Hi!
It's pretty much been a month since my September wishlist and, as I'm doing one a month, now it's time for my October wishlist! So, here are some items I'm looking to get/wish I could get for next month...
Topshop New Big Felt Floppy Hat (Black), £28- Unfortunately this is the kind of item that will never leave the wishlist and make it to my wardrobe, but I'm featuring it anyway because it is just so lovely. I really love these hats and always think anyone wearing one looks 10x cooler, but I just can't pull these hats off. Also I have no idea where I would wear this, other than the occasional trip to London, so I can't quite justify getting one.
Topshop Crepe Shift Dress in Burgundy, £45- I love this dress because it's the kind of item that looks like it can be dressed up, but also really dressed down. The colour is lovely, especially for A/W when I'm always on the look out for burgundy clothes to buy. It is quite expensive but it looks good quality and it's the kind of thing I would wear a lot because there are so many ways you can style it.
Brandy Melville UK Kolfinna Top, £25- I've been looking for something exactly like this for so long!!!!!!!!! I'm so into t-shirt dresses and I've been trying to look for the perfect one and here it is! The fact it's dark grey makes it look a little more casual looking than totally black and also makes it easier to transition into spring. However as it is meant to be a t-shirt you can see from the photos it's a little short so I would consider getting a size up.
Urban Outfitters Light Before Dark Crop Turtle-Neck Tee in Grey, £18- For what it is this top is amazing value, especially as it's also from UO. I think this is a really nice basic top that's really sophisticated and, despite looking a little tricky to style, will look really good when you get the outfit right. I think I would style this with a black American Apparel skater skirt, black shoes, lots of thin silver necklaces and my tartan scarf.
Vagabond Grace Padded Ankle Boots in Black (through Urban Outfitters), £80- If I wasn't so self conscience about my height I'd do anything to make sure these shoes were mine by tomorrow, but unfortunately I am and with a heel height of around 3 inches these boots wouldn't help. However I'm kind of considering putting them on my Christmas wishlist (yes, I am already thinking that far ahead) because they really are beautiful... I love chunky shoes like these and I think they look amazing with jeans and skirts, and I can imagine them looking really good with the Brandy Melville t-shirt dress mentioned earlier, lots of jewellery and the Topshop coat I styled in a previous blog post.
Topshop Faux Fox Fur Stole, £25- Every autumn/winter I develop a love for anything fur, and this year is no exception. Fur stoles I think are most useful as you can add them to most outfits rather than being confined to having only one item of clothing with fur on it. Personally I don't believe in killing animals for their fur so I would definitely get a faux fur stole like this Topshop one opposed to a real fur one. I think this would look really cool over my grey coat for winter, or my denim jacket.
Hope you enjoyed my picks for the coming month, and as always let me know if there's a specific blog post/type of post you want me to do.
❀Have a lovely day❀
P.S. Sorry for having no post last Friday! Getting back into the routine of school etc. got me a little busy but from now on I will (try) to be on time!
Friday, 19 September 2014
Monday, 8 September 2014
Perfection/Pressure from the Media
Hi!
BEFORE YOU READ note that I my opinion on this topic may be seen as controversial so please don't get angry with me! I'm obviously open to constructive and coherent responses but don't comment anything super aggressive or whatever, I just want to voice an opinion on a topic that interests me, thank you!
Magazines and companies are constantly being bombarded with complaints about the choice of models for their issues/campaigns and how it puts pressure on people to be perfect and that the images used are unrealistic. Most people would agree with that, but my view is slightly different.
For this though, I'm not necessarily referencing arguments about the need to use more plus sized models as that's almost a totally different debate - but I may touch on it. Generally, my opinion can be summarised by a quote from Alexandra Schulman (editor-in-chief, Vogue UK) on the topic:
BEFORE YOU READ note that I my opinion on this topic may be seen as controversial so please don't get angry with me! I'm obviously open to constructive and coherent responses but don't comment anything super aggressive or whatever, I just want to voice an opinion on a topic that interests me, thank you!
Magazines and companies are constantly being bombarded with complaints about the choice of models for their issues/campaigns and how it puts pressure on people to be perfect and that the images used are unrealistic. Most people would agree with that, but my view is slightly different.
For this though, I'm not necessarily referencing arguments about the need to use more plus sized models as that's almost a totally different debate - but I may touch on it. Generally, my opinion can be summarised by a quote from Alexandra Schulman (editor-in-chief, Vogue UK) on the topic:
‘I think Vogue is a magazine that’s all about fantasy to some extent and dreams, and an escape from real life. ... People don’t want to buy a magazine like Vogue to see what they see when they look in the mirror. They can do that for free.’
