Midlife Loves

"Timeless everyday style"

Midlife Loves

OOTD - Styling Culottes & Keeping It Classic

Happy Saturday & happy Halloween, I can't believe we're already at the end of October already!

So these straight legged culottes may have arrived yesterday & naturally I've had to wear them & style them today!  I'm definitely feeling the love for a straight legged version as opposed to the wider leg culotte as it doesn't feel too different from my beloved cigarette pants.

Keeping things nice & simple with a plain white top, cropped double breasted jacket, block heeled boots & a spot of Bet to break the look up.


My Midlife Fashion, Zara, Gray & Osbourn, Culottes, Double breasted jacket, leopard print, animal print belt, J Crew Classic Pave Link Bracelet, Zara Block Heel Boots


Jacket - Zara
Top - Zara
Belt - Gray & Osbourn
Bracelet - J Crew
Culottes - Zara
Boots - Zara


Styling Culottes, My Midlife Fashion, Boden Chelsea Boots, La Redoute Leopard Print Belt, Crossover Top, Zara wool culottes, mango buttoned jacket, military jacket


Jacket - Mango £89.99
Top - Jigsaw £69
Culottes - Zara £29.99
Boots - Boden £149


Just a normal Saturday here, popping out this morning & then crashing tonight for tapas, Strictly & a fire & of course the added temptation of trying to resist all the funsize bars I've bought ready for trick or treat tonight......anyone else find it hard to resist & end up helping yourself?!!

Have a fab Saturday & see you in the morning.

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Fab 40s Go Gothic

As regular readers will know once a month I team up with some lovely fab 40 bloggers to interpret a theme.  This month is was Dawn's turn to choose & she picked Gothic inspired as our style for October, something which I was a little uncertain as to how I could interpret to match my personal style but a great theme considering tomorrow's Halloween!

However, after a little thinking I decided to put my own spin on it & go for a grown up gothic feel.


My Midlife Fashion, Zara Studded Ballerina Flats, Zara Flared Skirt, Leather Biker Jacket


Blouse - Zara
Skirt - Zara
Biker Jacket - Zara
Shoes - Zara


And here's how the other lovely fab 40 ladies have interpreted the theme.




Fab 40s Dixie Inside outside beauty


Hat - East Village Boutique
Sunglasses Ray Ban
Jacket - Free People
Trousers - Zara
Bag - J Crew
Boots - Sam Edelman




Fab 40s Dawn Lucy Fashion Should Be Fun


Dress - Old Navy
Jacket - Karen Kane
Boots - Aerosoles
Bag & Jewellery - Vintage




Fab 40s Ann Kremb de la Kremb


Top - Forever 21
Skirt - Forever 21
Knee High Socks - Forever 21
Clutch - Charity Shop
Boots - Beverly Island




Fab 40s


Cape - Thrifted
Dress - Forever 21
Boots - Bakers
Jewellery - Alchemy of England


Finishing with our guest blogger Gracey at Fashion For Giants.




Gracey Fashion FOr giants Fab 40s


Dress - Vintage
Jumper - Piperlime
Necklace - Old Navy
Earrings - Vintage
Boots - Spendid


You can shop my look here.


All Black


Blouse - Zara £25.99
Biker Jacket - Marks & Spencer £59.00
Skirt - Zara £29.99
Shoes - Zara £39.99


So what do you think?  Anyone feeling a little nostalgic & remembering their gothic days gone by?  Perhaps you're still a lover of all black looks & mainly have black clothing or have you now moved over to navy?  As always I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Happy Friday ladies, we're off to see the new Bond film tonight....fingers crossed I don't fall asleep as even with Daniel Craig filling the screen I have been known to drop off ;-0

Finally a quick heads up - get 25% off at Baukjen's AW15 collection, simply click here & use code FF25 at checkout.

See you in the morning.

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WIWT - Layering An 'A' Line Skirt

Whoop whoop happy Thursday ladies :-)

I'm layering up my 'A' line pleather skirt today with a couple of layers of knitwear & a statement necklace.


