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Posts tagged Autumn
What I Wore: Back to Maxi
1
3 years
by Naomi in Fashion
Yesterday was a fairly mild day for October, and I couldn’t resist bringing out one of my summer maxi skirts to incorporate into an Autumn look. I teamed my favourite black and turquoise Primark maxi with another Primark piece – a short black jumper. The jumper is one of my favourite recent purchases as its simplicity is made that little bit more interesting with a high neck and zipped back. It looks amazing with pencil skirts too, and at £8 it was an absolute bargain for something so versatile. I also wore my trusty black cut out boots from New Look, and two of my favourite silver rings.
Black Jumper – Primark / Black and Turquoise Maxi Skirt – Primark / Cut Out Boots – New Look / Silver Rings – Gifted, Vintage
What have you been wearing this weekend?
Naomi x
Avenue 32 Wishlist – Chayalan
2One of my favourite places to look for fashion inspiration is Avenue 32, and during a recent browsing session I came across Avenue 32’s new designer Chalayan. Hussein Chayalan’s unique pieces are extremely modern and adopt clean, sculptural shapes; a style that I’ve really come to appreciate as my interest in fashion has grown. His current collection featured on Avenue 32 really captures the colours and forms of Autumn, my favourite time of year, and I’ve managed to build up a fairly extensive Chayalan wishlist! Here are my favourite pieces from the website. The image is clickable for a closer look.
Grey Wool Knit Sleeve Coat – £1150 / Multi Metallic Signature Leggings – £680 / Oxblood Wrap Maxi Dress – £1260 / Petrol Cross Over Maxi Dress – £1020 / Black Signature Leggings – £240 / Oxblood Cup Sleeve Jumper Dress – £570
This summer was all about the maxi for me, and the two maxi dresses above are perfect for a smooth transition into Autumn without having to shed the maxi trend. The Oxblood Wrap Maxi Dress is my favourite piece from the whole collection, as its Gothic influences and elegant shape are the style I’m aspiring to this season. I’m also a fan of colour blocking, and the Petrol Cross Over Maxi Dress takes it into a whole new dimension by cutting into the colour with an exposed black satin lining.
One of my wardrobe staples for this time of year is leggings, mostly black as they go with anything, hence why I’ve included Chayalan’s Black Signature Leggings in my wishlist, but his Multi Metallic Signature Leggings also really caught my eye. The iridescent colours remind me of the backs of beautiful beetles, and would lend well to a dramatic day or evening look when worn with a simple black outfit.
Another Autumn essential has to be knitwear, and Chayalan gets it so right. I usually struggle to find coats that I love, but I absolutely adore his Grey Wool Knit Sleeve Coat. Its simple, angular silhouette is just stunning, and the combination of fabric textures give it an added edge. The Oxblood Cup Sleeve Jumper Dress is also simple, but its heavy knit looks so snug. I can just imagine it being teamed with a pair of chunky boots and a huge statement necklace.
Which Chayalan piece is your favourite?
Naomi x
*This post is a collaboration.*
Student Fashion Essentials: Boots
0
3 years
This week’s Student Fashion Essentials post focuses on one of my all-time favourite fashion items – boots.
A pair of comfortable, warm and waterproof boots are essential for all the walking to, from, and around campus you’ll be doing during the cold Autumn and Winter months, but that doesn’t mean they have to look like you’ve come straight from a building site or hiking expedition. If you go for quality leather boots, they’re almost guaranteed to fulfil the above criteria, and with this season’s biker leather trend there are currently hundreds of amazing, stylish boots out there to choose from.
My pick of the boots this season are these black Studded Leather Biker Boots from F&F, which are not only gorgeous and bang on trend, but also incredibly kind on the student pocket, coming in at a thrifty £35.00.
The boots are crafted from beautifully soft, high quality leather which give them excellent flexibility for ultimate comfort, and the fact that they’re made from leather means they keep your feet warm and dry too, so they can withstand any kind of weather without getting soaked or falling to bits. Also, usually when I wear new boots they tend to rub and cause blisters until they’re broken in, but I haven’t had that with these at all, even after wearing them all day at work, as the strong soles and low block heel make them easy to walk in.
