Our Morocco holiday wardrobe from Zalando – Review and Giveway

In this review and giveaway, you’ll hear how my daughter and I chose our holiday wardrobe for sun and surf in Morocco from online fashion retailer, Zalando, and get the chance to win a £100 Zalando.co.uk voucher.

What Sophie-Anne thought of Zalando

Any trip away deserves a new holiday wardrobe and my trip to Morocco was no different. The Zalando website was easy and enjoyable to browse, with many of my favourite brands such as Nike and Warehouse, as well as some less well-known brands that also offered an array of quality items. Zalando manages to cater for each customer’s desire or price range without losing the variety on offer. By using the helpful slider you can simply refine your choice to a certain item or price range so that you only see what interests you, an experience not found in a shop! In Morocco we were heading for Taghazout, a surfing hot spot so the “Beach & Surf” refining choice was extremely helpful.

Without much trouble I soon found a travel friendly Anna Field Beach bag. The bag was large enough to carry all my beach goodies such as towel, wetsuit and suncream but was able to fold up small enough for me to tuck it away in my luggage. The bag was also sturdy against the boiling sun and had a convenient mobile pocket where sand couldn’t reach. I found it so handy to have a bag where you could take everything you needed for a day trip with ease.

I also selected some big brand Vans trainers which became a dear friend, climbing over rocks on the beach, especially when my feet became too sunburnt for flip flops or sandals. Wearing them while travelling provided a comfy journey – the last thing you want on a long journey is uncomfortable shoes. I was surprised, in fact when the parcel was was delivered swiftly that my shoes were part of the parcel. The parcel was so compact that I thought the shoes might have been forgotten, but a clever packing scheme seemed to be in force at Zalando packing.

I chose the Villa Cleave slim fit jeans due to their pastel colour. Not only had I wanted to get my hand on a pastel pair of jeans for some time but the light colour mean they would not become hot on my legs. In the evening when temperatures had cooled slightly, they were a perfect item. The simple yet stylish design meant I could wear them with most of my wardrobe, a necessity if you are travelling light.

The final item that I chose was a pretty red sundress with a detail back, which glowed due to its vibrant colour. Easy to throw on over a bikini at the beach or wear at supper in the evening, it was extremely versatile. The material was not flimsy at all but was still cool. I wore it on our trip to Paradise Valley, when we swam in waterfalls and pools and it looked especially nice against tanned skin. Overall the Zalando website has much to offer and the clothes I chose were of good quality for not too high a price, with plenty to entice a peckish eye or an avid traveller.

What Heather thought of Zalando

My initial impression of Zalando was that they specialised in young fashion but when I started browsing for myself I noticed the Premium range with some of the brands that I love, such as Orla Kiely and LK Bennett. After that I was rather kicking myself that I’d allowed Sophie-Anne to spend most of our budget on her choices, but I did manage to order a white and blue splash print T-shirt from Vera Moda. It fitted my desire to have something that was loose and easy to throw over a swimsuit and an inexpensive addition to refresh my holiday wardrobe.

Browsing through the Zalando website, I found it easy and intuitive to narrow down the wide selection by brand, colour and price. I love the price slider as it helps you make the most of your budget if you want to buy several fun but inexpensive items for a holiday. After we’d made our purchases, I noticed that my browsing choices had been remembered and I got a couple of follow-up e-mails that featured some of the brands that I’d liked.

Once we made our choice, we also received e-mails keeping us up to date with the progress of our order which arrived within a few days. If something doesn’t fit or suit you there’s also a fuss free returns policy with free returns for up to 30 days, which takes away many of the worries of shopping online. With such a wide selection I know that you’ll find something for your holiday wardrobe, whether you’re a student like Sophie-Anne, wanting to look good on a budget, or a mum like me wanting to look stylish on holiday (and hopefully not outshone by her daughter).

What we chose from Zalando

Because the Zalando ranges change seasonally, I’ve just included product codes that you can search for, rather than links to the items.

