OOTD; back to cheeky blogging!

shirt; topshop, skirt; H&M, shoes; topshop bag; topshop

I put my hands up, I really am such an irregular blogger, I'M SORRY! Work has taken over my life, but hopefully with a little more time on my hands I can throw a few outfit posts in a bit more regularly.....

Spring has (kind of) arrived and as usual I'm far too early to bust out my summer wardrobe and consequently am left shivering on the train platform wondering why the hell I thought it was warm enough to go without a coat yet. I'm currently updating my wardrobe with a few key pieces for spring, though I can't say my ghost like complexion will be covered with pastel jeans/tops/anything (even the thought makes me shudder, oh why was I not born with an olive skin tone? WHY?) but I am 100% on the vibrant bandwagon. This summer I'm determined to get braver with colour blocking and failing that wear a statement bright piece rather than wimping out like last year ("I'm interpreting the colour blocking trend by painting my nails green" zzzzzzz!).

 I still love a sheer shirt, this is my FAVE because of the clever black panel across the boobs so I don't have to bother with a black vest top underneath, the time putting one whole extra layer on in a morning could be much better spent asleep in bed, just think about it!

xoxoxoxox

OOTD; New Years Eve

Peter Pan Collar Top; LOVE at Topshop, Skirt; Rare at Topshop, Bag; H&M, Shoes; New Look, Nail Polish; Petrol In The Water by Andrea Fulerton.

I've laughed, moaned and drunk through probably the most bizarre year of my life, and I plan to spend tonight the exact same way (can't resist a moan even on new years). It's not been the best year, I learnt a lot and lost a lot but here's hoping that next year will be a massive improvement!

My cheeky new years resolution is definitely to get the blog back on track, I know I'm the shittest when it comes to making regular posts, I promise I'll try to be more consistent next year I just haven't had bloody time!

Hope you all have a beautiful New Years Eve! I shall be back to my blogging best in 2012 should I survive tonight in these shoes, bearing in mind the last time they had an outing I nearly snapped my ankle in half and had to cling onto the best friend all night - and this was sober....

xoxoxoxoxo

OOTD #016; This Ain't No Home, It's Hardly A House....

sheer shirt; LOVE at topshop shorts; matalan top; new look bag; H&M ring; matalan

Quick OOTD for you all! I'm trying to get the last use out of my summer clothes and adding some tights to take the end of Autumn chill off! I've had a beautiful weekend of shopping and catching up with my high school friends (shamefully impulse buying a "sheriff" badge.... good for a fancy dress party?!) and generally chilling out and planning out my Autumn/Winter wardrobe with the help of Elle Magazine! I had my interview for a job at H&M on friday afternoon at at 5pm friday night they called me back and I GOT THE JOB! Which means I'm now officially employed and my life is back on track :) Apparently H&M have really intense training and I'm doing mine at the H&M in Market Street, if you guys have shopped in Manchester you'll know how busy it can get, so that should be fun?! 

Anyway, tonight I'm looking forward to Dragons Den and ofcourse the #bbloggers chat on twitter at 8. Both clash with each other, so as usual I'll be turning my head madly between the TV and my laptop!

Anyway, hope all you beauts had gorgeous weekends!

xoxoxoxoxo

Have You Ordered YOUR H&M Catalogue Yet?!

This morning I was expecting my gorgeous Boudoir Prive box, but it seems everyone in the world apart from me has got theirs (I'm not making any comments on the box until I've got it) and I'll be honest - I completely forgot I ordered this. I think they come every season showing you their new range, this time of course, AUTUMN (my favourite season!). I haven't heard much about this new order style H&M have started doing, basically you can order a catalogue FREE off the H&M website and then either order what you want from the site or via the order form you get. I prefer seeing things in catalogues compared to online, the colours are usually so much more true to life. I was so pleasantly surprised when I started looking through this, it's easily one of the best high street collections I've seen. I could quite happily spend my money on the majority of clothes in here, H&M got it completely spot on for autumn and for a lot cheaper than Topshop, River Island, and more recently New Look (when the hell did they get pricey anyway?!). Anyway I've picked out and taken pictures of things I will definitely be splashing the cash on. 

I've been looking for some leather look leggings for SO long, I always seem to find them when all the good sizes have gone or something, but these I really like, because although the front panel is leather-look, the back is good old legging material, making them SO much comfier and means you won't spend half an hour trying to get them on and off!

I work the slouchy jumper and leggings/jeans combo FAR too much in autumn, and this jumper is right up my street. It's a similar style to one topshop did about the same time last year with the pockets in LOADS of different colours (see here if you have no idea what I'm on about!)

