Hi, my name is Helen Brookes and I am @40plusnotgivingupyet
I am a SHOPPING ADDICT who craves the opportunity to help women get back their mojo and feel the very best they can.
I love sharing my high street finds (and fails!) on my Insta feed and you can tune into my honest try-on sessions anytime, anywhere via my daily Instagram Stories @40plusnotgivingupyet.
I’ll share stuff I love, bargains and discounts and answer your burning fashion questions such as;
- Which SIZE should I buy? (size 12 in one store? size 16 in another? or can I size down)
- What does the material FEEL like? (itchy? cheap? silky? Do I need to iron?)
- Will it show my BULGY bits? (we’ve all got them just what to wear to make you feel as confident as you can)
- What kind of UNDERWEAR will I need? (I love a bit of control underwear but also let’s talk practicality if it’s see through you need to know)
- How can I DRESS IT UP or down? (insta style with heels don’t always transfer well to the real world where you’re probably just going to Lidl)
- And of course….does it have POCKETS?!
We’ve all ordered online and been bitterly disappointed when the garment arrives, usually in the wrong size or fabric. Don’t think it’s you. My mantra is if it makes you feel rubbish, or it’s all wrong then IT’S NOT YOU IT’S THE DRESS!
I’m also a hungry bargain hunter and definitely not into designer clobber (I don’t have the cash and even if we did, I think a trip to Mauritius would be more my bag!). I’ll share the deals and discount codes and if I can I’ll try and wrangle a code for you! I share the beauty products and fake tan secrets that I can’t live without too, anything that helps my mid 40s!
I’m also pretty random and share lots of the stuff I love; family life, VERY simple foolproof recipes, and travel and just life as a Mum of three – my two girls Lola and Poppy, and George my nephew. I’ve been hit hard by loss in the past having lost my sister, and my Mum and Dad and I will talk about grief sporadically as it’s a huge part of my life and I’m happy to normalise it and share. Oh and there is also a very tolerant husband in the wings but he NEVER appears on insta.
Helen
Let ME try before YOU buy!
It’s a lottery buying online. Let me road-test your purchases – before you click buy! I take the best of the current high street fashion and feed back to you about it’s cut, sizing, quality and how best to style it. Time saving reviews delivered straight to your phone!
My Instagram @40plusnotgivingupyet
My husband said it was too windy to take a pic and that they would all come out rubbish. I just made him take more pics. This is the best one. Damn hate it when he is right.. so really isn't this a fabulous pic?!?!!
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Coat 2 years ago @topshop
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#40plusnotgivingupyet
Birthday celebrations for Lola today. When Dad was ill two years ago and I said we would have George come to live with us, Lola's answer was "It's so sad about Grandad, but at least we get George". Sums her up that one. Happy Birthday to my beautiful girl....
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Ps it is also 13 years since I always feel a bit or very tired. Kids don't half knacker you!
Pps photos taken at @maxsdiner63 a new discovery near us this weekend and SO fabulous 100% recommend!
#40plusnotgivingupyet #birthdaygirl #mumofteens
Birthday celebrations starting early for Lola. She is gonna be 13 on Monday. I wanna wear the sequins. Her eyes widen then roll just as mine used to when my Mum put on her birkenstocks with her pop socks and stirrup pants (I can still feel the acute pain now!). Lola also finds my bright pink coat too much, and quite a few of the louder things that make my heart sing. It's a rite of passage isnt it though embarrassing your teens?! Watch out Lola I've just ordered a sequin top and some pleather shorts...
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Ps I probably won't wear it for her birthday. I can think of plenty more ways to embarrass her without it just being my wardrobe ... breathing for a start! 😂
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#40plusnotgivingupyet #mumofthree #mumstyle #mumofteengirls
As requested by you guys I put the dress through the paces: I did the sit down test, twice. And the popper test (stayed done up). And the dress passed muster. It's not slick I mean ➡️ this is how it works and I very nearly didn't wear it 'cos of the sit down test but I'm rolling with it. No pun intended.
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⭐Dress @newlook current but sold out v quickly. I do also have control wear on and control tights 😂 an arsenal underneath I tell you.
⭐Boots @drmartensofficial (gift)
⭐Bag @nashandduff (gift)
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#40plusnotgivingupyet
Throwback time. Does anyone do that anymore? I love an old throwback. This was Portugal. I miss holidays and places and smells and markets and the sea and swimming and food. Oh and I really really really miss all the people.
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Actually.. saying that.. thank heavens for this place. These squares. It can be irritating for sure but we get to see a bit of the things we miss for inspiration or fun and oh there are all the people. And 99.99% of them are lovely 🥰. I still can't wait to get off and out there again sometime though can you?!
#40plusnotgivingupyet
All the nice girls love a sailor ('s coat). This pea coat particularly. Love love love it. Came up a little short on me but so beautifully made. My best pal nabbed it and so I will admire it on her @marksandspencerfashionpr will link in stories and whack try on up in my coat highlights.
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In low key news (admittedly not got much for you) but Halloween decorations are going up here. I resist them usually as I hate them but any chance for a celebration of sorts for the kids. Not so sure about the halloween Frankencolin the caterpillar cake though. A green face instead of the milk chocolate we all fight over? Well that's just far too 2020 for me..
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#40plusnotgivingupyet #coats
⭐Ad GIVEAWAY - TEN WINNERS will win their very own set of THREE fabulous professional hairbrushes for their crew from award winning family business @denmanbrush.⭐ Whether you then let that crew do your barnet is up to you 🙈.
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To be fair my girls are better at styling hair than I am. But I do take good care of my hair as you know (NOT because I have fabulous hair but more because it needs taking care of!) So I use the best tools and Denman are a VERY lovely family business who have been around since 1938, recommended by both the professionals AND my dear old Mum who favoured them. So that's good enough for me.
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I've used mine, the finisher, for years since it was recommended to me by my own hairdresser and now my girls have their own favourite. Indeed excited at this opportunity to rope in the girls we have done our very own hairbrush *try on* to share our favourites. I know!!!! World firsts! And me a hairbrush model!!!! Wonders never cease. Lola's favourite is the award winning Power Paddle which recently won a Global Award for the best new hair styling product. It works for both wet and dry hair, curls AND straight, and so really is their latest star and I'm delighted to say they have given me a code HELENPOWER20 that you can use on nabbing your own too. Link in stories. And then Poppy plumped for the Rainbow of Hope brush which is both a fantastic brush AND raises money for WHO Covid-19 Charity so win win.
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And.. we are offering you guys the chance to be in with a chance of winning all of these ➡️ see all, and even better, there will be ten winners!
All you have to do to be in with a chance to win is the following:
⭐Like this post
⭐Follow myself and @denmanbrush
⭐Tag at least 2 friends in the comments below⬇️. Separate your comments for extra entries and enter as many times as you like by tagging extra friends!
That's it! Giveaway will run until Sunday 25th October at 7pm and I shall draw the TEN winners at random. Denman ship worldwide so this giveaway is open to ALL my followers worldwide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by instagram. Good luck!
#40plusnotgivingupyet #denmanbrush #mumofteengirls
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Self care is a takeaway.
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Happy Friday all.
Original meme @kissesfromboys
#smallmumtallmum
You can see our #smallmumtallmum reel on our Instagram highlights so check it out!
A hashtag born from an Instafriendship with Abi @stealmystyle40!
We shopped, we storied, we shared our try-ons and laughed at the differences in sizes. Our followers told us they LOVED it and asked for more. #smallmumtallmum was born!
