Pay Day Treats

I can't believe it's April already! March seemed to disappear in a heartbeat and before I knew it, it was chocolate egg time. Crazy. March was a very busy month so apologies for the lack of activity. A lot has been happening - most notably a change of job/ career to get used to (a good choice - touch wood - as I'm really enjoying it so far) and new hair which also takes getting used to (again quite a jump from what I had before...somewhere between Fabienne from Pulp Fiction and a 'lego man' bob, love it).

At the end of the month I treated myself to a few new goodies as a reward for taking the plunge. Since the "show off your haul" style of blog posts is becoming increasingly popular I thought I would have a go as well*, so here are the highlights of my end of the month goodies...

 

Blue lace dress, £15, Primark

Having seen coloured lace dresses on everyone from Daisy Lowe to Kelly Osbourne for the last few months, I wanted to try this look out for myself. The great thing about coloured lace is it really suits every skin tone as there is a colour and cut of dress for everyone. I opted for this royal blue skater-style dress from Primark. At only £15 it certainly didn't break the bank and the nipped-in waist and full skirt makes for a good silhouette. I wore mine with a red lip and nail combo for a bit of 1950s chic. Even though the dress was inexpensive the lace is really intricate and really the only thing I didn't like about the dress was the cheap PVC belt it came with (I replaced it with my own studded skinny belt). It also comes in mint green which would go great with darker skin tones.

 

Pink heart print dress, £13, Primark

Dress number 2! At this point I was on a roll and couldn't resist this cute little number. A few weeks ago the Boy and I spotted this dress in white, at which I huffed "that would be great if it didn't come in white". Et voila! It now comes in pink! Black and pink is my favourite colour combo, I don't mind looking like a liquorice allsort, especially when it involves kitsch prints like hearts. Again, despite the low price there is real attention to detail - like the bows on the pockets and button-up top. Who says 13 is an unlucky number?

Pink car print skirt, £15 (reduced from £30), River Island

Months ago, I had seen Prada's new prints for SS12 and fallen in love. The colours! The Grease-inspired retro prints! The co-ordinating guys n' gals pieces (including a very well-shot campaign featuring Michael Pitt)! It was all too much. At the moment I can't really justify spending what Prada are asking for, but one thing was for sure - I wanted some of that print! I was convinced that it wouldn't be too long before copycat pieces would start to appear on the high street, and I wasn't wrong. River Island have knocked the ball out of the park with this race car print skirt, a short yet full (perfect for twirling) 1950s inspired piece. I snapped it up faster than you could say vroom vroom.  The skirt comes with a great detachable oversized bow belt too!

Prada's print - a gal can dream

River Island's take (at a fraction of the price)

This month I also managed to get a pair of Topshop's sell-out Vectra 3 studded slipper flats. I made the silly mistake of seeing them when they first came out and thought "they're nice...I'll come back for them later". Bad move. They quickly became one of Topshop's best selling styles of the year (so far) and even had people on eBay flogging them for twice the price. Gutted. Luckily, the lovely girls working in Topshop let me know that they were expecting a small delivery of them last week and put aside a pair for me. Score!

My studded Vectra 3 beauties, £28, Topshop

It could be the influence of the many beauty blogs that I follow (although I have always been a sucker for make-up) but I also treated myself to some new products recently. I had been hotly anticipating the UK release of Revlon Colourburst Lip butters - a product that had caused a frenzy in the states - and couldn't wait to try them for myself. Believe the hype - these bad boys not only offer a range of gorgeous and well-pigmented colours, but they also condition and hydrate your lips. Much better than a tinted lip balm if you are looking for a lipstick look that does the job of a high-end lip conditioner. When I purchased my two shades (Cupcake & Sweet Tart - all the colours are named after sweet treats, very cute!), they were in a 2 for £10 offer at Boots - this offer isn't on at the moment but the Lip Butters are currently in a 3 for 2 deal if you are looking to stock up or try a few different shades for yourself.