In terms of aesthetics, these boots are perfect for this season’s biker trend, with their double straps and silver dome stud detail. They’re also very versatile and look great with a variety of outfits. They work really well with a simple dress and a pair of black tights, and their wide tops mean they can be worn with skinny jeans on colder days. I mostly team my pair with black skinnies, a simple top and a leather jacket for a chic look that’s effortless but edgy.
If you’re looking for a quality pair of leather boots for this season that are practical but affordable, then these are definitely for you. You can order your pair of Studded Leather Biker Boots from F&F here.
Naomi x
*These Studded Leather Biker Boots were sent to me on behalf of F&F for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Long Black Dress: Summer into Autumn
2
4 years
by Naomi in Fashion
One of my staple items of clothing this Summer has been a long black dress from Damart. The dress is lovely and soft and extremely flattering, and the classic cut makes it a very versatile piece, so much so that I can’t wait to style it from Summer into Autumn. Throughout the Summer months I have been keeping it simple with my favourite accessories and a pair of cut out boots from New Look, but it also works amazingly well with a leather jacket and some chunky Dr Martens, which will look great throughout the cooler months to come.
Dress – Damart
Leather Jacket – Vintage
Bag – Everything5Pounds
Cut Out Boots – New Look
Bracelets – eBay, Primark, Gifted
Necklace – Handmade by Me
The dress was originally £35, but is currently on sale at Damart for just £14, and it comes in black, navy or print and in sizes 10-22. Damart may not usually be your first choice for fashion, but give them a chance! They’re brilliant for affordable, basic pieces that can be styled up to suit your mood, and the weather, as you can see.
Naomi x
*This dress was sent to me by Damart for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Kindred Sole – Shoes for the Soul!
11
4 years
by Naomi in Fashion
Ladies, allow me to introduce you to an exciting online shopping experience and the only shoe shop you will ever need – Kindred Sole. Kindred Sole is run by two lovely girls named Beth and Lizze, who both recently graduated from the same university that I used to go to, and who decided to follow their passion for shoes and set up business together. Kindred Sole sell their large selection of shoes exclusively online, in a wide range of sizes, and specialise in seeking only the best, high-quality footwear from talented new designers, as well as established brands. Whether you’re looking for a new pair of warm boots for the winter, a gorgeous pair of killer heels for a party, some pretty sandals for a sunny holiday or some funky flats for the office, Kindred Sole will have a unique pair perfect for you.
Earlier this week, Kindred Sole kindly sent me a pair of shoes to review so that I could experience their amazing shoes and service for myself, and I wasn’t disappointed. Yesterday morning there was a bang on the door and I was presented with a nicely packaged pair or brand new shoes. Needless to say, I was very excited, and also massively impressed with Kindred Sole’s quick delivery. The company aims to please its customers and they go out of their way to provide fantastic customer service by offering FREE, trackable next day delivery on all orders within the UK, and they also offer Saturday and worldwide delivery.
The shoes I received were these – a pair of Mel Tangerine Bow Caramel Shoes. Aren’t they beautiful?
Mel is a Brazilian company and these Tangerine Bow Caramel Shoes are made of recycled PVC and are Vegan friendly. As a Vegetarian myself I was pleased to discover the ethical nature of these shoes, but my happiness didn’t stop there…
As soon as I opened the box and saw the shoes inside, I was instantly taken by how cute and stylish they look! The bright, glossy yellow colour and large bow detail on the front are so fun and playful, and the shoes have such a nostalgic essence of childhood about them as they are reminiscent of the plastic jelly shoes that all of us 80s/90s kids used to wear. However, Mel’s shoes are rather more grown up!
The shoes are lined with a soft, cushioned sole, so they don’t make your feet sweat like some jelly shoes do. Rather, they are VERY comfortable. When I first put them on I actually couldn’t believe how amazingly lovely they felt on my feet, and they’re also warm and waterproof so your feet can still look pretty even on cold days.
