Stocking Fillers For Her - Gift Guide

LINKS L-R: Salted caramel truffles, Cowshed hand cream trio, Velvet Makeup bag, Pink & gold ring holder, Marc Jacobs beauty cracker, Fresh Skincare classics set, One Line A Day, Aromatherapy Associates oil, Kiehl's exfoliating body scrub soap.

Perhaps some of the most enjoyable gifts to buy, stocking fillers are often novelty items that we rarely use but bring a smile to our faces. However this year I've chosen a selection of my favourite stocking fillers that are all under £20 and are beautiful as well as functional. My personal favourite from this selection has to be the amazing light pink velvet makeup/wash bag from Oliver Bonas, as well as the pink and gold ring holder which would definitely be useful and look great on your bedside table. I've also included some gifts perfect for pampering, and of course no stocking would be complete without some chocolate and this choice is a little more luxurious however a Terry's chocolate orange would make a perfectly acceptable substitute! 

Read my Beauty Lovers gift guide HERE, and my Fashion Lovers gift guide HERE.

Even more stocking fillers...

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Fashion Lovers Christmas Gift Guide

LINKS L-R: Chic happens travel mug, Dress Scandinavian, Illustrated phone case, Gold coin necklace, Diptyque candle set, Paris jumper, Fashionably late planner, velvet boots.

Following on from last weeks beauty gift guide this week I've compiled some of my favourite fashionable gifts this year perfect for any trend setter. I already own the velvet boots from this list and can safely say they look amazing and they have become a staple in my Autumn/Winter wardrobe this year. In keeping with this years obsession with all things Scandinavian I've also included 'Dress Scandinavian' which is sure to give some tips on attaining the perfect minimalistic style. There's also a phone case which I've certainly got my eye on which features a print by one of my current favourite illustrators, Holly Nichols. I hope this gift guide gives you some ideas for the fashionable people in your life, or even for your own Christmas list this year.

Let me know which fashionable gifts are on your wish list this year and find even more gifts below.

Even more fashionable gifts...

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Beauty Lovers Christmas Gift Guide

LINKS L-R: Herbivore Coco Rose set, Pretty Iconic, Watermelon Glow mask, Becca Apres Ski palette, Ouai hair set, Replica Beach Walk, Diptyque Dragon candle, Marc Jacobs Scandalust eye palette. 

Christmas is always one of my favourite times of the year to try out new beauty products. The stores are filled with holiday sets that allow you to try out new products at a slightly better price, and often they even contain exclusive new products. My personal favourite item to ask for is always the palette that I've been eyeing up, and for me this year it's the Becca Apres Ski palette filled with the most amazing highlight, blush and bronze shades to give you a flushed winter glow. I also love to try out new scents at Christmas time and Replica Beach Walk is one the most unique and comforting fragrances I've tried in a long time. I've also picked out some other items I would be thrilled to find under the tree this year, so I hope this guide helps when you're writing your own Christmas lists this year! My fashion gifts and stocking fillers guides will also be up over the next two Fridays.

Let me know what beauty items are on your Christmas list year & find even more beauty gifts below.

Even more beauty gifts...

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The Ordinary Skincare Review

Skincare is something we often think of as an investment, in order to justify the steep prices we regularly have to shell out. High quality ingredients had long been reserved for the premium end of the skincare market. However, the current skincare brand of the moment The Ordinary is changing this for everyone.

The Ordinary produce products that without searching on the internet you perhaps wouldn't know what they are or how to use them, which is understandable considering they have titles like 'Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F' (I still don't have a clue what it does or if I've even spelt it right!). But the main selling point really is the price range, with all their products priced under £15 on ASOS. Encouraged by the low prices and the raved about ingredients I decided to pick up a few products to test out for myself. I bought the Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% and the Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG  to start off my collection.

The azelaic acid suspension has a silicone like consistency and claims to 'brighten and even out skin texture' as well as reducing the appearance of blemishes. I've been using it since mid March and have gone through the whole the tube, which is pretty small but for £5.50 you can't really complain. Unfortunately I really haven't seen any difference in my skin at all from using this product. Perhaps I haven't been using it for long enough to see one, but for me if I don't see an improvement by the end of the bottle there's no way I'm repurchasing no matter how cheap it is. Using the product feels like applying a silicone based primer which is fine at night time, but for me it didn't sit nicely under my makeup in the daytime so I was unable to apply it then. I know a lot of people love this product, but in my case it was just an extra unnecessary step added to my routine that made no difference.

