Spring..?

I feel like I haven't had time for any of my usual activities in the past couple of weeks, blogging definitely included.. I don't understand why because nothing has been that different! I suppose I haven't really had time to myself, to just check all those boxes. I was walking to my car yesterday evening, absolutely exhausted, and there was a really eerie feeling about the weather.. the wind was a swirling one that kind of stirred all the branches in the upper echelons of the trees and whipped your hair about your face, and the sky was a sunny sort of grey - the kind that looks like something is brewing, casting a peculiar light everywhere. It got me wondering if even the weather is sick of itself, and as if Spring is fighting a battle with a very stubborn Winter, trying to push its way through! I can't remember an Easter time so cold as this one has been. Everyone is more than ready for a Summery shift, hell, even a Spring-y shift will more than do to banish everyone's moods! So, the eternal British question remains - what exactly are you supposed to wear when you cannot stand the sight of another knitted jumper, winter coat or pair of boots but the weather is an ever-resilient 6 degrees celsius? Well, to be quite honest, I've been wearing whatever the heck I want - and paying the price. I can't remember when I last arrived somewhere from walking and wasn't shocking pink from the cold! This may all sound absolutely ridiculous, but I'm beyond caring anymore. Give my my over-sized tees, leather jacket and ballet flats! Hand me my sunglasses, fake tan and lacy tops! I am a British girl sick of the British weather! It really makes me wonder how everyone hasn't just emigrated entirely from places much colder than this all year round. So, enough of the rant-like tone that definitely wasn't intentional but is definitely present...Spring is here. Because I say so. Warmth will return to my limbs, eventually.

xo.

Perfume Collection Update: Miss Dior

Sooo.. the latest addition to my perfume collection is probably the most exciting yet - I finally have a bottle of 'Miss Dior'! This perfume has been on the top of my wishlist for SO long now, but it was always that little bit too expensive or seemed that little bit too extravagant to get as a present or buy for myself.. until now!

 I got this for Valentine's Day, and there was a 10% off promotion on in Boots at the time on fragrance which was great, and I also offered to put in £10 to get the 50ml size instead of the 30ml (I know it was my present, but I'd rather contribute a tiny bit to get nearly 50% more!). It's such a feminine fragrance that, in my opinion, is kind of a classic now and coveted by many! It was originally 'Miss Dior Cherie' but got renamed 'Miss Dior' for the modern era, and its original that it stemmed from has now become 'Miss Dior Originale' (the 1947 verison) and is a yellowy colour as opposed to the current 'Miss Dior' which is light pink in colour. 

It was only launched in 2005, which is ridiculous to think as it has accumulated such a cult status after only a few years! I got the eau de parfum version, but I believe there are also eau de toilette and le parfum versions as well. It has essence of Indian patchouli base notes, Arabian jasmine absolute heart notes, and essence of Italian mandarin top notes according to the Dior website. They also use phrases such as "bold and elegant" and "timeless chic", which could be translated as classic, noticeable and feminine, all of which I completely agree with. I'm so pleased I finally have a bottle, and I'm so in love with it already!

The packaging is also really cute; the box is a textured pink cardboard with silver script mimicking the bottle, which is a classic cuboid shape with the same script on it and a silver bow for the lid - adorable! Worth the money (it retails at £64 for 50ml at Boots currently) and one that I know I will buy again and again. 

Have you ever tried Miss Dior? What's your ultimate favourite scent?!

xo.

'Trend' Thrift: Caviar Nails

I'm always on the hunt for the next nail trend, and went through a huge nail art phase last year where I couldn't stop adding patterns, designs and various embellishments to my fingertips! Lately, I have been sticking to good old colour blocking nail-wise (mainly due to a lack of time) with my favourite colours du jour, but the other day I spotted these in Primark and couldn't resist! I've heard a lot about nail caviar already as I'm sure you have, and I'm pretty sure it was beauty brand Ciaté that introduced it to the manicure world. It always seemed quite costly (Ciaté's caviar nail varnish and sets are retailing at between £14-£18 on ASOS currently), and I know other brands have interpreted it but it was still similarly priced all the same. That was until I stumbled across a bargain version in good old Primark - with a £2.50 price tag! There was no excuse not to give it a go with that price sticker on it, and I ended up buying two sets as I couldn't decide on one! There was one more colour that I didn't buy which was a silver polish with pink and silver metallic beads, but I ended up with a pearlised white varnish with white beads, and a hot pink varnish with turquoise, pink and various multi-coloured beads! 

