Sluttery Sales Spy: Mango, Kurt Geiger & Miista

Come fall down this sales-shaped hole with me, won't you? It's warm down here. And it smells of butterscotch Angel Delight.

THE DRESSES

Petit Bateau tennis dress, £40 (was £58), Urban Outfitters

Whoops. I appear to have gone all Manic Pixie Dream Girl on you already, and we've only just begun. Anyway. This is a tennis dress. How wonderfully current of me, don't you think? I'm finding Wimbledon mind-numbingly tedious already, and it hasn't even started yet. I might be able to rouse myself into some semblance of a vaguely enthused person if C'mon Andy rouses himself into some semblance of a Wimbledon champ, but otherwise, no. However. This dress will help me through a tough tennis season. NEW BALLS PLEASE.

Yumi atomic print dress, £20 (was £40), House of Fraser

This atomic print dress is the thing you'll need to wear to woo Dr Sheldon Cooper, if that particular challenge were to be one of your goals in life (one of these challenges being the fact he's not a real person - not that that sort of minor obstacle has ever stood in my way before). Maybe Sheldon could explain why there are also clocks all over the dress? Is it a reference to atomic clocks? Ain't like no atomic clocks I've ever seen.*

* I've never seen an atomic clock.

Floral shift, £32 (was £45), Oasis

You could get this effect if you smeared your sides in superglue and ran through a wildflower meadow. Alternatively, you could buy this floral shift from Oasis and spare yourself the hayfever and the trespassing fine. 

THE SHOES

Miista Zoe lace-ups, £70 (was £115), Urban Outfitters

Miista's shoes of the moment - their fabulous hologram Zoe Oxfords - are, alas, not in the sale. Actually, they're almost impossible to buy at all, such is the magnitude of their popularity, combined with the fact that Lauren Laverne just bought some and made the grave mistake of tweeting about her purchase. But fear not, my sweets, because these Zoe Neptune Oxfords are the same shape, but feature a SILK upper, leather lining, and amazing galactic print. I think I might even prefer these. And oh look - they're down to 70 smackeroonies in the Urban Outfitters sale. 

F-Troupe plastic shoes, £50 (was £85), Urban Outfitters

Plastic shoes with red lovehearts all over them! Pinch me, I'm 6 years old.

Carvela Ardent platforms, £75 (was £140), Kurt Geiger

Remember the Ardent? We were ardently admiring these Carvela Kurt Geiger shoes last November, despite their £140 price tag - so imagine the swooning, fainting and drooling that's going on now they're almost half-price? It isn't pleasant, I can tell you. Sort of swoony. And wet. 

THE JEWELLERY

Me & Zena Write On ring, £13 (was £16), Fab

It's a ring, I promise! I know it appears to be the size of a bangle, or a hula-hoop, or perhaps even the rings of Saturn, but it is definitely a ring. For your finger. A RING SHAPED LIKE A PENCIL. My life is now complete.

Budding neon necklace, £39.95 (was £58), Anthropologie

So pretty! This Budding necklace by designer Lenora Dame - on sale at Anthropologie - is the perfect shade of pink for summer. Hell, it's the perfect shade of pink for any season.

Urban Aviary rough ruby ring, £62.40 (was £72.90), Fab

I'm so into this ruby ring by Urban Aviary. The rough-cut stone looks like it's being seized by a clawed foot. It's just incredibly beautiful. I would wear it every day, if anyone was generous enough to buy me one. HINTORAMA. 

THE BAGS

Box clutches in mint and bright green, £15 each (was £30 each), Oasis

I couldn't choose my favourite colourway! Oasis is loving this box clutch shape at the moment, and there are roughly 1,228 (6 or 7) different colour combos to pick from. Aside from the greens, I'm also enjoying their bubblegum clutch, which comes in at a slightly more expensive - but by no means bank-busting - £18.

Woolacombe frame bag, £28 (was £40), Oasis

I like a frame bag, because they make me feel important. I also really like a bag named after a Devonshire town with a pirate-themed crazy golf course, so I feel I've struck handbag gold here.

Patent tote in coral, £19.99 (was £44.99), Mango

This tote bag from Mango is so shiny, so corally, so BRIGHT that it will be like hauling the sun around over your shoulder. Without the death to all living creatures/end of the world/crippling shoulder pain bit of that scenario, presumably. But who knows? Dare you find out?

Found any amazing bargains this week? Sharing is caring. 

Let Her Eat Cake: Olive Oil & Orange Chocolate Cake

Double take! Chocolate? And olive oil?! Sacrebleu!

I have been on a mission recently to create a cake which fulfills a holy trinity of qualities: wheat free, dairy free and chocolate SMOTHERED. After a bit of experimenting, this recipe - which is an adaptation of Nigella's Chocolate Olive Oil Cake - seems to hit those nails firmly on the head with its ridiculous chocolatey-ness. 