There's something about ponchos that automatically brings me to a visual image of season one ugly betty, where betty sports a really erm.... interesting poncho (horrific picture here). But this however looks GORGEOUS! This looks massive and cosy and completely right for autumn/winter, I honestly can't wait to get my hands on one, and £14.99?! Expect a similar thing from Topshop for about £38 :)

If you haven't got a parka, this one looks LUSH! Parkas are definitely a must this winter, and with every high street fashion store doing their own version, at the moment this is my firm favourite, and I'm going to have to restrain myself adding to my already ridiculous coat collection!

For me this is what catalogue shopping is all about. This jacket on a hanger, I'd probably walk straight past. Nothing particularly special, something I could live without. However on the model it is something else! I have a feeling I'll be rushing out for this, plus the lush acid wash jeans she's wearing.

If I could, I'd probably wear bodycon skirts for the rest of my life, genuinely. This definitely needs to be added to my collection, such a gorgeous and subtle take on colour blocking and instant update to make your wardrobe on trend for Autumn/Winter. And with a skirt like that, even with nude and black accessories, you're still going to stand out!

This dress is so gorgeous I don't even have any words. The colour is so autumn/winter and looks a lot more expensive than £15! I love the way the models have been styled in the catalogue, this look with the jeans and scarf just looks.... amazing. amazing amazing amazing.

And don't we all just love H&M for accessories?! These were the first thing to catch my eye on the jewellery front, I have a feeling I'll be collecting them all!

H&M never disappoint with jewellery lets be honest, and these pieces are definitely things I'll be looking out for in my local store. Everything is so affordable and yet, doesn't look like you've raided Claire's Accessories.

I want this in ALL 3 colours! I really couldn't believe when I saw these were £14.99, they have such a Mulberry look to them! The colours of the bags were really cleverly chosen, all three look completely right for autumn, and I am so torn which to make my a/w bag of choice!

On the shoe front, these definitely caught my eye, the fringe detail, the moccasin style, the fact they're an ankle boot, which I have a massive weakness for. These are calling my name, and again, SO CHEAP! The way Primark prices are speeding up, I'd be surprised if you could get better value anywhere else.

And I never knew H&M did homeware? Maybe it's a new thing. Everything was gorgeous in the home section, with Cath Kidston inspired florals to cute and quirky doormats such as this one, I'm very tempted to buy, who doesn't want a compliment as they walk through the door?! ;)

For me, the back page of this catalogue sums my Autumn style up perfectly. I want massive ponchos and cardigans, slouchy jumpers and tops, tight jeans and leggings and absolutely gorgeous accessories. I honestly do think that H&M are absolutely spot on this season, and I have a good feeling it'll be where I'll be picking up the majority of my Autumn/Winter wardrobe! I'm completely shocked by how low the prices are for the clothes and styles being sold, they seem to be the only shop that haven't ridiculously hitched their prices up. Definitely check out your local store or online.... OR order your catalogue here FREE!

xoxoxoxoxox

OOTD #015; She Buys Me Chips and Cheese and I Tell Her That I Love Her, That She's All I Need...

top; H&M, skirt; topshop, bag; H&M, shoes; primark ring; matalan

Hi lovelys!

I'm aware this outfit is a bit marmite, personally I like it. I like the bright pink and marigold combination, usually I'm really subtle with colour blocking but I've been meaning to try these two together since I bought these pieces. I'm so happy brights and colour blocking are here to stay through Autumn/Winter, I've loved all the colour in my wardrobe this summer! I'm already excited about the gorgeous jumpers that are going to hit shops soon! (I know, I know.... it's only august.)

Inspiration from;

Miss Olivia Palermo ofcourse! 

I've never tried any cream-to-powder foundations, because I didn't really think they were something that would suit my dry skin. However when this was advertised for dry/normal skin I had to give it a go, especially as there was a deal where if you bought selected makeup you could get a foundation of your choice for £2! I apply this with a Sigma F80 brush as opposed to the sponge that comes with the foundation, and they work like a dream together. The colour "ivory" is the lightest shade in the range, and fits my skin perfectly. This claims to be a foundation, concealer and powder in one, and I'd pretty much agree on the foundation and concealer part, as you can see from my outfit picture, I have a lot of redness and blemishes on my face aswell as dark circles, but with the foundation (I used NO concealer!) my skin is completely flawless. The only thing I have a problem with is that this ISN'T a cream-to-powder foundation, it never turns to a powder, it just stays as a cream and for that reason I'd say it's not very suitable for oily skin as it does give a dewy finish and would not be long lasting on oily skin. This isn't something I'll be using right now, as it is very high coverage, but this is definitely a shout for anyone wanted a high coverage foundation, I'll be using it for nights out when I want flawless skin and the winter, I usually use a lot less coverage in the summer!