They come fully equipped with varnish, beads, funnel and plastic tray in order to get the look, and the idea is to choose which nail(s) you would like your caviar on and paint them with a couple of coats, but before the second one is dry pour the beads on when hovering over the tray so they simply stick to the wet polish. This is kind of messy so I'd advise doing it on a flat surface! I kind of felt like a kid in a primary school art lesson, but it's quite fun! You then simply put the funnel back in the bead pot, and pour your excess beads back in so you don't waste any.

The nail varnish itself won't be winning any awards any time soon, but it could've been worse. It was quite gloopy and I often find it's hard to make metallics look attractive anyway, so that didn't help! It also took way too long to dry in my opinion - give me Barry M anyday! Of course you can match the beads with whatever colours you would like, and I was thinking a nice on-trend pastel pink (or any pastel) would look really good with these pearly beads. It came out better than I thought it would to be honest, but having had them on for a short while, they're falling off when I do anything remotely vigorous which isn't great, but it was expected! 1; because it's Primark, and 2; I'm atrocious at keeping even the hardest-wearing nail polish chip-free! I'd recommend Primark's efforts to anyone wanting to give the trend a go, but if you're really into it and want a lasting look then I'd say fork out the £14 and get Ciaté's version for the quality!

What do you think of nail caviar? Have you tried it out for yourself before?

xo.

Love Their Style: Mary-Kate & Ashley

I have always loved Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for as long as I can remember; right from when they did that 'It Takes Two' film (anyone else remember that?!), up until the current Elizabeth and James years! Essentially I have grown up with them, even though they're a few years older (making them way more cool when I was thirteen, obviously). I really wanted to do a style post on an Olsen, but picking a twin was way too hard as I love both their styles in different ways! Ashley was always the girlier twin (even when they were ten years old she was always the one dressed in pink, whereas Mary-Kate was dressed more in blues and greens - stalker alert!). I love her more feminine approach to dressing, and she always looks that little bit sleeker than MK. On the other hand though, Mary-Kate's grungier-at-times, slightly more relaxed approach is effortlessly enviable, and makes you wish you could throw on double denim and stacked wrist wear and look just as cool (so far I've just achieved looking a bit homeless). I love how well they complement each other though, and how they've developed such different yet equally desirable fashion sense after being styled identically for most of their lives! 

What do you think of the Olsens?! Who are your style icons?

xo.

Fashion Reads

I love books as much as I love fashion, so when they combine it's a winning combination in my eyes! Obviously there are thousands of fashion-related books on the market, but I just wanted to post about the ones I own and love, of all varieties. I love reading and collecting books of all kinds, and as I did a degree in English Literature my collection is pretty huge now as you can imagine! Books have gained huge popularity in the fashion world in the past few years, and I did a blog post in 2006 about books starting to emerge within the fashion genre at the time. 

The first few are non-fiction and 'The Fashion Book' is like an encyclopedia of all important and talented people/designers/brands/photographers/models within the fashion world and is great for covering the basics of their career and how they have made an impact on fashion. 'Style' is an incredibly well-known book from Lauren Conrad and covers the how-to genre. It covers basic style, beauty regime, how to shop tactics all inspired by Lauren's take on things. It is more geared towards teens I feel, but definitely has useful information in there, and as I love Lauren's classic California look, I couldn't pass up on tips on how to look like her! 'Dogs in Vogue' was a Christmas present from my Dad a few years ago. We have a collie/retriever cross, and I love all dogs, and I have been an extremely loyal subscriber to Vogue since 2005 so it couldn't be a more perfect combo! The title is self-explanatory, and this book features all the high end photography that has been in Vogue over the years featuring dogs.

Fash Non-Fiction

The next section I created is less about high end fashion, and is more about the fiction created or inspired as a result of the high fashion world. It's incredibly chick-lit heavy, but great reads all the same. 'Sex and the City' is an obvious classic and is about four women's experiences with men written in a unique style with plenty of fashion talk in between. In the TV series, fashion practically is its own character and features a lot more heavily. 'Gossip Girl' is a book series I loved reading in my late teens and follows the scandalous lives of upper class private-schooled teens in New York City. 'Shopaholic' is also a classic and follows a serial spender and her clothing best friends. 'The Carrie Diaries' is a prequel series to 'Sex and the City' and follows Carrie growing up and moving to New York as she enters the world of fashion.

Fash-Inspired Fiction

This last section is my favourite and features three books I love that all came about from blogging! 'The Sartorialist' you will undoubtedly have heard of and features all of Scott Schuman's most amazing street-style pictures he has posted on his blog. 'Style Diaries' is an encyclopedia of serious fashion bloggers around the globe and features pictures and descriptions of why you should go and check out their blogs. 'Facehunter', again, is another of the blogging elite and Yvan Rodic's book features all of his best photos from his favourite street style haunts, done in the most creative ways sometimes! More of a fashion-addict's picture book than a real book, but just as great in some ways!

