26 December 2016

Sale Buys

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend, today most of the day has been spent lounging on the sofa watching films and sleeping, oh and a bit of internet browsing of course.

I won't let you wait any longer so here are a few of my favourite essential buys.

Coats are always a good thing to invest in, especially sale time as these are usually the most expensive compared to other high street buys.

Zara £49.99, Mango £49.99, Zara £59.99


I love my cardigans, I think they are great pieces to have around during season change or for layering. I live in mine during Winter, the below is the H&M Mohair-blend cardigan which is super soft and warm (I have the dark grey version from last year).


I love dressing something smart with something casual, an effortless look can be created with this striped shirt, throw over jeans or go smart for work. Stripes will always last in your wardrobe, this one is from Zara for £19.99.


I have worn my pleated skirt loads this year and again something that can be dressed up or down or for work. The below one is from Zara for £19.99.


Try and invest in things you will wear more than once and don't go too crazy. Accessories are a good way to uplift an outfit so if you fancy making a basic outfit look different the below item will do this. (Scarf - Mango £7.99, Bags - Accessorize Red £12, Colour block £20)


Thank you for reading, and yes I know most of the items are from Mango or Zara but I always start in these stores :)

9 December 2016

All Black

One of my favourite easy to wear outfits is wearing all black. It's an outfit that can be worn to most occasions and you can still look like you've made some kind of effort, well kind of. The best way to style this look is by mixing different textures of clothing, which breaks down an all black outfit and as a result becomes more interesting. Everyone has those days where we reach for our black bottoms and tops, well apart from my mum, I don't think I've ever seen her in an all black outfit!

Black on black is a standard Winter dressing for many, below are a few black on black outfits to inspire you to make it look less than simple and more stylish. (All images are from Pinterest)


Mix light materials with heavy like a big wool knit jumper over trousers or a lace top under a jumper. You could wear a black silk shirt tucked into black high-waisted denim and then add a knitted cardigan or fur coat on top. If you did want to incorporate some colour into a black outfit, choose coloured shoes or accessories like bags/hats/scarves or statement jewellery.


There are loads of black clothing on the high street at the moment, different types of textures too from glitter, sequins, leather and velvet. Here are a few of my favourites.

Leather leggings are always a good option for an all black outfit, this one below is from Topshop and looks great with this sweater. (More options here)

Topshop Faux leather trousers £34

This Zara skirt is gorgeous on, I tried it on today with my t-shirt and trainers. Dress it up with heels and a black t-shirt for an evening look.

Zara Pleated layer skirt £25.99

If it's tops you're looking for I love this Y.A.S Jaq Burnout Leopard Shirt, I would wear over black jeans or have it tucked into a black leather skirt.


The Zara pearl jumper is another piece that will add interest to your outfit, wear over anything. 


Lastly, if it's a little black dress you're after, this ASOS White dress has many different textures to break up all the black, I love the chiffon material underneath and sleeve details.


Happy Shopping and remember black doesn't have to be boring.

(Here's similar post I did last year here)


1 December 2016

Not your typical Christams Jumper

Yep, it's that time of year again, Christmas jumpers post (But not really). Managed to get one for my son this year with flashing lights, he loves it (hoping the lights will last till Christmas day!). I haven't invested in one this year and probably won't, but if I do decide to I won't be joining my son in a novelty jumper, maybe one from the below selection.

I love love love &OtherStories jumpers, a bit more expensive to your usual high street shops but great quality for the price. I have picked two of my favourites from the store for the festive season. Both are sparkly for it to be Christmas jumpers, but they can easily be worn again after. Will look great with leather bottoms and heels or denim and trainers. (Left: Metallic Flowers Sweater £65 Right: Sparkling Merino Wool Sweater £45)


If it's a bit of colour you want, I would want these two below! The first one is from Topshop (Luxe Floral Stitch Tassel Jumper £80) I guess if you have kids it might get pulled a lot, but it will keep them entertained while you sit and have your mulled wine and a mince pie or two!
Again this can easily be worn again with most items, I would wear with a pair of mom jeans and trainers (obviously), but I think it will look great with leather too or a midi denim skirt.


Another favourite is this gorgeous multicoloured cardigan, it would look perfect over my Marks and Spencers black pleated velvet skirt. Wear again with a plain t-shirt underneath and denim.

Maison Scotch Jacquard And Detail Cardigan £149.95

If you want something Christmassy but don't want to go all out, then go for a subtle design like the below. I love the slogan and writing and think it looks more expensive than it really is. Pair it with a pleated or sequin or a leather skirt.

