About Me

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23. London. Buyer's Admin Assistant. FASHION. When in doubt, Overdress. I like... fashion. CHANEL. big earrings. TOPSHOP. singing. blusher. models. Look magazine. Stylist magazine. short dresses. the french language. Mulberry. photographs. Larkin. apricot scrub. yellow mini eggs. Sauvignon Blanc. Vogue. The Cotswolds. London. Twitter- @Catrindarling

Monday 26 November 2012

26.11.12

Wearing: Black 3/2 Sleeve Peplum (New Look), Black and Gold Sparkly Leggings (TOPSHOP), Black Flatforms (New Look).

Listening to: Polica - Lay Your Cards Out.


Trying to get motivated to keep up regular blog posts again! It was fine when I was at uni as I had little to nothing to do most days but working a full-time job is starting to take its toll!! #wanttobeastudent

This little outfit is something I bought to wear to my work's Christmas party last week. I saw the leggings in the window of TOPSHOP on Oxford Street and immediately fell in love with them!! They are a basic black base but the gold detailing has the look and feel of those glitter pens you used to have when you were younger. They also leave a glittery, sparkly trail wherever you go- very much in the style of a modern day Hansel & Gretel! But I love them all the same! I wore distinctly higher heels than these to the party though and it is safe to say my shoes were slung over my shoulder in a very un-ladylike fashion by the time I was on the tube home afterwards! 

If you have a minute also, listen to my 'listening to' track for this post. It is utterly beautiful! 

So that's all I'm going to bore you with today as I want to start doing regular but short posts from now on and get the focus back on my outfit posts.

Big Love. As Always.
x.

Saturday 6 October 2012

06.10.12

Wearing: Mid length jersey dress (Topshop), Grey knitted jumper (H&M), Tan boots (Topshop), Frilly socks (Topshop), Fluro necklace (H&M), Pink Nouveau lipstick (MAC).

Listening to: Mosca Feat. Katy B - What You Came For




So the weather is starting to change which means that the wardrobe is in somewhat of a limbo status at the moment! It's always this time of year that we rush to buy our winter staples, I'm thinking coat, boots, thick knits... I've realised that my take on A/W dressing is very lazy indeed! I basically transition my S/S clothes by incorporating a few more layers or some thick black or patterned tights. This year I'm going to try and break that cycle and actually invest in some true winter pieces so that I don't look mental in little dresses come December!! I have been adding to my collection of leggings lately which I think we'll come in handy as it starts getting colder! I got a lovely pair from River Island a few days ago- they're in the wash at the moment but I'll do a post of them maybe tomorrow or early next week.

This is just a quick outfit post today. I'm planning on doing a SS13 post verrrry soon after the hype of the many fashion weeks to see what's already filtering down onto the high street as a preview of what's to come next year!

Big Love. As Always.
x.

Wednesday 19 September 2012

19.09.12 NEW CHAPTER IN MY LIFE!

Wearing: 
#1 Mint Green Lace Top (New Look), Black Leather Skirt (Miss Selfridge), Tan Boots (Topshop), Necklace (Covent Garden Market Stall).
#2 Blue Dress (Topshop), Necklace (New Look), Boots as above.
#3 Khaki Embroidered Military Jacket (Zara), Bralette (Miss Selfridge), Leather Skirt and boots as above.

Listening to: Lianne La Havas feat. Willy Mason- No Room For Doubt




I've so much news to tell you that I can hardly contain myself!! I am really REALLY sorry I've been neglecting this blog lately (okay, so for a good few months!) but there is good reasoning behind this!

Last time I blogged I was slap bang in the middle of my Law finals at university and ridiculously stressed and generally not a nice person to be around! Haha! But those are well and truly out of the way, I've even had graduation already! That chapter in my life has sadly well and truly ended however I have started a brand new one! I've uprooted to the big smoke of London and started a full-time job (CRY!) as a fashion merchandiser for a big UK high street retailer. Very exciting times! So now I have NO EXCUSE for not keeping this blog up to date as I am literally surrounded by clothes and retail and fashion all day long! Living in London has certainly had a detrimental impact on my bank balance (forget London rent prices I'm talking about the fact that I can go shopping every day if I really want to!!)

The above outfits are just a teeny tiny snippet of the clothes I've bought lately but I thought I'd start somewhere! I've been trying to buy staple pieces that will merge into my wardrobe well and also see me through to winter (pfff as if we even had a 'summer'). The leather skirt I thought was a great buy as it is the perfect 'winter skirt', very durable and practical for the cold weather. Along the same lines I thought that this military jacket would be perfect for layering up in winter especially as they're all over the high street at the moment at prices that won't break the bank.

