Christmas Gift Guide: Tis' the Season of Giving

It's less than a month until the big day, Christmas.  As always it's come round incredibly quick and now everyone's beginning to get themselves into a bit of a flap over it all.  I'm pretty organised where Christmas is concerned and will tend to get all my shopping done on pay day at the end of November.  That way it's all done and there is no way I will spend the money else where. If you're looking for some giftspiration (gift + inspiration = giftspiration, get it?!) then look no further, for I have compiled a festive gift guide for you to feast your eyes on.  This will be a mixture of fashion and beauty and a few gadgets here and there!

Click to enlarge for prices and stockist information. 

1.  If you've got a bit of a bookworm in the family, the newest Kindle from Amazon is just for them.  Slimmer and more lightweight than the average book, the Kindle downloads books in 60 seconds.  for more information or to go buy, click here!

2.  This NYLA Boutique chunky, spiked chain bracelet is a perfect gift for someone who loves accessories with a bit of edge.  Seen on the likes of Leighton Meester, it's a sure fire hit for fashion fans. Click here for more information, or simply to buy!

3.  Another gift for the accessories fans are these star rings from Regal Rose.  Perfectly festive for the holiday season and a statement piece for any LBD.  Take a peep here!

4.  Pyjamas for the reemest of your friends.  These 'Well Jel' pjs are a massive hit at Topshop so get your hands on them here before they all sell out! 

5.  I'd be lost without my Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish.  If like me you've been raving to your mum or sister how amazing this product is, you can now get hold of the Limited Edition 150ml pump, exclusive for Christmas.  Click here to purchase!

6.  If you've bought someone a Kindle or maybe an iPad, why not customise a case for them as well? Caseable allows you to design your own case for all of your gadgets.  If you're not sure what they'd like on their case, get them a gift voucher instead.  To get creative, click here!

7.  After all that Christmas shopping, you deserve a sneak present for yourself!  The holiday party means party central and also a winter chill so accessorise your outfit with this Limited Edition embellished cape from 18ANDEAST.  Grab yourself one before they all sell out here!

8.  For the beautyaholic in your life, get them Benefit Cosmetics best kept secret.  They're Real! mascara has sold more than YSLs Touche Eclat in it's first few months of sale.  The innovative 'hedgehog' allows you to grab and coat each lash without leaving them clumpy.  Click here to see what all the fuss is about!

9.  Is your best friend a Gossip Girl addict or just a nail polish junkie? Grab her the Gossip Girl Nails Inc collection, available at ASOS, in three shades Lily, Serena and Blair.  Each set gives off a different effect, click here for more information or to grab one for your BFF (and yourself!)

10.  These Kevin Murphy colour bugs are perfect little stocking fillers for the girl who likes to experiment with her hair. They come in three different colours (purple, pink and orange) and work on any coloured hair.  See how FleurDeForce uses hers, here.  Fancy giving these a go or giving one away as a gift, click here!

11.  The ultimate gift for anyone, the iPad.  Brilliant gifts for on the go bloggers, yummy mummies or, well, me (hint hint) these start at £399 depending on what size you'd prefer and if you want the added bonus of 3G. I'm sure you don't need to be pointed in the right direction, but incase you do, click here!

That's it for Christmas giftspiration.  I hope this gift guide has left you raring to go out shopping.  What's on your wish list this year? Leave a comment below!

Oops I Did it Again: Collective Haul

So over the past month life has gone back to normal.  I started University up again and am now juggling Push PR and my hectic student schedule.  The beginning of a new University year means one thing, student loan.  You may have read my student loan lust list here, and will already know the kinds of things I wanted to get my hands on.  So, without further adieu, here's what I bought!

FASHION

Topshop; £75.00

O.M.G. I cannot tell you how much I LOVE these heeled chelsea boots.  I had spied them instore a while back during the summer but never had the money to get them, so I made a bid that once my student loan came in, they'd be mine. You can wear them with everything and the outfit just looks 10x better.  I now want some flat chelsea boots so that i'm fully prepared for the winter months.  

18 AND EAST; £38.00

You all know it by now, I'm addicted to 18 AND EAST.  I recently bought this shirt in berry which is gorgeous and so I had to get the bird/floral print one too.  The delivery is super-duper quick as well which is always a bonus.  I'm now after some of their galaxy print bits!

That's it for fashion, I did buy a new pleather black jacket and a new bag but I haven't got round to photographing them as yet.  I'll put them in an outfit of the day soon! 

BEAUTY

Clinique High Impact Mascara and Clinique Airbrush Concealer

I got sucked into House of Fraser last week when they were offering 10% off all beauty so I thought I'd buy my favourite mascara.  The Clinique lady then talked me into getting the concealer, but i'm now glad I did as it's the best liquid concealer I've ever used!

Benefit Powder Wowza

I've always wanted to try the Benefit powders but could never justify the £23.00 price tag.  Walking around I happened to notice this limited edition powder palette for £19.50 - bargain!  It has Coralista, Bella Bamba 3D and Hoola.  

