What I Wore Today - 29/06/09

Apologies for not having written much lately - I've been quite ill for the last week and still don't feel 100% myself, though I'm hoping it'll pass and that I can get back to writing regularly.



POF: Driving lesson & going to school for a couple hours to take books back
Shirt: Criminal Damage:
Tank: H&M
Necklace: Miss Selfridge
Skirt: Dorothy Perkins
Tights: Some department store
Boots [not pictured]: my Fryes.

What I Wore Today: 23/06/09

POF: Super-fun day at awesome friend's house :)
Jacket: Urban Outfitters
Top: Primark
Tank: H&M, scavenged from wholesale lot
Necklace: Miss Selfridge
Jeans: Topshop
Socks: H&M Man
Shoes [not pictured]: Purple DMs.

So far I've been doing & planning an awful lot for what was supposed to be a fairly dull, uneventful holiday. Not complaining!

10 Awesome Finds From ModCloth.com

Revising at school today got way too much for my head to cope with, so I found some gorgeous pieces on Modcloth for yourselves to lust over! These are some of my favourite pieces from this site which, if you haven't yet heard of it, sells some gorgeously quirky, interesting and vintage-inspired pieces and accessories which make me wish I was extremely wealthy. Though I may just buy a couple of things...

1.
Rocket Jacket
How gorgeous is this jacket, really?! I adore interesting blazers, and I love the nautical-inspired stripes. I can imagine wearing this with a pretty dress and flats, then being able to wear it with skinny jeans and boots. Oh the possibilities...

2.
Play The Odds Vest
More stripes! Fitted waistcoats (or vests, as they're known) can instantly transform a plain, dull outfit into a stunning ensemble. This particular one is vintage-inspired with the tiny matching buttons and pinstripes and can be worn with a dress equally well as with a fitted t-shirt. Smart and not too tacky, like so many waistcoats in the high street stores lately.

3.
Life Is But A Dream Skirt
Delightfully nautical-inspired - amazing for summer! I think I'm magnetically drawn to skirts with cute, girly bows as belts, but do you not agree that this is divine?

4.
Vanilla Skies Parasol
Doesn't the name alone just make you want to own this? Mmm, vanilla skies. Parasols are possibly the #1 essential item for summer, especially if you have pale, easily burnt skin like mine. I currently don't own one, and this is the prettiest one I've seen so far. And there's only 2 left. What to do?!

5.
Tiers For Fears Dress
Plain and simple, but that's definitely something that's lacking in my own wardrobe. Layered skirts delight me, as well as imagining how well this dress could go with just about everything I own.

6.
Calendar Girl Dress
Wonderfully simple and very classy-looking. I can imagine this being worn to somewhere expensive, but who says you can't wear beautiful dresses wherever you want?

7.
London Victoria Bag
The name of this bag evokes, well, interesting memories! Though I can't imagine the white stripes of the bow staying white for very long if it's taken down there, especially with the canvas body. Subtly sailor-inspired pieces like this are beautiful, and yes, I think I am obsessed with bows.

8.
Bo Derek Shorts
I'm not entirely sure who Derek is, but I can imagine so many of my most stylish friends lusting after these too. I'd wear them with tights as prescribed and would purchase them in a flash - shame they're sold out! Ugh.

9.
Coup de Coeur Watch Ring
A watch ring that doesn't look horrendously chavvy! How on earth do they do it? Definitely a cute piece that would get tons of strange yet amusing compliments. Plus all the best things are heart-shaped.

10.
It Must Be The Money Wallet
Haha, how great is this?! A definite must-have for the enigmatic eccentric who enjoys deceiving their friends, though it's really just a cute wallet from Modcloth with hundred dollar bills printed on it.

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Lately I've been unintentionally shunning my blog due to studying-related obligations, though I have one more exam Thursday after which all shall return to normal! Important exams are something you usually only get one shot at, so it's best to do well and hope that all the neglecting of friends and usual enjoyments pays off in the long run. I've got LOTS planned that I hope you'll enjoy! :)

PS - Mary Queen Of Charity Shops is on BBC 2 tonight at 9PM GMT. Great show - does anyone else watch it? It fits in perfectly with my post about second hand pieces and I can't wait to see what the design team does with the place!

What I Wore Pour Mon Examen Aujourd'hui :)

Today I had an awful French exam and long walk, so I thought I might as well wear my new favourite skirt to boost the mood a little.


Hair: New! Currently looks like a greaseball as I'm trying to keep the colour in by not washing it for a couple days.
Top: Urban Outfitters
Tee: Bleeding Star
Skirt: Dorothy Perkins
Tights: No idea..rubbish ones with an odd mark on :D not the usual top-quality ones from H&M which I normally wear
Shoes: TUK (Hot Topic) - wanted to wear my new boots, shame about the long walk to school & major heel blister!

