A hint of lemon.

I have said all my life that yellow doesn't suit me and have never let any sunny hues into me wardrobe because previous experiments into the colour have left me looking sickly. I have blamed this on my skin tone, which suits most colours, just apparently not yellow... However, since yellow is possibly the hottest colour in spring's paintbox I have been trying to open my mind to it. Originally I wanted to work it into my look in a small way, with accessories, but then I got captivated by a sweet yellow shirt, and haven't looked back...

Blazer - ASOS; Shirt & Tights - Primark; Skirt - Internacionale; Shoes - New Look; Ring - Topshop; Bracelets - ASOS, Topshop & Lola Rose.

So it appears that while sunshine-yellow and egg-yolk hues make me look severely ill, a pale, pastel lemon shade suits me down to the ground! Finally, I have discovered a way to work pretty much every colour in the rainbow. I love the contrasting white collar, pleats and gold button detail of this shirt - nobody could believe it was from Primark, and to be honest I wouldn't if I hadn't bought it myself. For a bit of a wilder take on such a conservative, cutesy shirt I paired it with my leopard print skirt, mini-dot tights and my lovely coral slippers. I have also come to the conclusion that this blazer is severely overworn.

Also, here is a poor attempt at some beauty blogging, and a FOTD (Face Of The Day) to go with my outfit.. It just didn't show up in the full-length photo, but I actually went a little adventurous with my makeup today. You've probably guessed that my preferred way of making a beauty statement is with my lips, and that my addiction to lipsticks knows no bounds, so deciding to make my eyes the focus of my daytime look today was stepping a little bit outside the comfort zone. Since pastel colours can be worn absolutely anywhere in any combination this season, I opted for a light, bright green for my eyes, complimented with a hint of peach blusher, and the tiniest amount of pink lipstick I could justify. As for my expression.. honestly, that's the best I could manage at 7.30am.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Money is the anthem of success.

I am a firm believer in retail therapy, and today has just been one of those days. I think starting work at 7am put me off the idea of "today" - and consequently means my motivation to actually do anything is way low. Oh and did I mention I'm working again tonight? I swear, I am in and out of there like I'm on a revolving door. In between revolutions, I did manage to squeeze in a quick trip in to town and am glad to report that shopping cures many things. It's definitely a mood-booster when you pick up some gorgeous new clothes, even if seeing your bank balance can lead to severe depression & confusion. To hit the shops, this is what I wore..

Cardigan - Dorothy Perkins; Hat, Dress & Shoes - New Look; Tights - Primark; Belt - Malene Birger; Earrings - Topshop; Bracelet, Necklace & Ring - Temporary Secretary; Bag - H! by Henry Holland.

Only yesterday my friends and I were talking about hats, and I decided that I really need to start wearing more of them. Shamefully, I only own three, so after choosing to make today a 'hat day', my options were a little limited.. I opted for last season's floppy, 70s felt hat because it feels quite springlike, and adds a quirky edge to my look. That was the starting point of this outfit, and I gave it a quick new-season boost with a floral printed dress, my green plastic belt (plastic is a bit of a trending material at the moment), a ladylike cardigan and colourful wedges. I always think that wearing hats takes guts, and that they only work if the rest of the outfit is right, so I am really hoping this look worked.

Today was a bit of a mini-haul in town - not enough to be called a spree, but big enough that I have several gorgeous things to share with you all, and anticipate wearing.

The first thing that caught my eye was this amazing tribal top in New Look. Tribal prints are a key trend this season, and although I have a few in my wardrobe already, the colours and patterns on this top are just too incredible to pass by. I also love the detail on the back - it's that unusual style that makes it even more awesome. In the photo it looks pretty huge right? Well, I swear to fashion this is the smallest size they do. I'm thinking of tucking it in to pretty much every high-waisted item I own.

Something decidedly less glamorous, but totally cute, was next in the firing line at New Look. I have been saying for absolutely ages that I wanted a sweet, comfortable sweatshirt for dossing around my house in, and have been tempted by ones in Topshop or on ASOS.com, but was unwilling to pay a huge amount of money. So when this zebra sweat caught my eye I knew it was the perfect thing. It's only for hanging around at home, but it is quirky enough that I won't feel like a total slob while doing it...

