Kate Spade

I have a new baby, and I'm utterly in love.
Meet my new 'Charlotte Street Angela' handbag by the wonderful Kate Spade.

My fiance spoilt me (once again) when we were browsing around Westfields last weekend. I am one lucky little lady! Thank you :)

I LOVE the bright yellow, I tend to wear a lot of black and white so this little one will certainly brighten me up, and is the perfect bag to take to Vegas this month. 
I also tend to carry a heck of a lot of things around with me (anyone else do that?!), so I'm hoping that this will help me downsize!
It's my perfect summer clutch, or daytime handbag.

Have you ever fallen in love with a handbag? I seem to be falling hard and fast pretty often these days...

x

Here are a few of the products I am currently coveting. Surprisingly for me, they are all quite reasonably priced.

Anyway, it's been a week since payday and I haven't actually bought anything yet, how good am I?!

1. Urban Decay Naked Pallette, the original £32.40 (currently on offer)- I'm not even sure I would use this very much, I just want it because everyone in the whole blogging world seems to own it and constantly rave about it. I really like neutral shades on the eyes too, and this has lots of them.

2. Zara Boots £30- How cute are these? I do need to stop with the recent Zara shoe obsession though; I can see it getting quite out of control!

3. Benefit Bathlina £22.50- I've said it before, but I don't usually rate Benefit products. This body balm however, honestly smells of perfection; that’s what lured me in! You don’t even need to wear perfume with this, and it's super moisturizing too. Great for giving your skin that special little 'photoshoot ready' glow. I should have put this at the top of my list really hehe    

4. YSL Touche Eclat £25- An obvious choice, yes ladies? I've purchased this before a few times as a little treat. It’s one of those things I wouldn’t exactly call a ‘staple’, but it certainly is nice to use. It's an absolute lifesaver for waking up tired eyes and brightening up the complexion. Especially on those early shifts!

Have you tried any of these before? What’s on your wishlist at the moment?

Zara Love

Okay girls, I'll admit it. I may have a little soft spot where black boots are concerned. 

I usually fall in love with a pair, and proceed to wear them with everything, everyday, until they are completely on their last legs.

My current 'go to' Topshop black boots are sporting scuffed toes and a well-worn down heel. They've been very much overly loved and worn pretty much every day since I've had them.

I was going to re-heel them this week, until I discovered these Zara High Heel Ankle Boots. They were so bragainous at only £29.99, (and the cost of re-heeling was about £15) anyway, that I just thought it was well worth it to get a shiny new pair, totally makes sense huh?

I love the heel, chunky and easy to walk around London in. I'm kinda' short, so a high heeled boot is always a good pick for me.

I usually opt for something ultra plain, but I really like the buckle details, I think they kind of look like something All Saints might have.

I kind of want the brown pair now too... someone stop me!

Photo Diary #15 What a mischief you would bring...

An old Tiffany favourite | Furry headband OOTD | Dinner in a sex shop | Berry pancakes - hangover heavan!

Hey there!

I just thought I'd do a super quick photo diary update from my weekend...

A couple of my University buddies came to London town to play with me this weekend.

We did birthday presents and drinks at my place, then headed out for dinner in La Bodega Negra, a secret Mexican underneath a sex shop in Soho.

The food wasn't the best, but the company and atmosphere were just perfect. Dim lighting, full tummies,bottles of wine, and good friends is a brilliant combination.

We may have slightly over-done the drinking at the next bar, but it was such good fun and great to get together and catch up.

On Sunday we managed to drag sorry hung-over selves to one of my favourite breakfast hang outs in Clapham. I cannot express to you how much I needed these pancakes!

The rest of the day Laura and I spent in bed in onsies with facepacks on, watching movies. Breakfast at Tiffanys inspired me to dig out my old 21st birthday bracelet, I have re-discovered my love for it :)

How did you spend your weekends?

My Aspinal of London surprise...

Hello you lovely lot.
I'm in a super good mood today; can you see an obvious reason why?!

Last night, Stef surprised me with this beautiful Aspinal of London Marylebone Tote.
He'd seen me put up an Instagram photo of it, and then snuck off to Oxford street before I finished work last night to buy it for me. What an absolute sweetheart, THANK YOOOOU!

It was totally unexpected; I actually went into shock mode for a little while and couldn't stop staring at it, tehe. I feel so beyond spoilt, and very very lucky to have a fiancé who is so thoughtful and generous.

This is my first ever designer handbag, by far the most beautiful, perfect (and most expensive) bag I have ever owned. I totally and utterly in love with it, it's exactly my kind of style, plain and classic.