For some people this quote may be hard to accept but, personally, I can see total sense in it! Realistically, do you buy high end magazines such as Vogue to look at potential purchases for next season? Unless you're unbelievably rich or in denial the answer will be no, you look at it for either inspiration from designer brands that you can incorporate into your high street wardrobe or to admire the almost unrealistically perfect models and the laughably expensive accessories (we can all dream, right?). Vogue is a fantasy magazine and I read it to imagine my ideal life and ideal face, but I don't let the images get to me. I know that's easier said than done but it takes getting comfortable with yourself and the way you look and learning to know that you look good to be able to accept the unattainable 'perfection' in Vogue or clothing campaigns.
Furthermore, the industries of fashion and media are all about aesthetics so why would they not want the most aesthetically pleasing models selling their products for them? Now that I've learned to accept my flaws and good qualities, I enjoy looking at beautiful people just to appreciate it (creepy sounding but I mean well).
Advertising is another area that is criticised for it's use of 'perfect' models that make the general public feel bad about themselves, but I think: why would they not use the people everyone wants to be to sell their clothes? That's one of the biggest tricks of fashion advertising their is - creating appeal by giving the impression of the perfect life that comes with their products. It's about marketing and business, not evoking self-loathing.
So overall, even if you don't agree with me hopefully you can get one thing out of this post and that is if you learn to love yourself and become totally comfortable with all you are, the so called 'pressure of perfection' from the media doesn't affect you as much by a long stretch.
So overall, even if you don't agree with me hopefully you can get one thing out of this post and that is if you learn to love yourself and become totally comfortable with all you are, the so called 'pressure of perfection' from the media doesn't affect you as much by a long stretch.
That's all I'm going to leave you with, food for thought hopefully? I know this isn't my most concise or coherent post I just had a lot of ideas I wanted to get out at once.
❀Have a lovely day❀
Saturday, 6 September 2014
Outfit of the Day
Hi!
Sorry that this post is on a Saturday not a Friday! Anyone coming back to the blog may have noticed that I've got into the habit of posting on Fridays so apologies if you were expecting a post yesterday - as I'm back at school now and had a meal out with friends after I didn't have time to do a post.
This is the outfit I wore today, it's nothing super special as I got ready in a rush and was only having breakfast out with some family and then doing some food shopping. I also tried a new eye make up look today (which, for anyone who knows me, is a massive shock as I always do gel liner flicks) using black pencil liner and black eyeshadow. I'm not going to go into detail on my make up as I will most likely do a post specifically on my everyday make up very soon.
THE OUTFIT
Sorry that this post is on a Saturday not a Friday! Anyone coming back to the blog may have noticed that I've got into the habit of posting on Fridays so apologies if you were expecting a post yesterday - as I'm back at school now and had a meal out with friends after I didn't have time to do a post.
This is the outfit I wore today, it's nothing super special as I got ready in a rush and was only having breakfast out with some family and then doing some food shopping. I also tried a new eye make up look today (which, for anyone who knows me, is a massive shock as I always do gel liner flicks) using black pencil liner and black eyeshadow. I'm not going to go into detail on my make up as I will most likely do a post specifically on my everyday make up very soon.
THE OUTFIT
Top- Topshop, £12
Skirt- American Apparel, £46
Jacket- Topshop, £55
Belt- Topshop, £22
Choker- Charms U Cherish, £3
❀Have a lovely day❀
Friday, 29 August 2014
Styling: Oversized Coat
Hi!
FIRSTLY this post features some not-so-great photos, I'm going to have to experiment with settings and lighting etc. so bare with me while I get the hang of things - sorry!
Top: Topshop, £12
Jeans: Topshop (Joni jeans), £36
Belt: Topshop, £22
Shoes: Converse, £44.99
Choker: Charms U Cherish, £3
Lipstick: MAC Viva Glam III, £15.50
Bag: Zara, price unknown
OUTFIT 2
This outfit is more put together and more dressed up, however it can be made more casual by swapping the chunky shoes for converse and using a less structured shoulder bag. As this outfit is dark and monochrome I added red bag to integrate some colour. This outfit is also a bit nautical, a theme that the stripes inspired leading me to add the chain and rope effect jewellery and specifically adding red to the outfit.
