Paris haul!

I didn't go too insane in Paris, meaning I didn't buy too much... but here is the round-up of all my purchases that will forever remind me of a beautiful trip. Sorry it is so so late - I really have to catch up!

Essie nail polish in Sugar Daddy & Rouge Baiser nail polish in Pastel Jaune.

I am a complete sucker for nail polishes, and these sugar sweet shades were too cute to resist.

Hand painted Vogue cover art.

I bought this by the Seine near the Notre Dame. It was perfect for me - classy, elegant, Parisian, and of course featuring Vogue!

Assorted postcards.

I picked these up all over the city on impulse, and I plan to stick them all around my room to remind me of the trip. My favourites are the show posters and the Moulin Rouge.

Perfume spritzers - Belle du Jour.

I adore anything retro glamour and was captivated by the vintage ones in the window of this Montmartre boutique. Unfortunately my budget didn't stretch that far but these reproductions still look gorgeous.

Metallic dress - Isabel Marant (second-hand).

The likelihood of me ever affording anything by Isabel Marant was absolutely minute, until I stumbled upon this in a second-hand/vintage store in the backstreets of Saint Germain. It's gorgeous, sparkling and glamorous and I love it.

Clutch bag - Cos (second-hand).

I also unearthed this in the second hand shop, and fell for the unique print and on-trend fold-over style.

Vintage bracelet.

That second hand shop really was full of treasures, and this delicately beautiful silver bracelet is possibly my favourite.

 Bralet - Brandy Melville, Home Made.

The back of this cute bralet is my favourite part, love the detail.

And that is the end of my Paris haul - see? Restrained. Although if we're honest most of my money did go on pastries and BNs... I am so so pleased with all of my purchases though, and they will be permanent reminders of a beautiful trip.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Paisley print.

Finally. The day has come where I can wear a sundress without tights or a jacket or any kind of practical layering - nothing needed other than shoes, jewellery and sunglasses! People might be complaining about the heat, but I am still loving it. I live for days like these. Besides, I hear that it is meant to rain here on Wednesday, so I have to squeeze in some sunshine appreciation while I can..

Dress - Dorothy Perkins; Shoes & Earrings - New Look; Necklace & Rings - Topshop; Bracelet - Pull & Bear; Sunglasses - bought in Malaysia.

I have had this dress quite a while and worn it on a fair few occasions, but I couldn't remember ever wearing it solo so I decided to break it out again today! The paisley print is still totally on-trend, and I love the colour palette. The bright blue, white and purple on a black background is a gorgeous way to work a print without looking over the top, and is echoed in my purple wedges. Yes, I am wearing those wedges to death this summer, I love them! Sunglasses are obligatory when driving on sunny days, and I opted to up the glam factor with this classic, oversized pair.

This week I tried out a new nail colour again - Maybelline's Forever Strong polish in Ceramic Blue, one of their new SS'12 pastel shades. It is safe to say I am completely in love with this pale blue colour which looks fresh, unusual and achingly pretty on my nails! It was also surprisingly easy to apply, possibly thanks to the '100% Precision' brush..

Creepers - Amazon

Another new purchase came in through the post today - I am now the proud owner of a gorgeous pair of creepers. I could have just bought a plain colour, but of course I opted for some super-cute leopard print on mine! At the moment they are being sold on Amazon for some ridiculously cheap price, so I snapped my pair up quick. Ever since flatforms came into fashion and brothel creepers seemed to be making an impact I was tempted by them, but only after seeing Karl Lagerfeld incorporate them into his ensembles was I completely sold. It may be a little warm to wear them now, but I love them anyway!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Review: Boots 17 Nail Polishes

Okay, first of all I just want to point out I am not a beauty blogger - I love makeup and cosmetics as a part of fashion and a quick, cheap way to work the latest colour trends, but I am hardly knowledgeable about the best brands or anything technical like that. I have not done many reviews, but after finally painting my nails yesterday I have a few things to say about my latest polishes.

 

 Boots 17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish in Juicy & Glisten.

These are two new shades that caught my eye as I was browsing in Boots a few weeks ago, and since the range is so reasonably priced I snapped them up. At first glance I love the colours - they are very light, natural, almost plant-like hues that put me in mind of spring flowers, and the hint of sparkle in them is gorgeous.

