Lob Love

I've had pretty much the same hairstyle for almost two years and it's been really nagging at me lately that it's time for a change. I'm getting really sick of having hair that takes forever to style and too often gets trapped underneath the shoulder strap of my bag! Plus, with the party season approaching fast I just think it's time to try something a bit different.

Earlier this year the lob (long bob) really took off as celebs like Olivia Palermo, Alexa Chung and even die-hard extensions worshiper Lauren Conrad all opted for the chop. I've never been a massive fan of short hair before now but I think the lob looks really grown-up, classy and super chic. Besides, anything that's good enough for Palermo is by all means it's good enough for me! 

Gin pals.

Thankfully I have a shit hot hairdresser sibling who also agreed it was time to shake things up a little. So the other evening when we had a little spare time my sister gave my roots a re-touch and took about two inches off of my ends. Verdict? I'm so glad I decided to go for it in the end as I absolutely love having shorter hair. It's lighter, bouncier and way easier to manage. In fact, I might even ask my sister if she'll take off another inch. #chopchop

O x

OOTD - Tartan on Tartan on Dogtooth; thoughts please?

Shoes - Next, Socks - New Look, Jeans - ASOS, Scarf - New Look. 

I must admit, I'm not a massive fan of printed items or overly bold textures when it comes to fabrics. Yet, quite to my own surprise, this year I seem to have a massive obsession with dogtooth and tartan. The other day, for example, I decided it would be utterly chic to wear bright red tartan socks with some skinny jeans, a navy blue blouse and my new oversized tartan/dogtooth scarf. Perhaps it was a tad too much, but I didn't really care. In fact, I'm actually thinking about getting these trousers from River Island when pay day next comes around. Thoughts?

River Island - £40

O x

Baby It's Cold Outside...

I don't know about you BUT I've been feeling so festive lately! Maybe it's because the shops have started playing Christmas songs, my mornings have turned bitterly cold or my mother baked about 1000 mince pies the other day, but for whatever reason; the countdown to Christmas has officially begun. 

That said, today turned out to be the day I decided to break out my new Santa themed pjs.  I actually only decided to buy these because the tag said: “Happy Holly Days” and my childish humour found it ridiculously amusing. Pahaha.

Anyway. The festive feeling has hit me hard and now I'm dreaming about all things Christmassy; hot chocolates in front of the fire, slipper socks and onesie combos, matching faux snoods and mittens, Jim Carey in a green suit. You name it! If it's festive, I want it. See my wishlist below:

(Left to Right) Snood: H&M - £7.99, Snowman : Thornotons - £8, Felt Hearts: Next - £7, Mittens: New Look - £6.99, Soap: Lush - £3.10 per 100g, Bauble : Linea at House of Fraser - £4.20, Harper's Bazaar (December Issue) and Scarf: Topshop - £18. 

O x

Product Review - Gosh Nail Lacquer in Denim Delight #627

Gosh - £3.99

When it comes to nail polish; I'm pretty much an expert! I've tried almost every brand under the sun and now have a clear hit and miss list. Usually I tend to favour either Essie or Barry M as both brands have great selections of colours, staying power and chip resistance. The only criticism I'd have of Barry M is that they too often bring out a limited edition colour that I fall in love with and then after a few months cannot find anywhere. Sad times. Anyway, I'll get to the point! Wanting to treat myself to a new colour the other day I went on down to Superdug. The store in my town is quite small and doesn't stock all of the brands that the larger Superdrug stores do. It does, however, have a Gosh stand. Admittedly I haven't tried many Gosh products before but fell in love with the colour of this nail paint pretty much instantly. Being someone who knows which nail brands to trust and which not to bother with, I was a bit apprehensive to give this polish a try. However, I decided at the very least I'd get a review out of it so bought it anyway.

On application I was pleasantly surprised at how clear and bright the colour of the polish was. I could've managed with just one coat really but went for two in the end. It was easy to apply and dried extremely quickly. However, despite being initially happy with the product, the real test was yet to come. Too often have I bought in to some ridiculous '7 days long lasting chip resistant' bullshit that for me, even getting a nail polish to last one day is extremely rare. I have to admit this polish held out three days at work before I started to notice any chips. That, my friends, is pretty much incredible considering how often I chip my nail polish at work. These were the results at the end of the three days:

Overall I'd give this polish a 5/5. As someone who hates having shabby looking nails, it's important for me that nail polishes are long lasting, chip resistant, have a bright colour and dry quickly. This polish, for me, ticks all of those boxes! For a cheap price, great colour and no promise of being long lasting, it exceeded my expectations. I'd definitely buy from Gosh again, only trouble is, this colour was also a limited edition shade. FML.