Top: American Apparel, £25
Skirt: Select, £8
Belt: Topshop, £22
Shoes: Topshop, price unknown
Socks: Topshop, price unknown
Necklace: Urban Outfitters, price unknown
Earrings: River Island, price unknown
Bag: Topshop, price unknown
OUTFIT 3
I suppose this is what you'd call a put together travel look? As I'm going up to Manchester this weekend I felt inspired to do some kind of travelling look, which essentially is just an everyday outfit with a bigger bag but I like to put an idea behind it! I think this dress is perfect for travel as it is really loose and comfy, but still looks pretty.
Dress: American Apparel, £48
Choker: Charms U Cherish, £3
Shoes: Coverse, £44.99
Bag: Topshop, £55
Lipstick: MAC Sunny Seoul, £15.50
Hopefully this has provided some inspiration for styling oversized coats which I've seen a lot of in shops at the moment and I can tell will be really popular throughout A/W 2014-15. Also apologies for not knowing all the prices - I do research prices as much as I can but items I got years ago/abroad/as gifts I often can't find out, sorry!
❀Have a lovely day❀
FIRSTLY this post features some not-so-great photos, I'm going to have to experiment with settings and lighting etc. so bare with me while I get the hang of things - sorry!
Today's blog is the ways I'm going to style my oversized coat throughout Autumn/Winter (which you'll notice features a few items from my September Wishlist). The coat I'm styling is from Topshop (£78) and I am so in love with it! It's thick and warm but doesn't look too heavy, and the oversized style is really flattering.
OUTFIT 1
This is the most simple look in this post, it's entirely monochrome (excluding the lipstick) and overall quite casual which I like. Despite it being relaxed it is still put together and the coat makes it a lot smarter. I've only tucked the top in a bit at the front because this is what I find to be most flattering on my body shape but it's really up to you what suits you best.
OUTFIT 1
This is the most simple look in this post, it's entirely monochrome (excluding the lipstick) and overall quite casual which I like. Despite it being relaxed it is still put together and the coat makes it a lot smarter. I've only tucked the top in a bit at the front because this is what I find to be most flattering on my body shape but it's really up to you what suits you best.
Jeans: Topshop (Joni jeans), £36
Belt: Topshop, £22
Shoes: Converse, £44.99
Choker: Charms U Cherish, £3
Lipstick: MAC Viva Glam III, £15.50
Bag: Zara, price unknown
OUTFIT 2
This outfit is more put together and more dressed up, however it can be made more casual by swapping the chunky shoes for converse and using a less structured shoulder bag. As this outfit is dark and monochrome I added red bag to integrate some colour. This outfit is also a bit nautical, a theme that the stripes inspired leading me to add the chain and rope effect jewellery and specifically adding red to the outfit.
Top: American Apparel, £25
Skirt: Select, £8
Belt: Topshop, £22
Shoes: Topshop, price unknown
Socks: Topshop, price unknown
Necklace: Urban Outfitters, price unknown
Earrings: River Island, price unknown
Bag: Topshop, price unknown
OUTFIT 3
I suppose this is what you'd call a put together travel look? As I'm going up to Manchester this weekend I felt inspired to do some kind of travelling look, which essentially is just an everyday outfit with a bigger bag but I like to put an idea behind it! I think this dress is perfect for travel as it is really loose and comfy, but still looks pretty.
Dress: American Apparel, £48
Choker: Charms U Cherish, £3
Shoes: Coverse, £44.99
Bag: Topshop, £55
Lipstick: MAC Sunny Seoul, £15.50
Hopefully this has provided some inspiration for styling oversized coats which I've seen a lot of in shops at the moment and I can tell will be really popular throughout A/W 2014-15. Also apologies for not knowing all the prices - I do research prices as much as I can but items I got years ago/abroad/as gifts I often can't find out, sorry!
❀Have a lovely day❀
Friday, 22 August 2014
High End vs High Street - Skincare
Hi!
With many things it's often the way that the most expensive products are the best quality ones, but obviously we'd all rather spend less money where possible so I thought a comparison of two similar products (one cheap, one high-end) would interest a lot of people.
Bobbi Brown Soothing Cleansing Oil vs No.7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Oil
Bobbi Brown, £31
This oil is undoubtably amazing at what it does. It takes almost all my makeup off, including my very stubborn eye makeup and definitely feels like it also cleanses my skin. As it's an oil it's so easy to spread into my face to quickly get my makeup off and this also means you don't need to use a lot. For the price, you do get a lot and with two people using it over the past month we haven't even used a quarter yet.
No.7, £11
This cleansing oil is significantly cheaper than the Bobbi Brown oil, although you do get less. It claims to do the same - remove all makeup and cleanse the skin, and so far it seems to do that so well and it leaves my skin noticeably soft. It smells really good as well so that's another bonus. The only (minor) problem I have with this oil is that it's a bit thick, so more difficult to spread around my face but it still works really well and I'm going to experiment with adding a bit of water to help thin it down.
