The Best Blush of them all...

This little tube of rosey goodness has worked it's way into being one of my favourite items in my makeup bag. 

Although it may look small it packs a mighty punch, you only need to use the tiniest amount and your cheeks will look flushed. 

It is easy to overload so I apply the smallest amount to my finger and then apply to the apples of your cheeks in a circular motion. Make sure it is blended in well! 

Rimmel, stay blushed - £4.49

Double Trouble Trends

I'm not usually a fan of those who try and wear all the trends at once. It's like they go through a magazine and use the 'what's hot' section as a checklist for each outfit. 

However, dabbling in a couple of trends at a time just can't be helped sometimes. And I couldn't resist when I saw these beauties on the Asos website. 

The reoccurring winter trend of velvet and hot right now tartan print may be mixing trends, but aren't they perfect? With student discount these trousers were just under £30, such a good deal. 

Asos is my absolute favourite at the minute, so much to choose from, easy to and quick delivery and it's so simple to return. 

Primark Winter Staples

Returning from holiday to this freezing weather put me in the mood (and need) of a Winter shop. And where else would I find anything cheap and cheerful but in Primark?

And very cheerful did I leave! I was so happy with my two buys. I stumbled across this boucle style coat. It might not be the thickest coat but I really liked it, and it was only £25 - much cheaper than Topshop or any other highstreet brand.

And my favourite buy was this jumper. Short sleeved cropped hairy jumper. And at £10 I could not find an excuse not to buy it. I found it randomly and didn't see any other colours but I know that they do it in pink, blue and cream.

So hurry and get to Primark!

Holiday Hot Bits

No, I'm not talking about my burnt bits - I mean my favourite fashion pieces I took on holiday with me.
I went to Gran Canaria with my boyfriend for a week and it was perfect. It was 35 degrees, the pool was beautiful and there were cocktails on hand the whole time. I would highly suggest it for a couples holiday.

Anyway, as usual, I took too much stuff and I found that I kept throwing on the same things because they were so easy to wear on the beach or by the pool - but I never learn.

My absolute favourite piece of the holiday was my ASOS smock dress. It was my airport outfit but actually also turned into my beach outfit and 'I don't know what to wear so I'll wear this' outfit. It was so comfortable, I loved the summery print and it was suitable for everything. At £30 I don't think you can go wrong with this all-rounder.

Next, I needed an airport bag, but this also turned into my beach bag and now I am home my everyday bag. I love it. My mustard bag from Zara. I like it even more knowing it only cost £20. They also have it in electric blue and black - perfect for Autumn.

Thirdly, at £34 I thought this was slightly pricey as I will only wear it a few times but I fell in love with it when I saw it in Topshop. It reminds me of a tapestry, which might not sound appealing but I love it. I teamed it with an ASOS off the shoulder black crop top and my jelly shoes for an evening outfit.

These were an absolute bargain, at £15 in the Peppermint sale, I snapped them up for holiday. They were a nice evening shoe without having to wear heels and looked really nice once I caught a bit of a tan. The only problem is they are quite hard to walk in, I think I feel more at ease when I'm wearing 5 inch heels.

Missguided Kimono kraze

Kimonos have taken over this season, whether it's a kimono style top, chiffon jacket or cardigan - you can't deny the oriental style is creeping in. 

Autumn/winter last year I had Trend Forecasting as one of my units at uni. We were told to look at future events and movements that were going to happen and predict a trend for summer 2013. Back then, I didn't really believe that the increase in the Chinese stock market would actually create a trend, I just thought it sounded good in my work. But it actually has.  So for those of you who think trends just happen.. They are really well thought out, relevant processes. Who'd a thought? 

Anyway, one of my predicted trends was kimonos and look where we are now?

I really like this trend, it's so feminine and pretty and so easy to update any outfit. 

However, even in high street stores you're looking at £40-£50 which I didn't really want to pay for a quick trend. 

Therefore I turned to the web. And I found this beauty for £25! 

It comes with a belt but I have taken that off because it looks too nightwear for me. But I love it, I love kimonos with fringing and the slight colours of lime, orange and lilac. It goes with everything. The perfect item to update a safe, basic outfit. 

