Monday 31 December 2012

LITTLE SNOWFLAKES

Last post of the year everyone!! Get excited! I hope that you are planning on doing something fun tonight to celebrate the end of 2012. As for myself, I'll probably be sitting with my new Slanket (most useful Christmas present of all time) watching TV and sipping on a big mug of tea. I lead an exciting life right? Anyways, being Christmas and all (did you know?!..) I thought it was a great opportunity to play with nail art and produce something fun. I toyed with a few ideas but the idea of doing snowflakes was a clear favourite for me. It was really really hard to do and I don't usually say that. I used the brush end of a Models Own WAH! nail art pen and used a silver pen to do some dots and dashes. It took flipping ages to get right because I kept starting over because some snowflakes were not as neat as I wanted. The finished result however turned out great and I am quite impressed even if I do say so myself. I hope you guys like them and have a great time tonight!  XOXO

Sunday 30 December 2012

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!

 
Hi guys. Continuing with all things Christmas and seasonal, I thought I'd do a post on just a few of the amazing gifts I got this year. I didn't include every present I got because I just grabbed the ones that I thought would be most interesting to you and that I could really talk the most about. Enjoy!
 
 
First up, I have to talk about potentially the most surprising and exciting presents I got this Christmas, and possibly ever! My Dad (or Santa, whatever..) decided to get me a stocking this year to make it feel more Christmassy and fun. Opening it, I was expecting just generic stocking-fillers like chocolate coins and socks. Okay, so he did get me those, but to my complete disbelief, as I emptied the stocking onto my bed like a right little kid, out fell three brilliant presents. The House of Holland nail varnish set literally made me gasp and cover my mouth to stop me from making any noise. I could not believe that my Dad actually thought to buy this for me. I was unbelievably excited and touched, because 1/ it means he actually pays attention to me and knows how much I love House of Holland and nail art (he later told me that he had been reading my blog, aww) and 2/ that he actually went out into the terrifying world of cosmetics in the middle of the crazy Christmas shopping, found it and decided that I would like it. So much effort and thought had gone into it and that is why it is maybe one of my favourite presents ever.
 
 
He also brought me this Rimmel Scandaleyes Show Off Mascara and some Body Shop lip balm. Again, I was so thrilled that my Dad thought to get me these presents because it just shows me that he tried really hard to get me presents that he thought I would really like. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for a man to attempt to buy makeup or just anything for a teenage girl so I was pretty amazed that he got it so right.
 
 
I absolutely loved the Olympics earlier this year and could talk about it forever. I love all the documentaries about it on TV and reading about the Olympians in magazines, so I was thrilled to get this gift. I love the idea that I can relive some amazing moments whenever I want. It has the Opening and Closing ceremonies which is cool, plus of course all the brilliant sporting moments.
 
 
My lovely Auntie and Uncle bought me many gifts including a bead for my charm bracelet and an adorable vintage-inspired tea cup and saucer. They also bought me these two great books on all things fashion. I love books from stylists, models, photographers etc. and so these two books are very much up my street. The Teen Vogue Hand Book is full of insider knowledge on the fashion industry, with loads of tips and tricks to help anyone who is interested in working in fashion. I love it because it has so much useful and interesting information but it doesn't dress everything up to be confusing or intimidating. The Fashion Book is also a brilliant little A-Z of every designer, photographer, model and style icon you could think of. Both books are so interesting and I couldn't recommend them enough.
 
I feel incredibly lucky for everything that I got this Christmas and am so thankful to everyone who got me gifts. I hope you all got everything you wanted this Christmas (material or otherwise) too. XOXO

Saturday 29 December 2012

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

 
JUMPER - H&M, SHORTS - TOPSHOP, BAG - PRIMARK
 
Hey everyone! I hope those who celebrated had a lovely Christmas - I certainly did :) I spent the day with my Dad, brother and my extended family at my grandparents house in London which was really nice. It is kind of cliche but I did absolutely stuff my face with all kinds of delicious food and have been feeling slightly nauseated and worse-for-wear ever since. I somehow ate a box of After Eights entirely to myself without really realising which really pushed me over the edge! I wore my new H&M pink jumper from the Lana Del Rey collection because I thought it was so special and cute. It is so incredibly fluffy and soft and adorable and lots of people liked it. However, a slight downside which I discovered throughout the day is that it molts like a bitch! The fluff kept coming off and sticking to other peoples clothes and my tights which was really not a good look. I used the day to debut my not-so-new leopard bag with was perfect to fill with chocolate coins and cute little things and my Dad bought me some sweet little Christmas earrings to wear for the day too. Below are just a few photographs taken on the day, including our lush Christmas tree and some of the typical Christmassy food consumed on the day (although I would never touch Mince Pies because they are disgusting). Happy Holidays! XOXO
 

Saturday 22 December 2012

DECEMBER: I'M FEELING INSPIRED

Hello! I just felt like sharing some of my big inspiration from Tumblr (where I get 90% of all my inspiration) and that I've been really into this month. Winter for me is very much about the staples: leather, fur, jeans, boots, hats and loads of knitwear. It is my favourite part of the year purely for all the cosy and snug fashion. If I could I would wear leather and fur all year long.