Sugarhill Boutique Make A Wish Sweater £44


Hope you liked my picks, a little bit more different from last year's post but more wearable I think.
Happy shopping!

27 November 2016

Shimmer and shine

Every year in the run up to Christmas there is ALWAYS some shimmer and shine on the high street. Even though I have nowhere to go...(Sigh), I do like what I see. It's an item that pops up every year and eventually becomes an essential in your wardrobe.

Below are some ways to dress down sequins or metallic to make it more wearable. The easiest way is to team them up with trainers and t-shirt. Pair it up with denim too to mix the combination of dressy and casual. Try also adding a chunky knit jumper or sweatshirt over a skirt. Saying all this, I still don't have the courage to wear sequins during the day, but I think theses street stylers show us the perfect ways to dress them down.

Images from Pinterest

High street picks:


1. H&M skirt £24.99
2. H&M top £29.99
3. H&M skirt £29.99 (Same skirt I'm wearing below)
4. Zara skirt £49.99
5. Mango top £35.99
6. ASOS dress £48.00 - With this dress add a jumper over it and pair with trainers for a casual look (Similar to the above maxi skirt street style look)
7. Topshop jacket £59.00
8. New Look jacket £29.99

If you're not into sequins and glitter clothing, below are a few subtle ways to show some shimmer. Alternatively, try velvet or lace for the party season.

1. Topshop bag
2. Mango bag
3. Topshop Socks
4. H&M earrings
5. &OtherStories pink shoes
6. &OtherStories silver shoes


Happy Shopping!

23 November 2016

Leggings

Can't imagine my life without leggings, loved them in my teens and loved them even more during my pregnancy and after birth. Then the leggings became my go-to outfit errryday, becoming my love-hate essentials in my wardrobe. From owning around 5 or 6, nearly one for each day, I had to get rid! I now own a velvet pair, a denim pair (worn mainly indoors) and a basic black one meant for workouts, which never gets used.

Love them or hate them I think we all need a pair or two in our wardrobe. The number one essential being the leather leggings, which I am still yet to own. An easy item to dress for Winter, all you have to do is throw on a chunky knit jumper. Dress it up with a shirt or t-shirt and add some accessories. 

Images from Pinterest

The high street has a good selection of leggings this season, plus if you're feeling trendy they also have stirrup leggings!? (I haven't owned one since my childhood).


Left to Right: H&M £17.99, French Connection £42 (on offer), Isabel Marant Étoile £145

Obviously, if you want real leather, you will have to invest in a lot more like the below Calvin Klein one for £555. But I guess it is an investment piece that should last you a long time.




Other leggings to consider:

Left to Right: Zara £19.99, H&M £14.99, H&M £29.99, Topshop £18

If you're looking for something similar to leggings but not too tight, I would go for the stirrup trousers from H&M (third one from above), similar to leggings but a tad looser and smarter. If it's some colour you want, go for red!

Happy Shopping!


18 November 2016

Wardrobe Essentials

Yesterday, I managed to pluck up the courage and join Makeup Artist Vithya in front of the camera for a collaboration Vlog. I met Vithya last year in November when I went along to one of her one-to-one tutorial classes, since then we have become good friends sharing a love of food and clothes. With some needed help on the hair and makeup side, I was ready to talk about wardrobe essentials and more.

Firstly I went through Vithya's wardrobe, talked about staples and how to style pieces together. We discussed how to dress this winter too and the art of layering.

Hope you enjoy this video as much as we did.



My wardrobe essentials


Black blazer: So versatile, dress it up by pairing it with a dressy top or heels, dress it down with jeans and trainers.

Converse trainers: White trainers can go with anything, even a sequin skirt.

Breton top: Can't live without this item, goes with most things, even leopard print.

White t-shirt: Check out my post on this here. One of my favourite essentials.

Chunky knit cardigan: Great for layering over dresses/skirts and jeans. I wear mine a lot during Winter.

Denim jacket: Not only for summer, but it can be layered under a coat too during colder months, check out my post on layering here and here.

Once you have some of the basics, you can start styling around these pieces to create a style suited to you. So for me, I love adding graphic t-shirts, different styles of shirts, and adding colour to my wardrobe. I try not to be lead too much on trends as they never last in my wardrobe. But don't be afraid to try new things out and have fun with clothes. It took ages for me to wear colour, but I'll happily wear it now. I think the number one rule is to wear what you feel comfortable and confident in, there is no point buying the dress or top if it's not going to make you feel great in it.