Polka Dot Package of Happiness

Most of you will be familiar with those packages you get in the post that are white with black polka dots all over? Yes, Topshop! The best kind of packages if you ask me! 

Recently I had a late night spending splurge on Topshop and bought these latest additions to my wardrobe:

First is the lime skirt. I LOVE the colour and I like the fit of the skirts as I have a few now so thought it made sense to buy it? - any excuse! However, as it is so light I am worried about lumps and bumps showing up but I'm sure control pants can sort that out! 

I also bought this rose print tee. I thought it would go nice with the skirt and at £24 is alright for an everyday top with jeans. This is perhaps my favourite purchase out of the three. 

And finally, my fluro top. I really like that it is structured and the colour is beautiful, however, one thing about it is that it's slightly cropped so it sticks out at my hips. Think it would look better on a more boyish frame but I'm excited to wear it with jeans when I go for dinner or a catch up with the girls. It was only £25, which I thought was reasonable! 

Love My Vouchers

Those of you who read my blog regularly might have noticed a little widget in the right hand corner.

I have incorporated www.lovemyvouchers.co.uk into this blog to offer you some fantastic deals. Mine are all fashion based purely for the fact that this is a fashion blog, however, if you go on their website there are plenty of other deals, including restaurants, supermarkets, sport and travel - the lot!

My favourite stores that they include are Urban Outfitters and rock my vintage. Love My Vouchers is helping me (and you) to shop at our favourite places with discount prices. What more could you want?

www.LoveMyVouchers.co.uk 

Shoes Glorious Shoes

Something that I can't seem to stop myself from buying at the moment are shoes. Last week I bought two pairs of shoes, and I can't wait to have a couple days off work to wear them. 

First up are my primary school like bright red shoes. I had been eyeing them up for a while and I finally took the plunge. I love red, I know some of my friends would pass on buying these shoes because of their colour but I love a statement shoe. 

They were £32 and thought they'd be a nice treat for working so much lately. 

But I didn't stop there with the treats. Another shoe that I had been pondering over for a good couple of months now was the Jelly shoe. Now I know most think they are yet again a childish trend- my boyfriend says I look about five when I wear them but I think they're great. 

I found these on eBay for £20 but Asos also have them. I ordered both black and clear glitter because I really wasn't sure which to go for, but I decided on black in the end as they go with more and look like a more mature and developed version with the slight heel. 

They are really comfy I would recommend them to anyone. I can't wait to wear them with little white socks. 

Both shoes- although both summery, will be able to be incorporated into my winter wardrobe too. Any excuse, I know, but it makes me feel better when I know they were a good investment.

Wireless Wardrobe Worries

I had planned Wireless Festival a few weeks ago, but one thing I left until last minute was my outfit choice. There were too many ideas floating around my head to decide. 

Wellie's or no wellie's? Shorts are a must - but what if it rains? And what if it's really hot? The first step for my choice was definitely to find out the weather. 

26 degrees? That's hot enough for me! So my black Levi's became a definite choice. No rain - no wellie's! I was going to be all hot a sweaty from screaming 'marry me!!' At Justin Timberlake anyway, I didn't need anything that would make me hotter. 

I did think about wearing my dungaree dress or dungarees but I thought shorts were just easier for toilet purposes. The toilets are overfilled and for lack of another word, gross- I did not want my straps chilling on floor while I go about my business. 

For my top half I went for a patterned top from Topshop, it has a tasseled trim which I thought has a festival feel to it.

I wore lots of chunky jewellery, such as this necklace from Newlook at £6.99. I also wrapped a chained necklace from Topshop  around my wrist to make a bracelet. 

The only regret I have for my outfit was that because my top had thick straps I now I have awful tan lines! 

Wireless was amazing, I am very jealous of everyone going today and tomorrow, I wish I was there all weekend. 

Late Night eBay Sprees are the Way Forward

You know how it starts- you can't sleep so you go on every app, and one thing leads to another and you're on eBay. You promise yourself you're just looking, then you accidentally purchase something. You try and tell yourself that it's a one item thing and it's out of your system, but before you know it you've spent your wages and you don't even feel guilty. 