Yes, there are unusual elements to this cake, but we all know that Domestic Sluts aren't bashful about a bit of off-piste baking. Ground almonds rather than flour mean that this cake is naturally gluten free, and the olive oil removes the need for butter (sweet butter) which is good news if you can't go near lactose. It also stops the cake from being too rich, but honestly, even without it, this cake is more of a pudding, making it the Bill Gates of the dessert world. 

Look! Avocados and chocolate are back together again! If you're really put off by the idea (although we've already proved they work…) you can make a traditional ganache by heating 200ml of double cream and pouring over 140g of chocolate until melted.

Olive Oil Orange & Chocolate Cake (Makes 2 20cm cakes)
You will need:
For the cake

• 100g cocoa powder
• 250ml boiling water
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 300ml olive oil
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 100g honey or maple syrup
• 300g ground almonds
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the frosting

• 2 ripe avocados
• 250g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa - check the label for allergy advice)
• zest of one orange and a squeeze of juice

Make it!
For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 325C/170F/Gas Mark 3. Line and lightly grease two 20cm sandwich tins with olive oil.
2. Sift the cocoa powder into a bowl. Pour in the boiling water and whisk until it reaches a thin paste. Add the ground ginger and mix thoroughly. 
3. Place the sugar, honey or syrup, olive oil and eggs into a large bowl and beat well with an electric whisk or by hand until the mixture has formed a pale, frothy cream. 
4. Tip in the cocoa mixture and stir to combine.
5. Add in the ground almonds and bicarb, but don't overmix. 
6. Pour into the two tins and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a skewer comes out almost clean. 
7. Cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the frosting:

1. Scoop the avocado flesh into a large bowl and mash up a bit. 
2. With an electric whisk - or by hand - beat well until the avocado has formed a smooth, creamy paste. 
3. Push through a mesh sieve to ensure that no lumps remain. 
4. Stir in the orange zest and a good squeeze of juice, saving a little zest for decoration.
5. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or in 20 second blasts in the microwave. 
6. Pour the melted chocolate into the avocado (oh no, you dropped some down your face, how did that happen?) and mix or whisk well until completely combined. 
7. Spread a layer of of frosting on the top of one cake, and a sprinkling of orange zest. Sandwich the other cake on top. 
8. Use a pallet knife or a piping bag to spread the rest on top of your cake, adding orange zest or cocoa powder to decorate as you like.
9. Devour, feeling mighty virtuous.

Tall Girl Treat: Taller Than Your Average

Now, admittedly I've had my head in the clouds dreaming of my trip to Canadamerica later this week, but there has been a distinct lack of awesome tall girl shopping opportunities in the past few weeks.

"Ooh. Does this mean you'll be doing another one of your 'there's nothing for tall women' rants?" my colleague said helpfully yesterday. It doesn't. But only because there is so much shouting into the wind before you get hoarse.

Long sleeve body, £36

Instead, thanks to a tip-off from the lovely Laura over on All The Tall Things, I'm looking at Taller Than Your Average, a new line housed at Selfridges offering jersey basics and longer-length 'wardrobe staples' for women over 5'9. (My wardrobe staple is a red velvet coat, but 7/8 cigarette pants would be good too).

Funnily enough, where Taller Than Your Average is really exciting is in the bits that aren't its clothes. Its website has a really great inspiration board; a bit like a Pinterest for women with long, erm, pins. Look at this girl. Doesn't she look epic? I absolutely want to buy what she's wearing! Look at the sleeves on that shirt and the lovely detail, the well-fitting jeans. Delicious.

On its blog, there is a lovely fashion piece-slash-interview with a documentary film maker from VICE - I would love to see more pieces with tall women who do interesting things! She's making a documentary about teenage exorcists in Ukraine for heaven's sake. Win all round.

Crew neck tee, £30

I adore the photography on Taller Than Your Average. However, I'm less whelmed by the launch range of black and white basics. I really don't need another maxi dress or very long skirt. I could buy a t-shirt, a body stocking or a long sleeve top literally anywhere else on the high street. Basics are not difficult to find. I don't want to be basic, I want to be amazing - and it's the amazing clothes that are really difficult to hunt down for tall girls.

Long sleeve midi tube dress, £50

In TTYA's future ranges I'd love to see a pencil skirt that actually goes over the knee, or a mini skirt that I can wear without frightening the elderly. Perhaps a really gloriously well-cut jacket in an imaginative design? Or a sexy cardigan, or a delicious silk shirt? Irene Agbontaen, the 5'11 stylist who founded TTYA, is wearing the most unbelievably kick-ass orange spiked dress in her launch photos - something like that would be amazing!

Long sleeve maxi dress, £60

Who knows what Taller Than Your Average will come up in future. For the meantime, keep an eye on its website and get some outfit inspiration from that terrific board.