Mel Tangerine Bow Caramel Shoes look fab dressed down with skinny jeans, or even teamed with a girly dress and tights for an Autumn evening look. They are available here from Kindred Sole for just £31.99, which is a fantastic price for such a high-quality pair of on-trend shoes, and they also come in a lovely nude shade. However, you could get them even cheaper if you take advantage of Kindred Sole’s Birthday offer…
On 31st October Kindred Sole celebrated their third birthday, so as a special thank you to their customers, new and old, they are currently offering 33% off ALL shoes, which is an extremely generous discount! The offer runs until Sunday 4th November, and can be used by entering the code ‘HAPPYB33‘ at the checkout. Amazing, right?
To get you in the shopping mood, here a few of my favourite shoes and boots from the Kindred Sole website…
Ugly Duckling Hand Made Shoes
£59.99 (£40.19 with discount)
Beyond Skin Sirene Peacock Glitter Shoes
£130 (£87.10 with discount)
Redfoot Folding Patent Black Welly Boots
£29.99 (£20.09 with discount)
Love From Australia Tibetan Cupid Caramel Sheepskin Boots
£189 (£126.63 with discount)
Redfoot Cheryl Damson Fold Up Shoes
£34.99 (£23.44 with discount)
I hope you enjoy your vibrant Kindred Sole shopping experience! To keep up to date with all the latest Kindred Sole news, you can follow them on Twitter and on Facebook. They are currently running a Facebook competition to win your favourite pair of shoes from their website, so get liking!
Naomi x
Avon Ultra Colour Rich Rubies Lipstick in ‘Princely Plum’
14
4 years
by Naomi in Lips
Hi all,
Once again, I’m very sorry for not blogging much this week. I have had a very busy time at work, and in between all the working hard I have also been playing hard! On Wednesday I went to a gig to see one of my favourite bands and that, combined with the work, has left me very tired with no energy to blog in the evenings. But anyway, here I am with another little review for you all, so allow me to introduce you to Avon’s latest lipstick which is perfect for the party season – Ultra Colour Rich Rubies.
First thing’s first – the packaging. I think it goes without saying that the ruby-red and black ombre tube is very sleek and beautiful, and bang on trend. In fact, Avon say that it has ‘perfect party packaging’, and I’m inclined to agree as it looks so much more eye-catching than a plain old black lipstick! The lid also closes with a satisfying click so it definitely won’t come off in your make up bag and make a big mess.
The lipstick’s formula is very creamy so it smooths on easily and evenly with no dragging of the skin. The creaminess also means that it is delicately moisturising, so it doesn’t dry your lips out as the day progresses. A little word of warning though… I used this over the top of a slightly oily lip balm the first time I used it and it had worn off within a few hours because of how creamy it is. Luckily, it’s soft enough to use on its own without lip balm, but for an extra protective layer it sits fine with a thin layer of lip balm over the top.
Without the lip balm, Avon’s Rich Rubies is a laster. I applied this today before I went to work and it lasted through the morning until lunchtime. After I’d eaten my lunch I was pleasantly surprised to see that, though slightly faded, the lipstick still looked quite bold and even a couple of hours later, after it had mostly worn off, there was still an ever-so slight (but nicely even) tint of colour to my lips. Furthermore, I found that it doesn’t bleed at all which is always a good thing.
If you look closely at the photographs above you will see that the lipstick has a lovely pink shimmer to it. According to Avon, all of the Rich Rubies lipsticks contain ‘real crushed rubies’, which makes for ‘instant sparkle and shine’. I doubt that the ruby content is very high, but believe me when I say that the micro pink glitter particles that the lipstick boasts are absolutely stunning. It might sound vain, but I couldn’t stop staring at my lips in the mirror when I first used this as I was so mesmerized by the shimmer! In my experience, a lot of shiny, shimmery lipsticks tend to have a gold, sliver or blue glitter tinge to them, so I think this pink addition is really quite unusual.
