Hello New Arm Candy

Michael Kors Watch 

Who said you can't treat yourself every once in while? 

This gorgeous Michael Kors watch now has me as its proud owner, and it's defiantly worth every penny paid. I've been wanting a new watch for a long while, and Michael Kors watches along with DKNY have always been on top of the list and when I saw this beautiful MK one a couple months ago I just fell in love.

I am so chuffed with it, it's absolutely stunning and can't keep looking at it. 

What do you guys think? 

A Store Can Awaken A Lust For Things You Never Even Knew You Needed.

I swore down I would try and save some of my money this month but when having a few hours to waste in the city after work I couldn't resist just having a quick look in the stores, and seeing what was new in for the Autumn. If it hadn't been for the pretty window displays I swear I wouldn't have gone in half of them. Honest!

Spot Shirt - Topshop

Really love this shirt. It's just so me. The colour is really nice and I love the length. As it's slightly fitted it's really flattering on, and looks great when worn with just a simple pair of black jeans or other bottoms. The material isn't sheer which you'd might expect, rather just a nice soft material which is quite thick. Bought for £38 (early birthday gift) which I think is rather ok considering the good quality and the fit. 

Plaid Shirt and Embossed Tee - Primark

Picked these up for super dirt cheap when cutting through Primark. The plaid shirt is bang on trend at the moment and I love how it's fitted and the 3 quarter length sleeves. Looks great when worn under my black pinafore. The embossed t-shirt with grey jersey texture sleeves and back is a simple but nice piece. I've always liked this embossed texture trend that's been floating about so when I saw this tee for a couple of pounds I thought why not. 

Soft Quilted 'Bunny' Jumper - Topshop

Had my eye on the jumper for a while. It must have been the first batch of the A/W arrivals as I remember seeing it sometime in the middle of summer. Set me back £40, quite expensive but it's just so gorgeous. The grey marl colour is really lovely and the quilted bunnies are just really sweet. Lovely soft knit and fits quite well. The drop shoulder design does give a bit of extra room under the arms but I got a smaller size so it didn't look so 'big'. Looking forward to wearing this when the colder weather sets in. 

What do you think of my purchases? I'd love to hear

Hello September, Hello New Things.

First and foremost, I just want to apologize for my lack of posting this past week. I have literally been so busy/tired/stressed. I managed to get myself a job at a big fashion store, (eeeek) and I've been in a lot for training and such in the week so haven't had the time to put a post together without coming across  like a boring zombie haha!

So, today I just wanted to share with you some recent purchases I have made in preparation for the colder months. As you know September is now upon us, which for me is good and scary at the same time. The good side is that I love getting into Autumn clothing, it's just so comfy and lovely and I prefer it to summer clothes, so that's nice, however I am also starting Uni soon which I am so worried about, and also I'm leaving my teenage years behind and hitting the big 20. Not at all old but still a big thing! I feel like I have come so far in the last few months, what with getting my college results, getting a job, getting into uni and other things. Now suddenly it's September I am like, whoah time flys! 

Black Cut-Out Ankle Boots - Mr. Shoes

Anyway, back on topic, the first of the items to talk about is this gorgeous pair of black cut-out ankle boots, which I am so in love with. The moment I saw them in the shop window I knew I had to have them. Bought from Mr. Shoes at just £29.99 I knew these had to be snapped up. I never used to shop in this store before but since last winter when I found the exact pair of boots I bought in Office for £70 in Mr.Shoes for £30, I always go in to make sure I'm not missing out on anything good.

These are super gorgeous with both black jeans and something like a skater skirt or my following item, and I think the cut-out style is just so eye catching. The silver tip on the toe caps is also a nice addition!

My next purchase is this cute pinafore playsuit from Urban Outfitters. This purchase was actually influenced by another blogger, so thank you to them. It took me absolutely ages to find the perfect one online. I didn't like the ones with open backs, so luckily found this one which had a supported back. It cost me just £30 and was the last in my size so that was lucky. Wearable for both summer and winter, but I look forward to wearing with tights and boots and something like a plaid shirt underneath. You can see images online of Alexa Chung rocking one of these on many occasions, and they look great. 

Pinafore Playsuit - Urban Outfitters

In addition to the above, I also bought a black skater skirt for £12 which I had been umming and arring about for a while. I was never sure whether one would suit me, but after some thought I just took the chance and bought one and thankfully after getting some used to I really like it. I've never been one for skirts, as I felt they made me look like I'm of school age,  but I don't feel that way know, and super love my skater skirt.