Anna Field Tote Bag in White £19 AN651A023-003
Villa Cleave Slim Fit Jeans in Turquoise £29 V1021A01Y-608
Vans Trainers in white £40 VA2-uza-0212-02
Even & Odd Cocktail/Party Dress in Red £14 (Previously £34) EV421C01B-302
Vero Moda Arty Print T-shirt in White £21 VE121D0CS-501

Our Zalando Giveaway

Zalando have kindly given us a £100 voucher to give away to one of our readers. The voucher can be used to purchase anything you like from the Zalando.co.uk website (subject to availability). The voucher will be valid for 3 months from the end of the giveaway. Please note that this giveaway is only open to UK residents and deliveries are made to a UK address.

This giveaway has now ended – thanks to all who took part.

Congratulations to winner Stan T!

To enter this giveaway please use the Rafflecopter widget below with 4 chances to win;

1. Leave a comment below this post to tell us how you would love to spend your £100 Zalando voucher – are you planning for an upcoming holiday, do you have a big event that you’d like to look your best for? is there a particular brand or look that catches your eye?

To gain additional chances to win you can;

2. Tweet about this giveaway mentioning @Heathercowper and @Zalando_uk in your tweet, for example;

I’d love to choose my holiday wardrobe with the £100 voucher #giveaway @Heathercowper from @Zalando_uk

3. Follow @Heathercowper on Twitter

4. Follow @Zalando_uk on Twitter

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ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

Zalando kindly gave us the clothes mentioned to try out on our Moroccan holiday as well as the voucher for us to give away to one of our readers.

This article by Heather Cowper is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com - Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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Atop Watches – A Top Way to Tell the Time? – Review and Giveaway

Thanks to Guest Reviewer, Emma Gray of Emma’s Travel Tales for this review of the Atop Timezone Range and read on as we are also giving away one of these colourful Atop Timezone watches.

I’m absolutely the type of girl who would rather be really early to something than risk being late. I get irrationally worked up if I think I’m going to be late for something. At university I’d frequently turn up 25 minutes early for a lecture rather than be pushed for time, I must have looked like such a keen student! I’ve even arrived so early at airports for flights that check in hasn’t even opened yet!

Instantly see the correct time in any zone

When I was offered a stylish watch to review that promised it could easily and accurately tell the time in different time zones around the world I jumped at the chance. In everyday life and especially on my travels I normally rely on my trusty iPhone to tell me the time but sometimes it’s just not realistic to rely on a gadget like that. I’m also prone to losing or breaking my phone when I travel so having a watch strapped to my wrist is surely a good idea!

The unique selling point of the Atop range of watches is that they have a 12 hour base screen showing the time changes in selected cities in different time zones. The watch has a bezel which you simply twist round to the city and time zone you want and the hands change on the clock face to the correct time in whatever place you want.

As a traveller with friends around the world I found it really useful for checking the time in the different areas my friends were in to see if it was too early or late to Skype them and swap our latest travel stories!

Great style without sacrificing function

I tested out the VWA range of Atop watches which are priced at around £80, and I really liked the choice of funky colours that was available within this range. You could easily get one to match all your different outfits!

The face of the watch is really clear and easy to read and even has luminous hands that allow you to easily check the time in the dark. Perfect for those times where you end up waking up during the night in a hotel room and quickly checking the time without fumbling for the light switch.

The watch strap was rubber, so lightweight and durable. In all honesty I’d probably have preferred a leather strap and leather straps are available on their more pricey models, such as the WWS (priced at £160) and WWB Range (priced at £165). There is also the WWS Steel Range which features a nice steel strap (priced at £220) and I think it would look really stylish on a guy.

Overall, I really like this watch and found it comfortable to wear. I loved the concept of being able to accurately tell the time all over the world whenever I wanted to. It’s definitely a product that would be perfectly suited to travellers who don’t like to rely on technology to tell them the time.

