Outfit of the day... First day at my new job!

Today I started my new part time job as a sales assistant at Newlook, exciting stuff! I've always worked in retail since I've left school, and although it can be stressful at times, especially with Christmas looming, I can't help but love it!

Anyway, so first day, wanted to make a good impression! Now at Newlook there's no strict uniform code, they just like you to wear on trend, key season pieces that are current in store! As I've got older, and had more money to spend on clothes, I've maybe drifted away from Newlook, although I've always gone back for some knitwear essentials, and bargain beautiful shoes time after time. After getting a job there though, and browsing for my work wardrobe, I found I've definitely been overlooking Newlook a lot lately, and now actually have a long list of pieces I can't wait to snap up with my staff discount. Newlook is great for key, on trend pieces to update your wardrobe for every occasion without breaking the bank and I'm glad to have rediscovered it again!

Here's the Newlook outfit I put together for my first day...

Faux fur & leather black gilet, soft, slouchy, grey marl jumper, leather look leggings and statement silver necklace - all Newlook!

The only thing I strayed from Newlook for today was the footwear, only because I couldn't resist trying out my new leather dextor boots from Office,  and also because I haven't got my hands on the studded, Newlook biker boots I MUST HAVE, yet!

Give last year's Winter coat a makeover for this season!

Winter is officially here, & the freezing conditions mean it is definitely time to get those big coats out again! As a self confessed shopaholic, there are SO many gorgeous winter coats out on the high street that I just want to snap up, as a student, I unfortunately don't have the funds for them all (sad face)! So this winter I made the cut throat decision to purchase a new leather jacket, which is also perfectly practical seeing as I live in the rainiest city in the world, Preston, and a military jacket with leather sleeves just because I have totally fallen in love with this seasons military trend and I just couldn't not!

Being the shopaholic that I am, I do have plenty of coats in my wardrobe from the past few winters, from some amazing fake fur numbers to gorgeous tweed, ladylike designs, that are all in perfect, working condition, but because they are not new this season they feel a bit dated. So, I dug a couple of my old favourites out and thought I would add a simple touch to completely update them and give them a new spin for this season, and get another winter out of them!

Now this coat is from River Island, probably about three, maybe even four winters ago now, but I still love it just as much as the day I got it. The cosy, grey tweed means it's the perfect winter warmer, and the oversized shape makes it not too far off whats 'hot' this season. When I first got this coat I had more compliments about it, and got asked where I'd got it from, more times than any other coat I've ever had, which is why I have held onto it for so long. Apart from loosing a few buttons along the way, this coat has stood the test of time so kudos to River Island for a gorgeous, well made design!

To update this coat for Autumn Winter 12 and overcome the lost button issues (oversized, tweed beauties I cannot find replacements for anywhere) I thought adding a large, studded, statement waist-belt (only £18 from Miss Selfridge) would be the perfect solution!

The waist-belt creates a brand new silhouette for the coat and acts as an interesting, new design feature which totally transforms it! The coat can even be worn folded open, in the blanket style very popular this season, with the belt worn on top just to hold it all together! Simple but very effective!

My much loved, Topshop leather jacket from last Winter was next to under go a transformation. 

The relaxed, slouchy leather jacket is easily worn with everything, I especially like to push the sleeves up to wear over pretty much everything for cold, winter nights out! To change it up for the day though I have simply been wearing my bargain Newlook, black, faux fur and leather gilet over the top. The cropped gilet sits perfectly on top of the leather jacket and just adds an extra layer for warmth and an extra texture for style (mixing leather and fur is one of my favourite looks at the minute)!

So, as you can see none off these make overs require much skill. Why not dig out one of your old favourite winter warmers and revamp it for this season!

Off for a chat with Company Editor Victoria White...

Today at UCLan the editor of the amazing Company magazine, Victoria White, came to visit us and give a chat about working within fashion journalism and the future of print magazines. I was a little bit in awe as I love Company magazine, and especially after Victoria tweeted me back after the chat, I was like I just want to work at Company now!

Victoria was great, she was brilliantly honest about her opinions on print and online magazines, telling us how Company have tried to maintain their readership and ultimately make money when there really isn't much around anymore, and how she feels about the craze of the blogger. With some great hints and tips for interviews, internships and getting your foot in the door of the industry, whilst also giving us an insight in what it is like to work at Company magazine HQ,  making me want to be apart of the Company team, it sounds like my idea of heaven and so much fun!

And here is what I wore to today's talk...

Fringe Skirt (can't really tell in the picture) Zara, Grey Speckle Jumper Newlook, Khaki Military Jacket with contrast Leather Sleeves (again, you will struggle to find me without it at the minute) Topshop, Bowler Hat Topshop, Selection of Silver Rings Topshop and Statement Necklace New Limited Edition!

Blue is the new black!

Now winter is officially here I would normally reach straight for the black nail polish, I just think there's something so effortlessly cool about black nail varnish! But I'm afraid I have been converted for the time being by the new, must have nail shade of the season, bright electric/cobalt blue! 

