May Look

With Summer coming up, I have been in search for the perfect look which includes both pastel colours and neutral colours. Most of these items are extremely expensive and way out of my budget, however I put them all together as a style inspiration. The look is simplistic and chic, and perfect as an everyday look for work or a casual night out. The pastel pink jogging trousers from Zara are a must have of mine, as well as the white asymmetric tshirt, as you can never have too many white tshirts in your wardrobe!

Zara pastel pink joggers - £39.99

Marni sunglasses - £95.00

Monki bra monki - £10.00

Zara asymmetric tshirt - £17.99

Lagarconne coat - £650

Liberty bag - £750

Zara shoes - £39.00

Nars lipstick - £18.00

All images sourced from: 

www.topshop.com

www.zara.com

www.nars.com

www.monki.com

www.polyvore.com

www.libertylondon.com

Summer Essential

I have been desperate to purchase a Triangl Bikini for just about over a year now. It is an Australian swimwear and underwear label which has branched out into the US and become popular on the likes of people such as; Hailey Baldwin, Kylie Jenner and Selena Gomez. With their funky styles and vibrant colours, they are the perfect bikini styles which will be great for any holiday this Summer.

My favourite style is the Penny Wanderlust, with the blue bikini bottoms and with it being my birthday coming up in a few weeks, I think I will be putting this one on my list!

Sourced from: http://triangl.com/

The Met Ball 2014

The theme for this year's met ball was 'White Tie,' and if I'm honest, I think the the theme could have been a little bit more exciting. After last year's dramatic 'Punk' theme, I was expecting all the stars to pull out all the stops... some going a little too far. Whilst Kate Upton and Rita Ora stunned me beyond belief with their overly outrageous, and tragic outfits, I was pleasantly surprised by Victoria Beckham, for example, who showed up in one of her own gowns, displaying a simplistic, elegant and sophisticated look.

Nicole Richie wearing Donna Karan 
I've always been a big fan of Nicole Richie's style, and I love this look for the Met Ball, the velvet against the sheer fabric is very contemporary and gives off an edgy, almost gothic vibe which I think looks perfect with her tied back but slightly messy hair. Her minimal accessories and clutch bag are the perfect addition to the outfit.

Victoria Beckham wearing Victoria Beckham 
I've always had mixed feelings about what Victoria Beckham wears, however her latest collection has seriously won me over with her geometric, vibrant coloured bags and her classic silhouette dresses. This dress is one of my favourites from the ball as it is sleek, chic, classy, simplistic and stylish.

Reese Witherspoon wearing Stella McCartney

I'm still undecided about this look for Reese Witherspoon. Other than the colour obviously clashing with the red carpet, I love the corset type, dipped sweet neck style. I think it suits her figure incredibly and the fuchsia pink really stands out and is almost quite dramatic, and fits in well with the theme of the night. However, I'm not a huge fan of her hair and felt she would have suited a different colour.

Kate Bosworth wearing Stella McCartney 

I've always been a fan of Kate Bosworth's style as she combines boho, hippie chic with classic silhouettes and simple pieces. I love the peachy/salmon colour and the spaghetti straps as it is flattering on the shoulders and the cut outs on the waist give the dress a very contemporary look. 

Sourced from: http://cdn2-public.ladmedia.fr/var/public/storage/images/news/photos/photos-met-ball-2014-nicole-richie-tout-en-beaute-et-elegance-alors-qu-elle-serait-seule-et-malade-528534/photos-met-ball-2014-nicole-richie-tout-en-beaute-et-elegance-alors-qu-elle-serait-seule-et-malade-528535/6763420-1-fre-FR/Photos-MET-Ball-2014-Nicole-Richie-tout-en-beaute-et-elegance-alors-qu-elle-serait-seule-et-malade_portrait_w674.jpg 

http://i4.cdnds.net/14/19/618x900/victoria-beckham-costume-institute-gala-met-ball-new-york-may-2014.jpg 

http://www.gofugyourself.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/reese_witherspoon_met_gala_met_ball_488342705.jpg

http://cdn03.cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/headlines/2014/05/reese-witherspoon-met-ball-2014-red-carpet.jpg

Alexander Wang x H&M

Alexander Wang collection for H&M coming soon......

I'm not the biggest H&M fan, other than it being extremely hit or miss, the shops are always messy and the customer service is not one to brag about. Their collaborations over the years have included; Isabel Marant, Matthew Williamson, Versace, Stella McCartney, Sonia Rykiel and many many more. However I've never been one to line up for hours on opening day, or be at my laptop as soon as the items go on sale.

Alexander Wang being one of my favourite designers, with his simplistic, minimalistic, edgy, and beautiful silhouette designs, has got me extremely excited for November 6th, when he launches his collection at H&M. It is safe to say I can hardly wait.

