The H&M Blazer and a new kind of Ombre

I have always felt a little too chunky to carry off the boyfriend blazer trend but a shopping trip to H&M a few weeks ago had me changing my mind.

I guess it's not a boyfriend blazer in the traditional sense but it is far less structured and fitted than my normal choice of blazer.  It hangs quite lose over the body with relaxed rolled up sleeves and loose roomy pockets.  For £19.99 (*i think*) it was too much of a snip to miss out on.  

Because it's a creamy off-white, I do feel I need to be tanned up to carry it off well but it's such a versatile jacket that can be worn with anything - proof of this is the fact I haven't had it off my back since I bought it.  

Case in point ... 

Super casual, t-shirt (Marc Jacobs), Scarf (Warehouse), jeans (unseen), trainers (unseen)

Smart Casual for a spot of shopping.  Vest (H&M), Necklace (Topshop), Wax look trousers (H&M), Snake Print bag (Mango), Studded pumps (unseen) 

Dressed up with a sequin cape for a quick makeover to take me into the evening.  Cape (Topshop), Vest (H&M), dark blue jeans (Primark), stilettos (unseen)

I also decided to bring back the ombre this week but a much more subtle version courtesy of the wonderful Stacie, whose blog you can read here.  It gives a much more sunkissed appearance than my first foray into Ombre but I will probably take it a few shades lighter on my next visit to see Stacie.  

A more natural red/auburn dye with bleached ombre weaved into the ends 

I am absolutely loving the new hair and have been wearing it in a middle parting more often just for a change.  My hair has also grown so long, at last there is so much I can do with it! :) 

What item of clothing are you obsessing over at the moment? 

x

Clashing Prints

I spent the weekend 'doon tha toon' ... in Newcastle.  Well, Gateshead to be exact.

Friday was spent with Florence and her Machine ... and what a talented soul she is.  It's my 3rd time seeing Flo and she never disappoints.  I was a little apprehensive about the bigger production of the show to previous gigs but I needn't have worried, I was there for a voice, and a voice is what I got! Oh, and a cape. A stunning, flowing, bejewelled cape.  WANT.

I managed to get some grizzly outfit shots after the gig on our way into town.

Scarf print trousers: Matalan
Heels: Dune
Black top: Zara
Leather Jacket: Esprit
Bag: Mango
Jewellery: Mixture of Topshop, ROX, Links of London

I went for bold scarf print jeans that I picked up (last week) for a snip at £20 from the 'Be Beau' range at Matalan.  I love the colour, print and fit of these jeans.  Probably not the best quality but in my eyes, it's fast fashion, I'm sure in 6 months time I will have no interest in wearing them again so I'd rather spend less.

The clashing red snake-print clutch is a vintage Mango purchase.  Well, that's if you count an 8 year old purchase as vintage.  I do ... ;)  I had my friends give me the okay on the clashing prints as I wasn't sure if it was all a bit too much but they gave the thumbs up and in the end I loved the juxtaposition of both patterns.

What do you think of clashing prints? Do you dare?
x

OOTD: Direct your feet to the sunny side of the street

After about a fortnight of grey clouds and constant rain, Friday finally gave us some sun :)

It was a scorcher in Glaswegian terms but since I was working then spray tanning on Friday, I only managed to catch mid afternoon/evening but even then it was still lovely & warm and to top it off, it stayed light late into the night.  Just how summer should feel.

I go for easy clothing on summer days and tend to make use of accessories.  Because I also had just had a spray tan I needed to wear something that wouldn't rub the tan or leave any lines behind so I opted for a navy strapless maxi dress from ASOS.  The dress is described as navy but it has a definite purple tinge about it... it's quite bright.

catalogue posing into the distance!

A pair of gladiator sandals for comfort, again from ASOS.  They are a peachy, tan shade but they only thing that let's them down is their velcro fastening instead of a buckle.

excuse the hideous tootsies!

 

I accessorised with a multi layered bead necklace from H&M.  The browns and turquoise really set off the navy in the dress.  I also wore my Mango rayban-esque sunnies which I love.  They add a bit of cool to any outfit.

