Net-a-Porter pieces at TK Maxx prices

Net-a-Porter pieces at TK Maxx prices? Thankfully for your bank balances I am not joking! On a recent visit to TK Maxx, I was even more pleased than usual with some of my finds in there.

I picked up a really useful 'Elizabeth and James' black blazer, with a 75% discount and an 'American Retro' grey cotton & grey snakeskin print tee for £22 (from £125!).

At the moment they seem to have a great range of designer brands in store: 'Karl by Karl Lagerfeld'; 'Michael Kors'; 'American Retro'; 'Elizabeth and James' and 'Maison Martin Margiela' to name just a few. Even if you don't usually shop in TK Maxx, I think the prospect of some designer pieces at such great prices is definitely worth a few minutes of your time.

Here are just some of the pieces that were in store the last time that I went.

• Karl by Karl Lagerfeld white 'biker' sleeveless dress £209 down to £30
• Michael Kors red shift dress £240 down to £50
• Elizabeth and James floral dress £260 down to £100

I am very tempted to go back in store to buy the American Retro bomber jacket in the photo above (top left) as it is one of they key jacket shapes this season. I think it was reduced to about £35 from over £200. At that price I think I better be quick if I want to nab it! Let me know if you manage to pick up some designer bargains at TK Maxx. Why not tweet me a photo @LouiseHartrey or post on Instagram @louloumuses with #louloushops .

Coming into Fashion: A Century of Photography at Conde Nast

One of the sections that I always check when I pop into my local branch of TK Maxx is the book section. I always find a great selection of cookery and design hardbacks ( perfect for the coffee table and to dip into) at much reduced prices. Here is my most recent purchase which I picked up for £8.00 instead of the RRP of £42.00. As a reader of a number of Conde Nast titles, I couldn't leave this languishing in the Clearance section. I love using books to decorate my home, but hardback design books like this are often very expensive, so I have to be very selective. However thanks to TK Maxx I can add a few more titles to my collection.

The pages are crammed with an abundance of beautiful and often iconic images taken from Conde Nast titles over the last century. Here are some of my favourites (Solve Sundsbo, Love 2011; Willy Vanderperre, W, 2011; Corinne Day, British Vogue, 1993; Tim Walker, Italian Vogue, 1995; David Bailey, British Vogue, 1962; Guy Bourdin, Vogue, 1958) :

 

 

 

 

 

Bargain Essie nail polishes at TK Maxx

Never one to be able to resist a red nail polish, I grabbed this 'Essie' shade as soon as I saw that it was available in my local TK Maxx store for the bargainous price of £7 for 3 bottles of nail polish! When you consider that 'Essie' polishes retail for £9.95 each, I think that you will agree that this was too good a bargain to leave behind on the shelf. The only drawback is that the shade of the polish isn't named on the bottle, but given the great price, I am sure that I can cope with that. The polish applied really easily and lasted really well. I will definitely be trying other 'Essie' polishes. Have you got any particular 'Essie' shades that you would recommend?

Korres Japanese Rose Shower Gel and Body Butter

I am a big fan of Korres products, with their Vanilla Plum range being a firm bodycare favourite, so when I saw these Japanese Rose products in my local branch of TK Maxx at 50% of the RRP, I couldn't resist snapping them up.  One of the things that I love about these is that the rose scent is not too over-powering, which I find can be the case with some other rose-based products. The body butter is fantastic on areas such as elbows and knees, which can be prone to dryness. 

The shower gel contains wheat proteins which form a protective film on the skin, which helps skin to maintain its hydration levels. The body butter contains shea butter and quince extract which are both known for moisturising and softening the skin. Sunflower, almond and avocado oils nourish the skin, which helps in relation to maintaining the elasticity of the skin.

If you are not lucky enough to find these in your local TK Maxx, then you can also find them at Look Fantastic and Feel Unique.

Lou Lou Shops: TK Maxx

I know that I have posted about TK Maxx before, but I was so impressed with my last visit there, that I thought it deserved another blog post!

We probably all know that TK Maxx is one of the high-street's largest chain of discount stores. However, for some people, that is enough to stop them walking through the doors. And if that is the case, then in my opinion they are definitely missing a trick!

I think one of the problems for people with the store, is that you can't really guarantee that you will find what you want in there. However, I think that once you accept that, you will see that there are some great bargains to be had in store. I tend to pop in at least once a week.

On my last trip, I picked up a Seafolly swimsuit for £19.99 (usually retails for £70+); a Polo Ralph Lauren v-neck wool jumper for my boyfriend (£37; RRP £99) ; Korres Vanilla Plum shower gel (£5.99, RRP £10.50) and Bridgedale walking socks (£5.99; RRP £16.00). On those items alone, I made a saving of over £125 on the RRP.

A lot of the items in the food section wouldn't look out of place in a high-quality delicatessen, and I picked up some stuffed olives and amaretti biscuits. I love the packaging of some of the items, and will definitely be trying to think of ways to re-use the packaging.

If online shopping is more your thing, then you can also make some big savings on the TK Maxx website. You can find a range of designer labels on the site, including 'Stella McCartney'; 'Balenciaga'; 'DSquared'; 'Elizabeth and James'; 'Dolce & Gabbana', and 'Temperley'.

What are your thoughts on TK Maxx? Have you discovered any fantastic bargains there?

Beauteconomics

On the weekend I paid a visit to my local branch of TK Maxx. I have found some great bargains in there recently, including a See by Chloe bright pink jumper for £34 instead of £210 and a Clements Ribeiro Portobello cotton cashmere sweater for £29.95 insead of £325. In days gone by I would have gone straight for the handbag section to see if I could find any designer gems hidden amongst some of the other less desirable bags. However, since my discovery of beauty blogs I now find myself going straight for the beauty section. Whilst I'm on the subject of handbags, am I the only person who if I was in a position to spend hundreds of pounds on a handbag would still want it to be displayed nicely, and not just left on a shelf for a load of people to mess about with? I am not sure that the shop floor (literally!) is the best place for a £995 (reduced price!) Versace bag.



Clements Ribeiro Portobello jumper

See by Chloe jumper

Due to the nature of the store you can never guarantee that you will find a particular brand, but I always find that it's worth taking a look, as lately I have found some great products on the shelves. In addition to high-street brands such as L'Oreal and Revlon, you can also find higher end brands such as Korner skincare. On my last visit I picked up a few brands that I had come across on beauty blogs (Margaret Dabbs & Leighton Denny) so will be trying them out and posting about them soon.

As a girl who loves her beauty products and her clothes I also love a bargain. After all, the more money saved, the more Nars products I can add to my collection! So have you got any particular places (online or instore) where you consistently go to to grab a bargain?