After spending a good twenty minutes examining the shelves in boots, and ending up with about ten different shades of blue nail varnish in my basket, I settled for the Nails Inc Baker Street blue! 

I was not disappointed in my choice in the slightest, it is the most gorgeous colour ever! And there's nothing like a brand new nail varnish that just goes on perfectly, dries quickly, no bubbles or bumps... made me a very happy girly! At £11 a bottle Nails Inc aren't the cheapest nail colours but with no other shade I found coming close to this amazing colour, I would definitely be willing to splash out on this again! 

My next nail purchase I think will be some black glitter! I've started seeing it all over pinterest and in magazines, and it will be perfect for the winter party season!

Bargain beauty buy!

Ultimate disaster the weekend, was just about to begin getting ready to go out and realised I'd run out of foundation... and Asda was my only option. What the hell was I supposed to find in Asda? Well, only the most amazing bargain beauty buy ever! 

If I said to you £6 for a foundation, you'd laugh or say whatever foundation costs that much isn't worth wearing, right? Well desperate times called for desperate measures so I went for it and brought the Maybelline Drean Satin Liquid Foundation. I have another major problem when it comes to foundation as I have the most sensitive eyes (even some Clinique foundations irritate my eyes) and the last thing I wanted was watering, sore eyes for a Saturday night out... but this foundation was amazing. From application it gave a silky, smooth, almost airbrush like coverage that was easy to build up without becoming thick or discoloured. It was also so light on my skin, which was another plus for me as I hate feeling like my face is plastered in makeup and like my skin can't breathe. Seriously this foundation was a beauty revelation to me. It went on well, gave great coverage and lasted all night... all for £6! No complaints what so ever! At least I know if I'm ever really strapped for cash I have a bargain foundation I can turn to!

And here's me wearing the amazing £6 foundation...

Casual Saturday...

Zara Tiger Tee. Topshop Military Jacket with Leather Sleeves. Topshop Gold Statement Necklace. Topshop Supersoft Leigh Jeans Black. H&M Flat Black Pointy Shoes.

Cocktails, Canapes & LBD's

On Thursday I attended the Little Black Dress cocktail party in Manchester. As my first, official invite to a blogger event I was very excited and the Little Black Dress launch party did not leave me disappointed!

After being greeted with the gorgeous, official Little Black Dress cocktail created exclusively for London Cocktail Week 2012 (thanks for the recipe by the way guys will definitely be trying that one at home), I was met the lovely Gemma and had a browse around the amazing dresses on display exclusively for us!

The team at Little Black Dress have hit the nail on the head with The Ulitmate LBD, with a simple yet effective and extremely flattering design, reaching out to women of all shapes and sizes, the classic dress is perfect for any wardrobe this winter. For me, I would 'edge' the short style up with some chunky shoe boots, statement necklace and an oversized, super sparkly or metallic clutch! As for the elegant floor length number, I just wish I had an event looming to give me an excuse to purchase this beauty. A messy, low bun teamed with some eye catching, dangly earrings and maybe electric blue clutch or shoes to add a pop of colour is how I'd love to wear this gorgeous gown.

The Ultimate LBD's were not the only dresses I fell in love with on Thursday night (I knew this would end up potentially fatally dangerous for my bank balance), there were some amazingly sparkly party dresses that were just perfect for those Christmas parties that are looming.

This beautiful, floor length, metallic ombre number was sequins and sparkles galore in a chic and sophisticated manner that would barely need accessorising at all, this is one of those dresses that you just leave to speak for itself! There was also a shorter version with tshirt sleeves on show that I literally had to drag myself away from. The short version I was adoring in the silver, metallic tones and one of the Little Black Dress team were wearing it themselves, teamed with chunky ankle boots, no jewellery needed, leaving me with ultimate outfit envy!

After managing to drag myself away from the rails of gorgeous dresses I went to check out the MAC team who were creating some fierce makeup looks that would make the perfect accessory to any LBD. The Marilyn look was my favourite, as to me she has to be the most glamorously feminine woman the world has ever seen!

Thanks to the Little Black Dress team for a fabulous evening and goody bag including the yummy cocktail recipe that I will be trying to recreate in the very near future!

Monday night playlist...

Tonight is supposed to be an extremely productive night of uni work which is of course turning into completing many other much more important jobs such as painting my nails, planning Wednesday's fancy dress outfit, shopping for ski clothes for my new years skiing holiday & even putting washing away, that is how serious the level of procrastination has got right now!

In order to chill myself out & try to tame the urge to go out to Squires, my Monday night playlist is my two favourite albums of the moment; The Vaccines - Come of Age & of course Mumford & Sons - Babel!

Absolutely adoring these two albums at the minute! I think I've mentioned before that my music taste is very diverse & totally random but I am definitely going through an indie phase at the minute with The Maccabees also being played a lot recently.

