We have now set up our affiliate programme and would be interested in hearing from anyone who would like to work with us. Here are a few details about our programme.

Pretty & Witty Affiliate Programme

Pretty & Witty is a unique online accessories boutique bringing you beautiful hand-picked items from around the world.

Customer benefits include:

• Unique collection of hand-picked quality products
• Next day delivery
• UK and International delivery
• Free style advice
• Luxury gift wrapping service
• Gift vouchers available

What You Can Earn As An Affiliate

As an affiliate, you will benefit from 10% on sales with a 30 day tracking period. Average order value is over £60.

Click on the link below or email us at contact@prettyandwitty.co.uk. Thanks x

Click here to sign up (it’s free!)

New study reveals women carry around everything from sex toys to screwdriver kits with them everyday

Baby teeth, spare knickers and a piano tuning fork are just some of the bizarre items women carry around in their handbags, new research has revealed.

Among the top ten practical items found in a woman’s handbag such as keys, tissues, make up and a snack were some more unusual “everyday essentials” such as tarot cards, porn dvds, dog biscuits and their husband’s medication, according to the study of 2000 UK women by Special K Mini Breaks.

A number of more obscure and sentimental objects were also uncovered in the research. A son’s baby tooth, a daughter’s first pair of shoes, a lock of a grandchild’s hair and their father’s watch were among some of the comforting things women wanted to have with them at all times.

Many women also carry mementos such as champagne corks or confetti from their wedding day or a pebble from a beach when on holiday.

More worryingly a number of women admitted they carry their entire identity around with them at all times including marriage and birth certificates and passports.

The research by Special K Mini Breaks also delved into the inner psychology behind a woman’s handbag.

It seems many women are emotionally tied to their bags and a well-stocked and oversized bag offers them security.

The survey found that 19% of women said they use their handbag as an object to hide behind when they’re not feeling confident or are having a “fat day”.

When describing their relationship with their handbag 16% of women said their handbag was like a “security blanket” and 21% said receiving a compliment about their handbag was the ultimate flattery.

Handbags are used as status symbols too with nearly a third of women saying they always notice another woman’s handbag and 22% considering a woman with an expensive handbag as having good taste.

Victoria Beckham was named as the celebrity with the most sought-after handbag collection, followed by Alexa Chung and Cheryl Cole.

Sophie Colling from Special K Mini Breaks said: “It’s amazing to see what women carry around with them. What a woman keeps in her handbag is a reflection of their life and women who are on the go need to be organised.

“Carrying essential items such as snacks in your handbag demonstrate how women are in control of their lives. This is a woman who knows what she wants – she’s got a busy life but is still thinking about how she looks. With 99 calories, carrying a snack such as a bag of Special K Mini Breaks is the ultimate way to make sure she doesn’t undo any good intentions.”

Celebrity psychologist, Jo Hemmings said: “Our handbags contain the essence of our psyche – our phones, make up, house keys, photos, diaries, ipods – all very personal and intimate stuff. Our bags speak volumes about us and it’s very commonplace to use them as a barrier and a protection between the outside world and us. I often see celebrities doing this when they’re in a difficult place in their personal lives.”

Handbag guru, Kathryn Eisman said: “A woman’s handbag is an extension of who she is and helps her facilitate the numerous roles she plays in the 21st century – be it files for her career, shopping lists for her domestic responsibilities, make-up to be aesthetically pleasing, etc. If women are indeed urban warriors, then their handbag is their armoury and ammunition.

“A woman’s handbag is her grown up ‘security blanket’ – carrying the necessary items to navigate a busy world. Safety pins, pain killers, snacks…a woman can always be prepared, as long as she has her handbag.”

The top 10 most common items found in handbags

1. Keys

2. Pens

3. Tissues

4. Paracetamol / medication

5. Receipts

6. Make up

7. Tampons / plasters / other first aid items

8. Sunglasses

9. Snack / chewing gum

10. Compact mirror

Ten of the weirdest things people carry in their handbags

1. Screwdriver kit

2. Porn dvd

3. Son’s baby tooth

4. Daughter’s first pair of shoes

5. Intimate toys

6. Tarot cards

7. Vampire voodoo doll

8. Confetti from their wedding day

9. Spare knickers

10. Piano tuning fork

For more information visit www.specialkfoods.co.uk

It’s our 1st Birthday! How quickly the last year has gone and what a great one it’s been! Thanks to everyone for the support and for being such lovely customers to have! As a thank you we have set up a special 10% discount which is valid for the next two weeks, just type the code "birthday" into the discount box.