You can get 20 per cent off your order by using TTUAINTRO at checkout.

Sluttishly Vintage: Let's Go On A Summer Holiday

Woo-hoo, we've been going summer holiday crazy recently, with all this talk of swimsuits, sandals and sunscreens. It's only fair that the vintage column gets to go on a holiday too. I'm focusing on 1950s and 60s summer style, and a mixture of glamorous jet set and the great British seaside. Ready to take off?

Summer is a great time for wearing vintage. You can experiment with those patterns which appear a bit full on in winter months but somehow look completely right when accessorised with sunshine. And, as gorgeously illustrated by the Tara Starlet collection, the appeal of a lovely cotton dress on a summer's dress remains pretty much unbeatable. So let's start with the dress. Specifically the gorgeous cotton day dress shown above. As you'll probably be able to guess from the shape it's from the 1950s, and it's decorated with embroidered circles of yellow, duck blue and black. It's available for £80 from Love Miss Daisy.

To keep your cool, you'll definitely need to accessorise with a hat. I love the floral embroidery on the straw hat, also pictured, available for £36 from Worn Out Shop on Etsy. Though this 1950s/60s Italian straw hat is Audrey Hepburn on her hols-tastic too.

And then, of course, sunglasses. To finish off a strictly 1950s look, how about these cute catseye numbers? They're £45 from Madame Coco. Sunglasses, unless the most hideous extremes of 80s style, seem to fare pretty well with the passing of time. That means there are plenty of styles to choose from, whether classic wayfarers or oversized 70s glamazon specs at a fraction of the cost of designer frames (however, they won't have the same level of protection as a good contemporary pair though, so wear with a warning).

One of my favourite vintage holiday items is the souvenir scarf, the very best way of showing off your glamorous excursions whether you've been to Venice, Tenerife or, the case of this scarf, stayed slightly closer to home in Morecambe. The scarf is an amazing 60s original and is available for only £14 from Starlight Vintage (fight you for it). Use it to cover your head, or frame in your home for year-round holiday inspiration.

Leaving the British seaside behind, another classic vintage holiday trend is the tropical look. These styles started becoming popular as military men who had been stationed abroad during the Second World War started coming back to America, got another boost when Hawaii became part of the States in 1959, and has been popular more or less ever since (it's massive again at the moment - think of that amazing Tara Starlet Honolulu dress).

Miss Bamboo does a great line in original and repro 1940s and 50s 'Pacific ware': their bamboo bangles would instantly add some vintage glamour to an otherwise plain outfit. As more of a budget option, I love the shape and colours of the 80s does 50s tropical swing dress pictured, £45 from Yesterdays Tomorrow on ASOS Marketplace.

And, if we're going tropical, I strongly encourage you to channel your inner Carmen Miranda and buy these 1950s banana and berry clip-on earrings for £20, again from Love Miss Daisy. This 60s patterned handbag will also enhance the totally tropical look. The turban is optional but wholeheartedly encouraged.

Which brings me to the very important matter of luggage. Every jet setter needs to be able to carry their clothes in style. You may have noticed the suitcases in our sponsored slot this week, available from Kiki's Boutique, or Stardust Vintage have this smart vanity case available for £42, complete with a heavenly deep red lining.

If you can't get away, original travel posters can add some of the colour back to a grey British summer. Prices can be ridiculously high but there are some bargains. Say Aloha to this Hawaii poster for example, £40 from Antikbar. It's also worth having a look through postcards stockists for great images for only a couple of quid a pop. Postcard Heaven has a great selection, covering everywhere from Mablethorpe to Miami. That's where I found the scenes used at the very top of this post, both available for £2.50 each.

And, finally, it wouldn't be summer without seeking out some kind of beachwear. There's plenty of fun styles available, whether you are after 50s femininity or 60s playfulness. I'm not sure I would put either anywhere near the water. A beach party though, and it would be a crime not to venture out in the swimsuit set pictured. It looks like a cute dress, but lift it up and you've got a matching pair of pants to preserve your modesty. The set is a bargain £35 from Darlings Vintage on Etsy. All that remains is to get your cocktail order in (something a bit classier than Sex on the Beach please), and then you should have everything you need to enjoy a vintage summer, wherever you might be headed.

Catherine Colebrook TV Dinner Tray

Here at Sluttery HQ, we love eating with our friends at the dining table, in fact we all have our own dream dining table. We'll happily spend hours browsing pretty/quirky/original additions to our dining rooms and we're never happier than when we're entertaining.

Sometimes, though, you can't beat dinner in front of the TV. If you just happen to be sitting down to dinner when your favourite telly show is starting, or you've had a hectic day and you can't be bothered with being sociable with everyone else up the table, then it's time for a TV dinner. Honestly, who can say hand-on-heart that they always eat at the dining table when they're eating alone? I can't.