Confessions of a Concealaholic

This boxset has been around for a couple of years now but I like the fact you get a lot of product for the price. 

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

I took the plunge and bought this foundation and I'm so happy I did.  It's medium coverage which is buildable so if you want to try it and you prefer a full coverage foundation, get a tester first.  The only thing I dislike it that their isn't a huge colour range yet and they all have a hint of yellow in.  

MAC Prep and Prime

This is probably my holy grail primer as I've repurchased it 3 or 4 times now.  It just does its job well!

(L-R)

Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer,

Topshop Lipstick in Innocent,

Revlon Photo Ready Foundation,

Revlon Nail Varnish in Facets of Fuschia and

L'Oreal True Match Powder

A little high street beauty haul.  I love the rimmel concealer, it may well be the first one I ever bought when I first started out with make up.  The Topshop lipstick is a nice bright baby pink colour which looks nice with my bleach blonde locks.  I wanted to buy a cheaper foundation to rotate between my Chanel as it was so expensive I don't want to use it all up at once. The nail varnish was a bit of a whim as I saw it on an advert and loved it - it's an absolute bitch to take off though. I needed a new powder that didn't turn me orange.  

Moroccan Oil for Fine and Light-Coloured Hair

I can't get enough of this product, it makes my hair feel so soft and lovely and it smells great too.  I got the small size to try but it's perfect to put in your make up bag to top up during the day.  

MISCELLANEOUS

I Don't Know How She Does It

A Discovery of Witches

I wanted to a couple of new books to read after finishing One Day (it ruined me).  I wanted Water for Elephants but once I saw the buy one get one for £1 offer, I couldn't resist.  I've heard good things about both books - have you read any of them?

That's it for my haul.  If you'd like to see any in-depth reviews or some outfits of the days, leave your suggestions in the comment box below! 

 

Small but Pricey

I haven't been able to shop as much over the last few months as I once did, and perhaps that was a blessing in disguise.  Whilst riding the bus to work one morning my iPod began to play up.  I dismissed this, thinking it wasn't used to being depended on so much during a commute.  How wrong was I.  My four year old iPod gave up the ghost on me, he wouldn't change a song for five minutes at a time and he certainly wouldn't let me change the volume (which at times made me look to be a mental thrash lover, when really that isn't the case).  One of the only perks of being a part timer at Tesco is the 10% discount which comes in mighty handy when you need a new iPod.  I managed to get a new iPod Touch for around £200.  I kinda feel like I'm slowly turning into a 'Mactard', last year it was the Macbook, this year the iPod Touch and next year I will be changing from Blackberry to iPhone...

On Wednesday my best friend will turn 21 which calls from drunken fun and a lot of dancing.  It also gives me an excuse to buy a new outfit (not that I ever really need an excuse).  I decided to go for something different than a dress, which is what I usually go for.  I found that all the party dresses looked the same where ever you go.  

£38.00; 18 AND EAST

I have a thing for chiffon shirts, like I do floral patterns.  When I was on shoot with the 18 AND EAST girls, I fell in love with the bird print cut out shoulder shirt, which I mentioned here.  I thought the bird print was a little too day time and after seeing this colour thought it would be perfect for a night out.

I'm planning on wearing this with a black shiny leggings and killer heels and accessorising with this necklace.

£12.50; Topshop

I've also bought a plain black spaghetti strap tee from Asos to wear underneath the shirt, which was only dispatched yesterday, so i'll be keeping my fingers crossed that it gets here by Wednesday.  

What do you like to wear on a night out?

Student Loan Lust List

It's almost time to go back to University, which means that student loans are due (in 8 days to be precise).  This year I wont have a Macbook Pro to pay off which means there will be a lot more money for me to spend on clothes, make up and of course books... With the new season stock hitting stores everywhere, I've been left lusting after a lot of stuff, here's just a sample of what I want.  

£36.00; Topshop

I want two pairs of boots for this season, a flat pair like above and one with a heel.  Unfortunately, the ones with a heel aren't on the Topshop site.  

£99.95; Barbour

I don't know why but I've been loving the Barbour coats lately.  I need a new coat and think this would be great for the autumn, although I'd probably need something warmer for winter...

£25; Asos.com

I love the aztec prints lately and think this scarf should be in my winter wardrobe.  

£31.00; Chanel

This has been such a talked about foundation that I'm really excited to try it.  It's a little pricey, but the reviews have been fantastic.  

£38.00; 18ANDEAST

My lust list wouldn't be complete without this brand.  I've recently purchased this shirt in Berry (look out for my haul post tomorrow!) and I love it so much I want this one with 18ANDEAST's bespoke print.  

£12.00; Amazon

If you follow me on Twitter then you'll know I've recently died my hair a rather bright shade of blonde (see picture below).  My stylist recommended Moroccan Oil to keep my hair soft and glossy.  I currently use the V05 dupe, but wonder if the real stuff lives up to the hype? 

What will you be spending your student loan on besides university books? 

