Rosie Corriette

Notes from a retired blogger

Author: Rosie

  • Adolescent Clothing – Reviving the Slogan Tee

    Adolescent Clothing – Reviving the Slogan Tee

    Youth Culture. It’s one of those things that even as I cling to my twenties I think is a good thing to ‘do’ yet all too often by the time the midnight internet purchase rocks up on a wet Tuesday afternoon I’m reminded that perhaps it wasn’t the brightest of ideas. Am I too old to rock a slogan of the moment tee? Up until last month I would have been inclined to say yes, yet after a by chance introduction to Adolescent Clothing it would appear that there is still witty life in my slogan fashion.

    Adolescent clothing is an online destination that pride themselves on responding instantaneously to an ever-changing youth culture. Their limited edition brand designs are dictated by the voice of the adolescent. When it came to choosing a style to review it was like being nineteen again… in a good way – it reminded me of spending hours agonizing over which FCUK slogan tee was the best satirical round up of me in often less than four words. There were so many that made me chuckle which after all isn’t youth clothing supposed to do that. I settled on a ‘Best in Black’ tee as I’m renowned for wearing far too much black (they say it like it’s a bad thing!).

    Adolescent-Clothing-Selfie-Best-In-Black-Slogan-Tee

    Now came the real test. You see there’s a reason that I’ve not been the biggest fan of the slogan clothing trend. The sizing is normally so irregular that you order your size but instead spend ten minutes wrestling with a square of cotton barely bigger than a flannel before you realize that it’s not going to work… ever.

    Adolescent clothing is different, not only is their sizing pretty spot on but the quality of the fabric, cut and stitching really does set them apart from any competition. Best in Black has quickly become one of my off duty mum style staples and is the perfect simple outfit maker from working from home, to the school run and even withstood a gym session.

    Adolescent-Clothing-Mummy-and-Boo-WIggle-Joggers

    Thanks to Adolescent clothing my love of slogan clothing is alive for a while longer and now I’m just working up the courage to order the wiggle trackpants – I can totally pull them off right?!

    Disclosure: I received Adolescent Clothing for the purpose of this review.

  • Boo’s Wish For A Puppy

    Top-Dog-Apparel-Mummy-and-Boo

    “Mummy please can we have a dog… pretty please?” This is something I’ve become accustomed to hearing at least once a week. And each time I don my horrible mother hat and say no. It’s not that I wouldn’t love a dog – it’s just that I’m pretty sure the romantic notions of having an addition to the family who would be the perfect play mate for Boo and the cutest of companions for me who would sit curled up besides me while I worked – is not in fact how reality would have it. Reality would have me chasing a four legged creator of mess round my all white house and missing deadlines for walkies. Plus we are fortunate enough to travel so much that it wouldn’t be fair to canine Corriette to constantly be kenneled.

    That’s not to say that I’m not seduced by the idea of a dog; many of our friends have dogs who are such lovely additions to their family and I think it’s seeing this that keeps Boo trying to wear me down and who can blame her. Having a furry member of the family would be great and no doubt would be subject to Boo’s passion for fashion aka dressing the dog up until it’s wardrobe rivaled mine! Yes I know Dogs aren’t fashion accessories but come on, as long as the dog is comfortable and happy there’s nothing cuter than seeing when a little girl has lovingly picked out an outfit for their dog. Top dog pet clothing is a great destination for the discerning dog owner from practical beds to blingy collars there is something for every style.

    While canine Corriette won’t be happening anytime soon, there’s no guarantee that she won’t eventually wear me down especially when she’s old enough to be responsible for morning walkies.

    This is a collaborative post.

  • ILES FORMULA UK LAUNCH

    ILES FORMULA UK LAUNCH

    Silky, smooth, healthy hair is the holy grail that if you’re anything like me then you’ll have spent years trying to find the answer and thanks to Wendy Iles’s UK launch of ILES FORMULA the solution is here.

    The high performance luxury hair care was born from Wendy’s need to transform tortured celebrity hair she frequently encountered working with her high-demand clientele. The result? A miraculous 3-step system that instantly transforms all hair types into Wendy’s signature ‘spun silk’ finish. And best of all… it works instantly and on all types of hair.

    ILES FORMULA Dicovery Pack

    Myself along with a handful of bloggers were invited to Urban Retreat at Harrods last week before the store opened for the official UK launch.

    Firstly Wendy is as brilliant in real life as she is online – it’s immediately obvious just how much passion she has for her product which has taken years to develop and she was determined to not compromise on any aspect and it shows; from silk proteins from Japan to Pracaxi oil from the Amazon the ingredients create the haute performance hair care that will transform your hair after the first use.

