CASUAL FRIDAYS

Chiffon Tee and Wedge Trainers - Primark.
Skinny Jeans - Levi's.

I think I have finally beaten that cold virus that turned me into a snotty, grumpy, moany mess. Now I get to be grumpy because I have loads of work to catch up on - I know the common view of a Freelancer is someone who doesn't get out of bed until lunch and sits around in their pajamas all day (for me it is usually food stained sweats). But we actually work pretty hard, and we get no sick pay or paid holidays, so being ill can be hard on the pocket.

So whilst I have been franticaly been catching up with work to make some money to keep the cobwebs in my pocket company, I haven't been too concerned about my appearence (which, is good because crypt keeper comes to mind everytime I look in the mirror - Happy Halloween). Every day recently has been casual Friday, with jeans and tee being my go to look. I just don't have the time to wrestle with tights and impossible dress zippers - the fear of pinching my skin is extra stress I don't need :)

How do you guys dress for Casual Friday?

Gems x

RACCOON BRAND FAVES AND A BIG DISCOUNT

For a eighties/nighties child like me, Raccoons are a big thumbs up, thanks to cult cartoon 'The Raccoons'. So when I met streetwear label,  Raccoon Brand a few months ago, I was instantly drawn to all the cheeky designs featuring rascal raccoons getting into all sorts of mischief.

I have so many Raccoon Brand graphic tees and sweats on my winter wishlist, and I am very excited that they have some snap backs coming soon - perfect for hiding those bad hair days. As all pieces are unisex, anyone can get a taste of the raccoon attitude, check out Gemma's fave way to get all mischevious...

1) Premium Rum.
2) The Night Is Yours tank in teal.
3) Pool Hopping.
4) RCCN BRND.
5) The Logo Sweatshirt.

How great is the Logo Sweatshirt for winter - with a pair of skinny jeans and sme biker boots, yes please!! Well if you fancy creating this look, I have a little surprise for you. Racoon Brand have given me an exclusive discount code to share with my readers that gets you a whopping 50% off all purchases. Simply add the code FashionWellDone at the check out...happy days!

What Raccoon Brand pieces are you lusting after right now?

Gems x

ON THE GRID

Yes the title is a reference to 'Tron', the greatest movie of all time! When I first so the Sci Fi classic back in the pre-teens, I was blown away by the special effects and seriously wanted a magic disk thing and a light cycle of my own. From a nerdy kid to a super nerdy adult - I've made my peace with it, we can't all be the cool kids, otherwise how on earth would they validate themselves than by thinking they are better than us. Bitter? Me? Well yes actually, what was so wrong with doing my homework on time?

Monochrome Check Shift Dress, Coco & Cleo - Same here.
Red Satchel, Next - Similar Here

Anyway, I picked up this lovely grid print shift dress in the Coco & Cleo sale, for just £5. For that price it is a total bargain - the material is of reat quality, the fit is lovely and I can see getting plenty of wear out of it. I do love a shift dress, but because I have a small frame (10 year old boy small), I tend to add a bit of shape with a waisted belt. A red lip and satchel to add colour, and my trusty leather jacket and I hope I pulled off simple chic.

I'm so full of cold at the minute, I resemble a swamp monster, so I'm sorry I'm not commenting or replying as much as I usually do. Once I'm feeling and looking human again, I will be back. Don't forget I'm selling a few bits on eBay, so check them out, you might be able to grab yourself a bargain.

I hope everyone is feeling good!

Gems x

ELEGANT TOUCH HOUSE OF HOLLAND - COLLECTION III

Any regular reader of this blog will know that I am a huge fan of quirky nails, but don't have the skills to create nail art myself. Too clumsly and very shaky handed, a single coat of polish is usually all I can manage, before the un-coordinated part of me takes over and makes me flail polish all over the place. So to get the mani's of my dreams, I always head to Elegant Touch to get some of the most original flase nails and nail products out there.