Every so often in Primark, you come up with a really gorgeous piece that looks twice as expensive/stylish as the rest of the stuff in there - it honestly is just a matter of sifting through the mud to find a golden nugget. Or a lemon-coloured nugget in this case! Usually I can't wear yellow without looking ill, but I appear to have finally found the shade for me, and not a moment too soon since yellow is one of the hottest colours for SS'12. I adore the sorbet hue of this top, along with the contrasting collar, as well as the ladylike pleats.

My faithful old Maybelline blusher has been running out recently, so I have been keeping my eyes open for another.. Also, peach tones are big beauty news this season, so I was keeping that in mind on my search. I didn't want to spend too much money (*cough* Benefit *cough*), but I wanted a good quality product, which I think Bourjois will deliver. I love Bourjois cosmetics in general, and their selection of blusher colours was really extensive so I managed to pick up a sweet peachy, pinky, natural looking shade for a reasonable price. I opted for Brun Cuivre because it swatched best on my hand. I might review this one later, if anyone is interested, and if it turns out to be either shockingly good or shockingly bad...

While uploading these photos, I realised that I never posted the goodies from the little trip to town I took yesterday during my free at college, so here they are.

Clockwise L-R: Belt - Peacocks; Sunglasses, Necklace & Earrings - New Look.

The floral corsage belt was just too cute to ignore, and fits perfectly with spring's uber-pretty style. And yes, once again I went crazy in New Look... I actually tried these sunglasses on as a bit of a laugh, but people said they looked good, so I got them! I have been admiring these almost tribal-style golden statement necklaces for quite some time, and since I was already spending money I decided to go for it, and try one out. I just hope it suits me. The jewellery in New Look was buy one get one free, so I chose these gorgeous, vintage-inspired statement earrings as my freebies. That's a pretty good haul for a college day!

I am actually a little concerned about the state of my bank balance though. Maybe, just maybe, I should try and exercise some restraint.. 

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Confessions of a shopaholic.

For the first time in about two weeks, I have been shopping! It might not sound like very long, but for me it felt like a lifetime.. I think I was actually experiencing withdrawal symptoms - excessive online browsing, compiling wishlists over and over, falling in love with clothes in magazines and even dreaming about shopping. I kid you not. It's official - I am an addict. Call Shopaholics Anonymous and see if they do house calls.

Going shopping today was very successful (meaning my purse is considerably emptier and my wardrobe a little fuller), and of course it required another outfit..

Shawl - River Island; Top - H&M; Jeans & Shoes - New Look; Bag - Tous; Necklace & Ring - Republic; Earrings - Topshop; Bracelet - Accessorize.

I'm not really channelling any particular look today, but if I had to try and describe my style here I would say fashion gypsy. The faux fur trimmed shawl and slightly OTT jewellery feel slightly traveller-ish, while the wedges, slightly boxy bag and lipstick feel distinctly more stylish, making this ensemble a slightly quirky mash-up. And somehow it works. I'm not sure if it is the tonal quality of the pieces, the fact that fashion itself is favouring those 'anything-goes' looks, or just a hefty dose of confidence as I walk around, but whatever the reason, I'm liking it. (Not to sound totally up myself or anything though..)

I said this shopping trip was a success, so here comes the rundown of my latest buys.. take a deep breath - we are heading into fashion-and-beauty-land & won't be coming up for air any time soon.

My spending kicked off with a bit of a beauty haul, beginning with Rimmel's Scandaleyes mascara. I have been seeing adverts for this forever (starring the gorgeous Georgia May Jagger), and have been sorely tempted to try it out, but I was held back by my long-standing devotion to Maybelline mascaras. Then I walked in to Superdrug and saw this little baby on sale - I was already contemplating getting a new mascara, and my mind was instantly made up. Stay tuned to hear just how good Scandaleyes really is..

And here is where I started to spend more than I anticipated... I had been on the lookout for a new lipstick recently, and had heard the Kate collection for Rimmel was good, so of course I went to check it out. The lipstick I had in mind was a bright, almost floral pink, and shade 02 fit the bill perfectly. Then I got carried away trying out the other shades on my hand and literally fell in love with shade 12 - the gorgeous almost orange-y coral colour is so striking that I had to have it! Now my lipstick collection is edging closer to being complete, and I cannot wait to work these colours with a fierce fashion pout.