Now onto the colour… Princely Plum is a luscious, deep purple shade which does in fact look very regal, hence the name. The colour looks quite dark in solid form, but once on the lips it looks a lot brighter due to the shine, but layers can easily be built up if you do want it darker. The above lip swatch shows one generous layer of lipstick. I really, really love Princely Plum. It’s right up my street and is absolutely perfect for the 2012 Autumn/Winter trend for deep, luxurious colours.
The Ultra Colour Rich Rubies range features five other shades – Noble Nude (a nude peach), Imperial Pink (a girly, light pink), Majestic Mauve (a pinky purple), Fuchsia Fame (a bright, bubblegum pink) and Radiant Ruby (a bold red). The lipsticks will debut in Avon UK’s Brochure 1 (which I will be launching soon), and will have an introductory price of £2.49. For a good quality, all-round fabulous lipstick this is a MASSIVE bargain and well worth it, especially when considering that the RRP is £8.50 – you could get 3 for the price of 1, WITH CHANGE!
Which shade will you be trying?
Naomi x
Celliana Spike and Peace Bracelet
7I was recently given the opportunity by Sarah at Celliana to choose a gorgeous piece of jewellery from their new Regal Treasure collection. Celliana are a UK-based, online jewellery design company who put a lot of thought and care into creating exclusive yet affordable pieces. Their jewellery combines contemporary high fashion and traditional crafting techniques to bring you exciting designs which fit but also transcend current fashion trends, and every single item is designed by the company’s own small team of talented designers.
I actually found it quite difficult to pick just one piece when browsing the Regal Treasue collection as there are so many stunning pieces, but in the end I settled for a simple yet versatile bracelet – their Spike and Peace Bracelet, which costs just £4.00.
When I first received the bracelet I was really impressed with the way it was presented. It came in a little black drawstring pouch with a label attached, which in turn was in a Celliana branded bag-like ‘envelope’ – a lot more luxurious and far more personal than just being thrown into a jiffy bag!
The Spike and Peace Bracelet is very well made. The black cord which forms the bracelet is very tightly braided which makes it extremely strong, so there’s no worry that the bracelet will snap, and it has an adjustable cord fastening so it will fit any wrist comfortably without the chance that it will slip off or feel too tight.
The gold, metal-look peace sign and spike beads are woven securely into place, and have a decent weight and shine to them which gives them a look of real metal! I’ve found that, with some badly made bracelets, any protruding beads have the tendency to slip around and point in different directions, which can get quite annoying. However, the spike beads in this design stay pointing in the direction they’re supposed to, which is a sign of a good quality product in my eyes!
Celliana’s Spike and Peace bracelet sits really nicely on the wrist and is perfect for this season’s trend for stackable bracelets, and luckily at £4.00 it is cheap enough to invest in a few pieces from their website for a more dramatic look! It also fits the Autumn/Winter trend for all things Gothic, what with the spikes and black and gold contrast, which looks beautifully classy.
Celliana will be launching four Autumn/Winter 2012 collections over the next few months, with Regal Treasure being the first. They have also recently released their rather feminine Elegant Rose collection, but there are still two more amazing collections to come so keep an eye out!
Naomi x
New Look Denim Competition Entry: Bonfire Night Outfit
5
4 years
I was recently contacted about a really fun fashion competition, which is being run by New Look and Sparkle Fashion Blog and focuses on New Look’s new collection of fabulous jeans. As it happens, New Look is one of the only shops on the high street where I can buy jeans as I am 5’10” and they actually make jeans long enough to fit me, so I jumped at the chance of entering! After all, the grand prize is £200 and a pair of jeans, and a pair of jeans for nine runners up! The idea of the competition is to create an outfit for any occasion using items from the New Look online store, with a pair of sexy jeans as the centrepiece. Once you’ve decided on your items you then need to blog your look and finalise your entry on this Sparkle Fashion Blog post.
