♥ Autumn treats

In the midst of autumn, I find myself craving cosiness (is that even a word?!) 24/7, so I thought I'd share with you a few goodies I bought on Sunday.

♥ Spike boots; £18 from Primark

 

 

I absolutely adore these. I'm in love with all the Topshop Alexa-style boots popping up this season, but being 5'11 already, I really don't need those extra few inches for daytime (allow it for night time though!). These are perfect for adding an edge (a very sharp one at that - the spikes are definitely real!) to a simple outfit which I always favour.

♥ Aztec print scarf; £12.99 from H&M

 

I love scarves (I've even done a post on my favourites earlier this year here), for really changing the way an outfit looks. I own quite a few and struggle not to buy one when I spy a beauty from afar (crazy addict!). This one is huge! My friend described it as a rug so much so, but I love it! It's super cosy wrapped around all chunky and snug, or looks effortlessly chic draped over your shoulders. It can be worn over a coat or as a shawl too - the options are endless. It's definitely a good investment for this season! (Plus it's black and grey...)

♥ Tartan snood; £7.99 from New Look

 

Perfect for adding a splash of bright colour to a plain outfit (I always tend to gravitate towards the murky hues of greys, browns, taupes and black in the colder months), this snood was a complete steal from New Look.

♥ Socks; £2.50 from Primark

A definite knitted favourite of mine, these are actually my second pair (I also own red) of winter socks! A bit sad to some, but I love nothing more than getting home and slipping my feet into these fleece lined treats, toasty and pretty to look at, what's not to love?

I'd love to know your autumn purchases, so please share your links to your blogs/youtube/pinterest in the comments section!

♥

♥ Home Decoration - My Bedroom

Ever since my mum became obsessed with decorating our house a few years ago, I've really taken an interest in interior design and can honestly say I absolutely love my bedroom! So I thought I'd share with you some images of my bed and bedside tables, as personally I love reading these types of blog posts.

 

  

♥ Bed: Elizabeth double bed frame in white from Sainsbury's

♥ Duvet cover from Asda

♥ Chunky soft blanket from Ikea

♥ Cushions are from Ikea (large pink striped), Matalan (Love print and light pink circular), B&M (purple ruffle), Dunelm Mill (crochet) and Tesco (pink fluffy heart)

♥ The hearts above my bed were presents although I have seen similar in The Range

♥ Side tables: Lack series at Ikea in high-gloss white

♥ Lamps from Dunelm Mill

♥ Candles are Fairy Dust by Lily Flame and Soft Blanket by Yankee Candle

♥ Mirror was a present

♥ Jewellery stand from B&M

♥ Perfumes are Chloe, Burberry Body and Accessorize, along with Neom handcream and my Jean Paul Gautier glass bottle of diet Coke

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♥ My night... VIP @ Vodafone's London Fashion Weekend!

Thursday 20th September was a day covered in asterixes in my diary, for me it marked a very exciting occasion - a VIP ticket to Vodafone's London Fashion Weekend launch night! To say I was ecstatic when my sister text me telling me she'd won two tickets after entering a mobile competition on a whim, and inviting me along as her +1, is an understatement.

I tootled off on the train to Euston after work, and met my sister at Charing Cross (taking the tube for the first time by myself... Why did I ever think it was difficult?!). We'd both updated our iPhone's with the iOS 6 software that day, and both eagerly used the new maps function to find Somerset House... Not overly impressed by the new software, we resorted to Google maps and found our way there no problem!

 

We picked up our tickets and claimed our free goody bags - by Mulberry, naturally! (My first Mulberry of many, I hope/wish). Inside we discovered a little trove of treats, including a rather glamourous glass bottle of diet (of course) coke designed by Jean Paul Gautier, which is far too pretty to open! Along with that, we also found an Elizabeth Arden cream, Lavazza (LFW sponsor) coffee sample, toothpaste to get a glistening smile, a fake tan mitt, blister patches and Label.m. Sea Salt spray which I can't wait to use! Who cares if it's torrential rain outside? I want beach hair so I can at least pretend it's warm and I'm sipping on a cocktail on a hot sunny beach!

 

After wondering around Somerset House for a little while, oo'ing and arr'ing at the various sparkly, shiny and luxurious goodies, we decided to begin queuing up for the catwalk show - without a doubt the part I was most excited about, having been to my last (and only) one 8 years ago with GCSE Textiles at The Clothes Show Live at Birmingham NEC, I was desperate to be front row at one of the most hyped about shows in the big smoke.

My sister & I got chatting to a lovely couple in front of us, which passed the time! We signed declarations to say we didn't mind being in photographs and logged in with our tickets on the Samsung Galaxy Tablets the event assistants were carrying! High-tech and high-fashion, a sign of the times.

We were lucky enough to get front row seats, and were handed a glass of champagne on arrival - very showbiz (and greatly appreciated after a long day of travelling!).