Exactly 2 weeks until the end of exams! Can hardly wait. I have LOTS of great article & writing ideas planned which I can only dream about until after the last exam is over. Until then my posts will most likely be pretty short, but sit tight & I should have some more in-depth topic-orientated posts up soon!

What I Wore For My Birthday!

Yesterday was an extremely fun day as it was my 18th birthday :)

What I wore yesterday:



Cardigan - All Saints
Tee - FSAS [Pac Sun]
Necklace - M&S
Jeans - Topshop
Boots - Frye

Meet my new favourite birthday present...

To replace my lovely but dead RTBU engineer boots [RIP] - these seem much stronger & the real leather smells amazing. I would've had them in white if they made them, but I adore the black too. They're extremely painful at the moment but I'm sure they'll improve. ++ I'm very excited to have a pair of boots I can wear with skirts! love them. ♥

Also my hair is now a dark raspberry/red colour - looks so different! Expect photos asap.

What I Wore Yesterday [& Mini Shopping Haul]

Yesterday I went round good old Brizzle in search of amazing and wonderful things to buy. And yes, I did manage to squeeze in 2 hours of revision while I was there!

What I wore:


Before my hair went puffy and generally awful due to the rain.
POF: shoppin'!
Jacket: Kate Moss @ Topshop
Scarf: Camden (I wear it too much...I need new ones!)
Tee: Heartcore @ Hot Topic
Necklace: Miss Selfridge
Belt: Lowlife
Jeans: Topshop
Boots: [not pictured] Purple Doc Martens

My mini haul:


1. NO7 Makeup Base
I went to MAC at Debenhams to try out some of their foundations, since mine's been acting up, going a very odd texture on my slightly dry skin. The extremely lovely sales assistant told me to get a good makeup base, which I did! MAC's was a bit more than I was hoping to spend, so the Boots pick worked out much better.


2. Famous Tee
I seem to wear my Famous tees more than any others, so it made sense to buy another in Blue Banana's sale. Instead of £25 they were reduced to a much more sensible £10.


3. All Saints Cardigan
It looks great just hanging in my room.
I spent hours in the All Saints dressing room trying on various wraps, cardigans and shrugs in a variety of shades - this was the style which I fell in love with. How beautiful is the cut? The store where I tried so many on only had a size 6(!) so I had to cross to the other side of the city to discover a delightfully fitting size 12. All Saints stuff is slightly more expensive than it deserves to be, but some of their items are so damn beautiful that you can't say no to them.

All I need now is these two beauties to go with it:

All Saints 7 Sins t-shirt, £60


Urban Outfitters Wings Necklace, £24

Well it is my birthday in four days...but I've asked for this instead!


Love at first sight. ♥

Second Hand: Pre-Loved or Pre-Used?

Traditionally, charity shops and thrift stores are known as the bane of the high street: full of the town's latest cast-offs, reeking of mothballs and filled to the brim with dry novels, polyester grandma blouses and last year's 'must have' toys. Due to their bad rep, it's no wonder many people would rather pick up the latest fashion pieces in a high-end store with tantalizing displays, glossy carrier bags and hand-wrapped goodies - who wants to spend their lunch break sifting through rack after rack of stained, outdated relics from the 1990s?

However due to the present 'credit crunch chic', many citizens are discarding their former fashion snobbery for fear of severely suffering at the hands of the latest economic crises. The rest of the world is beginning to take notice of this newfound approach to consumerism, leading to a completely different conception of fashion choices. Gok Wan is telling us to "Buy less, wear more" whilst stores such as Primark and H&M gain favour amongst even the most brand-conscious of the public. These stores are reporting record sales, loyal customers of stores such as Abercrombie and Jack Wills shunning the high-end labels in favour of more wallet-friendly goods. This newfound approach to shopping is promoting buyer creativity and 'smart' purchases, making bargain hunters realise the potential of what gems these second-hand stores can be.

I know that many people who read this blog already realise the fabulous treasure troves that charity shops, Ebay and vintage stores can be! They serve us well, providing us with unusual, exciting apparel options for halloween costumes, DIY projects and other people's weddings, to name a few, all whilst saving us literally hundreds in the long run.

The Second Hand Mini-Survey - anyone can fill this in! Leave a comment, post on your own blog, etc.

1. What kind of clothing would you consider buying/would never buy second hand?

I'm not terribly picky about quality, as you probably know! If I see an item I truly love, I don't mind whether it's been worn before, though I draw the line at anything that's heavily used, damaged or stained. Second hand stores are also great for buying anything that costs lots of money but that you know you'll hardly ever wear. I'm not going to my school's prom (sadface! it's ridiculously overpriced for some reason =[) but if I was, I'd probably buy a pretty prom dress second hand if I could. Much better value!