So then, that's that. What are your thoughts on these items? What are you buying this Autumn? Let me know. I appreciate all comments. 

Miss Selfridge Wishlist

1. Black Lace Belted Shorts - £35 | 2. Black Cutout Boot - £48 | 3. Chiffon  Yoke Solid Tee - £22
 | 4. Animal Jaquard Bomber - £39 | 5. Scalloped Black Flats - £22 | 6. Eagle Cord Collar - £14
 | 7. Embellished Knicker Short - £48

Miss Selfridge is one of my favourite stores not just because of their unique collections they have but because without fail I can always go in store or online and find something I absolutely adore and must have.

After looking through my inbox of endless clothing store subscriptions today Miss Selfridge caught my eye with a few pieces. So, when taking a look at their 'new arrivals' section I found so many items I loved I thought I'd make a wishlist to share.

I'll keep it short and sweet, but from the items chosen, which are all bang on trend for this A/W, I am particularly loving the bomber jacket the most as well as the chiffon tee. Both gorgeous items which I could see myself getting a lot of wear from. I also must mention the two lovely pair of shorts; one stunning embellished pair and the other a rebel lace style, two very different looks but again both in season and great pieces.

Let me know what items you like if any on my wishlist, I always love to hear.

Thanks for reading

       

Making a Statement | Printed Trousers

         

Printed Trousers - Topshop | Jumper - H&M | Necklace - Primark

I love wearing a bold design every now and again, and these black and white printed cigarette trousers happen to be my favourite statement piece in my wardrobe. For most people their statement pieces are usually in form of accessories, whether it be a chunky bold necklace, a long bold scarf or bracelets and earrings, however I like to make a particular item of my clothing the most eye catching element, and keep the accessories as a finishing touch.

I pair these trousers with a simplistic top and a small amount of jewellery to inject some colour and the outfit is complete.

What do you think? Tell me your favourite statement pieces - I'd love to know!

         

Rihanna 4 River Island | A/W Campaign

Check out this video just released of behind the scenes of Rihanna's A/W collection. 

The collection is due hit stores in two installments, the first on September 12th and the other in November. 

Items from the collection can be viewed in Vogues Gallery here

So far lots of camo, pleather, checks, beanies and cut out designs can be seen. 

Some really exciting urban pieces! Can't wait for the release!

Let me know your thoughts on Rih's designs!

For more visit

RihannaForRiverIsland

           

     

Discounts, Freebies & Competitions | Tips for making the most of the web

There's no denying we all love a good discount nowadays to make our money go farther. It's such a good feeling to purchase items for a fraction less than what they are on the high-street or other stores for example, and with social media, emails and other online tools it's so easy to find discount codes and deals, not to mention freebies too! Yes that's right - there is such a thing as freebies still in this day and age. 

I myself when shopping online regularly use discount codes if available. And how do I get these you wonder? Well, if you're a student I cannot stress enough how you should be signed up to Unidays. It's the most fantastic student discount website, with over 2 million users, and discounts across a huge number of online stores such as Urban Outfitters, Asos, Apple, Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Lookfantastic and many many more!

It's free to signup and all you need to do to get saving instantly is verify your student status, and away you go.

Even better, Unidays has recently enabled you to get amazing, and exclusive discounts on the high street  by simply downloading their app, signing in and showing cashiers your Unidays verified ID to redeem offers that are available.

If you can't find the right discount with this site then needn't worry as there is other websites such as StudentBeans and also most online stores allow you to get discount by signing up to them using your college or university email, rather than entering a discount code at the checkout through a normal account. 

Now, don't worry if you're not a student as there's still plenty of other ways to finding great discounts, and I've listed some of these ways below.

1. Sign up to email alerts from you're favourite stores; they often send out discount codes, alerts of flash sales and also free delivery at times. 

2. Register with stores! It can often lead to receiving offers and discounts on your first purchase. For example I recently signed up to JustFab and after taking their quiz to find my perfect pair of shoes I was offered my first pair for half price at £17.50. 

3. Social media - Follow shops on Twitter, Facebook and  Instagram! This is such a good way of finding out about flash sales, discounts, and also competitions, which I will talk about a bit more further down. 

Freebies & Competitions

As I mentioned before freebies are still available in today's modern, money driven age. I myself I have occasionally received free gifts through following brands online and liking their Facebook pages. 