More Information about Atop World Time Watch

Atop World Time Watches are available only to buy online at the Atop Timezone website and the colourful VWA and WWA series retail from £80 although there are occasionally special promotions. Other ranges with steel and leather straps retail around £160-220. At this time Atop watches can only be delivered in Mainland UK. You can follow Atop World Time Watches on Twitter @AtopTimeZoneUK and on their AtopTimeZoneUK Facebook Page

Win an Atop World Time Watch in our Giveaway

If you’d like to win one of these colourful watches from the VWA range then enter using the widget below. We have one watch to give away and the winner may choose a watch from the VWA range in the colour of their choice provided it is in stock. Although Atop watches are normally sold in the UK, Atop have kindly agreed to ship the watch to the winner wherever they are located. The winner will be chosen at random from all entries. The giveaway will run for 2 weeks until midnight GMT on Monday 11 March.

To enter this giveaway please leave a comment at the bottom of the article stating which of these colourful watches you’d love to win.

To gain additional chances to win the watch you can

1. Tweet about the giveaway mentioning @heathercowper and @AtopTimeZoneUK. Example Tweets;

Check out the Giveaway of colourful #travel watches @heathercowper from @AtopTimeZoneUK http://ow.ly/i2GbQ

I’d love to win one of these #travel watches from @AtopTimeZoneUK in the giveaway @heathercowper http://ow.ly/i2GbQ

2. Follow @heathercowper on Twitter

3. Follow @AtopTimeZoneUK on Twitter

Please let us know about your entries using the widget below

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ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

Thanks to  Atop TimeZone UK who provided Emma with an Atop World Time Watch to review and one for us to give away, but did not influence the content of this review. These opinions are Emma’s own.

Update – This giveaway is now closed and I sincerely thank everyone who took part. Congratulations to winner Mike C. who will receive a black ATop TimeZone watch.

Emma Gray, blogger and freelance writer, is a travel addicted 22 year old from Scotland. With 26 countries under her belt and many more planned, she’s busy making memories around the world. You can connect with Emma on her blog Emma’s Travel Tales or through her Facebook, Twitter and Google+ social media.

 

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Luxe girl’s guide to living it up in London

If you’d like a short cut to the most fun, funky and cool things to do when visiting London and a host of other cities then read on for my Luxe guide review and giveaway…

Let me introduce you to my new best friend – let’s call her Luxe girl. She’s petite and perfectly formed and she’s going to be our guide while we’re in London. She’s lived here all her life and knows all the fab places to go. Darling, she said as she greeted me with a mwah, mwah – we’re going to have such fun! She definitely knows all the best places and they know her – the concierges and the maitre d’s smile as they see her coming.

After all, you can’t do everything while you’re in the big city so why not just follow Luxe girl’s advice for the most fun, the most funky, the most chic and forget about the rest. Luxe girl’s pocket guide will fit in the teeniest designer handbag. No need to lug a heavy guide around like a tourist – you have the insider knowledge now.

Luxe girl’s already quizzed me on my taste and budget before suggesting where I should stay. For ravishing chambers evoking the age of empire with biedermier, steamer trunks, muslin and silk she recommends Anouska Hempel’s Blakes. For effortless casual English chic, there’s the townhouse of Portobello Hotel or if my trust fund’s running low I’ll head east for the Hoxton Hotel for buzzy contempo style and just round the corner from the arty White Cube in Hoxton square.

With just a miniature pocket guide to fit all her recommendation this gal is mistress of the one liner. As we sweep through the capital, she can sum it all up perfectly. Darling, she says – let’s start with brekky at Princi, a gorgeous all day Italian caff I know, then grab a picnic box at Inn the Park to eat it in leafy St James Park. For afternoon tea it’ll be full on macaroon madness with rococo cocoa at Laduree – then we’ll start the evening  with a Bloody Mmm at the Grenadier before dining at Maze – their posh tapas are mini mouth marvels, not to mention the perfect garden view then we’ll head out east for funked and fizzy retro kitsch cocktails at Callooh Calloy. Boy, this girl knows how to eat!