Upon application I have to admit I was more than a little disappointed. Of course, with such light shades I wasn't expecting a single coat application, but still. Admittedly, Glisten wasn't too bad - the colour you see on my nails only took two coats. However, Juicy was pretty awkward to apply because the consistency seemed too blobby and thick, it didn't glide on in an even coat and tended to sit unevenly on my nails which meant I had to apply three coats at least to get the colour consistent.

The final finish of the polishes with a layer of topcoat is actually pretty good. I am a real fan of Glisten because it is quite a subtly pretty shade, and the gold shimmer is gorgeous in the light. While I do like the colour of Juicy because it is a very fresh light green, after such an uneven application I find it has an equally uneven finish, which is frustrating.. They both seem pretty chip-resistant too, which is definitely a plus.

So all in all, I think you get what you pay for. If you want a quick colour update then these polishes might just be the answer for you, and check out the rest of the range because there are some gorgeous shades out there by Boots 17! I certainly don't regret buying them, even if they only last the season. But if a tricky application would irritate you, it is probably worth investing in some higher quality polishes.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Unexpected mini-haul.

I wasn't really supposed to be going shopping yesterday, or at least not actually buying much. That's because as college draws to an end I need to be saving up to fund my time jetting around Asia (aka my gap year) and putting some money away for university - neither of which are happening now. At the moment I seem to be investing heavily in my wardrobe. I am honestly going to try cutting back the spending a little, and yesterday doesn't count. I didn't actually spend that much, and I got some gorgeous stuff.

The first thing I was drawn to was the new Maybelline Spring/Summer collection, after seeing a video on youtube from one of my favourite bloggers, Anna Saccone. She got to experiment with loads of items from the new collection and her positive review really made me keen to buy some things. Check out her blog annasaccone.com and watch her vlogs on youtube under the name TheStyleDiet.

First of all I picked up some gorgeous new nail polishes. On the left is Maybelline Express Finish in Turquoise Green which fits in really well with the 'Under The Sea' trend with that stunning iridescent colour. On the right is Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in Ceramic Blue, perfect for the pastel hues trend that I am in love with right now. These are both new shades and I can't wait to get them on my nails.

Next up is one of their new Popsticks lipsticks in Cherry Pop. By now you must have noticed that I am a sucker for a good lipstick, and after seeing how cute these Popsticks were I just had to have one. I tested them all out in the shop, but I found the others a little too light - I am a fan of really bright, pigmented lipsticks personally, and Cherry Pop came out the brightest.

The last of the makeup haul is the Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow in Eternal Gold. This one came highly recommended by Anna Saccone and in the store it was the one that caught my eye the most. I am really keen to see if this stunning colour really will last for 24 hours, because if it does this will become one of my favourite beauty products.

After stocking up my beauty bag I went into New Look, which is always dangerous territory for my bank card, and ended up being caught by a few pieces..

The first thing I picked up was this gorgeous cream chiffon sleeveless shirt. I have said many times that I buy too many shirts, but they are just so versatile! This particular one is ideal for SS'12 because it will go with absolutely everything, and will be light enough to wear in the middle of summer, as well as being a perfect layering piece for the colder days. The cost-per-wear on this shirt is going to be ridiculously low..

I was completely entranced by these Art Deco style earrings by Roam, on sale in New Look. For such a reasonably priced pair of earrings, they look very classy and chic. It's probably no secret that I am getting completely obsessed with the golden age of Hollywood, from the 1920s to the 1960s and these costume-jewellery style earrings are straight out of the jazz age.

Okay, while I love the unashamed glamour of the golden era of Hollywood, the child in me simply cannot resist a good flower headband. These New Look headbands instantly make me think of hazy summer days with blue skies overhead and bare feet in the grass.. The smaller yellow one seems more festival-appropriate, whereas the large rosebud headband is reminiscent of some of Lana Del Rey's 1950s video incarnations, and I love them both. A friend asked me recently if I would be breaking out the floral headbands again this summer, and the answer is a resounding yes.

The last items in this mini-haul are actually just more indulgence - I decided that now would be the right time to treat myself to some new underwear, so I hit the Ann Summers sale.