 
 All images from Tumblr

XOXO

Thursday 20 December 2012

IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS!

SHIRT - PRIMARK, JEANS - H&M, BOOTS - ASOS
 
Hey, Happy nearly Christmas! School ended today and now I am looking forward to two and a half beautiful weeks of freedom! I wore this outfit yesterday to my last day of real lessons at college. I'm really into shirts at the moment and especially the masculine vibe of shirts tucked into skinny jeans. There is something quite tailored and yet laid-back and cool about it, which I love. The shirt I wore was actually, as you can probably tell from the photo, really thin and even with a vest underneath I was very cold all day. Still, I really liked the outfit so I didn't mind too much! Today, as it was the last day of term, was really fun and everyone in the year pretty much just hung out all day opening presents, getting excited about going out to celebrate (not me - I'm boring) and of course Christmas! XOXO

Sunday 16 December 2012

BABY DON'T SAVE ME



Hey guys! Hope all is well :) Introducing Alana, Danielle and Este - otherwise known as Haim - who are three awesome sisters who make equally awesome folk-indie-r&b-pop music, and are my new favourite band. They have these insane harmonising voices, with lead singer Danielle's singing style having been compared to Michael Jackson's and Este and Alana creating haunting backing vocals. They are that rare breed of female musicians that manages to come across somewhat down-to-earth and relatable and fun. They dance around like girls should (as in not in a slutty way) and play their own instruments, which is so refreshing. Their new single, Don't Save Me, is so brilliant. Seriously, I've been listening to it on repeat for days and it makes me want to dance around just like they do in the video. I would also seriously recommend 'Forever', 'Better Off' and 'Go Slow', which are also so beautiful, and being played on loop on my iPod. I only found out a few days ago that they are also on the shortlist for BBC's Sound of 2013! This is so amazing and shows that even the music bigwigs predict that Haim will be huge next year. Check out 'Forever' and 'Don't Save Me' above.
 
GET THE LOOK:
HAIM STYLE

As well as making great music, each of these ladies has gorgeous personal style. They all follow an old-school, vintage, Americana vibe, with each adding their own individual take to make their look their own. Danielle is quite a tomboy, wearing biker and Varsity jackets, baggy tees and jeans. Este has a far more feminine look, wearing girly skirts, dresses, bralets, red lipstick and lots of florals. Alana, the baby of the bunch, loves a pair of shorts (and who can blame her - she has the legs of a supermodel!) with a vintage tee or shirt and converse. I love their unique style and they have such effortless looks. The summarise, I have a huge, major music and style crush on Haim! They are just my absolute favourite! XOXO

Tuesday 11 December 2012

LILAC WINE


NAIL POLISH - MODELS OWN IN 'LILAC DREAM'

Hey everyone! I painted my nails this sweet lilac colour last week and I can't get over how pretty they are! It's been a while since I've had a more feminine colour on my nails so I chose this beautiful colour from Models Own. This colour is great. Pastel colours tend to create a more subtle effect but these nails stand out so much! I was pleasantly surprised to see that the colour is quite bold and a great contrast when I wear darker clothes. It's brilliant! What do you think? XOXO

Sunday 9 December 2012

BLAME IT ON THE ALCOHOL

BIKER JACKET - ASOS, TOP - PRIMARK, JEANS - AMERICAN APPAREL, BOOTS - ASOS
 
Hello! This is the outfit that I wore to my friend Ollie's house party on Friday night. These American Apparel jeans are great for day to night (I wore them all day at college) and are a really good idea for a house party, as they meant you can do cartwheels and your best dance moves free from causing any embarrassing exposure. They are really stretchy and comfortable and were great to wear all day. I also wore my kind-of-new leather jacket from ASOS. I wanted a real leather one with long sleeves and I looked around for a while to find a leather jacket that wasn't too expensive, and ASOS came out on top. This one was quite cheap for what it is, and I think it is a really good investment since they never go out of fashion and I will probably wear it all the time. I got this Primark top a few weeks ago and wanted to wear it despite it being so cold outside. I love collared tops and the recent trend of studded corners on collars. Also it was really cheap so I didn't mind that much when Ollie accidentally walking backwards into me and made me spill my wine down myself. I thought the title of this post was quite appropriate, since during the evening there was a lot of alcohol. Lets just say working on Saturday morning was NOT fun for me. XOXO