Overall I would say the Bobbi Brown oil is slightly better than the No.7 equivalent, purely because of the thickness. Having said that, the No.7 oil is a really good cheap alternative for people not wanting to spend as much money.
❀Have a lovely day❀
With many things it's often the way that the most expensive products are the best quality ones, but obviously we'd all rather spend less money where possible so I thought a comparison of two similar products (one cheap, one high-end) would interest a lot of people.
Bobbi Brown Soothing Cleansing Oil vs No.7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Oil
Bobbi Brown, £31
This oil is undoubtably amazing at what it does. It takes almost all my makeup off, including my very stubborn eye makeup and definitely feels like it also cleanses my skin. As it's an oil it's so easy to spread into my face to quickly get my makeup off and this also means you don't need to use a lot. For the price, you do get a lot and with two people using it over the past month we haven't even used a quarter yet.
No.7, £11
This cleansing oil is significantly cheaper than the Bobbi Brown oil, although you do get less. It claims to do the same - remove all makeup and cleanse the skin, and so far it seems to do that so well and it leaves my skin noticeably soft. It smells really good as well so that's another bonus. The only (minor) problem I have with this oil is that it's a bit thick, so more difficult to spread around my face but it still works really well and I'm going to experiment with adding a bit of water to help thin it down.
Overall I would say the Bobbi Brown oil is slightly better than the No.7 equivalent, purely because of the thickness. Having said that, the No.7 oil is a really good cheap alternative for people not wanting to spend as much money.
❀Have a lovely day❀
Friday, 15 August 2014
Introduction/September Wishlist
Hi!
As it's my first post I'm going to start with a little intro and then get straight in with a blog post I am going to do monthly - a wishlist.
My About Me page has a general introduction with my social media usernames too so I'll keep it brief here. My blog is going to be all (maybe with a few exceptions) about fashion and beauty; including reviews on my favourite products/items, outfits I'm wearing, makeup looks I wear, hauls, and everything in between. Obviously I'm starting from zero followers/viewers (it seems weird at the moment blogging to no one haha) so any kind of support - whether you follow, comment, or even just read through my posts - is really appreciated so thank you if you are taking the time! Enjoy❀
WISHLIST (Unless otherwise stated photos are from shops' websites)
As I regularly look at shops online and don't have any money to buy the clothes with (cry) I end up having large wishlists of things i want. I decided to make a series out of this with my new wishlist every month that I'll post around this time every month (mid-month). Autumn and winter are my favourite seasons, especially because I love AW fashion so I'm already very excited about the clothes I can wear over the coming months - and you'll see this in my picks of this month. Okay less rambling, here are my choices for this month...
Topshop Textured Wool Ovoid Jacket, £78- This Topshop jacket is top on my list for next month because it is so beautiful! I love this style of coat and I can imagine it looking perfect next season with a black skirt, a striped/dark coloured top, black tights and my chunky Topshop cut out boots (that I'm sure will be featured in the next post or the one after). This coat looks so cosy but also very sophisticated which I love. Also it will go with all my clothes because it is grey.
Topshop Waffe Pyjama Crop Top and High Waisted Shorts in Coral, £20- It may seem odd to want these pyjamas for AW but I've had my eye on these for ages because I absolutely love them! They have them in white too but I think coral will look prettiest and the style reminds me a bit of the pyjamas Cher wears at the beginning of Clueless (one of my favourite films). They look like they'll be super comfortable and also really flattering.
American Apparel Tennis Skirt in Black, £46- I love these skirts! I already have the white one and I am so in love with it because it is so flattering and goes with all my clothes. I decided for AW I really wanted a black one because I like wearing darker clothes in the colder weather and these skirts are really useful to have.
Topshop Medium Clean Western Belt, £22- This is quite simple really, I wanted this black belt because the only other belt I have is a brown plaited belt. Black belts with gold on like this one look good with everything - around skirts, jeans and shorts so I'll get a lot of use out of it. It will hopefully make some of my more basic outfits look a bit more put together and add a bit more detail to the all black outfits I wear a lot.
Missguided Suseda Fishnet Panel Shift Dress, £14.99- As you've probably noticed by now I do love wearing black so this dress is perfect for me. I like the mesh at the top, I think that makes it a bit more interesting than a plain black dress and, although it's not fitted, the dress looks like it would be a really flattering shape. I would wear this with my Topshop chunky black boots (mentioned previously) and the coat at the top of my wish list and bare legs for early autumn days when it's a little bit warmer.
