus a few more, non bank-breaking ideas. 

If you’re going to be specific and buy fragrance make sure it’s one she loves, or a scent that has similar tones – buying fragrance for others is always tricky and on Valentine’s Day you don’t want to get it wrong.  A scented candle is easier and a girl can never have too many.

As for buying lingerie?  That’s another issue altogether.  Coming up soon……………….

       

Win a £200 Voucher with Coast in our Valentine’s Day Competition

If the dress is a girl’s best friend, whether it be a Little Black Dress, sleek ‘out to lunch’ dress or flattering ‘take me anywhere’ dress then Coast has to be your store du jour.

Offering dresses for all occasions, and specialising in sophisticated formal wear, Coast has an ever expanding collection of dresses ranging from size 6 to size 18. Choose from their sexy full length form fitting gowns such as the Savannah and Inica which are crafted from luxurious Italian duchess satin. For a cocktail party, opt for the eye-catching Breita bandeau dress or luxurious Alva Dress in deep purple for unrivalled glamour. Be sure to browse their sleek and flattering shift dresses which are available in an array of colours. For that standout dinner date, be inspired by the Joules animal print dress (which sold out totally last season) in an alluring blue hue.

For the perfect Valentine’s Day ensemble, cast your eyes over this chic selection of dresses…

   

Coast are giving one lucky winner a £200 voucher to choose their perfect outfit for Valentine’s Day, whether you choose to wear a show stopping full length number or playful printed dress there is an abundance of gorgeous styles to choose from gorgeous styles to choose from, and don’t forget to add the shrug, jewels and shoes. 

    

We’ve set this up as an ‘Event’ on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thesiteguide and also at www.thesiteguide.com and you can attend it on Facebook by clicking here.  Then just send an email to phd@thesiteguide.com with the words ‘Coast Dress’ in the subject line.  Please note that your entry must include a proper name (first name/surname) linked to your email address and your postal address (so we know where to send the prize) in the email itself.  Any duplicated entries will be deleted in their entirety.

The event will end on Friday February 10th at Midnight.

Come and join me on:
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/ShopaholicGuide
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/thesiteguide
LinkedIn:http://uk.linkedin.com/in/shopaholicguide
Google+: https://plus.google.com/108093314539272860897/posts

10 Perfect Dresses for Curvy Girls

I always admire those who manage to put themselves together perfectly each morning, styling skirt and jacket, pants and top (and jacket) and making sure that everything works together stylishly………  Look around you and you’ll see that those girls are few and far between, and that endless sartorial mishaps occur, probably only realised when the wearer catches sight of herself in a mirror whilst out.

It’s for that reason that I am in love with ‘the dress’, be it printed, black, red, knee length, maxi, wrap, whatever.  Dresses are friends in your closet you just have to give a nod to, slip in to and run out of the house in, and, as long as you chose well in the first place, they rarely let you down. 

    

For the curvy girl a dress is an even better friend, camouflaging lumps and bumps, adding height to those challenged height-wise and slimming down the ‘wider than they want to be’.  Always, as I said, provided a wise choice to begin with.

My advice for the curvy girl is to look for dresses that contain stretch – jersey is such a wonderful, curve hugging fabric and it’s used everywhere, from high street to high designer.  Look for dresses that nip in at the waist with a wrap or a ruche and then carry on down with a slim skimming skirt and also dresses with a v neck, which gives the effect of a longer line. 

    

Avoid full-on body-con unless you want to wear Spanx from top to bottom and look for detailing that will hide anything you don’t want to show.  Go for the streamlined effect and expect to get noticed.  And don’t forget to make sure that the dress stops at the right place, this is something it’s well worth paying attention to, and it’s unlikely all the dresses you try will have been designed for your height.

Thinking of the summer (or any time) sleeveless challenge you might like to read my post on that subject ‘going sleeveless’, and start doing something about it right now, alternatively the cardigan or shrug will do the cover-up duty if you need it to, although the first option is far, far preferable and don’t listen to anyone who says you cannot re-shape your arms.  I assure you, you can.

Anyway.  My love affair with the dress is not going to end soon, so expect more on this subject, and in the meantime here’s today’s edit – 10 perfect dresses for curvy girls.

Come and join me on:
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/ShopaholicGuide
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/thesiteguide
LinkedIn:http://uk.linkedin.com/in/shopaholicguide
Google+: https://plus.google.com/108093314539272860897/posts

Animal Prints: Spring Trends to Wear Now

This is a strange time of year for fashion, when the stores are all ending their sales and offering the palest pastels and ladylike pinks for spring which, let’s face it, most of us are not quite yet in the mood for, and when we could still see snow, ice and frost for many weeks to come.

Unless you’re one of the lucky ones who’s jetting off to warmer climes, pastels, neon brights and brighter shades of pink, blue and orange don’t quite do it, well at least they don’t for me, so bring on a trend that works at any time of year – the animal print. 

With animal prints you can wear anything from just a hint of print to a leopard print dress but one piece at a time, please and bear in mind that although it is very early in the season, the best pieces will be snatched up quickly, such as the Oasis leopard print cardigan, Michael Michael Kors Scarf and Sam Edelman shoes – so if you’re tempted don’t hang about.

    

    

Someone is bound to tell me that sssssnake doesn’t quite fall into the animal print category and there is less of it around this summer, with leopard in different colourways taking centre stage, however these shoes by LK Bennett just seem to hit the mark for spring – definitely on my shopping list…………..

Don’t forget to sign up to be in with a chance to win a £250 Gift Voucher for beauty destination Feelunique.com – where you’ll find brands such as Shiseido and Decleor.  Click through to the Competition’s Page at www.thesiteguide.com and find out how.

Come and join me on:
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/ShopaholicGuide
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/thesiteguide
LinkedIn:http://uk.linkedin.com/in/shopaholicguide
Google+: https://plus.google.com/108093314539272860897/posts