As I’ve mentioned before, Autumn is my favourite time of year. I love the gorgeous colours, the sharp coldness of the Autumn sun, and the massive amount of fun that can be had, especially on Halloween and Bonfire Night! As such, I decided to put together a seasonal outfit which would be suitable to wear on Bonfire Night, whilst standing in a dark field or garden, warming yourself next to the flames whilst watching fireworks and eating jacket potatoes and toffee apples. My idea of a happy Autumn evening 
Here is what I came up with…
Shop this Look:
– Purple Skinny Jeans (£16.99) – Black and Purple Stripe Raglan Knitted Jumper (£12.99)-
– Black Skull Print Heavyweight Skinny Scarf (£7.99) – Black Studded Biker Wellies (£19.99) –
– Pieces Knitted Hat (£10.00, was £21.99) – Colourpop Jade Nail Polish (£1.99) –
Total: £69.95
So far this Autumn I have lived in skinny jeans, so the obvious choice of jeans for me was this skinny pair in my favourite colour. I absolutely adore the deep plum shade and I’d love a pair for myself! I chose the simple black knitted jumper to go with the jeans so that it wouldn’t detract from them, but compliment them with the matching purple striped sleeves. I actually tried this very jumper on a few weeks ago and it’s so snuggly and well-fitting – perfect for a chilly night spent outside.
As a nod towards this season’s trend for all things Gothic, I added the stunning skull print scarf, and for extra warmth and to pick up on the turquoise shade running through the scarf I included the knitted hat. Purple and turquoise are two of my favourite colours and I love to wear them together – I think they compliment rather than clash, and they make for a fun combination!
Bonfire Night often involves standing in a soggy field or garden, so I thought a pair of wellies would be ideal footwear for this look. I found this amazing pair of Biker Wellies on New Look’s website which transform the typical frumpy welly into something a little more chic. I really like how they look like boots so can be dressed up, and they add an extra hint of Gothic on top of the scarf.
Last but not least, for an extra splash of colour and glamour, I chose a beautifully bright Jade nail polish for the finishing touch which I think rounds the outfit off nicely.
I hope you like my entry! If you’d like to enter yourself, you can find out how here. You can also follow the competition and all the entries on Twitter using the #DenimComp hashtag!
Good luck and fingers crossed!
Naomi x
Montagne Jeunesse Moisturising Lip Balms
7As Summer moves into Autumn it’s a good idea to start protecting your lips from the damage that the chillier months can bring. Cold weather, harsh winds and even central heating can cause your lips to dry out and become sore and chapped, so to keep them hydrated and soft regular use of a good lip balm is essential.
I was recently lucky enough to be sent the full range of Montagne Jeunesse’s moisturising natural lip balms to try out, which I was very happy about as they are one of my favourite skin care brands, and as usual they really didn’t disappoint.
From left to right, the lip balms pictured above are:
- Pressed Cherry & Cocoa Chocolate Balm
- Wheatgerm & Shea Butter Weather Screen Balm
- Aloe Vera & Spearmint Healing Balm
- Shea Butter & Mango Sore Lips Balm
- Cranberry & Aloe Vera Cracked Lips Balm
Not one of Montagne Jeunesse’s lip balms contain petroleum jelly, so they aren’t greasy at all. Rather, they are made from 100% natural beeswax and olive oil and are lightly creamy but intensely moisturising. The beeswax forms a protective layer on the lips making them long-lasting, and the olive oil gives them a subtle shine. As such, they look great layered over (or even under) lipstick for a glossy yet protective finish. Each lip balm also has a delicate but uniquely sweet scent, which makes a nice change from the waxy undertone smell you often get from balms containing petroleum jelly.
