Reinvent your wardrobe this spring

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If you already have a well-stocked wardrobe and want to be more conscious of what you are buying, we have had a look at how you can rework what you have rather than always flashing the cash or hitting click to buy to get that hit.

Be inspired
Before you do anything, look at what’s hot on the fashion front at the moment as this can really inspire you to take a closer look at your clothes and see how they could work harder for you. Social media feeds and magazines are a great way to asses which looks are in, and the ones that are out as this can spark ideas, and before you know it, you are dressing in a whole new way.

Sort it out
If your wardrobes are bursting at the seams, it could mean that you can’t actually see what you do have to wear so end up in the same jeans and tee day after day. Take everything out of the wardrobes, put it all on your bed and re-hang everything you want to keep on wire hangers as these save space and prevent items from bunching and creasing. You can make it easy to navigate your clothes if you sort by style, colour and season and when you have done this you will have a better idea of what goes with what, and new looks can be created.

Mend it
If you have well-loved items that you still adore but are broken – mend them, don’t chuck them! A damaged strap, missing button or drooping hem can stop you from wearing something, so get it fixed and the problem is solved. If you can’t do it yourself, many dry cleaners offer basic repairs and if it’s heels that need a helping hand, head to the cobbler.

Sell or swap
Before you throw away the clothes that didn’t make the cut, think about selling or swapping them so someone else can love them. This a great time to call on friends to give you some feedback on your clothes and style and they may want to take what isn’t working for you, off your hands, and you could be in for a haul of goodies from them in return. Also remember that online sites, social media, vintage stores and charity shops are perfect homes for pre-loved bargains and it is so much better to keep a garment alive, than sending it to the landfill.

Breath in new life
We all know that accessories can give a favourite look a new lease of life, so this is the time to get out those bags, belts, jewellery and shoes and have a play around. Alice bands, scrunchies and scarves can give a special lift, caps come into play with sportswear and an animal print tote or neon slider will automatically give you style kudos.

Just wear it
Once you have done all the hard work, make sure you wear the items you have kept. Don’t keep things for best, wear dresses that make you feel special, jeans that elongate your legs, and if you have polished those shoes, put them on your feet and shine, baby!

What we would say, is don’t try to reinvent your entire wardrobe in one go. If you can breathe life into three pieces, that’s a great start, and the rest will follow.

Team Pure Beauty

Easy food hacks for a happy kitchen

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airtight container, apples, bananas, big shop, blender, bowl of soup, carrots, celery, cereal, chicken crown, chop, crips, cup, double batch, eat, environment, food, food bank, food saving, freeze, freezer, fresh, fridge, friend, fruit, hacks, homemade chicken nuggets, hunger, ice cream, landfill, microwave, nasty taste in the mouth, next week, nutrient packed smoothie, olive oil, pizza, potatoes, prevent, pudding, scoop, snacks, soft, soup, throw away, veg, waste, zip lock bag

By the end of the week, if you are anything like us you’ll have half a loaf of bread going mouldy, apples that are beyond bruised and milk that is well and truly on the turn.

Due to busy lives, eating out and BOGOF offers from the supermarkets, we tend to waste more food than ever which isn’t good for our pockets or the environment and leaves a nasty taste in the mouth – literally.

We have put together some easy to follow food saving hacks that really work.

It is better to get less and waste less and you can do this if you plan your meals for the week. Work out which nights you need to cook and factor in lunch boxes, snacks and guests and you’ll soon notice the difference to your wallet.

Only buy what you need. Many people do a ‘big shop’ and stack their trolley high with goods for the week. You may well find that if you shop little and often, especially for fresh produce, you will waste less and save more.

When you do shop, make a list and stick to it. Even better, shop online and use a template list you know works.

Check your fridge is clean and also set to the right temperature.

Make sure you put crisps, cereal and snacks in an airtight container or zip lock bag. This will prevent them from going soft and losing their flavour which means you can eat them rather than chuck them.

The freezer is your friend. Over ripe bananas can be frozen then used for cakes and smoothies. Freeze past their best herbs with olive oil and you have a ready made stock cube and if you know you aren’t going to eat that chicken crown, freeze it for next week.

When you make a pasta bake or bolognaise, cook a double batch and either for lunch the next day or freeze for next week.

Use up fruit and veg by blasting it all in your blender and making a nutrient packed smoothie.

If you have sad looking carrots, celery, potatoes, peppers and onions, don’t bin them. Simply peel, chop and cook them in a pan and you’ll have a healthy, warming bowl of soup in no time.

Bread doesn’t keep forever so put half a loaf in the freeze and take it out as needed. If it does go stale, toast and use a croutons or blast in the blender and you have breadcrumbs for homemade chicken nuggets.

Don’t waste any ice cream, scoop portions into freezer bags when you buy a tub and you’ll have instant pudding with nothing left over.

Don’t throw away that left over pizza, wrap and put in the fridge, then when hunger strikes put it in the microwave with a cup of water for one minute. This will add moisture to the air and the pizza stop it drying out so when bell goes it’ll be fresh and tasty once again.

Find out if there is a local food bank near you and give them anything you know you won’t use.

Got a hack you love? Drop us a line and let us know.

Team Pure Beauty