My Midlife Fashion, Pointed moc cros ballet pumps, zara faux leather skirt, rachel wears merino oversized cardigan, batwing jumper


Necklace - Zara
Jumper - Zara
Cardigan - Rachel Wears
Skirt - Zara
Shoes - Zara


Styling An A-Line Skirt, My Midlife Fashion, Zara Faux Leather Skirt, Marks and Spencer Bobble Bead Necklace, Faux Snakeskin Duffle Bag, Boden boho boots, Phase Eight Batwing Jumper, Boden Coatigan


Jumper - Phase Eight £59
Coatigan - Boden £99
Skirt - Zara £25.99
Boots - Boden £119


Hope everyone has a great day!

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Packing For A Mini Break & Layering Up In MY OOTD

Last weekend we treated ourselves to a long weekend back in Majorca meeting up with friends & staying at the hotel we love to visit each summer.

Needless to say we had a wonderful time just chilling & unwinding from the every day stresses & enjoying the freedom of being able to forget the time & get lost in a book with the feel of the sun on our skin.  For me I like nothing more than just been able to stop & I'm quite happy spending the day horizontal on a sun lounger with a cheeky cocktail being able to drop off to sleep when the mood takes me.

Although we only went for two nights it seemed a much longer break as we travelled down to Gatwick the night before & flew out on a very early morning flight meaning we were at our hotel just gone 9:30 am & then didn't get home until the very early hours of Monday.

We had never visited Majorca this late on in the year before & because we were only going for such a short period of time we decided to just take carry on luggage.  This of course meant that before we left I spent some time umming & ahhing over what to take, as I wanted to travel as light as possible, have a few outfits that could be inter-changeable for all weather conditions & most importantly have room for the odd holiday purchase or two as we all know there's no way I'm going to Majorca without hitting the shops & taking advantage of the savings in Zara!!

Obviously travelling with 2 boys meant that they could travel super light meaning more shopping room for me but so as to maximise what we could bring back without me having to wear all my clothes a.k.a. Joey from Friends & look like I'd put several stone on over the course of the 3 days, I was on a mission to see just how light I could travel & I thought it would make an interesting post to share with you today.

So afer much thought here's what I took away with me, including what I travelled in:-

Coatigan x 1 (Zara £69.99)
Jeans x 1, similar here
Short sleeved top x 1 (Mint Velvet Now £55)
Kaftan/boho tops x 2, similar here & here
Denim shorts x 1, similar here
Swimsuit x 1 (Marks & Spencer £32.50)
Flip flops x 1 (La Redoute £25)
Statement flats x 1 (Zara £59.99)
Chiffon top x 1, similar here
Maxi dress x 1 (H&M £39.99)
Evening Bag x 1, similar here
Sunglasses x 1, similar here
Hair straighteners
Toiletries - which consisted of various samples collected over the last few months

In fact even with the weight of my carry on case all the above only came in at 5kg, which I was pretty impressed with & of course meant shopping was definitely on the agenda during our stay ;-)

And here's a recap of my outfits whilst we were away.


My Midlife Fashion, Zara, Leopard Print, Mint Velvet, Havaianas, Boho, Animal Print


My Midlife Fashion, Marks and Spencer, Bandeau Swimsuit, HandM Maxi Dress, Leopard Print, Havaianas


My Midlife Fashion, Mango, Boho, HandM, Denim Shorts, Zara, Distressed Denim, Leopard Print, Animal pRint


Overall I think it was probably just the right mix of clothes that were capable of being mixed together should the weather not have played ball.  For example if it had been cooler I could quite easily have swapped my denim shorts for my jeans & if needed added my coat for an additional layer of warmth.  Likewise with my evening outfits both could have worked with my coat added if it had been a little cooler.  Or if I needed something a little smarter I could have worn my evening outfits in the day without feeling too over dressed.

Anyway back to today & I'm layering up another wrap with knitwear & faux leather trousers.