 

Then it was on to the fashion show itself, featuring a variety of brands all available to buy at London Fashion Weekend! Nobody fell over which I was grateful for as I always wince when I see the clip of Naomi Campbell famously toppling over on the runway.

  

  

  

 

 

I thought the show itself was produced perfectly, it was the perfect mix of a classic catwalk but also modern and fresh, reflecting the new, individual trends of today.

Of course, the event wouldn't have been as amazing if it wasn't for the music. Tulisa's performance was incredible despite her having tonsillitis, and I was impressed by her live vocals! Given Cheryl Cole's live performance at the Jubilee Concert, I'm always a little apprehensive over live singing; I genuinely feel sorry for the artist if what comes out their mouth is nothing like their CD sounds... Thankfully, Tulisa sounded fabulous and I really enjoyed her set.

 

It was a truly exciting evening and it definitely exceeded my expectations! I think the little things matter the most, and the use of technology was innovative and really interesting. Considering I took all the photos on my iPhone too, Apple haven't done a bad job with a camera either!

Thank you Vodafone & London Fashion Weekend!

♥

Summer Favourites

Over the past few months, I've definitely found a little capsule of favourites I can't stop using! They're not necessarily all related to summer, but quite frankly I will do anything to remind me that it is meant to be a sun filled few months!

♥ Bright printed scarves

From my previous post, it's apparent I'm a big scarf lover. Be it summer or winter, there is always a scarf that will doll up an outfit. This is my newest (and favourite) purchase, it cost £7 from H&M and has a watercolour/marble effect printed on it in a variety of bright summery colours, from canary yellow to a hot fuschia pink. It's also oversized which is perfect for tall people like me as it is a normal length (yay!).

♥ Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash & Daily Scrub

Since being a teenager, smearing chalk like blue eyeshadow (with glitter if it I really wanted to go all out), I have been told to always take my make up off and take care of my skin. Back then, taking care was cheap own brand face wipes, begrudgingly yanked across my face as and when I remembered. My skin was never brilliant and it never bothered me, but as I've developed an interest in beauty, I've learnt that taking just a little bit more care can really make a huge difference.

Firstly, the smell of these is fabulous - a huge bonus when it's going on your face! Dodgy smells right beneath your nose (literally), no thank you. I use both of these everyday, the facial wash in the morning to ensure my skin is clean for applying my make up, and the daily scrub whenever I take my makeup off to ensure my pores are thoroughly clean. It's never advisable to use an exfoliator on your face in the morning as it removes a very fine layer of skin and UV rays (which exist even when the sun isn't shining) are more likely to damage the skin. I've previously used St Ive's Apricot scrub, but find it very coarse and harsh and in comparison, Neutrogena's is gentle but still provides the same results.

♥ DIY French Manicure

I've always loved having pretty nails, and in school I remember painting my nails a different colour almost every night - what else was a teenager meant to except spend their evenings talking to people they'd spent all day seeing at school on MSN messenger and update their MySpace profile?!

These four nail varnishes are my holy grail. (N.B. In the picture, I also have Models Own Hed Kandi Ibiza Mix (available here) on top of the white tip on my ring finger.)

(Left to right)

~ Save The Nail Repair and Rescue Base Coat

~ Essie 'No Chips Ahead' Top Coat

~ Essie Ballet Slippers (162)

~ Rimmel Nail Tip Whitener

All are very long wearing - which is perfect for the manual job I do, and last for around 3-4 days before needing a touch up, although sometimes I give them an extra top coat if I feel they're looking a little lack lustre!

♥ Lily Flame Fairy Dust Candle

I love lighting this is the evening, an hour or so before I go to bed and letting the delicious aroma fill my room. Fairy Dust (as expected by the name) has a sweet scent, but it isn't overpowering. My mum always comments on how lovely my room smells when it's burning! 

♥ Embracing my natural curly hair

As mentioned in a previous post here, I've straightened my hair for years and it's a terrible habit I have struggled to get out of. I now only straighten my hair once a week (if that), and instead let my curls take over. I was recommended this little gem by my hairdresser, and I use it on the lower lengths and in particular the ends of my hair after I've blow dried it. Satin Polish by Wella System Professional smooths the hair but doesn't weight it down, and helps define my over-processed unruly, slightly frizzy curls into sleeker looking ringlets.

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Inspiration & Motivation ♥

Reading little quotes, seeing pictures which change the way you think and watching videos that restore faith in the human race, are all things I love doing! I thought I'd share a few of my favourites...

"Accept what you can't change and change what you can't accept"

"Be nice to everyone, it's a wonderful legacy to leave"

"Only dead fish go with the flow"

"When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate it. When life is bitter, say thank you and grow stronger."

"You miss 100% of shots not taken"

"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change"

♥