Sunglasses..

Are the best, I have too many already, but just looking at ASOS made me remember that you can never have enough.
Sunglasses can change a whole outfit instantaneously, I can't stress enough how much I love them.
They can be very bold to help pick a dull outfit up, and if they are attracting too much attention, they can easily be taken off and out into a bag. Piratical perfection.
hello big bill:

£15

£12

£12

£15

Hurry up summer!

Lots of Love,

xo

About to...

Start and essay for Art (vom).
I have to compare two artists work, so I have chosen the lovely Uta Barth and Tim Walker.
They are both photographers which I love dearly!
I thought I would rummage through their archives for some inspiration, maybe you could use some inspiration too...

Tim Walker;

Uta Barth;

Lots of Love,

xo

Nottingham Calling...

Finally we escaped the town of Loughborough today, moving on from 23 pound shops and a 10ft x 10ft Topshop to a bigger and better city for a day, Nottingham. It has to be said, Loughborough is not a town for avid shoppers, so naturally I was delighted to escape its grasps and visit a real City.
Growing up on the outskirts of London you tend to take for granted the fashion and culture which is so close to you, I was used to popping into town and looking around all the titanic flagship stores in London, and finding quirky independent boutiques and cafes, so when I moved to little old Loughborough in the East Midlands it was quite the culture shock.
I am now so behind with all the trends because, frankly, it is extremely hard to look at the new season stock when there are hardly any shops to showcase it. I am left like a social recluse online shopping in my room.
Anyhow, today I got to see the new Topshop S/S 12 stock in REAL LIFE!
I have got to say I have not been so inspired in a long time, I absolutely love the pastel/ fluro trend, and also the slouchy pyjama tailoring.
I tried on a couple of dresses which I adored! Alas, they were £85 & £95 by Topshop Boutique, which I thought was stretching my budget for such simple pieces, although the silhouettes are delicate and rather beautiful;

 

The pastel colours were also perfect for spring and they could be accessorised with fluro-trimmed statement necklaces, bright lipstick and stacked heels, or dressed up with a huge fur coat, massive cocktail rings and litas for a bit of 1920's glamour and recycled forever, but, being a student, I don't have that kind of cash!

I really wish I could have styled the SS 12 collection for Topshop, I would have gone wild, it would have been beautiful!

Disappointingly I did not part with my cash for any of the new season offerings, I did however make a sale purchase of some rather hideous wide leg trousers;

(sorry about the terrible quality). 

I know a lot of people will think they're vile, and I do a bit, but I sort of like them!

This is a ridiculously comfortable outfit, very slouchy tailoring, and I secretly love the colour of the trousers. I think I will leave this outfit to wear once i'm back in London and feeling courageous.

I also brought some nail varnishes from H&M in various hues of blue;

And that is is, from the evidence it looks like a rather unsuccessful shopping expedition, but I had a lovely day and really enjoyed looking around shops that we are deprived of here in Loughborough, I also had a wonderful breakfast at Queenies Bakehouse, I will leave you with some photos;

P.S.

As this is my first 'proper' attempt of blogging from Loughborough and there aren't many scenic backdrops for outfit of the days (and I do an art foundation, so most days I wear things that I won't cry over if paint is spilt of them) I am trying to work out a way to get some photos of my more thought about outfits. I also need to remind myself to take more photos to post! So please excuse my recent, rather lacklustre, posts. I am working on it!

Lots of Love

xo

Jeffrey Campbell NEWSFLASH...

Jeffrey Campbell Shoes' Facebook page just made a rather delightful announcement!
Brand new stock of Litas, Nightwalks and a variety of other styles have been added to the Office store, and to be honest I'm not surprised at all as there seems to be hundreds of copies around!
I am a bit late as the Litas were in on the 9th Jan and the Nightwalks on the 12th, but nevertheless, incase you did not know, get on it!
They are on Office's online shop. I would more than recommend them, they are the most comfortable and beautiful shoes I own.
Enjoy!
Lots of love
xo

Makeup// Foundation...