So much is happening at the moment and many changes are going to be made to the site over the next few months with a whole new part coming in the Spring, we are so excited about this and hope it will add something a bit different to the website! Thanks once again for the support, we really appreciate it! xx

We are pleased to report that over the last couple of weeks Pretty and Witty has become verified as an ISIS compliant website. This means that consumers can shop online with confidence wherever they see the ISIS logo because it certifies that the retailer has:

• Registered with the ISIS programme and undertaken to trade in a manner that is legal, decent, honest, truthful and fair
• Had its web site and service reviewed and monitored by IMRG
• Had its Business, VAT and Data Protection registrations checked by IMRG

Not only that but we have also become verified as an an IDIS accredited retailer too! This means we have a duty to you the customer to offer you: 

• Clear delivery information before you place your order
• Convenient and reliable delivery service
• Notification of any delivery limitations / conditions 
• Charges that are complete and simple to understand 
• Access to information on your order progress / history
• Delivery within the agreed time frame
• Helpful support with failed / late / attempted deliveries
• Your goods arriving in good condition
• A clear returns process, with any limitations / conditions notified prior to purchase

We have also been reviewed and approved by the  and the 

What we found very interesting when setting up the above verifications were the number of websites which use the ISIS logo when in fact they aren’t verified! It’s always a good idea to click on the link and make sure the website is what it says it is!

As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. And as more and more people are using the services of image consultants, what makes a good image consultant and what are the qualities you need to make this a rewarding career for you?

In my opinion, to make a good image consultant you must have a good eye for knowing what looks right and instinctively know how to put items together with a strong attention to detail. You have to be able to see the potential in people and be able to imagine what that person can achieve if given the right advice – it’s very important that you help bring out the person’s individual style based on their personality, lifestyle and budget, not make them a clone of modern trends. You must be confident and bubbly and make the sessions fun but also inspire people to believe change is possible. Having a little life knowledge and being an empathetic person can really help with this, showing them that anything is possible and making them feel empowered after a session is important, it goes far beyond just telling them which clothes suit them!

You need to be able to see the positive in people and have a strong desire to help them; by being passionate, compassionate and a good listener and wanting people to achieve the best they possibly can by showing them that style is nothing to be intimidated by and encouraging them to reach their personal goals. You need to be patient and a good communicator and get on well with lots of different types of people. You also need to be diplomatic and tactful in order to help someone realise all their good but show them where they are going wrong without making them feel bad about themselves. You will also have to be very persuasive about getting them out of their comfort zone!

It’s important to be professional, dynamic, hard working, conscientious and motivated, and try never to be late or let anyone down. You will need to network and market yourself through advertising, leaflet dropping, building a website, and getting out there and talking to anyone and everyone about what you do, being organised and good at handling the financial side of your business is also important. It will help you if you build up a good relationship with managers of local stores and get in-depth product knowledge of what is available and who it’s designed for. You need to be keen to learn and keep learning, working on your self development whilst you help others.

Most of all you need to a walking advert for your business, well groomed with a love of fashion without being a slave to it, you need your own personal style which will show your clients you are professional and good at what you do. Be friendly, approachable down to earth yet professional and I’m sure you will gain a lot of satisfaction by helping people feel better about themselves in what is, a very enjoyable job!

Thank you to everyone who took part, we loved reading your comments, they made us laugh and some made us want to cry! If we could send cupcakes to everyone we would (maybe one day we will!). 

The winning entrant was chosen using random.org and will be receiving her cupcakes tomorrow, enjoy!!!

Thanks again from everyone at Pretty & Witty.

Chocolate Cupcake Indulgence!!

To celebrate the launch of Pretty & Witty, we’re giving away a box of nine large chocolate cupcakes!

Baked fresh on the morning of dispatch, these chocolate cupcakes are decorated with swirled, lightly whipped chocolate fudge, then sprinkled with an assortment of Belgian chocolate decor. Yum!

To win, just leave a comment below saying why you deserve some chocolate indulgence!! You will then be entered into a prize draw (UK only) and contacted by email if you’re the winner! 

Good luck! 

The competition has now closed, thanks for all the entries, we will be announcing the winner very soon!

Okay okay, but the Westside story thing just had to be done! Now that’s out of the way, welcome to Pretty & Witty, thank you for joining us and I do hope you’ll find something of interest somewhere in here!

So, a little about us – my name is Helen and at the end of April this year I woke up and thought “Right, I’m going to set up my own online accessory boutique!” It wasn’t quite as random as it sounds though – the idea for Pretty & Witty had been running through my head for a couple of years on and off and whilst it wasn’t the best of times economically to be starting a new business I thought let’s do it! 

I often wonder sometimes whether I’d have gone ahead if I knew then what I know now! The answer is of course yes as whilst hard work, I have loved every single minute of it – from attending different trade shows all over the country and buying lots of lovely things – to letting my creative side run free with the site, it’s been great fun. It’s also been a huge learning curve – Photoshop and I are getting very closely acquainted! 

So here we are almost 5 months later and we are getting ready for launch!! I hope you love the website and the products on it as much as I do, please check back often both on the site for lovely new items and on here for tips that you may find helpful. 

Have fun!

Helen xx