Unintentional purchase number two strikes.. I was just browsing through New Look when I saw these stunning coral slipper-style flats. My eye was instantly drawn by the gorgeous colour, and I love the cute shape which feels almost vintage style. They also lean towards the pyjama party vibe that the catwalks were giving out recently, so I think these are going to be my NSBFs (New Shoe Best Friends).

I am a huge fan of the 50s references going on on the catwalk - everything about the era epitomises elegant, ladylike style with a heavy dose of fun print thrown in. The D&G SS'12 collection is currently the subject of a lot of my daydreams... Which is why I was most definitely searching for a new piece that channels the mid-century modern style, and this Topshop sun top certainly does that. The playful, graphically floral print is pure fun, while the slightly corseted style and straps put me in mind of 1950s holiday dressing - perfection.

The final stop on my shopping trip was Primark, where I will openly admit that I got a little carried away. I went in for new work shoes and came out with so much more.. Starting with this belt. I love skinny belts because they add an extra detail to outfits, but was unsure if I could pull off snakeskin. And this is the bonus of Primark - yes, it is cheap and can be poor quality, but if you aren't sure about something and just want to test out a trend then this is the place to go. You can just give something a go, and even if it isn't right for you the wallet-friendly prices mean you won't have wasted too much money. Result.

Another piece I want to test out is a silk scarf, so again I went to Primark for an affordable one that I can play around with. Silk scarves are a bit of a must-have accessory this season, being used for everything from headwear (again harking back to the 50s) and belts to shoes and actual dresses, so of course I had to get my hands on one. I love the classic blue tones and bold pattern of this one, and will be trying to work it in as many ways as possible - just to see how versatile it really is.

My final buy was upon total impulse. This impulse again struck in Primark, where I saw this Gaga top out of the corner of my eye and literally could not bring myself to walk away from it. It was such a bargain, and I love Lady Gaga so much (especially the Born This Way single and cover) that I simply had to have it. I even bought it a size or two too big because there were none in my size, but I wanted it that badly! Besides, tops like this often look better oversized.. that way they can be paired simply with jeans or leggings, or tucked into a high waist skirt or shorts casually. This is one buy that was not trend driven, it was simply down to my small obsession with Stefani Germanotta.

That's the end of my little shopping spree, and looking back it was definitely a good one! Like I said, I may now be lacking in money but my wardrobe just got that little bit chic-er. Which equals a successful day in my opinion. Now, it's getting late so I'd better cut this off.. but what do you think about my buys? Love and kisses, Tara xox

Beauty Review: Cupcake Face Mask.

Today I decided to attempt my first proper beauty review, since I tried a totally new product and thought it would be fun to post what I thought. Now, I'm no practiced beauty blogger so just bear with me while I give it a bash!

As suggested by the title, for my first stab at the whole reviewing malarky I have chosen to road test the Cupcake Face Mask by LUSH. Lush are unashamedly one of my favourite purveyors of cosmetic/beauty/smelly stuff and I have been known to go into the shop simply to smell the new products. It was of course one of the stops on the Christmas shop, even if all I bought in the end was this gorgeous face mask for myself! I lingered around said face masks forever trying to decide which one to pick up. I have very awkward combination skin, so pretty much all of them sounded like they would do some good to my face, but finally made my decision when I saw that the Cupcake mask was good for 'teenage skin'. Well, I've definitely got that...

My first comment is just going to be on how much I love the scent of this! Literally as soon as I popped open the little pot the room was bathed in the smell of mint chocolate cupcakes... Heaven. I can actually still smell it a little bit on my skin now, which is keeping me happy. Good work, Lush team. It was also pretty easy to spread evenly on my skin - it had a nice consistency where it was just runny enough to smother my face in it, but not runny enough to just slide off. Like all face masks, it did feel a little weird when it was drying and hardening, and tingled a little bit, but that is to be expected. Anything minty makes your skin tingle, and that just means it is working. Once the ten minutes of chocolate-scented pampering were up, this face mask washed off quite easily with warm water, again a bonus. I have had some face masks that are simply impossible to get off, but this one just needed to be rubbed off with some lovely warm water.

After discovering that it was easy and comfortable to use, we move onto the effects.. did it do any good? Of course with most skincare products you don't really see a difference with one use, but you generally can with face masks. And with this one I most certainly did. Aside from the generally clean, fresh feeling that comes with having a good old cleanse to remove the impurities of our toxin-ridden lives, I found that immediately after my skin felt very soft and clean, as well as quite hydrated - which I wasn't expecting.