My Midlife Fashion, Shawl, Cape, Leather Trousers, Faux leather, Zara, Pointed Moc Croc Ballet Pumps, Batwing Jumper


Cape - Zara
Jumper - Zara
Trousers - Zara
Shoes - Zara


Layering Up, My Midlife Fashion, Phase Eight Becca Batwing Jumper, Mango Striped Cape, Mint Velvet Trousers, Zara pointed ballet pumps


Cape - Mango £34.99
Jumper - Phase Eight £59
Trousers - Mint Velvet £69
Shoes - Zara £19.99


So ladies what do you think?  Do you think I got it about right in the packing department or is there anything you think could have been left behind?  How about you, how do you approach packing when limited to 10kg in weight & only carry on luggage?  I'd love to hear your thoughts not to mention if you've any tips you want to share.

Before I go a quick heads up that Clarks have launched 25% off all full priced adult boots, so if you've yet to make your autumn boot purchase it might be worth a peek!  I have to say they've got some great choices in at the moment plus being Clarks you just know they're going to be comfy too :-)  Click here to take a look & grab a bargain with code BOOTS25!

Happy hump day.....our mini break is already feeling like a lifetime ago but hey only two more sleeps until the weekend :-)

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OOTD - Styling a Wrap

Morning ladies, I'm bringing out one of my wraps to play today - just perfect for throwing on & also ideal for covering my head  & protecting my hair if the heavy rain that's forecast for later arrives!

I'm keeping thing pretty neutral & muted to match the tones of the wrap with a simple cream silk effect shirt, grey ankle boots & statement necklace.


My Midlife Fashion, Poncho, Zara, Marks and Spencer, Blanket Shawl, Wrap, skinny jeans


Necklace - Bought in Majorca
Shirt - Zara
Belt - Gray & Osbourn
Jeans - Zara
Boots - Zara


Styling A Cape, My Midlife Fashion, Boden Boho Boots, Whistles Double faced stripe cape, Jaeger oversized silk shirt, Waven Freya jeans


Shirt - Jaeger £99
Jeans - Waven £52
Boots - Boden £119


Right I'd better start tackling my inbox which seems to have mounted up whilst we've been away.  

Have a fab Tuesday & see you in the morning.

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WIWT - Styling A Chambray Shirt

I don't know about you but I just love chambray shirts, such a delicate yet vibrant shade of blue that is a little softer to style than denim & a great colour for teaming with denim, grey, camel, navy, black, white & cream.

After a fantastic weekend in Majorca it's back to reality today & after arriving back home in the early hours of this morning I'm keeping things really simple & teaming my chambray shirt with an all grey look.


My Midlife Fashion, Chambray shirt, boucle, knitted jacket, zara grey skinny jeans, zapita, shoe boots


Shirt - H&M
Necklace - Bought in Majorca
Bracelet - J Crew £125
Knitted Jacket - Bought in Majorca
Belt - Massimo Dutti
Jeans - Zara
Boots - Zapita


Styling A Chambray Shirt, My Midlife Fashion, Boden Boho Boots, Mango Skinny Jeans, Mint Velvet Knitted jacket, Boden Girl Fit Shirt


Knitted Jacket - Mint Velvet £89
Shirt - Boden £55
Jeans - Mango £39.99
Boots - Boden £119


Happy Monday ladies!

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Taking A Look at ILU Fitwear

Following on from my recent post on trying to keep fit & my weekly exercise routine (see here), I was recently approached by ILU Fitwear to see if I'd like to trial & review some of their range of clothing which is designed specifically for an active lifestyle.

Having looked at their website I didn't hesitate in saying yes as not only is their range stylish & practical there are a couple of key things that I love.

Firstly they have tops that are of a longer length - i.e. bum covering!  I can't tell you the amount of brands that only provide shorter length tops that finish just below the waistline.   It's a real bug bear of mine as whilst I don't want an oversized top that falls to my knees I do want something that covers most if not all of my bum, not to mention any potential camel toe!

And secondly I love that their leggings have a mid-rise waistband & are made from supportive & technical fabric that helps banish any muffin top - so no worries of any tummy rolls escaping when you're at your most vulnerable.

Plus I also love the fact that the company's mission is 'to create beautiful pieces, which lift your mood, suit your lifestyle & make you look fabulous' - what more could a girl ask for?!!

