Floppy Hat...

My floppy hat came today at last! I've been looking for one to add a bit of Chelsea-esqe style to my summer wardrobe after seeing one on Milllie in Made in Chelsea. I liked this brown one from Zara because the colour is very versatile and it will go with most of my clothes.

Skin Sorters...

After clothes, I have to say that my next major expense is make-up and beauty. I love getting made up to go out and definitely have a thing for nail varnish.


I have combination skin which always seems to get dry no matter what moisturiser I use - most of the time, the moisturiser just makes it worse. I use Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel Foundation because it doesn't dry out my skin too badly, and other brands like Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse do.

£6.99 at Boots

Recently I was in the Body Shop where this woman ambushed me and forced me to try the Aloe Soothing Day Cream and it is amazing. It's made my face so much less dry and blotchy in just 3 weeks, and the aloe vera helps to calm down any blemishes - it hasn't even made me break out. It's normally £9, although I got it on offer, (it is well worth the money to have smooth skin again) but at the moment the Body Shop are doing a buy-one-get-one-free offer on moisturisers and creams.

£9 at The Body Shop

At the same time, I also got the best concealer I have ever used. The Flawless Skin Protecting Concealer hides all major blemishes, is easy to blend and does not dry out my skin.Unlike other concealers I have tried it doesn't look orange either. It has a zinc core too which is meant to help heal spots - I don't know if it works or not, but it hasn't made them any worse.

£9 From the Body Shop

Summer Shoes...

I love shoes - the uglier and more unusual the better, and I've seen so many amazing pairs of shoes that I want for summer. Sandals, heels and wedges are all on my most coveted list at the moment.

Salon Scout Patent T-Bar Mid Heels :ASOS

Kimchi Blue Black Suede Strap Wedges: Urban Outfitters
£45

Frenchie Glitter Sole Sandals: Topshop
£50

Revive Riddle Suede Brothel Creepers: ASOS
£150 

Frankie Cuff Mix Sandals: Topshop
£45

 Yellow Leather Lace-Up Sandals: CW by Carin Wester
£110

Wade Closed Toe Espadrilles: Topshop
£40

Cyber Sandal: Office
£38

Ecote Mustard Cut-Out Lace-Up Sandals: Urban Outfitters

£32

As Worn By William...

Here's Prince William wearing his favourite jubilee outfit for the street party. He has great style, definitely perfecting the red, white and blue look.

Dress: H&M
Cardigan: Urban Outiftters
Boots: Dr Martens
Crown: Home-made by Wills!

He did these himself...

Cheeky Wills

Not Quite Ready to Wear...

Brighton Fashion Week wasn't a good as I had hoped - we ending up seeing manky cast-offs from the 1920s courtesy of Brighton's vintage boutiques instead of amazing new collections. There weren't even that many stalls to look round.

I quite liked Ben Crane's outerwear, inspired by the Foals song 'Spanish Sahara' and Henry Hunt had some nice clothes - Jack Wills watch out!

A few high-street shops like Urban Outfitters, French Connection, L.K.Bennett and Warehouse displayed some of their ready to wear clothes in a catwalk show. My personal highlight was when a model walked off the wrong door! 

I couldn't even get any decent photos because the lady next to me looked pretty pissed whenever the flash went off, so they're all blurry, but I'll put a couple on anyway. x

Urban Outfitters

L.K.Bennett

Warehouse

Jubilee Style...

The procession was terrible, but it was a great chance to go into town and go shopping again. Managed not to spend too much though, so my willpower is definitely improving at last.

T-shirt: Topshop
Trousers: Topshop
Sandals: Shoes
Bag: Accessorize

Bike ride...

The sun came out for a bit yesterday, so me and my friend went cycling on our vintage bikes!

T-shirt: £7.99 H&M
Trousers: £25 River Island
Bracelet: £7 Accessorize
Shoes: £18 Schuh
Bag: £34 Accessorize

Where's the Sun Gone?...

How typical is it that the sun disappears as soon as I finish exams??? I have all my summery clothes hanging up now, and I've been looking forward to wearing them.

I quickly got over my shoppers' guilt haha. It only lasted about an hour or two anyway, and I was at it again today. I got a mint green bodycon pencil skirt from H&M today which I'm dying to wear - I've been looking for one recently because of my new found love of pastels. I think it will look good with a black t-shirt and black heels as there's a colour contrast there, or this paisley top I have from River Island - just to hit two trends in one go! Photos will come when the sun does... I also got some trousers from River Island which are kind of a bit weird, but I love them anyway! I'm hoping to wear them to the Brighton Fashion Week ready to wear show on Sunday, to there will be pictures then. I'm sooo excited, I can't wait to check out all the designers and go to Brighton's shops; especially Urban Outfitters and All Saints. I love the lanes too - they have an Irregular Choice shop there :)

Shoppers' Guilt...