Back in the wonderful town of Loughborough after my long, lazy days at home snuggled up on the sofa watching films all day and night (heaven).

So, now I'm back and unpacked, I thought I'd do this makeup post. 

The funny thing is I actually left my makeup bag and the contents AND alllll my brushes/ eyelash curlers/ moisturisers etc.. in my bedroom. 

I am quite an idiot.

So yes, the photos I took before I left for Loughborough will have to suffice!

If anyone finds this post interesting or would like to hear more about makeup I may post some more in-depth reviews, or include my brushes and skincare etc.. let me know (all 5 of my readers.. so popular)

After some deliberation I have decided to do a few parts to this makeup post, and I will start with the foundation!

My makeup bag used to house my makeup treasures is a Dior black velvet case which I got free from a J'adore Dior perfume purchase, I love it!

The downside of it is, as you can see, it is a bit of a dust collector!

Here is the contents of my makeup bag;

When I was in Australia I went MAD and brought two new foundations (garnier BB cream and cover girl nuatureluxe) and Bronze Universal (Tan de Chanel). I was defiantly on a bit of a makeup rampage/ binge,  which I am not proud of, (neither is my bank account) but it is always good to try a variety of products! (I shall keep telling myself this). This binge continued in to the early hours of yesterday evening... Once I got back from Australia I brought Chanel Vitalumiere- after trying endless samples from endless brands, and last night I also had to make an emergency purchase of Revlon Photo Ready and a mascara (can't remember the name and, franky, not worth naming, boo). However, hopefully it's out of my system now and I can move on! 

I do own a lot more makeup than is currently being carried around by me, but these purchases are my current favesss.

I think that foundation is the most vital thing to get right with your makeup, a good colour match and a foundation suited to your skin type can make all the difference in the world to your complexion, making you appear refreshed, glowy, younger and flawless. The best way to get the right foundation for you is to go to a counter, ask for a colour match and try a take home sample! (I know it can be hard to try "drug store"/ high street cosmetics)

And that is exactly what I did.

Firstly, after all the trials and tribulations I associate with finding a good foundation, I have finally found  a few keepers, but, I had to try a lot to get there! I haven't tried all of the foundations on the market (obviously), but, I feel I should perhaps quickly mention the few I did sample;

Laura Mercier oil free foundation, MAC studio sculpt and pro-longwear, Estee Lauder Double Wear and Chanel Perfection Lumiere. 

They were all okay, but I did not fall in love with any of them!

I will start by saying I have pretty dry skin and I really like a foundation that gives a healthy glow. None of these products really did that, 

the Studio Sculpt was okay, but didn't give me a flawless finish. 

I also quite liked pro long-wear with a really thick moisturiser (think Elizabeth Arden 8hr cream), but I felt like it couldn't be doing my skin any good putting such a greasy product on my face daily, then sealing it with a long wearing foundation, also both of the MAC foundations caused flashback, so in flash photos when I'm wearing it I look like a ghost! (niiiiice).

The Laura Mericer foundation was okay, didn't really do anything for my skin with regards to glow or coverage. 

The Perfection Lumiere was AMAZING, but waaaay too matte and drying for my skin. If you have oily skin however I would 100 percent recommend this! It last for hours and looks so flawless.

I would also say the Double Wear is extremely drying when it sets, I almost felt like I was wearing a mask of makeup with it (but I know some people swear by it for full coverage and a matte finish).

So, that was my opinions of the samples (I would really recommend getting sample pots of foundations if you're looking to buy a 'high-end' foundation).

In the end I decided on buying Chanel Vitalumiere (ironically, the foundation which I did not test). It is beautiful when you put it on, not very much coverage, but it gives a lovely dewy finish to the skin. 

