OOTD: A little Alexander McQueen...

Many of you have messaged me to request a few more OOTD posts in addition to the myriad of stream of consciousness photos I upload on my Instagram (@NatalyaFGM). So, I thought I would start with this fun one from last year on my Birthday! Since I'm not getting any younger I thought I would put together something a little more different to celebrate turning 25... again ;p.

It all started with the dress! I spotted this Alexander McQueen envelope dress in an outlet mall near Florence of all places. Despite it being heavily discounted I needed some convincing as I didn't think it was particularly flattering (there are about 600 folds of fabric at the waist, enough to make a tent), but in the end I decided that it was a piece of art worth investing in!

A few months later I still hadn't found an occasion to wear my first Alexander McQueen purchase. It was a little too short and eye catching for a wedding and the UK was getting colder by the second!

In the meantime I had come across these fabulous Carvela Kurt Geiger Gylda lace ups that I like to think of as a grown up gladiator. With their sharp high heel and cut outs the hubby instantly got excited and offered to purchase them for my Birthday. He rarely has any opinion on shoes, other than ranting that I have far too many (which is true), but given his enthusiasm I knew these must be pretty special.

So when my Birthday finally came around at the end of October I decided that it was time to try out the two most adventurous items in my wardrobe... despite the cold and rain! As Miley so wisely put it... it's our party and we can do what we want!

OOTD: Vivix

Last season's love of the midi dress has stayed with me this Autumn. I just love the long, lean and sophisticated silhouette that a midi paired with heels creates.

Dress and Belt: Ted Baker (£169 here). Kurt Geiger patent shoe boots (similar here).

This dress is one of my favourite recent purchases, so much so that I chose to wear it for a celebratory brunch with the in laws-to-be. The soft cowl neck draping creates some beautiful curves to an otherwise well structured dress. I also love the contrast of the angular double buckle belt against the fluid colour palette.

Are you a fan of the midi trend? What have been your favourite pieces this Autumn? xxx

OOTD: LK Bennett Cranley

This little spotty number from LK Bennett is one of my absolute favourites for that illusive day to night transition, especially as it can be worn in two ways! During the day it can be teamed with a fitted jacket and worn with the straight neckline at the front, while in the evening I usually reverse it with the v-neck and draping at the front to create more shape (as in the photos).

 

 Dress: LK Bennett (on sale for £60 here), Shoes: Kurt Geiger (on sale for £35 here).

What are your favourite pieces to take you from day to night? xxx

TRW - OOTD

Since neither my friends nor I were invited to the royal wedding (quelle surprise!) we were very excited to attend a party in honour of the wedding in the heart of Trafalgar Square instead. With plenty of delicious canapes and glasses of champagne that were refilled with the utmost haste it was the perfect way to celebrate such a special occasion. I decided to keep within the 'royal and loyal' theme and wear a bright red dress, inspired by the style of one of the esteemed wedding guests - none other than Mrs Beckham ;).

I purchased this VB inspired dress from ASOS a few weeks ago, initially to wear to work due to its modest hemline. On arrival I decided this dress would be better suited to other occasions - let's just say it looked a little more demure on the athletic build of the model ;). I paired the dress with a patent leather belt from Ted Baker and black heels from Carvela.

Makeup was applied hastily using a hand mirror while watching the wedding footage, so was kept pretty simple using all the usual suspects (NARS sheer glow as foundation, laguna as bronzer and MAC well dressed blush). On the eyes I used Urban Decay's naked palette (sin on the lid and naked in the crease), Dior liquid liner and No7 Exquisite Curl mascara. I then added a little colour to the lips with The Bodyshop's lipgloss in an unfortunately discontinued sheer red colour.

To add some volume into my hair I used Shan Rahimkhan True Colour shampoo and Double Phase Leave in Treatment as a light spray leave -in conditioner. I don't use these every day as my long hair needs a lot of moisture to keep it soft and nourished, but for days when I need more volume and bounce these products are unbeatable! They make my hair feel very light and help the volume created through heat styling last much longer. As I was pressed for time instead of using hot rollers I used the Babyliss Big Hair to add height at the roots and some soft curls at the ends.

I hope you all had a wonderful day off and enjoyed the royal wedding. Did you celebrate at home or join in a street part? If you were in London did you manage to catch a glimpse of the beautiful couple? xxx

Delicious shoes...

I'm not too sure if they taste good, but judging by their name (they really are called delicious) and appearance I would not be surprised if they did ;). They are from Carvela, and can be found here on their website.
I spotted these babies yesterday in Harrods on sale from £75.00 down to £39.00 and had to have them. I have needed a new pair of black shoes for a while as my former go-to heels are hideously battered after too many nights out.

My pictures really do not do them justice as on the foot they are truly adorable. The bow detail and the cut out on the side make them a perfect pair of smart, yet girly black evening heels, without any tackiness or too much bling.

I haven't been this excited about a pair of shoes for a while, perhaps it is because I know I will wear them frequently as they go with so many of my dresses. Many shoes that I buy on sale are an impulse purchase and after the initial thrill they are lovingly tucked away in my wardrobe never to be seen again. I have them all lined up in rows like brave little soldiers, waiting for their first battle with my feet. Though far too often I feel that wearing them will ruin them (usually true) or I just can't face the wearing in process, which usually results in feet so sore and blistered that I can't walk properly for a week (yup, the shoes win).

These, I tell myself, shall be different!

I may have mentioned before that KG, along with Carvela are my favourite high street-ish shoe designers. They are having a massive sale at the moment and their website features all the latest deals.... there is 51 pages of sale and I have been drooling over many of them for a while! It is deffinitely worth a look, and although I do not recommend ordering them from the website, as shoes are definitely something you need to try on, at least you can have an idea in mind of what you are looking for on your next shopping trip. I find those racks of sale shoes really confusing (mostly because I want them all), so it is always great to plan ahead :).

Good luck girls!
xxx