It does come with a rather hefty price tag (trust me to fall in love with the most expensive one), but that’s down to it being made with fancy Italian calf leather and lined with grosgrain silk.
It's incredibly sturdy, and has a range pockets for all your things, including perfect sized pocket for Ipads and smart phones.
I just dicovered that it even has two secret pockets you can get to without opening the zip, perfect for us city girls on the move. Stunning and practical, what more could you possibly want in a handbag?
One of the best features of the Marylebone, is that you can actually adjust the buckles on the side to change the shape of the tote to square whenever you fancy a little change. Technically, two bags in one then!

What I really like about Aspinal, is that it's a high end brand that not many people know about (unless you've seen them featured in Vogue). As much as I love brands like Mulberry, I love that I can walk down the street with this bag and not see a dozen other ladies carrying the same one.
I love that it's understated too, and doesn't have a huge Aspinal logo anywhere, it's very discrete and classy.

I've brought it into my office today to have a little show off (it had to be done, I'm very excited about it), but I think it's going to stay my 'fancy weekend bag' now. I definitely feel very special with this on my arm, and I'm already planning a 'What's in my handbag?' post for you.

Don't I have the best fiancé and the best handbag in the world?!

You can take a look at the Aspinal range here, they have some stunning bags. What are your favourite designer handbags?

1. Nars Copocabana Illuminator | 2. Nars Laguna bronzer | 3.Laura Mercier Creme Brulee Body Souffle 4. Jack Wills Greatstone Headband | 5. Zara Suede Shopper

Hey gals,
it's that time of year again already... eeep how is Christmas only 14 sleeps away?
I managed to power-shop my way through most of my shopping last night, very proud of that!

Anyway I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and compile a little Christmas wish list, and yes I am very aware that the majority of it is from Space NK. Have you ever smelt this Laura Mercier Crème Brulee body souflee by the way? It is pure heavan I tell you.
I basically want the whole of Space NK and Zara please, is that too much to ask?!

Have you made a wishlist yet? Any of these beauties on it?

Burberry

I fell totally and utterly in love last weekend.
I took a little trip in to Burberry on Oxford street, purely to help my boyfriend pick out a new trench coat.
I'd promised myself that I would keep my eyes tightly shut and walk straight past the women’s department, knowing it was more than likely I would spy something I'd fall desperately in love with, consequently spending the next few months in agony not being able to purchase it.

Trust me to go ahead and spot possibly the most expensive trench they have in the whole bloody women’s department. A whopping £3,500.
Isn't it gorgeous? And besides, who doesn't want to shop somewhere where they offer you wine?!

I just love how this is a such a stunning fashion twist on the classic iconic trench. It's such a statement with the studded leather arms and luxurious real fur collar. *swoons*

Can anyone suggest a good high street copy? I haven't seen anything like this, so please let me know if there's a more affordable version!

Have you ever fallen in love with something completely out of your price range?

Anthropologie Furs

Hay gals,

remember when I had a day in Chelsea I mentioned that my boyfriend treated me to this gorgeous coat from Anthropologie? Well, I love it so much that I thought it deserved it's very own post :)

It's the snuggliest thing ever, you've got to love a bit of faux fur collar, right?! I also love the little tie around the waste, it kind of reminds me of being all snuggled in my favourite dressing gown. 

My only concern is I am a self confessed spiller of red wine and coffee, and this does not bode well for a light nude coat! I'm just going to have to un-robe every time I drink something dark, tehe.

Unfortunately I couldn't find the direct link to the coat for you, (maybe it's not on their website yet), but if you're around London, you'll find it in the Kings Road branch, in Chelsea. 

Have you got your eye on a new winter coat this year?

Brandy Melville

Hey chums, happy Friday!

So a few of you who watched my last video have been asking me where my jumper was from. I found this in a new shop called Brandy Melville on Kings road in Chelsea, for the bargainous price of £25. Yeh, you heard me, £25. It was my little pay day treat to keep me sane while I'm on a spending ban for the fore-seeable future (*sobs*). There are a few other pieces in this shop that I really like, I've got my eye on this scarf and this backless vest. You should definitely check it out, their prices are so reasonable. If you can't get to Chelsea they do have a website. 

Have you ever shopped in Brandy Melville before?

What are you all up to this weekend? I've got another video on the way for you tomorrow, so look out for that. I'm planning on heading to a cartoon museum, playing tennis, and practicing my make-up artist skills!

 

Youtube#5 What's in my handbag?