The one thing I'd say about this product is that its staying power, unfortunately, is not great! (and I have dry skin), but it lasts a little longer if you set with powder and wear a primer. I just apply it with my fingers as I feel as it is so sheer applying it with a brush makes the application lighter and half the product gets wasted and trapped in the bristles. Chanel foundations tend to cater for everyone and I'd defiantly recommend going to them if you're looking for a new high end foundation. I also haven't had any problems with flashback with this foundation. 

I also regularly use Revlon Colourstay which has a massive cult following in the beauty world. I repurchased this foundation at least 3 times, and I lovveeee it. The only reason I wanted to buy a new foundation was because in the winter months it looks dull on my skin as it is so long-wearing and sets on my double-dry winter skin and looks a bit heavy. However this is a foundation I'd defiantly recommend if you're looking for a medium to full coverage foundation that is extremely durable! It also comes in two versions, 1.Normal/ Dry skin 2.Combination/ Oily skin, which is great.

To apply this foundation I use a MAC 190 brush and if I wear it in the winter months I'd use a heavy moisturiser underneath and maybe mix it with some highlighter (like Hocus Focus from Soap and Glory). An annoying feature about this product is that it does not come with a pump.

My first foundation which I still stay true to is my No7 Intelligent Colour foundation which is an amazing mousse-like texture and applies with fingers flawlessly. It is one of those clever little foundations which adapts to your skin tone, it's light coverage, but, it really looks beautiful on the skin, and just evens out the skin tone, I'd say the finish is semi-matte/ velvet. The downside is that the staying power is not great. 

My next foundation (I have a few in my makeup bag!- Sorry!), is Covergirl Nature Luxe which was a bit of an impulse buy in a supermarket in Australia. It has a really nice velvety finish and a silky texture, again, staying power could be better. The shade also was a bit too pinky for me and I'm not sure what the shade range is like, but I could have just picked the wrong colour because I'm silly. I don't think I've seen Covergirl being sold in the UK either.

The final product I've been carrying around is the Garnier "BB" cream. I've never tried another BB cream, but I don't feel like this is a true BB cream for some reason. The formula is quite thick and sticky and it feels like a heavy tinted moisturiser. I brought this in the shade Medium and it was too dark for me even though I was tanned, I feel like the shades could be misleading. It was also very orange toned. This product has SPF 15 in it like a lot of the other foundations I use, but I felt like the product had the same texture as a thick suncream, it also really stings like suncream if it goes in your eye, so be careful with application. The smell of it was very pleasant however. Staying power is okay, but not brilliant. To be honest there are probably better BB creams out there, but I decided to keep it in my makeup bag as its new and I am holding on hope that it may one day come in handy!

As you can see a lot of money can be spent on foundations, and to be honest with high street foundation I find it hard to find the shade and finish I'm looking for as you can not take samples home to try out all over your face and with other products over the top, but there is also hope!

There will be a foundation for everyone if you look hard enough, and I hope this post was even a tiny bit helpful to someone!

Lots of Love,

xo

Not Really Sure...

Why I fiind watching makeup artists doing tutorials so therapeutic?!
Kind of odd.. But, for some reason I do.
My next post will probably be along the lines of "What's in my makeup bag" so I think I may leave you with some of my favourite makeup channels on youtube so you can fully prepare yourselves for my really exciting post... about my makeup bag... yay? haha, anyway;

I just HAVE to start with SWalkerMakeup, she was the one who started it all off for me, and for that I blame my cousin Milly and her friend Sophie! She is not making so many videos recently as she used to, but still, she's got lots of videos on her channel to flick through.
Something about her makes you feel as if you've known her for ages, I defiantly recommend giving her a watch :)!

Next, my new favourite channel has to be the Pixiwoo sisters. They are amazing at makeup and wonderful to watch, also what I love about them is that they use a variety of makeup brands, not just MAC (I do love MAC though). They're brilliant at what they do!

