Tag Archives: Sponsored Posts

Sponsored Video: Schwarzkopf Ultra Brights Hair Dye

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This time last year I was reporting from London Fashion Week, by far the biggest trend was for dip-dyed hair. From natural colour contrasts, to bright blues and sweet pastel shades anything and everything was seen. I was tempted to try it myself but really hate going to the hair salon so I played around with clip-ins. I have to say the trend for coloured hair isn’t going away but getting ever more popular, with celebrities like Rhianna and Nicky Minaj jumping on board. Taking the style one step further is to dip-dye with more than one colour, creating a rainbow effect. You can use complementary shades such as green and blue or lilac and pink; or contrast with bright orange and lime green. There are also lots of fantastic styles you can try out, pinning up a section or plating the hair so the colours are show off even more.

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Schwarzkopf have designed a really easy to use set of custom hair dyes and training videos to go with them. The video below shows how to get the dip-dye look but there are also ones showing how to do pastel colours, a full colour and streaks. The Schwarzkopf LIVEFacebook Page has tons of tips (try back-combing your hair a bit first to get a more even fade) and inspirational photos, well worth checking out. It has really got me longing for a rainbow mane.

(Sponsored by Schwarzkopf)

Trends: New Fashion Accessory the iPhone

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I don’t know about you but I’ve really noticed how people are using their iPhones as a an accessory. They now rival clutch bags, bracelets and rings as the hand accessory of choice. I’ve seen some amazing street style shots of the fash-pack all matching their phones to their outfits. The bunny ears cases seem to be really popular. I was due an upgrade in November and had my mind set on upgrading to an iPhone 5, even went into phones4u to get it. But didn’t. I love the iPhones but I’ve had a Blackberry for two years and I’m now scared I will choose the wrong phone! What if I can’t cope with having no buttons, I know I would get used to I’ve had touch screens before but I do really like the BB keypad. I do feel like I am missing out on all the cool iPhone app’s especially Instagram. I had a borrow of my mums iPhone and was really taken in with all the apps, you never can tell until you use it yourself though. I can imagine sending emails with a touch pad being quite slow. The BB Bold looks quite good and it is half buttons half touch screen. Hmm I don’t know, there will probably be a new phone out before I decide!

For everyone already with an iPhone you have to admit there are so many amazing covers and cases out there. The pink one above which is like a mini handbag is incredible. I’ve also seen wacky ones with everything from bottle openers to photo’s of ears!

What phone do you use?

(Credits: Vogue.com, Gastrochic.com, StockholmStreetStyle.com)

Man Wisdom: Finding the Right Jeans

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I remember when my brother first discovered what a difference wearing the correct fit jeans could make. He’s never been a fan of shopping for himself and I usually buy his clothes for him (someone marry his please). He asked me one day to pick him up a new pair of jeans to go with a smart blazer and boots outfit, I took his measurements and found a pair whilst out shopping. At first he was horrified, they weren’t the usual great big baggy, underpants exposing kind he usually wore. With a lot of protesting I forced him to try them on with the blazer and boots, it was to go to a posh meal so I said he couldn’t go with his butt hanging out. ‘Oh’, he said, ‘don’t they make my legs look longer’. I said yes that will be because you crotch and hips are in the correct place not half way down your legs! He said he had always worn his jeans baggy because if they weren’t pulled down they were too short. He had a point he’s well over 6ft.

I had to explain about the concept of jeans and other clothing for big and taller men, such as the jeans for tall men at Big Dudes. Larger men stores don’t only have a range of lengths but also a range of waist sizes – no need to tuck you belly over the waist band! A recent trend I have noticed is the popularity for wearing jeans longer than you really need so they can be scrunched up at the ankle, this looks great with skinny jeans. Also having a turn up on jeans to show a flash of bright socks looks cool too. If you don’t want to go for traditional jeans then you could try a chino trouser which give the same smart-casual look. There is no real rule as to what is the correct length of jeans, it really is up to how you feel comfortable and what style you want. But don’t settle for something you don’t want because you think ‘it will do’ be sure to do your research and find out what is on offer.

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Sponsored Video: Shoes & Bags with a Life of their Own

I thought this video from Next was a cute way of reminding that you can shop online until 9pm and still get next day delivery (most stores have a 9am deadline – who on earth shops before 9am).