So, favourites off the albums... Well obviously No Hope is a no brainer, perfect song to open the Come of Age album with as far as I'm concerned it always makes me happy & want to dance when I hear it! Weirdo has to be another one of my favourites & All in Vain, to be honest I love them all, the whole album just plays through so easily, I love it!

Mumford & Sons has to be my favourite out of the two though, I think it's just because I never thought I could love the second album as much as the first, but I actually love it even more! It's one of those amazing albums where there isn't a single song you have to skip! I particularly love Babel, Whispers in the Dark, I Will Wait, Lover of the Light, Reminder, Broken Crown, Where Are You Now... Yeah ok, all of them! I have, & will continue to, play this album over & over because it will just never get old! Plus it just makes me even more excited about going to seem them in real life, in the flesh in December! Ahhh, so excited! If you don't have this album, get it, NOW!

Makeup Treats!

During my recent splurges (another asos parcel arrived for me this morning... whoops) I have treated myself to a few new additions to my makeup bag & I could not be happier with them! I have a confession, although I occasionally indulge in a 'designer' mascara or bronzer my makeup bag is generally made up of higstreet brands Bourjous & Rimmel, & I am not ashamed in the slightest. I'm fussy with makeup, particularly mascara, & I like to stick to what I know & love, with designer brands tending to be twice or three times the price & of a quality that, I feel, generally doesn't justify it, investing in makeup from higher brands just seems un necessary to me! However some of my new makeup purchases have seriously changed my mind on this!

Now one product I tend to always go designer for is concealer as I get quite dark circles under my eyes, & they do always perform much better than any highstreet ones I've tried. This is not a first time purchase as I've tried this Clinique product before & I think this is going to remain a staple of my makeup bag for a very long time!  The Clinique 'all about eyes' concealer is £16 but lasts so long it's unreal as a little bit goes a really long way. It's nice & light, as I hate heavy makeup, particularly around the eyes & stays well on the skin particularly with bronzer or powder worn over the top as I do. I struggle when it comes to finding makeup, particularly for around my eyes, as I have really sensitive skin/eyes that water constantly if they don't agree with the product I'm wearing, this Clinique concealer is amazing as it's totally fragrance free so doesn't irritate my eyes whatsoever! I cannot recommend this concealer enough, it really is brilliant, & at £16 its hardly a bank breaking splurge especially when it can last like over two months!

My second 'designer' splurge was the Chanel 'inimitable intense mascara', £23. Anyone who knows me in the slightest knows how particular I am with my mascara & OCD I am about my eyelashes. Firstly I am lucky to have really long, curly eyelashes normally, (I've never used an eyelash curler in my life & have wore fake eyelashes one time for about five minutes!) but... they are blonde, so without my makeup on they just disappear! Now as I don't wear falseys, I like to make sure my eyelashes are perfect when I go out, I like them all separated, if they clump together it drives me insane (I have been known to use the back of an earring, bank card, corner of the concealer tube, hair grip etc as tools to separate any lashes that don't co-operate), & I literally spend easy 10/15 minutes perfecting them for a night out, they take longer than the rest of my makeup all together. Now this means I am extremely particular when it comes to mascara & there brushes! I hate the bristle brushes, opting only for the stiff, plastic ones that separate your eyelashes. My absolute favourite mascara (until I met this beauty) is Bourjous 'elastic mascara', I'm sure I've tried almost every mascara on the highstreet & this one is the best by far in my books! As I'm super fussy with mascara I don't tend to try new ones out unless they've been recommended & when I saw how this Chanel mascara transformed my brothers girlfriends eyelashes, AND it had a plastic brush especially for lash separation, it was a no brainer! I was expecting to be disappointed as I normally am with the more expensive mascaras, thinking it would end up in the bottom of my makeup bag & I go back to the trusty Bourjous, but this mascara is not overrated in the slightest! First time I used it was in the day & in one brush my lashes were perfectly separated with perfect amount of coverage meaning I didn't have to reapply a few times & avoiding ending up getting clumpy & OTT thick mascara for the day time. When it does come to the night time I like to go for more mascara so my eyelashes don't look inferior next to my friends who can pull off false lashes perfectly. This mascara lets you build up a few more layers without going bitty, clumping eyelashes together & looking too thick, it's just perfect! I would recommend this mascara to anyone, no matter what your natural lashes are like, this amazing product can transform them completely!

 My final new addition to my makeup collection was a lipstick from the Topshop makeup range in 'mischief' red. I'm going through a red lisptick phase at the minute so thought I'd give the  Topshop one ago as they've got a massive range of colours with at least five shades of red to choose from, & at only £8 it was very tempting to just by them all. I settled on the mischief shade however as its a nice bright but deep red that you can wear with almost everything, & I have, wearing it nearly everyday since I brought it! The lipstick gives great coverage without having to apply layer after layer, & lasts really well without bleeding along the edges, mess free! One of the massive bonus' though is the lipstick is amazingly moisturising at the same time, stopping the dry, flaky lip look that is not a good one. I've only really recently ventured into the lipstick world (no false eyelashes, no lipstick, what a rubbish girl I am) so don't exactly have much lipstick experience to compare it to but I think this Topshop product is amazing & definitely one I'll be trying out in other shades again!

