What I've been wearing

Just a simple post of what i've been wearing recently...



Accessorised with a bingo pen - we were off to Gala to win some money - didn't happen!

Shirt - Asos

Jeggings - Dorothy Perkins

Shoes - Dorothy Perkins

Jacket - Topshop

Belt - Marks & Spencers



Mardy face no.1



Grey Vest - Warehouse

Trousers - Dorothy Perkins

Lace Jacket - Warehouse

Shoes - River Island



Sneeky pic! But i did buy both these items :)


Crop top - Miss Selfridge

Navy Trousers - Miss Selfridge

 

Mardy face no.2 - taken in staff changing rooms ooh the glamour!



Purple Ruffle Blouse - Topshop

Navy Hareems - Topshop

Brown Leather Jacket - Topshop

Shoes - Faith

Bag - River Island

Watch - Michael Kors



Mardy face No.3 - my only excuse is they were both taken at 6.30am!



White vest - Warehouse

Camel Hareems - Topshop

Black Waterfall Jacket - Warehouse

Leopard print Scarf - Oasis

Shoes - Office

In hair news, i've been toying between curly and straight but the curls are winning at the moment....

Pastel shades meets OOTD's

Inspired by the Parma Violet nails the other day I've decided to keep with the pastel theme and show some love to my favourite polishes for spring.



Revlon - Minted

I really want to love this shade as much as i do in the bottle, but the consistency is very watery so the application goes streaky and you need at least 3 coats to achieve opaque coverage and then you lose the paleness. I think next time i will paint one coat of white underneath first.

Nails Inc - In Style Candy

Now this is my Barbie polish, a true bright but baby pink that's opaque after just one coat - yes only one coat application so great for on-the-go, i might even have to do the toes as well just in case it gets warm enough to show them off.

I seem to be in love with shorts at the moment as they're so versatile, work or play, day or night, cold or warm, they do the job. I've been meaning to do an OOTD wearing the Topshop blush shorts but not had chance to wear them out anywhere yet so played a little dress-up for you guys yesterday!

Again apologies for the iphone pic's but i keep forgetting to charge the camera!

Jacket - Topshop (image 1)
Fur gilet - Dorothy Perkins (image 2)
Shirt - Asos
Shorts - Topshop
Leggings - Primark
Boots - Office
Clutch - Warehouse

I was undecided whether the outfit look best with the aviator or fur gilet, what do you think?

Work OOTD

Hi guys, just a quickie office OOTD from this week. The dress code at work is supposed to be smart but not suited and booted smart, think more advertising office smart, so at least we stamp our personality and individuality into our look. I have to be honest the following look doesn't really showcase this though - oops!



Apologies for the grainy iphone pics

Top - Miss Selfridge

Jacket - Warehouse

Trousers - Miss Selfridge

Shoes - River Island

This outfit does feature two of my wardrobe hero pieces. The first is the jacket, which i got in the sale recently and is perfect for slipping on over little camis and summer tops for the office and instantly smartens up your look and equally works well with jeans for day and night. The perfect cover-up for all seasons. The second hero piece are the trousers, it's not really these in particular trousers but the style, i am loving cropped, peg-leg and harem trousers. In summer i can't live without my skinnies and these are the work/office equivalent. They're great with flats and heels, for work or play, not to mention leg-lengthening effects!

The look was completed with my new statement ring from Dorothy Perkins which i mentioned previously but didn't have a photo ready so here it is:

I was playing around with my fringe that day and managed to find a good look - not managed to recreate it again though damn!

I must sort out my foundation! Face and chest two totally different colour MAC here i come...

I'm torn between growing out the blunt fringe or keeping it, so at the moment it looks a mess but nothing a bit of hairspray and kirby grips can't sort out.

And as promised yesterday's NOTD featuring Nail's Inc/ Diet Coke's Denim.

This colour looks better in the bottle than on and i was a bit disappointed as it doesn't seem as bright. You can get full cover with just one coat so plus points for that, but i can't really comment on durability as i accidentally painted basecoat instead of topcoat on one hand so had to take it off after one day! Matte one hand and gloss on other hand is not a good look. 

Anyway over at Saskia the Style Fairy you can find a great leopard print NOTD using Caramel and Heather Grey from the Diet Coke collection, as i already have the Caramel i going to try my hand and get a bit creative - fingers crossed!