 

I love the old cliche of the girls dancing around their handbags. It reminds me of the times when I was an Undergrad and we would just chuck our bags in a huge pile. One time the girls had been dancing and piled the handbags up on the table, only to come back and find the guys playing handbag Jenga!! Fun times.

The ice skating shoes are cute too. It is such a festive thing in Manchester, along with the Christmas markets we get a temporary ice rink. I always want to go, every year, but never get around to it. This year I am going, in fact I am going tomorrow – unless the world ends of course. I am so excited I can’t wait. It took me a while to decide what to wear though. I decided on simple basics to stay warm and dry rather than the flippy skater / Dancing on Ice vision I had in my head.

I’ve talked about Next before, but they really do have a lovely range of party essentials which are purse friendly. So if you are in need of some last minute sparkle, a fab frock or party shoes, then they are there for fashion emergencies. Also handy if you have forgotten a present, or like me haven’t even started yet eek!

Sponsored by Next

Christmas Gifts Made Easy

I have to say I am pretty much a last minute shopper. Unless I see something which would make the absolute perfect gift, I find myself sat a week before Christmas without any gifts, no cards wrote out and I haven’t even began to think about food. So here I am with presents still needed and a whole lack of desire to head out into town whilst it’s so busy. I bring to you the cheats guide to Christmas:

1. GiftGen – This is a cool little website which lets you enter gift requirements such as age, sex, price range and interests. Then it generates a list of suitable gifts. I think it is brilliant, especially when you have people you don’t know all that well such as distant relatives or partners family to buy for.

2. Christmas Shopping List app - There are tons of fun and useful Xmas apps to entertain yourself with such as the Santa Photo Booth. But one really useful app is the simple shopping list, which lets you keep score of who you have to buy for and your budget. Yes you could use a pen and paper or your memo but I’ve borrowed my mums iPad and I’m enjoying the novelty!

3. Gift Wrapping Services – Personally I really quite like wrapping gifts, but after the 5th pair of slippers it can become monotonous. So many stores these days from M&S to Amazon offer free gift wrapping which you may as well take advantage of to save you time and money.

4. Delivery – One thing I always fail on are the Xmas postage dates. Every year I totally forget and the people I won’t be seeing in person end up with their gift sometime in the new year. We don’t even have a post office in our town any more which is beyond inconvenient! Fear not Parcelforce is here to help. You can book online delivery where they even come and pick the parcels up from your house. Absolute lifesaver!!!

There you have it, easy peasy, leaving you more time for merry making.

Do you have any tips to share?

Mulberry Wishlist

This photo is from my blog, taken three years ago, how time flies! These pants and top are long gone, but the Mulberry clutch and scarf and still firm favourites in my wardrobe. I admit, I find the term ‘investment buy’ a bit of a cop out we use to justify blowing our budgets, but there is truth in it. I felt in love with this gorgeous raspberry clutch, with it’s gunmetal postman’s lock clasp. The burnt orange scarf complimenting it perfectly. They are easy pieces which I can wear with numerous vintage dresses or a simple shirt and trousers. I still get excited when I pull them out to wear and hope I will do for many years to come!

I think Mulberry has some gorgeous products, we have a lovely shop here in Manchester but the last time I went for a fondle was in Harrods whilst I was in London. They have a nice selection on the Harrods website too, above are my top picks. For a large, everyday bag I really like the Del Ray. The snakeskin is sumptuous and so versatile, I like the black but the greeny-gold would be top choice, it is so unusual.  I also like the fun side to the brand this season was all about big furry monsters, very Wild Things. Details like the quirky turtle clasps make such a unique touch, it is cute without loosing elegance. If I was going for another clutch I would choose the Clemmie. In the dusky pink it is such a modern bag, with a great shape too. It is the kind of colour which will modernise a winter wardrobe, imagine the ducky pink with berry’s and browns, so chic. Mulberry have even more fabulous scarves, so many patterns and styles to choose from. You know I am a big fan of an oversized scarf, I wear them all year round. This multicolour on really called out to me, as did the animal print ones especially the zebra.  The little friendship bracelets caught my eye too, these would make perfect stocking fillers (hint, hint). The pink with gold peace charm is my favourite, but they also have a key hole charm perfect for a loved one.