Overall, I would say that this product definitely lives up to all the expectations I have of any Lush goodies - to smell good, feel good and work well. I am deeply impressed by the gorgeous scent and the impressive benefits after one use, so the Cupcake Face Mask is definitely going to become a permanent fixture in my beauty cupboard! Well, fridge. If you go out and pick this little beauty treat up, remember to store it in the fridge because it needs to be kept chilled! And I would totally recommend that you do get this, for a little bit of holiday-time pampering, either for you or a friend. If the whole 'teenage skin' thing means that this mask isn't suited to you, then I am sure that one of the others in their amazing range will be - just go in store and take a look. Finally, just for sheer funzies and because I have some kind of desire to humiliate myself in cyberspace, here's a lovely little shot of me enjoying the pampering..

Aren't I LUSH? No pun intended, I promise... Love and kisses, Tara xox

I was born in the wrong era.

Don't get me wrong, the 21st century has a lot of good points (technology, vast fashion history to steal from, equality for gender/race etc) but I can't help but feel that I should have been born a little earlier on. Many people would say the 70s or 80s would have been fun to live through, and while I love Studio 54 glamour, those decades just aren't my preferred timeframe. I'll just spit it out. I wish I had belonged to the golden era of Hollywood. Those glorious decades when cinema was coming into its own, creating screen sirens and eternal icons, where it was all about the glamorous image portrayed. The stars of those times are the epitome of style, glamour and celebrity - just how many times do you see a vintage Hollywood look on the red carpet?

Personally, this love of old Hollywood has always existed, but it has definitely intensified this year, beginning with seeing an exhibition of portraits over the summer, and continuing with seeing My Week With Marilyn. Having seen at least part of her story, I now want to see some of her actual films.. and those of other icons. I also harbour a deep admiration of the way the stars were always picture perfect, how the image presented was nothing less than gorgeous at every opportunity, be it on screen, in a photoshoot, or out and about. So much more glamorous than today's celebrities being papped going to the shops in their PJs. And even though it is all so obviously orchestrated, I cannot help but love it. The red lips, the perfect hair, the uber-stylish clothes...

Marilyn Monroe epitomises glamour.

I love the fresh feel here.

A typically Monroe shot - glamorous & gorgeous.

Louise Brooks is another favourite of mine.

I love her iconic bob.

This photo is creative genius.

Elizabeth Taylor - picture perfect.

Sadly we lost her this year.

As Cleopatra.

Jane Russell's famous photo for The Outlaw.

She is literally beautiful.

I would kill for her looks.

Rita Hayworth, making smoking look glamorous.

Pure beauty here.

Jean Harlow posing.

I am obsessed with Lauren Bacall's look here.

A very dramatic Marlene Dietrich.

Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire dancing up a storm.

I think you can probably see the reason why I dream of belonging to this era... You know I am one for being very put-together in my style, and since every element of their appearance was contrived, these Hollywood stars are real style icons for me. But this love is, if possible, even more about beauty than clothes. I simply adore the perpetual red lipstick, flawless complexions and retro-waved hair that comes with the screen siren territory - it is the look of classic glamour, constantly replicated by celebrities. Besides, you know I love a good lipstick. Of course, they might not have been 100% perfect in real life (a crazy amount of editing and re-touching went into every photoshoot), but their image was always faultless. I love the clothes too, from the uber-feminine cocktail dresses like those of Rita Hayworth to the more relaxed clothes like Jane Russell wears above because they all maximise and promote a realistic, feminine figure. And the girls look gorgeous for it. I wish there was more of this today.

So you see, Hollywood's icons are forever our icons because they provide the basis for flawless glamour, and a constant inspiration for fashion-lovers worldwide with their signature beauty looks. I love the element of mystery and privacy that is clear, you never do see them without their lipstick, their perfected images, and would never catch Marilyn Monroe in joggers going to buy milk. I try my best to emulate this, with my constant attention to my appearance, which could seem unnecessary, but I always want to be caught at my best, like my vintage icons. What is the point of dressing up one day, only to have everyone see you looking messy the next? Lipstick is also a mainstay of my beauty look - I wore a different one to college every day this week! - and is the fastest way to look 'done'. So basically, I really do feel like I should have been born into the golden Hollywood age.. I may not have been up there with Elizabeth Taylor etc, but I would have been dressing and acting like I was. Love and kisses, Tara xox

Check out my hectic life.