The good thing with eBay though is you can find absolute bargains so you don't break the bank at all. This evening I bought a few items and altogether it is still under £10. 

First on my list was some sunglasses. I have gone off of last years pair which has resulted in stealing my mum's. The options were endless on eBay, literally thousands of pairs to choose from at seriously low prices, all brand new as well.

They were so cheap I just had to buy two pairs when I couldn't decide. First, I bought some round rimless black glasses as I think they look boho chic for summer, and suit most face shapes (plus they were only £1.59!) I hope I can pull them off John Lennon style. 

 

Next, I copied my mum's pair- also black but with half a frame. I had a pair just like these last year but lost them on holiday. But at £1.67 and free postage I can't think of a reason not to replace them. 

My other purchase, and perhaps my favourite was this Perspex neon envelop clutch. I have wanted one for so long but kept putting it off because I thought I would never use it. But spotting this from the online shop- Lily Yang Store, at £2.99  I couldn't justify not getting it. Even if I never get around to using it won't he a huge waste of money. I ordered it in the fluorescent green, I can't wait for it's arrival. 

Finally; my last buy of the evening was some silver knuckle rings, at £1.49 for a pack. They also come in gold but I seem to wear more silver lately, and I already have some gold ones. 

So there you have it, when you can't sleep and just want to buy new things, look to eBay for a way to get some new things you need (or just really really want) without spending your money for the month. 

I Like it Lime

One colour that I keep seeing in the shops is lime, and I really love it. At first I wasn't sure if it was the right colour for me, I imagined it to suit brown haired individuals really well and just make me look washed out.

However, I was shopping for an outfit for my friends birthday and I stumbled upon a beautiful lime dress. I'm pretty sure I ran over to it from across the room and snapped it up straight away.

Topshop never fails to disappoint when looking for a particular outfit. And this time I felt like I had found THE dress I didn't know I was looking for. As sad as it sounds nothing is more satisfying than finding the perfect piece of clothing you wanted.

In the picture the dress looks slightly more yellow than lime, but that is my poor quality camera- apologies again. I love the crochet, I feel like that is also a big trend this summer so this dress ticks both that and neon off the list.

This one is petite, and I thought it was going to be really short but I really like the length, my bottom was covered, although bending over in it would have scarred a lot of people.

I felt like at £46 it may be a little pricey for most but considering I fell in love with it there and then in Topshop, I couldn't leave without it.

I wore it with a gold statement necklace and matching bracelet from H&M, and my friend's black wedges and black clutch which is from Zara.

I initially wanted to wear it with my orange heels from Zara but I had left them at Uni while I was at home. I really wanted to make it into a neon colour pop outfit.

Zara shoes -£29.99

YSL Limited Edition Perfume

My sister came back from holiday recently with a few extra luxuries from duty free. One of them was this beauty, YSL Paris Premieres Roses. It was love at first sniff, I wanted it for myself. 

Just after that I popped into Debenhams and found it, on offer! £25 for 125ml eau du toilette. I usually prefer eau du parfum but this is strong enough and lasts as it is. 

An absolute bargain, I needed a new perfume and for £25 you can't go wrong. The floral scent is just right for summer and with a bottle that big it seems it is going to last all season. My favourite new edition to my personal perfume collection. 

#OOTD Intern Interview Outfit

On Monday I had the interview I had been waiting for. It was for a years paid placement at Lancôme PR and ever since I have been thinking about it non stop, I want it so much. 

But what do you wear to the interview of your dreams? Instead of being conventional and wearing a black skirt suit or dress I decided to wear my tailored short dungarees with a printed shirt. I kept it conventional in the sense that I wore black but I wanted something that they would remember without being over the top. 

I think it worked well, and was a nice twist on office wear - as well as being a key high-street fashion look but I suppose you can be the judge of that! 

Old School Days

I'm taking it back to primary school days with my new shoes and white socks. This Topshop buy is just what I was looking for for summer, they even have a slight heel which gets me up to about average height. 