My hair is being quite awkward at the moment and I am waiting to get it re-done again so I tend to just scrape it up in a top knot these days.  Estee Lauder Orange Crush gloss is becoming a bit of a permanent feature in my make up this week and again wore it on this sunny Friday as it seemed a perfect choice to celebrate the mini heatwave (which only lasted a day by the way!).

Has everyone else been enjoying good weather?

x

Not just for pirates ...

I promised I would get back on track with outfit posts and when I make a promise, I always deliver.

So here is today's outfit ... it was a quick throw together for an early start at work (casual Friday) but it had to be pub/shopping appropriate as I originally planned to head into town when I was done.

I searched high and low in H&M's across the city for these faux leather patch leggings.  It became frustrating that whenever I did find them they were all in tiny or huge sizes ... eventually my search paid off and I found them hidden in a rail of regular leggings.   I can't tell you enough how comfy they are to wear and just look great with so many things.  They work a casual smart look terrifically.

On top I went for an H&M semi sheer blouse which dips down at the back hiding my big booty that will no doubt be struggling with gravity in my leggings.  Jewellery was at a minimum today as I was rushing out the house at 7.30am there wasn't much I could find or even be bothered to look for.

I wore my Mango trench style spring jacket even though it's still pretty chilly.  I love this jacket but the belt has broken and the shoulder buttons have fallen off ... to disguise this I threw on my trusty H&M fur stole over it which transforms it into something a little Burberry-esque.  Wow, nearly a full outfit from H&M!

I don't normally lie on the wooden floor, just for you guys ;)

Shoes were my trusty Dune wedge shoe boots.  Honestly, these shoes have hardly been off my feet since I got them, they are so comfortable and give me an added bit of height that I need.  And to think I considered returning them!

You might also notice my new hair colour.  As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I got rid of my ombre hair and have gone for an all over shade of chestnut which over my natural auburn locks turns out quite a nice reddy shade.  I kept the length in my hair even though my ends make go lighter quicker but this will hopefully just give a sunkissed look.  Now my hair is bridesmaid ready! :)

x

Grand Central - what I wore ... and MUFE HD thoughts

If you have read my previous post you will know I attended the launch party for the Grand Central Hotel this week.

It was a mid week affair and I had to quickly dash home to get changed before heading to the hotel.  Now, with a launch party like this there is no dress code stated ... I had no idea if it was as fancy as black tie or if it was simply smart casual.  I decided to go with smart casual basically because I had very little time to spruce myself up in between finishing work and arriving at the event.

It turned out many people had pulled out all the stops with their outfits with evening gowns strutting by me through the corridors but likewise many business people attending had obviously come straight from the office so in the end I think I struck a nice balance. 

I wore my River Island cropped leather trousers, Zara leopard print shoes, black Mango tee, Mango fitted blazer, my worn to death H&M faux fur stole and my everyday Balenciaga bag. 

Rabbit caught in the headlights!

It was a really comfortable choice but looking at this photo, something isn't quite right.  My face looks grey ... or even greige.  Looking back I thought that my make up brushes were to blame - they are long overdue a good wash - but I think the real culprit is my foundation. 

I decided to go for a change in  my foundation that evening and went with MUFE HD Foundation in shade 125.  I know this is a much loved foundation by beauty bloggers and I have always been quite partial to it myself.  Everything starts off well with this foundation, the packaging is sleek and comes with a pump which I think should be a must have for all foundations going forward.  However, I normally notice after a few hours wear I start to look really tired and my skin starts to look almost saggy as if my foundation is slipping off my face.  For this reason I tend to only wear it when I know I won't be out long enough for it to start looking tired. 

I now feel that maybe this foundation isn't worth the hype or the price seeing as I can only get a few hours decent wear out of it.  When first applied my skin looks lovely - it offers medium coverage which easily builds to full coverage if desired, it also gives a dewy effect without necessarily requiring a powder or blotting. 