Blogger books!

Have you ever given fashion books a go? What are your favourite fashion reads if so?

xo.

Spring Fashion Haul!

The high street is bursting with new season clothes and accessories now, and it's definitely a welcome change to my wardrobe! Even though the weather is staying resiliently below 5°C, I think there's no need to stay stuck in winter fashion-wise. Sometimes, when you're having a down day or feeling low, I think a new piece of clothing can really brighten up your mood and make you feel so much better (even if it is a fleeting feeling) and I love the transformation clothes and accessories can have on someone. So in the past few weeks I've been shopping around when I've had a few minutes on lunch breaks and days off, and these are some of the things I've bought! 

As mentioned in the last post, I went into H&M to see which bright jumper I liked best and ended up buying the first one I picked up! I fell in love with it instantly and it's an amazing neon peachy-type colour in an over-sized loose knit. 

H&M, £14.99

Next, I went to Primark and also saw these shorts as soon as I walked in the door! I'm not sure exactly when I was thinking I could wear them at the moment (haha) but possibly on a night out, or with tights!? If not, they'll just have to stay stashed away until the sun comes out! They're an acid wash ripped/frayed denim with some (really big!) silver studs on the left-hand side and I just thought they were too cool to resist!

Primark, £12

I also wanted a turquoise/mint-coloured jumper, and I found this thin one for a really good price also in Primark that I thought was perfect! I bought it in a size up so it would also be slouchy.

Primark, £6

I saw these boots ages ago but just didn't want to commit at the time! When I realised how much I needed some nice black ankle boots, I finally went ahead and bought them online, as the ones in-store only had a beige heel but I wanted the all-black version. They're perfect for going for a nice meal or drinks, and they're also so comfy which is worth a mention!

New Look, £24.99

I saw this black wet-look skater skirt online and thought it was such a bargain, I didn't hesitate adding it to the basket. I thought it would be so versatile and easy to wear for nights out.

Missguided, £9.99

I was going into H&M quite a few weeks ago now to return something, and spotted this really cute blazer on sale for only £10 - bargain! I ended up swapping my return for this which I was really pleased with. I loved the colour blocking on it as I thought it was still smart, but fashionably different.

H&M, £10 (Sale)

I love the stretchy tops that Jack Wills do, and they usually bring out a few different ones every year and they always come in useful. I thought this season's was really cute, and I loved the colours and floral design.

Jack Wills, £34.50

Jack Wills also have really nice fashionable tops throughout the year, and I loved this one and thought the navy was something different and the lace was really pretty for wearing to nice occasions! 

Jack Wills, £59.50

I know everyone has this bag, and I'm obviously no different, but I really love it and it's so versatile. Nude and gold will go with nearly everything I have for a night out, and it's also a bargain! As you can tell, I love items that I can use over and over again with loads of looks, and I usually stay away from the more risky fashion trends/items as I hate buying things I know I won't wear! 

Primark, £6

I bought this belt with my Missguided order as I thought it would be useful, and I've wanted a nice but inexpensive studded belt for a while now so I committed to this one!

Missguided, £4.99

This necklace is another Primark buy, and I've seen this style of necklace on a couple of people and wanted my own. Primark is perfect for having cheap items that let you try out a trend and see what you like! I'm a sucker for a bargain, too!

Primark, £2 (ish!)

So there are a few of the things I've bought so far as we transition into spring! What have you been buying so far, and what're your favourite items!?

xo.

Fashion Focus: Neon Brights

I'm always scouring the pages of Elle and Vogue to see what the trends are for the new fashion season. Whilst I'm not always a huge trend follower, I love to give them a go, and sometimes I find you can discover a trend that you end up in love with! The stud/biker chic trend that is everywhere (and appears to be going nowhere) was a huge success when I eventually gave it a go! One of the trends for Spring/Summer '13 appears to be neon brights. I usually only love a neon bright in the heat of the Summer (ie. on holiday!) and as the snow is still melting outside, it's putting me out of my fashion comfort zone pulling out the acid green nails in January! Nonetheless, I love a challenge and I'm going to give it a try. If you are not so brave like me, a flash of neon (as opposed to an entire rainbow-effect outfit) can be the easy way to go, such as a bright pink clutch, a fluorescent yellow hat, or an orange shoe! Inspiration can be found aplenty on the catwalk at the S/S '13 shows. From sixties chequered sunshine yellow at Louis Vuitton, to two-toned coral and aqua blue at DVF, and dip-dyed hot pinks and turquoises at Burberry Prorsom, there's no end to the bright hues the designers have decided we'll be donning this season! My favourite is the hot pink trench - Christopher Bailey has reinvented the Burberry classic in a whole rainbow of different shades to great effect.