These shoes are so versatile and literally go with any outfit, you can wear them with socks, tights or barefooted. 

The best thing about these are that I got them discounted. A website which sells Topshop and other named brands at as little as half the price. This website is a goldmine. However, not all the items are brand new and some have defects, just be sure to read the description. 

Www.next2nowt.co.uk 

Returns are also near enough impossible, you get one week to register it and send them back, but I don't feel like that is enough time to decide whether you want them or not. 

Apologies for the poor quality pictures.

eBay Find

I think most people forget about eBay when it comes to online shopping, but you can find some of the best pieces on there.

I've been meaning to blog about this clutch for a while, but me and my friend spotted it on an eBay shop online. I love an over-sized clutch (mainly because the bigger the clutch the smaller you look)  but this one came in so many colours it was difficult to say no. 

I went for red, it isn't my first red bag so maybe I should have gone for a different colour but I couldn't help myself. Red is such a good block colour and usually works well as a statement piece.

There aren't many places you buy a brand new clutch for £16, and this comes with a free pack of hairbands, which is always handy because I never have any (where do they go - along with hair grips?!). 

I'm tempted to order it in more colours...

Click here to buy

Looking Prime

My new addition to my makeup bag is w7 Prime Magic. I have had it for a couple of weeks now and I really like it, it makes your skin so soft and leaves the perfect base for your foundation.
I got this off amazon for around £3.50 including postage, and they had three different types. I went for anti-redness, but there is anti-dullness and standard primer.
I used to use L'Oreal which was also very good but I won't be changing back anytime soon.

New Shoes

Who doesn't like new shoes? Especially shoes that won't dent your bank balance!

I found these beauties on eBay for £15.99 (plus £2.99 delivery) and they were just what I was looking for. I needed some new black heels because the ones that I have are either knackered or way too high to wear on casual nights out. They're a five inch heel so they're high enough, but not crippling. The online eBay shop has a wide variety of other wedges and heels, but these were my favourite.

The best thing was, I ordered them early in the day and they were delivered by the next day. There were no problems at all.

eBay Black shoes

Kukee Jewellery

One of my friends loves jewellery, she has so many pieces if you ever need anything to go with your outfit, her jewellery box would have the solution.
By chance, she stumbled upon a jewellery website called www.kukee.com which had some lovely pieces for really cheap prices. Some of the stuff is just like topshop for a quarter of the price. And some are beautifully handmade.
Seeing as my loan came in and you can never have too much jewellery, I went on a spree. I ordered two necklaces and two rings to add to my collection.
The postman delivered a little brown box today which enclosed some bright pink tissue paper with my goodies inside!
This is the first time I have ordered from there and it was so straight forward, and perfectly packaged. They even threw in a free gift! A little knuckle ring for the top of your finger.
I love all of my pieces, the only thing I would say is watch out with rings because one of mine is one size only and it just it my fingers, I'm usually a S-M.
I will definitely be shopping on there again.

Coconut Hair Care

My hair is naturally dark blonde but I had a few highlights put in over the past year to brighten it up. I've always had medium thickness but naturally oily, straight hair. But since the bleach has taken its toll, I have been finding it very hard to keep it in good condition.
That was until I found these beauties. Boots have their own range of coconut and almond products for normal to dry hair. I first started with the leave in conditioner and fell in love. At uni, our shower is terrible and leaves your hair in knots every time you wash it, but since spraying this into my hair when it is damp, it has become so much more manageable. I swear by this stuff. And it smells like holiday.
So today I went out and bought the conditioner as well, to see if it can sort out my dry ends. I hope it works!

Fashion vs Food

For anyone who knows me, both food and fashion are major parts of my life; if I'm not shopping then I'm out for a meal, and vice versa.
But when reality sinks in a few weeks after the loan has be blown, and you're left with a 3kg bag of pasta and Asda smart price sauce you couldn't feel any further away from being the millionaire you felt like when you saw your bank balance increase a few weeks previous.
This is when my clothes begin to suffer and my diet becomes as basic and boring as ever. My lifestyle is just too expensive to keep up, so now i have to pick between eating out, and that new dress.
Therefore I've started to look online for clothes, and eat out less, but when I do try and make them Mondays where everything is half price - or use this as an excuse to finally start that diet.