One of the selling points about this foundation is that it is supposed to photograph well.  For me, this photo is evidence that I (personally) do not photograph well wearing it.  My skin looks washed out to the point of dull and I look like I have done 6 rounds with Tyson and need a week long kip.  I can even see that my eyeshadow and blush don't seem to sit well layered over it.

MUFE HD isn't the only foundation I have found that photographs badly on me, so too does Revlon Photoready - again a foundation whose selling point is that you photograph well in it.  Estee Lauder Double Wear also doesn't photograph well for me but is a foundation I adore ...and I just make sure I avoid camera's when wearing it ;)

At the moment I think I will stick to my Rituals foundation if I think I may face the camera lens but I am keen to investigate other foundations that work well in photographs?

What do you recommend?

x

I like a woman who's got some balls ...

Another party look for you - this time for a surprise birthday party.

My favourite colour is navy and i think there is nothing that compliments it as well as black. A long time ago someone told me I should NEVER pair the 2 colours together but I have gone against their (not so good advice) many a time and love it.

Navy dress/top:Primark; Black faux leather skirt; Miss Selfridge; Navy suedette boots: Stradivarius
Accessories as usual for me were statement pieces with a pewter coloured metal ball necklace and bracelet from Mango along with my Vivienne Westwood skull ring and a hand crafted silver ring from a Thai workshop in Chiang Mai. I chose to wear my Mango moc croc bag again, it just seems to go with everything and is such a great size for fitting in my make up, phone, purse, perfume, hankies, anti bacterial spray .... la la la the list is endless!

I have a wardrobe overflowing with bags, shoes, clothes but when it comes to dressing up to go out I always seem to go for the same fail safe items. Maybe doing regular OOTD posts will help me mix it up a bit.

x

What about Lunch?

Wooaah I am on a roll here!

This is what I wore on a rather hungover day to go for lunch with some old friends. Bad quality photos but I am hoping to have a new camera soon ... then I can up the ante.

I tweeted about this particular tee-shirt, if you can call it that and had a few of my twitter pals show some interest in what it looked like.

It's faux leather from H&M and a sale bargain at £7! It's a great twist on a casual look. I wore it with a grey H&M vest underneath, dark wash Primark jeans (yes, primark - i really do love their jeans), Warehouse leopard print scarf and Black suedette boots from Matalan - another bargain buy!

I teamed with my gorgeously cosy Gharani Strok fur jacket that I picked up in TK Maxx a couple of months ago. Anyone else remember Gharani Strok? I also wore my wonderful vintage Gucci bag that my husband picked up in LA ... which I blogged about here. I still haven't had the zip fixed yet so will need to do that soon.
Accessories wise I went for my gorgeous Mulberry bracelet that unfortunately scratched to bits after I had a bit of a fall while wearing it :( my gold Swatch watch which always gets a compliment and no one can ever believe it's swatch ... and my pink Mango ring which I really should wear more often.A fabulous lunch was had by all but seriously this time of year really takes it out you. 2011 has seen me bedridden with flu which seems to have morphed into tonsilitis :( - must get better and back on track with a decent healthy diet and a strict exercise regime.

x

There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow

New Year was brought in at a friends club night - Compact Disco at the Black Sparrow. Great night, great tunes, great company ... and a very very sore head and poor memory the next day.

As one of the many changes I would like to make to my blog this year ... Outfit posts are one of the main things I want to introduce. What better way to start than to show you my New Year get up. In keeping with a bird theme I went for full on feathers ... and of course as mentioned in a previous post ... my love for leather is still going strong. Feather and Leather. Nice ring to it.
Feather cape: ASOS; Black Boob tube: Topshop; Leather trousers: River Island; Moc Croc bag: Mango; Wedge heels: New Look

I went with the comfiest shoes I could find as it was a night of dancing, fun and frolics ... normally I would have gone for a long skinny heel with these trousers.
Accessories were kept low key as the feather cape was the statement piece of the outfit.
Bauble bracelet: Mango; Friendship bracelet: Links of London; Rolex: FAKE; Bling Ring: Marc Jacobs

Make up was quite bronzed using Illamasqua powdered metal in Erzule on cheeks and eyes. I used MACs Deep Truth (gorgeous dark blue/navy) underneath the eye and lined with Shu Uemura painting liner in night blue, using the Kimberley Walsh festival lashes by eyelure to finish off (I cut off the end feathers from the lashes to suit).