The caffeine solution on the other hand is a little more promising. It's essentially a serum that you apply under your eyes and it aims reduce redness and dark circles. I can't say it's done anything for my dark circles as of yet, but it does feel soothing and calming on puffy tired eyes. It's also extraordinarily cheap at £6, considering you only need a drop or two so it lasts for a long time. The packaging on this one also feels a little more luxurious as it's a glass bottle so it looks more appealing sat on your dressing table than the plastic azelaic acid suspension.

Overall I think that The Ordinary is a very promising brand and I love that it's making scientific good for your skin ingredients available to so many more people at an affordable price. Whilst I didn't see the results I wanted from both of the products I do still have hope for some of the brands other offerings and I'm already eyeing up the new Salicylic Acid 2% Solution and the classic Vitamin C suspension.

Let me know if you've tried any products from The Ordinary or if you plan to and what your favourite skincare brands are!

Shop the products...

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Space Girl

            

Outfit links:

Shirt- Next, similar linked

Jeans- Topshop

Bag- Mango

Belt- Mango

Boots- New Look

Over a year ago I had a feeling that there would be a big metallic trend and silver shoes in particular would be in fashion. However unsure how long the trend would last I was unwilling to invest in a pair that may only have been worn a couple of times. But here we are a year later with metallic shoes still being a very prominent trend, and I was lucky enough to pick up these space girl like boots in the New Look sale. Most of the people I had asked about these boots definitely weren't huge fans, but when I saw that these were the last pair and they happened to be in my size it felt like fate and I knew they had to be mine! 

I've paired them with one of my other favourite trends of the moment; over the top ruffles, which on this shirt I think adds just enough interest to the top half of the outfit without drawing attention away from the boots.

                                  

Let me know if you've tried out the metallic trend, and what your favourite trends of the moment are!                            

Shop the look...

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The Graphic Tee

Links for T-Shirts L-R: Ganni Cherry Bomb tee, Être Cécile Venice Peaches, Être Cécile Superette Baguette, Zara Rodeo tee, Mango Palm Beach tee, McQueen Rabbit tee, Être Cécile Venice Beach tee, Mango spliced tee, Mango Habana beach club tee.

Only a couple of years ago I would have shuddered at the thought of wearing a graphic t-shirt emblazoned with a big logo or slogan, they just were not my style at all. But more and more I find myself gravitating to those exact t-shirts in my wardrobe. They go with just about everything and always seem to make my outfits a little bit more casual, which is what they usually need. The trend which was perhaps heralded by that Gucci t-shirt which just about every blogger has, has been replicated in some equally as eye catching high street pieces.

The perfect graphic tee for me is a simple white t-shirt with a slogan or classic logo. The Ganni Cherry Bomb T-shirt is pretty much the embodiment of this, which is why I keep endlessly checking the Net a Porter website hoping that it's in stock. I've scoured the internet for my other favourite favourites and discovered some brands (Être Cécile being one of my new favourites) that I hope you'll love as much as I do.

Let me know how you style your graphic tees and which of these is your favourite!


Even more tees...

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Clashing Colours: Pink & Red

T-Shirt: Selected Femme

Skirt: Zara

Belt: Mango

Glasses: New Look

Shoes: Zara (old, similar linked)

It's long been one of fashion's rules that certain colours should never be worn together, with red and pink being one of those notable pairings. However this year for Spring and Summer clashing red and pink together has been a huge trend that I absolutely love.

Worn together the colours can make a huge statement, but it's also possible to clash them together with more detailed pieces in a more subtle nod to the trend. I've tried to do the latter here by pairing my current favourite Gucci-esque blush pink suede bag with bright red pointed flats and a slogan t-shirt.I've also incorporated one of my other current favourite trends which is pearl embellishment on just about everything, and this Zara skirt is the perfect vintage style fit.