I need Catherine Colebrook's brilliant TV Dinner Tray. With a handy reminder of which direction the television set is in and a space for the remote, it's the ideal companion for telly dining. I actually quite like eating my tea on my lap, and now I can go through the ritual of setting the table tray so I still get a sense of occasion, even when beans on toast is all that's on the menu.

This tray is £22 from Catherine Colebrook's online shop and standard UK delivery is free. Now you can stylishly combine your pie and mash with Eastenders, Shepherd's pie with Emmerdale or hotpot with Coronation Street!

Kick-Ass SPF50 Sunscreens For Annoying Skin

SPF50 + fake tan + Spain = enormous compulsion to WERK

You wouldn't know it to look at my pink and white battenberg cake of a face, but I used to tan like an absolute bastard. I love that outdoorsy feeling of being bronzed. Years ago, in an attempt to stay more Nicole Kidman and less battered handbag, I stopped sunbathing and started wearing SPF50, and now the only time I colour is when I fork out for a spray tan or cover myself in the utterly foolproof glory that is St Tropez bronzing mousse. 

Sunscreen for people with sensitive or oily skins is a complete headache. So many make you either break out or look like you've covered yourself in a light coating of Dulux. For something which is supposed to be keeping you healthy, and encouraging regular use this is not good.

Here are a few that I really do rate. And one that I don't really, but threw in because why not? All these sunscreens are available in lower factors and for different skin types, so have an explore and see what you get on best with.

I'm addicted to Sali Hughes' beauty columns in the Guardian, and while she errs towards products for dry skin, this was recommended for oily skins. Sunsense is an Aussie company, so know their onions when it comes to skin protection. I've been using this for the last year, both as a daily moisturiser and when I go running, and while it's definitely not matte - you'll need powder for your T-zone if you're that way of face - it's got quite a nice sort of golden sheen to it. No break-outs, no white sheen, and it's rich enough that a small amount goes a long way. You can buy Sunsense daily face for £18.50 from John Lewis.

The Times recently ran an article about beauty editors' favourite sunscreens, and this bad boy from La Roche-Posay was one of the most-mentioned. Anthelios XL 50+ is great for sensitive and oily skins, and has magical French thermal waters in it - although, really, you can put two litres of magical French thermal waters in yourself for a quid from your nearest supermarket. You can get it from Boots for £16.50 (hi Advantage Card points), but if that sounds fairly reasonable for a high-end, incredibly well-researched product it is because the bottle is TINY. I mean, physically minute. Never has 50ml looked more like a dab of something you got on a beauty counter from a particularly grumpy assistant.

The problem I find with Anthelios XL 50+ is that it's quite milky, so you need to splash it on (which requires a bit of rubbing in to get rid of the white sheen). It also bobbles your make-up. And the worst thing is that because I'm aware of this being posh sunscreen, I go into "Arrgh! I own posh slap!" mode which basically means I hoard it like Smaug. This is not the point of sunscreen. You need to be able to slap it all over your face so your face doesn't go red and then turn into a handbag when you're 40. But if you are less of a Smaug than I, and can be trusted to use nice things properly, then have a go. They also do a version for dry and sensitive skins for £14.50.

Before you do go and spend a fortune on sunscreen, I am THRILLED to say that my absolute favourite sunscreen of the moment is half-price in Boots (£6.49 instead of £12.99). I bought this cream before I went to Devon a couple of weeks ago, and it hasn't left my face since. My skin feels supple, comfortable and looked after, as though I were using a really good moisturiser.

This is from Ambre Solaire's new sensitive advanced range, and while like the La Roche-Posay it comes in a mimsy 50ml tube, the texture is so different that I feel absolutely no compunction about throwing it all over my face with abandon.

The sensitive range also does a body spray, but I'm not interested in that. The absolute king of body sunscreen as far as I'm concerned is Ambre Solaire's Clear Protect SPF50. I moisturise my body quite enough, I don't want to be faffing around with rubbing in white cream when I'm out and about - and besides, sun in sand cream is one of the worst feelings ever.

This spray is a total legend. Just spray it on, give it a vague rub if you must and er, that's it. No marks, no fuss, no bits of beach sticking to you. It's £14.49 usually, but is £7.24 in Boots.

 Happy sunning!

Magnificent Dancing Horses!

If there's one thing every house needs it's a Nintendo Wii magnificent dancing horses! Feast your eyes on a spectacle of strength, beauty and glorious movement! I do love a horse motif (especially ones that you can't seem to get rid of) and since everyone is going crazy with fancy hats and Royal Ascot this week, I'm more than a little bit tempted by this circus style horse print.

Want some beauty and glorious movement in your home? The print comes framed from Hunkydory Home (hooray! frames! more of this please, shopkeepers and printmakers) and it's a bargain at £28.