Point Scoring

This morning when checking my emails I was excited to come across this ASOS newsletter informing me of a great idea they've had for it's customers to earn points everytime they shop... You know exactly like that health and beauty brand boots does. 

So it may not be the most original of ideas but it's a great idea all the same, and it's great to know that such a big e-tailer is listening to it's customers and finding new ways to give them exactly what they want. What's even better is that it makes it even easier for us shoppers to justify every little online purchase we make.  

Here's how it works... 

1. You're selected to be a part of the ASOS Rewards trial from millions of the e-retailers customers and in return you provide your feedback. 

2. You SHOP (Now that's not hard is it) and for every £1 you spend (Which isn't hard either) you will receive 5 points! 

3. Once you've earnt 500 points ASOS Rewards will convert then into a 'unique rewards code' worth £5 for you to spend at asos.com... Not that we need an excuse. 

4. ASOS Rewards will email the codes to you every month and if you haven't earned 500 points this month they'll get rolled over to the next month so can keep earning! 

As if that wasn't enough to make me smile ASOS have credited my account with 200 bonus points.

Thank You ASOS! 

Vintage Chanel

The way we shop for vintage items has been transformed by the online market, buying and selling auction sites such as eBay and Asos market place mean we no longer have to spend hours rummaging through charity shops, walking around vintage markets and taking the annual visit it too London's famous brick lane to discover timeless treasures. 

Although the experience of discovering a beautiful vintage piece, originates from doing all of the above the new market for vintage is online providing a much bigger choice when it comes to picking up something to provide that little added extra and a unique finish to a new outfit.  

Vintage Camouflage Chanel Inspired Jacket. "Retro Loving". Ebay

I recently picked up this great Chanel Influenced Retro Army Jacket from the worlds favourite buying and selling site eBay. It was listed as 'Buy it now' so I purchased it on an impulse buy for just £19.20 inc. postage and packaging and I can honestly say it's  the best £20.00 i've spent on my wardrobe in a long time and thats what I love about vintage - you can get so much for so little because you just cannot put a price on a unique piece. 

A Vintage Update for Classic Chanel 

Words Nathalie Dawe

Every Little Helps...

So everybody is familiar with the slogan 'Every little helps...' and to which supermarket it belongs, but even I never took the expression that literally, until I discovered the great. range of clothing being created by Florence and Fred for Tesco. 

I got so many complements about two dresses I wore to work this week both of which I picked up while helping the mother do our weekly shop. Although I love it when other people love what I buy as much as I do. I didn't expect to get so many lovely comments from my work colleagues the first few were flattering and I accepted them gracefully with a thank you, but as the day went on and the compliments continued I couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed by the attention I was recieving so instead of a thank you I was letting out a nervous laughter at the shock on their faces when I told them it was just something I picked up from Tesco.

So here's a run down of the great items I picked up with my Sunday lunch essentials this weekend. 

Sheer Pink Dress

F&F Organza Insert Crepe Dress - £20.00. Images: http://www.clothingattesco.com

Pastels are possibly the biggest trend for SS14. This feminine dress combines two key trends with it's sheer panelling and colour palette. The cap sleeves make it smart enough for work but versatile enough to take you from day to night. 

Cobalt Blue Shift

F&F Crepe 3/4 Length Sleeve Tunic - £22.00. Images: http://www.clothingattesco.com

Cute Sleeve Details. Image: http://www.clothingattesco.com

In contrast to the pastel colour palette, bold and bright block colour depicts another key trend for SS14. This Cobalt Blue Tunic Dress is softened with a cute around the sleeves and an asymmetric hem line with side slits for a subtle sexiness.

The Monochrome Midi

F&F Monochrome Check Pencil Skirt - £18.00. Images: http://www.clothingattesco.com

This monochrome midi uses a checkered print to give a wardrobe essential a SS14 update, the midi-length indicates a key silhouette for the new season and is great for creating stylish office looks.

The Limited Edition

F&F Limited Long Line Jacket - £40.00. Images: http://www.clothingattesco.com

This is my favourite piece from the collection as it is so versatile. A tailored jacket can instantly transform a pair of skinny jeans for a casual but smart look, and is the perfect addition to workwear during the transition between spring and summer. Throw over a business dress or team with a pair of tapered trousers to create a chic silhouette. 

So guys this may not be fitting in with my usual fashion posts but it's a great little discovery that i hope you'll all embrace. 

Words Nathalie Dawe

Tartan Treats

Tartan has been a massive trend for AW13 and it's set to continue it's reign as we catwalk into a new season. Post London Fashion Week we are happy that our investment in our tartan key pieces hasn't been a complete 'fashion fad' and our new garments aren't going to  live in the bottom of our wardrobes until it's next throwback. Designers including Simone Rocha and Margaret Howell gave the tartan trend a revival honouring that Vivienne Westwood punk style with a new chic design and a fresh cut.

