What's in my basket...Boohoo S/S 14

The glimpse of sunshine we've recently had has made me long for summertime to hurry up! The weather has influenced the sort of clothes that are now catching my eye, as you can probably tell my selections from Boohoo below:

Though drop waist dresses remind me somewhat of the dreaded peplums, there was something about these two dresses that I really liked. The short sleeved pink dress is only £12 and also comes in lime and navy; I'm quite tempted to get all three colours! It's a bit longer at the back which I appreciate, as you know there's no risk of an unsightly bum flash.
The red long sleeve drop waist dress is £18, still really reasonable, and comes in black and navy as well. I love that lots of websites now provide a video of the garment being worn, as you get a much better idea of the movement and how the fabric looks on. With Boohoo the fabric can be hit and miss, and I was concerned this dress would be that horrible thin jersey material that clings. But in the video it looked really flattering so I'm definitely considering it.
The floral slip dress (£20) is a bit 'sexier' than something I'd usually go for, but I think it has potential to be 'grunged' up with boots and an oversized denim jacket.
Finally, the lime and metallic shoes (£30)- I think these are incredible! I'm still trying to think of something in my wardrobe that I could wear these with to justify purchasing, but I'm struggling. They also come in white; maybe that would be a more sensible choice?

NOTD: Go bananas

As is often the case, this manicure was inspired by one posted by Wah Nails on Instagram. Mine's not quite as good as theirs, but I love the contrast of the yellow against Models Own 'Hedonist'. Need to make my bananas a bit bendier next time!

 

1 Motel Dress, 3 ways to wear

I've been a long time fan of Motel since the early days, back when their specialty was printed body con dresses. The brand has really evolved and I love seeing the new prints they bring out each season.
I recently bought the 'Petal Shift Dress' in the tangerine Morris Flower print and below are three ways to style it (though excuse my laziness in not changing up my hair and makeup too :p):

Look #1: Smart/ Sophisticated
Though the dress is pretty loud, a blazer and some strappy heels smartens it up

Look #2: Bright and Casual
With a denim jacket and neon necklace this dress can be dressed down for a casual pub outing

Look #3: Clash with other prints It can be hard to successfully clash prints, but for some reason leopard print seems to go well with all sorts of patterns- spots, stripes, tartan and floral too. Knee high socks are a bit passe now, but I kind of like them with this outfit.

Pinspiration #3: Nails

I think I've made it pretty clear I'm a big fan of nail art. I got into doing my nails at uni, as I only had 6hrs of lectures and a lot of free time! Here's some designs I've pinned recently (some Easter themed nails are next on the cards I think)

NOTD: nude half moon mani using Barry M Nail art Pen

I have something of a split personality when it comes to nails. I veer between the completely crazy to the more refined and classic. A friend at work had recently had a gorgeous, chic half moon mani that I wanted to recreate myself. I don't have the steadiest of hands (something of an impediment when you are a big nail art fan), so I thought it would be a perfect time to try my new Barry M Nail art pen

I needed a new black nail art pen and the design of this looked so much easier than conventional nail art pens- it's just like a felt tip.

So the idea is, you pump down on the nib a couple of times to get the ink flowing and voila! Nail art is a hell of a lot easier! It is literally like drawing on your nails with a felt tip (FYI- I have heard Sharpies can be used for nail art, something I'm yet to try out...) I always found conventional nail art pens to be difficult; if you used the nib, it would sometimes scratch your polish and would eventually clog up, not to mention the cramp you get in your hand from squeezing the tube bloody tight to get the polish to come out!  But this was so easy to use, you can tell by the crisp lines I managed to get doing my half-moons 

My only issues with this is that I think it is meant more for drawing lines and shapes rather than block areas; it did crack slightly when used to 'colour' in a large area. But it's hardly noticeable, as in the photo below you can barely see it. Also, you have to make sure your polish is dry before drawing otherwise it can dent a bit. Still, this is definitely my new favourite nail art tool, just wish they did more colours!

Making a statement #1: Tops

Despite my original intentions to have this as a fashion-focused blog, I'm not the best person at putting outfits together. So I usually pair a statement piece with something more plain. Here's a selection of statement tops I've recently bought- any interesting fabrics or textures always catch my eye:

Metallic Jacquard top- Boohoo

I was so impressed with this top from Boohoo. As much as I like some of Boohoo's designs, I feel the quality can be a bit hit and miss. However, this top is so well made and looks a lot more expensive than it is. The overlaid stitching and colour of the fabric makes it look almost like burnished metal. See the close up below.

The piece looks great over skinny jeans for a simple dinner outfit, or with leather shorts or a pencil skirt for a more dressed up look. It was £18 when I purchased, but you can get it right now for £15

Waffle-textured leopard print top- Topshop

Again, another great top for dressing up or down. And do you see what I mean about loving texture? This has a 'waffle' sort of texture with the leopard print design over the top. It's quite out there, and when I picked it up I had a brief moment of trying to decide if it was hideous or amazing! Obviously, I decided on the latter. I think this was £20, it's not on the website anymore and last time I went into a store it had gone in to the sale for £12, so there might be some knocking around still.
Below is another close up to show the texture.

Teal Jacquard top- Topshop

Stores at the moment seem to love labelling pieces 'Jacquard'- I have to admit I don't really know what this means! But in this case, it is almost like a tapestry-like effect because of the weaving of the fabric. This was the statement top I bought first, as my eye was drawn to the colour and unique fabric, which has a slight sheen to it. This was £28 and is no longer available, but Topshop have some  similar styles here, here, and here

White Leather Look Tee- Missguided

I was umm-ing and ah-ing over this for ages and finally bought it. I got a 10 (as I tend to find Missguided sizes a little small) but because of the cut I should have got an 8, as it looks a bit big in the shoulders. However, I still really like it and looks great with a statement necklace (post to follow soon...). This is still available on the site for £17.99, but I think I got it a bit cheaper as Missguided is very generous with dishing out discount codes!

So that's my first post on statement pieces, more to come soon!

What's in my basket....New Look

I think New Look is a brand that girls of my age have a sentimental fondness for. It was one of the first stores where I would spend my pocket money on buying my own clothes, from the 915 range. At one point I don't think the brand had the best reputation, but the last few years it has gone from strength to strength, managing to keep up with the trends and remain affordable. Here's my pick of recent pieces (links below)

Coral Boyfriend coat: £34.99 
Gingham top: £12.99
Cream check A-line mini: £17.99
Floral Midi skirt: £19.99
Black rucksack (also available in a beautiful taupe): £17.99



Do you ever shop at New Look?