Having recently re branded earlier this summer the brand have created a stylish, sophisticated & inter-mixable capsule collection.

So what did I choose?  Well initially I chose to review a top & leggings in a charcoal grey & black mix but with the arrival of the darker mornings I changed my mind as running just turned 6 in the morning with parts of my route having no street lighting it's pitch black so visibility is key.  I don't mind admitting there have been a few near misses over the years with one car in particular enjoying a daily game of chicken - luckily the addition of a more powerful hand torch helped me win that battle ;-)

Anyway I digress, let's get back to the clothes.  With visibility being key I chose their Modern Mesh top in blazing yellow.  As it's perfect from a visibility point of view plus the colour instantly reminds me of sunshine, which I'm hoping will warm me up on those cold winter mornings.

As I've already mentioned the top is a great length that covers the bum plus it comes with thumb holes for keeping the hands warm of a morning.  It's made from a soft mesh fabric that's breathable so perfect for regulating body temperature, although when winter is deep upon us I shall definitely need an extra layer underneath.






As for bottoms I decided to go with their Signature Compression Leggings as the longer length are perfect for the cooler months but they're also available in a capri length too.  They're a great thickness & being compression leggings means they're perfect for helping to keep the muscles warm to prevent muscle strain & fatigue.  Plus of course the fabric is designed to wick sweat away from the body which is a real essential must have when partaking in an intensive workout....well there's nothing worse than sweat patches is there?!!

I also love the fact that they're a great length so cover my ankle bone unlike a lot of leggings & they also come with a handy side pocket perfect for storing tissues, dog bags &/or a phone.






Size wise I went for the S/M in the top & S in the bottoms, which fit perfectly & I'm hoping the go faster stripes will decrease my running time too ;-)








Vest Top - Next
Leggings - ILU Fitwear
Trainers - Mizuno


Excercise Gear


Leggings - ILU Fitwear £60


I think it's safe to say I'm certainly going to be more easily seen than when I'm kitted out in my all black looks & the yellow top makes a much more stylish visibility accessory than my hi-viz bib!

Back to today & here's what I'm planning on wearing for our last day in Majorca.


Laid Back Boho, My Midlife Fashion, Mango denim shorts, havaiana flip flops, mango embroidered applique blouse


Top - Mango £39.99
Shorts - Mango £19.99
Flip Flops - La Redoute £25


Monochrome, My Midlife Fashion, Marks and Spencer Secret slimming Bandeau swimsuit, haven flip flops, ralph lauren cats eye sunglasses


Sunglasses - Ralph Lauren £118
Flip Flops - La Redoute £25


Styling A Coatigan, My Midlife Fashion, Zara Mid rise cigarette jeans, zara wool coat, zara printed leather lace ups, mango tassel cross body bag, mango boho embroidered top


Coatigan - Zara £69.99
Top - Mango £39.99
Bag - Mango £34.99
Jeans - Zara £39.99
Shoes - Zara £59.99


So what do you think?  Anyone on the look out for some new keep fit gear?  If so I can highly recommend ILU Fitwear as it really is exquisitely made.  How about tips for been seen when out & about in the dark?  If anyone's got some recommendations on how to keep safe I'd love to hear.

See you in the morning.

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WIWT - Mini Break In Majorca

It's so lovely to be back in Majorca & back at one of favourite hotels meeting up with friends from the summer.

Fingers crossed the weather is good as we're hoping to spend the day chilling by the pool enjoying the feel of the sun of our skin before we're fully emerged in winter back home & of course enjoy the luxury of not having to worry what the time is & just read & snooze with a cheeky cocktail or two for refreshments ;-)

Here's what I'm planning on wearing today.