Check out the link to Saskia's blog: http://saskiathesalsafairy.blogspot.com/2011/01/nails-incdiet-coke-leopard-notd.html

Have a great weekend!!

OOTD

Hi guys,

Just a quick OOTD's from the weekend, again apologies for the quality until i invest in a new camera, the photos are going to look a bit shabby. But i hear Topshop have the best lighting in their changing rooms so that is an option for the future.

• Jacket - Topshop £58
• Cable knit jumper - Warehouse £30 (reduced)
• Trousers - Dorothy Perkins £25approx
• Shoes - Grey suede(ette) Primark £5 (sale)
• Bag - Warehouse (old)
• Belt - Accessorize £3 (sale - old)

I also nipped into Dotty P's to look at their sale jewellery, they've got a great selection of vintage looking rings at the moment which I'm loving. I bought 2 but only got a photo of one to show you.

It's hard to see here but the stone is a deep purple colour, looks similar to those mood rings we had years ago! I was torn between the purple and the blue stone but purple is my fav colour but kinda wish i went with the blue as it shines perfectly in the light - oh well I'll just have to get it as well. Price £4 reduced from £10.

I'm quite picky when it comes to costume jewellery, a lot of stuff looks cheap and tacky but you can find a few hidden gems if you stay away from the silver plated and go for gold ornate looking jewellery. It's got to look like it's a family heirloom or something you picked up from a thrift fair!


The second OOTD features my new fur gilet - a perfect winter warmer!

This faux fur gilet is also from Dorothy Perkins £35. It's a short style gilet so wasn't too sure at first if it would go with jeans, but teamed with high waisted trousers or this maxi dress looks ok. It doesn't have a fastening detail but it keeps you sooooo warm i love it!

• Gilet - Dorothy Perkins £35
• Knitted Maxi Dress - Warehouse £50
• Belt - Dorothy Perkins £5
• Bag - As before (Warehouse)
• Boots - (just seen) New Look £24.99 (i think)

You'll notice i was struggling to find the right footwear to go with this dress before but my New Look shearling hiking boots seem to work nicely. There's not much give in this dress so walking takes me twice as long as usual - must remember small steps, small steps!

I've bought quite a few items recently that i can't wait to share with you, including my second Michael Kors watch - couldn't resist!!

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!

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?

Guess who's back?

I'm really sorry guys that i've been a bit slack on the posting front but i've been making some pretty life-changing decisons! In my absence i hope you've been showing some love to other blogs - i'm addicted now, every time i'm online i can't resist a sneeky peek at other bloggers and catching up on their latest buys - me thinks this is why i've been neglecting my own! I've even gained a new follower - whoop whoop to lenka.komrskova! Maybe i should go away more often - might increase my following! Nah.

Just before i give you a quick rundown on my recent purchases, i wanted to tell you about a great magazine offer i picked up on my weekly Tesco shop (on a Saturday, i must be mad!), Marie Claire is giving away a free Ciate Nail Polish worth £9. You can choose from Dangerous Affair 013 - a deep raspberry or a bright red/orange, not sure on the name of that one as i got the first colour. I've yet to try Ciate polishes so hopefully the quality will be just a good as my fav Nails Inc, and i'll invest in some other colours courtsey of the 15% discount they're offering online with the polish (find the code on back of the nail polish bottle).The magazine is £3.50 so you might as well get both colours if you can - very on-trend colours for a/w. 

I've recently been embracing what my mama gave to me and going au naturale. Some may say i am lucky to have curly hair but throughout childhood all i ever wanted was poker straight hair, you always want what you can't have, eh! My nickname used to be candy floss - can you guess why? Oh yes, my hair was just like it, a big frizz ball - i don't think i was aware of the cardinal sin with curly hair - brushing it! Well i did discover GHD's and they say the rest is history. Now as i'm in desperate need of a cut but i'm really trying to get past the flicky out stage, i've been leaving my hair to dry naturally and just applying a little serum to define and tame the curls.

What do you think?

You'll have to excuse the curl at the front! Don't worry i pinned that back when i went out.

I'm now obsessed with hair accessories and have been trying to hunt down some cool one's - i found this gold heart hairband in Dorothy Perkins for around £7.00. It will even double up as a necklace!