I am a compulsive shopper. I can't save at all - I've started saving for driving lessons so many times only to spend the money on clothes. I seem to be missing any feeling of 'shoppers' guilt - the terrible guilt and regret my friends describe when they spend a lot of money at once - instead shopping makes me happy. Not only am I guilt-free about splashing my own cash, but I also have no qualms about spending other peoples' either. Therefore I am surprised that now, for the first time in my life I know how they feel.The item invoking this guilt on me is the £48 swimsuit I just bought from Urban Outfitters. It's the swimming costume that I have been looking for all year and I love it, I just can't seem to justify spending this much on something I'll only ever wear to the beach. Yes, I did get 10% student discount and yes, I did have a £30 gift voucher, but it still feels weird. Maybe I might be able to finally start driving soon if I keep feeling guilty about clothes shopping...

Coloured Denim...

Loving coloured shorts for summer. Pastle colours are so in, and can look really edgy or really cute depending on how you style them - especially want the lilac ones x

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

£22 Topshop

£30 Urban Outfitters

7.49 H&M

£25 ASOS 

£34 Topshop

£35 Oasis (look better on)

Chunky Bangles...

I was just looking at bangles on the Vogue website and they seem to be soooo in this year http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/trends/2012-spring-summer/chunky-bangles . They are are really summery and there is such a variety of styles to choose from that can glamorise your outfits. I've picked out my favourite designs from the shows to find high street replicas of so  that we can sport this summer trend too.   

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These chunky bangles come in silver and gold, so they will go with absolutely any outfit. They're in the sale at the moment, so order them before they go!
£7 at Plumo

I love the vintage look of these bangles, very classy.
£3 from a selection at Rokit

The brass and shell design is kind of like Marni's. They'd look great with a maxi dress for going out, or equally good with jeans and t-shirts for daytime.
£10 Accessorize

12.50 at Topshop

From Topshop, these bangles recreate the minimal chic of  Tommy Hilfiger's  bracelets.
£10 from Topshop

This semi-opaque bracelet is chunky and plasticy like some of Emporio Armarni and Balenciaga's designs. They come in a variety of colours you can stack or wear individually.
£9 from Ted Baker 

I love these bangles because they're a bit edgy and different. Also, the snake is really cute!
These are £18 at Urban Outfitters, so whip out the NUS card.

The rosy gold and pale pinks are so on trend for this season, although these bangles are simple they will complement your summer outfits.
£7 by Pieces at ASOS 
     

How To Get a Bikini Body On A Student Budget...

Basically just get a skipping rope. Since a cheeky little muffin top sneaked round my waist during study leave, I've decided that I really, really need to start exercising before the bikini comes out .

Apparently you can burn up to 110 calories in just 10 minutes of skipping and it tones up your  bum, quads, thighs and arms :) Also, it increases your metabolic rate so weight loss is easier and improves your cardiovascular health. I just bought a skipping rope for 1.99 on eBay which is a lot cheaper than going to the gym and a lot more fun than running. I have no idea why I didn't try it before because it seems like the perfect way to get fit on a budget.  x

Dresses for less than £50...

By taking a break from chemistry revision by looking at dresses, I have found one of the prettiest dresses I have seen in ages. It's weird because it is a combination of pale pink and lace in a peplum style - three things I'd normally stay away from, but it is sooo hot. The only downside is that it costs £349 from ASOS, so I'll never be able to afford it. However, it's got me looking at other girly dresses I'd normally say no to with a lot more reasonable price tags.

Antipodium Tempest Dress In Organza With Peplum Detail - £349 ASOS

Anyway, these are some of the best designer copy-cats I've seen this year from peplums to florals :)

Lace Peplum Dress by Rare

This one is by Rare and can be found at Topshop, I think it's really cute and would look great with a tan and either sandals or heels. At £49, it's £300 cheaper than the ASOS dress, and it would look great at summer parties.

Another summer style I quite like is the botanical themed dresses, this print works of all sorts of dresses from maxis to peplums to shifts. I found another expensive one on ASOS by MSGM which I liked becuase it isn't to girly and the shift cut could be dressed up or down. At £330 is is waaay out of my price range, but I've seen a really nice one on River Island which has an identical colour scheme and similar flowers. As an added little bonus, it is also peplum style, so you can nail two trends in one dress for just £45. I think it would look great at a wedding, because it's smart enough, but still fun enough that you won't feel like an absolute granny.

Shift Floral Boucle by MSGM

Blue Floral Print Structured Peplum Dress by River Island

 Hitting the paisley trend popularised by Stella McCartney this year is H&M. This dress is sooo loud - not something I'd usually go for, but at just £29.99, it's a fab way of getting that pattern into your wardrobe. Paisley is something that that I have always hated because it made me feel sick for some reason. My parents' green and pink Cath Kidston blinds didn't help this, so I was surprised at how much I liked Stella's collection. She has brought the pattern into back by toning down the colours so that the print's not too overbearing. 

Stella McCartney

H&M
I love the cut too, I imagine it's very flattering