Where the high street is concerned, I've already spotted a few neon numbers in the new season collections! H&M have an array of neon jumpers that are all completely affordable; the one I found below comes in at least five different shades - buy a size up and wear it slouchy with statement jewellery. Topshop have a 'Rave New World' collection on their website dedicated to the rave trend, which of course involves fluorescent colours - this is great if you need inspiration. I love the lime green jumper I've featured below, and I think it'll look amazing with a deeply tanned inch of waist on show and some bleached/acid wash skinnies. Zara are always fashion-focused and I struggle to find something I don't like in there! They have a selection of bright trousers on offer for the trend; I've picked two different pairs to show in neon pink and orange which can be made really wearable with a pair of plain ballet flats and a plain, loose fitting shirt, as shown below!

As for accessories, there are plenty of high street offerings. To warm you into a trend, or to see if you enjoy wearing bright colours, these can be a more accessible way of wearing fluorescents! Nails Inc. have a selection of neon-coloured crackle effect nail polishes which will look great over a black or white nail. River Island's satchel just has neon features incorporated into it which is a really subtle way of channeling the trend. However, their heeled buckle shoes a definitely more of a statement for the braver ones amongst the crowd! The Topshop beanie is cute and not too overbearing, and will be great for brightening up those chilly English days I was talking about.

Also worth a mention for the more high-end shopper/day-dreamer is the Selfridges & Co. website which has a 'Bright Now' section; great for a luxurious example of the trend (and also makes for amazing eye candy)! After writing this post, I'm so much more in love with the trend than I ever thought I could be, and I'm definitely going to buy one of those H&M jumpers when pay day finally rolls around! I think neon/bright colours are all about adding a shocking pop of colour, having fun, and being young - and they're a perfect antidote to winter's dominating blacks and plums.

What do you think of neon brights? Will you be brave enough to rock the trend this Spring?!

xo.

Benefit 'Ultra Plush' Lip Gloss Review / Swatches

This post is about Benefit's 'Ultra Plush' lip gloss range. I received a gift set with all six glosses in for Christmas, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do a post about them! I think Benefit have a reputation for doing amazing lip glosses so I was excited to try these as soon as I opened them! Benefit have matched the colours of the glosses to their famous 'Box o' Powders' which I think is a great idea as people love Benefit's powders and the different colours/textures of each one, so now they can buy the gloss to match their favourite! There's 'Dandelion' (soft pearly pink), 'Dallas' (dusty rose), 'Sugarbomb' (shimmering pinky nude), 'Coralista' (sheer coral), 'Bella Bamba' (sheer bright watermelon), and 'Hoola' (shimmering golden nude). I've tried all the powders previously and my favourite is either 'Coralista' or 'Sugarbomb', so I was interested to see how well the glosses matched and how they came out. I'm not sure this specific gift set is available anymore as it may just have been for Christmas, but the glosses are all available to buy individually for £13.50/15ml online and at counters. I love the size of the miniatures as it makes them perfect for fitting in my everyday makeup bag or in a clutch on a night out! First impressions were that they apply well, aren't too sticky or heavy, and are a good match for their powder counterparts! I'm most impressed by 'Coralista' for being true to the powder, however I was surprised by how pink 'Dallas' was as I expected it to be far more of a dark bronze, but I actually love the colour itself! My favourite turned out to be 'Dandelion' as it was just such a gorgeous shimmery nude colour with amazing shine that I thought would be so versatile. The application isn't by a wand but straight from the squeezable tubes by the custom applicator which makes it less precise than a wand, but I love how the applicator is angled which makes them less fussy and easy to apply. Overall, I was very impressed as I expected to be with Benefit and love that I have a few new shades of lip gloss I didn't already own! Definitely pick one up if you were thinking of buying one - 'Sugarbomb' is a great light pink for spring! 

Have you tried any of the 'Ultra Plush' glosses? Which is your favourite?!

xo.

Perfume Collection | My Favourite Scents

Perfume is one of my favourite beauty products. I love how fragrance has the power to take you back to a place or a memory, or remind you of a certain person or time of year. I worked on a perfume counter when I was eighteen as a Saturday job, and that's when I really noticed perfume properly and fell in love with it forever! My earliest memory of perfume is of my Mum, as she always wears Jean Paul Gaultier's 'Classique' - it holds such a strong connection to her that whenever I smell it that I can't disassociate her from it in my mind! This post is about my favourite scents that I've discovered in the past few years.