My new 'working girl' life has also empowered me to switch up the hair a bit as well. After the absolute atrocity that was 'dip-dye gate 2012' (see earlier posts for more on this) I decided to be brave and trust a hair-dresser with my barnet once more and opted for dark red as well as chopping half of it off! The pictures above don't really do it justice for quite how red it actually is!

So, i'm going to leave it there for this evening, but i'll be sure to blog tomorrow or in a few days.

Big Love. As Always.
x.

Tuesday 12 June 2012

12.06.12

Wearing: Grey Peplum Top (Topshop), Leopard Print Leggings (Miss Selfridge), Tan Heels (Topshop), Pearl Collar Necklace (Topshop), Lipstick (MAC St Germain).

Listening to: Wiley- Heatwave (Devolution Remix). 
I'm putting the youtube link to it here as it's such a great song- Perfect for summer!




SO!! I'm back after several months of being an utter recluse due to university finals! But they are all officially out of the way and I can now get back to concentrating on the fun things...Basically shopping and blogging! I had to put a link to the Wiley song that i'm loving at the moment! The weather might not be screaming summer just yet but this song definitely is!! 

I must admit, I am loving the outfit in today's post! I've had these leopard print leggings for a while now and I've been searching for the perfect top to wear with them and I think I've finally found it! I love how casual this peplum top is as well. It'll be so easy to wear with lots of other things and it's a great shape. It was only £16 in Topshop as well so it won't break the bank but will undoubtedly update any old outfit! I've tried to even out the peplum shape through adding the Peter Pan collar necklace. 

These shoes were a recent splurge of mine as well. I had something to return to Topshop but I didn't have the receipt any more so I decided to use the amount towards a pair of gorgeous shoes that I wouldn't ordinarily splash out on! They're surprisingly really comfy as well which is always a bonus. You might also notice that my 'trademark' dip-dye hair colour has now gone! After a fond two years together we have parted ways after a disastrous experience at the hairdressers which has put me off for life...or at least for a very long time!

Super excited to take a road trip down to Beach Break Live 2012 this weekend as well! I have so many festival outfits which have been crying out to me for months, and now I finally have a reason to wear them! Rain won't even stop me!!

Big Love. As Always.
x.

Monday 21 May 2012

21.05.12

Wearing: Raspberry-coloured ball dress (Coast), Raspberry heels (Next), St Germain Lipstick (MAC).

Listening to: Deaf Havana- Little White Lies feat. Portia Conn (something a little different to my normal choices!)


So sorry I haven't blogged lately. Everything else in my life seems to have fallen into oblivion at the moment due to university finals! I've been living what feels like 24/7 in the library for what seems like forever so I haven't really had much time to think about clothes or outfit posts lately. My library attire isn't worthy of outfit posts either, so I thought I'd save you the hassle and the horror of my 'exam period' get-up and (lack of) make-up!

Just a short post really. This is what I wore to the Cardiff University Media Awards a few weeks back. Somehow I lucked out and managed to find shoes that were a perfect match for the raspberry colour of the dress! Sheer coincidence, I swear! The dress is kind of 'standard' Coast. For the last few years Coast have been making variations of this dress and tweaking them for each season. I really love the length of it though. I always immediately go straight for short, body-con cuts but I think now that the weather is picking up (yay!) I'm going to start looking into trying some different lengths. I'd really love a high-waisted, sunshine yellow, 'chiffony' material skirt in this length to wear with my denim jacket (obviously not asking much with that tight specification)!

I'm not going to drone on tonight as I need to crack back down to revision but I promise, post-exams (JUNE 1ST!!), I'll be back on the blog-hype!
Big Love. As Always.
x.

Thursday 3 May 2012

03.05.12

Wearing: Black chiffon blouse (Urban Outfitters), Brown leather shorts (Topshop), Beige/neutral coloured wedges (New Look), Blue ring (Topshop).

Listening to: Rudimental- Feel The Love (Ft. John Newman).


Revision for my law finals is well under-way and I am loving having this blog to take me away from the stresses of exams for a little while! Being able to pop into town and go shopping for things to feature in my outfit posts is always fun as well! I'm currently using shopping as my 'treat' incentive for working hard and, so far, it's working very well indeed!

So there are lots of flash sales and reduced bits and pieces flying around the high street at the moment and this gorgeous chiffon blouse is one of them! I fell in love with it straight away as I feel like it's a(nother) staple item that every girl should have in her wardrobe. So easy to throw on for lots of  different occasions! I especially like the 'cut-out' detail on the front and back of the shoulders, it makes it a little bit special and you feel like you're showing a little bit of skin. This makes it perfect to wear for day as well as evening! The added bonus is that the blouse was also in the sale! I think it was about £20 which I thought was a great find! You always know it's a good sale purchase if you looked at it when it was full-price!