Each balm contains different ingredients which are suitable for protecting against different lip damage problems, and will carry you from Autumn through until the end of Winter. At the moment I am using the Weather Screen balm to protect my lips against the late Summer sun and early Autumn winds. Towards the end of Autumn, as the weather gets colder, I will be using the Sore Lips balm, and into winter when the temperatures are particular harsh I will use the Cracked Lips balm for deep, protective moisturisation. Then, as Winter draws to an end and the Spring sun rises I will use the Healing Balm so combat any damage left over from the Winter (although I doubt I’ll need it after using the other balms!) The Chocolate balm is a nice little treat which I have plans for, so watch this space…
As with all Montagne Jeunesse products, their full range of Lip Balms are ‘caringly made in the UK’, and are vegetarian and animal-friendly as they are BUAV approved. They’re also almost 100% natural so are extremely kind on the skin. The Lip Balms cost just £1.99 each, which is very reasonable considering their high quality, and are available from Montagne Jeunesse’s website.
Have you ever tried any of Montagne Jeunesse’s Moisturising Lip Balms?
Naomi x
*All five Moisturising Lip Balms were sent to me by Montagne Jeunesse for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
BooHoo £50 Blogger Challenge
2
4 years
To celebrate BooHoo being included in Fashion Vouchers‘ ‘Top 10 Fashion Money Saving Websites’ list, Fashion Vouchers have launched a new blogger challenge! The challenge is to put together an outfit costing £50 or less using clothes, shoes, accessories or anything else from BooHoo’s website. There will be four winners, and each will win a £50 BooHoo fashion voucher. I love a good bargain so this challenge is right up my street! I’ve entered a couple of other challenges like this before and I always enjoy window shopping lovely items to put together my ideal outfit on a budget, so I thought I would give this one a go too, and here is my entry…
(Click the image for a closer look)
Shop this look:
– Annie Oversized Vintage Jumper in ‘Black’ (£20) – Davina Skull Print Leggings in ‘Berry’ (£10) –
– Quinn Black Suedette Platform Courts (£12) – Diamante Skull Chain (£8) –
I have been browsing the high street a lot lately for Autumn trends, and have spotted a lot of big slouchy jumpers and grunge style pieces on the shelves, with a mix of Gothic style prints. Lucky for me, I already incorporate these styles into my look anyway, so it seemed only natural to take this route when choosing my outfit for the challenge.
Too often people go for bright, patterned tops and plain bottoms, so I thought I would switch the conventions around a bit. I knew that I wanted to team a simple black jumper with bold bottoms, and the Annie Oversized Vintage Jumper seemed like a good starting point. I chose the red Skull Print Leggings to go with it as they offset the bagginess of the jumper nicely by being skin-tight, and the red adds a gorgeous splash of Autumn colour. The skull print is what initially drew me to this piece as it happens to be one of my favourite clothing prints, and it gives the outfit a hint of Gothic.
I added black Platform Courts to the outfit to show that grunge/Goth can be sexy too, and that the image can be carried through to the evening with some killer, confidence boosting heels. My final addition was the Diamante Skull Chain. I adore big statement pieces of jewellery, and own a few sparkly skull necklaces myself, so when I saw this necklace I just had to include it… It matches the leggings perfectly, and would really stand out on the simple jumper, giving the outfit a girly edge.
My outfit totals exactly £50, which I am very pleased with. This is the kind of thing I will be wearing myself throughout Autumn and Winter, and if I win I may even use the voucher to buy this outfit!
I was contacted about this challenge by email yesterday, but anybody can enter. If you fancy trying your hand at styling on a budget, here are the rules for entering:
How to Enter
1. Head over to BooHoo.com and start piecing together an outfit, making sure you do not exceed your £50 budget (no student discounts or other voucher codes can be used to help you stretch this budget I’m afraid).
2. Write a post about your outfit and this competition on your blog, which includes a link back to our home page www.fashionvouchers.com.
3. Email a link to your entry to .
Rules
1. The prize will consist of 1 x £50 BooHoo.com voucher, and there will be four winners.
2. No cash alternative is available for the prize.
3. The competition starts on September 1st.
4. Closing date for entries is September 30th.
5. Winner will be announced by October 10th on our twitter page @fashvouchers.
6. Only one entry per person.
I hope you like my outfit, and if you decide to enter yourself please comment below with the link to your entry so I can check out your fashion finds… and good luck!
Naomi x
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