OOTD: Dinner Date

Happy Easter! I hope everyone is having a lovely long weekend and enjoying a few hard earned days off work :). I just wanted to do a quick fashion post with an outfit I wore for a dinner date with my hubby (to be).

 Jumpsuit: Miss Selfridge (£59 here), Shoes: River Island (a few years ago), Bracelet: Disney Couture (similar here)

I love the statement necklace that comes as part of this jumpsuit. It just makes dressing that much more effortless! It is also removable if you wanted to wear your own, or wear it alone with a different outfit.

To show off the detailing I put my hair up in a little chignon, though I definitely need a little more practice in doing this. Does anyone have any tips?

Have a lovely Easter! xxx

OOTD: Colour blocking pleats

I'm sure you've all seen the glossies quoting 'colour blocking',  'pleats' and 'clashing colours' as the must have trends this season, so I shall keep it short and sweet. I spotted this cute pink and peachy pink two tone skirt in H&M a few months ago and immediately snapped it up. It's so easy to wear and quickly ticks all the style boxes in one.

 Vest: Zara, Scarf: Miss Selfridge, Skirt: H&M, Ballet pumps: HK market, Bag: Aspinal of London.

I found this photo on the web that shows the colour more accurately than my over enthusiasically colour saturated iphone...

Pleats are not the easiest thing to pull off as the extra inches of material can add, well just that... So keep it high waisted and streamlined - I like to wear the size up to make sure all the pleats fall flat and the skirt retains its original shape.

What trends are you wearing this summer? xxx

Work It Out: Flute

If there's one trend I can't enough of at the moment it's blouses. Every time I see a different shape or colour, be it pastel hues or brights, I'm tempted to snap them all up. Even when they are no longer on the high street they will still be in fashion - a feminine, floaty blouse can never go out of style!

 Blouse: Miss Selfridge (£35). Skirt and patent leather belt: M&S. Vest top: Zara.

I spotted this blue flute sleeve blouse in Miss Selfridge last week and couldn't resist adding it to my little collection. The draped sleeves not only look beautifully feminine, but are also a subtle way of wearing the kimono trend.

Do you share my love of blouses? xxx

Friday Dinner OOTD

On Friday morning instead of making plans for the weekend I found myself nervously sitting at my office desk staring at an e-mail that had just dropped into my inbox letting me know that the results of my recent law exam were now available online. Eeek! Luckily, I passed (with distinction), and to be honest felt very silly about stressing myself, and probably everyone around me, out during the whole ordeal. To celebrate the bf took me out for dinner at our local Thai restaurant - small, family run, authentic and super friendly. I always make a point of speaking to the waiters in Thai, which embarrasses the boy no end ;).

Leather Jacket: Reiss. Jumper Dress: Topshop. Rose and Skull scarf: Miss Selfridge (£14) Bag: Aspinal. Ballet flats: Primarni ;).

This scarf was a recent purchase and I love it's hot pink colour for spicing up a rather bland outfit. I'm not really a skull print aficionado, but mixing it with a delicate rose print is a subtle contrast that won me over. xxx

Mad Hatter's Tea Party: OOTD

This Saturday prosecco, cucumber sandwiches, cakes and popping candy were on the menu as some of my work girlies got together for a Mad Hatter's Tea party at the Sanderson to celebrate one of our colleague's bdays. Keeping our lovely garden venue in mind I decided to dress for the occasion in a summery, floral maxi dress.

 Dress: Miss Selfridge. Shoes: New Look. Ring: Les Nereides.

The pattern of this dress is somehow reminiscent of the Moschino lemon print dress that has diffused throughout the high-street, most notably in New Look's version below.

 

                  Moschino                        New Look (£29.99)

I absolutely adore the shape of this dress with its flattering neckline, girlie bow tie at the back and slit sleeves. So many girls are conscious of their upper arms as they are notoriously difficult to tone, so a draped sleeve may be the perfect solution for the Summer - creating a more wearable twist on the 70s trend and keeping you cool, while covering up the bingo wing ;). 

The new shape for Summer 2011 is definitely a chunky heel, so I chose to pair this dress with some brown wedge heels that are not only super sturdy, but also surprisingly comfy! New Look have a great selection of affordable shoes, and every time I pop in on my lunch hour I am tempted ;).

What trends are you loving at the moment? How will you be adapting them to fit your style? xxx

Gifts for You

In the third and final installment of my gift guide we come to Gifts for You! You have worked hard, you deserve a treat too ;). Plus you can't be sure that your mother/ friend/ other half has read my 'gifts for her' post so they may not get you what you really need... ;).