Big Love. As Always.
x.

Friday 27 April 2012

27.04.12

Wearing: Leather-look jacket (Miss Selfridge), Leopard-print basic dress (H&M), Belt (Vintage), Boots (M&S)

Listening to: Jessie Ware- 110%




I am loving my new leather-look jacket! It goes with almost anything and is so easy to wear! When I first bought it I was a bit nervous about how to style it, but it's actually really easy! I have yet to find something that I wouldn't want to wear it with! This basic cotton dress was a great find this week! It's from good old H&M and cost a grand total of £7.99 so it's very purse friendly. It's the kind of dress that you can have in your wardrobe to pull out if and when you're being indecisive about what to wear! Last night I wore it to do my student radio show and then went straight to a bar/club to see Alt-Whitman (High Contrast's alter-ego/bit on the side) and it was a great outfit choice! It's an easy fabric and an easy shape to pull off as well, and comes in various other block colours and prints! The only one thing I'd say about it though is that it is a little north of the knee, if you know what I mean! I'm waiting for the weather to improve to work out whether it'll be too short to wear without tights...We don't want any impromptu 'flashing' on a breezy day! 

This gorgeous ring is from TOPSHOP...and, even better, it's in the sale. It was originally £16.50 and is currently half price which I think is an absolute bargain for something as pretty and interesting as this! The colouring and shape reminds me of a little cluster of globes. The TOPSHOP sale has some really good jewellery in it at the moment so I'd definitely suggest getting online or down to a store soon! A unique accessory has the ability to transform an entire look, so don't under-estimate the power of a new piece of jewellery!

Big Love. As Always.x.


Sunday 22 April 2012

22.04.12

Wearing: 'Jamaica' sun dress (TOPSHOP) (£36), Black faux-leather jacket (Miss Selfridge) (I think this was around £45), Suede boots (M&S), Watch (Swatch).


Listening to: Mele- Beamer.



So the student loan dropped and I decided to treat myself to some new clothes before things get intense with revision for final exams and I officially have no life! I am absolutely in love with these new purchases! I decided to buy some things that will be wearable now but also see me through to the summer months. When the shops are transitioning from one season to another I always find that if you don't buy things when you see them initially, they always sell out really quickly and you can't get them again! This always seems to happen to me so I've learnt my lesson and I generally just buy it when I see it...I can always take it back if it doesn't fit into my wardrobe very well. I love the 'Jamaica' themed print on the sun dress and the 'bralet' style of the top makes it a really flattering shape too. The leather jacket is kind of a 'staple item' to have in the wardrobe and it will definitely be versatile enough to go with a lot of different looks! I am a big fan of it!

I took an impromptu trip to 'Motion' in Bristol last night to see Major Lazer (among others) and it was verrrry good! The leather jacket got it's debut as well but I'm pretty sure I spent a great deal of the night checking to see if it was still wrapped around my bag- I was very paranoid about dropping it!

One last thing, if any readers of this blog have any thoughts or comments about my posts and my outfits please feel free to comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts- especially if you've been inspired to buy any of the items in my posts!

Big love. As always.
x.

Tuesday 17 April 2012

17.04.12

Wearing: 
Outfit One: Midi 'Dip back' Skirt (TOPSHOP) (£28), Denim Jacket (Primark), Cropped top (Republic) (2 for £12), Belt (Vintage), Boots (M&S).
Outfit Two: As Above BUT Pink T-Shirt (H&M).


Listening to: Benga- Icon




This skirt is currently my favourite thing in my wardrobe. Although it must be said that I always say that about my newest purchase! I went into TOPSHOP in search of something a little bit different that I perhaps wouldn't normally wear or is totally different to anything else I own! This skirt was the result of this brief and I absolutely love it!! Granted, it is a bit 'swan lake' but I think it's perfect for so many occasions if you know what to style it with (above pictures are some casual 'day' looks). I can't wait to wear it during the summer with a kind of 'rock tee' and style it up for festivals as it's so easy to wear. I also bought some new MAC blusher from the 'limited edition' colours called 'PEONY PETAL'. It's very lovely but very pink and makes my pale complexion look even paler (if that's possible). I'm going to have to invest in some new bronzer  or something to try and even out my skin colouring!

I found out last week that 'In Aid Of Vintage' (the vintage fairs that I absolutely love) are coming to an end after 6 successful years! The belt above is one of the many purchases from one of these events and I'm really going to miss these fairs! They were always so good and had such a wide range of accessories and clothing so it is a massive shame that 'In Aid Of Vintage' is closing. I will now be on the look out for some new vintage fairs to scour as the loss of this event is going to mean that vintage markets become fewer and fewer.