But after all that deliciousness, we may be ready for some chilled out personal pampering. Luxe girl flicks her perfectly groomed fringe and taps her manicured finger nails thoughtfully before she whispers her beauty recommendations in my ear. We book our mini mani at Iris Chapple, buff up our trotters at Margaret Dabs and with a 30 minute blow dry at the Blow dry bar we’re ready to hit the town once more. We’ll save the impeccably luxurious Mandarin spa for the end of our stay when we need some serious recovery time.

But Luxe girl, I say – all this fun is all very well but I feel I should do the culture thing too – isn’t London steeped in history after all? No problem – she says. I suppose we should tick off the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey, but if we want to avoid the great unwashed, then I have a few lesser known gems up my sleeve.

For art in a stately setting we’ll head for the Wallace collection and try lunch in its pretty courtyard cafe or Kensington Palace with Di’s frocks on show and tea at the Orangery. For more contempo international art we’ll head for the Tate Modern beside the Thames and we’ll make sure to wear our flats, as we skip up Wren’s Doric column for a bird’s eye view at The Monument.

Perhaps we’ll take a break from the sightseeing with a stroll through the park – there’s Green Park, Hyde Park or St James Park to choose from, or spend a day at the Royal Botanic gardens at Kew. Or we could head for the markets – delicious foodie delights at Borough Market or fragrant flowers at Columbia Market.

Oh and don’t even get me started on the gorgeous shops Luxe girl showed me – just save up your pennies and be ready for the credit card to take a hit.

After my visit to London with Luxe girl I’m ready to throw away all those fat guidebooks with information overload. Luxe girl will tell it to you straight – what’s fab and what’s not. Luckily Luxe girl London has some equally stylish friends in cities all over the world who can guide you around their cities too.

Luxe city guides are $9.99, pocket sized and perfect for a stylish few days. The Luxe pocket guides are created by insiders for your city visit selecting only the very best, so you don’t waste your time on the rest -there are over 30 different cities you’ll be longing to visit.

And there’s more….

Limited Edition Boxed set

Luxe guides currently have a limited edition boxed set in a mouthwatering choice of colours Cerise, Chartreuse, Amethyst and Azure at $55 containing the five guides of your choice – strictly while stocks last.

Mobile Guides

And for those of you who can’t live without your mobile, Luxe  mobile guides are available for a multitude of handsets and a year’s free updates sent directly to your mobile – cool or what? Choose from 7 cities including London, Paris and Rome – oh and there’s New York too.

Luxe Guide Giveaway

Luxe girl has kindly offered to send one of you, dear readers a perfectly formed, petite Luxe city guide to stick in the back pocket of your skinny designer jeans. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me where you’d love to go and I’ll choose one of you at random in a week or so to be sent the guide of your choice.

So will it be Bali, Bankok, Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin, Cambodia, Chiang Mai, Cambodia, Dubai, Florence, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Melbourne, Miami, New York, Paris, Phuket, Rome, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sydney, Tokyo, Venice? … the world’s your lobster as they say.

If you’re tempted, then head over to the Luxe City Guides Website to find your own personal Luxe girl to guide you around. Luxe Guides kindly send me a free Luxe Guide London for the purpose of this review and another to give away to one of my readers.

Oh, and one last tip when visiting London – Luxe girl loathes weather talk, so shut up about your damn weather!

Update: This giveaway was won by Arlene – many thanks to all those who left a comment for this giveaway.

Photo Credits:  Westminster Abbey from wallyg , Afternoon tea from Laduree, Portobello hotel from Portobellohotel.com, Kew Gardens from Heatheronhertravels

More fun things to do in London

To Kensington Palace and tea at the Orangery – in London
They’re changing the guards at Buckingham Palace
An artistic lunch at the V & A – in London

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

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