“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." - Coco Chanel

Friday 31 December 2010

Roll on 2011

I think this is actually my first and therefore last post of December - oops i have been slacking!

I wish i could be one of those people who can reflect back on the year and say what a good year its been but for me its been a bit blah to be truthful. Nothing much or excited happened for me. I'm still living at home, I've still not found my dream job and i still never seem to have enough money at the end of the month. I kinda think 2010 was a bit of a wasted year for me and so I'm determined that 2011 will count towards my future and become a year that i don't want to let go in 365 days time.

I've never really been one for resolutions but instead I'm going to look to Noel Edmonds for inspiration and embrace a bit of cosmic ordering (google it if you don't know what is) and so and forth i present to you.......

My 2011 Wish List
(Side note: in no particular order and list is not exhaustive)

  • New Job/dream job/career
  • Straight white teeth - Invisalign brace
  • Move out - rent/buy own apartment
  • Coco Chanel 2.25
  • Ted Baker purse
  • Long hair (without extensions)
  • Christian Louboutin heels
  • Mini Cooper
  • Coco Chanel Stud earrings
  • Coat (for winter even though it's nearly over)
  • Holiday
  • New York - to visit/live/work/holiday?
  • Stay in shape - in other words maintain my figure
  • To be happy!
This list was off the top of my head so expect me to add or delete as necessary in the future!

Now hair is dyed, nails are painted and lippie has been applied - no i don't have any NYE plans as yet but you've still got to look good even if you are just staying in with Jools - where did i put that vodka soda?

I hope everyone has a fabulous new year!!! xx




Tuesday 30 November 2010

It's snow joke

Argh its freeeeeezzzing!!!

Oh yes the snow has now reached my neck of the woods and my dilemma is trying to stay warm and on two feet whilst looking stylish - no mean feat.



This is the view from my window - how is everyone else copying with the weather?

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Thursday 25 November 2010

Va Va Violet Lips

One of my favourite beauty trends this season is purple lips. I want to embrace my inner goth/rock-chick and work that mysterious sexy look that Rihanna is rocking so well right now.

These are of a few of the celebs who have managed to nail this tricky trend:



Rihanna looking fierrrrrce!

Leighton Meester teams bright lips with a nude palette

Agyness Dean - Maggie Thatcher icon lookalike?

The Hills girls sharing Tom Ford's Lip Colour in Bruise Plum £35 (Picture courtesy of Look magazine)

One of the models for Peter Som

Peter Som's catwalk make-up inspiration

 As readers may already know purple is my favourite colour and as my eye-shadow blending skills are up to scratch yet i do like to have lips as my main focus. I didn't want to stretch to the Tom Ford lippie favoured by The Hills girls for a very trend-led look so i ventured into Boots and picked up Revlon's Va Va Violet (663) lipstick. I think it was about £7.50 but i got it on the 3 for 2 offer.  Now i know many of you out there might shy away from such a bold dramatic look but i think this is perfect for the make-up novices who may not be that skillful with a brush but can definitely operate a bullet!

The Hills girls are going to be my make-up inspiration for the office party and i am going to attempt to recreate that nude eye with a flick of eyeliner and a dramatic lip. I'm not too sure what my colleagues may make of it but for our last night out i wore Revlon's Fuchsia lipstick so they should expect a bold look from me (i hope!).

Take a look at what it looks like on - honestly it's not that scary!

Yes - i have been playing around with photoshop!

My X Factor style photo no1!
and photo no2!


I've tried to show the colour of the lipstick in different lights and with flash and without. I've quite full lips and thought this might look too much on me but i love it!

Here's the eye make-up look i will be recreating to go with the lips:



I like the feline flicks, so will definitely need to practice this!

And if I'm feeling brave i might go ahead with a bold brow as well as seen in Grazia:


What do you think of purple lips - thumbs up or thumbs down?

And a quick how not to do purple lips from Taylor Momsem!