Here i am sporting my new concealer, mascara & lipstick ready for a night out in Liverpool on Thursday!...

Bad Blogger...

I know I know I know... I have been a horrendously bad blogger this summer! All my good intentions went out of the window as a ridiculously busy summer of working, interning, holidays, festivals & nights out meant the almost 4 months off uni just flew by! I promise I will make it up to you, I'm determined to keep to at least two posts a week with this blog from now on, please feel free to shout at me if I start slacking again (I am very easily distracted)!

Anyways so after having a few pretty rubbish weeks, its safe to say plenty of shopping has occurred, my obvious go to for a pick me up... so here are my new purchases (just last weeks, ooopppsss) as I start to stock up my Autumn Winter wardrobe now our beautifully brief, bordering on non-existent, British Summer has come to a rather early & abrupt end. So yeah, here's how I've been drowning my sorrows!...

So this week I purchased the khaki army jacket with contrast leather sleeves from Topshop. Now I've tried desperately to stop myself from buying this jacket for weeks as I've seen quite a few people in some of the many different highstreet variations there is out there, but on Wednesday I caved! As soon as I tried this beauty on I was sold, I just felt so cool in it! I'm not a big 'winter coat' fan as I prefer a leather jacket or blanket coat to a wool, button up coat that I don't know I just feel to formal in! This military jacket is perfect though & a great change from just a classic leather jacket, so easy to dress up & down, I'm glad I gave in! Plus at a bargain £65 (for a winter coat) I can also hunt down another fave of mine, the blanket coat or coatigan as they are now referred to in the biz, to add to my winter wardrobe, I'm on the look out for an aztec print one!

As you can see in the picture I also brought the cutest 'roller bowler' hat, again from Topshop. I've been on the hunt for a hat for ages, which is unusual cause I'm never normally a hat kind of girl, but after trying on a few of the ones that have hit the shops this season I thought I'm just going to go for it. Originally I wanted a trilby style one (which I'm still on the hunt for) but, for a change, I'm being fussy & don't want one with a gold bow, or tacky details on, I just want a cool, plain black trilby! So I've been hunting for ages & just tried this one on for the sake of it the other week & I feel in love! I never really think hats suit me, but with this one I don't care if it suits me or not & I'll wear it whether you like it or not, ha! As soon as I got paid Wednesday this too had to be purchased & I wore it straight away the next day, along with my new coat, to uni! Here's a picture of my outfit...

So I teamed my khaki & leather army jacket and black bowler hat with black highwaisted leggings (also Topshop), a metallic jumper from Dorothy Perkins last Autumn & simple, black suede, pointed flat shoes from H&M. I wore silver jewellery; tribal cross necklace Urban Outfitters, brushed silver stud earrings Topshop & rings from Newlook & Pandora. I felt so cool & rock luxe in this outfit (ha), it's definitely a favourite I'll be returning to again! & as the winter weather gets worse I'll just add my Chelsea boots & a scarf to protect me from the elements!

Another purchase were these beautiful white leather converse, something else which I have been lusting after for ages! Sorry to use my favourite word of the moment again, but I just think they are so cool! I have wore my other converse to death but they are still going strong, & seeing as before I brought that pair I was never a converse kind of girl, I am well & truly converted. I thought these would be really practical for the Winter too (always thinking of excuses to reason my purchases to my Dad even when he's not here, ha), but as with all converse they are just so easy to chuck on with anything. Not going to lie I have wore a variation of the above outfit again, twice in the same week (the fashion shame), when my Mom & Dad came to visit & treat me to my first Sunday dinner since being back at uni today. But this time I wore these babies with it & lost the hat for a casual weekend look. I will definitely be getting my wear out of these beauties this winter!

So as you can see I also purchased some makeup, which I am going to do a separate blog on (probably tomorrow now), as I have some absolute raving to do about some of my new beauty buys! But I am going to end this post with another purchase I added to my wardrobe this week (promise I won't buy anything else for a while...) in the form of a handbag. Not just any handbag... a gorgeous black leather oversized tote covered in gold studs...

...as you can see I am not being over dramatic in the slightest when I say this bag has completed my (not so brilliant right now) life this week! I have been looking for the perfect black handbag for ages, & as usual I have conjured up the design of one in my head which doesn't actually exist! It's pretty special, black tote with fringing & gold studs, wow, but yeah I have yet to find it, so for now this River Island find will do nicely. I haven't seen it on their website, & there was only two in the store, so I'm hoping not everyone will be running around with it, but it's that perfect for me I really don't care. I am so sad that I am really excited to go to uni in the morning so I can use it for the first time... what a looser! I need to get a life, other than fashion ha!

Hope you liked the first post back... I'll be back soon, promise!

All I want is a pair of denim shorts!!!