I'm really excited to be back in Cardiff after the Easter break as it means that the high street shops will have been transformed with new products and new trends for SS12 and I can't wait to hit them hard!! I'm also verrrry excited about the summer as I've just bought tickets to 'Love Saves The Day' festival in Bristol on June 3rd. I'm also planning on going to Beach Break Live and SW4 and have some other 'potential' festivals I'd like to go to if I find the money!

Big Love, As Always.
x.

Tuesday 27 March 2012

27.03.12

Wearing: 
Outfit 1: 
Interview/Assessment centre Pink silk blazer (Next), Striped pencil skirt ( Next), Black scallop-edged top (Topshop).
Outfit 2: 
Summer clothes starting to creep in Black top (as before), Green body-con skirt (Topshop), Gold and black gladiator sandals with leopard print ribbon (Carvela).

Listening to: Miles Kane- First of My Kind
                     Scrufizzer- Steam
                     B.Traits- Fever



March has been a bit of a manic month for me so sorry for being a bit lax with blogging. I am also coming to end of my student loan for this term so money is a massive issue as well so, I thought, if I can't buy new clothes to blog about, then I'd rather just wait and blog when I've got something worthwhile to talk about!

So the first outfit is something I wore to an interview/assessment centre in London a few weeks ago. I literally trawled around Cardiff City Centre looking for something that could be regarded as 'business attire' but that I'd also love wearing. After one evening of unsuccessful shopping (mostly spent trying on every single item in Zara) I enlisted my flat mate to come and be a second pair of eyes to find the perfect outfit. And this is what we came up with! I always forget just how good Next is for business/smart clothing. The skirt and the jacket came in at around £50 for both which, for work clothes, is not bad at all! I did wear shoes to the assessment (obvs) however, two days before, I damaged the tendons in my foot so had to hobble down to M&S and purchase a 'reliable and sensible' pair that my fat foot could actually fit in to!! There were a lot of frustrated London folk on the tube that day caught behind the 'Catrin traffic jam' I created. Oops.

The second outfit is a tribute to the absolutely beautiful weather that we've been seeing for the last week or so! I realised that the majority of my wardrobe is actually spring/summer clothing (which I pass off as going out clothes as well) so I am loving finally being able to wear some of it!! The high street shops are starting to really go for it in terms of SS12 clothing as well so I can't wait to go home for Easter and hopefully come back in a few weeks with some new bits and pieces! I'm desperate to get my hands on some pastel pieces, and I'd love a girly, lace white dress. Either that or come back and hit Cardiff when the student loan drops!!

Anyway, that's all for now as I have to get ready for uni (absolute lazybones!)
Big Love, As Always.
x.

Thursday 8 March 2012

08.03.12

Wearing: Floral jersey dress (Warehouse), Suede boots (Marks & Spencer), Hoop earrings (Topshop).

Listening to: Friction Vs Camo & Krooked- Stand Up



This is the ear cuff I got from Topshop! I love it! I keep looking out for different ones but so far they seem to be restricted to ones very similar to the one I've got. Nevertheless, I still love it!



Last Sunday I wandered down to a vintage fair in a student pub in Cardiff (The Woodville, Cathays). The event called 'In Aid Of Vintage' runs once a month in Cardiff and has a great range of clothing and accessories on offer! And what's more, it's free to go in and have a nose around! You can find them at www.facebook.com/rosetintedvintage to find out when the next fair is going to be, and where! (FYI the next Cardiff one is on March 25th). Another great one to check out is Blind Lemon Vintage; they have fairs all over the country! There was a great mix of vintage knits, dresses, handbags, jewellery (lots of costume jewellery) as well as a few stalls selling less-vintage pieces (for example I saw lots of clothing from high street stores from a few seasons ago!) As always, you have to get in there nice and early to get the best pieces and you can't be afraid to have a rummage! The men's items were particularly good, I even saw a gorgeous cashmere knitted jumper for a bargain price of £15!!

In other news, I've spent the last few days picking interview/assessment centre outfits as I've been called to one next week. Very exciting! It kind of felt a bit like I was 'playing' at dressing up as a grown-up! Next in Cardiff got hit very hard today though! Ended up getting a great little outfit for around £50! I always forget how reasonable Next is for work wear/office wear. I'll blog and outfit post it next week on D-Day...if I remember. I'll probably be so flustered trying to navigate to and around London but i'll blog it at some point next week!

Exciting times. All keep your fingers crossed for me!
Big love, As always.