I'd feel strange about buying used underwear such as camis, tights and bras, though many people do.

2. Favourite/least favourite aspect of buying pre-used?

The best aspects in my opinion are the cut prices, the variety and the element of surprise - you never know what you're going to find in there.

Least favourites are the occasionally nasty smells as well as the surprise holes/stains you don't notice until after you've already bought it. This is especially bad when buying used clothing online.

3. Best finds from the charity shop / vintage store / Ebay?

My mum used to live in London and found some truly great items in charity shops, including a real Gucci scarf for £3 and some work jackets costing £6-8 each.

As for vintage, stores only seem to be prevalent in larger cities around here - such a shame! Buying vintage online is also irritating, as while there are some amazing wardrobe assets out there, the prices are often jacked up to extremes. Camden's Saturday Electric Ballroom market is always a joy to look around whenever I'm there - I managed to get a real leather trenchcoat in amazing condition for £30, complete with authentic goth/stoner smells.

Ebay can be a real mixed bag & it's always important to know exactly what you're buying - sounds obvious, but I can't tell you the number of situations where I've opened the packet and thought "oh, I didn't know it was like that!". I've found a couple of cute used Delias thermals from US sellers, as well as my brown/gold H&M plaid shirt and Topshop gold heart necklace that have become almost trademark items for me, both pre-owned.

4. Do you ever give to charity shops? Would you ever donate anything valuable to them?

I'm totally for giving to charity shops! Although I sell a lot of clothing, anything I don't manage to sell first time that's in good, wearable condition is bagged up (clean of course!) and dropped off at either the Cancer Care or Barnados charity shops. Those are my two favourite charities and it's great knowing that they'll be able to make money for their cause.

I have donated some fairly valuable items in the past, but currently I sell most of it to get money to put into my savings. I've heard of certain people who skip the whole selling process and simply give away all their designer cast-offs to their local charities. So generous!

5. Uses for clothes from the thrift stores & charity shops?

I admire some of the amazing works on Etsy that some people manage to conjure up from old, oversized t-shirts they picked up at a thrift store. Sometimes I see certain patterns or fabrics in the charity shops and think, "I wish I could cut that up and make it pretty!" Someday, when I learn to sew.

If I saw a really great item in a charity shop I wouldn't hesitate to wear it as it is (though that hasn't happened yet!).

Survey! What I'm Using Right Now.

Hurray for the unofficial 'end of school'! Study leave is happenin' for the next few weeks, so I should have more time to update from now on.

The 'What I'm Using' Survey [from the divine Cupcakes and Cherries.]

HAIR

Shampoo - TIGI Catwalk Fashionista shampoo. It's supposed to be better for my coloured hair than my previous L'Oreal offering & I love the smell. Shame it dries out my scalp so much! I'm finishing off this bottle & then looking into other brands.

Conditioner - TIGI Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Conditioner. I've used this for years and adore the smell, & it seems to condition hair well without making it too greasy.

Hair Mask - ION Protein Repair stuff from Sally's. It does make my hair quite soft, especially the ends, but VO5's Hot Oil treatment is my favourite as it makes my hair super-shiny.

Styling Products - Where do I begin?! I have so many it can't be doing me any good. The main ones I use are:
- Bed Head Hard Head hairspray
- VO5 Miracle Mist Heat Protect
- Bead Head 'Cocky' Thickening Paste
- American Crew hair wax


BODY

Body Wash - Switching between Lush's 'The Olive Branch' and the delectable 'Snow Fairy'.

Body Moisturizer - I've been using crazy amounts of E45 cream lately due to sunburn and other products messing up my sensitive skin. This stuff is SUCH a lifesaver! Body butters by 'The Body Shop' smell divine and are my immediate second choice.

Deodorant - Mitchum, baby. Doesn't mess up my skin and works fine. Shame about the packaging, I think they should make it look prettier as I feel weird about having it on my dressing table.

Fake Tan - Pale's where it's at.


FACE

Makeup Remover - Simple face wipes for the end of every day and Bobbi Brown's Eye Makeup Remover for eyeliner mistakes.

Cleanser - Boots Expert Sensitive Skin Foaming Face Wash.

Exfoliator - St Ives Apricot Scrub. I have the 'sensitive' formula as it's much more creamy & gentle than the regular kind.

Mask - Lush's 'A Crash Course In Skincare' - smells SO good, lasts ages & performs true miracles. All their masks are amazing! 'Cupcake' is my second favourite, though I'm not fond of the dubious brown marks it leaves all over the bathroom.