So on Friday I jet off to sunny aiya napa for ten days in the sun with my bestfriend & I cannot wait. Obviously I've been shopping around for my holiday wardrobe the past few weeks, ok months, I always like to be prepared when it comes to clothes! I have to say I've been pretty disappointed with the highstreet this summer, everywhere just seems to be selling variations of the same thing & I have only managed to find one pair of gladiators this summer that I really wanted to purchase!

If the lack of lovely holiday clothes wasn't frustrating enough then the lack of material on the denim shorts in shops this summer has definitely tipped me over the edge! I'm not a prude, I love a good hotpant as much as any other young girl but seriously I want a pair of denim shorts not denim pants! Does it make me seriously past it (at the tender age of 21) cause I want a pair of shorts that don't display the whole of my backside? I have lost count of the amount of denim shorts I have tried on in all of my highstreet faves that have left me seriously annoyed of the amount of bum cheek they show. This is particularly unusual for me as 1. I'm not the tallest person in the world so if anything things are normally too long for me not too short & 2. I don't actually have a massive bum, infact if anything I've got a small one that I'm always trying to make bigger, so god knows what the 'bootilicious' shoppers are doing this summer!

Finally this week a last minute attempt four days before I go away has paid off & I have got my hands on a pair of highwaisted denim hot pants NOT pants! I'm not going to lie they are short shorts however I can safely say all of my bottom is hidden! So I owe a massive thankyou to Miss Selfridge for pulling this one out of the bag, although my happiness was short lived when the sales assistant left the security tag on which I obviously didn't discover till I got home! But I can forgive this slight misdemeanour because I have a pair of denim shorts that my dad wouldn't lock me up for wearing in public!

And here are the famous shorts... Miss Selfridge £30 (the colour is a lot lighter & nicer than the picture shows!)

Long time no see!

It has been a ridiculously long time since I wrote on here! I was so set on not neglecting this blog but this summer just seems to be passing by before my eyes & I have been so busy I just haven't had time. So these next few posts are long over due & a bit of a catch up on what I've been doing/loving these past few weeks!

So part of the reason I've been crazy busy is my internship at Hervia. I do Wednesday & Thursday (Mondays & Tuesdays I'm busy with my office job at home), but with 6am starts & not getting home till 8pm because of the commute to Manchester those days nothing much else goes on!

So I'm really enjoying my time at Hervia & actually learning a lot! I'm not filing or tidying or making tea & coffee or doing the boring stereotypical work of an intern, my work is actually being used on the website & in store which makes me very proud! So mostly I've been blogging, learning how to create/manage products on the website, learning about designers, Hervia's interest in up & coming designers & fresh British talent, learning about the brands they sell & the customers they cater to, as in buying & selling on a more exclusive/specific level of a high level boutique brand etc. So yeah, I am learning loads & hopefully when the buying season comes around in the next couple of months I'll be able to get some hands on experience in that area which is really exciting!

Anyways, so the week before Jubilee weekend with lot's of jubilee promotions in store & online I was asked to create a blog to promote Jubilee styles in a Hervia fashion & I was then allowed to pick & style some Jubilee theme inspired outfits keeping to the red, white & blue colour scheme which we then shot & were included on the website. I was so excited and proud to get an opportunity to do some styling for all to see.

Hervia sell an exclusive collection of Comme Des Garcons ranges which I probably would have overlooked previously as I wouldn't say they are exactly my style but after a few weeks at Hervia I am slowly falling in love with the collection of cute, quirky & interesting separates you can mix & max in your own individual fashion. The first casual Jubilee outfit compromises of a range of Comme Des Garcons pieces showing how the fab brand transform something as simple as a tee or shorts into something striking! Although I could not pull off these drop crotch shorts I love the cool, effortless style they add to the quirky Comme Des Garcons tee, or teamed with the shirt with eyecatching & quintessentially British tartan collar & cuff detail, nails geek-chic perfectly!

The second outfit is an interpretation on formal Jubilee style. The gorgeous Jean-Pierre Braganza dress is patriotically red & white, & for some reason I was just drawn to the graphic print which to me was slightly but stylishly & not cheesy-ly reminiscent of a flag print, totally appropriate for Jubilee celebrations!

Here's the link to the blog http://www.hervia.com/blog/2012/05/jubilee-fever-at-hervia/ hope you like it too!

Sunday song list!

Today's plan was to make the most of my Sunday, go to the gym again keep up the healthy pre-holiday diet... however an impromptu drunken night out with my little brother resulted in a very hungover me spending the day napping, eating everything with all good intentions out of the window. Staring at an empty pot of ben & jerrys depressed at the 5/6lbs I want to loose in the 25days before holiday... Ok strict strict holiday diet starts tomorrow (I say this EVERY Sunday)!

Anyway, Sunday tv seems to be even more rubbish than normal this week so I'm sat browsing the internet with my itunes on listening to some fab Sunday chill out songs I thought I'd share with you!