Sunday 26 February 2012

26.02.12

This week I've been rather proactive with outfits so I'm going to upload two outfit posts in this entry and then upload another in a few days!

Outfit One
Wearing: Black body-con dress, worn as skirt (H&M), Gold sequin top (TOPSHOP), Nude heels (Dorothy Perkins), Anklet (Accessorize), Earrings, barely seen (TOPSHOP)


Listening to: Lana Del Rey- Born To Die




Outfit Two
Wearing: Black top, Brown leather shorts (Both TOPSHOP), Leopard print flats (New Look). (Excuse the ridiculous face in this one, I was running verrry late for uni that day!)



So there we have two new outfit posts, they're practically entirely made up of Topshop as well- typical me! You can also see (I hope) that my ombre hair is fading on the bottom and developing into a nice auburn colour.
I got a letter from Arcadia customer care yesterday as well as I complained about my white jumper that burnt! (Remember?...) It was a very nice letter actually and they're sending me a refund for the jumper as well as the postage & packaging costs I had to pay to send it to their office. So that was a nice surprise to come home to. Now I have to decide whether to risk it and buy another of the same or get something else.

Yesterday was Wales v England Six Nations and, living in Cardiff, you can imagine the carnage that ensued during the match and last night! Town was completely and utterly packed and there were no taxis going in or out of the centre! Nightmare! This resulted in a 45 minute wait outside for our late taxi in outfit number one. Good job the weather has actually perked up though- the fact that is is starting to feel like spring meant that it wasn't too unbearable!

I finally bought an earring with an ear cuff attached to it. I got it from, you guessed it, Topshop! I was 'umming and ahhing' but I saw a girl wearing one in town during the week and it looked lovely so I went out on a whim and got one. Another little frivolous purchase this week was from H&M. It's a hair tie/bobble (whatever you call them) with a gold metal ring attached so basically you tie up your hair in a ponytail and then undo the clasp and pop the ring around it. It looks really nice (if a tad on the 'dominatrix' side of things). It was only £1.99 as well so can't really go wrong! I always forget how good H&M can be for accessories. Also, loving my new anklet from Accessorize! I popped home from uni for the weekend and found some gift vouchers from Christmas that I hadn't used- Jackpot!

I would write more but, if I'm honest, I'm feeling a tad fragile this morning! I'll blog again during the week.
Big love, As always.
x.

Monday 20 February 2012

20.02.12

Wearing: Body-con black/leopard print dress (River Island). Leopard print flats (New Look). Lipstick (MAC combination of 'Myth' and 'St Germain'). Blue quilted bag (Mango). Grey Blazer (Topshop). Gold hoop earrings (Topshop).
My hair is also finally starting to fade into a more 'auburn' shade. Result! 

Listening to: Major Look- Hush Your Gums.




This week I have major envy for anyone at London Fashion Week. I've watched some of the live streams and I desperately want to be there! I love how, at LFW, designers always make their shows such an experience, such a story and such an event. I love how each designer hand picks the venue and set design to correspond to their collection and their personalities (designers like Vivienne Westwood always have a field day). Showing their new collections for the first time is such a huge thing and the collections literally predict what trends will be filtering down on the high street in a matter of months. I just love the whole process- I love seeing which trends the high street will pick-up on and accept and which ones will be shunned.

This weekend I went to Motion in Bristol for 'Funk From The Trunk'. I always forget how much of a great venue Motion is. It was a really good night as all the artists on the line-up played a decent mix of music genres, so there was pretty much something for everyone. Normally if I go to a rave I try to go quite casual, but because I bought this new dress recently, I decided I'd give it it's debut! Teamed with flats and a cardi you can dress it down really easily. Going to such great nights lately is also getting me really excited for festivals this summer! Partly for the music but mostly for the 'festival chic' fashion I can bring out! Give me a summer dress, some gladiator sandals, my ray bans and a trilby and I'll be happy! I also saw the BeachBreak 2012 line-up today, a day before the release and I can safely say it's going to be an amazing few days! Roll on summer!

Big love, As always.

Wednesday 8 February 2012

08.02.12

Wearing: Lace floral dress (TOPSHOP), Nude Heels (Dorothy Perkins), Pearl effect collar necklace (TOPSHOP), Gold hoop earrings (TOPSHOP).

Listening to: Benjamin Francis Leftwich- Pictures (beautiful track).


So I said I wasn't going to 'over-blog' but I had to get this outfit post out while I thought about it! This is a(nother) new dress courtesy of TOPSHOP. I tried it on over Christmas at home and loved it but thought it was a bit too expensive as I was counting the pennies (typical student). BUT I somehow had vouchers left over post-Christmas so I decided to splurge. I just think it's so easy to dress up and down. I wore it with a cropped fur jacket from H&M on the weekend and it looked lovely and kept me toasty!