Working that Kevin the teenager angst

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Toppers spree

I come bearing good news, my local Outfit is now stocking Topshop - yay!! So please expect regular postings of Topshop goodies and consider this as the first.

I was on the hunt for some dressy tops and Toppers always seem the best at doing that, so with my store card in hand and a 20% cardholder promotion in-store -nothing could stop me from flexing the plastic - is that the right phrase?

First up was a duck egg colour embellished crop top from their limited edition premium range.


Premium Circle And Bead Crop Top - £35
I wore this with a pair of Dorothy Perkins high-waisted harems and peep-toe heels for a night out. The ruffles don't extend to the back of the top which is a see-through mesh fabric so clever underwear is needed i wore a black lace body which also served to keep my tummy warm seeing as it was on show a little!

Here's the outfit - apologies for the crappy photo - i really need a new camera.


And a quick peek at make-up and hair to compliment - again crappy pics.


I attempted to curl and pin my hair up to show off the top - you can't really see the effect here but i must admire my well-groomed brows!  I reckon Megan Fox would be proud of them.

Next up is a silk vest/tank with chain detailing is this season's must have hue - camel, well Topshop describe it as mustard but tomato, tomahto!


Chain Sleeve Vest - £32
This top comes quite low at  the front and at the sides so again nice underwear is needed - one of the those pretty crop bra tops should do the trick if you wanna go for The Saturdays look or if you prefer to be a bit demure a black vest will work too. I was a little concerned that this might look a bit chavvy especially when wearing my Michael Kors watch so i better ease up on the bling/accessories to avoid looking like the fourth member of N-Dubz - na-na nai!

I also picked up a pair of (p)leather shorts which caught my eye, not really sure why but i'm hoping to channel Jameela Jamil and not Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman!

PU double zip shorts - £38
These do look much better on with opaque tights and a demure blouse or shirt and high heels - no over-the-knee boots allowed, i repeat no over-the-knee boots allowed - ankle boots are acceptable.  A loose fit is also essential as these are high waisted you don't want to look like you're wearing hot pants. It seems everyone is wearing leather at the moment and i can't wait to give these their debut! The only negative about the shorts is there's no pockets -  oh and they're not real leather but hey ho!

To finish my purchases are some sale vintage-y earrings.


I tried wearing these as they were intended  - odd earrings for a vintage vibe but wasn't really into it so i went back and bought a second set so now i have matching sets - still a bargain at £6 if you ask me. My favs? The outline love hearts - v.girly.


And that's all folks!!

Tuesday 23 November 2010

An early Christmas present for you....

With the high street vying for your pennies this Christmas I've scoured the net and my inbox to bring you the best deals and discounts - don't go office party dress shopping without reading this!

http://www.office.co.uk/
- 10% off online purchases for 3 days only, ends midnight 25/11/10
Code - "EARLYGIFT"




http://www.tedbaker.com/
 - Free UK standard delivery on all orders placed between 22nd November and 22 December. No code needed. On my wish list: Anitah, Caza or Roverz purse please!




http://www.asos.com/
- 20% off ASOS brand items - not sure how long this is running for so be quick.
Code: ASOS20





http://www.frenchconnection.com/
 - Sample Sale 26th, 27th and 28th November.
Location: Centro One, 39 Camden Street, London, NW1 0DX
Opening Hours: Friday 26th: 9.30am - 7.00pm
Saturday 27th: 10.00am - 5.00pm
Sunday 28th: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Entrance Fee: £1 - donated to charity
Expect coats and jackets from £40 and knitwear and dresses from £20. If only i lived in London :(




- UK Glamour Magazine - the December issue comes with a free Nails Inc polish worth £11. You can choose from: Jermyn Street, Saville Row, Hampstead Heath or Warwick Avenue.
Magazine costs only £2 and includes a 25% discount for Kurt Geiger - double whammy.
I picked up Saville Row - a deep plum, v.wintry.