Click, Flash! : 18ANDEAST A/W 11 Shoot

Have I ever mentioned how much I love the brand 18ANDEAST?  One of the perks of interning for a successful PR company is all the brands I've discovered along the way.  Another perk is getting to go along to the Look Book shoots to cover it for both Push PR's blog and also for Non Optional.  

As always, the ladies of 18ANDEAST made me feel extremely welcome and we had a blast.  I even got to do a bit of styling, I love a berry sock!  The model, Ria, had shot the previous seasons look book and is the perfect 18ANDEAST girl - edgy, feminine and leading a style of her own.  

The shoot was divided into three different looks; Colour Pop (including A/W's must have colour - orange) Fresh (a mixture of 18ANDEAST's signature prints) and Jazzy Evening wear (featuring that all important star print, but with a difference).   

Whilst on shoot we all fell in love with some boots which we styled with a lot of the shots - they are just too amazing.  

£62

These boots, as well as several (okay, ALL) of the new 18ANDEAST pieces are now on my 'spend student loan on...' list.  Without further ado, I give you an exclusive look into the new A/W collection by 18ANDEAST.  

Colour Pop

Fresh

Jazzy Evening Wear

OOTD: Fringed and Fragile.

I haven't done an outfit of the day for a while, mainly because there just aren't enough hours in the day at the moment, but this dress deserved it's own post.  You may have seen that I bought another 18ANDEAST dress last week and after I posted it, I was requested via Twitter and on the comments to do an outfit of the day.  

Dress; 18ANDEAST

Jacket; New Look

Ring; Vintage

I decided to go casual with this today, teaming it with a denim jacket and gladiator sandals.  I just love this dress, and I like the way it looks on me.  Fringing is such a big trend and looks set to continue over A/W, making this maxi a staple for next seasons wardrobe too.  I think for the colder months, this would look best with a chunky knit, maybe featuring an aztec print with biker boots or white converse for slouchier days.  

For the love of Maxi.

18ANDEAST are fast becoming one of my favourite fashion lines.  They are a breath of fresh air from the currently regurgitated high street we've come to know.  Starting off as a vintage brand, their clothing line takes elements from the vintage world, mixing it with current season trends.  The S/S11 collection has a distinctive Festival ready vibe to it.  I now own three dresses and my latest purchase, could quite possibly be my favourite.  

£32

This is the Dip Dyed Fringed Maxi dress and she's an absolute beaut.  It's made from jersey and had a tie at the waist which is great to cinch in the waist.  My favourite feature, of course, has to be the dip dyed fringing on the neckline.  

Taking on two trends at once, this is quite a striking neckline.  When I first saw this I thought it was perhaps styled with a statement necklace.  

I'll be wearing this through the summer with my denim jacket over the top with gladiator sandals or heels.  I think it will still be quite cool to wear next season, teaming it with a chunky knit or a black studded biker jacket.  

Celebrities are also fans of the brands with the likes of Katie Piper and Eliza Doolittle sporting them to events.  Check out more of 18ANDEAST's clothing here.  

Celebrations.

Next Saturday see's one of my nearest and dearest turning the big 21.  Not that I ever need an excuse to go shopping, I thought a new dress for the evening would be appropriate.  Whilst sorting the showroom out after our vintage event, I came across a gorgeous 18 AND EAST asymmetrical dress (i'm starting to feel that I have a bit of an obsession with these types of dresses for going out...)

£35.00

So this is it.  I love the print for a start.  They describe it as 'wild', not really sure what it means but I like it and it seems to be a signature print that they use as another dress I have from them is the same.  It fits good, although one side gapes slightly, nothing a bit of cotton and a needle can't fix.  

I'm planning on wearing my statement Dressrail.com heels, which I talked about here.  I do have an alternative shoe idea, which are these cut out heels from New Look:

What do you think?

Accessories wise, I think I will go pretty minimal, choosing my Links of London charm bracelet and perhaps my vintage fox ring.  Look out for a OOTN on Sunday (trusting that i'm not cuddling a bucket and all that...)  

I hope you're all enjoying a lazy Sunday and I'll see you in the next post!

A vintage affair to remember.

Last night was my first event working for the Push PR team and it was a treat indeed.  During the day it was mostly running around getting everything perfect for setup but once 5 o'clock came, the party really started.  It was a press and bloggers event for 18 AND EAST, Gigi Vintage and Tara Starlet (all AMAZING companies btw, you should definitely check them out).  There were a mixture of bloggers, magazine journo's and friends of clients, as well as the lovely Sinead Quinn who played an intimate set (with the aid of myself and Hannah playing her maracas - pun intended).  Here are a few images from the night, fortunately for Team Push there was so much left over cakes and sweets...

The girls from Tara Starlet, including Tara hereself (on the left).

Hannah and a couple of bloggers playing dress up. 

The intimate gig with Sinead Quinn. 

The lovely girls from 18 AND EAST, mingling away. 

Gigi on the far right with her pals enjoying the sparkling wine! 

One of the gorgeous Tara Starlet ladies, modelling a Gigi Vintage leather jacket. 

The lovely Sinead, rocking along to Johnny Cash.