So last night was a bit 'off the cuff'. We originally popped down to our local pub for a uni social, but ended up entering the pub quiz! Lo and behold, a few drinks and some head scratching later, we actually won!! £100 cash prize which we then went out and spent ridiculously quickly in a club. Apparently £100 doesn't go as far as you'd think. It was also the quickest my flatmate and I have everrrr got ready for a night out so the picture above is the best I could pull out in 10 minutes! Ha!

Also, this is the new hair. Not sure if you can see it very well in that picture, it's actually a lot 'redder' in real life.

Big love. As always

Tuesday 7 February 2012

07.02.12

Wearing: Mustard play-suit (TOPSHOP). Grey hold-ups (M&S). Tan wedge heels (New Look).

Listening to: Friction- Led Astray


Big old apologies for my distinct lack of blogging over the last few days...weeks even. Uni started again and things have kicked off big time! So above is a play-suit from Toppers which I think would be perfect for festivals and general summer shenanigans. The shops are full of such lovely Spring and Summer clothing that this freezing weather isn't even putting me of purchasing things to store in my wardrobe ready for when the sun (finally) makes a cheeky appearance! The play-suit is actually a size 8 but it's really quite baggy. Normally I'm a 10 in TOPSHOP play-suits but this one must be generous!

I also bought a gorgeous cream and grey floral dress which I'll try and outfit post during the week when I find a spare moment or two! The blonde ombre hair is also no more! Sad times! The blonde ends have now been replaced with a copper colour. I had two separate colours put on as the first one didn't take to the damaged and dry blonde! That was a looong few hours spent at the hairdressers! It's quite dark at the moment, but after a few washes I am assured that it'll fade into hopefully a nice coppery blonde. So yeah, my ombre hair has gone and, if I'm honest, I'm a little bit sad about it!

The Warehouse Rave a few weeks ago now was such a good night as well! I wore one of my earlier outfit posts (the striped white and blue top and denim shorts) with some old ripped tights. (I knew they'd get damaged so decided to wear an old pair and make it look like I meant it that way!) Ha. In terms of the music, Redlight was amazing! Jack Beats played a great first half of their set but then just kind of faded out by the end. Then 16 bit hit up some standard dubstep which was good, but not great. In general the night was amazing though. The warehouse it was held in was by far the best venue Cardiff has to offer at the moment and it was refreshing to go to a rave at a different place to the usual haunts.

I bullied my friend into having an outfit picture taken that night as well so I'll have a little look and hopefully put it up later.

So this is just a whistle-stop post to try and fill you in on my absence. I'm going to try and blog once a week from now- I don't want to try and commit to more than that as uni is getting intense, if I have time though I will, of course, blog!

Big love, As always.

Saturday 28 January 2012

28.01.12

Wearing: Aztec dress (Boohoo.com). Feather Earrings (Accessorize). St Germain lipstick (MAC). And not a lot else! 

Listening to: Mini mixes on YouTube: Jack Beats, Redlight, 16bit getting hyped for the CYNT Warehouse Party tonight!




So my new dress from boohoo.com arrived and I really like it. I think it'll be perfect for now with tights and layers and then even more perfect for the summer. It screams 'festival' attire! The only slightly annoying thing is that the top bandeau bit with the zip goes slightly too high up so I've had to fold it a bit and clip it so it's shorter. Because of the zip I think it'd be hard to alter as well so clips will have to suffice!

These earrings are amazing as well. I got them for my birthday in December and I love them! They're the perfect length to fall in line with my hair length and feather accessories are going to be huge in SS12 so I'm ahead of the game!

I'll post again later or tomorrow after the Warehouse Party, but just wanted to show you all the new dress!

Big love. As always..

Friday 27 January 2012

27.01.12

Wearing: Animal print peplum knitted top (River Island). 'Super skinny' jeans (New Look. Very cheap and lasting well). Suede ankle boots (Marks & Spencer). Pearl collar necklace (TOPSHOP). Tan belt (Oasis).

Listening to: Light Up (The World)- Yasmin feat. Shy FX &Ms Dynamite.



The second picture is really just to show you the proper shape/movement of the top.

So this is just a casual outfit for a day in uni (yawn!) I'm hoping my boohoo order arrives today as I want to show it to you and wear it out to the warehouse thing tomorrow night!
I've also been discussing with my twinny and we're trying to arrange a day for her to pop over to Cardiff so I can style her! I'll let you know when we've decided when that's going to happen! I can't wait! It'll be like buying clothes and spending money without the major guilt!! Ideal! Maybe I should pursue a career as a personal shopper if the fashion buying path doesn't work out?!