MAKEUP

Primer - ...I should probably use one, shouldn't I?!

Foundation - Bobbi Brown Oil-Free Compact Foundation [Ivory]. However recently my skin's dried out and this shows up every dry imperfection on my face and then becomes very greasy despite being oil-free. Could anyone recommend me some others to try?

Concealer - Bobbi Brown Concealer Stick [Porcelain]

Powder - Good ol' Bobbi Brown again, as well as Physician's Formula for redness.

Blush - Bobbi Brown's Rose Shimmer Block. What can I say? I love her stuff.

Bronzer - I don't use bronzer.

Highlighter - Nope.

Eyebase - I think I may need some.

Eyeshadow - Switching back and forth between MAC and Ulta products. I don't mind a bit of Urban Decay either.

Eyeliner - MAC Fluidline [Blacktrack]. I have major love for this stuff.

Curler - Some cheap kind from Ebay - they seem to work!

Mascara - Maybelline Full & Soft. It gives gorgeous volume & never clumps. Possibly the world's most perfect mascara?

Lipstick - Nope.

Gloss - I was thinking about using some, but lipgloss drives me crazy! It's sticky and downright irritating. I can't seem to find any that doesn't make my lips feel like they have sticky toddler syndrome all over.

Nail Varnish - MAC and GOSH, though I haven't worn any lately. Both brands have beautiful shades that last ages.

Double update!

The last few days have been intense! Saturday I shopped and met up with family, Sunday I sat in a gorgeous vintage-style car (the Figaro) and yesterday I went to see The Blackout, Silverstein & Hollywood Undead! Fun was indeed had by all.

The fruits of my mini Saturday shopping spree:


Miss Selfridge scarf ♥ I love this! Purple, shimmery and ruffled - what more would anyone want? I wore it yesterday & it's super-stretchy, as well as looking wonderfully glamourous on. My new favourite thing.


My dead hair needs love. I tried this last week and it made my hair amazingly soft, as it's dry and brittle from excessive straightening. I had to have more of it. :D

Today's outfit:

POF: Turning up to school 3 hours late & still on an adrenaline high from last night.
Jacket: Urban Outfitters
T-shirt: From Silverstein's merch table last night (bought for boyfriend, but I'm sure he won't mind)
Bag: From The Blackout's merch table the aforementioned night
Necklace: Miss Selfridge
Jeans: H&M
Belt: Lowlife
Boots: Purple Docs [not pictured]

Excuse the lack of updates over the next few weeks - exams are relentlessly wearing me down. I haven't disappeared, promise! ♥

New skirt! Oh Joys. ♥

Oh the joys of late-night online shopping...

I recently found this gorgeous skirt on the Dorothy Perkins website a couple days ago and clearly I had to have it! The style is very similar to that of the All Saints hitched hem skirts, which I adore but can't afford, and turns out about £40-60 cheaper. Normally Dorothy Perkins clothes are dull and/or hideous, but I was pleasantly surprised by some of the gorgeous pieces they have on their website. Birthday list, anyone?


I'm super-happy with it! Only £25 + P&P. Quite expensive for me, but I think it's worth it, as it's a versatile piece. The material is quite light & it's shorter than expected which worries me on windy days like today; however it's gorgeous & I think the style more than makes up for that! I bought a size 12 and was debating whether I should have bought a size 10 instead as it's slightly loose, though I thought it's better to be safe - I'm not a fan of muffin tops.

Oh, and a girl kindly informed me across the 'playground' (why does a secondary school have a playground again?!) that I should "wear some fucking trousers". Err, what?! I'm not sure why. I know I don't have the most amazing, supermodel-esque legs (hello chunky calves from walking everywhere!) but I love skirts and don't think anyone should be discouraged from wearing them, as long as they're not ridiculously obscene of course.

++ Thanks to the magically addictive Polyvore, I came up with a wishlist 10 of my favourite 'if-I-was-rich' skirts. They make me happy just looking at them & imagining I own them.


All Saints Hitch Mini Skirt [£60]


All Saints Hitch Skirt [£75]


Collette.fr Skirt [~£900]


Dorothy Perkins Pink Full Lace Skirt [£40]


Eruca.jp Grey Jersey High-Waisted Skirt [price unknown] - how cute are some of the things on this site?! Some of their items are amazing.


FanPlusFriend Classical Gothic Lolita Bustle Tiered Cotton Skirt [~£40]


Kelly Ewing Short Hitched Burgundy & Black Skirt [£75]


Sterlingandpearls.com Pink & Black Puffy Skirt [~£40]


Topshop USA skirt [~£30]


Wet Seal Buffalo Plaid Swing Skirt [~£8] - just to satisfy my plaid fetish.

What's on your wishlist?