Archive for December 2012

Yesterday an interesting email popped up in my inbox from Lauren of Arena Media inviting me to take part in a little styling competition run by Jenny Craig. The brief: concoct an outfit for the festive season centered around your perfect LBD. This was pretty easy for me because, although I'm going to be away for Christmas and New Year (and I'm not really sure what my plans are for either days), I have still spent a considerable amount of time envisaging the outfit I would be wearing if I were to roll up outside some swanky London club this December 31st.

I immediately knew it would be THIS dress. I have been loving this dress from afar ever since I saw it on the 'what's new' page. The loose fit is complimented by it's teeny weeny length; I think a loose, short dress that puts long legs on full display is much more flattering than a plunging neckline or a so-tight-I-can-see-your-pantyline bodycon. And look at that racer back. There's no way you're getting away with a bra under this number. The dress of course needs to be accompanied by massive heels because...well, just because and this chunky pair from Office are perfect. I would accentuate the daintiness of the ankle strap with the frilly socks so the chunkiness isn't too...chunky. I've chosen understated gold/cream jewellery to keep the focus on the dress - but can we just take a minute to appreciate the Marc Jacobs bangles? Ahhh. If you don't fancy forking out £60 for one, then check out the replicas on eBay (via Victoria) which are really pretty and a fraction of the price. The hair needs to be in a sleek updo to show off the back of the dress, but it needs to be BIG. The bigger, the better.

So there we have it! Although I'm very excited to be going away on Friday (I'm spending Christmas with family in Colombia), I do feel kind of sad that I won't be wearing this outfit come New Years. What are your plans for NYE (is it too early to be asking that? Haven't even had Christmas yet!) x

ps. IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TODAY! #happybirthdaytome

Coat: Topshop
Disco Pants: AA
Shoes: Topshop
If there's one thing I hate more than exams and revision, it's winter. I absolutely cannot stand being cold and usually start frantically searching for layers as soon as the last day of August is ticked off the calendar...basically, I ended up investing in a new winter coat aaaaall the way back in September - if only I was as organised with other aspects of my life! As you can imagine this coat was rendered practically useless for the first couple of months and I had to be content with simply admiring it sitting pretty in my wardrobe. Not anymore! As we all know, the weather took an icy turn for the worse a couple of weeks ago - and I knew exactly what I was going to wear! I chose this coat because I LOVE the over-sized boyfriend look (which I rambled about here) and the neutral colour is so versatile. Better yet, this coat actually does what it says on the tin: it really does keep me SO warm. I don't know what it is about most coats, but no matter how snuggly and warm they look I'm still usually left feeling just as cold as if I hadn't bothered (I'm looking at you, faux fur Zara coat). The jersey lining in this coat gives it that extra insulation and I literally feel as though I'm wrapped in a cocoon (as the name would suggest). The only thing I would change is the fastening; 'invisible' poppers are only invisible if you do the coat up, otherwise they're on full show and look kind of cheap...a nice set of buttons wouldn't have gone a miss! Also, 'oversized' is a bit of an understatement - this coat is hauuuuuge. I'd suggest downsizing at least one, maybe two sizes!

I've almost finished all my Christmas shopping! Just have two more gifts to buy and I'm taking a little shopping trip into London with my mum and brother on Thursday which I'm really looking forward to, so should get the last bits then. I love buying presents! x

PIZZA | Somerset House | On the Central line | Huge Christmas Tree | Waiting for a tube to Richmond | Winter Wonderland

Last Thursday evening I'd absolutely had enough of relentless revision, so my boyfriend came to visit me at uni and we took a little trip into London. Our first stop was Covent Garden; it's my absolute favourite place in London with its old cobblestone floors and beautiful buildings - there was no way I was going to miss it all dressed up in Christmas decorations! I made the (very almost) fatal mistake of climbing the steps at the tube station instead of waiting for a lift. I'm not one for exercise, so deciding to climb 193 steps on a whim was a bit of a shock to the system. Immediate revitalization was required...so we made our way to Pizza Hut. We then strolled down to Somerset House which looked absolutely stunning with beautiful lighting and a huge Christmas tree, I'm gutted I didn't take my DSLR (I don't have a proper camera bag yet) so had to make do with my iPhone :( We then made our way to Hyde Park for Winter Wonderland which was actually really fun! We went on a few rides including a particularly rickety roller coaster - they're MUCH scarier when it looks like it genuinely could come flying off the rails at any moment!

I've got just this one week left of uni before the end of the semester and I CANNOT wait! It won't feel like Christmas until I've finished all my exams. Have you been doing anything to get into the Christmas spirit? x

I can't believe I didn't blog for the whole of November! I have been completely inundated with uni deadlines and I literally cannot wait to finish for Christmas now! Just 11 days, two exams and one more essay before I can chillll outtttt.

I've given myself the evening off and spent some time compiling a little wishlist whilst hugging my hot water bottle and munching a Terry's Chocolate Orange. My family aren't doing Christmas presents this year because we're going on holiday to spend Christmas and New Year with our family in Colombia instead - and it's going to be warmmmm! However, it is my birthday this month so there is still need for a wishlist.

1. I have absolutely fallen in love with both these pairs of boots; I love the cut out detail and buckles on the Adonis2, but the chunky heels on the Abyss are sooo nice! I think I slightly prefer the Adonis because the heel isn't as high, and at 5'10 you have to be careful when it comes to daytime footwear! Ahhh they're so, so nice!

2. I spent a lot of time considering both the Naked and Naked2 Urban Decay palettes this morning (when I was in the library). After texting my best friend, she linked me to this website which compares both palettes and helped me decide that I absolutely NEED the original Naked Palette #plzplzplzplz

3. I've read really great reviews of the Sigma F80 Kabuki brush on a few beauty blogs now and it seems to give great results. Need!

4. I've suppressed my love for Black Milk leggings for the longest time now, but these Galaxy Rainbow Leggings are out of this world (ahah-ahah). The print is actually taken from NASA photographs of Orion Nebula, situated south of Orion's Belt k HOW COOL IS THAT?! </geek>.

5. Finally, the Mulberry Daria Pouch which is soooooo cute! There is absolutely zero chance of me getting this purse, but I've liked it for a long time so I thought I'd include it!

What are you hoping for this Christmas? Don't forget to link your wishlists in your comment! x