Finally, I also wanted to mention NikkieTutorials, she currently 17 and is from the Netherlands. She also does amazing things with makeup. The other reason why she is on here is because she honestly makes me laugh, I really love her videos.

So if for any reason you're in the mood for watching a sneaky makeup tutorial, these are my recommendations, I also love Lisa Eldridge and Gossmakeupartist, I am sure there are many more amazing makeup artist on YouTube, but those are my personal suggestions.

Lots of love
xo

Vintage Treasures...

 Yesterday I braved the cold for the first time since getting tonsillitis (AGAIN). It was our annual family iceskating trip to Porters Pie's in Covent Garden and Somerset House, which I just couldn't miss! I was only on the 2nd day of antibiotics so I made sure I snuggled up warm with a big leather panelled coat from H&M, some fluffy socks and boots (chemist and primark- stylish!), some snug Ugg mittens and a huge beautifully pattered blue scarf from Zara (which I brought in the sale the other day);

Now, in-between our lunch and iceskating we have some time to frolic around the streets of WC2. I wanted to head to the market and to Rokit, a vintage shop, in the Covent Garden lanes.

I used to visit Rokit all the time because I went through a stage of obsessing over Vintage when I was about 15! The familiarity hit me as I entered, the nostalgic smell of vintage clothes, the remnants, even artefacts, of great decades and lives which the clothes had lived through, ah how I'd missed it!

The last few times I'd been to Rokit I realised the store layout had changed a bit, with much more jewellery being sold. 

To be perfectly honest I never really associated vintage jewellery with Rokit, but that all changed after this shopping trip!

I had a mosey around as usual, plucking out a few things to try on, (I find it essential to try vintage clothes on as sizes are a bit hit and miss) BUT I did not love anything.  As I was about to admit defeat I began to look at the jewellery. I'm not sure if all the pieces are TRUE vintage costume jewellery, or the "recycled" thing that vintage shops sometimes do, but either way there were SO many stunning pieces for sale.

I am warming to necklaces more and more in my quest to step outside my comfort zone and experiment more with colour and pattern etc.. and these necklaces are just what I needed to push me to really start appreciating what a necklace can do to an outfit. 

The necklaces all priced at around £10-£20. 

There are SO many different style necklaces for sale so if you're looking for a really stunning piece of jewellery, perhaps Rokit is the place for you!

Here's a peek at what I decided on;

Lots of love
xo

I Feel it is Time..

To post about something other than what I am wearing!

I thought that I would quickly talk about my time in Western Australia and let you in on some of the hidden gems we found out there!

My absolute favourite place that we visited was the Margaret River Bakery!

It honestly serves some of THE most delicious comfort food I have ever tasted!

One morning I had French Toast with maple syrup poached pears and clotted cream and I can honestly say to you now, that it was the BEST breakfast I have ever consumed, ever.

Unfortunately I did not manage to get any photos that do this quirky cafe any justice as I was not armed with my D40, however, I will use my advanced English language skills to describe this wonderful place in graphic detail.....

When we fist entered the bakery which was set on a small hill amongst a few little shops on the main high street in Margret River, we were greeted by a rather enticing menu and even more enticing, wonderfully kitsch, mismatched furniture.  This place is honestly like you've stepped into a someones living room full of trinkets and clashing floral prints, but in the best way possible. The vibe is very relaxed and friendly and there are so many things to look at it could only be described as a visual feast!

We set up camp in a small nook on the decking area, it had two large antique sofas and a rocking chair. We were surrounded by small crochet artworks hanging from the walls and large vintage oil paintings hanging in ornate gold frames. The most fantastic thing of all about this nook was the ceiling! Hanging beautifully were 6 or 7 different style lampshades all clashing perfectly, covered in beading, patterns and dazzling bright fabric. I am aware this description does the place less justice than the photos would, alas! I am tracking some photos from flickr down of the place as I blog,

here are a few images of the Aladdin's Cave of bakeries;

Bought Some More..