And I say hectic with only the slightest hint of sarcasm. Having stayed up doing coursework for many a night, only to hand the draft in, get feedback and be told to carry on drafting, the easing of the workload I thought would happen downright hasn't. Part of me assumed that teachers would get some Christmas spirit and stem the tide of homework that is threatening to drown me (or at least my social life), but apparently not - and I bet I will get holiday work too! The homework plus the fact that I am out at college from 7.40am to 5.45pm most days including journeys, leaves me with very little time other than weekends. It's not just college making me busy, I work basically whenever I can (or as often as I am needed), while trying to fit in blogging, some kind of social activity and even a little bit of sleep. I think the evidence for the busy schedule I keep is that since this blog started (a few months back in July) I have posted every day, minus the days I was on holiday in Madrid, but yesterday I simply did not have time. 

So here comes the catch-up of yesterday...

It was Friday, chilly and the end of the penultimate week of term (yay!), and yet again I had suffered from stylist's block..

Jumper & Skirt - H&M; Top (underneath) & Earrings - Topshop; Jacket & Shoes - New Look; Tights - Primark; Rings - Forever 21 & Parfois.

Continuing with the trend of layering up my separates when I draw a mental blank, I wrapped up a little in a peter pan collar top, jumper & coat, only to suffer chilly feet in my dollies. Sensibility still escapes me. As you probably know, I have a thing for tights and yesterday I decided that black ones just wouldn't do with such a monochromatic outfit, dredging up some purple ones from the back of my tights drawer. And I am pretty pleased with the result - the bright tights and lipstick lifted the whole look, and in my opinion made it work. I bet you're now thinking that this wouldn't have taken long to write yesterday, but I was actually out last night at the Christmas show by my old gymnastics club Spirit and didn't get in until about 10pm, then decided upon a rare early night. It was amazing to see everyone last night, and the routines were all brilliant. I resisted the urge to jump in and see if I could still do some moves.. Hope to see everyone again soon, I miss you!

Now that tomorrow has been caught up on, here's what's going down today. As Christmas is fast approaching (15 days people, 15 days!!), the entire clan of us - okay, Mum, Dad and I - went out shopping to try and get gifts sorted. I split off from the parents of course, not just because I prefer shopping without parental interruption, but also so I could get their gifts without them seeing. If you're reading this my lovely parents, I have nearly got all the components of your prezzies. In all honesty, I have nearly got all of my Christmas shopping done, which is a very organised, epic feeling. Here's my outfit for hitting those shops hard today..

Jumper & Skirt - H&M; Tights & Boots - Primark; Socks - Urban Outfitters; Bag - H! by Henry Holland; Necklace - Rock N Rose; Ring - New Look.

To get in with the festive feel I was rocking my sequin skirt today - I cannot express how on-trend it is to be sparkling in sequins right now, and not just for parties. This skirt has yet to make a party appearance, but has been worn in the daytime to add some glamour to my day-to-day style. Dressed down is of course the only way to make this work so that you don't look OTT for a Saturday morning shopping spree, which is why I teamed my skirt with a chunky cable knit jumper and some tights in the du jour print of polka dots, while juxtaposing the girly, sparkly glamour it gives off with some serious, heavy boots and fairisle socks. 

I have to admit something though, this wasn't a shopping trip dedicated to others. I may have gotten a little bit carried away with the spending money thrill and treated myself to some early Christmas presents..

This totally gorgeous little top is from New Look (yes, I spend too much money in there), and caught my eye for two reasons.. One, the beautiful, spring-like pastel colour and two, the £5 off tag. After getting closer I completely fell for the double peter pan collar and cutesy sleeves - this top is leaning towards the uber-feminine look that is coming in, and the light, ice-cream hue makes me think of the current resort collections being showcased by designers. It will just feel so fresh to be wearing light colours in winter.

I also picked up a face mask from Lush (and you can get my opinion on it once I've given it a go), some new makeup and a lemon shower gel. I'm really going in for the beauty-related treats at the moment, and I may even try my hand at some proper reviews of all the new stuff I'm trying. Anyway, I have that mountain of homework to tackle, and work at 6.30, so I'd best be off now.. Love and kisses, Tara xox