    There are 3 steps to achieving ‘spun silk’:

    Step 1 – Shampoo – Free from harsh detergents, sulfates and silicons, this powerful high-performance shampoo instantly detangles, repairs and protects whilst cleansing hair without drying or stripping away colour. Wendy’s convinced that this has to be one of the only sulfate free shampoo that will lather, as long as you add water to help activate the rot juices.

    Step 2 – Conditioner – The jewel of the ILES FORMULA hair care line is the conditioner and the reason this collection was born. The ultimate repair care for hair, it instantly repairs all hair types as the product is combed through the hair, for maximum shine and a voluptuous effect and Wendy’s signature sumptuous ‘spun silk’ finish – Wendy insists this is one the of the most important steps and akins the new range to a Ferrari “Just like a Ferrari, ILES FORMULA is a high performance product and you need to know how to use it – missing just one step out or using them incorrectly won’t give you the results”.

    Step 3 – Finishing Serum – Applied to wet or dry hair, this light weight paraben free formula is designed to protect against heated tools, humidity, chemical and UV environmental damage without weighing the hair down. The serum is the finishing tool in Wendy’s hair care and repair arsenal.

    The discovery pack is a great way for doing just that… it contains trial sizes of all three products plus the ILES FORMULA comb, perfect for realizing that spun silk hair is only a wash and style away.

    ILES FORMULA is available exclusively at Urban Retreat in Harrods.

  • Kaleidoscope’s AW16 Collection

    Kaleidoscope’s AW16 Collection

    Kaleidoscope is a brand that continues to grow and surprise with each new collection and their AW16 preview is no exception. I was away on holiday when they held their exclusive first look at the Autumn Winter collection at the amazing ME Hotel but they very kindly let me have a sneak peak at all the fantastic new styles ready for later in the year… although if you’re anything like me and had to crack the heating on this week (IN JUNE!!!!) then these are as wearable now as they will be closer to Christmas!

    Kaleidoscope-Fashion-AW16-Mummy-and-Boo

    Kaleidoscope’s Style Editor Kirsten Emery – she really is the most loveliest and stylish lady you will ever meet had this to say about the new collection:
    “This year’s Kaleidoscope Autumn Winter 2016 Collection takes influence from artistic movements of the past with the current trend to mix the natural with the man-made. Exclusive Bloomsbury-inspired prints blend with an earthy colour palette to evoke a naturalistic, boho feel. Ornate artisan-style embellishment merged with fine surface detail give a perception of Arts & Crafts. Classical styles fuse with elaborate Rococo and bold colour for the ultimate in occasion glamour. The latest fabric techniques and on-trend accessorisation add another layer that gives this collection its contemporary edge.”

    I literally LOVE these bejeweled cobalt blue flats – in fact I’m adding them to my ‘gotta have right now’ list!

    Blue-Bejewelled-Pumps-Kaleidoscope-AW16-Mummy-and-Boo

    For me kaleidoscope win in all aspects – yes the clothing is on trend but like I’ve said before it’s also the cut and fit that make Kaleidoscope a standout brand, their wearable fashion is what woman want and with collections like this fabulous offering for AW16, the thought of chillier months just got a whole lot more stylish.

  • Summer PTA Planning with Infinite Canopies

    Summer PTA Planning with Infinite Canopies

    I’ve spoken previously about my role as co-chair on the PTA for Boo’s school and with the summer fair fast approaching it’s all hands on deck to make our Galstonmary summer event a rip-roaring success.

    The flipside to fundraising for the PTA is spending the money on worthwhile projects within the school. Last year we were able to contribute 50% of the cost of a brand new ICT suite which is used by the entire school on a weekly basis.

    For over a year, our head teacher has spoken about her vision of creating an covered outdoor multi-purpose space that can be used for teaching, play and prayer. Infinite Canopies are a great example of how thinking innovatively when it comes to outside space in educational settings gives endless opportunities for the children to really get the most out of the space especially when half of the school year has the oh so classic status of ‘wet play’!

    PTA fundraising for outdoor classroom

    With Infinite Canopies you have the choice between steel and timber frames both offering great use of space and both have the amazing flexibility of the canopy design which is perfect for catching little one’s attention and sparking their imagination.

    Infinite canopies don’t just offer outdoor classrooms they can design and install bespoke friendship circles – isn’t that the just the loveliest idea – right through to canopies for secondary schools. And with such a versatile approach that will surely be of great benefit to all the children, this is one suggestion I can’t wait to bring up at the next PTA meeting.


    This is a collaborative post