If anyone wants to recreate vithya's looks on the video, I've put together the items below:

Bershka Jumper, Boohoo Lace Top (Also try this body by Miss Guided), Topshop Jeans, H&M skirt, Shoe Embassy Boots


Thank you for reading, and a big thank you to Vithya for having me. You can follow Vithya on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook and Snapchat, and she also has a blog The Art Of Beauty.


10 November 2016

Graphic tees


What's better than a plain basic t-shirt? A graphic t-shirt of course. It engages interest to your outfit whether it be a catchy slogan, a rock tee, or something quirky, making your outfit a little edgy. Although a t-shirt may seem like daywear, a graphic t-shirt would work well dressed up for a night out. My favourite look would be with jeans and heels and lots of accessories, let the t-shirt do all the talking. Here are few of my favourite looks from Pinterest:

Day looks: Wear casually with trousers/jeans/skirts and pair with trainers or flats.


Evening looks: Dress the t-shirt up with a metallic skirt, leather or jeans, add heels for an evening look.


What's on the high street?

1. Urban Outfitters £26
2. Whistles £45
3. Replay £65
4. Morgan £19 
5. Levis £30

And a few from Mango. Left: Modal blend Tee Middle: Modal-blend Tee Right: Sequined Tee





3 November 2016

Layering Up

It may seem like layering is something we do during the colder months, but it has become more of a fashion statement where we use layering to achieve a certain look. This summer was all about t-shirts under camis or dresses, carrying this on into Winter by adding another layer on top or replacing the t-shirt with a jumper. Mixing different fabrics and layering clothes is a great way to show off more of your clothes and create a stylish look. Last year I posted a post on layering, explaining how to layer the basics, today I wanted to share more looks, giving you more options on how to layer.

(All images are from Pinterest)


The simple way to layer a dress is to add a t-shirt/top or jumper underneath. Try also layering the dress over trousers/jeans, this way you can make more use out of your dresses during the colder months.


Long-sleeved tops are the best for layering jumpers. Create an interest to your outfit by adding a stripe, lace or printed top/shirt underneath. With shorter jumpers add a longer top or shirt to show off every bit of what you're wearing.


Don't be afraid to layer up coats/jackets/blazers/gilets, to layer properly mix light outerwear with heavy outerwear. For example, a biker jacket, denim jacket or blazer are great under coats. Gilets are perfect over leather. Try mixing and matching until you know what's right for you, have fun with it, but just don't do a Joey from Friends :)

Images from Pinterest



26 October 2016

Basic Tee Dressed Up

Never underestimate the power of a basic t-shirt, especially a white tee. I'm pretty sure many of us have the one or two or even several white t-shirts (like me) in their wardrobe. They may not stay white for too long, but I'm always keeping my eye out for new ones. I do wear mine a lot, whether it be under something, on its own or dressed up. The white t-shirt especially can be so versatile as it goes well with most of our clothes.

There are many different ways to dress up a basic tee, throwing on a trophy jacket is one of the easiest options. A trophy jacket should transform your outfit, making a statement, perfect over a basic white tee. Jacqueline Mikuta's shows us an example of a statement jacket below top left and how easy it is to make a simple white tee and jeans dressy. She makes every outfit look so good that she has me staring at her for ages.

Another way is to wear a lace or silk cami over your tee, which leaves your t-shirt less than basic. Other ways are layering the t-shirt, adding a blazer or showing off some lace under a v-neck tee. A basic tee can also dress down clothes like a statement skirt or trouser, but at the same time it dresses up the basic tee (If that makes sense).


Accessories automatically make a statement to your plain t-shirts, try layering up necklaces, adding a neckerchief or wearing a statement earring or necklace. Either way, I think we have established you can never have too many basic t-shirts.


(More inspiration here and here on the white tee, all images above are from Pinterest or stated)

Below are a few ways to wear the white t-shirt.


1. Zara Printed Jacket £69.99
2. H&M Sparkly Earrings £14.99
3. H&M Short Necklace £14.99
4. ASOS Sequin Jacket £63 (sale)
5. Topshop Black Jeans £40
6. Mango Velvet Blazer £69.99
7. H&M Jersey T-shier £14.99
8. H&M Strappy Top £7.99
9. ASOS Velvet Pleated Skirt £38

Next time you have nothing to wear on a night out, why not try dressing up your basic tee. Happy shopping and thank you for reading.