There is no doubt about it, I will either be in the line outside H&M on November 6th, or staring at the H&M website refreshing the page until I purchase!

Sourced from: http://img2.timeinc.net/instyle/images/2014/WRN/041314-alexander-wang-h-and-m-594.jpg

The Beauty Edit

I decided that it was about time to blog about my staple beauty products. I always seem to be chopping and changing my beauty products as I tend to get bored and always enjoy trying new products out. These are a few items from my collection of makeup and beauty products which I swear by. 

1.  Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. One product which I swear by and force any of my friends and family to invest in, is Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream. With it retailing at around £25 it is fairly expensive, however it is something which I would advise absolutely everyone to purchase as it is completely worth the price! I use it at least three times a week and it is specifically good for dry lips, after about 5 minutes of applying it, you can really feel the difference! As someone who spends a lot of time curling and straightening their hair, I have become somewhat used to burning myself by accident, but not yet immune to the feeling. Eight Hour Cream is amazing for any small burns, it heals automatically without any blistering whatsoever! It is also perfect for any skin blemishes or dry skin areas.

2. KIKO Volume Mascara. This mascara from KIKO is a recent purchase of mine, I am always changing my mascara's as I feel they all give my eyelashes a completely different look and I am yet to find the perfect one. Before this mascara, I used a different KIKO one which I absolutely loved, but like I said I do get bored and I wanted to try something new, so I recently bought a different version of my previous one which focuses more on the volume of your lashes. It is also at a bargain of £3.50, so worth it!!

3. Maxfactor Face Finity. I use three different foundations, depending on my mood, my outfit, the occasion and so on. My current foundation at the moment which I absolutely love and recommend is Bobbi Brown liquid. However, for the past year I have been using Maxfactor Face Finity as a concealer. After purchasing it, I realised the colour was a tiny bit too pale for my skin tone, and as it is a primer, concealer, foundation all in one, I decided to experiment and use it primarily under my eyes and on any skin blemishes. It really works wonders and covers up any dark circles under your eyes.

4. Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream. I have been using this moisturising cream for over a year now, I have always used Nivea as I have sensitive skin and personally for me, I feel as though it works really well for me. I apply it twice a day, morning and night and before I apply any foundation.

5. MAC Bronzer. I have been using this MAC bronzer for the past few years, it is something which I only really use if I'm wearing heavy make up, or if I'm going out at night. I really recommend this product as is a really good texture, not too thick and not too thin and it stays on for hours without leaving any blotchy marks.

6. Benefit Benetint. I have been using Benetint for a few years, it's one of the best blushers I've used. It's quite expensive however I really recommend it as it gives you really natural blushed look.

7. Chanel Pressed Powder. I recently got this powder for Christmas. I previously used a Maxfactor pressed powder which worked really well, however the Chanel one gives you a really natural look, and is perfect for putting over foundation, although I also use it without foundation as it gives me a really natural sun kissed look.

8. Rimmel Eye Pen. I only ever really use eyeliner for when I'm going out at night as I feel it gives me a quite a dark heavy look. However, the Rimmel eye pen is really good as it easy to apply and not too messy.

9. Palmer's Cocoa Butter. I have used cocoa butter ever since I was little. It is a really good moisturiser and smells unbelievable. It is really good for dry skin, or even just to apply after the shower.

10. NARS lip pencil. I bought this NARS lip pencil about 2 years ago and I still haven't bought a new one! It is one of the best lipsticks/pencils I've ever used. It is really easy to apply, doesn't leave any lines and stays on for hours and hours. I really recommend any of the NARS lipsticks or lip pencils as they have always been a favourite of mine.



All imagery sourced from own photos.

Coachella

I must have been 13 years old when I discovered my love for California, not like I had ever been at that age, but years of watching Saved by the Bell and obsessing over their laid back style of moccasins and crochet tops, gave me a reason to believe that I would someday end up living there.

It was around that age that I also discovered Coachella, which is an annual music and arts festival situated in Indio, California in the Colorado Desert. It is a festival which has arguably fuelled opinions which believe that it focuses on the people who attend, i.e celebrities, rather than the actual music. As an avid music and festival lover, I can somewhat agree with this opinion. In recent years, with the advent of social media sites such as Instagram and Twitter, celebrities are more inclined to almost boast about their whereabouts, arguably making fans and followers of theirs, simply envious of their lifestyles. It is fairly obvious to see that the celebrities which I follow on Instagram, appear to be taking numerous amounts of infamous 'selfies,' rather than actually enjoying the music.