Brandy Melville Luana Top in Black and White Stripes, $22- Unfortunately I can only find this top/dress on the US website so I probably won't be able to buy it myself, but I decided to feature it nonetheless to show the kind of clothes I'm liking at the moment. I really like stripes and I think this loose t-shirt dress is a great way to wear them. Most of the clothes I wear are tight so sometimes it is nice to have some looser clothes for days when I'm not feeling quite so confident with my body, but still flattering like this dress.
Topshop Fisherman Crop Sweater in Lilac, £28- For AW i've decided I need another jumper, but as I already have enough black jumpers I thought a pastel jumper would be a more colourful edition to my wardrobe. This lilac jumper will go well with my Topshop black Joni jeans and the black American American Apparel Tennis Skirt, as well as my denim shorts in the summer.
Thanks for sticking with me through such a long blog post! In the future they will only have one topic haha. If you have any suggestions for things you want to see me write about let me know in the comments/email me (see my About Me page for details).
❀Have a lovely day❀
As it's my first post I'm going to start with a little intro and then get straight in with a blog post I am going to do monthly - a wishlist.
My About Me page has a general introduction with my social media usernames too so I'll keep it brief here. My blog is going to be all (maybe with a few exceptions) about fashion and beauty; including reviews on my favourite products/items, outfits I'm wearing, makeup looks I wear, hauls, and everything in between. Obviously I'm starting from zero followers/viewers (it seems weird at the moment blogging to no one haha) so any kind of support - whether you follow, comment, or even just read through my posts - is really appreciated so thank you if you are taking the time! Enjoy❀
WISHLIST (Unless otherwise stated photos are from shops' websites)
As I regularly look at shops online and don't have any money to buy the clothes with (cry) I end up having large wishlists of things i want. I decided to make a series out of this with my new wishlist every month that I'll post around this time every month (mid-month). Autumn and winter are my favourite seasons, especially because I love AW fashion so I'm already very excited about the clothes I can wear over the coming months - and you'll see this in my picks of this month. Okay less rambling, here are my choices for this month...
Topshop Textured Wool Ovoid Jacket, £78- This Topshop jacket is top on my list for next month because it is so beautiful! I love this style of coat and I can imagine it looking perfect next season with a black skirt, a striped/dark coloured top, black tights and my chunky Topshop cut out boots (that I'm sure will be featured in the next post or the one after). This coat looks so cosy but also very sophisticated which I love. Also it will go with all my clothes because it is grey.
American Apparel Tennis Skirt in Black, £46- I love these skirts! I already have the white one and I am so in love with it because it is so flattering and goes with all my clothes. I decided for AW I really wanted a black one because I like wearing darker clothes in the colder weather and these skirts are really useful to have.
Topshop Medium Clean Western Belt, £22- This is quite simple really, I wanted this black belt because the only other belt I have is a brown plaited belt. Black belts with gold on like this one look good with everything - around skirts, jeans and shorts so I'll get a lot of use out of it. It will hopefully make some of my more basic outfits look a bit more put together and add a bit more detail to the all black outfits I wear a lot.
Missguided Suseda Fishnet Panel Shift Dress, £14.99- As you've probably noticed by now I do love wearing black so this dress is perfect for me. I like the mesh at the top, I think that makes it a bit more interesting than a plain black dress and, although it's not fitted, the dress looks like it would be a really flattering shape. I would wear this with my Topshop chunky black boots (mentioned previously) and the coat at the top of my wish list and bare legs for early autumn days when it's a little bit warmer.
Brandy Melville Luana Top in Black and White Stripes, $22- Unfortunately I can only find this top/dress on the US website so I probably won't be able to buy it myself, but I decided to feature it nonetheless to show the kind of clothes I'm liking at the moment. I really like stripes and I think this loose t-shirt dress is a great way to wear them. Most of the clothes I wear are tight so sometimes it is nice to have some looser clothes for days when I'm not feeling quite so confident with my body, but still flattering like this dress.
Topshop Fisherman Crop Sweater in Lilac, £28- For AW i've decided I need another jumper, but as I already have enough black jumpers I thought a pastel jumper would be a more colourful edition to my wardrobe. This lilac jumper will go well with my Topshop black Joni jeans and the black American American Apparel Tennis Skirt, as well as my denim shorts in the summer.
Thanks for sticking with me through such a long blog post! In the future they will only have one topic haha. If you have any suggestions for things you want to see me write about let me know in the comments/email me (see my About Me page for details).
❀Have a lovely day❀
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