I'M ARMED!

I'm one of those girls that doesn't wear a lot of jewellery, it is all just a little bit too girly for me - it makes me feel too feminine I think and my inner tomboy rebels. But my mind is swaying a little bit with the emergence of stacked bracelets - it takes away the overly ladylike feel of jewellery and gives it a tougher edge, which is something I can get on board with (if I can get said bracelets to stay on my matchstick wrists that is).

Image Courtesy of Refinery29

I love how heavily stacking bracelets can transform a pair of jeans and a simple white tee into a statement outfit that is uniquely you thanks to you combination of bracelets and bangles. I have styled you up a few looks to show you what I mean - the first is something that I would definitely go for, ripped jeans, slubby tee, pair of leopard flats and tons of tough, punky jewellery.

Spike Stretch Bracelet, OASAP; Multi-level Spike Bracelet, Romwe; Gold Tone Spike Bangles, River Island; Gold & Cream Spike Bracelet, Matalan.
Curve Hem Tank, Topshop; Ripped Denim Turn Up Jean, New Look; Rivet Embellished Flats, OASAP.
Verna Studded Rubber Bracelet, Missguided; Cross on Chord Bracelet, Topshop; Peace Charm Bracelet, Tesco; Silver Cuff; H&M; Studded Wrap Bracelet, New Look.

The second look I went for was just a little bit boho, with kick-flare jeans, simple cropped tee and lots of boho, hippy chic arm candy...It's not something I would usually go for, but I have to admit that I love it, once my self imposed spending ban ends on my birthday (6th of July peeps, just a week to go), I am going to go bangle bonkers!

Gold Peace Sign Cuff, River Island; Thread Wrap Bracelet, Miss Selfridge; Gold Love Bangles, River Island.
Button Crop Top, Topshop; Firetrap Blue Jenni Flare Jeans, New Look; Vintage Openwork Wrapped Wedges; OASAP.
Floral Printed Bracelet, Romwe; Leather Woven Bangle Pack, River Island; Sequinned Bangles, New Look.

What do you think of the stacked bracelet trend? Do you love it as much as me?

In the spirit of trying new things, I couldn't let you go without showing you a picture of my first ever Creepers - awesome online brand OASAP kindly credited my account with $10 so they went straight towards an amazing pair of their creepers. I went for the Casual Leopard Lace-up Creepers in the stunning green shade, I seriously can't wait for them to arrive - thank you OASAP, expect an outfit post soon!

Gorgeous OASAP Creepers.

I hope all my UK friends survived the storms yesterday - it was scary huh?

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Gems x

STUDS AND CHAMBRAY

Last week it was my lovely Mam's (most of you would call her Mom or Mum) birthday, so in addition to the two lovely maxi dresses I bought her, me and the boyfriend decided we would take her for a meal as she is always cooking for us. We took her to a local curry house, where you can bring your own booze (which totally keeps the bill down - bonus) and I have to say the food was fantastic, I could have eaten myself into the grave.

We had such a good time and when we got back we stuck some candles into an utterly decadent chocolate cake, turned all the lights off and got my mam to blow them all out, she was really grateful it was lovely. So having stuffed my face was there room for cake? You better believe there was...complete with squirty cream!

Anyway, here is what I wore...

Chambray Dress, H&M - same here.
Biker Jacket, Matalan - similar here.
Shoes, H&M - same here.
Clutch, Thrifted - similar here.
Necklace, Punky Pins - same here.

Nail Varnish, H&M - similar here.
Anchor Ring, Gift - similar here.
Silver Rings, H&M, in store now!

Have you guys been anywhere nice for food recently? What unusual food would you recommend that everyone should try?

By the way I am so impressed with the amount of use I am getting out of my £3 thrifted bag - result!

Gems x

FASHION IN FILM 2 - BUNRAKU

I know it has been a while since my last Fashion in Film post, but I'm still determined to continue pushing the importance of fashion in film - I am by no means an expert of film or fashion, but for me they stylists and make-up artist are the biggest unsung heroes. Just think about it, if it wasn't for them it would just be a bunch of actors running around naked...it would make for a movie that would be quite hard to follow and could probably only be shown in certain theaters and on a select few TV channels.

