Dresses for Short Girls

This post is quite different to what I usually blog about but am hoping it helps a few people out who have the same sort of problem as me. I'm a naturally small person and pretty much do not have the body of a person who is 20 this year (say whaaaaaaat?). I'm 5ft and this used to frustrate me so much as I could very rarely find dresses from shops like New Look, H&M and Primark to suit me as the proportions just seemed really wrong for my body. I'd hate that it seemed like all other girls would be wearing fashionable dresses and I'd just be like waaaah grooooow. Up until a few years ago shops like Debenhams and Marks and Spencer seemed to be the only shops that offered Petite collections but had things like suit jackets and 'classic' pieces...can you imagine me rocking that? No, just to clarify. Now though more 'young' shops have petite collections meaning there is more choice but I thought I'd show some dresses I've found that sit nicely on me and are a really good length i.e. not nun-like. I know that Topshop and Miss Selfridge clothes generally come up pretty short but I don't tend to shop in these places just because I can't justify the prices and would probably have a coronary at the till.

All of these dresses I wear either dressed up or down which I think is really important as it gives you a lot more choice when wearing them. Earlier in the year I would pretty much only wear leggings but towards the end of last year I wore a lot of dresses and skirts for casual things like shopping or going round someone's house and I feel like this is going to the way for a loooooong time.

Today I'm going to show 3 patterned dresses I've recently bought and then tomorrow's post will be on 3 dresses that are more basic.

RED TARTAN SKATER DRESS- NEW LOOK

Tartan is really on trend at the moment and I purchased this from the teen section of New Look, I often buy clothes from children sections of shops as often they are just mini versions of what the adult section offers but for a cheaper price. I used to panic if people would realise it was a child's piece of clothing but now I don't really care ("yolo" she whispers), apart from that time I was wearing a child's jacket from Primark and I honestly saw like a 7 year old wearing it at the same time as me. I think she caught on but I vanished into the busy shopping centre crowd *brushes shoulders off*. I can no longer find this online but it may still be in stores and I assume all the other skate style dresses will be the same fit!

GREEN TARTAN TUNIC DRESS- NEW LOOK £14.99

This again is from the teen section of New Look and I absolutely love it! I wore it to a New Year's Eve party I went to and am going to be wearing it casually with my denim jackets or a cardigan as well. Admittedly it looks really, really damn weird in the picture above but once it's actually on it doesn't look strange and has a nice, quite fitted shape.

STRIPED BODYCON DRESS- H&M £12.99

I actually bought this dress yesterday after seeing it and falling in love. Initially I wasn't going to buy it as I thought it looked way too long but I was really surprised when trying it on that it came to just above my knee. I love the sort of turtle neck style it has but the pattern actually kills my eyes and makes me feel sick but I won't be the one looking at it when wearing it HAWHAW. I can't find this online either but it definitely is in store, I can never seem to work the H&M website properly though when looking for anything?!

I hope this has given people some ideas if you struggle with the length of dresses and I'm sorry for the photos, I can't even look at them they look awful! It's the only way I can think of displaying them though without actually having to be in the picture haha! Does anyone have any idea of how I can take pictures of clothes? Help a fella in need please.

#2014BloggerChallenge New Year's Inspiration

Now 2014 is he-yeeeer the #2014BloggerChallenge is starting with the first topic being New Year's Inspiration. Gaby has asked for us to post a quote or picture that inspires us and that other bloggers might also find inspiring. I am being a rebel and posting two picture quotes (arrest me) that may not be considered inspiring but are just little things to keep in mind throughout your day. I've also linked the pictures to where I originally found them on Pinterest in case you want to knooooooooow.

I genuinely think it's really important to be a nice person no matter how you're feeling or what type of day you've had because you never know how you will effect others. I'm not that sensitive when it comes to things to do about myself but am the type of person who feels really bad for other people and so always try to avoid doing anything that would upset anyone.

Whenever I feel like I'm having a rubbish day, usually, by the next day I'm really happy for no reason at all  even though nothing has actually changed. I think it's important for people to just let things happen sometimes as life does seem to work itself out eventually even when you feel like it won't.

No-one ever let me be a counsellor, I am too awkward when it comes to this sort of stuff. Plot twist: while studying Psychology at A Level I very, very, very briefly toyed with the idea of becoming a therapist. Aren't you guys glad I didn't pursue that?

Elf Healthy Glow Bronzing Powders: Luminance and Sun Kissed

I write this with mind-blowingly painful pins and needles in my left leg thanks to my motionless sitting down. I hope everyone's had a good start to 2014, mine began at a friend's house, progressed to walking home and nearly freezing to death, waking up very late in the day, eating chocolate stars, getting a headache and then now this. Obviously there was more but none of which is all that interesting, not that any of the previously listed is either...

I bring another Elf related post but this time on two of their Healthy Glow Bronzing Powders in the shades Luminance and Sun Kissed. Although these are marketed as bronzers I bought them with the intention to use them as a highlighter, one for me and one for my mum and *drum roll* they work goooooood.

They sell for £1.50 and are pretty much in the most basic packaging known to life itself but make a nice little click when closed (okay I lie, only one makes that satisfying clicking noise, the other tries but fails). If you like your products to look luxurious then these probably aren't going to cut it for you as there are glue marks clearly visible on the bottom of the bronzers but as I've said countless of times on this blog, I don't mind what a product looks like on the outside.

From left to right: Luminance, Sun Kissed

Luminance is almost sand coloured but on my skin comes out a shimmery champagne colour; it doesn't have much noticeable glitter making it so much more wearable than Mac's Soft and Gentle which I feel could look a teeny bit overdone on me just for going to the shop quickly. Sun Kissed is much more of a golden bronze and just would not work on my skin tone if I was wearing blusher but would work if I was wearing bronzer and wanted to look sun kissed (everyone laugh plz). On my mum however, who is naturally more tanned and darker than me, Sun Kissed works amazingly as a highlighter for her while Luminance looks quite silvery and is much too cool-toned on her skin.

I'm only guessing but I feel like these bronzers have an overlay on them as, when you use them for the first time, the surface feels really smooth and fairly velvety but once they've been used a few times it becomes rough and textured. You can probably see this on Luminance whereas on Sun Kissed you can see a section that hasn't been used yet. Although this is the case, it does't affect/effect (uh who even knows) how it applies to the face.

 From left to right: Luminance swatched, Sun Kissed swatched, both unblended

I have been reaching for Luminance on a daily basis and I keep hassling my mum to remember to use Sun Kissed because it looks so pretty on her but she says she forgets so we'll have to allow that to slide. I really should have swatched the bronzers on my mum's arm so you guys could see how the bronzers look different depending on skin tone and what would work best for your guys, apologies.

For £1.50 these bronzers are hardly an investment and definitely worth picking up next time you make an Elf purchase regardless of the cheap packaging and feel to the product. Have you tried these before or is there anything else from Elf that you use in a different way than what it is intended for?