         

Naturally, being obsessed with fashion as I am with music, I have kept a close eye on the fashion at this year's Coachella. As much as I love the boho/hippie style which is emulated throughout the two weekends, it is viable to detect transparency through the obvious printed kimonos, headscarves, cut off shorts and trilby hats. Whilst I can sit here and give a somewhat negative opinion, I can also admit that my negativity comes with slight jealousy. If I was going to Coachella 2015, I can assure you all, that 6 months before I would have strategically planned my outfits, whether I was sporting a camel coloured trilby, or styling a 90's style choker with flowers in my hair, I would be going all out believe me.

The festival is spread over two weekends, and is a three day, two night festival. The Daily Mail Online and various other websites and social networking sites, have kept me up to date with the latest Coachella news by the hour. Whilst I'm sitting at home envious of these people whilst I type away re-drafting my 16,000 word dissertation and business plan, I can only dream of a time where I am able to experience the festival for myself.

All photos sourced from: http://www.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2014/04/21/the-best-coachella-photos-of-2014

Stripe-aholic

Anyone who knows me and the contents of my wardrobe, know that I have a terribly compulsive problem with buying anything striped. I still haven't figured out why, or how for that matter. I could probably count about 12 striped t-shirts/tops, 5 striped jumpers and maybe a good 3 or 4 crops. I guess it could be because stripes go with pretty much everything, and when I say everything I mean everything in my wardrobe, being 5 different pairs of black jeans, whether they are leather, ripped or high waisted ... my striped tops go with them all. You can pretty much create any type of style, whether you are going for an edgy, grunge look, sophisticated classy and parisian look or just a day to day casual style.

Here are some key items which I love.

1. Topshop Organza t-shirt - £22.00

2. Topshop high neck top - £40.00

3. Topshop long sleeved top - £30.00

4. Alexander Wang crop - £175

Photos sourced from:
http://www.topshop.com/
http://www.alexanderwang.com/

Clash of Co-Ords

As we are well and truly in the swing of Spring, I have been trawling the internet in search for a selection of perfect co-ords. Whilst I am seeing countless amounts of weather updates which state that it is going to be one of the hottest summer's in a long time, I feel like I should get together an array of top and shorts and top and skirts combos.

1. ASOS  2. Oh My Love  3. Oh My Love  4. Missguided 

All photos sourced from:

http://www.missguided.co.uk/

http://www.asos.com/women/

http://www.ohmylovelondon.com/

Slip on slides.. yay or nay?

Whilst I'm still deciding whether I could pull of this season's new trend...the leather pool sliders, I have been trawling the Internet in search of the perfect summer shoe. There are copious amount of high end designers and high street designers pulling out all the stops and either creating stylish summer sandals, or re-creating designer look a likes. 

This collection of leather pool sliders are all designer sandals. With the Chloe and Tibi shoes being my favourite but far out of my price range, I have located some cheaper, high street ones which I feel are the perfect replica of the high end shoe.

Zara white platform, black and gold leather strapped pool sliders - £59.99

ASOS black and red pool sliders - £25.00

With their being mixed reviews on the stylish new summer staple, I really like the trend and am already picturing myself wearing them with my black ripped vintage Levi shorts or a my grey ribbed Topshop dress..both perfect for the Summer.


All photos sourced from:
http://www.net-a-porter.com/
http://www.asos.com/women/
http://www.zara.com/

Thylane Blondeau

I was recently procrastinating and scrolling through the pages of the fashion telegraph online, and came across an article about a young model called Thylane Bondeau. She is a 12 year old model who has already appeared on the cover of Vogue, been the face of Lacoste and posed seductively in front of the camera for a french magazine. Every article that I've read about her has sparked controversy, with photos of the then 10 year old girl posing with a significant amount of makeup on her face, wearing heels and provocative clothing.

               

With Thylane's face all over various magazines, it is hard not to feel envious of her, but how can we justify being jealous of a 12 year old girl? In my opinion, it is considered as unhealthy for women and girls to look at girl of such young age in the way that she is perceived. Being a model exerts pressure at any age, especially for someone as young as Thylane, to be at the backlash of controversial comments, and receive criticism from model agencies and industry professionals that constantly put pressure on her to look and act a certain way. It is seriously detrimental to the way these young models grow up and will continually ignite debate over whether this is deemed as acceptable, even in the self-obsessed, youth obsessed, beauty obsessed society that we are currently living in.

All photos sourced from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2588272/Controversial-Child-Model-Thylane-Blondeau-Covers-Jalouse-Magazine.html

Outfit Build

It's probable to say that I have an online shopping window shopping obsession.... which means that I spend the majority of my free time trawling the internet looking at online retailers... but not actually buying anything. Although this benefits me in the long term, I am slowly building up outfits in my head which I am so adamant on purchasing. These are a few items which I have found this week which I love.