On pretty much constant repeat for the last hour has been Paloma Faith's amazing new song picking up the pieces! I'm not normally a massive Paloma Faith fan, not sure why just never really got the buzz about her, but this song I absolutely love! I've heard it on radio 1 a few times this past week didn't have a clue who it was so today I did a bit of research & downloaded it, then watched her perform it on the voice & I just cant stop listening to it, its so chilled & catchy, a good one to passionately sing along to & wish I could sing, don't think anyone else in the house appreciates it!

So along with Paloma, there's Jason Mraz - I won't give up. Mr Mraz just sums up the ultimate in chillout songs, been listening to this dozing away all day dreaming he was serenading me singing it... I think it's just the guitar, I'm a sucker for a guy with an acoustic guitar!

And finally, my automatic go to when I'm lazing around... my Lady Antebellum album. I have the most random music taste ever, seriously my itunes is filled with everything from cheesey pop, drum & bass, electro, house, dubstep, reggae, r n b, indie, rock, dance, to my most random guilty pleasure country, just this fab band though. Not sure whether loads of people have heard of them cause I hadn't until about a year or so ago when I saw them on the Grammy's where they won for apparently like their seventh time so I'm guessing their pretty huge in America cause of the massive following in country music there is over there. Going back to how random my music collection is my itunes has just rolled from Lady Antebellum to You Me At Six, bit of a difference there! Anyway back to Lady Antebellum, so yeah, they are classed as country but they're not like oldey cheesey Dolly Parton style country music it's like indie country (think I've just totally made up my own genre there) the songs and lyrics are so lovely I could listen to them for hours & hours. I recommend everyone to give them a listen, Lady Antebellum - Own The Night, amazing album!

The 'great' British weather...

Ok, this ridiculous weather is really driving me crazy right now! I wish it would just make its mind up cause I'm sick of waking up in the morning to the rain so dressing accordingly & then the suns shinning by mid afternoon! It's not really what clothes to wear I find the problem... Its the shoes! Apart from my converse (which are way too casual sometimes) all of my daytime shoes I want to be wearing now are not appropriate for this weather, unless I want to be walking round with soggy feet all day! It's annoying because all of my boots are full on winter boots & I refuse to be wearing them in May! So to solve the problem I obviously HAVE to buy some new shoes! I'm thinking of investing in a pair of black ankle boots in a Chelsea boot like style with a bit of a chunky heel... I've wanted some for ages & seeing as we don't seem to be having much of a summer this year (for a change) there's no point in spending the money on some gladiator sandals! I was thinking these style boots would be a good choice cause I could wear them with pretty much anything to add a bit of an edge to a girly dress with tights, or without on that odd day of sunshine! Obviously I could throw them on with any leggings or jeans with a top & jacket/blazer combo, or I could even wear them with the couple of midi dresses & maxi skirt I've already purchased seeing as it supposed to be summer. So this purchase is purely for essential, practical purposes only...

Topshop

Miss Selfridge

Urban Outfitters

Leather heaven!

Even though I am almost totally blogged out after another fab two days at my Hervia internship, blogging about some absolutely fab designers (which you can read at www.hervia.com/blog)... I just had to let it out how torturous it is working at Hervia & being surrounded by some of the most amazing leathers I have ever seen.

With beautiful jackets from fab designers like Gareth Pugh, Rick Owens & Pierre Balmain my wish list is just growing & growing! Just cause they are 'slightly' out of my price range, I am determined that I will get my hands on one of these beauties eventually! From classic biker styles with silver stud & zip details at Pierre Balmain to the softest, worn leather in asymmetric cuts & folds at Rick Owens to designs bordering on the futuristic with exaggerated lapels & super high collars at Gareth Pugh, I would happily wear any of them all day everyday forever!

Here are my faves...

 

Gareth Pugh Leather Razor Jacket

Rick Owens Giacca Leather Jacket

Pierre Balmain Biker Jacket

Jewellery heaven!

On my first day at Hervia I got to play around with some of the gorgeous, exclusive jewellery collections they stock!

On Thursday Hervia were launching some amazing new jewellery pieces in store & online, created by cutting edge designer Juan Carlos Obando for the exclusive Atelier Swarovski collection, which also boasts gorgeous pieces by fab designers such as Christopher Kane. My first task of the day was to create a blog article about the exciting collaboration between Jaun Carlos Obando and Swarovski (which you can read here http://www.hervia.com/blog/2012/05/atelier-swarovski-by-juan-carlos-obando-2/), which allowed me to learn more about this innovating designer, I will definitely be keeping an eye for him in future!

Then in the afternoon I did a bit of a stock take with the jewellery so I could get to know & see for myself the beautiful pieces Hervia sell, because the pictures on the website do not do them justice! This probably wasn't a very good idea as far as my purse is concerned cause I now have a never ending wish list after discovering some fab jewellery designers I have been deprived of for all these years! These are some of the amazing pieces I NEED in my life!...