http://www.boots.com/
- 3 for 2 mix & match across make-up, nails and eyelashes. Doesn't apply to premium ranges, but includes L'Oreal, Urban Decay, Barry M, Bourjois etc. I picked up 3 Revlon products, a matte pale pink lipstick, a deep plum/purple lipstick and a compact blusher - swatches and reviews to come in a new post.




http://www.warehouse.co.uk/
 - Spend £50 at Warehouse online or in-store and receive £10 off - great for party dress season.
My eye is on the one-shoulder column maxi - hands off!
Online code: GRAZ12106 - valid until 30 November
In-store: Voucher in week ending 22 November UK Grazia magazine (Victoria Beckham on cover). Valid until 15 December (not concessions).






I'll update this with any new offers but feel free to post any of your own and let me know what you got with your discounts.

Monday 22 November 2010

Tom Cruise eat your heart out!

I've just returned from my quest to find an aviator jacket and courtesy of Topshop i am now looking a little more Tom Cruise a la Top Gun but minus the badges!


Spot the difference?


Topshop Aviator jacket £58

This is the best quality aviator I've found on the high street unfortunately it's not leather hence the price but it still looks and most importantly feels great and unlike Burberry's this one hopefully won't look too out of place next year with just a smattering of sheepskin on the collar. All i need now is a faux fur stole/scarf to update it for winter.



Thursday 28 October 2010

These boots are made for walkin'...

I know, i know  not very original!

I finally found a pair of boots that will go with my maxi knitted dress from Warehouse. These hiking boot beauties are very on-trend with the sheepskin lining and lace-up detailing.


I did decide to brave the cold weather whilst out shopping working the maxi knitted dress and flip-flop combo, i must admit i looked a right idiot especially when it started to rain. Perfect outfit choice for a sales assistant spending all day parading around the shop floor, not so good for sharpening the elbows at Topshop's sale! Standing still i looked alright as you couldn't see my (nearly) frost-bitten toes. Whilst every other girl was kicked in either Uggs, worker/biker boots - you know the one's X Factor's One Direction wear with the trousers tucked in, or fashionable hiking boots.

I didn't want to spend too much on a pair as i reckon i won't be wearing these come next winter but for a one-season only purchase £29.99 was very reasonable courtesy of New Look. I must admit i not really a fan of New Look shoes, they did get me through my uni days but now I'm earning a little more cash, i want to try and avoid that cheap plastic shoe look. However these don't look too dissimilar from Topshop and River Island's offerings and at a fraction of the price. I am more of a high heels and knee-high boots kinda girl and don't often work the casual look but these would look great teamed with leggings or skinny jeans and woolly socks or with a dress and tights.

Fingers cross i get the wear out of them because i have far too many unworn ankle boots collecting dust in my wardrobe.

I did manage to get two items in the Topshop sale, the sale itself was a bit mis-match, loads of maxi dresses and lace underwear but hardly anything decent apart from the shoes.

These jeggings I'd already bought last summer but returned them because i wasn't too sure - it was when the whole jegging thing had just come in fashion and the mags were saying they were more suited to the skinny leggy parade - think Whitney Port.  I think i must have tried them on before about three times in Toppers but was never convinced this pair suited me. These jeggings are better quality than my Dorothy Perkins pairs as they are designed and fit like jeans, so you don't get that whole pregnancy jean look if your top rides up - bonus!

To complete my purchases is a simple cut shift dress with exposed zip.

Some of you eagle-eyed readers will notice i have this dress in a pink/blush colour which i teamed with black and gold accessories for a evening look. I really like the shape of these dresses and they fit really well - not too tight, not too loose - the print is a bit girly for me with the occasional red hearts but i can just about deal with it! I was surprised this was still left on the rail actually would've definitely thought it would had been snapped up but their lost is my gain. For a smart look i would combine it with a blazer, tights and heels or for a casual daytime look with the jeggings above? Either way it's gorge and very me!

Tuesday 19 October 2010

I only went to return a jumper!

I've just had a very eventful afternoon of shopping today. I only went to return my Warehouse camel sweater and ended up with bags of shopping - eek! V.naughty!

