Grab Yourself a Bargain

Calling all Londoner's - The Topshop Oxford Circus sale does still have potential. I haven't really bothered with the sales since boxing day; I never usually find anything worth buying anyway and it's all a bit too hectic/jumble-sale-like for my liking. However, whilst in Topshop on Thursday (yes I know I've been meaning to do this post since that very day), I thought there'd be no harm in having a gander, and I'm glad I did. A pair of gold shoes that I had my eye on a while ago were reduced to £10!

Score! Very rare to find any decent shoes left on the size 8 rack this far along... Plus, a gold dress I found was reduced to £25. Unfortunately they only had size 12's left so it's a bit baggy...

I also found another dress, in exactly the same style, in the new stock, which was only £32, and they actually had a size 10, thankfully. It made me so happy inside when I tried it on that I had to buy it... even if I do have to wait several months at least until it's warm enough to actually wear it...

Eagerly awaiting

the arrival of my Topshop shoes...

So what I said about constantly being all monochrome and stuff... yeah I thought I'd be daring, and seeming as orange seems to be the colour to invest in for the summer, why not? Maybe I'll send them back, maybe I'll wear them to death, but all of my heels (bar one tan/wooden pair) are black. It's about time I injected some excitement into my shoe collection instead of just dreaming about them from a distance.

:)

A Fair Exchange

So America is recieving Topshop - the store that makes me proud to shop on the british high street. They're also getting the largest store in the world, bigger than the milti-storey Oxford Street flagship. This upsets me a little. We got Abercrombie (hmm) but the prices are actually twice what you would pay in the US. What I would really like is if we had a Forever 21 store over here, or cheaper shipping at least! There are so many bargains to be had, but when I glance over the shipping costs I feel a little ill inside. So surely, if they're getting Topshop, they could give us Forever 21? Ok, so it's not as good as Topshop, but every now and then I find some must-have gems which are half the price you would pay in our trusty shoppy toppy. Here are a few of my favourites from just having a quick gander. You can see many more on their website. Maybe if you combine shipping costs with a friend it could work out cheaper for you both?



http://www.forever21.com/

Long time no post...

So, I'm going to post a piece of work that I handed in on monday. It's based on the Colin McDowell's 'Fashion Moment' prices he used to write for the Sunday Times Style, and we had to do our own, based on his style. I ended up doing the platform shoe. I have to say I personally don't like it... It didn't go as planned... I think once I'd gotten it done I just wanted to be happy with having work out of the way

Here goes...

Funky, chunky, clunky; the platform shoe has many admirers, and just as many loathers. It is a style that divides a nation of women. Long associated with the seventies, this style truly emerged many years before in Ancient Greece to raise the height of important characters. It is believed they were revived in 18th century Europe to avoid the grime on the streets, and again in the thirties, forties and fifties in America and Europe.

The arrival of ‘disco’ - with wide-legged pants and sequins - asked for something high and something outstanding to accompany the outfits. This revival, however, seemed to lack the glamour and femininity of the forties, and perhaps this is why the seventies is referred to as ‘the decade that taste forgot’. In the beginning, they were merely blocks of wood or cork with leather straps to stop them from falling off the wearer’s feet, but as the decade progressed, so did the variations of the platform. Even men caught onto the trend, and the likes of David Bowie and Elton John were wearing their own sparkly versions. The trend soon calmed down and platforms sat quietly in the corner waiting for their next big come back.

We have Vivienne Westwood and the Spice Girls to thank for the platforms of the nineties; despite Naomi Campbell’s infamous fall and Emma Bunton breaking her ankle, the fashion forward and devoted fans still hobbled along in their super sized soles. Then once again, the stiletto took over as a more glamorous option - that is until Louboutin platforms became the hot red-carpet shoe and the YSL Tribute shoes were the next ‘must haves’. Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham is still inspiring many women with her love for insanely high heels, and this trend isn’t going away anytime soon. As the fashion focus has become more about the ‘statement’ shoes - as opposed to the ‘statement’ handbag – designers are going to many lengths to create the shoe of the season, sending many a model tumbling down the catwalks for the likes of Prada and Gucci. Better put the chiropodist on speed dial.