My delivery of the sideways cross arrived as well! I first saw this on Lollipop26's blog and i've been lusting after ever since, she mentioned where she got her's from Etsy btw and i indulged. To be honest i thought the quality would be better but it is 14k gold filled and looks v.dainty and pretty on - my mum thinks it some sort of anti-christ thing! It's fashion darling! I paid around £30 including shipping from America.

I also picked up a heart charm necklace from Topshop that is v.cute and will go with my hairband when i'm feeling a bit girly.

Bargain - £4

As you can see i'm starting to fall in love with charm necklaces and will be wearing mine altogether for that vintage vibe.

I've also been changing my make-up look recently - channeling that 40's look and working my inner vamp with a little red. I painted my nails in Nails Inc Victoria & Albert and i've been sporting red and plum pouts.

I know i've not gone the full make-up look - i thought the lips and the nails were enough for a daytime look but i quite like the pared-down make-up look - less is more as they say!

Now i've blogged about Avon make-up before, but i just wanted to show you how much i like their eyeshadow palettes. I've three so far, Purple Haze, Smokey Eyes and Tiger's Eye (i think they're the names). I am a real palette lover, they're great for work or on-the-go and saves carrying so much make-up around. 

The Tiger's Eye is a great dupe for Chantecaille’s Limited Edition Tiger In The Wild Palette which costs £73 , Avon's palette was only £3.50 in the sale. Bonus.

Avon



Chantecialle



Chantecialle's palette may have a hefty price-tag but a proportion will be given to a save the tiger charity so it's all good! Both palette's are Limited Edition so grab them while you can.

Just a last mention that i've ordered Urban Decay's Naked palette, i know i'm a bit late on the bandwagon but it was sold out everywhere, now it's back in stock on Boots and Debenhams online so i am awaiting delivery as i type.

Latest haul

I love shopping but hate the waiting involved with online ordering - my Asos order arrived after i chose the free delivery option, UK Super Save, which means you have to wait up to 6 days, and on the 6 day it was delivered and i am not in love.

The French Connection dress I've had my eye on since the start of the season has not lived up to my very high expectations. Usually with French Connection you can expect the quality of the items to be quite good but this black and white stripe dress looks a bit cheap and I'm sure i got a waft of smoke when i opened the packet. I thought it could have been the plastic smell from the packaging but on second sniff and close inspection of the packet, i reckon someone has already worn this dress and returned it but still with the label on.

On the size 8 model it looks great, but i didn't realise that it is a lot shorter and tighter than anticipated and the fabric which is 68% viscose looks like it would get bobbly after a couple of wears.

I've not posted a pic of it on as I'm sporting a cold sore and definitely not looking my best. I've only tried it on once so i might give it another chance and dress it up how i would wear it and see if it looks any better and decide whether to return for an exchange but i reckon it's going to be a refund. Here's a thought if i return the dress i can use the money to buy the two Sekonda watches - happy days.

Have you ever ordered something online - only to be disappointed when it arrives?

My second purchase was a lace waistcoat from Dorothy Perkins - £20

I thinks it's got a bit of a festival vibe to it and i wore mine out yesterday for dinner with the girls with my black maxi and brown waist belt. Worn layered over pretty much anything it would look fab, even with your favourite bikini on the beach. It's very Kate Moss and the lace gives it that vintage look - i could imagine it on Nicole Ritchie, accessorised with her House of Harlow range, long wavy hair with halo braid - very ethereal.


Well my beautiful French Connection birthday shoes arrived and they are lovely. At first i nearly cried because i couldn't fit my feet into them, i blame a full day's work in 4 inch heels, but this morning i tried and with a little pushing they fit. Because of the platform and the stiletto heel, i could be in danger of falling over in these, so definitely a taxi and sober only shoe.

In the beauty blogging world it's not all Mac, the drugstore products are just as good and never underestimate Avon, if it's good enough for Reese Witherspoon it's good enough for me - i do love a celebrity endorsement.

I got two nail polish colours, Peppermint Leaf and Luxe Lavender. I've been after a lilac colour for ages and i was very impressed.

I did three coats to get an even coverage, but two would give you that opaque look. I've already had plenty of compliments and it's a great summer colour.

The peppermint green looks quite similar to the Jade Beauty UK polish i bought a few weeks ago, I've not had a chance to compare on the nails so i will show you, i was hoping it would be more of a mint green, but that's what happens when you buy from a brochure.

Like or dislike?