Anyway, the next film on the list is Bunaku - In a world with no guns, a drifter (Josh Hartnett) a bartender (Woody Harrelson) and a young samurai (Gackt) plot revenge against a ruthless leader (Ron Pearlman) and his army of thugs, headed by nine diverse and deadly assassins. The film has a vibe of Sin City, House of Flying Daggers and a old western all rolled into one, which made for some stunning backdrops and amazing costumes - the men were dapper and the women oozing glamour, especially professional siren Demi Moore.

 
Costume designer, Donna Zakowska and Make-up designer, Lynda Armstrong, did an outstanding job of transforming the actors into their characters - I particularly loved the looks of the 'Killers' matching in their tailored red suits.

See the fab fashion of this movie in motion by checking out the trailer...

I quite liked the film, because it was wonderfully weird, just like me. Have any of you lovelies out there seen it, and if so what did you think?

What other films do you think excelled on the fashion/styling/wardrobe front?

By the way, thanks for all the kind comments on my Sugarlips post, with my first photographs taken outside, it has really helped with my confidence.

Gems x

GIMMIE SUGARLIPS!

After my little spree in the H&M Sale I put myself on a self imposed spending ban until my birthday on the 6th of July. So imagine how delighted I was when this gorgeous dress arrived courtesy of LA-based brand Sugarlips. The Opposites Attract Dress is everything I  look for in a show stopping garment - it has the fashion forward and edgy style that a lust over and the vibrant neon yellow is bang on trend - is it my new favourite dress? Yes I think it is, I'm certain to spend a good few hours debating what Sugarlips item I am going to treat myself to for my birthday!

Because of the intricate chiffon layers in different lengths I wanted to keep the styling simple, teaming with my favourite silver wedges and clutch, simple silver accessories and metallic nails - to add the touch edge that I loved, I popped a leatherette biker jacket over the top.

I could gush about this dress all day, it certainly brights up a dreary British summer - the rain had just stopped when we ventured out to take these pictures.

Dress, Sugarlips - same here.
Leatherette Biker, Matalan - similar here.
Envelope Clutch, H&M - similar here.
Silver Wedges, ASOS - similar here.
Clover Necklace, H&M - similar here.

So what do you guys think? Be gentle with me, they are the first pictures I had took outside and I was feeling a little shy.

Have any of you bought any pieces from Sugarlips? Thanks again to them for sending me this lovely dress!

Gems x

H&M SALES HAUL

H&M has to be my favourite high-street store, I love how fun and quirky their pieces are, and especially how reasonable their prices are! So when I had an email last week letting me know that their sale had started, I couldn't click through to their website fast enough, because I knew I was going to get some great bargains to boost my summer wardrobe...and I really did!

Blouse, £7.99 - they don't have the monochrome anymore but the beige is gorgeous!
Shorts, £3.99 - same here.
Shoes - £4.99 - same here.

Miss Stone Heart Nail Polish , £1.49 - same here.
Get a Rose For Me Nail Polish, £1.49 - sold out, similar here.

Dress, £7.99 - same here.

Thanks to some fab discount codes I found on The Brunette Diaries I saved even more money - by entering the code 9690 I saved 25% on the most expensive item, and with the additional code 1304 I save a further £5 on the whole order. You have no idea how pleased I was!

I know H&M doesn't have the best reputation for quick delivery, but I received my items in around 5 days, which was fast enough for me - expect some outfit posts very soon!

Have you guys been successful sales shoppers recently?

Have a great weekend!

Gems x

BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE!

When I was reviewing the Missguided Nail Vanish earlier in the week, I mentioned that I also had bought some new jeans - well actually from my lovely mam (who's birthday it is today by the way) for my birthday on the 6th of July, but she was lovely enough to let me have them early. She is pretty much the best!

So when Mr Well Done and I decided to have a bit of a date night on Monday to stuff ourselves on the wonders Wagamama has to offer, I just had to wear them. Yes they may be a little Beetlejuice-esque, but as I love that movie I'm half tempted to look for a matching jacket (denim of course so I can create a bit of an update on the hill-billy tuxedo).

I have noticed that the simple mint cotton shirt from H&M is set to be one of the hardest working members of my wardrobe - so versatile and just that little bit looser to hide the chicken curry baby that I was forced to waddle home with. Also, check it out, I practiced with a bit of nail art, sticking some jewels onto tacky nail varnish then covering with topcoat. Although it turned out a success, some did end up stuck to my face chest  - who doesn't like a bit of bling anyway.