PS. Please buy me the Kurt Geiger's. I've been lusting after the navy diamante ones since September, and now this pearly pair have grown on me... £300 though?

2008

So this is a more personal post. 2008 has so far been one of my favourite years (that I remember) and here are the many reasons why:

• I went to New York for the first time, with my boyfriend, and loved it!
• I also went to Paris for the first time (and shall be returning for a longer visit next year)
• I finally passed my driving test (4th time lucky)
• and got my first car! Polly the Punto :)
• I turned 18, and had an amazing joint party with my boy
• I got onto my Fashion Journalism course after many years of dreaming about it
• I moved out of Lincolnshire and into the best student flat in Epsom
• I made some amazing new friends
• I went to London Fashion Week for the first time and got into two shows, plus sighted a lot of influential people
• I celebrated a year long anniversary with my boy, (a year and 6months on boxing day :D)
• I left my crappy job as a waitress after working there for a year and a half! FREEDOM!
  
  

So that's all that I can think of off the top of my head! But here's to living life to the full and trying to top this year, every year.

Merrrrry Christmasss!

Hopefully I will get another post up between now and New Year's. If not, Happy New Year too!

A Few Beauty Essentials...

As opposed to doing another christmas wish list themed blog (way too many gift guides floating about now, and who is really still buying all their presents?) I thought I would share a few things that are, in my opinion, some essentials that you may want to treat yourself to.

A Mason Pearson boar bristle brush, (that's a lot of B's). This extra large brush is £75.25 on HQ Hair, but if that price is a bit steep for your budget then you can do as I did and buy the child sized brush for £29, which is still actually a decent size. These brushes are great for distributing the oils in your hair, and the natural bristles are much better for your hair than plastic.

Kerastase already has a fab reputation, but if you can only afford one thing from their hair care range be sure to invest in a deep conditioning hair mask. They have products to suit many a hair problem, and your hair will definitely thank you for it. This Nutritive Masquintense Fins is designed for very fine/dry hair and is £20.40, also from HQ Hair.

Just as I was about to give up on ever finding a concealer to lift my confidence and hide my incredibly dark circles, I decided to give trusty Benefit a go and spent £13 more than I already was on their Boi-ing concealer. Described as industrial strength, I can see how. Its thick creamy formula is a must, especially after sleepless nights. It's worth the £15.50 price tag (http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/).

A good body brush is for life, not just for the summer. Combine this with a good body scrub and get your circulation going, keeping away those nasty lumps and bumps on your thighs and giving you super smooth skin all over. This nifty brush is only £4.31 from Boots.

I'm personally not one for painting my fingernails. It usually chips within two days and I'm too lazy to keep re-doing them, so I just keep them neat and short with a nice coating of Sally Hansen Diamond Strength. It's a base coat, top coat, gloss and strengthener in one. I also use it as a base coat for my toe nails, which are actually never, ever seen without colour. It lasts me forever, I usually get a new bottle every christmas. You can purchase it from Boots for £7.78.

There are many things I'm yet to discover - such as the miracle body lotion or the super exfoliator - but I still have a lot of time to stumble upon these. I have learnt the wonder of taking a good A-Z supplement, and Sea Kelp tablets are great if you want to speed up your hair growth (don't expect miracles though, you still need patience). In the mean time however, if someone would like to donate £200 to me for a permanent blow dry at Daniel Hersheson's then please don't hesitate!

Thank you for reading x

Fringe Benefits

I accidentally had a full fringe last summer (2007). Yes, accidentally. A side fringe cut disasterously short. But once I got used to it and shaped it a little I kinda liked it. I did grow it out however, but have been longing to have it done again properly ever since. And over the next couple of weeks I will be doing so! I have gathered a few images that have inspired me to just go for it. Despite the fact that I'm supposed to be giving up on the GHD's to save my poor hair. I suppose I could just straighten my fringe...

I do currently have dark brown hair like Camila Belle's, but would really like to eventually have it dyed a la Rachel Bilson. But only when my hair has grown longggg. It's damaged enough as it is from all the heat I apply to it...