If you didn't know,  a lot of brands, especially those selling beauty products, offer free samples to customers. These are usually found through visiting their websites and official Facebook pages where simply by giving your details you can be sent free samples . Look out for new products released, as this is what's usually given as samples. 

Other freebies I have received have been found through using StudentBeans. This student website sends me emails with a list of free things I can obtain through doing questionnaires or simply giving my details etc, all great ways to receiving free stuff. Although take caution of giving too much personal information!! - That's not always a good idea.

Again social media is fantastic for the chance of getting free gifts, be it by simply liking a brands tweet or entering their competitions. 

A year ago or so I used to twitter to enter competitions and it worked great! I followed magazines, brands, shops, you name it. They often run competitions to win stuff and I successfully won two prizes, one by telling a magazine about my favourite celebs outfit and another just by simply retweeting a tweet to be entered. 

I won London Fashion week tickets (so chuffed!) along with some jewellery from Lola Rose and the other prize was two massive bars of Toblerone - Win!

So, there's just a few of the best ways of making use of the internet to get discounts and others nice things! I hope it's helped for any of you bargain hunters out there, feel free to comment with any other suggestions or what you think 

      

City Trip | What I Bought

Popped into town yesterday with my mum for spot of lunch and just to have a browse around, obviously this ended up with me buying more clothes, typical, and also a gorgeous purse I've had my eye on for a while, which was well needed since mine was on its last legs.

This lovely lightweight green knit  sweater was picked up from Zara, which has this see through shoulder design. Was originally £35.99, bought for £9.99- BARGAIN. 

Flattering white pattern front jumper - H&M, £14.99

Cream Deco clip top purse - River Island, £17

Can't wait to get some use out of these jumpers when the cold weather sets in!

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OOTD: Keeping it caj

          

Just a causal outfit. Simply wearing my favourite casual tee which has this pretty all over print on the front and turn up sleeves which I bought back in the Easter in London. Paired with acid wash jeans, these cute butterfly sandals and a bit of jewellery to jazz it up I'm good to go. Simple yet fresh. 

Not overwhelmingly exciting for a non eventful summer day - well not quite non eventful, I actually found out my place at University was confirmed today, yay - But that aside a relaxed day with not much on apart from a driving lesson haha. The rest of the day was mine to chill.

Oversized printed t-shirt - Pull & Bear 

Acid wash jeans - Topshop

Necklace - (picked up for £2 might I add because the packaging was removed - bargain ). Primark 

Sandals - F&F

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ZARA AW13 - Top Picks

Zara have released their new lookbook campaign for AW13! Eek!

The sleek and stylish campaign features plenty of luxury pieces with a heavy focus on the dark and black colours that feature throughout the new collection. As expected we are seeing some of the top trends emerge such as the Rebel theme with lots of tartan and leathers, there's also a lot of stunning tailored pieces in the collection, as well as bold florals and metallic.

I have picked out a few of my favorite pieces from the new collection to see below:

Embroidered Blouse - £39.99

Jacquard Trousers - £29.99

Combined Faux Leather Coat - £89.99

Contrast Sweater - £25.99 

Tote Bag - £39.99

Leather Ankle Boot - £79.00

To see the full campaign follow this link

Zara Women AW13

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AW13- One Step Ahead

AW13 is nearly hear, and good news for those wanting to stay ahead of the game, because the shops are gradually bringing out the jumpers, jackets and seasons must haves. Slightly early this year some would say perhaps, but it's never to soon to stock up on the next seasons trends! 

My first autumn purchase is this gorgeous Khaki style jacket, which is of the English Heritage trend this autumn/winter. Spotted among all the high summer fashion in Topshop, priced at just £60, it was a definite buy for me. 

There's plenty of trends around this Autumn/Winter, both new and some old classics. I'm particularly loving the Rebel look which includes high shine and leathers, as well as the English heritage style which is all about the chunky cable knits, khaki, checks and those autumn colours. 

I've compiled a list of the tops trends for 2013/14 below.

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June Wishlist

A nice little collection of some summer accessories that I just love and want. 

1. Loreal Techni Art Pli - LookFantastic | 2. Stud Clutch - New Look | 3. Stunning Metal Cuff Sandals - New Look | 4. This unique and awesome pair of Tortoise Bamboo Sunglasses - Cassette | 5. Glamourous Collar Necklace - Topshop

Hopefully I will have made at least two purchases by the end of the month ;)

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Occasion wear: my top s/s13 pieces

So the evenings are lighter, it's warmer (well...) and there's lots going on; prom nights, leaving do's, barbecues, etc.
I personally have my college 'awards night' coming up soon which I have been getting prepared for. Being a formal event I've gone for a long black number.
Whatever the event whether it be clubbing, a romantic dinner, or a few drinks with the girls there's defiantly an outfit out there that suits the occasion.

