OOTD: PRIMARY COLORS

Another very true-to-my-style outfit, although I think my personal style combines a mixture of various styles, my retro-urban influence is clear here. For me, the piece de resistance is this stunning and unique floral shirt. I spotted it in a charity shop window (I don't often shop in charity shops, but sometimes you can be surprised in a good way), and I was instantly drawn to the elegant collar and bold vintage floral print. I only paid £5.99 for this awesome piece, and although it's a meager contribution to the charity +Oxfam GB  , I felt far more fulfilled after buying it than I do after spending a jaw-dropping amount on a high street jacket. 

To contradict with the dainty air of the blouse, I spruced things up with this combination wool-leather varsity jacket from Zara and quilted faux leather skirt. I grabbed this skirt when I saw it on the sale rail in Primark, because the price was something ridiculous like £3, and I knew I'd be able to style it year-round and I certainly don't think it looks cheap at all.

I guess by teaming the varsity jacket with the high-top trainers, I gave the outfit a somewhat sporty edge, alongside one of my all-time favorite bags. I purchased this backpack in the Aldo sale about a year ago, and I was skeptical because I didn't want it to look plastic/synthetic or tacky, but when it arrived in the post, I could not have been more pleased- it's well-made, very sturdy and a slightly cheaper alternative to a high-end leather backpack. I would say that, usually with Aldo, quality is guaranteed, so I've listed an alternative below to my backpack, which is equally as lovely, and very versatile. 

Floral Shirt- Oxfam 

Quilted Skirt-Primark 

Chain Triangle Necklace- Primark 

Leather Varsity Jacket-  Zara

High-top Wedge Trainers- Zara 

Sunglasses - H&M

Backpack- Aldo (alternative) 

Earings- Topshop

Lips- Kate Moss for Rimmel Shade 107

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RIVER ISLAND DOES THE CITRUS BURST

I have been so excited about a lot of pieces from River Island's summer collection, but this 'citrus' theme stood out to me. I absolutely love the fruity prints and the bright, tangy colors- I feel like they're very fitting to my style. I don't want to ramble on about how much I love each and every piece, because I feel like they speak for themselves.  I do however love how the elegance of the court shoe is contrasted with this bold block lemon print- these beauties are definitely on my wishlist. The lemon print courts have a matching clutch, which is also stunning, and quite a steal at £18, I assume it is sold out online, but can be found in store.     This trend isn't to everyone's taste but by simply adding the yellow courts or the orange clutch will add a citrus pop to any all-black or white outfit. 

Yellow Tropical Print Pointed Court Shoe -£50

Yellow Toe Cap Pointed Court Shoe -£50 

Yellow Lemon Print Dungarees-£40

Yellow Lemon Print Oversized Denim Jacket -£55

Orange Box Clutch Bag -£30

Lime Gem Stone Box Clutch-£35

Lime Pacha Beaded Bandeau Bikini Top-£26

Orange Jeepers Peepers Round Sunglasses-£16 

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OOTD: FLOWERS OF ORIENT

I realize it's been shamefully long since I last posted, but sometimes life simply gets in the way. However, I wanted to return with a bang-hence the blindingly bold colors featured in today's outfit of the day. First and foremost, lets not ignore the obvious- the coat. I picked up this eye-poppingly wonderful creation at River Island, I saw it online originally and it had my name written all over it. The clashing of the prints and colors works so well in this case and I love the slouchy over-sized fit. I don't know if it shows in the photos, but it has this light quilting all over and the material is 'scuba' like and light therefore perfect for these spring months.  

I couldn't have found a more perfect necklace-jacket-shirt combination if I tried. This stunning floral statement necklace is bold and beautiful and screams spring/summer. I purchased it from Topshop last summer and I have struggled to style it, but with this outfit, it just fits. I love the way the floral print on the jacket works with the necklace... if it wasn't already obvious, I adore florals. I found this shirt a couple of years ago on a trip to Murcia in Spain, and I can't remember for the life of me what the name of the store was, but I'm sure there are similar blouses around. I thought the two-tone pink and red was unusual and the outfit adopted a very oriental color palette with the florals on the jacket exuding a Japanese style. 

I kept the rest of the outfit very simple, with black faux leather leggings and black patent heels. I don't particularly like the all-black bottom half, but I wanted to keep it muted because of the audacious top half. 