The purpose of this visit was to try and exchange my camel jumper for another colour. I did buy mine online and the colour just seems to wash me out so i was hoping i could sneakily do an exchange in my Outfit - simple eh? Oh no, unless you don't mind a little bit of embarrassment don't try to con/lie to a sales assistant they always seem to catch you out - damn! Tried to say i had lost my receipt and do a quick exchange for the purple colour, even though it still had the labels attached the sales assistant was having none of it. "You can't return items to concession stores blah, blah, blah. Looks like a trip to the post office is in order.

The camel jumper is question... ...you see looks very nice online, but in the flesh the colour has more of a gold tone to it - definitely not great for my complexion, but love the gold buttons - thumbs up for detail. The fabric is ever-so soft as well - cashmere it is not, a viscose blend.



 
I couldn't do the exchange but still bought the dark purple jumper as an ideal winter piece.
 
I am a little disappointed this colour didn't have the gold buttons, as i do love gold accessorising, but the grey/black still work. The belt was a sale bargain from Miss Selfridge only £12, i had my eye on this before but £25 was a bit steep for belt. This will probably become my LBD's best friend.
 
Now i have a thing for black trousers, i love them, whether its jean, jeggings, leggings, harems, chinos - i don't care but i do live in them. Warehouse and Dorothy Perkins both have some great sort of soft suede trousers in at the moment which i am loving. Ever since harem became en vogue for summer, i have been embracing my inner MC Hammer and working them to death. I was torn between two pairs, i went with Dorothy Perkins because they were a little cheaper and look a bit smarter so i can just add heels for work.
 
You can't really see the detailing clearly in the picture, but they come with a tie belt and have low slung pockets and a tight ankle.
 
I reckon that's tomorrow's work outfit sorted.
 
I've been after a new make-up bag for ages but I've been looking for some pretty ones that will add some glamour to my office desk. I've been using the free Topshop one up until now but as it's cream I'm struggling to keep it clean not to mention the pen marks that seem to keep appearing!
 
Ted Baker is usually my fail-safe and i headed to Boots to pick this one up.
 
I'm not usually one for florals but purple is my favourite colour and i love the bow - v. pretty. Best of all i used my Boots points so if didn't cost me anything!

I've been determined to turn into a gym bunny especially before the onslaught of Christmas with all the parties and meals going on, not to mention the amount of chocolates and biscuits appearing daily in the office, so i was in need of some stylish gymwear that will distract from the day's make-up sweating down my face. A quick nip into Sports Soccer and I'm £65 lighter but two sports bras, two sports tops and a pair of tight fit trousers/leggings heavier - all set for Wed, Thurs and Fri gym sesh. Pre-gym OOTD's to follow soon.

My final splurge was a cheap one courtesy of Barry M and Saskia The Style Fairy - saw it their first. I have to rave about their new nail paint, Instant Nail Effects £3.95 which is a top coat that creates a nail art effect on top of your already painted nails. Hard to explain but have a look - this is definitely the future of nails.


I've only painted the little finger nail as you can see - it was hard to pick up on camera but i tried, see below.
 
I love it - so I'm off now to paint the rest - what do you think?

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Style advice needed please?

Right I've just received my online order from Warehouse and got the Maxi Knitted Dress, it fits well, if a little see-through so tights or leggings are needed to avoid getting arrested for indecent exposure, but i don't know what shoes to wear with it. The image on their website shows the length is to the floor on the model, maybe she's shorter than me but it's around low ankle on me and I've been through my wardrobe and can't see anything that looks OK apart from flip-flops or flat sandals. Help!! I'm planning on cinching the waist and combining with a fur gilet (faux of course) or a leopard print scarf or jewel-toned knit snood, so flip-flops are not really a good look in winter! Can you see my dilemma? The only ones i think may work are my multi-buckled strap grey wedges from Oasis, or i am planning on buying some Burberry rip-off shearling boots from New Look. Any ideas????

