block party

Jacket - H&M
Vest top - Topshop
Skirt - Never Fully Dressed
Belt - charity shop
Earrings - River Island


I am sure you do not need me to inform you that colour blocking is one of SS11 key trends this season, whether it is showcased in your outfit, accessories or makeup. Catwalks were awash with the bright and the bold, bravely clashing and displaying all the colours of the rainbow. Whether it be the bright pastels or the vibrant tropical shades, I believe everyone can embrace colour blocking and add a splash of colour to their wardrobe. As a girl who never shies away from sporting something colourful, I am delighted to see so much vibrancy on the highstreet, and this outfit would probably have been something I would have worn anyway, with or without Vogue's approval.


I purchased my jacket last year now, in September to be precise, but I have noticed that my H&M, at least, still has a few dregs left so you may be in luck. I wear this item an awful lot, I just find it really flattering and I love the shoulder pads and the graduated front panels. My skirt was a birthday purchase from Spitalfields Market. I first became aware of Never Fully Dressed at London Fashion Weekend last September where I was drawn to their pretty pieces with such feminine, floaty fabrics and beautiful bejewelled cuffs, so I was more than elated when I came across their stall last week whilst at the market. A long pleated skirt has been a wardrobe want of mine for some time now, so this is just perfect. It ends mid-calf, and with it I wore some black suede, high-heel ankle boots.


This was my outfit from Friday night where I enjoyed some equally colourful cocktails with my work friends, as I final birthday fling!
Will you be colour blocking this season?

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to mum with love...

I rarely need an excuse to bake cupcakes, but considering today is Mother's Day, I thought I would make some little delights for my mum as she is pretty wonderful.

They are currently being enjoyed with a nice cup of tea and a Sunday afternoon film. 

I hope mums everywhere have had a lovely day.

Happy Mother's Day

x

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Armani Code

I am pretty positive that you have all seen the new Giorgio Armani advertising campaign where we are subjected to the undeniable beauty of Megan Fox parading her perfect self around a Californian villa; heralded the new Code woman. Megan Fox is draped in an Armani sequin gown, exposing her luminous pale complexion, embodying the notorious sensuality and mystery of the Code woman.


This new campaign is shot in the mysterious surroundings of a glass and iron villa in Los Angeles with breathtaking views of the shimmering city below. The advert is filled with tension, attraction and seduction, all under the bewitching darkness. Armani Code Eau de Parfum pour Femme is a wonderfully enticing scent. It probably isn't a fragrance I would automatically choose, but I am drawn to it nonetheless. I usually opt for overly-sweet scents, which this isn't. Armani Code is quite musky and spicy; with notes of orange blossom, jasmine, ginger, vanilla, woods and lavender honey. It is very unique, adding to the intrigue of the fragrance, and the more I use it, the more I love this perfume. It is a lot more mature than any other perfume I have possessed. I find it a little overpowering to wear during the day but as an evening scent, it works perfectly.


You can purchase Giorgio Armani Code from Boots.
Are you seduced by this scent?

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a fashion facelift

As the Summer season fast approaches and we all look to transform our wardrobe and step out in a new couture, it seems we are not the only ones getting a new style for the season. Nivea's best selling product worldwide, Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream, has come face to face with Spanish fashion designer Josep Font who has given this trusted product a bit of a fashion face-lift. 

Josep Font is one of catwalks top fashion designers. He is renowned for his avant-garde pieces and is enthused by the fashion crowd; with his thrilling pieces being sported by the likes of Lady Gaga. Josep Font has collaborated with Nivea, a brand he describes as having "incredible prestige around the world", and has channelled his visionary creativity to produce three new designs. These designs follow the key trends in his collections and all aspire to his one main objective - 'the beauty creation'.


* Estella - inspired by Expressionist Sculptor Frank Stella, depicts the eyes of a fantastical female figure flash through a kaleidoscope of shapes and colours
* Sea - incorporates the motif of a mermaid wearing a turban of starfish
* Dreams - evokes a mysterious night time world


"The designs represent the inspiration of my haute couture collections and I thought that they were perfect for Nivea Soft's philosophy."


Despite the revamp, this popular product remains unchanged, with the esteemed formula still delivering a fresh feeling moisture boost that is easily absorbed. The moisturiser is enriched with Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E which leaves the skin supple and silky smooth. It really is a lovely rich cream and can be used on your face, body, hands and feet so you are tip to toe ready to bare your skin this summer!


These limited edition products are available from April - July 2011 and will retail at £6.59.
for stockist information, please feel free to visit the Nivea website.


What are your thoughts on this colourfully-creative collaboration?