One of my most recent purchases are the sexy Dolce & Gabanna-style sunglasses, which I'm absolutely obsessed with. When I wear them I feel even more Italian than I already am and they give any outfit that rich, elegant edge. I'm experiencing a slight addiction to sunglasses at the moment, especially the  round and cat-eye styles, and H&M currently have a great selection, and very in-expensive, I feel the need to buy them all! 

Jacket- River Island

Necklace- Topshop- Similar here

Leggings-H&M

Shoes-River Island

Sunglasses-H&M

Lips- Dior 999

*Note: I will insert direct links to items where possible, if not then I will direct you to the store where the item was purchased, or supply a similar option.*

Ev :)

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TREND EXPOSED: THE JELLY SHOE

What you hear is true. The jelly shoes are back and bigger than ever, and I'm trying to contain my excitement, but I can't! I had to write a post on these beauties, although they are a very love or hate trend they can be found in every single shop for Spring/Summer, because lets face it, who doesn't want sparkling jelly magic under their toes? They definitely remind me of my childhood as I used to live in these things-mainly the glittery fabulous kind, and seeing them everywhere has brought back such fond memories. I'm seriously excited to get myself a pair, (preferably heeled because I'm short) and rock them with pastel socks, pretty lace socks or just bare feet in summer. 

I found a varied selection from a few high street and online shops and I won't lie- I want them all. These are the kind of spring shoe that you can grab in a few different colors because they're so very versatile, can add a pop to any outfit and are very inexpensive. I must say that my favorites have to be  numbers '5',6'&'7' from the River Island collection, I love the glittery ones as well as the more simplistic transparent style which has a more sophisticated edge plus they have that chunky block heel that I always go for.  

Topshop's Jelly Satchel- £34 

Topshop are embracing the jelly trend head on, considering they have a huge selection of jelly sandals as well as these amazing jelly satchels (that I must get my hands on). I've loved the 'transparent'/'perspex' trend for so long and I really wanted one of the boxy perspex clutches that everyone seems to have, but I think I've found the most practical alternative. This satchel is cute, on trend-obviously and practical for everyday use. It is a great piece for those who are not daring enough for a pair of bright jelly sandals but want to channel those bright summer vibes.  

Find it here

Details of the shoes featured in my collage:

1. Topshop- HUEY2 Jelly Sandals- £20

2. Topshop- NINA Heeled Jelly Sandals- £26

3. Topshop- NINA Heeled Jelly Sandals-£26

4. Topshop- NINA Jelly Sandals- £24

5. River Island- Pink Glitter Block Heel- £18

6. River Island- Green Glitter Block Heel- £18

7. River Island- Black Transparent Block Heel- £22

8. River Island- Coral Block Heel- £18

9. Missguided.co.uk- Paquita Cut Out in Leopard Print- £11.99

10.Missguided.co.uk- Paquita Cut Out In Neon Yellow- £11.99

11.Boohoo.com- Nude Tilly Flat Fisherman- £10 

12.Boohoo.com- Lilac Tilly Flat Fisherman- £10

13.Topshop- NINA Heeled Jelly Sandals- £26

14.Topshop- HUEY2 Jelly Sandals- £20

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OOTD: KING TUTANKHAMUN

(Just to clarify, in this picture, a pigeon flew dangerously close to my face. I. Hate. Pigeons.It's more of a phobia actually..anyway, irrelevant.)  

I had my eye on this sweater for a while, and because I enjoyed wearing my 'The Birth of Venus' one so much (see first ever OOTD) I decided to snap this one up too. It was relatively cheap, about £15 I believe, from Sheinside and I know for that price I shouldn't really complain, but the quality is a world away from 'The Birth of Venus' sweater that I purchased from Romwe, perhaps understandable as I paid around £26 for that; it washed well, the colors are amazingly vibrant and it has this fleece-type lining inside. The 'Tutankhamun' print is nice, somewhat garish- but that's me! If you want a good, sturdy, nice quality print sweat that will keep you warm too, then check out Romwe.com 

Now, I'm not really a fan of shorts in winter because the thought of freezing knees and butt cheeks brings tears to my eyes, but, it was relatively warm today, so I bit the bullet and tried it. The reason I went with shorts, is actually because I tried the sweatshirt with various trouser combinations, but nothing seemed to be working...perhaps its the boxy style of the sweater. 

To brighten things up, I went with a white blouse and white belt for once (rather than black, black, black all the time), and I like the way it broke up the darker shades. Shoes-wise, my trusty Doc Marten Serena's, with a simple necklace not to interfere with the awesomely dazzling face of Tutankhamun.  