 

I finally got around to making another video for you guys, sorry it's been so long! Yes, it's the ever famous 'What's in my handbag' tag. I am always so late to jump on the bandwagon aren't I?! I did rant on for a while, sorry folks. Also, sorry about the hangover face and 3 day old hair. Yes, I am a skank. It's been one of those days wear the PJs haven't come off yet. Hence the last shot in my video, spotty PJ alert! Don't judge me.

What have you beautiful people been up to this weekend? 
On Saturday Stef and I had a private tennis coach for an hour. I felt kind of sorry for him because my  skills are laughable, so he had his hands full, but that means I can only get better, right? After tennis I had a lovely catch up with a few of my uni buddies, we went to Gordans' Wine Bar (the oldest wine bar in London) on the Embankment. It's like a little underground cave, definitely recommend it if you like that kind of thing.
On Saturday night, Stef and I went to our favourite local pub in Clapham, where we gorged on hotdogs, pizza and red wine. We stayed up until 2am geeking out over this snowboarding movie. It's pretty crazy stuff, most of the shots don't even look real to me. It's absolutely stunning though, and makes me so excited go go snowboarding in the new year. Do any of you snowboard or ski? 

Today all I've done is organise my wardrobe (yes, I like it to be in order) and film this video. I'm pretty nervous about my make-up artist course tomorrow, I'm just going to try and soak up as much as possible, wish me luck! 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video. Have you done this tag? Leave your links below if you have :)

Photo Diary#9 Look and see her eyes, they glow...

 A pre-DJ, non gin-induced shot... my lipstick is Topshop Infared  (the best one) if you were wondering. I'm not sure why it's come out pink in this photo though... 

My shirt is from All Saints, earrings are vintage (I blogged about them here).

Hey ladies, I'm in the mood to chat with you guys today, so I thought I'd take advantage and catch you up with my life lately.

# I'm feeling a little fragile today. Last night, after a quick salad, prosecco and espressos, we popped over to a DJ event in Shoredich. There was a free bar. Yup, free frickin' bar. Do I need to carry on? I think you all know what happened... Moral of the story being I should not be allowed unlimited gin on a school night. I am suffering at my desk today. SUFF-ER-ING.

# I've almost made it through the whole month without buying anything.
Is it sad that I'm really proud of this? It's been SO hard. I'm desperatley trying to pay off my student overdraft you see. It's been over 2 years since I graduated and I think it's time to be a grown up now and kiss it goodbye. If you're reading this and you're a student, I cannot emphasize this enough, do NOT go into your overdraft, it's not worth it. Unless you're extremely lucky enough to have a lovely Mother and Father who don't mind bailing you out, it's just not worth it. It's a beast to get out of.  
 I nearly cracked yesterday when I went into Topshop (my most favouritest shop ever) and saw this, this, this, and these. It was like pure torture. Should I treat myself this payday?

# Next week I'm finally doing my Louise Constad make-up course. Louise has worked with so many celebs, Elle Macpherson amoungst them. She's done the make-up for adverts like Maxfactor too. I'm so excited about meeting her and taking in her pearls of wisdom.
It's pretty much a  new chapter of my life, after I've completed the course, I'm going to start building up a portfolio, get a business website together, and hopefully start some freelance make-up jobs. It's a new skill that I'll always have under my belt. I'll try my best to share as much of my week as I can with you, I'm thinking of doing a few Youtube tutorials on the things I learn.
My boyfriend bought me this course (massive thank you!), and I'll never be able to tell you how much I appriciate this and how grateful I am for the opportunity. I've always wanted to do a make up artist course, but as you all know, they are MEGA BUCKS, and I am a little pauper.

#I am planning on filming another Youtube video this weekend. I know I've been terrible at making them regular, and a few of you have asked me when my next one will be. I'll pop it up sometime next week. I still feel like such a nervous geek. But, geeks are best, yes?

#Stef and I are planning on a snowboarding trip next year, which I'm super excited about because I've never done a snow holiday before. I can't wait to be up on a mountain (and blog from a mountain). I'm planning on heading to the snow dome to do a bit of practising first, god knows I'll need all the practice I can get. I've planned my outfit already of course. This, this, these and this should do the job nicely. What do you think?

Anyway, I'll pop off now, I seem to have rambled sufficiantly. What's going on with all of you lovely lot recently?

P.s Todays post title is from a M83 song called 'midnight city', go listen to it, it's my fav at the moment!

The New Oxford Street Primark

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know I ventured to the new Oxford Street Primark on Thursday on my lunchbreak.
I'm not meaning to sound like a total snob here, (and I don't mean to offend any of you who regularly shop in Primark) but I don't do Primark.
I just find it really stressful, I get really hot when shops are too busy, and then I get stressed, and then I have to leave because all I do is think about how hot and stressed I am. Weird I know.
 Also, I'd usually rather buy just one nice thing in Topshop, rather than a few things somewhere cheaper that wont last as long.
I'm not really one for digging around in shops, I like to walk in and be able to see everything and Primark is usually quite messy. So, I'm not going to lie, I was feeling totally skeptical about it and thought I'd pretty much run away crying/having a panic attack.