Finally got my hands on them - Revlon Colourburst Lip Butters, £7.99 each at Boots

Another new product that I have been looking forward to the release of is Benefit's new Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation. There are a few things about this product that get my attention. Firstly, it's an SPF 25 foundation - not too common in a lot of foundations and when it comes to SPF my motto is "the higher, the better". I won't even entertain a foundation with no SPF. I also really like the range of shades available as I previously haven't been able to wear most Benefit foundations as they are too dark for my skin. The foundation comes in 9 shades (including 2 shades of ivory - one with pinker undertones and one with more yellow undertones - brilliant attention to skin tone that I usually only get on a visit to MAC) and the Benefit assistant was very helpful finding one to match me (and also gave me  some samples of other products to take home). The foundation also offers built-in skincare with vitamins C&E and a unique oil-free hydrating complex which can't be a bad thing!  The foundation is £24.50 and available at all the usual Benefit concessions.

Some of the other products I've been trying out this month are: Nail Rock nail wraps (the Marmite of the nail world, I personally love rocking the nail wraps), Models Own Beetlejuice nail polishes (so it's not just a clever name), Katy Perry for Eylure false eyelashes in Oh, My! (these are hands down the best false lashes I've ever used), and No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream for Dry/ Very Dry skin (I have been a bit slow to jump on the BB cream bandwagon, but what I like about these No7 ones is that they have different ones depending on your skin type).

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation (£24.50), Models Own Beetlejuice nail polishes (£5 each), and sample of Benefit's Total Moisture face cream -  all from Boots

Meadham Kirchhoff nail wraps (£7) at Topshop

So it has been a busy month for me and my bank card! What have you been treating yourself to this month?

* - sorry for the poor quality of the pictures, my Blackberry camera is pretty poor and doesn't have a flash!

Creepy Crawly

I hate to sound like an 'I was doing that way before it was in fashion' type, but when I seen that brothel creepers were becoming fashionable - thanks in part to Prada's much sought-after crepe-soled brogues - I couldn't help but think along those lines. I don't make this kind of claim often, so when I do I really mean it. I remember buying my first pair of Underground creepers when I was still in secondary school, on my first trip to Camden Market - which at the time seemed like the coolest place in the world. I loved my creepers so much that I managed to persuade my mum to let me get two pairs - a black pair for school and a pink spiky pair for the weekend. Many a Glasgow boy and girl have been rocking creepers for years, they are a wardrobe staple for dedicated attendees of rockabilly club nights and concerts. Creepers became popular as fashion footwear in the late 1950's, so lovers of all things retro are also bound to be familiar with them (and probably own a pair or two).

These ladies and gents show us all how it's done

A selection of Prada's creeper-style shoes, around £510 

From reading reactions to this new footwear trend, it seems to be that creepers divide opinion quite a bit. It's considered a 'tricky' trend and many fashion writers aren't convinced by the wonder of the brothel creeper. True, they aren't for everyone (that was always part of their original allure, all those years ago) but seeing them stocked in Topshop means that creepers have definitely come a long way. Creepers have appeared on the catwalks and inevitably on the pages of fashion magazines as part of an overall trend of androgyny - tipped to be huge for this Autumn/ Winter. It is clear that creepers certainly have a masculine feel - as the song goes, a man with 'rolled up jeans and creepers on' is 'a mighty fine sight to look upon' (I couldn't agree more) - but with so many variations available, I think it's high time the ladies got in on the action.

Creepers are flat, yet chunky, and their stacked sole can help give a bit of height. The thick and sturdy soles mean that they are notoriously difficult to break in - but the effort is worth it and a good pair of creepers will last you for years. Luckily, with creepers being in fashion there are many styles ranging from high stacked soles for those looking to get an authentic teddy boy (or girl!) look, to pairs with thinner soles for those looking for a less exteme style. Topshop really do offer a great range and their Mobee Double Buckle brothel creeper is a lighter take on the look with a flash of leopard print for only £34. 

For a hardwearing pair of creepers, London brand Underground really are the original and best. They have been keeping all manner of rockers in creepers for decades and have an extensive selection - including double and triple soled shoes, which begs the question: how high are you willing to go?

Black Suede Triple-sole Creepers, £109 by Underground

I decided to take advantage of the vast availability of creepers on the high street and give my shoe collection an update with this patent pair from good old H&M - with pointed toes and bows on the front, these bad boys have more of a feminine, dressy feel (or as much as you are going to get with a pair of creepers):

Patent Creepers, £39.99 by H&M

 

Will you be creeping into this Autumn/ Winter?