These two bras come from the Knickerbox line at Ann Summers and are possibly now the prettiest ones I own. I love the purple one with the peacock print because it is just so cute and girlie, whereas the black leopard print one is more fierce (and no I didn't just buy that one because it was called The Bardot Bra). It's almost a shame that these beauties are going to be covered up and hidden by my clothes all the time..

And there you have it, my slightly eclectic mini-haul! I love all of my buys because they are just so summery, and are making me long for the days of sunshine again.. On a slightly less fun note, if I get a bit lax and lazy with blogging in the weeks to come it is because exam season is nearly upon me and it is time for crazy revision to take over my life.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Print me.

For the first time in what feels like too long (probably around a week to ten days) I have been able to go shopping, because I wasn't working this lovely Saturday morning. It's strange, but shopping is one of my favourite pastimes - it's practically exercise what with all the walking, I get constant inspiration from all of the new things & window displays in store and I usually come home feeling with that lovely buzzy, happy feeling of spending money and getting gorgeous new stuff. Today, admittedly it was pretty freezing so I wasn't focusing too much on the store windows.. it was all about getting to my favourite haunts as quickly as possible and scouring them for new season pieces. And this is what I wore to go on said sejour into town..

Jacket - Desigual; Skirt - H&M; Shoes - New Look; Tights - Primark; Bag - H! by Henry Holland; Ring - Topshop; Necklace - Christmas present.
I just had to give you both angles on this jacket, because both the front and back are gorgeous, crazily printed and totally eye-catching. Which is why I love it. It's by Desigual, a Spanish brand, and I had to beg and plead to even get it for my birthday a few years back because it was quite expensive.. But so worth it - it is just one of those standout pieces that I will keep forever, and it doesn't try and tie itself into a trend as much as just look awesome whenever, wherever. That said, I did originally pick it out to wear because of the crazy mish-mash of prints, which fits perfectly in with the loud and proud print trend of SS'12! This is a great way to bring spring fashion into winter, without totally freezing, and I intend to wear it again soon! This time, I decided to keep the rest of the outfit quite simple, but next time I am incredibly tempted to clash my prints...

Out on today's shopping trip I was quite restrained really. I don't know what it was. Maybe the fact I just repaid my mum the money I owed her from the internet spree, or because I'm not working much this month, so money could be tight later.. whatever the reason, I only let myself get pulled into buying a few little things.

It's official, knitwear has some kind of strange power over me. And I'm not letting go of my jumpers come spring, and possibly not even come summer - I am simply moving into the realm of lightweight knits, like this gorgeous candyfloss-pink jumper from New Look. Yes, once again I fell for a New Look piece. But it was so affordable (£9.99 - couldn't pass that up), and is so gorgeous. It's got a wonderful slouchy, slightly oversized shape that makes it look so comfortable, while the pastel pink hue captures the SS'12 adoration for pastels and ice cream shades. Perfection.

I love painting my nails, whenever I get the chance. Therefore I am always on the lookout for hot new shades, especially since a nail polish can be the quickest, simplest (and often cheapest) way to update your look and incorporate some new season colours into your wardrobe. Barry M is one of the best purveyors of trend-capturing makeup, including pretty much every nail polish shade under the sun and I simply fell in love with these three beauties. From left to right, I bought 273 Raspberry, 306 Blueberry Ice Cream & 318 Peach Melba. They just scream spring with their fresh, clean hues and fruit salad names (I wonder if you can get your five-a-day from nail polish?), and I will go into more detail about their quality etc when I get a chance to test them out!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Polished up.

Not working for another week has given me the chance to polish something other than cutlery.. Instead of doing a load of homework and feeling virtuous, yet bare-fingered, I opted to do a little bit of work, then indulge myself. It's all about balance. And of course, in the week coming up to Christmas (6 more sleeps, guys!) there was no other colour combination that would have made me so happy...

I love having painted nails, since it is the little details that can really set off a look. The colours and patterns can also reflect your mood, and are a chance to work a micro-trend like a new season hue without breaking the bank on a new dress. Of course, if I changed my polish to match my mood I would be constantly repainting my nails! Which I wouldn't necessarily mind - doing my nails is one of my favourite ways to snatch some me-time. It is just so relaxing, and since you need a little bit of concentration to keep it neat you can't sit there over thinking anything else, which is perfect since I have the fatal flaw of thinking too much. With all this practice, you would probably expect me to be better at it though...