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celebrations in the city

On Sunday, Rob took me to London for my birthday. With coffee in hand, we whittled away the hours around Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane, unearthing the weird and wonderful (vegetable pens!) this place has to offer. Time flew, we were having so much fun. We foraged for hidden treasures in the abundance of vintage shops and paused to marvel at the cultural dishes being cooked up; flooding the streets with a spiced aroma. We went for celebratory crepes to refuel; I opted for apple and cinnamon with butterscotch sauce, Rob went for the manly option of Nutella, plain and simple. Now feeling invigorated with sugar in my system, I revisited some of my favourite stalls and picked out some gorgeous pieces of jewellery, namely rings, a lovely vintage scarf and a bold fuchsia pink pleated skirt. 

In the afternoon we moseyed over to the West End and spent some time on Oxford Street. I popped into Topshop, a place that usually fills me with such elation and expectancy, but I just wasn't getting the buzz. I think having spent the morning surrounded by such uniqueness and creativity, I just wasn't feeling inspired by the racks of sameness. We left and headed back to Spitalfields for drinks and dinner. There was still much commotion even at 6 o'clock and we took our pew above the market and enjoyed our drinks overlooking the hustle and bustle down below. Mine was the white wine spritzer in case you were wondering!


Dinner time and we decided to dine at Giraffe for some yummy cocktails and tasty food. The night was topped off sweetly with a birthday brownie, afloat in a pool of chocolate sauce and crowned by a dollop of vanilla ice cream. I wish I had got a photo but it was consumed rather too swiftly!


It really was a perfect birthday and one I shall remember for a long time.


My outfit:
skirt - H&M
boots - River Island
(p)leather jacket - H&M
tie-dye snood - River Island
belt - River Island
bag - Louis Vuitton speedy 35

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a spring in my step

Linen shirt - H&M

Skirt - H&M

Cardigan - Topshop (sale!)

Bangles - Accessorize

Ever so slowly I do believe we are edging our way into Spring.

We were blessed with a few glorious days this week, hitting the balmy highs of 14 degrees, catapulting the country into chaos, and bringing the unnerving sight of bare legs and flip flops! I certainly am not ditching my tights or leggings any time soon, but I did adopt a rather more Spring-like attire yesterday at work. 

The skirt was only £7.99 and the H&M staff were only just wheeling them out of the stockroom when I clapped my eyes on their beauty; you know I love my high-waisted apparel. They have the same style in literally 5 or 6 different prints, the dark blue paisley is next on my list. The linen shirt is pretty self-explanatory, everyone needs a linen shirt in their wardrobe. The cardigan was probably my most heroic find, battling through the elbows and cascade of clothing at the Topshop sale, bagging myself the final one in my size!

Today is my last day as a 24 year old, merely a few hours away from entering that rather daunting 25-30 box. I had a wonderful meal out last night with my beautiful friend Claire to celebrate. Tonight I shall be enjoying some time with my family and boyfriend, warmed by the log fire and fuelled with some good food and a glass or two of Champagne. Tomorrow, on the big day, Rob is treating me to a day out in London, the morning spent frequenting the numerous markets about town, and then onto an afternoon of shopping and dinner. I am really looking forward to it all. :)

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fighting the fade

I feel like a broken record at the moment, banging on about my hair again. But currently my hair has become the most consuming part of my beauty regime. Before I use to search for the perfect foundation or the most desirable cleanser, but now it is all about the barnet. 
It has been exactly two weeks now since I had it recoloured after the dreaded fade struck, and I am really pleased with how the colour has stayed. I went back to my hairdressers this afternoon for a cut and blow-dry and even she seemed in awe of how radiant my hair has remained. Shamefully I can't remember the last time I had my hair cut, it was definitely pre-Christmas last year, so I had a much needed three inches snipped off as well as having a heavy side fringe swept in.

I asked you, my oh-so trusted readers, in one of my previous hair posts if you had any tips, tricks or recommended products you could enlighten me with to help me fight the fade. You came up trumps, so I thought I would compile a little overview of all the suggestions I received. I have not tried all the products mentioned below so cannot vouch for their effectiveness yet. However I tried a Wella toner sachet (99p from Boots) and didn't think it did anything spectacular for my hair. I am washing my hair as little as possible and have notched down the temperature of my water quite dramatically, both of which I believe have helped maintain my colour.


* Redken Colour Extend range
* Limited hair washing (luckily I only need to wash my hair every 4-5 days)
* Use cold water to rinse, this closes the pores and stops fading/bleeding
* Wella's wash in/wash out colour toner sachets from Boots 
* CHI organics tone and shine in Red Auburn (THIS looks amazing)
* John Frieda Radiant Red range
* Aveda Madder Root
* Mixing part hair dye to your shampoo or conditioner each time you wash your hair
* I also found this post from fellow redhead, Messy Carla, really useful


For the past two weeks I have been using Tresemme's new Colour Protection range. I think the above photos speak for themselves in regards to the performance of these products. I am very impressed.

Long live the red!

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