Also I realised yesterday, it's VERY close to exam results time, infact I get my results in about a weeks time as far as I'm aware, so good luck to everybody! I'm not returning to college in September so it's not the end of the world if I don't get decent results, but I put so much hard work in beforehand I'm really hoping I'm pleasantly surprised!

I haven't really posted in the past few days because there was a lot going on England in way of riots, and in all honesty I've spent most of my time watching sky news and seeing the Miss Selfridge I was hoping to get a pair of shoes from this weekend go up in flames, not nice!

Anyway, I hope you all have a gorgeous weekend and hopefully we've seen the end of the riots!

xoxoxoxox

OOTD #014; Come On Skinny Love, Just Last The Year....

cardi; Miss Selfridge, dress; h&m, rings; Matalan, Topshop, H&M, bag; Primark, wedges; Newlook, lipstick; Sleek Heartbreaker.

Hello lovelys! It's been so HOT in Manc today, for the majority of the day I've literally been out in the garden in my bikini reading a load of magazines, but I'm going out later for a little bit, so I thought I'd just quickly post my outfit now I'm changed. I think some of the nicest outfits are the simplest, and this is perfect for evening when it starts to go a little bit cool in england - knowing my luck now it'll be humid o'clock! Still loving these wedges from New Look... you can't really go wrong with New Look for shoes can you?! I'm obsessed with Sleek Lipsticks in a major way, I'm flicking between my collection on a day to day basis from my nude bare all to todays heartbreaker. I'm definitely going to pick up some pout paints next time I'm at a superdrug which stocks them, I've read about 248104830213 blog posts on them today and I NEED them in my life! Oh, and I'm hoping to do a leopard print nail tutorial soon, so watch out for that!

Hope you all have lovely evenings!

xoxoxoxox

Haul; Primark, Topshop, H&M, Bourjois etc.

So I did a bit of shopping this weekend and I thought I'd show you all a few of the things I bought :)

Primark;

I love these bags, and for £6 I had to pick up both colours. For once they're not that cheap shiny plastic, and they look a bit chanel-esque what with the quilting and the chain, so obviously I had to have them!

This little beaut was in the sale for £3 so I popped it in my basket straight away! I love the patterns and how cute and small it is!

The standard stock up of tights! Such a bargain at £2.50 for 3 pairs!

Various skinny belts, I love the bright colours on these, will look so cute of contrasting dresses or tops!

A cheapo umbrella, because mine always break!

These lace sock things because they are the only thing I'll wear on my feet really, I hate socks.

Sorry I'm wearing this today! I've seen a lot of bloggers with this and saying it fits "weirdly" but on me it's actually quite flattering, so I'm not complaining! Looks very Zara to me, so for £6, it's worth trying on in store :) Even though how ridiculous are the queues for primark changing rooms?! Eurgh!

Haha I LOVE wearing these for days I just can't be bothered, so I had to stock up on some pretty colours. The purple, mulberry kinda colour was only in a size 14 so I bought it anyway, and I'll probably tuck it into high waisted shorts or something :)

I'm not really sure what drew me to this, but I liked the kinda mustard colour far too much so I found myself buying it! I'll probably wear it with leggings and a long top underneath :)

H&M;

I bought this purely because of the colour, since the whole "marigold" colour came into fashion I've been looking for something everyday that colour, and this fits the bill completely, and for 7 quid! Lovely!

Topshop;

I found these two in Topshop "last chance to buy" section and I just HAD to have them! They're such pretty colours and completely fit in with the colour blocking trend, so I snapped them both up, luckily the blue was in a size 8 and the pink in size 10, which is slightly baggy but, I don't mind eating a few more cakes to fit into it!

Tesco;

In Tesco they were selling off a lot of make-up so I snapped up this bourjois lipstick and it's SO pretty and moisturising. It's called "Red Kiss" and it was down to just under £5!

I've been meaning to try out Bourjois eye shadows for so long! They were selling some off, and these were such gorgeous I couldn't resist! I love the dark emerald colour on the left and the beautiful blue! I can't wait to try these out!

And last but not least, my gorgeous Sigma F80 came through the post, so thankyou so much to this lovely blog I won it from! Definitely worth checking out lovelys!