Anyway, today I opted for Santa's-hat-red, alternated with glittering gold for a rather seasonal finish to my little fingers. It was a pretty simple one to complete, and didn't take too long either, but the finished product will give an extra oomph to any outfits I am wearing this week. Also, I will be feeling Christmassy pretty much every time I look at my nails! 

To do a nail look like this, you probably don't need any tips or ideas, but here is my preferred kit and how I did this polish anyway..

First up is Collection 2000 2 in 1 basecoat which I use every time I do my nails. It is an old faithful base coat and works pretty well, making my nails smoother and at least limiting any staining from the coloured polish on top.

Next we have Nails Inc Nail Polish in Victoria & Albert which is the perfect classic pillar-box red. Really good quality since it only needs one coat to look effortlessly glam, and it glides on pretty smoothly too.

For the alternating colour I used No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in I'm Exquisite which is a gorgeous gold infused with tiny glitter particles for a very festive, shiny look. This one did take two coats, but that is because it is such a light shade.

Next up came two items working together, Tesco Nail Polish Remover and Superdrug Cotton Wool Buds. I see no reason to spend ridiculous amounts on expensive nail polish removers, when the Tesco one works so well - you don't need much to remove your polish. I used it today by dipping the cotton buds in and then using them to correct the major errors and clean up the messy edges of my nails.

Finally I sealed in the colours with Rimmel London Speed Dry Topcoat which is another old favourite, mainly because it gives the colours an extra shine, and, as promised, dries incredibly fast.

This manicure and blogging session was the limit of my productivity today, and I am really enjoying the freedom that time off gives me - after my hectic college schedule it is amazing to have the chance to breathe. Love and kisses, Tara xox

So the internet crashed on me yesterday.

Which led to about an hour of failed attempts at posting, restarting my computer many times to no avail and eventually getting too frustrated and walking away. This now means that today's post will be packed with double the fashion fun - lucky you..

So anyway, yesterday was the start of a new week after the weekend apparently evaporated.. Somehow between paid work, college work and sleep there was not actually much time for anything else, and before I knew it I was rolling out of bed on Monday morning, half panicking and half overtired. And a little bit ill. But hey, no rest for the wicked  - so I dragged my sorry self around college all day, relying on a bright colour and bold print to distract from my general air of want-to-go-home-and-sleep..

Top - Lefties; Blazer & Earrings - Topshop; Skirt, Boots & Rings - H&M; Tights - Primark; Bracelet - Pull & Bear.

Like I said, the raspberry sorbet shade of the blouse combined with a slightly camera-boggling zig-zag print was intended to stop me looking too tired, and I think I have succeeded! I am also even more in love with my ankle boots after seeing a celeb penchant for booties emerging - way ahead of them.. okay, level with 'em. This was, to be honest, a pretty simple little look to put together from separates, and it still looks pretty cool.. not quite winter appropriate, but when do I ever dress appropriately?

Now for today's offering, possibly even less practical for the weather than yesterday! Yes, I was chilly, but I loved what I was wearing.
 

Jumper, Shorts, Shoes & Ring - New Look; Socks & Bag - River Island; Necklace - Topshop; Earrings - Primark.
I went a little tonal today, with the autumnal palette of oranges, maroons and browns.. how seasonal. My absolute favourite part of today's outfit is my amazing Navajo print socks - they add a seriously on-trend twist to the whole outfit and make my little legs look way more interesting. You'll notice I am now a true ponytail convert as well, I've got to admit they are the ultimate in low-maintenance updos that still manage to look good with pretty much any outfit. 

Also wanted to give you all a little close up on probably my most simple, chic nail look so far - this cute nude shade oozes a minimalist, almost Parisian cool. It is a Nails Inc shade which came *free* with Glamour magazine this month (go buy it!) and as well as being a gorgeous, fuss-free colour it is fast drying and easy to apply.. well, Nails Inc is a quality nail polish brand. Love and kisses, Tara xox