I also brought my hair appointment forward. I decided I couldn't wait that long for a change. SO a week today I'll be having a long overdue colour and cut!
Almost forgot to mention as well, I have a new cosmetic/beauty love and it's such a basic! Johnson's 'Dreamy Skin' Night Facial Wipes. They smell like the Johnson's baby bubble bath and made my skin feel gorgeous this morning!

This Lana Del Rey 'Video Games' video gives me such goosebumps! I'm intrigued by the drunk girl @ 1.55 though. Does anyone know who she is?!

Thank you all so much for reading this blog as well! It means a lot to know that people are actually taking note of what I'm writing and I'm not just writing into cyberspace!
Big love. As always.

Wednesday 25 January 2012

25.01.12

Wearing: (Very casual outfit today). Blue and white striped jersey dress (H&M but there are sooo many of these around). Camel cardigan/shawl (TOPSHOP). Belt (Vintage). Leggings (TOPSHOP but a standard pair). Brown studded boots (M&S). Nude watch (Swatch).
Listening to: Video Games- Lana Del Rey (in love with this girl's voice and her in general. Beautiful).
                   On My Mind ft. William Cartwright- Joker




Also, just wanted to shout about my new mascara. Normally I find a type I like and stick to it religiously. BUT. I was given the Maybelline 'Colossal Volume Express Cat Eyes' mascara for Christmas and it's amazing. I'm lucky that I have quite long lashes anyway but the amount of coverage and curl on them after using this was brilliant. I also just bought some MAC 'Blacktrack Fluidline' gel eyeliner. I'm not so good with the make-up side of things so if I can make it look good then anyone can. Bit pricey but well worth it for long-lasting eyeliner in terms of staying power and the amount you get- should last me a year at least!!



Made my first ever orders at 'boohoo.com' and 'lavishalice.com' so when they arrive I'll whack some outfit posts up...as long as they fit/look nice! Ha!

Big love. As always.

Tuesday 24 January 2012

24.01.12

Wearing: (Okay, so I'm not wearing this right now but decided to whack it up anyway as it was one of my wiwt.com outfit posts recently. This way I get to blog today but kiiind of cheat).
Lace and pleated cream dress (TOPSHOP). Suspender tights (New Look). Nude heels (Dorothy Perkins). Gold earrings barely seen (TOPSHOP).

Listening to: G.O.M.H- Redlight


I'm going to do outfit posts pretttty frequently but limit my 'ramblings on' to maybe once or twice a week. That way you won't get bored of me...As easily! Ha! Also, my twin sis had an amazing idea! I'm going style up some of my willing friends and loved ones and do 'before and after' shots so I can use different body shapes/heights/styles/budgets for outfit posts. Any volunteers massively welcome!

Big love. As always.

Monday 23 January 2012

23.01.12

Wearing: Denim shorts (River Island). White and blue striped bow detail top (TOPSHOP). Pearl effect collar necklace (TOPSHOP). Leopard print pumps (New Look). Nude watch (Swatch). 'Myth' lipstick (MAC).
Listening to: Hot Right Now ft. Rita Ora- DJ Fresh



Sorry for looking so summery today but I couldn't help it! I'm so tired of winter now and, with all the S/S12 clothes trickling down onto the high street, temptation is all around me! I decided to whack up the heat in my flat so I can get away with wearing this and pretending it's not FREEZING outside! I'm channelling the 'French Riviera' vibe today and wishing I was walking along the beach in the South of France or sat in a little French cafĂ©. There's something so depressing about having to layer up every day. Don't get me wrong, I love layering, but only when I've consciously chosen to. Not been forced. I feel like I could be wearing something completely lovely underneath and no-one would ever know after I've thrown on my knitted woolies, my staple Barbour jacket and various other layers necessary to brave the January elements.

At this time of year I love reading all my fashion magazines and seeing what's being tipped for next season's trends! And then being able to watch the shops transform as they religiously take note and copy what's just been seen on the catwalks. Even more so at this time of year with all the Fashion Weeks kicking off! It's always really refreshing to switch up your wardrobe as well: New Year, New Start, New Me and all that! New clothes always feel like a massive part of this for me.

I always look at the 'up and coming' trends and pick which ones I think will really take of. I.e. that I will be wearing. It's funny how much influence the high street actually has over what we wear in everyday life. I remember when 'jeggings' first came to be and I solemnly swore that I would never ever ever wear them. That was until they were literally postered across my favourite stores. You couldn't get away from them! And, the truth of the matter is, they're easy to wear and bloody comfortable. There are various other trends that I felt this way about. Looking in my wardrobe now though you'd never have guessed (Leather shorts, full-on sequined cropped top, maxi skirt....I could go on).

