50 Shades of Blue

If I had a penny for every time my mother moaned at me for having an all-black wardrobe, I could probably afford to pay off my student loan by now. However over the last few weeks I have emigrated away from my LBD's and black ripped jeans and landed on the not-so-distant shores of... navy blue. 

The February Edit.

February is one of those in-between months where we are ready to banish the January blues and put away our chunky knits but unfortunately Spring isn't quite ready to grace us with it's presence. Alas, we must compromise by wrapping up warm whilst attempting to accessorize with a few chic pieces that say "I'm ready for Spring but I'm aware it's too soon to wear florals". 

My wardrobe pretty much consists of three things; monochrome, stripes and ripped jeans... and maybe some more monochrome for good measure. So, imagine my delight when I realised that all the shops are going mad for monochrome stripes right now, and that ripped jeans have managed to avoid being banished to fashion jail for another season (although I'm not looking forward to another few months of  shocked expressions from aghast parents asking me,"did you buy your jeans with those holes in them?!"). 

In amongst all the monochrome-stripes-ripped-jeans madness, rose gold has decided to make a reappearance this season; this time in a subtle, accessory-based form. Oh, and also in the form of these Adidas trainers which I am seriously coveting. Fedora hats, tortoiseshell  sunglasses and tasselled boots give a subtle nod towards spring, as do the AH-MAZING Olivia Burton watches. The H&M turtle-neck largely features because I'm a big fan of adorning my chest with the names of beautiful cities that I've never visited... it makes me look cultured, right?

I hope this gives you a little glimmer of inspiration for the next month; all items are linked below.

Thanks for reading!

KJ.  

1. Backpack - £80: Topshop // 2. Enchanted Garden Watch - £80: Olivia Burton on ASOS // 3. Woodland Watch - £80: Olivia Burton on ASOS // 4. Sheepskin Mittens - £10: Topsop // 5. Fringe Ankle Boots - £35: ASOS // 6. Ripped Hayden Jeans - £42: Topshop // 7. Turtle-neck Sweater - £19.99: H&M // 8. Stripe A-Line Skirt - £17.99: New Look // 9. Adidas Originals Superstar 80's Rose Gold - £90: ASOS // 10. Rose Gold Plated Heart Necklace - £24.99: ASOS // 11.  Ted Baker 'Kiara' Sunglasses - £65: ASOS // 12. Jacquard-Weave Coat - £49.99: H&M // 13. 'Layla' Headphones - £140: Urban Outfitters // 14. Wide-Brim Fedora Hat - £25: Topshop. 

Paella and Pudding

Last night, me and the girls headed over to my friend Alex's house to celebrate her birthday with what promised to be a glorious feast prepared by her mother, the original hostess with the mostess. Alex's birthday usually consists of frozen margaritas, a variety of salads and breads, posh meats and macarons. I was therefore extremely eager to see what was on offer this year and it's safe to say I was not disappointed. 

Putting a Spring in my Step

What with Spring just around the corner and the sun making a few more appearances, I've slowly been transitioning from my cosy (sloppy) Winter outfits to my much more feminine Spring wardrobe. Whilst doing so, I realised that I basically don't have any Spring shoes; I own a lot of Converse and flatform trainers, and whilst there's nothing wrong with rocking the Lily Allen look once in a while, I decided I need to invest in something more... Spring-y. 

So, I hit up all my favourite shops and put together a little list of Spring appropriate footwear that I would like to purchase. I've always been a fan of loafers, but am yet to actually bite the bullet and invest in a pair. These Topshop ones are adorable, and I wouldn't mind the challenge of trying to figure out how to style such a bold colour. The H&M sandals are a great staple shoe, as they can be worn with dresses and skirts, or with boyfriend jeans for a more casual look. Whilst they're a bit pricey for a less than practical shoe, I couldn't help adding these Urban Outfitters roller-blades to the list. I think we can all agree that they are very cute and we wouldn't mind having a go on them, sort of like the Chace Crawford of shoes. I also added some ASOS plimsolls and jelly shoes to the list, as they were both nice and summery and are more casual than the others. Let's be honest; I can dream about wearing chic, sophisticated shoes, but at the end of the day comfort always comes first!

1. KIKI Suede Tassel Loafers - Topshop, £42 // 2. Sandals - H&M, £24.99 // 3. Rookie Bella Rollerskates - Urban Outfitters, £70 // 4. Dockland Plimsolls - ASOS, £18 // 5. Jelly Sandals - Topshop, £20.