I've paired the colours separately but there are some amazing pieces available on the high street right now that incorporate the colours together for you, Mango in particular has some great trend pieces that I've linked below.

Let me know if you've tried the trend or which trends you plan on trying this Summer!

On The Runway

Joseph SS17

 Alexis Mabille FW16

Some of my favourite pieces to try the trend with...

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Stylish Affordable Bags For Spring

Bags Clockwise L-R: Pink suede ring bag, Floral Backpack, Red Ring Bag, Red Suede Chain bag, Nude Floral bag, Nude Ring Bag

Bags Clockwise L-R: Gold handle bag, B/W Crossbody, Black Tote, Metallic Tote, Asymmetric flap bag

A few days ago I found myself browsing through Vogue's online articles, and naturally as a handbag addict I found myself drawn to an article featuring 'affordable bags for spring'. Now i know that Vogue is definitely a magazine that is targeted at a small percentage of high earning women, but still I was surprised to see that almost every one of the bags approached the £500 mark when I know how many amazing bags are on the highstreet right now for under £50. It really reminded me of why I have recently become so disillusioned with magazines, and why more and more I find myself turning to blogs instead. Not so long ago I loved buying fashion magazines every month and seeing the amazing editorials and beautiful clothing, but now I find myself just aimlessly flicking through pages of things that in this stage of my life I could never afford.

 Magazines now feel so out of touch for me, and as much as I love the beautiful images I'm just not drawn to them anymore, they just don't seem to relate to real life. Instead I read blogs, but even then I find so many bloggers now with a new designer bag every week (which is completely their choice), but can their readers really afford to do the same? I love fashion and trends and if I had enough money to buy a lot of designer bags then I absolutely would (which I'm aware makes me a bit of a hypocrite) but as a 20 year old it's just not possible. What I consider an affordable bag is a bag under £50 and I know that there are some amazing on trend bags available right now, which is why I've compiled my own list of 'affordable spring bags'.

This whole article really got me thinking, not just about making this blog post but also about my blog and what I'm trying to do here. I don't want to create another blog that is aspirational, I want my blog to provide fashion inspiration and always be up to date with trends but I also want to it to be realistic, and realistic for most women my age is affordable high street fashion. So in conclusion what I'm trying to say here is that I'm not going to change the direction of this blog as I think for the most part I've already been doing this, I just want to be more open and honest about it. Which is why I've decided I would like to change the name of my blog to something which encompasses this, so please let me know if you have any ideas, I would have gone for 'fashionably broke' but unfortunately there are quite a few similarly named blogs!

 I would love to know your thoughts on this and how you feel about magazines and blogging in general, so feel free to leave a comment below!

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The Blogger Jean

Jeans- Topshop

Top- Topshop

Jacket- Zara (sold out, similar linked)

Bag- Kate Spade (similar linked)

Boots- Topshop (similar linked)

I always see some of my favourite bloggers (Mind Body Swag, Fashion Me Now) wearing the perfect straight leg, but not too baggy, light wash jeans but they are almost always a $300 pair by Redone. As much as I love the vintage Redone ones I've been on the hunt for a similar pair- that I could buy without having to sell a kidney. I've tried a lot of pairs without success, they're always either too baggy and unflattering or they never keep their shape. But I think I've finally managed to find the most similar pair on the high street for a reasonable price, and it's the Topshop Orson Jeans. I've been wearing Topshop Joni's and Leigh's for years so had hoped that these would fit similarly and thankfully they do. They're the perfect material as the denim's thick enough to hold its shape (unlike the new joni jeans), the legs are just straight enough without being too much like mom jeans and they're fitted at the waist.  The raw hem also means they sit at the perfect length for ankle boots and makes them look much more casual.

I've worn the jeans here with my favourite Topshop tortoise shell heeled ankle boots, which with any other jeans would probably look too overdone for daytime but these jeans perfectly balance them out.  I'm also once again wearing probably one of my favourite Zara sale finds ever, my black military jacket which there's a post about here. These jeans will definitely become a new staple in my wardrobe and I can't wait to wear them with loafers and a Ganni t-shirt from my wishlist which I'm trying to convince myself I don't need.