Prints & The Revolution

After what has felt like ages of colour blocking, statement brights and the 'new nudes', prints have rolled back into town to shake things up just in time for Summer. Not too long ago, I blogged about fruit motifs and have noticed more and more of these fresh prints being served up in the shops along with tribal designs, floral pieces and bold stripes (to name a few).

I'm pleased to see that there is a huge range of prints available - it's no secret to those that know me that I am a leopard print fiend and when it comes to clothes and accessories, the more detail the better tends to be my mantra - this blog will cover my top picks for looking pretty in prints, with a particular focus on bags.

Stripes are making a huge comeback this season with Prada and Jil Sander leading the way with their bold multicoloured designs. Prada's new (and already iconic) stripy handbags are coveted by many and can currently be drooled over in the window display at House of Fraser, Buchanan Street in a selection of stripy variations that would give Bertie Bassett a run for his money. Most of Prada's current season is adorned with some kind of bold print, but it seems to be their take on stripes that is causing the biggest stir. Karen Millen's stripe box bag (£250) will give a similar look for less - but as it is limited edition you'll need to be quick!

I'm really liking Jil Sander's Market striped bag (below) - it reminds me of a Tesco carrier bag and it's nautical blue and white stripes get the thumbs up from me:

Market striped silk-twill bag (£445) by Jil Sander

Want the look for less? You could always sail round to Tesco and buy a loaf, they are literally giving these bags away. Or you can check out this nautical stripe bag for £15 at ASOS.

Floral prints are definitely growing on me (sorry) this season, and twee, flowery pieces normally championed by Cath Kidston are everywhere. My favourite floral prints so far have to be those featured in D&G's collection. D&G to me have totally nailed floral prints and I have seen few do it as well as they have for Spring/ Summer '11. I especially love this satchel, perfect for a picnic in the park. However, with price tags averaging around the £600 mark for a D&G bag I doubt I would have anything left for picnic food. Fear not, Urban Outfitters have a cute range of floral bags for a fraction of the price, hurrah!

Nike's collaboration with Liberty has seen the sportswear brand give their sneakers a feminine fash-over, with their famous Blazer mid and low tops, Dunk hi skinny & Air Force 1 lows decorated with Liberty's iconic floral ditsy prints. These shoes have been flying off the shelves ever since the first collaboration a few years ago and are girly enough to convince those of us who wouldn't normally wear a pair of trainers to try them out. This month another collection was released and at around £72 a pair they are sure to be just as popular.

From Nike & Liberty's collaboration

Finally, we have my favourite print - leopard. I have already published a blog professing my love for the mighty animal print so will keep this mention brief. This season, my jackpot* leopard print piece is Vivienne Westwood's 4646 Leopard bag with pink accents (£355). Purrfect.

Will you be rocking the prints this season?

* a 'jackpot' item is my most recommended/ wanted piece.

Tutti Fruitti

This season, fresh, fruity features are everywhere, not just the supermarket and the local greengrocers. As well as bold colour-blocking in shades such as candy apple-red and vibrant banana-yellow on the Milan runways, there are lots of cute fruit-themed accessories available now to start putting you in the mood for Spring/ Summer (even if it is still freezing outside).

I first noticed the recent rise of fruit motifs when I seen Miu Miu's cute apple embellished plexiglass bangle (£180) a little while ago, closely followed by Prada's fun banana earrings:

Earrings, (£140) by Prada

Other high-end designers such as Stella McCartney have shown their fruity side this Spring, with the look also being adopted on the high street. Bright fruit shapes and coloured clothes and accessories can be found at Debenhams, New Look and Topshop to name a few. Topshop in particular have a pretty varied collection, raging from hosiery, jewellery (like this apple locket pendant, £8.50)and clothes . Even Primark have got in on the act with this sparkly apple brooch, a snip at just £2.00 - an affordable way to update your wardrobe with this juicy trend:

Brooch, (£2.00) Primark

Tatty Devine have dedicated their new season collection to plastic fantastic fruits featuring mouth-watering pineapples & peeled bananas with prices starting at £45. Also, super-talented Punky Pins have a great and affordable selection - my favourites are this watermelon brooch (£7.50) and these excellent pop-art style banana earrings at £6.00 (a bit like the Prada earrings but much more purse-friendly) which also come in a range of colours.

With so many fruity motifs around to brighten up our outfits this Spring, from high end to high street, how will you be getting your fashion five-a-day?