O x

Feeling Shady

Payday has finally arrived and with it comes the battle not to spend all my wages in just one week. To distract me from the fact that there's absolutely no way this money will see me through till next month, I've been focusing all my attention on my new purchases. VICIOUS CIRCLE.

Although many of you will probably believe sunglasses for Winter are more of an accessory than a necessity, I have to disgaree. Eyes need protecting from the sun all year round and it has never and will never be chic to squint. Luckily for me and my new found thriftiness (kind of), I picked up these babies in the ASOS sale. Jealous? DUH.

Until next time,

O x

One To Watch - Awon Golding

When I was at London Fashion Week earlier last month I got to meet some incredible designers at the British Fashion Council's (BFC) showrooms in Somerset House. This season specifically there was a huge selection of hats and head pieces. I think this stems from the fact that earlier this year, in February, the BFC set up their annual Headonism project and the focus was on headpieces. The result of such a renewed interest in headwear has meant that a selection of incredibly talented up-and-coming designers have all released really unique collections of hats and headpieces ready for SS15. One of these designers, who I was fortunate enough to meet, includes award winning London-based Milliner Awon Golding.

I remember seeing this at LFW this year and
yes; it is as incredible in real life.

What I love about her work is that each piece is, in its own right, really unique and stand-out. Yet, the collection still comes together to create something united and fluid. The fluidity comes from the inspiration for the collection; having spent an eclectic youth in India, Hong Kong and England, Golding drew inspiration for her collection from her Tangkhul Naga heritage. The collection combines bold colours, feather headpieces, intricate beading and the weaving of geometric patterns which are all inspired by the artifacts of the North-East Indian Naga tribes.

Before she became a designer Golding wrote for various Hong-Kong based publications as a fashion writer and editor. However she soon realised that she wanted to pursue something more creative and moved to London to accept an apprenticeship with Edwina Ibbotson, a renowned London milliner. It was around this time that she was awarded a Distinction in Millinery from the Kensington and Chelsea College. Following this she went on to design hats for the likes of high-street brands River Island and Topshop.

I'm a huge fan of geometric shapes and the only
hats I'll wear are floppy ones so this one is
a double whammy for me! 

When she eventually decided to set up her own label her creative flair and natural talent were recognised by The Honourable Feltmaker’s Guild and she was awarded first prize at their annual millinery competition in 2010. Furthermore, she was selected by Stephen Jones (renowned milliner) to feature in the BFC's exclusive Headonism project at Somerset House earlier this February.

A cheeky snap I took of the Headonism Project in Feb earlier
this year.

Now a well established designer Golding spends the majority of her time hand-crafting the pieces for her collection in her London studio. As well as releasing two seasonal collections per year, her hats are available to purchase at London's Liberty store and she also does private commissions for a wide range of customers.

For more information on the designer please contact Awon at info@awongolding.com, or go to: @AwonGolding or  www.facebook.com/awongoldingmillinery.

Thanks for reading my post and a big shout out to Awon for sending me the images of her amazing collection!

O x

The Sweetest Ad Campaign Ever?

Aussie born jewellery designer Lucy Folk is renowned for her playful and creative relationship with food and highly sought after jewellery line. It's hardly suprising then that in her latest campaign, entitled Sugar, Folk combined her sweet tooth with her passion for jewellery design. The results? HEAVEN.

It's not very often that a jewellery campaign impresses me this much as, in my opinion, jewellery campaigns can often be a little boring and simplistic. That said, Lucy Folk proved she's not one to follow the crowd when she pulled this sugar coated bad boy out of the bag.

What I love about Lucy Folk is that she's definitely a designer who caters to a wide variety of tastes (literally). On the one hand she has her playful, girly and fun pieces which are aimed at younger buyers. On the other she has her more sophisticated, edgy and fine pieces. Personally, I'm more of a fan of her fine jewellery as she has some to-die-for cuffs, gorgeous bangles and her selection of rose gold pieces are dreamyyyy.

Not only does the campaign make we want to binge-eat all the sugary goodies in sight, it also makes me want to throw all of my next wage packet at the designer. It's creative, memorable and a little tongue-in-cheek, which I love! Here are the pieces I'm now coveting from her Sugar collection.

O x