Easy to apply and easy to love, their glue false nails are my go to beauty product when I need a bit of a boost, and I am particularly fond of the House of Holland collection, for something extra fun. I was so delighted when Collection III with House of Holland was re;eased recently, and I am tempted to say it could be the finest collection yet. Full of bold colours, modern shapes and on-trend designs, the collection is a nail art lovers dream.

I just had to try the gorgeous stilletto Ombre Ombre nails, I knew I just had to get them on my fingers as soon as possible. I mean how lovely are they, plus I am obsessed with all things ombre - giving the dip dye look to my hair was one of the best thing I have ever done. Of course I need ombre nails to match and I love how these nails are clear at the bottom to give an authentic effect.

Well, I think you can guess, it was love at first stick...

All trimmed for working and still fabulous!!

The whole House of Holland III collection has my fingers itching to have them, here are my absolute faves from the rest of the collection...

1.) Ghetto Gold
2.) Neon Nibs
3) Glitter Stars

Prices range from £7.99 to £8.99 and for a cool manicure that is going to last for a week, I think that is a bargain.

What is your favourite from the collection?

Gems x
*Nails provided by Elegant Touch for the purpose of this review, all opinions are my own.

TO THE BOILER ROOM

Boilersuit, Twenty8Twelve via eBay - Similar Here.

Yup, it's another jumpsuit - I know, I have a problem! This time it is the boiler suit variation of the jumpsuit, which may be my favourite variation because I feel like that hot welder from Flashdance. Don't worry I'm not going to embarass you all and strip off to do a little dance, I save that torture treat for Ryan. He is one lucky boy, exactly four years tomorrow since our first date - it has been a blast!

I tell you, this boiler suit has been my best eBay find of all time - a Twenty8Twelve beauty for just £5. The designer brand was famously founded by the beautiful and stylish Miller sisters, Sienna and Savannah and I got just what I expected from the boiler suit. Superb quality material, cool cut, attention to detail - off duty style at it's finest.

To keep the look casual chic, I teamed it with a simple Boohoo belt (from another jumpsuit), my trusty biker jacket and a pair of funky ballet pumps from Primark to add some colour. Still, I think it would look great styled for a night out with a statement necklace and a killer pair of heels.

How would you style the boiler suit?

Gems x

CAUSING MISCHIEF WITH RACCOON BRAND - PART 2

'The Night Is Yours' Tank, Raccoon Brand - Same Here.

If you read my last post featuring Raccoon Brand, you will know I have become quite the fan of the mischievous streetwear label. That chain-smoking, cheeky raccoon that features in the brand's original designs, really makes me chuckle. Plus it takes me back to my childhood days of watching iconic cartoon 'The Raccoons' - Bert Raccoon has grown up and really went off the rails.

Uber cool streetwear at it's finest, Raccoon Brand has a number of cheeky designs that are totally unisex - what's good for the goose is good for the gander. So with that being said, I managed to get the boyfriend into one of the brand's tee for a little bit of a lark around and I think he looks like a boss!

The tee and tank are of great quality and wash really nicely, so I know we are both going to get plenty of wear out of our new pieces. So if you are looking for some cool new streetwear for yourself, or for the man in your life, why not check out Raccoon Brand, I have my eye on their 'Logo Sweatshirt' for winter.

How do you style your streetwear?

Gems x

* T-shirt provided to me by Raccoon Brand for the purpose of this review, all opinions are my own of course, Gemma is not for sale.

IT'S LOVE WITH LILAH

Lilah Jumpsuit in Morris Flower, Motel - Same Here.

 A fashion blogger that knows their jumpsuits will be aware of the Morris Flower 'Lilah' jumpsuit from Motel. Still going strong into autumn, the placid blue and monochrome beauty took the fashion world by storm in the summer and spawned a number of number of imitations. But, in my opinion, you can't beat the original and best. The Lilah jumpsuit is crafted from a gorgeous soft material and has a lovely tailored fit, and as jumpsuits go, it is easy to put on and take off - no bathroom acrobatics required.

I felt super confident as soon as I put it on, hence being able to take some pictures in a shopping centre with the public (yes other people) walking around. Of course there was a few ignorant people not just walking in front of the camera, but just standing there looking about, you should be allowed to throw wet tissue paper at these people - is there a such thing as pedestrian rage? Because I think I have it!! It's ok though, I caught sight of my reflection a few moments later and was reminded I was wearing the Lilah jumpsuit, happy days.