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The Best Things to See and Do in New York

The list of things to see and do in New York is literally endless, after visiting the city for the first time for six days I still have a long list of places to go to next time! However, I did get to visit some really amazing places that I thought I would share in this guide. You can read my Best Places to Shop in NY guide here and my Best Places to Eat in NY here. Be sure to let me know if you've visited any of these places or which you would most like to go to!

THE MET, Upper East Side

The Metropolitan Museum was somewhere I knew I had to visit for it's plethora of exhibits and artefacts as well as the amazing architecture, and also because I love Gossip Girl and I wanted to sit on the steps... There is so much to see at the museum it's impossible to see it all unless you dedicate a full day to it, so instead we decided to see the Ancient Egypt and Roman exhibits as well as some of the paintings. The entry fee is a donation of your choosing, I think the suggested amount is about $20 each, but it's well worth it for the amount there is to see here.

CENTRAL PARK

Central Park has to be one of my favourite places in New York, it's hard to believe when you walk through such a serene and tranquil place that it's so close to the hustle and bustle of the city. Whilst it's pretty impossible to see the whole of Central Park on foot,  I suggest entering off of Fifth Avenue and following the path through the park to the Met which allows you to see a lot of the park and it's also easy to get to the Alice in Wonderland statue pictured. The park is also home to the Loeb Boathouse restaurant which I'm dying to go to on my next visit, and it looks out over the lake pictured where you can also hire boats.

TOP OF THE ROCK, The Rockefeller Centre

Whilst the Empire State building may be taller, in my opinion the Top of The Rock is a much better option to see the city. It's far less crowded and it also allows you to see the Empire State and offers a view of the whole of central park. You also get access to multiple viewing decks all for the cost of a standard ticket unlike the Empire State where this cost is extra for higher viewing platforms. The building is just off of Fifth Avenue so it's the perfect place to head before browsing in the masses of luxurious shops. Seeing all of Central Park from above after seeing it on so many movies and shows felt so surreal and amazing, but next time I would love to go and see the city at night.

TIMES SQUARE

When you think of New York this is probably the place you think of, full of bright lights it's vibrant and exciting (as well as extremely crowded!). Walking through Times Square really does feel like being at the centre of the universe, and it's a must visit for any trip to the big apple.

BRYANT PARK & THE NEW YORK LIBRARY

Located a short walk from Times Square the New York Library is a great place to go for a free attraction and it also backs on to Bryant Park which is a lovely place to sit outside and enjoy the surroundings. 

SOHO

SoHo is a must visit for anyone interested in art as it's full of little galleries to explore, as well as unique boutiques and restaurants. One of my favourites was a unique shop called the Market where local artists and designers sell their work. You can read more about SoHo shopping here in my guide.

LITTLE ITALY

Little Italy is a great place to visit for lunch after exploring SoHo as it's located not too far away and it's full of lots of family owned unique Italian restaurants, as well as gelato shops and stalls. There are also some lovely boutiques and interesting shops here like Mulberry & Grand.

If you've been let me know where your favourite places to go are as I'm already making a list of places to go to next time!

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The Embroidered Bomber

Bomber Jacket - The Lifestyle Concept

T-shirt - ASOS

Jeans - Topshop

Belt - ASOS

Trainers - Nike Roshe Runs

Bag - Zara (no longer available)

I think an embroidered bomber jacket is the perfect transitional piece to take you through winter into spring. The dark colours and shiny satin style fabric make it just wintery enough to wear throughout the colder months whilst the embroidery perfectly brings the piece into Spring. It also adds interest into an otherwise plain outfit which is how I've styled it here, although it would also look great with a blush coloured pleated midi skirt. 

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The Perfect Military Jacket

Jacket | Zara (similar style linked as this one is out of stock)

Jumper | H&M (similar)

Jeans | Topshop

Boots | Zara (similar)

Bag | Zara (Chloé version linked as this one's sold out)

In my last post I mentioned that I have only made one sales purchase this year, and that purchase is this amazing black military style jacket. The military trend is one that always tends to reappear especially at this time of year. I love the small details on this piece, like the embroidery around the cuffs and the velvet collar which make it feel far more luxurious than its Zara sale price tag. Whilst it's now unfortunately sold out I will link similar items so you can try out the trend too.

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