So here are some of the new trends and some of my picks so far from the high street: 

Sports luxe (Olympic fever is well and truly taking over!): asos.com has this trend nailed. Go onto the 'Game On' section of the webiste and shop shop shop! http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Pencil-Skirt-in-Sheer-and-Solid/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1925870&cid=14085&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Pale+pink I love this skirt. Ticks the 'sports luxe' box, as well as the 'pencil skirt' trend. Winner.

Lace (although I swear this trend never really leaves anyway): If you're tired of doing the classic 'sweet and pretty lace' http://www.asos.com/Reverse/Reverse-Hi-Lo-Dress-With-Studded-Lace-Bustier/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2003040&cid=14084&sh=0&pge=1&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Black


Bird prints: Loving this bird print dress from Lavish Alice and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg! http://www.lavishalice.com/dc0030-orange-bird-print-summer-dress.html


Under the sea: Channel your inner mermaid for this one, it's all about the metallics and sequins. Rainbow mini skirt http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Mini-Skirt-in-Rainbow-Sequins/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1849207&cid=14086&sh=0&pge=1&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Multi


Aztec/tribal: There were too many pieces that I love so I couldn't choose for this trend: gladiator sandals, chunky jewellery, fabric bags (you can get amazing accessories for this one), fringed tops, shorts...I could go on. Think graphic tribal prints, fringing, embellishment and you can't go wrong.

I want to change my hair. I've had it 'ombre' (meaning shadow in French) or 'dip-dyed' for over a year now and I feel like I need to switch it up! I'm so torn though as 'ombre' hair has become my thing. It's how most people know me/recognise me at uni. But I feel like I want dark blonde/light brown hair for now, and then as it grows out it'll go back ombre anyway. PLAN. Need to find a reputable hairdresser in Cardiff though as I don't want it ruined.

I wanted to make sure this blog wasn't just about fashion so I'm really keen to start incorporating music and raves, festivals, gigs I go to. So, with that being said, Saturday Jan 28th I'm going to be hitting a 'Warehouse rave' in Cardiff and I can't waiiiit! I'll definitely keep you posted on how that goes/what I wear etc.

Big love. As always.

Sunday 22 January 2012

NEW YEARS RES.

So I had every intention of being major committed to this blog but starting back at university kind of took precedent! Soz.
SO HERE IT IS. One of my New Years Resolutions: To actually do this blog on a REGULAR basis.

Wearing: Leopard print leggings (Miss Selfridge). Royal blue satin top (River Island). Leopard print pumps (New Look). Earrings (TOPSHOP). Nude watch (Swatch).




Listening to: 212- Azealia Banks (In love with this track at the moment. Regardless of the vulgar language it is still a mega tune!)

Another New Years Res of mine is the rule that I can only buy clothes IF and only IF they could be classed as 'edgy' or different to what I already have/would usually go for. Hence the leopard print leggings, which I've got to say, I love! I realised at the end of 2011 that I had got myself stuck in a little fashion rut! I don't know whether it was because I was getting back into the routine of uni or that the weight of a final year Law degree was taking its toll?! But, nonetheless, I had got myself well and truly stuck!
So now, with my new lease of 2012 life, I am taking a stance!

I think the fact that I hadn't got myself a decent tripod to do outfit posts was a big hindrance to my cause as well, so with that in mind, I have frog-marched myself down to Cardiff City Centre with the aim of finding one. Thus, NO EXCUSES FOR NOT BLOGGING!

I've also joined WIWT.COM (what I wore today). I feel like it's a nice step up for me before I try my hand at the biggies...namely lookbook.nu. I've only posted one outfit so far but if I get my arse in gear with this little blog, I guess it'll all become part and parcel of the deal!

This morning I got up with the intention of wearing my leggings with a lovely pure white thick knit jumper I got from TOPSHOP (http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=4421047&langId=-1&categoryId=&searchTerm=white%20knit&pageSize=20). As my student flat is bloody freeeezing, I decided to put it on the radiator for a few minutes (literally a few minutes) to warm up before I put it on. NO WHERE on the label does it say 'keep away from heat'. I returned to the jumper to find it BURNT. It's all browny-yellow and discoloured. Not a happy bunny. I'm in two minds about whether or not to take it back as it isn't really my fault and it isn't really that much to ask that I can put it on the radiator? Is it?! If anyone has any ideas of how to fix this/what to say to TOPSHOP pleaseee let me know. Fashion/consumer dilemma!

BIG LOVE. As always.