21 October 2016

Coloured Shoes

Although I love bright colours, I tend to fall for the blacks, greys and neutrals...the safe colours. The same applies when it comes to my shoes, I see a lot of black!  I, therefore, decided to leave my comfort zone and own a pair of bright coloured shoes. Not usually what I go for but as soon as I tried them on, I loved them. I don't do heels, so the block heel and height was ideal for me, and the shade of red was just right.

Wallis shoes (Sold out online) Similar here and here, Topshop Jeans

I wore them for the first time last night, pairing it up with my white tee and black jeans. A pop of red without a doubt made a difference to my outfit as to wearing black shoes. Next time I'll try pair them up with blue denim and a big knit jumper. Personally, I like to keep it simple, so I'd wear coloured shoes with everyday basics. How do you wear yours? (Some street style images below from Pinterest)


Here are a few shoes I love from the high street:

Zara pink suede, Mango patent, Topshop blue heels, Zara red lace-up flats

But here's my kind of coloured footwear.

Adidas Gazelle Trainers

Happy Shopping!


13 October 2016

Jumpers

Although I have a few jumpers in my wardrobe, it doesn't stop me hunting down different styles and colours every year. This year I'm very fond of the oversized jumpers, chunky knits and coloured options.

The long oversized jumpers are the best ones to have this season, wear it with dresses, skirts and jeans, a perfect Autumn look. Layer up with a jacket or coat for when it gets slightly colder and wear a top or shirt underneath. (All images from Pinterest)


Chunky knits remind me of Winter, the thick texture and the instant feeling of being comfy. I love the way these ladies have styles theirs.  I will most definitely be trying to squeeze mine under my dungarees. Try tucking them into trousers, skirts and jeans or wearing them with a lace top underneath.


I certainly need more colour in my wardrobe, the blacks, greys and creams are my safe colours which I tend to opt for most of the time. But as I have too many of these colours, my challenge will be to add more colours to my Winter wardrobe this year. A coloured jumper will look a lot better paired with jeans and will lift any outfit, brightening up a grey winter's day. 


What are the options on the high street:

1. &OtherStories £65
2. French Connection £70
3. ASOS £112
4. Zara £29.99
5. ASOS £65
6. River Island £30
7. Zara £25.99
8. H&M £14.99
9. H&M £29.99
10. H&M £17.99

Happy Shopping and why don't you try adding some colour this Winter too if you don't already.

9 October 2016

Jord Watches

Me being around jewellery is very much like my son in a toy shop, he doesn't necessarily need it but wants it. I used to go crazy over jewellery, but over time, I have tried to cut down and now stick to my everyday jewellery pieces with the few statement ones.

My watch has to be my number one jewellery piece, can't leave the house without one and my phone will never replace it (even though I'm guilty of checking the time on it). Doesn't matter what watch I'm wearing, I can't bare to cover it up with my sleeves, I need it visible (Unless it's cold). Watches were my weakness at one point, where I used to invest in one nearly every year. However, over the years, I've stopped using my other watches and rely on my everyday watch, which is my Casio mini digital. But it's time to mix it up again, so I was over the moon when JORD wood watches contacted me to do a review on their watches.

The watch comes in this fab wooden box which also has a small compartment at the bottom.  

JORD is an American brand who specialise in unique handcrafted wood timepieces. Their watches come in stylish designs and colours for everyday wear and perfect for my casual style. I have chosen the women's watch Cora series purpleheart and mother of pearl which is a great colour for this Autumn/Winter. I love the fact this particular style of watch is automatic so won't require any batteries and made with sapphire glass. Sapphire glass is 'mechanically the second only to diamond as the hardest and most scratch-resistant materials on earth', good to know if you're around kids or not the best at looking after your jewellery.

Here are my top four favourites from the brand.

1. FRANKIE 35 series Dark Sandalwood & Slate
2. FRANKIE 35 series Zebrawood & Champagne
3. FRANKIE 35 series Dark Sandalwood & Slate
4. FRANKIE series Ebony & Gold

At the moment my arm candy is very simple, wearing nothing but a watch or a watch with a couple of thin bangles. Trying to take some inspiration from the below images and loving every single one, how do you style yours?  

Images from Pinterest

Competition time! 
I teamed up with JORD watches to give one lucky reader $75 e-voucher, plus everyone who enters gets $20 e-gift card (excluding the winner). If you want to enter for a chance to win, click HERE 
(Competition ends Sunday 30th October 2016) Good Luck!!! 



THIS POST WAS SPONSORED BY JORD WOOD WATCHES, ALL THOUGHTS AND OPTION ARE MY OWN. 


Luxury Wood Watch