Have you started experimenting with your Spring wardrobe yet?
KJ xo

H&M Sportswear: Review

 Since I joined the gym about six or seven weeks ago, I've been working out in an old, loose pair of jersey shorts, an M&S sports bra and an oversized Bristol Half Marathon t-shirt that I got given for free at a DofE tent-putting-up competition a few years back. Seeing as I've been exercising four to five days a week, it's not really ideal for me to only have one outfit to get all hot and sweaty in (Honestly, at the end of a session I look like a tomato that's been put through it's paces). So, I finally got round to hitting up H&M and purchasing a whole new set of workout gear; I put together this sassy little combo which came to just under £30 all together, not too shabby if you ask me! 

Festive Party Outfit

I'm sorry for my lack of posts lately, this is the first year that I have experienced real Christmas stress; between working, Christmas shopping, seeing friends who have returned from university, a couple of birthdays, making a thousand Christmas decorations and trying to organise a girls Christmas dinner, things have been a bit hectic this month.

I have taken multiple trips to town these past few weeks in order to try and find gifts for everyone, and every trip has ultimately ended with me lusting after various items that I'd quite like to add to my own Christmas list. This embellished dress from Topshop has caught my eye on a number of occasions; it's elegant and sparkly and perfect, and something that I would never wear because I don't go to the kind of parties that require an elegant, sparkly and perfect dress. Boo hoo. But a girl can dream, right? I put together this 'Festive Party Outfit' whilst wishing that maybe one day I'll have a chic event to go to, that requires a pair of Kurt Geiger heels or a Karen Millen clutch. If not, then I guess I'll have to buy it all anyway because really, who can resist all those sparkles?!

Cross Embellished Skater Dress - Topshop, £55 // MOTO Bleach Western Jacket - Topshop, £45 // Glacier - Kurt Geiger, £100 // Crystal Encrusted Box Clutch Bag - ASOS, £140 // Nail Varnish in 'Blizzard' - Models Own, £5 // Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in "La Somptueuse" - Chanel, £25.

KJ xo

Nails I Need

Having become a bit obsessed with Barry M Nail Paint's lately, I often find myself perusing the Boots website, lusting after the shades I want to purchase next. Now that I could name pretty much any polish in the Barry M collection, I decided it was time to branch out and start stalking other brands. 

Of course, my first stop was Chanel; at £17.50 their nail varnishes don't come cheap but they are definitely the most hard-wearing polishes in my collection. I found two gorgeous colours, "Taboo" is a much more obvious shade for this time of year but "Orange Fizz" would certainly brighten up any Winter outfit.

I desperately need a black nail varnish in my life, as they are so versatile and great for creating statement nail art. With Barry M Nail Paint's being only £2.99, I couldn't help putting their black one on my wishlist along with a beautiful pastel pink.

I don't actually own any Models Own nail varnishes, and after sitting at my laptop gawking at their entire collection for a good ten minutes, I have to ask myself why. Seriously, why? Just the names of their collections are magical; Wonderland, Beetlejuice, Fireworks, Fruit Pastel, Mirrorball, Tropical and Kaleidoscope. Need I say more? I picked out "Blizzard" because to me, it just looks like Christmas in a pot. "Indian Ocean" also reminds me of an icy Winter's morning and is pretty much the most gorgeous shade I've ever seen. 

I also had a look on the Essie website, as I've seen many beauty bloggers raving about their products. I picked two pastel shades, purely because I have vowed not to purchase any dark red/ burgandy/ purpley-red this season. 

So now I must go and restrain myself from spending £67.98 on nail varnish. Maybe I'll put them all on my list for Santa instead...

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Taboo - Boots, £17.50 // Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Orange Fizz - Boots, £17.50 // Barry M Nail Paint in Black - Boots, £2.99 // Barry M Nail Paint in Ice Cream Pink - Boots, £2.99 // Models Own Wonderland Collection in Blizzard - Models Own, £5.00 // Models Own Beetlejuice Collection in Indian Ocean - Boots, £5.00 // Essie Nail Polish in First Timer - Essie, $8.50 // Essie Nail Polish in Pink About It - Essie, $8.50 //

What colours are you loving this Winter?

KJ xo

"All Shopping Eventually Leads To Shoe Shopping."

Excuse the Gossip Girl quote, I couldn't resist.

After recently purchasing a new pair of boots, I apparently decided that I was on some sort of shoe-shopping roll and found myself scouring the internet for a new pair of flats to add to my collection. Somehow that ended with me buying some 2" high, T-bar shoes from Topshop, after being lured in by the sweet scent of a student discount and free postage. One look at these and I knew they'd be mine, I'd figure out what I could actually wear them with later...

When they arrived, I instantly started trying them on with every item of clothing I own. To my surprise they actually go with quite a lot; oversized t-shirts, dresses, and my beloved skater skirts and dungarees. Now all I need is some frilly ankle socks to wear with them and I'll be good to go!