Lips were simply glossed using Estee Lauder extravagant ruby. I used Mac's sun moon and stars as a blush and cream colour base in Pearl to highlight the inner corner of the eye.

My finished look was statement while remaining comfortable enough for a night of fun twinkling my toes on the dancefloor.

How did everyone else spend Hogmanay?

x

Mango Mix and Match

A bit like a pick'n' mix, Mango now have a mix and match facility on their website, and let me tell you, it's as addictive as a pick 'n' mix!

Until now I have played around on websites such as polyvore creating dream outfits for myself or saving ideas of future wardrobe purchases but the difference with Mango's version is that it offers you up a model in her underwear to clothe head to toe in your fantasy clothing combinations.

It's a pretty cool tool but I do wish I could change up the models hair and make up a l'il bit ... she looks a bit bland without some zesty orange lippy or ombre hair ;) Nevertheless she is a great clotheshorse for trying different garments together and in my case, creating the beginnings of a capsule wardrobe.

I decided to put my model in a jumpsuit... they are my absolute fashion flavour of the day. Oversized baby grows to some, stylish and sassy to me. So here is my model in her jumpsuit teamed with some peeptoe platforms, a casual leather jacket, oversized handbag, chunky leopard print bracelet and a trilby.

This is the kind of outfit I could get away with to the office but easily translates well in a more casual situation, either shopping or hitting a bar with friends for cocktails. Effortless chic.

What I really like about the application is when you choose a garment, it lists it for you along with the price so you can tote up how much you could potentially spend on the outfit. You can start your own outfit at the mango website by clicking here.

So what do you think of this outfit? Why don't you have a go and post your own fantasy wardrobes, I would love to see!

x

FOTD, OOTD and Candyfloss hair!!

Last night I was out to play so thought I would show you my look for the night. I literally got ready in about 40 minutes and instead of going through the usual routine of styling my hair down, I went for a back combed updo and also went for a quick smokey eyed look - sticking to what i know when in a hurry! (I always seem to be in a hurry these days!)

So here's the face!

Face:
Bobbi Brown Pro Stick (this is a fail safe for me as mentioned in a previous post and i'm loving it!)
Prescriptives mineral foundation (a light dusting to set the foundation - it's a night out after all)
Mac Select Cover up
Bobbi Brown colour corrector

Eyes:
Mac All that Glitters
Mac Glamour Check
Mac Beauty Marked
Mac Fluidline in blacktrack
Dior Show Mascara

Lips:
Mac Cremesheen in Partial to Pink

Cheeks:
Nars Laguna
Mac MSF Redhead
Illamasqua blush in Unrequited

.... and the hair:I basically hairsprayed and back combed all of it then started pinning it at the back with bobby pins so in the end it had a candyfloss french roll effect. In the end i think it could have looked a little 'fluffier' as bedhead was the intention with this hair do.

And finally, what I wore:
Apologies for the whited out photo but I was trying to hide the wonderful backdrop that is my bathroom!!!

Sequinned dress from H&M - this reminds me a little of a 1940's flapper dress, I love it but my husband think it hides my waistline. This can only be a good thing for me as it is expanding at such a rate, why would I want to show it off?!!

Topshop platform shoes

Mango bubble ball bracelet

I kept accessories low key as the dress was sequinned and I don't like to overgild the lily as they say. I teamed this with a black blazer and I was good to go!

What was your Saturday night ootd/fotd?

x

Big shiny balls!

.....in the form of my new(ish) necklace and bracelet from Mango! Mango has been my most frequented store in recent weeks.... with purchases of clothing, bags and jewellery. I have always loved Mango, it's almost like a younger version of Zara and the prices are pretty reasonable.