I know most of you are well aware of missguided.com by now but it really is a great place to find dresses for nights out and occassions. I wore two missguided outfits, the green one on my 21st and the black playsuit on NYE. Overall I was thrilled with what I got, the green dress was a little more expensive at £45 but it was sequined. In Topshop you would have to pay at least £60 for a dress like that, so it seemed worth it. While the black velvet playsuit was very cheap at £25. You also get student discount on top of it which makes everything a little easier. They also do great copies of things you would find in the high-street stores at much cheaper prices, it's a great way to save money but keep on trend.

Green Dress £45

Black velvet Playsuit
(I do have more than two friends I promise)

Another great website which you may not be as familiar with is kukee.co.uk. They do jewellery which you can find in Topshop for very cheap prices. I also begrudge spending a lot on jewellery because it's so small in comparison to a new item of clothing, and it usually gets lost or broken. However you can buy triple for the amount you would pay in store on this website.

This way, you can still eat out (half price food at Vodka Revolutions on mondays, Yo Sushi, Slug and Lettuce and now Yates on a Thursday) but keep on trend at the same time.

Roses are Red..

If you have walked down any high-street recently you will know that in 10 days time it is that sweetly sickening day of the year PDA is allowed.
 Now I may sound like I am against Valentines day, but I am not at all. I like that it is an occassion that I can wear a nice dress and go for a lovely meal with my boyfriend. But I hate that everyone else is sitting there, feeding each other over the table across the flicker of candle light. I find it really off putting. I think it's something you should save for when you're at home. Although it is kind of acceptable when you are drunk because you lose all sense of etiquette then.
But one other thing about Valentines day is the whole debate on wearing red - is it too cliche?
I have this red dress from H&M which I have only worn once, and think it is appropriate for my Valentines meal. It's quote short but not too short, and has long sleeves and high neck, it doesn't cling too much either which is a bonus when you're going out for a meal. It goes well with tights too in case it is bitterly cold that night (no doubt it will be).
But that't the problem... it's red!
I'm worried I will turn up to the restaurant and blend in with the sea of red dresses, or stick out like a sore thumb with most girls tutting under their breaths. Is there an unspoken dress code that you should wear red (or you really shouldn't) that I am unaware of?

Golden Globes

The Golden Globe awards have been running since 1944, and each year the dresses get more and more extravagant, and 2013 did not disappoint. Only the elite of the film industry are invited and although the awards are based on their performances, for me it should be based on their outfits.
       One outfit, which I was very impressed with was Taylor Swift's. Her aubergine DKNY fishtail number was beautiful, even if The Mirror did catch her out with a bra malfunction, but these things always happen. Her slicked back up-do went well with the strapped shoulders and open back. Taylor appeared very grown up and made a lovely change from seeing her in dressed down 'sneaker' look.

Another winner at the Golden Globes for me, was Emily Blunt. The actress looked amazing in Michael Kors when she turned up with John Krasinski who looked dapper in his bow tie suit. Her dress was of pure elegance, made from lace in a unique green, but almost golden colour. Her dress was also embellished with studs which made a nice contrast to the softness of the lace. She accessorized with cocktail jewel earrings and a neat bun. She embodied elegance at the Golden Globes.

One who never disappoints with her quirky wardrobe is Zooey Deshanel. Although her dress is not to my taste, I still think she looked very feminine and worked the Oscar De La Renta dress superbly. However, not only was it her dress that caught my eye but her fantastic nail art, and pearl accessories. It really brought the whole outfit together and gave her a classier look, whilst her nails were pure brilliance. 

Even if a celebrity has a beautiful dress, if their accessories and most importantly hair is a mess, then it ruins everything. Which is why I would like to mention Amanda Seyfried; who looked wonderful in her Givenchy Couture dress, but also had the perfect hair style. Her long blonde locks complimented her blush coloured dress and looked naturally waved. Her hair looked effortless but preened at the same time, and something I would love to try out on myself.