Erica Weiner - Feather Necklace Gold

Tom Binns - Safety Pin Earrings Gold

Tom Binns - Safety Pin Pendant Gold

Christopher Kane for Swarovski - Bolster Bracelet

Ann Demeulemeester - Bead Fill Ring Silver

Husam El Odeh - Broken Coin Earring Silver

Husam El Odeh - Key Necklace Silver

Husam El Odeh Smokey Quartz Crystal Bracelet Silver

www.hervia.com

Busy bee!

I have been such a busy girly the past few weeks I have completely neglected this poor blog but now the crazy end of year uni deadlines are out of the way, & a busy first week of summer holiday interviewing has been nailed I am going to get back on track.

So my first week of 'summer' (the weather isn't making it worthy of the title) involved interviewing in Manchester for an internship at a fab brand called Hervia... & I got it, woooo! So excited about this amazing opportunity!

So here's a bit about the brand...

The Hervia Group was set up by Oscar Pinto in 1993 with the aim to give clients the opportunity to acquire some of the best established design in the world & also be amongst the first to support the new generation of British design talent, producing exquisite clothing, jewellery & accessories.  Named by Vogue as one of the UK's finest designer stores, Hervia was the first to stock debut collections by the late & great Alexander McQueen, Helmut Lang & Hussien Chalayan. The Manchester based brand aims to fill the design gap in the North West, support & promote high end fashion & British design talent to a worldwide clientele via the Hervia website. At Hervia you will find amazing designer collections carefully selected for their outstanding design quality & exclusivity.

The brand innovation has continued in recent years, with Hervia joining forces in 2011 with Adidas Y-3 to launch the first Adidas Y-3 flagship store in the UK. The store based in the Mayfair shopping district of London is the collaboration of Hervia & Y-3 to bring a fab selection of Y-3 products to the UK market.

Then in April, Hervia launched the re-branded Hervia store in Manchester city centre offering a hand picked selection of luxe sportswear designers such as Y-3, Alexander McQueen for Puma & Hussien Chalayan for Puma, with many more exciting designers being announced for AW 12!

The fashion world is completely buzzing over Hervia's unique concept stores! Niche, new, up & coming designers love the concept because they don't have to compromise their vision, they are allowed the ultimate freedom the present their collections to Hervia as they wish! This means that when the customer purchases the amazing pieces from Hervia they embody all the original excitement & innovation of the person who created them!

You can find out more about this exciting brand & shop the gorgeous collections at www.hervia.com!

So on Thursday I started an internship in the Hervia head offices on the gorgeous King Street in Manchester. Walking out of the office to Vivienne Westwood across the road, the fab Hervia store around the corner & the likes of Mulberry down the road it's like working in complete heaven for me... Definitely not going to be heaven for my bank balance! With so many exciting prospects, opportunities & experiences coming up for me I just want to say a massive thankyou to Hervia for giving me this opportunity... I can't wait to get back to the office on Wednesday!

Ice Cream shades for summer!

Grazia & French Connection have worked very closely recently on a collection of shoots to show us how to tick all the top trends for spring/summer with the French Connection collection. I'm loving all the short videos on frenchconnection.com with Grazia's Angela Buttolph & all her top styling tips for summer! One of my fave is this & the amazing sequin dress she chooses to wear the summer's adorable ice cream shades perfectly... Proving that sequins don't just need to be saved for christmas time!

http://www.frenchconnection.com/content/video/index.htm

It's all about the necklace!

For ages I have been searching for a really statement, oversized tribal necklace. Normally I opt for long, dangly, delicate locket & trinket style necklaces but I aways see other people wearing statement necklaces & think they look amazing. Good accessories, especially a good necklace can transfrom an outfit, especially a statement, tribal deisgn! Worn over a simple tshirt with jeans it adds instant style & can go with absolutley anything, also ticking the statement jewellery trend for the season! So ye I've been hunting for one for ages & finally got my hands on this All Saints piece! As you can imagine it wasn't exactly cheap but I see it as a wise investment as I'm sure I'll wear it to absolute death!

Hello flawles!

On Saturday I got my hands on the brand new foundation from Benefit, & it is amazing! Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation gives a really good, 'flawless' coverage without actually feeling like you're wearing foundation at all! For me I like a foundation that covers up everything I need it to without feeling like I'm wearing a mask; thick foundation is a no no for me, so this is perfect! This honey colour is the ideal match for my skin tone & a brilliant base for my make up, I defintely recommend!

Nothing like a bit of retail therapy...

So since the easter holidays ended I have been completely swamped with uni work, barely leaving my library or my room stuck infront of a computer screen! So on Saturday I gave myself a day off for a trip to the trafford centre. Nothing cheers me up like a bit of shopping, & these amazing purchases defintely put a smile on my face...