Topshop turtle ribbed top - £34.00

Topshop dark grey ripped jeans - £38.00

Topshop white leather rucksack - £34.00

H&M black leather boots - £69.99

Topshop sunglasses - £14.00

Topshop denim shift dress - £36.00

All photos sourced from: 

http://www.topshop.com/

http://www.hm.com/gb/

A date for the diary

Hooray for the minimalistic fashion lovers! March 21st was a date in the diary for Celine's new store to open on London's notable Mount Street. Obviously my schedule is a little busy at the moment, whilst I am currently writing a combination of an 8000 word dissertation with an 8000 word business plan, therefore my hopes to visit the store this past weekend failed miserably. Therefore I will have to dream about being surrounded by trapeze handbags and skate slip-ons.

March Look

Quite typically, as soon as the March weather started to progressively get warmer, my mind decided that we'd skipped Spring and gone straight on to Summer. Although I'm bracing myself for the next rain storm, my mind is still set on some Summer staples. I love this white ribbed Topshop Boutique sweatshirt, especially paired with these red Zara heels which perfectly compliments the sweater. I also took a liking to these patterned ankle grazer jeans which are from Topshop, with a black leather backpack from Whistles. To finish it off, I chose this red Topshop lipstick which personally, is one of my favourite lip colours!

Mary Kate & Ashley

I have always been a fan of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen ever since I can remember, and for the past 2 years my friends and I have been trawling the Internet in hopes to find a website which streamed one of my favourite movies of their's 'It Takes Two.' Thankfully, Amazon saved our what seemed to feel like a life long search, so we ordered it online and spent an evening re-living our childhood whilst feeling extremely nostalgic.

Mary Kate and Ashley decided to swap their acting careers and pursue a career in fashion with their fashion labels; The Row, Elizabeth & James and StyleMint. They have always been fashion inspiration for me, and have developed their own individual styles. Ashley depicts more of a simplistic, elegant, natural style, whilst Mary Kate tends to aim for a more edgy, bohemian, grungy sense of style.  

All photos sourced from: http://www.justjared.com/tags/olsen-twins/

    

Summer Sandals

During my Dissertation writing breaks, I have been trawling the Internet in search for some Summer sandals. I've found that Zara, ASOS and Topshop have been the best, in terms of price and style. I've always loved espadrilles, and worn my navy Office ones religiously for the past couple of years, which have now sadly ruined, due to wearing them in at a festival last Summer. 

Whilst visiting Topshop the other week, I noticed their white two-tone leather espadrilles which seriously caught my eye. I also love the two tone taupe peep-toes from Topshop, which would go perfect with a pair of plain black jeans, tapered trousers or a pair of high waisted vintage denim shorts. 

With the weather getting considerably warmer, I'm starting to get overly excited that Summer is approaching, however it will be impossibly hard for me to be prepared to ditch my 6 pairs of black wintery boots (yes I have a black boot problem) and opt for the open toe sandal. 

Topshop Two tone taupe and white peep-toes £32

Topshop Shiny beige leather slip on, espadrille sole £39.99

Topshop Black leather peep-toes £32

Topshop White espadrille shoes £45

Zara Leather sandal with metal detail £39.99

Zara Leather white ankle strap sandals £39.99

ASOS black and orange sandals £40

Celine has been a major inspiration for many of the high street stores, in terms of their 'slip ons' and 'slipper' type sandals. Not to mention, the camel coloured oversized coat below, with the camel coloured open toe slip on sandals is personally a perfect look!

All photos sourced from: 

http://www.topshop.com/

http://www.zara.com/

http://www.asos.com/women/

Supermarket Sweep

The A/W '14 Chanel collection at Paris Fashion Week had to have been by far the most talked about show over the past few weeks. Karl Lagerfeld turned the Grand Palais into Chanel's very own Supermarket. Shelves were stocked full of lots of Chanel goodies, and trollies were being pushed around by the likes of Joan Smalls and Cara Delevigne.

The collection consisted of candy pink tweed suits, metallic accents on jeans and leggings, silver quilted jackets, oversized coats, dogtooth prints, oversized knitted jumpers and knitted crops. Massive pearl necklaces and chains were used for accessories which added to the theme of the collection.

The overall collection displayed a very Pop Art vibe, depicting a very fun and playful atmosphere, which all tied in extremely well with the theme of the show. 

   

 

All images sourced from:
http://www.stylebubble.co.uk/style_bubble/2014/03/supermarket-sweep-chez-chanel.html
http://www.elle.com/news/fashion-style/chanel-fall-2014-runway-show-supermarket-decor