Xen-Tan Dark Tanning Lotion Trio (Special offer trio - £28.94) - Preparation is key, so when it comes to looking good for that Christmas party you may need a night to yourself. Having recently tried Xen Tan for the first time I am still very much excited about it. I really enjoyed the scent of the lotion, which reminded me of marzipan. Even though the notorious 'fake tan smell' was still noticeable in the morning (I always slather it on before bed), at least the application in my tiny bathroom was pleasant. The body scrub in this trio also works well for a gentle all over exfoliation, but as my winter skin is currently a little dry I used a harsher scrub on some areas, such as the knees and elbows, to achieve a smoother application. The tan itself developed beautifully over night to a natural, albeit deep tan and the mitt provided ensured it was even and streak free.

ELF Party Eyeshadow Palette (£3.50) - With 6 gorgeous colours this palette is perfect for creating a beautiful wintry eye look. As I was kindly sent this for review a few weeks ago I can assure you that the shadows are pigmented and blendable. I especially like the sparkly black to add a little bit of definition and glitter!

Soap & Glory Pink Tote Bag (Originally £60, currently £25!) - When I spotted this bag full of goodies on the Boots website I knew it had to be mine! The re-usable pink bag contains:

• Clean On Me Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel (500ml)
• The Righteous Butter Body Butter (300ml)
• Flake Away Body Scrub (300ml)
• Girligo Scented Body Moisturising Mist (100ml)
• Glad Hair Day Ultra-Shine Super-Shampoo (250ml)
• The Breakfast Scrub Body Smoother (300ml)
• Hand Food Hydrating Hand Cream (125ml)
• Scrub Your Nose In It Face Scrub And Mask (125ml)
• Super Colour Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss in ‘Pink Apricot,’ (7ml)
• Off Your Face Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)
• Giant Super Sudsy Shower Puff

This is probably the best offer of 2010 ladies, so hurry as I'm sure supplies won't last long ;).

Rapid Lash Serum (£39.99) - Want longer lashes come March without breaking the bank? I have already reviewed Rapidlash (read the review here) and this stuff works! The results are not as dramatic as other lash growth serums such as Lilash, but neither is the price. One tube lasts 3-4 months of daily use along the lashline and you will usually start to see results after 4 weeks.

Eyelure Lashes (£4.35) - In the meantime why not stick to false lashes? No party makeup is complete without them and if taken care of they will last you the whole season! My favourites are the Nicola lashes as they are full and wispy, without being too long and spidery, and have a sexy flick on the side, which will elongate and lift any eye shape!

Karen Millen Statement Spotted Dress (On Sale £89.95, down from £180) Why not skip the LBD this year and treat yourself to a statement dress with style? Luckily many stores are having pre-Christmas sales, so you can easily pick up a stunning new dress for that special party at half the price!

Karen Millen Frayed Silk Dress (On Sale for £175, down from £250).

 Miss Selfridge Nude Beaded Shift Dress (£150).

Aqua Victory Mini Dress (£100)

ASOS Black One Shoulder Organza Tape Dress (On Sale for £60, down from £85).

French Connection Pretty Penelope Dress (On Sale £110, down from £140).

Bare Escentuals SPF 15 Matte Foundation (£20.40) - Now that you have your dress and tan sorted, all you need is the perfect base to last the night. I have been testing out the latest foundation from Bare Escentuals and have to say that it is fantastic. The new click and lock sifter makes application on the go neat and simple, taking the worry out of mineral makeup. The foundation itself blends into the skin beautifully when used with a little kabuki. It has great coverage, yet looks natural and works hard to absorb excess oil and keep you looking matte and polished. A little goes a long way, so be careful not to apply this too liberally, especially as the SPF15 can create a white cast in some photos.

I hope this three part series has given you some ideas and that you have enough time to treat yourselves this Christmas my lovelies! What will you be purchasing in the last few days in the run up to Christmas? xxx

Making Room for the Turkey ;)

On Saturday night I was celebrating Christmas with my first turkey feast of the season. It has become a little tradition over the years for me to have a celebration with all my friends before we disperse all over the continenents to our respective families. Luckily I wasn't cooking, so all I had to do was pop on a party dress (with plenty of room in the key area) and toddle off.

I chose a simple, sparkly dress from Miss Selfridge (currently having 30% off sale here) - note the ribbed material has plenty of stretch ;). I teamed it with plain black leggings and the cutest boots from New Look (50% off sale across the site here). Who needs Burberry when you have these beauties?

I hope you are all having a lovely run up to Christmas... my jeans are already getting tight.. eek!! ;) xxx