A Few Stylish Additions

Guys, I'm a shameless spendaholic.

Shameless.

But I'm an honest spendaholic, so I'm about to divulge the delicious deets of my tasty crimes.

Let's do this.

Peplum Action
Despite being somewhat petite in my derriere, I failed to grasp that peplum styles are the ONE if you want to fake a far more fabulous booty than nature bequeathed you. This sexy momma is from H&M and it cost me a mere £12.99 (similar ones here and here). A small price to pay for self esteem. Hands up if you can name the show responsible for that quote. It is beautiful and I feel sophisticated without even trying... and as far as I am concerned, that is the dream in life.

Leather Jacket (OOOOSH)
This wins the award for the most impulsive purchase of the month, hands down. My first leather jacket is not actually made of leather (not gonna lie there was no way an actual leather one was a good idea with how often I spill stuff) but it is from Zara and it is amazing. In my humble opinion. Here is your link if you feel like snoopin'. This was purchased with a little encouragement from Ellie, who assures me I need it and will wear it always. I'm not gonna lie, I'm writing this the day after and I already agree with her.

Oh My Clumsy Heart Perfection
Yep, I bought two. Call me crazy, but I fell head over heels with this two, which were part of the OMCH secret sale... This ring necklace is very similar to the one pictured, and is also from OMCH; meanwhile this beautiful necklace on Anomie is the necklace that inspired the bar necklace purchase. I love them as dearly as if they were my own children*.

I hope you guys enjoyed this little style post - which of these pieces was your fave?


*joke stolen from Ellie - I love you girl

Pretending To Be Chic

My passions in life include taking screenshots that amuse and entertain only myself, tidying a metre of the tip that is my bedroom and spending three hours online to celebrate, and occasionally fancying myself up so as to feel chic (by far my favourite word the French have ever given us).

The first step, and the one I have turned to most, is the striped top. It's a classic for a reason folks, and a Breton audit that I carried out before writing this post revealed I currently have six variations on the classic, and approximately zero regrets on this subject. The one in the photo is a slightly cropped, ribbed beauty from M&S of all places, and can be purchased here.

Next up are my black sunnies; frankly any garment or accessory that even vaguely reminds me of Audrey Hepburn is one that I feel I need, and this pair were actually a freebie as part of this Bourjois promotion. They are magically flattering and one of my favourite pairs I've ever owned - so merci, Bourjois, merci.

Last of all is my early birthday present from my mum and dad (living legends both of them, let me tell you) which is a grey and rose gold Marc Jacobs watch that I am frankly besotted with. It's a style that I used to drool over regularly in France, as the jewellers I passed by on the way to the bank was home to this beauty and I never got round to treating myself to it.

These are my three steps for pretending to be chic - now the question is what are yours??

Wardrobe Shopping Survival Guide

Trying to save some money? I know I am... With a year of being a student again staring me in the face, the need to spend sensibly is more apparent than ever.

You may thinking, Shopping Survival Guide?? If you're after constructive advice on how to avoid being eaten by your shopping basket or how to swerve falling makeup counters (I'd never had to imagine a shopping apocalypse until now) you will have to head elsewhere I am afraid... though it is an idea I may come back to...

But for questions that you should be bearing in mind when shopping with a budget, you may want to look this way.

1. How will this wash? Sometimes buying cheap basics is a false economy... You wash them once and they're good for nothing but a life as pyjamas; sometimes you're not actually saving anything at all. For me, it's meant that I've bid farewell to buying from Topshop and Forever 21, unless pieces are massively reduced in the sale.
2. Pale colours = high maintenance. I learnt this one the hard way last week; I bought a beautiful dove grey jacket from H&M and stained it on its first wear. Be careful; this one will lead you back to point 1...
3. Is this a staple or a statement piece? I tend to reserve my statement pieces for special occasions; a bold, unique piece will definitely be worn less, whereas staples should combine with one another and form the backbone of your wardrobe; less exciting, but a lot more useful.
4. Get savvy with separates. A few years ago, my wardrobe was full of garments that worked for one outfit but couldn't be combined across the board. I've since learnt my lesson and am a separates convert. I've never been so happy with the state of my wardrobe.
5. Read your labels. Dry clean only is my worst enemy.
6. Don't spend on a trend. A no-brainer here but a mistake lots of people seem to make; ripped jeans may be cool now, but they're not worth splashing out on if you're bothered about falling out of style. Especially important if you're keen on being first to try a trend: you may end up hating the look after a while.
7. What's already in your wardrobe? Will this combine well? Or are you making a mistake that I have committed many a time - am I buying a carbon copy of something I already own?

These are genuinely the questions I ask myself when buying and I find it super helpful to take a moment, in my changing room, and imagine myself walking out with what I have in my hands or with nothing and deciding which I am going to do today.

Have you got some wardrobe buying thoughts that you feel like sharing? I am all about hearing more!

Trying Some Style Classics

Lately I've been far into my fashion than my beauty stash - though trust me, my makeup love may wane but never it truly dies out - so I'm here again with another style post to follow on from my Whistles jumper purchase confession, which can be read here. Today I'm telling you about the four classic pieces that I plan to always mix into my wardrobe.

It's A Ring Thing

So over the last few weeks I've developed a bit of a jewellery obsession... And at the moment, it's rings I can't get enough of. I started gathering a little collection for myself from Dixi, who impressed with their great Instagram, regular discounts and speedy delivery. This post is obviously not sponsored but I still wanted to show you my favourites!

Endless Infinity Heart Knot Ring - £6

La Lune Ring - no longer available! Gutted! The Wanderlust Ring is a similar idea though - £14

Wishbone Midi Ring - £8

Night Visions Ring in Antiqued Silver + Moonstone - £10

Plain Band Midi Ring in Silver - £8

And there you have them (sorry for my sad, cut off nails by the way!) I am obsessed with these rings and am still wanting more (the rose gold rings have me tempted!)

Where do you shop for your jewellery? Actual serious question, I am on a mission for more!

That Whistles Jumper Though...

I have been after a Whistles jumper for a good old while now, and deciding which to go for was quite the challenge... I knew I wanted there to be French on it, so the 'W' version was a miss... Then the Je Ne Regrette Rien version had sequins on the front, so it was a no to that too... I liked the idea of a navy one, but ever since I saw Fleur de Force wearing the Fleur version, I knew I couldn't wear it as no one else could rock that so well, right?

VIDEO: OOTD #1

Hey lovelies, in case you missed my OOTD from a much sunnier day last week, here it is in all its glory!