And that's it! Hope you all had a lovely day!

xoxoxoxoxox

OOTD #012; Her Kisses May Be A Beautiful Art, But She Don't Really Care About Your Heart...

top - primark shorts - matalan rings - h&m and topshop

This is definitely my favourite way to wear a crop. I don't think I'd EVER be confident enough to get my stomach full on out in the UK, and if I did I'd be so conscious of it the entire time it wouldn't even be worth it. Definitely a fan of crops combined with something high waisted and just letting the smallest part of your waist show though, definitely the most flattering! My nail polish has chipped like a bitch, time to invest in a more expensive top coat than natural collection I think?! I'm having the annual haircut tonight, and I genuinely mean annual, it gets cut once a year before holiday every year. Last year was a massive cut (the hairdressers choice, not mine), so this time around I'm going to much more strict on her and get about an inch and a half off. I'm going on holiday to Tenerife on friday, so you'll obviously see a lack of posts (well, none at all) for the two weeks I'm away. I'm starting the packing tomorrow, because I usually think I have something I don't, go in full panic mode at the last minute that I actually chucked out that pair of really comfy flip flops last year etc, so wednesday afternoon/thursday morning packing allows me the rest of thursday to rush to the shops and buy something if I need to.

I'll probably to a "what's in my travel bag" post before I go, and if I get time, a post of actually packing my suitcase. I'm trying to dramatically downsize, luckily the past few years we've been given extra baggage allowance so I've gone a bit mad, but this year although we've still got the baggage allowance I'm gonna try and keep it light, and then I can pick up lots while I'm away.

I'm thinking about picking up a couple of perfumes in duty free, if you have any recommendations let me know! I'm definitely repurchasing my Miss Dior Cherie, but I fancy trying something else aswell :)

xoxoxoxox

OOTD #010; I Turned My Back, You Were Gone In A Flash..

vest top; topshop shorts; matalan rings; h&m and primark shoes; new look.

I keep trying to do OOTDs but it's always raining these days so have an inside one. I love these shorts that look like a skirt skorts. I've been watching Wimbledon a LOT (not really sure why) and tidying up. The past few days have involved being driven around with one of my friends who's just passed her driving test, becoming obsessed with starting to drive and having a stressful experience in the photobooth getting my provisional photo, and searching for jobs (fun fun fun!). Anyway back to the tidying up, check this crazy organisation out!

Yeah, I really am so bored I've sorted out my dressing table thing out, put my Barry M nail polish into colour order and finally put all my most used rings onto my cat ring thing ;)

Question; Where do you guys store your earrings?!

This is my current method of storage, yep that's right. a clay "bowl" I made when I was about eight years old. It does the job but it doesn't exactly look pretty haha!

I'm going to meet my lovely friend Hannah in town tomorrow, so I'll be testing my self restraint and heading into Boots and Superdrug to buy these bits and bobs, and stick to my spending ban!

Models Own "Disco Ball" Nail Polish

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain and Balm in Flame

Max Factor Lasting Lip Tint in Nice 'n' Nude

Natural Collection Tinted Moisturiser in Fair

MUA Pro Palette in Starry Night

So you might be seeing a good old haul tomorrow if I'm successful!

Btw, slightly random one but, does anybody else put a plaster over their finger when their nail breaks and looks really short and ugly?! Please say I'm not the only one!

(apologies for the shit webcam quality!)

Hope you all had a good day lovelys!

xoxoxoxox

OOTD #009; I'm So Clever, But Clever Ain't Wise...

cape style cardigan - topshop (not available in UK anymore, and sold out in US)

oversized t shirt - just a basic tee from mens section of matalan i think, then i just cut the collar.

bodycon skirt - topshop

rings - topshop and H&M

FINALLY the sun is out! It's the first time in weeks I've been out without an umbrella, so happy! I spent the day lazing around, I really am SO bored it's unbelievable, I'm going away in a few weeks so it's useless applying for jobs until I get back, so for about 3 weeks I have to entertain myself while all my friends are still in college, rubbish! Today I gave my room a bit of a tidy and came to the conclusion I have far too many clothes, I literally nearly got suffocated by the mass of tops trying to fit one more in the wardrobe! I'm definitely gonna try out a spending ban on certain things, I'll probably blog more about it tomorrow. It was so beautiful in the garden today, one of my neighbours has moved out and the new people haven't moved in yet, so it was brilliant to go out and not have his aggressive dog barking at me through the hedge every time I move an inch! My other neighbour is in her 80s and doesn't open the windows let alone venture outside so it's so lovely and peaceful! My nails are chipping like mad and I need to redo them pronto, so tonights plans are to have a look at some youtube nail art videos and get some inspiration!

Hope you guys saw the sun briefly too! xoxoxoxox