Striped Skinny Jeans, Missguided - Same here in the sale woo!
Cotton Shirt, H&M - Similar here.
Shoes, New Look - Similar here.
Snake Clutch, H&M - Similar here.
Belt, H&M - Similar here.
Necklace, Primark - Similar here.
Nail Varnish, Missguided - Same here.

I have been feeling really self-conscious and own on myself recently because of the mental health issues that have been with me since childhood (maybe I will tell you about them sometime), but when I put on these pants I felt better, confidence restored. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but these jeans make my tushi look fabulous - I implore anyone and everyone out there to get a pair of these skinny jean wonders - they are my new feel good pants!

Do you have a piece of clothing that never fails to make you feel good?

Gems x

'TIL DEATH DO US PART

On Friday night just gone I was lucky enough to attend a the wedding reception of on of my boyfriend's school chums - Mr Well Done looked super handsome, the groom looked dashing and so proud of his new bride who was an absolute vision, and as for me, after hours of deliberating what to wear, was caught in the same dress as another guest. NNNOOOOOO!!!

I managed to make it through the night by telling myself that it looked better on me, stuffing myself with potato wedges and cake, and listening to funny stories about my boyfriends younger days. Despite the wardrobe mishap, I had a genuinely lovely time and wish the newlyweds a truly happy future together.

Purple Maxi Dress, New Look - similar here.
Silver Wedges, ASOS - similar here
Silver Clutch, H&M - similar here.
Necklace, H&M - similar here.
Rings, H&M - in store now
Nail Varnish, Nails Inc

 

I tries to go for a '70s style hair do to match the dress with the center parting and lift at the crown, did it work? Here are a few pictures with the camera flash on to show the lovely metallic thread that runs through the dress.

Have you ever went to an event or special occasion etc and noticed someone else wearing the same thing? It sure is awkward!

Gems x

Missguided Nail Varnish Review

A firm favourite with fashion bloggers, Missguided have some of the finest up-to-date fashions, since discovering them recently I have become obsessed with their edgy dresses, fashion forward printed jeans and tops for every occasion. What surprised me though, is that they have quite an extensive beauty range.

I bought a pair of jeans for £32 and thought I may as well spend a couple more pounds to get the free next day delivery, so I picked up the MissBehave Pink Nail Splash at £5. When it arrived in its pretty gold and black box I couldn't wait to try it. You need two or three coats to get a good coverage, but the resultant shade is a gorgeous Smartie pink with a super smooth and shiny finish.

Since I'm no professional nail varnish user, I didn't use a base or topcoat and it still lasted without chipping for the three days that I wore it, so I have to say for just £5 I was really impressed at the quality of the Missguided product. So of course this made me want to try some of the brand's other beauty products, so here is what has made my wishlist...

Check out all the beauty products available from Missguided, here.
Do you guys have any favourites? And what is that one beauty product that you can't live without?

Gems x

PRIMARK - AUTUMN/WINTER 2012

Most of you will probably know that I am a huge Primark (or Primarni as I call it) fan - yes there is a huge debate going on at the minute about disposable fashion, which results in more and more clothing ending up on landfills. But I promise I do take unwanted clothing to charity shops, I have sold some clothing on a car boot sale, and anything too tatty for anyone else gets torn up into dusters (it is a habit I picked up from my mam).

So if you are mindful about not sending clothing to landfills and you are responsible with sustainable fashion (charity shops, swapping with friends, DIY's to update) then you have my permission to go crazy when the Primark Autumn/Winter 2012 collection hit stores, although you will have to wrestle me to some of the finer pieces - I may be skinny but I'm damn scrappy too!

The seasonal line is stunning, full of gorgeous tailoring, masculine silhouettes, intense prints and killer shoes and accessories. I have picked out my favourite pieces for your consideration, and I warn you, do not get between me and the Wedge Hi-tops or the Park Coat.

The prints and colours are just fantastic aren't they? Primark are upping their game season after season, which is great as it allows the less well fashionista's (like me) get a taster of the season's hottest trends.

Check out the full collection at Look Magazine online, here and let me know what you think?

What pieces will you be racing to pick up?

Gems x