Printed Sweatshirt- Sheinside.com 

Moto Denim Shorts- Topshop.com 

White Collared Blouse- Primark (primark.com - you can't shop but you can see what's new in, bloggers picks etc.)

Gold Chain Necklace, Tights and Socks- Primark

White Belt- H&M

Dr. Marten Serena Boots- Find them here 

Lips- Kate Moss for Rimmel shade 107 

Nails( featured in 'Feb. Monthly Must-Haves')- Colorama Coral 

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OOTD: FOREST FRUITS

 I feel like this outfit epitomizes my personal style: aspects of elegance mixed with a retro touch and a dash of urban expression. I based the outfit upon  these stunning burgundy leather trousers from River Island. I chose a simple blouse in a lighter raspberry shade, so that it would give a definite sense of cohesion hence the forest fruits color palette.  I also chose a deep berry shade lipstick (Kate Moss for Rimmel, it's amazing and I love it) to compliment the look. 

I purchased the two-toned blouse from Primark, as well as the geometric chain necklace, and I think these are two of my best buys from Primark..ever. Like most people, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Primark because sometimes you can go in and look through the piles of 'fash trash' for hours and leave with nothing but a 5-pack of tights, and other times you can go in and find some seriously in-expensive, yet unique and beautiful pieces. The way I look at it, although I like to buy the more simple pieces from there, if you spend a few pounds on something that you're only going to wear a couple of times, it doesn't even matter because its so cheap! Having said that most things (pyjamas, sweaters, tights, socks, t-shirts), in my experience remain in surprisingly great condition.  I'm truly chuffed with these two new pieces! 

To complete the look, a silk bomber with a stunning botanical/oriental print, and my white high-top wedges, both from Zara, and for my retro edge a silk scarf used as a hair wrap. 

Leather Trousers- River Island

Blouse- Primark 

Necklace- Primark

Silk Bomber Jacket- Zara

Trainer Wedges- Zara

Silk Headscarf- La Rinascente (Italian store) 

Lips- Kate Moss for Rimmel shade 107

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LOVE LIST FOR MARCH

I am so insanely excited for spring as it's been a long and drawn out soggy winter.  I've chosen a few picks that I would totally love to have for spring , with a very fresh color palette. I'm so bored of dark colors and heavy coats I can't wait to experiment with whites, brights and pastels. 

1. H&M CHUNKY KNIT CROPPED SWEATER- £34.99 
This cropped sweat is a spring essential. The color screams spring, and it's great for those chilly evenings or April showers. The good thing about it is that it is made up of 60% cotton, which means that it should be oh so comfy, not itchy  (like most polyester jumpers) and a classic piece to have. 

Find it here


2. TOPSHOP FLOWER LACE PLASTIC MAC- £48.00
I have wanted a transparent-style raincoat for THE longest time, and this one is the epitome of all things me; lace, yellow, floral, unusual. I must have it. Living in England one would hope to own a decent raincoat, and I've been yet to find one that I feel is worth investing in until now. 
Find it here

3. MONKI GREEN ROUND LENS SHADES- £8
These will be a cool addition to any spring or summer outfit. I'd use them to add a pop of color to a simple outfit or use them in conjunction with any of the above pieces because I'm really fond of the monotone look-its very high-fashion.
Find it here


4. ESSIE NAIL POLISH IN MINT CANDY APPLE- £7.99
Essie varnishes have been all the rave in the blogger world, and I've been meaning to get my hands on one of their polishes for a while, and I think now would be the perfect time because they have the most wonderfully extensive collection of summer shades.
Check out the shades at Essie
or 
Find it here


5. H&M LEAF PRINT PLATFORM SNEAKERS- £14.99
I saw these and fell in love. I don't know if the print is of dope leaves or palm leaves, but frankly I don't care. I'm a huge fan of platform sneakers and these are the ideal pair for spring/summer. 
Find them here


6. EOS ICONIC LIP BALM IN HONEYSUCKLE MELON -£7
I've seen these lip balms featured in the videos of so many US youtubers, and it wasn't until now that I'd seen them in the UK. I came across them on +Topshop'S website and I'm really eager to check out the hype. They claim to be rich in vitamin E, shea butter and jojoba oil which sounds like it would be amazing on the lips. 
Find it here

7. ZARA TUBE SKIRT WITH SHEER DETAIL - £17.99
To me this skirt is a must have. It features the 'blurred lines' trend (sheer detailing), goes with so much for the season and seems very in-expensive for Zara. It is a wardrobe essential and generally a classic and classy piece, especially if you want to try out the all-white trend(it does also come in black). 
Find it here

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