Dressed Down Boho, My Midlife Fashion, Mango Medium Wash Denim Shorts, Mango Paisley Print Blouse, Havaiana flip flops


Shorts - Mango £19.99
Flip Flops - La Redoute £25


Monochrome, My Midlife Fashion, Marks and Spencer Secret slimming Bandeau swimsuit, haven flip flops, ralph lauren cats eye sunglasses


Sunglasses - Ralph Lauren £118
Flip Flops - La Redoute £25


Pattern Clashing, My Midlife Fashion, H and M Ruffle Maxi Dress, Mango tassel cross body bag, zara leopard print ghillie lace ups, Pia gold star pendant


Dress - H&M £39.99
Shoes - Zara £59.99
Necklace - Pia Jewellery £70


Hope everyone has a lovely Saturday.

See you in the morning.

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WIWT - Four Outfits In One Day!

Up extremely early today as we're flying out to Majorca for a long weekend & to say I'm a little *hugely* excited is something of an understatement.  I can't wait to just switch off & chill out with my two boys :-)

As we're only going for a couple of nights we're travelling light & just taking carry on luggage so I'm keeping my outfits simples.

Here's what I'm planning on wearing today.


Casual Chic, My Midlife Fashion, Zara Leopard Print Ghillie Lace ups, Mango tassel crossbody, Zara mid rise cigarette, mint velvet embroidered top


Coatigan - Zara £69.99
Shoes - Zara £59.99
Bag - Mango £34.99


Denim and Embroidery Anglaise, Mango Denim Shorts, Haviana Flip flops, Mint velvet embroidered t shirt, my midlife fashion


Shorts - Mango £19.99
Flip Flops - La Redoute £25


Monochrome, My Midlife Fashion, Marks and Spencer Secret slimming Bandeau swimsuit, haven flip flops, ralph lauren cats eye sunglasses


Sunglasses - Ralph Lauren £118
Flip Flops - La Redoute £25


Lace, Denim and Leopard Print, Zara ghillie lace up leopard print pointed flats, mango tassel cross body bag, mint velvet victorianna blouse, distressed skinny jeans


Jeans - Zara £39.99
Shoes - Zara £59.99


I'll be posting pictures of my outfits as well as the odd cocktail or two on Instagram, click here to follow our adventure.....right bring on the cocktails, siestas & sunshine :-)

Happy Friday ladies.

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WIWT - All Black - Studs & Military

Whoop whoop my favourite day of the week, made even more exciting by the fact that I've got the day off work to complete a few errands & generally get ready for our long weekend in Majorca :-)

So keeping things nice & simple & going for an all black theme, I'm bringing my Zara military jacket out to play & teaming it with distressed skinnies, a chiffon top & studded flats.


My Midlife Fashion, Military Jacket, Zara studded flats, distressed denim, chiffon blouse


Jacket - Zara
Blouse - Zara
Jeans - Zara
Shoes - Zara


Military and Studs, My Midlife Fashion, Zara chiffon high neck blouse, mango button jacket, military jacket


Jacket - Mango £59.99
Blouse - Zara £25.99
Jeans - Mango £39.99
Shoes - Zara £39.99


I know a lot of you will be counting down to the begining of half term week....only one for sleep ladies & thought you might like to hear of an amazing competition Joules is currently running as it would be a great activity to do with the children or on your own for that matter when you can grab a quiet half  hour or so.

The competition is simple, all you need to do is submit a design for a pair of wellies & if your design is the winning one not only will it go on sale at Joules (with all proceeds being donated to their charity Charitably Joules) you'll also win a luxury break worth £5,000 which includes a 3 nights in a golden oak treehouse cabin & lots more!

Plus there's 10 runners-up prizes, who will each receive a £250 Joules gift card.    I don't know about you but I'll often doodle when I've got a pen in my hand & am pretty tempted to enter, I just need to think of a design!  To find out more & submit your entry click here & happy drawing!

Right I better start my 'to do' list as we're off down to Gatwick tonight as we've got a mega early flight in the morning.

See you bright & early in the morning.

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Skincare Update & WIWT

You may recall that some four months ago I was asked to review some beauty products by La Roche-Posay & was so impressed with the results & products that I ended up ditching my beloved Bobbi Brown & promptly swapped all my skincare over - you can see my full post here.  

So you can imagine my delight when they recently got back in touch to see if I'd be interested in trying out a couple of new products - a daily moisturiser & also an eye make-up remover.