Anyway, I was in buying a few things last week and came across this set in the sale. The necklace is pewter coloured beads/balls and is quite weighty. It is quite a statement piece and will transform any outfit.
As you can see there are big shiny balls placed at the side of the necklace like a big knot of balls .... sorry I can't think what else to call them, beads don't seem to do them justice!
The bracelet that goes along with it is attached to 3 rope like bands. Normally I would not wear matching costume jewellery - i like a bit of mix and match. I find the 'matchy matchy' look can be a bit bland however, I find although unusual these pieces have a simplicity that make them perfect match.
I did buy these in the sale, I think I bought the necklace for around £25 and possible £10 for the bracelet. They also had them in a gorgeous gold which looked so glamorous but after long deliberation I went with this colour.

So what are your thoughts on my big shiny balls??? ;)

x

Outfit of the day ...

Things have been pretty busy this weekend, it's my husbands birthday today so we have had a few days of festivities!

Today, we were nursing the hangovers and decided to go for a trip to the shops. I opted for a comfy but colourful outfit so thought I would show you all. I am not sure how interesting or inspiring anyone finds posts like this but thought I'd give my first official outfit of the day post a go. You can let me know what you think ....
Catalogue posing at its best ;P. Please excuse my peely wally (pale) legs ... they had been st moriz'd but my legs never take too well to any tan.
What i wore:
Pink multicoloured kaftan dress from Mango. I bought this in the sale last week for around £15-£20.
'Vintage' French Connection denim jacket (I bought this about 10 years ago ... does this constitute as vintage?? ... i think so ;) )
Matalan Multicoloured gladiators ... these are a great copy of the much pricier Aldo versions. I'm sure these only cost around £12.
My hobbit feet do not look their best here and my nails are very badly painted, I was in a rush when i did them!

I also wore these Topshop beads I picked up in the sale for about £10. It is actually one necklace with reams and reams of beads. I love it!
Finally I teamed with a vintage belt that cost me around £3 from a vintage store.
So what do you think of this colourful, casual combo?

x

A wee fashion haul

Ok, so this post was supposed to be my first FOTD but I couldn't find the USB cord to upload the pics ... then I found it ... and celebrated with a chocolate muffin!! Then... as i was about to upload the camera ran out of battery and the charger went missing!! So you can imagine my frustration!!

In the meantime, I have taken some pics on my mobile phone of some purchases from yesterday.

First of all I purchased some jewellery ... and i seemed to have stuck to a bit of a theme here! I bought a pair of angel wing earrings from topshop - they are huge and have little diamontes in them. I love this look, it reminds me of the whole art deco era which i love. I also bought an angel wing necklace from Mango .... however, I won't be wearing these items at the same time, that would just be naff!!

I also bought a little spring/summer dress from Mango ... It's navy with an asymmetric frilly shoulder/neckline. Its just a simple little dress and I plan to team with a belt and flats during the day or with wedges for evening. I have a little straw bag that will go perfectly with this too ... should be perfect for my Italian getaway that i have just booked for my 1st anniversary!
I also picked up 2 pairs of shoes. Now, I love shoes .... like, i really really love shoes and usually spend a bit of money on them but more and more recently I have been noticing how amazing the shoes in New Look are. They are just so fashion forward and so reasonably priced. They are not always the best of quality but sometimes if you are looking for a quick solution to a wardrobe dilemna then it really is a godsend. I picked up 2 pairs of shoes which totalled £60 I think ... cheapness!!! I couldn't decide which pair i prefered so thought it best to take them both home and try with different outfits. I would say these shoes definitely look better on and i wore the brown ones last night and they looked great .... however, I am thinking of returning the black ones even though I have a few things they would go great with!

Here are the brown (they are a bit dirty, I wore them to a messy night out last night!!!)
And here are the black (thinking of returning these)


There were a few other things purchased but far too boring to post. Also have a list of make up I need to buy but didn't get the chance too so hopefully I will be able to buy that through the week.

Hope your all having great weekends, will hopefully have my FOTD posted before the weekend ends!