Tuesday 4 December 2012

WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND

 
People with Twitter or just big fans of Topshop will have seen #whosthatgirl? over the last week or so. What did it mean? Topshop has been teasing for days about who is the gorgeous mystery face of their new Christmas film, finally unveiling this little beauty earlier today. And it's Kate Bosworth of course! In the film Kate sings a moody and slow rendition of 'Winter Wonderland'. Kate's streetstyle is basically 100% Topshop so this collaboration comes as no real surprise, although Kate's hidden talent for singing surely was. Her voice is so beautiful! It's not often, I find, that Christmas and fashion make a perfect match, but this  little film sees fashion and festivity collide to create something very cool indeed. As an added bonus, if you are loving Kate's version of 'Winter Wonderland' as much as I am, you can actually buy it on iTunes! How awesome is that?! XOXO

Saturday 1 December 2012

Thursday 29 November 2012

THE BRITISH FASHION AWARDS 2012 !!

Hello! As many will know, on Tuesday night at The Savoy Hotel in London the British Fashion Awards took place! I love awards shows and big star-studded events, so an event all about the British fashion world was so exciting for me. I couldn't wait to find out about the winners and get a look at all the stunning outfits and gorgeous faces. Below are my favourite looks from the night:

WHO? Roksanda Ilincic (designer)
I love this gothic mash-up. Roksanda, who picked up the Red Carpet Award, wore a midi dress embellished with lace, flowers and sequins in a quirky tartan pattern. I love the pulled-back, minimalistic hair, bare eyes and dark lips. I also love how individual and different this whole look is - top marks!!

WHO? Cara Delevingne (model)
Cara won the Model award, after being seen everywhere on the fashion scene in the past year. She looks the epitome of cool wearing a zesty lime green Burberry mini dress with matching metallic accessories. She looks so edgy and punky, with messy hair, smoky eyes, and minimal jewellery to complete this hot look.
 
WHO? Gemma Arterton (actress)
Gemma hosted the show alongside Radio One DJ Nick Grimshaw, and opted for a timeless jumpsuit. Her platform metallic shoes give this look a twist, but I would have liked to have seen better accessorising? I'm not really feeling the bangle. Maybe something a little more glamorous for such an occasion. I'm loving her new red hair though.

WHO? Rita Ora (singer)
Rita's had a pretty amazing year, and it can only be getting better as she wows in this Vivienne Westwood dress. She looks like an old-school Hollywood starlet, with her trademark curly blond locks and a statement diamond necklace. I love what this gown does for Rita's figure, with the scoop neckline and tiny waist giving her this amazing hourglass silhouette. I love the off-the-shoulder sleeve detailing and the sweet duck-egg blue, which keeps this look classy and elegant. For me, this was the stand-out look of the night. Gorgeous!

XOXO

Tuesday 27 November 2012

PEARLY QUEEN

PEARL ROLL NECK CROP TOP - TOPSHOP

Hello!! I'm doing my best at the moment to go on a shopping detox and refrain from buying any more clothes for a while. HOWEVER - I can't help doing a little Internet window shopping every few days. Yesterday I was doing a little bit of browsing and found this gem. I'm so mad for this embellished crop top. I would love to wear it with riding pants or high-waisted shorts. Wearing it with a slinky maxi skirt would also make a super-cute alternative to an evening dress for a fancy do. It's just SO beautiful and I love it. XOXO
 

Friday 23 November 2012

FEELING MOODY

Hey guys! So last week I discovered an old mood ring in my jewellery box that I bought years and years ago and it's so cool. I think I was about ten years old when I got it and I used to think they actually really predicted your mood! Now it's just a cool bit of nostalgia and fun. 
 
 
Topshop has recently gotten into the 90's/early 2000's vibe too and released some cool mood jewellery. The earrings are definitely my favourite and if I had more than a few pennies in my purse I would buy them in a second. Maybe I'll have to ask Santa? They are a fun alternative to original jewellery and would be a really easy way to make an outfit a little more interesting.
 1. Mood Cross Stud Earrings - £6.50
2. Mood Cross Necklace - £7.50
 3. Mood Ring - £8.50

Hope you enjoyed! XOXO