Tie Dye Midi Dress - Topshop

Aztec Jacquard Cigarette Trousers - Topshop

Aqua Chiffon Back Vest - Miss Selfridge

(a lot brighter than in picture)

Apricot Blazer - New Look

(a lot brighter than in picture)

I wish the sun would come out so I can wear some of these lovely summery clothes! I fell absolutley in love with the tie dye midi dress when I laid eyes on it in Topshop, & the aztec jacquard cigarette trousers are amazing, teamed with either the aqua vest or apricot blazer, or both will tick the print & pastel hot trends for spring/summer! The apricot blazer was an absolute steal from New Look & so easily brightens up any outfit to make it summer ready. I'm just loving the pastel colours that are dominating the shops right now & soon I'm going to start wearing them regardless of the weather, no matter how ridiculous I look in my tie dye midi dress when it's grey & rainy outside... 

The higher the better!

These shoes look a bit orange on here but they are actually a more pink/peach nudey colour. Every girl needs a nude heel, I personally think they are even more of a wardrobe must have than a black heel! They instantly lift & brighten any going out outfit making it more summery... They also go with ever colour I can think of! Well this pair are another amazing birthday present I pointed my mom in the direction of. They are from Asos with killer platforms & heels so they are sky scrapper high, just as heels should be! I know I will wear these shoes to death this summer, because I just can't do black heels in the summer time, it doesn't feel right. Now I just need to get my life back so I can go out & wear them!

Miss Mulberry

I think it’s safe to say I kind of have a bit of a Mulberry obssession going on, which my friends & family are well aware of if birthday presents are to go by! Not only did I have my gorgeous Alexa Mulberry bag but my bestfriend also brought me a gorge lilac & gold friendship bracelet (the adjustable, rope style friendship bracelets) with a gold heart attached... I have adored them for ages she knows me too well! I also got this amazing gold coin and clover Mulberry necklace… it hangs at perfect length but it’s too pretty to wear for my library camp outs at the minute so I am keeping it safe until it’s first outing!

StyleBlogUK: We're all going on a summer holiday...

I have recently started writing for a fab fashion blog StyleBlogUK. Follow the blog & my posts at stylebloguk.wordpress.com. Here's the post I blogged yesterday about my hints & tips for swimwear this summer!...

So summer’s just around the corner, & no matter how many bikini’s you’ve got tucked away from last year there’s just no chance you can resist the temptation of updating your collection… well I know I can’t!

Personally I think everyone has a bikini type they know & love! Everyone knows their body shape, & just like clothes certain bikini styles suit some body shapes more than others. I realised this a couple of summers ago… After years of sticking with your classic triangle style bikini, I purchased my first strapless bandeau set & never looked back. It was amazing how I felt instantly more comfortable & confident in the strapless style bikini that showed just as much flesh as the triangle one but was definitely more flattering for my body shape! I know bandeaus aren’t for everyone, but for me I don’t even glance at a triangle bikini anymore… Luckily now most stores offer their bikini designs in a variety of different styles catering for all the different body types out there!

The great British highstreet is a brilliant place to find a massive selection of on trend swimwear designs at an easily affordable price range! Not only do stores supply a variety of styles for each trend & design but the majority sell bikini tops & bottoms separately which is perfect as there are definitely not many people out there who are the idealistic proportions for each size, & there is nothing more unflattering & annoying than a bikini top that is gapping or bikini bottoms that sag! Also for me, I’m a pain! I’m generally a size 8 but I cannot stand it if bikini bottoms are snug or tight or dig in, in the slightest… So I always buy a 10, unless there adjustable tie bottoms (although I’m not a massive fan of them)! Actually I think I am probably one of the fussiest shoppers when it comes to swimwear ever, so if a bikini ticks all of my boxes it must be a worthy contender to be in your suitcase this summer!

So, there are a few swimwear designs that I think are a must have for any holiday wardrobe. A plain bright bikini has to be a staple of any bikini collection! Simple & effective it can transform any of your holiday cover ups & bring them bang on style especially with this summer’s hot neon trend, & it will also make your tan look amazing! Next there’s your animal print design! I’m a leopard print lover anyway but I think an animal print bikini can look gorgeous & glam on anyone! Animal print is a trend that never dies, whether its leopard, tiger, zebra, one or all of them grace our catwalks every season, especially combined with other key trends of the season such as the gorgeous bright colour palettes you can find some amazing designs! Your floral bikini is another must have, be it bright, bold, graphic flowers or vintage, delicate designs there’s a floral style out there to suit everyone’s taste! Finally the tribal trend (of some interpretation) is one which comes round every summer season, so you cannot go wrong with a tribal bikini. Be it in monochrome or a bright, clashing colour combo, you will definitely find a tribal bikini in my suitcase for this & many summers to come!

A hot trend for this summer which seems to have transferred amazingly into swimwear is the ombre/tie dye design. When combined with the seasons popular bright colours the styles are to die for (especially the pink/purple Miss Selfridge one shown below)… I will be purchasing one of these beauties in time for my holiday this summer!

Here are some of my favourite highstreet finds (as soon as pay day comes I will be purchasing them all… a girl can never have too many bikinis!) …enjoy!