1. The first one is 'Chloé' by Chloé. I received this from my boyfriend a few years ago for my birthday. Chloé has been my favourite fashion house since I've been about fifteen so I was really excited to try their original scent when it came out. As soon as I smelled it, I loved it. I'd hinted about it before my birthday, and luckily it was picked up on! It reminds me of visiting him at university as I always used to pack it in my weekend bag. It's a quite distinctive, feminine, floral fragrance with a base note of honey; rose heart notes; and top notes of lychee. 

2. My next favourite in my collection is 'Stella' by Stella McCartney. Similarly to Chloé, Stella McCartney was one of my favourite designers and so I was very keen to try the signature scent. I got this one for a Christmas present a couple of years before 'Chloé'. I've had it for so long now, but I've made it last because I love it so much that I don't want it to run out! It's such a unique fragrance and I think it's one of those ones that I'll always have to have a supply of! It is also floral, with amber base notes; rose absolute heart notes; and rose, peony and mandarin essence top notes. This one reminds me of winter time, and is my favourite winter scent.  

3. Next up is 'Le Parfum' by Elie Saab. This is another fragrance I asked my boyfriend for and he got me it as a present! It's quite a feminine, sensual, sweet, floral scent that lasts all day long. I love this perfume so much and it reminds me of my birthday/Autumn time. This one has base notes of rose and honey; gardenia heart notes; and top notes of mandarin blossom. One woman even stopped me at work when I was wearing this and asked what fragrance I was wearing since she liked it that much! 

4. 'Golden Delicious' by DKNY is my most recent fragrance, which I got for the Christmas just gone. I got the eau de parfum version (which almost all of my perfumes are) and it's so long lasting from just one spray which I think is excellent value for money! It's fruity and more floral than the original 'Be Delicious'. It has base notes of musk, sandalwood and beachwood; heart notes of white rose, casablanca lily and vanilla orchid; and top notes of orange flower water and golden apple. I haven't had time to see what this one brings up memories of yet but I'm sure it'll be winter/Christmas time (maybe spring) seeing as I'm wearing it all the time lately!

5. I discovered Burberry's 'The Beat' when I was eighteen working on that fragrance department, and I don't think it's a very well known fragrance and doesn't have the recognition I think it deserves! It's very rich and fruity/floral again, and is quite young. Along with 'Stella', it's one of the more heavier fragrances in my collection. It has base notes of light musk, vetiver and cedar; heart notes of cardamom, pink pepper and mandarin; and top notes of ceylon tea, bergamot, iris and bluebell. Complex! This is my second bottle of this one as I had to replace it because I love it so much, so I asked my mum for another 50ml for my birthday. It reminds me of spring/easter time as that's when it came out and I wore it constantly when I first bought it!

6. 'Dior Addict 2' by Christian Dior is my party fragrance! I've had this once since I was about seventeen and I think this is my third bottle. It reminds me of going on holiday and nights out, as I went on a clubbing holiday in 2007 and wore this every night! It has apparently been relaunched as 'Dior Addict Eau Fresh' (but I still have the '2' version) and instead of grapefruit as a top note, there's bergamot instead. This is a fresh, fruity kind of fragrance and is quite seductive and girly. It has white musk base notes, heart notes of grenadine and freesia, and citrus top notes as I've just mentioned!

7. Calvin Klein's 'CKIN2U For Her' is such a light-hearted, fun fragrance. This is my summer fragrance and reminds me of the heat - I've taken this on holiday with me the last few years. I find a lot of girls love this scent and it's a very popular one! It's perfect for those hot summer nights and those days when you don't want something too overwhelming but you want to smell amazing. It has neon amber base notes, sugar orchid heart notes and pink grapefruit top notes. I find this perfume is always great value for money so is a great everyday fragrance. 

8. Lastly, I have Hollister's 'So Cal' perfume, which I'm not sure if they directly make anymore, but it's available on a lot of websites still. I couldn't find specific product information for this one, but I think the base notes are amber, and the rest is quite floral. It really smells amazing! It's very beachy (as you'd expect) and very girly and sensual. This reminds me of visiting my boyfriend again, but slightly more recently! He bought me this one, too, for my 20th birthday.

So there you have it! There are a lot of perfumes from my collection - it's not all the ones I own but most of them. I've enjoyed doing this post as I've learnt a lot about what kinds of fragrance I like and what their ingredients are! Apparently I go for the fruity/floral combination haha. What are your favourite perfumes? Do you rate any of my favourites? 

xo.

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