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

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

Someone make it SS'12 already!

Today my half day at college was made even better by a quick shopping dash, and then arriving home to yet another package full of goodies I bought online last week. I can only liken last Friday to a total shopping binge - after the Mary Katrantzou blowout I just carried on chain-shopping on ASOS.. But my wardrobe desperately needed a new season update, so I limited myself to must-have key pieces as much as I could. I am most definitely in the mood to really rev up my SS'12 style, and I wish the weather would let me. Today I did slightly disregard the rain/cloud/wind/cold in favour of some spring style though...

Jumper & Clutch - New Look; Skirt - H&M; Shoes, Necklace & Earrings - Topshop; Tights - F+F at Tesco; Ring - Temporary Secretary; Bracelet - Lola Rose.

I am more than a little bit in love with this candyfloss-pink jumper - it is the perfect way to wear spring's sweet pastel hues while maintaining some vestige of warmth in these icy February days. To juxtapose the slouchy, relaxed, casual shape & style of the jumper I opted to dress it up with lots of sequins, glitter, and a statement necklace, along with a pop of bright pink lipstick. These all made today's ensemble look very pulled-together rather than thrown-together, and I really like the clash of textures between knitwear and sequins. Something that really brings the outfit together is the lipstick; I said only this morning that putting on lipstick always makes it look and feel like you have put some effort in - I honestly don't feel dressed without mine! My favourite little detail though is my Lola Rose bracelet, courtesy of my free shopping spree.

Now you've seen me working spring pastels today, take a look at which SS'12 styles are going to be popping up in my wardrobe soon, thanks to my ASOS goodies..

First up is this gorgeous tropical print pencil skirt - take me to Hawaii! I am now dying for summer, sun, beaches and blue sky.. But this skirt will have to do for now. The main reason I love it is that despite being tie-dyed and crazily printed with digital blooms, the pencil shape keeps it chic.

Alright, so I am going crazy for florals.. what can I say? The new digi-flowers are just too cute and eye-catching not to end up in my wardrobe, especially the ones on these stunning trousers. Not only are they gorgeously tailored, wildly printed with just a touch of neon from the orange detail, and achingly du jour, but these trousers are from the petite section, which means they will actually fit me well! I can't wait to wear them, but I will expect more than a few funny looks, since they are pretty out there..

When I saw this dress online, I literally had to get it. Do I need another dress? Realistically, no.. but there was no way I was letting this dress go. I think everyone is familiar with that gorgeous SS'12 Louis Vuitton collection that starred Kate Moss & was basically the epitome of pretty.. Well, I dreamed of owning one of their dresses, and then along came this little beauty - it is a stunning powder blue, with large, cutout broderie anglaise style lace and a cute fit-and-flare shape.. basically it is so Vuitton it hurts. Therefore, it was always going to be mine.

It does feel a little premature to be buying sunglasses, I'm not going to lie. Then again, if we do get a sudden burst of unseasonal good weather, my peepers will be bang on trend in these perspex, pastel pink cat-eye shades. Trust ASOS to have the perfect addition to any summer outfit on hand!

When I went to town shopping today I will admit that my latest purchases were playing on my mind.. leading to two things. Firstly, a lot of restraint since I spent rather a lot of money recently. And secondly, when considering what to wear with my new ASOS trousers & skirt, the realisation that I don't own a pair of simply black high heels. Well, that had to be fixed..

And the solution came from Dorothy Perkins. These simple, suede effect shoes are exactly what I wanted - a chic pointed shape, sleek black colour & the perfect heel height for walking around all day. They did come in a rainbow of other tempting colours, but I needed black shoes, so black shoes I bought!

I think this ought to be the last major shop that takes place for a while, because totalling up what I have spent recently just gets painful. I don't even want to look at my bank statement! A few weeks of restraint are in order... which will also give me a chance to get creative with my new purchases. So just to be clear, this should be the last shopping haul post you see for a while (or a day or two until I just buy something anyway), but prepare yourself for a lot of outfits...

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

Just another college day..

Is it only Tuesday? This week seems to be dragging already.. On the plus side, today was a much better day now the exams are over for now (until May/June - eep) and I wasn't in isolation for the majority of it. I even managed a quick sesh at the gym - I really need to do more exercise. Three more days like this, and this week shouldn't be too bad.. Again, stylist's block struck me down a bit today, but I managed to pull something together with my usual impulsive eclectic-ness.

Blazer, Shoes & Necklace - Topshop; Shirt - River Island; Skirt - Internacionale; Tights - F&F at Tesco; Bracelet & Ring - Temporary Secretary.
Okay, ignore the fact the ring is technically upside down - I like seeing it the right way up from my perspective, because I really do love a good moustache. I think it was the cute details that made this outfit work and look pulled together enough for me, from the quirky jewellery to the glitter flats and the flower-pink lipstick. I do think I need to try a different statement necklace with my denim shirt - it's time to mix it up! Next time. I opted for such a floral pink lipstick today because I was flipping through a magazine or two (okay, five) and noticed that beauty for SS'12 is less about bold berry lips and more about the flower tones, so in an effort to stay on trend and maintain my love for lippie I broke out this one. Natural Collections in Pink Orchid if you were wondering. Love and kisses, Tara xox