Colourful items! I take back a bit of my post yesterday, I am sick of a lot of sales, but the Zara sale was an exception!

I love Zara, I always have. The clothes are timeless, very chic and very wearable seasons after season.

Anyway! I made a few purchases and here I am experimenting with pattern and colour!

The bag and top are from Zara, the skirt was £1 from a vintage shop in Camden, shoes Topshop, necklace Miss Selfridge, sunglasses Versace.

I quite like the look, but it will probably receive mixed reviews as it is an acquired taste :)

I also brought a BEAUTIFUL scarf and a lovely chiffon blouse with aztec print details. I will probably post about them soon, and show you some more of my experiments!

Lots of love

xo

2012..

Whether you believe the world is going to end or not,

I have become aware that triangles, eyes and aztec prints/ jewellery is in, which is weird because triangles and eyes represent the supposed 'illuminati' and the aztec prints could relate to the mayan's, who's calendar ended on the 21st December 2012,

I'm not saying the jewellery is preparing us for the end of the world, but hey, its a bit of a coincidence?

Maybe we are subconsciously being brainwashed (?!)

If you don't know about the illuminati, its worth a quick research, its pretty interesting :), but don't worry I'm not an illuminati fanatic.

So, that was just a thought to leave you to ponder,

has anyone else noticed this?

To be honest, I really like the trend so I'm not complaining!

lots of love

xo

I am officially...

Sick of sales, its got to the point where all the nice clothes have been bought and all thats left is the things that no one wants. Also the in-between season stock really isn't doing it for me!

On a brighter note! I decided to snap myself out of the dullness of this time of year but injecting some colour into my outfits, (something which I am scared to do!)

I've never been so good at mixing colour and pattern to make wild and trippy outfits that still look fashionable. I'm more of a mix fabric textures and keep colours muted kind of girl. But I feel boring! 

Time for change!

For some reason I have been more inspired by patterns and colours as of late, seeing some photos my sisters boyfriend took in Morocco really made me realise just how beautiful colour and pattern can be.

I am really loving aztec prints, acid colours and generally things that I imagine look a bit like you've picked out whilst on an acid trip. I really, really want to master the art of wearing mismatching patterns and clashing colours and still making it look good, so with all that said and done..

I stepped my first baby step towards a life of 'psychedelic' mismatched fabulous fashion (cringe).

Although I know I have a long way to go, my first of two investments was a jumper from Topshop, the 

only thing that caught my eye in store (boo, hiss);

I also brought a necklace from Miss. Selfridge, I loved the contrast between the smooth sleek white and the spiky strong gold pieces. I like the jumper and the necklace together, I think it makes the outfit a bit more exciting!

My second purchase was from Primark, a pretty plain bright orange jumper. I love orange, I just love it! This is such a beautiful colour, I couldn't resist it.

Wish me luck on trying to conquer the art of colour and pattern! I know these outfits aren't very inventive with mixing colour and pattern, but hopefully I can experiment! 

If you have any tips for me please feel free to comment :) 

Lots of love

xo

Jewellery..

Is the best. I love a good ring, although I had a rather traumatic experience with the worlds most beautiful ASOS ring which resulted in me having to go to A&E to get it sawed off (woe is I).. Anyway, apart from that, rings really change the whole mood of an outfit.

I love it when people wear so many rings they look like a fortune teller, and I'm being serious. There is no such thing as too many rings.

I find I'm not so good with necklaces, I find them a bit tricky to wear unless they're really delicate, dainty and not too in your face!

Rings on the other hand are easy peasy and look good on everyone (with the exception of Del Boy and Mr.T).

My favourite place to grab a statement ring from is Galibardy every time!

I posted about them on my tumblr a while ago, but I will reiterate.

I discovered Galibardy in Brick Lane about 3 years ago now, they had a stall by the sunday up- market.

It was love at first sight, and I was rather dubious to buy a ring because I don't love parting with cash (which could probably be said for most people), BUT, boy oh boyy, I did not regret it!