Bold Prints at Vivienne Westwood - London Fashion Week AW14. Image: htttp://www.londonfashionweek.com

Traditional Tartan at Simone Rocha - London FashionWeek AW14. Image: http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

Independence at Margaret Howell - London Fashion Week - AW14. Image: http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

A tartan print can give a simple outfit edge without the effort. What could normally be quite a boring shift dress, skirt or shirt suddenly becomes a versatile piece that you can dress up or down for those times where we need to make a quick transition from work to play once leaving the office. It's not just staple pieces leading the way with tartan prints either but accessories also with scarfs, bags, and hair bows all adorning the tartan print. 

Obviously I haven't been able to stop myself purchasing a few tartan printed key pieces to carry me through the season. Unable to avoid the trend on the high-street it would have been rude not too, i've even managed to update  my wardrobe without breaking the bank by picking up the 'must have' red and green tartan print dress  as seen on real woman Holly Willoughby from everybody's favourite bargain fashion store Primark for just £15.00 

Primark Tartan Print Dresses - £15.00 Each - Image: http://www.look.co.uk

And because one dress isn't enough for one of the most popular trends of the season I also purchased this great blue and green tartan print shift dress from New Look for just £14.99 - But theirs a quite a funny story behind the great price...

Newlook Tartan Pront Shift Dress - £!4.99 - £22.99 - Image: http://www.newlook.co.uk

This great little dress is an age 14, YES! an age 14 years from the 915 New Look girls section, the EXACT same dress can also be purchased from the woman's section for an also reasonable £22.99, but we don't like reasonable we like a bargain and at £14.99 for the EXACT same dress it's a steal - So being short does sometimes have it's advantages we might not be able to see the front the stage from the back at a festival or reach the top shelve but we can fit into a range of kids clothing and save some pennies by doing so. 

Not one to miss out on a bargain I also picked up this great little bold tartan print boyfriend coat from edgy fashion store Ark, the coat was in the sale and reduced from £44.99 to just £22.00, a massive saving for something that is still so on trend.

Ark Tartan Coat - £44.99 - Image: http://www.ark.co.uk

Tartan Coat Teamed with workwear, Over-Sized Zara Tote and Gold Chain Detail Flatforms.

So although the tartan trend might be quite a bold fashion statement to make, it's a must for the current season and will ensure your wardrobe is bang on trend for the future seasons too. 

Take a look at Proudlock one of the cast members from my favourite
reality show Made In Chelsea who has fully embraced the Tartan trend with some bold print tailoring and his signature specs. 

Made In Chelsea's most fashionable man Proudlock a tailor made tuxedo by Clifton Suits. Image: Proudlocks Instagram @proudlock

Words Nathalie Dawe 

Stop For A Selfie...

A picture can tell a thousand words and create memories that may otherwise be lost in the past. Why should we stop and think before taking a photograph? Or worry about the opinions of others when crowding in with our friends and pouting for a selfie? It's the modern day we snap everything and social media whether you love it or loathe it isn't going anywhere.

Over the last decade we've seen Facebook reach it's milestone 10th birthday, creating a new 'social networking world' for sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumbler, Blogger and everybody's favourite photo-sharing app Instagram, this has encouraged a new way of communicating, sharing our experiences and for many people even establishing careers solely through the power of the social network. 

In 2013 the word 'Selfie' even made it into the Oxford English Dictionary defined as 

'a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website' 

So if taking a selfie was really such a bad thing, why do so many of us do it? 

I know why I do it... I love creativity and I adore fashion and it's ever changing mood, I thrive on the enjoyment of not just putting together my own look but also seeing what everybody else is doing with there's. It's a great way of finding out 'what's new' and collecting wardrobe inspiration from who you follow and your 'followers'. It's NOT at all about thinking you're better looking than someone else or even about fabricating a life that doesn't exist. The people who think it is about that... You are norrowminded and you're probably boring too. 

It's really quite simple and as meaningful as a crumpled old photograph from the 1940's it's about capturing the moment. The feeling you get when you stumble across a photograph taken at an event/occasion/celebration you'd forgotten about with friends you may have lost touch with is just simply amazing... Looking back at what you wore and thinking why did I wear that? Is also fun too. 

So I'm guilty of a 'drunk selfie' or two and you're lying if you say you're not. I don't go out and spend the whole night taking pictures as some might want to suggest but how else are we going to reminisce when our memory's start to fade. I'm not just talking about when you've consumed a little bit too much the night before and the hangovers turning the night into a blank but then you're older and all you may have to keep you going are the memory's. 

For me the documenting of my wardrobe through the 'fashion networks' popular 'outfit of the day' or #OOTD as it is widely recognised is what I and many others worldwide enjoy, it's completely harmless to anybody else and by many people miss-judged for what it really is... Which is an appreciation of fashion, fun, and personal style.  