But, to my complete and utter surprise I loved it. It was tidy, size ordered, not overly crowded and HUGE. The selection of clothes, shoes and accessories were absolutely great. They have loads of Topshop and Zara copycats. I saw so many gorgeous shirts, dresses, shoes, coats, bags... I could go on & on. I think if you select things carefully in Primark then mix them with pieces from other shops, you can get away with it not looking like it's from Primark at all, agree?

I have totally been converted. But shhhh.

I got these cute little faux suade loafers for £6 and these spotty tights were only £2.50. Let's face it, I could just about get a pair of tights in Topshop for that price. I know they wont last for very long, but for 'throw-away' fashion, and a sneaky pre-payday treat, I think they're absolute gems.
I've always been so jealous seeing other bloggers showing the little beauts they got in Primark, and now I have one around the corner, I'll become one of you :)

Anyway, I hope I've inspired some of you to go shopping, hehe. Do you shop in Primark? Have you found any gems? Will you be visiting the new Oxford street Primark?

When you couldn't see, you would come for me...

When I first saw these Topshop Chelsea boots, on Lily Bees blog, I knew I had to have them. Her blog is so bad for my bank balance, seriously! 
I do this thing sometimes where I go into the shop, look at the thing I want, leave, and then can't stop thinking about it for days. Then I finally cave in and make the purchase! Do any of you do that or is it just me being slightly strange?!
I have so much love for these boots. I know it may seem ridiculous to buy winter boots in August, but let's face it, we haven't had much of summer. Anyway, I think they are cute for summer styled with frilly socks, don't you?
These were £62, which I don't think is a bad price at all. I usually end up spending at least double that on boots a, so I'm pretty happy. Oh, the socks are Topshop too, I think I have an addiction at the moment...

Milkshake

Happy Friday lovelies!
I hope you've all had a swell week?
Mine has been nice and relaxed. Lots of nights in with my mister, and I had a juicy catch up and pizza night with my gorgeous friend Laura too.

Seeing as it has been such a lovely sunny day in London and I'm heading out for some canoeing tonight (yes, you heard me right!), I thought I needed a nice new summery shade for my nails.
Cue 'Milkshake' by Topshop.
I painted on two coats, but you could definitely get away with just the one. This is my new favorite for sure, it's the perfect babydoll pastel pink and such a nice consistency. Plus, it makes you look more tanned than you actually are, bonus!

Yesterday, I found this quote...
"Sometimes we feel guilty about spending money on ourselves; we feel like we're being self indulgent or ridiculous. The truth is YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEST IVESTMENT".
I decided that this meant I should buy shoes.
I've been perving over these Topshop brogues for a couple of weeks now, and finally decided to hell with it, and purchased them today. They're super cute, huh? I can’t wait to wear them this weekend in the sun. Oh, I also got these cute vintagy lacy pants, I know it’s a little weird showing you my pants, but hey ho!

Have a fabulous weekend :)

Lovebrunch

Hey lovelies, happy Friday!

I can't believe it's been a week since I've blogged, woops. Anyway, I hope you've all had great weeks?

I've been trying to be a little healthier this week, eating lots of salads, and my boyfriend and I have been on a couple of runs and walked to work a couple of times. I'll admit I may have given in to the occasional sausage sandwich and croissant in the office...

Last Saturday we went to LOVEBRUNCH, an all day DJ dance party in Kensington Roof Gardens.
It looks super cloudy from the photos but the sun was shining, people were dancing and champagne was flowing, a perfect Saturday afternoon. The gardens are lovely.
After having a tad too much champagne and wine, I may have stumbled across the road to Urban Outfitters. I should NOT be allowed to enter any shop when under the influence of alcohol. My budget for the month is out the window already, woops. But, I did get a couple of gorgeous things.

I LOVE this little red lace dress. I must have been tipsier than I thought when I tried it on though… I actually tried it on backwards thinking it had a high neck and a scoop down the back. Actually the scoop is on the front. To be honest I prefer it the wrong way around anyway, so I think this is how I'll be wearing it. What do you think?

The beautiful quilt... okay, I didn't need it, but look how preeeeetty?
It's reversible too, so one side is aztec and one side is floral, perfect for his and hers huh?!

Have you ever been to LOVEBRUNCH or done a spot of shopping whilst tipsy?