This jumpsuit really symbolizes why fashion was such a saviour to me in a dark time, by giving me a boost when I need it. Suffering from depression and anxiety, losing a dream career in research science and feeling about as low as a person can. Then tired of feeling sorry for myself, I brushed my hair, put on some nice clothes, and used the boost it gave me to find that confidence to look for writing work and start a blog of my own. Of course Ryan's support was key for me to keep going when things werent going my way.

There has been success and disappointment in both, but I wont give up - I may not be a highly paid fashion journalist, but I do get to write about it (and many other things) both professionally and for fun. I'm one lucky girl.

What item of clothing gives you that much needed boost?

Gems x

FOR THE JOY OF MONDAY

Denim Shift Dress, Joy - Same Here

No there is no Joy on Monday, I hate Mondays. In fact, I don't care much for Tuesdays either and Wednesdays used to be OK until people started to call it 'Hump Day'. The Joy comes from this gorgeous denim shift dress from online retailer Joy. As you probably know by now, I love anything with a little bit of a retro vibe, and the cut of this dress, with the patchwork denim is pure sixties. So a big thanks to the boyfriend for buying it for me.

Now before anyone says anything, yes I am aware of the faux pas made by a member of Joy's social media team on Twitter, the ignorant remarks made about bipolar disorder. In fact a well known mental health blogger was not impressed with my decision to purchase from Joy, even though it was purchased before the incident. This blogger certainly did not appreciate that as someone who has battled mental illness, I did not feel personally offended and outraged at the remarks. They even accused me of not challenging discrimination and that I was ignoring the harm such remarks can cause.

If this individual had visited my blog, they would have seen that I do my best to help others with mental illness by talking frankly and openly about my own situation. Hopefully, I have made at least one person feel less alone...

Were they upset that on asking my opinion that I was not going to play a victim? Or simply mad that someone with mental illness did not share their view and chose not to be offended by a few insensitive tweets that were apologised for? I don't know, what I do know is that their hurtful tweets to me, did not stop until someone else on Twitter stood up for me and spoke of 'Freedom of choice'.

It is my choice not to be offended and to accept Joy's apology. If I wrote off everyone who said something offensive or ignorant about mental illness, I wouldn't know anyone. I don't believe this is the answer, it is just a way to become more bitter at your own personal situation, angry at the world for the stigma still attached to mental illness. For me the answer is education, to make people more informed about mental illness, so things like Twitter-gate happen less. So no, I wont completely write of an entire company for the remarks of one individual, and just hope that the person who made them is better informed in the future.

I hope this one wasn't too wordy for you, I just wanted to get my feelings across. If you got bored part of the way through I do apologise and Happy Monday!!

Gems x

I'M TOO PERCYCUTE

If you think I'm too old at 31 to be cute, I welcome your lips to meet my ass. I often pass for youner, as long as you don't catch me before my morning brew and my trowel application of concealer.

FlutterBy Tee, PercyCute - Same Here.

Anyway, I think I'm a little bit of a cutie and I've made no secret of my love for printed tees, so when I discovered PercyCute on Twitter, I just had to get in on some of the T-shirt action. PercyCute is a seriously cool streetwear brand that offers an awesome range of graphic tees, vests, jackets and sweats, featuring hand drawn designs.

The tee is soft, holds it's shape and the print is even more vibrant than the pictures show. On the two occasions so far I have worked the FlutterBy Tee, I have had some rather admiring glances and pretty nice complements. I have my eye on the Spaceman Tee next, as I am an uber space nerd - a night in with a Stephen Hawking boxset and a garbage bag full of popcorn is as good as it gets.

 

Go on, tell me I'm not cute now...

How do you feel about printed tees? If you love them like I do, head on over to PercyCute, all their designs are unisex - Tee shirts for all!!!

Gems x

*T-shirt provided by PercyCute for the purposes of review, all opinions are of course my own.