Their Redermic C10 Moisturiser is an intensive treatment that is designed to target loss of firmness, wrinkles & lack of luminosity, which is we're being honest is probably something most of us can identify with & would probably like sorting out.

It contains 10% pure vitamin C together with vitamin E & hyaluronic acid to create an intensive corrective daily treatment that can either either be used on it's own or with your normal skin care & is even suitable for use on sensitive skins too.




My Midlife Fashion La Roche Posay Redermic C10


Now if you take a peek at their website you'll see they claim that after a week your skin will look plumper & firmer with a reduction in the look of wrinkles as well as a more even & luminous complexion.

I've now been using the cream for a couple of weeks & whilst I didn't think I'd notice that much of a difference in my skin, as I was already so pleased with how it was looking, I can honestly say I feel it's looking even better than before I started using it.  Even hubby has said that I look like I've got more of a glow, which seeing as I've been working such long hours recently & surviving on little sleep can only be a good thing.  And upon looking more closely in the mirror (which is never one of my favourite past times.....such a scary concept the older you get isn't it?!!) yes my skin does look smoother & a little tighter.  I also really like the fact that the cream is lovely & light & instantly sinks into your skin.  I don't know about you but I just hate creams that are thick & heavy & you can feel on your skin, as it always makes me worry that it will cause breakouts.

Now as I've already mentioned the other product I was sent was their eye make-up remover.  

You may recall in my previous post on skincare I said how I used Oil of Ulay & having in the past tried various eye make-up removers I was convinced with one was the best out there.  However, since my fringe has got heavier & blunter my eyeliner has got thicker & heavier & I've had to apply more & more of my existing remover cream to remove it all & to be honest there's been some mornings when I've woken up looking a little *a lot* like Alice Cooper.   So I was quite intrigued to give the one sent by La Roche-Posay a try.




My Midlife Fashion La Roche Posay Physiological Eye Make Up Remover


Having used a cream eye make-up remover for many years the first thing I noticed about the new make-up remover was that it was lovely & cool & refreshing, especially when applying to my constantly tired eyes.  Secondly having applied the remover to a cotton wool pad I now only need to gently wipe my eye lids & lashes to remove my make up as opposed to my existing cream, which I tended to rub into my eyes, which when you're constantly told that to not rub your eyes due to the delicateness of the skin was always something that worried me & like my previous remover the Physiological remover also removes waterproof make up too.  So yes I'm sold on this new product & will have to add this to my list of 'must haves', which if you're interested I've included as a separate tab here.

Back to clothes now & here's what I'm wearing today.


My Midlife Fashion, H and M Maxi Dress, Mango buttoned jacket, military jacket, boden ghillie lace ups


Dress - H&M
Jacket - Mango
Bag - Designer Exchange
Shoes - Boden


Military With A Maxi


Dress - H&M £39.99
Necklace - Pia Jewellery £70
Jacket - Mango £89.99
Shoes - John Lewis £25


As I've already mentioned I've been extremely impressed with the results from all my La Roche-Posay products & since my initial introduction in May I've continued to keep all my skincare with La Roche-Posay.  In fact I'd go as far as to say that I don't think my skin has looked or felt better & since my last post I've even swapped hubby & son's beauty regimes over too.  Needless to say these two new products are also firmly now on my radar & will be replaced as soon as they run out.  Plus not only am I delighted with my new regime I'm also saving a small fortune compared to the price of my Bobbi Brown products & I've only just started to have to replace my original items so not only are they cheaper they last ages too.  

I really can't recommend this brand enough & would love to hear if any of you lovely ladies also feel the same.  Perhaps you were tempted to try some of the products I've previously reviewed?  If so I'd love to hear how you've been getting on & what you think about them.  I know for anyone experiencing breakouts due to hormone changes with the menopause then their Effaclar range is highly recommended (see here).  Or perhaps you feel the same way about another brand?

As always I love reading your thoughts & comments.

Right I'm off to get cracking with work.  Hope everyone has a fab day & I'll see you tomorrow.

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