Warehouse Maxi Knitted Dress
This picture is from the Asos site and i don't think the boots look right, i have got open toe ankle boots but the length of the dress just rests on the top of the boots and looks silly - ankle bashers anyone?!

These are the Oasis wedges I'm thinking - yay or nay?

Oasis Multi Buckled Strap Wedges
Or what about the Burberry-esque boots from New Look?

New Look Buckle Boot £34.99
Any advice or recommendations greatly appreciated!!!

Sunday 10 October 2010

Elemis Xmas gift sets

I love Elemis skincare, in particular their facial products. The Pro-Collagen range is fantastic for anti-ageing and is recommended for 25+, as that will be me next year i am saving up for the Marine Cream which costs £125 for 100ml!! Everyone swears by the Tri-Enzyme range for resurfacing, uneven skin tone, fine lines and blemishes which describes my skin, i must add luckily i only have v. few fine lines around the eye area, and i am currently awaiting delivery of the Tri-Enzyme Face Mask. Products i am currently using and love are the S.O.S Emergency Cream, Maximum Moisture Day Cream, Maximum Replenish Night Cream, Skin Buff,  Exotic Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt and Exotic Island Flower Body Balm.

They have released their Christmas 2010 gift sets and i am debating over which to buy for myself and which to buy for my mum. Gifts set are great value for money and a good idea to introduce someone to a new skincare brand.

Have a look for yourself  - happy choosing! 


Timeless Radiance £195
- Pro-Collagen Marine Cream 100ml
- Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules 60 caps
- Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream 50ml
- Pro-Collagen Eye Renewal 15ml
- Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift Mask 15ml
- Gentle Rose Exfoliator 15ml


Perfect Pro-Collagen £65
- Pro-Collagen Marine Cream 30ml
- Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream 30ml
- Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser 30ml
- Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift Mask
- Papaya Enzyme Peel 15ml
- Facial Mitt

Sparkling Beauty £50
- Pro-Collagen Marin Cream 30ml
- Cellular Recovery Skinn Bliss Capsules 14 caps
- Pro-Collagen Lifting Treatment Neck and Bust 15ml
- Visible Brilliance Serum 10ml
- Elemis Eau de Parfum 4ml

Revealing Radiance £50
- Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash 50ml
- Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Night Cream 30ml
- Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask 15ml
- Pro-Collagen Marine Cream 15ml
- Tri Enzyme Resurfacing Serum 10ml


Exotic Spa Secrets £49.50
- Skin Nourishing Milk Bath 400ml
- Exotic Frangipani Monoi Bath & Shower Cream 200ml
- Exotic Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt 100ml

Skin Brilliance £49
- Rehydrating Rosepatel Cleanser 200ml
- Soothing Apricot Tiner 200ml
- Maximum Replenish Night Cream 50ml
- Maximum Moisture Day Cream 20ml
For the men:
Essential Grooming Solutions £50
- Ice-Cool Foaming Shave Gel 100ml
- Time Defence Wrinkle Delay 50ml
- Deep Cleanse Facial Wash 50ml
- Enerrgising Skin Scrub 20ml
- Time Defence Eye Reviver 5ml


Daily Men's Grooming £25
- Skin Soothe Shave Gel 150ml
- Deep Cleanse Facial Wash 50ml
- Daily Moisture Boost 20ml


Enriching Body Treats £29
- Wild Lavender Hand and Body Wash 100ml
- Sharp Shower and Bath Gel 100ml
- Skin Nourishing Shower Cream 100ml
- Exotic Lime and Ginger Hand and Body Wash 100ml
- Exotic Frangipani Monoi Bath & Shower Cream 50ml
- Skin Nourishing Hand and Body Lotion 50ml

Skin Nourishing Milk Bath Limited Edition £49

I've decided the Perfect Pro-Collagen for mum and i may get the Skin Brilliance set - the cleanser and toners are nornally £19 each and the night cream is full size costs £40 so £49 for the set is a bargain.


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