Below I have compiled a mixture of some of my favourite S/S13 pieces available on the high street for different occasions.

#1

Look stunning attending Prom or other formal events in this lace dress. Pair with some black courts and a clutch bag to finish the look nicely. 

Lace Top Prom Dress - River Island £55

Monochrome Clutch Bag - New Look £9.99

Black Court Shoes - Dorothy Perkins £38.50

#2 

                     

                

Bang on trend this summer is this over the shoulder aztec style dress. Perfect for a night out clubbing/pubbing when paired with heels and some chunky jewellery. Or dress down with some black pumps and a denim jacket to wear in the day.

Black and Pink Aztec Dress - New Look (£12.99)

Jewellery - Accessorize (£8.00)

#3 

This lovely Maxi dress is perfect for those Holidays away in the sun. Pair with a light denim jacket and sandals to complete the look. 

Maxi Dress - Monsoon (£79)

Denim Jacket - H&M (£24.99)

Sandals - Office (£35)

#4

                         

This stunning playsuit is a great casual look that can be worn both dressed up or down. The sleek and stylish design really does stand out and would look great either with a black blazer and heels or with a cardy and some pumps! Versatile and stunning 

Playsuit - River Island (£60)

Blazer - Topshop (£50)

Heels - New Look (£19.99)

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Something New

Occasionally I get tired of browsing the usual online fashion stores where sometimes it feels like they all sell the same. When I can't find something unique and different I browse the web for smaller unique brands that often have really lush items that you won't find anywhere else, or most importantly, won't see anyone else wearing!

Here's a list of some newly discovered brands that I just love and I hope you will too:

sergedenimes.com  - Oliver Proudlock's brand; very unique with some fantastic designs
daisyknights.com - Brilliant British jewelry Brand created by Daisy Knights. The Watches are fab!
thecassettecompany.com - Sunglasses with a twist; bamboo!
romwe.com - Lovely online fashion store with a huge range
loveclothing.com - Local established brand to me. Some great retro and indie designs
phixclothing.com - Sister company to loveclothing. Some gorgeous vintage rock fashion you won't find anywhere else

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Hot or Cold? Ice Watch Review

As you may be aware Ice Watches are quite popular now. I first got mine when they were fairly new to the market and I love it. I never used to be a big fan of jewelry and watches in particular but I really am a bit obsessed now. (I have several)

Ice Watch which is a Belgian brand was created in 2006 and it's aimed at the entry level market of watches. Whats different about the brand of watch is that the designs are mostly made from plastic and silicone, and they come in a range of colours.

You might think, meh plastic? But really these watches are quite funky, and they do look good on the wrist. 

As you can see from the picture above I own one of the Sili collection. It's very much like the classic collection but the difference being the bracelet is made from silicone and they are available in 3 different sizes.
I own the small white version and it's really nice. It fits nicely on the wrist, without being too large and heavy, and with it being white it really stands out and goes with almost every outfit. 

For the price (£75) the watch is quite well made. The shape and the glossy finish is very good, and the piggy bank box it comes in is a cool feature. With no scratches or dents to the polished front or the bracelet after several months I think it's pretty good going.

It's nice that the watch has a date function that's easy to change using the pull out crown too, as some of the brands other collections don't have this feature. 

Other specs:
Stainless steel backing
Luminous hour marks and hands
10 ATM water resistant (others available)

Conclusion:

A really fresh looking watch, that's light and not bulky. Available in a range of colours and sizes. It's easy to operate and very reliable. Overall very good value for money!

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Fashion Week!

So earlier this year I attended The John Lewis Fashion Show, Norwich. It was part of Norwich Fashion Week which is held every year with a number of events throughout a week long period. 

I managed to get some voluntary work at this particular show doing photography both backstage and on the catwalk. Not that keen on photography or very experience might I add, I managed to get some really good shots which you can see below. 

Having never been to a fashion show before, I wasn't sure what to expect. It sure was very busy and hectic at times, especially backstage where the hair and clothing was being done. But the buzz and the atmosphere was really exciting. It turned out to be a very successful event and I enjoyed it very much. If there's ever the opportunity to get involved again I defiantly would.

Models were styled by NUA fashion degree students using clothing and accessories from John Lewis fashion floor.