Topshop makes similar rings to the Galibardy ones but they never even come close to living up to them. They ship worldwide- so get on it ladies (and gents.. they have a mens range)!

I am also LOVING the rings with chains on them in any shape or form, they look so quirky and can make a dull outfit look instantly chic.

I will love you and leave you with photos of some of my best ring buys;

Lots of Love

xo

Off Out..

Thought I'd take this opportunity to do a quick post on my outfit of choice!

It's relatively basic, but I like the mixture of textures between fabrics;

Leggings; American Apparel Top; Insight Jacket; Zara Shoes & Peace Ring; Urban Outfitters Wing Ring; Pigeonhole Lipstick; SpotsGirl Nails; Minx Nails (bag is not real!)

You know those outfits...

Which you can wear one million different ways?!

Well my lovelies, I have found just that! 

I am literally in love with this outfit, it is so simple, but honestly I've worn it so many times and it always feels different AND because its monochromatic you can wear anything to spruce it up!

I love the monochromatic look, I have ever since I stumbled across someone on lookbook.nu (I will post the link when I remember who she was) who wore practically all black and white.

She looked so chic and timeless and ever since then I've reigned in my style a bit to make it more understated, chic and timeless (I hope!).

Anyway this is the outfit I'm rambling on about;

It's basically a pair of staple black skinny moto jeans from Topshop (which I've been in possession of for years), teamed with a chunky short sleeve loose knit t-shit/ jumper which I purchased in Australia from a Sydney based brand called Insight. It has quickly become my go to item, it's so comfy and just looks so effortlessly cool!

In these pictures I've accessorised with my all time favourite sunglasses by Verscae (and I have copious amounts of sunglasses!), I have also teamed with a vintage jacket/ blazer and some pretty rings (please excuse the lack of focus). I also wore my Jeffery Campbell Litas... I just thought now would be an appropriate time to express my UNDYING LOVE for Jeffery Campbell.. Anyway, yes these babies are my favourite heels ever, so comfy and so different. 

There are endless ways to wear this outfit, it can be dressed up or down and can be worn any time of year (recommended with a  coat at winter!)

Thanks for reading and I'll see you soon!

xo

Over the Christmas Holidays...

I spent three weeks in Australia this year and, although I returned two days ago, I am still very much determined to pretend I am still there as the weather in London is particularly hideous!

As it was summer there, and the temperature was generally coasting in the 30's (hitting 46.5 one day!) I invested in some rather beautiful new summer pieces (which I will mourn over when I finally come to terms with the fact is is still very much winter and they therefore do not have much purpose in my wardrobe).

When I was shopping I was really drawn to chiffon (as I always am), over-sized dresses and I was also drawn to bright colours which was probably due to the sunshine making me feel quite euphoric/ my badass tan.

It felt nice to finally rid myself of my dark winter clothes which, although I love, do get quite drab.

The colour I have particularly been drawn to is acid yellow. I am LOVING it, I don't even know why,

I was subconsciously channeling my love for it in the winter through my 'Acid Yellow' Barry M nail varnish (which REALLY stains your nails without a base coat).

It also looks pretty hot with a tan!

Anyway, enough rambling, here are some photographs of my new investments;

xo

First ever post!

Blogging is a rather peculiar sensation, one which I have not fully grown accustomed to! So please excuse this rather awkward introduction to my blog- lets just cross our fingers and hope that I will improve with time!

Anyway, my name is Lauren. I used to have a tumblr [www.bonjourlauren.tumblr.com] but tumblr wasn't really doing it for me.

I really wanted to start a proper blog comprised of my interests, primarily in fashion, so, here I hope to show you a glimpse of my personal style and taste in the hope that anyone reading this may find it at least vaguely interesting, useful or perhaps even inspiring! 

I won't bore you any longer!

Let the blogging begin.

Speak to you soon!

xo