Even though I myself get sick of the ridiculousness we see on social networking sites with the latest 'Neknomination' at the forefront of it at the moment, we need to embrace the fact that social networking originated from wanting to bring people together, share our experiences and what we love and as a result of that it's become one of the most powerful and effective business tools for the creative industries and our futures not just in fashion but all industries and our personal lives also. 

It's shocks me when I see that businesses and especially PR agencies  are not yet using social media to get themselves 'out there' and drive success... It's the most powerful tool in the world and it's FREE! (You can't say that about much now can you)

So the next time you see me or somebody else post a 'SELFIE' and you want to put them down, as I have been for posting about something they love and they don't mind sharing with the world... F**k you! If you don't want to see it delete me and if you can't beat them join them. 

Throwback Thursday anyone? 

Happy Snapping.  

Words Nathalie Dawe

TOM FORD: SPORTS LUXE AW14

Sportswear has been creeping onto our catwalk at London Fashion Week for sometime now, but it's the SPORTS LUXE trend that I'm most excited about. Texas born designer Tom Ford was seen to be setting the bar high for copycat designers operating for the high-street  at this seasons LFW and with fashion followers everywhere seeking inspiration for an edgy look with a defined chic style, Ford has once again exceeded the expectations of the critics with his AW14 collection. 

Tom Ford is undoubtably an industry leader not just because of his luxury womenswear but menswear also as he has become widely recognised for his razor-sharp suits and quality tailoring. My admiration for Fords work comes not solely from the creation of the TOM FORD brand in 2005, but when researching the designer discovering his acquisition of one of my most lusted after brands Yves Saint Laurent as Creative Director. 

LFW - Tom Ford - AW14
www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

LFW - Tom Ford - AW14
Image: www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

The overall image of the 'Sports Luxe' trend consists of compromising practicallity with luxury, in Fords latest collection we see the designer make play with his own fame by featuring oversized sequinned football jerseys tightened around the waist to remain feminine. The shirts are printed with the designers own name and the number '61' signifying his birth year, a nod to Jay Z's lyrics 'I don't pop molly, I rock Tom Ford' is also aptly present, after the rapper named one of his songs after the designer on his new album Magna Carta Holy Grail. Highlighting the strong relationship between music and fashion and reaffirming Fords impact on popular culture.

Tom Ford and Jay Z - The rapper loves the designer so much he named a track after him.
Image: www.fashion.telegraph.co.uk

So while we've already seen sportswear become more mainstream in recent seasons why just because you feel more comfortable in a football jersey should you not lust after sequins? This is what I think Tom Ford is really trying to achieve within the AW14 collection showcased at LFW. 

This is the look that will rule all the hi-summer festivals this year, still looking demure Tom Fords models show attitude, which as women thats exactly what we want to convey and how we want to be seen.

Words Nathalie Dawe

The Essential Natural

Every now and then you stumble across a beauty product so good that you can't believe you ever lived without it as an essential item to your make-up back. 

Since discovering the Lipfinity 'Essential Natural' no.340 by Max Factor, I have stumbled across my new essential. I'll admit that I've never been a great purchaser of Max Factor previous to discovering this range of lipgloss, and have been guilty of being abit of a 'make-up snob' however the colour and finish of this lipstick really complements my complexion and has since led to so many positive comments about the colour with some asking if I was wearing any lipstick at all, as the finish is so beautifully natural.

Max Factor Lipfinity - No.340 Essential Natural.

What makes this gloss great is the combination of Lipfinity's two step products:


step 1: The paint for lips 


step 2: The clear moisturizing topcoat. 





The product promises to provide a 'lasting impact... A gorgeous long lasting lip colour that lasts up to 12 hours. Vibrant and moisturised lips thanks to the conditioning top coat'. The product also asks 'What more could a girl want?' and claims that Lipfinity is 'Kiss proof. Food proof. Party proof. Life proof.' 


And unlike every advertisement for the latest 'must-have' product it really does achieve it's pledge not leaving behind a lipstick stain on my numerous Starbucks cups throughout the day or smudging all over my face over lunch! 
  
'The Essential Natural - The Essential Finish'
Max Factors tips for application of the Lipfinity lip paint are:

step 1: Apply colour to clean lips and keep lips apart for 60 seconds or until dry.


step 2: Apply the clear moisturising topcoat for moisture and shine. 







Step 1: Paint for lips. Step 2: Clear moisturising topcoat.

Image: www.ceneo.pl



To keep your look fresh Max Factor recommends re-applying the topcoat throughout the day as if it were a lip balm and advises that the product should be removed using an oil-based make-up remover.









The best thing about this product I feel is the competitive price point giving it a strong position within the beauty market! Other lipsticks such as Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Courtue is also a great product and lasts all day but at £25.00 each it's more difficult to justify than the £8.99 for Max Factors Lipfinty - a product I feel is as equally as effective and long lasting but much better for your bank balance if you're on a budget or just want to become more of a savvy shopper!
































Well Done Max Factor! 




Words Nathalie Dawe.