I really like to learn about how things are made, this little video shows the construction of a Del Ray bag, I thought it was fascinating.

Are you a Mulberry fan?

Trends: How to Stand Out this Party Season

I am starting to get excited about all the parties for Christmas and New Year’s now. But ever year there is the same problem, how do you make your party outfit stand out from the sea of little black dresses and sequins? One trend this season is to highlight the back, giving interest to your outfit without taking away from your dazzling smile. Stella McCartney has mastered this technique, subtly with the cut out detail ‘Exter Miracle’ dress and dramatically with the full tassel backed ‘George’ dress. Both striking yet classic LBD’s which you could dress up or down as you pleased. If you already have your perfect party dress, then you might want to brighten it up, the Alexander McQueen chiffon capes are a fabulous way to add impact to your outfit and also work as a light cover up. Shown here worn with blouse and trousers, they are also very versatile. There are plenty of jewel coloured shoes around, ruby, amethyst, emerald all perfect with black and gold dresses. If you fancy something different however, why not try a white shoe? With Spring / Summer collections becoming available even earlier this year you can buy now and wear well into spring. The Stella sling-blacks above would make equally fabulous party shoes as they would with a light dress in the summer.

Accessories are the simplest way to dress up an outfit and also easy to use when creating a day-to-night look for after work parties. A small clutch or bright bauble you can stash in your office draw. There are a multitude of power packing clutch bags on the scene right now, here from Alexander McQueen and Diane von Furstenburg. You could play out your own Cinderella fantasy with this charming clock face bag. Don’t be afraid to be bold with the jewels either, a nice gob-stopper cocktail ring or chandelier earring. This sweet bee from Delfina Delettrez is something a little more unusual to the average giant gem. Wearing a large necklace or layering up many thinner ones can create a cool feature and is as perfect for dressing up a party frock as it is an old t-shirt.

All items available from Matches Fashion

How will you be tackling the party season? Fancy any of these in your stocking?

Shopping Night presented by MasterCard

Who: MasterCard Priceless London

Where: SEVEN DIALS AND ST MARTIN’S COURTYARD

What: 20% OFF CHRISTMAS SHOPPING NIGHT

When: 5-9pm, Thursday 29th November, 2012

MasterCard Priceless London presents a fabulous shopping evening in Seven Dials and St. Martin’s Courtyard, with over 120 venues and stores offering a 20% Off Christmas Shopping Night! The stores will be getting into the spirit with DJs, live music, makeovers, gifts with purchase and complimentary food and drinks on offer for a seriously fun evening.

Some of the amazing festive offers include:

  • £50 luxury goodie bag for the first 200 shoppers to spend £100 on their MasterCard in conjunction with their shopping ticket. Claim from 5.30pm onwards at 15 Shorts Gardens.
  • Show your ticket and enjoy a complimentary Courvoisier cocktail in the St Martin’s Courtyard’s Pop-Up Bar.
  • Complimentary festive manicures by WAH Nails from 5.30pm at 15 Shorts Gardens for the first 75 shoppers who spend over £50 during the Shopping Night.
  • Christmas will come early for 150 shoppers who will be selected at random and presented with a Golden Ticket for a lucky dip for prizes worth up to £150.
  • Look out for our Black Cab photo booth in which you can capture a fun snap of you and your shopping friends.
  • Vintage Tricycles serving complimentary mulled wine.
  • Get a helping hand choosing your Christmas gifts with our inspiration window at 15 Shorts Garden. Shoppers will also have the chance to win the entire £1000 Christmas Gift Window on the Seven Dials’ Facebook page.
  • A host of in-store activity including DJ The Dressing Parlour at Urban Outfitters, a Bombay Sapphire pop-up cocktail bar and  tarot card reader at Diesel’s Flagship Store, Beauty Ambassador makeovers and a ‘gift’ balloon launch at Bare Escentuals, Kopapa’s Peter Gordon and head chef Selin serving warming snacks and Kopapa & Sipsmith’s Hot Gin Punch from their pop-up stall, DJ Sets from Breton and Kiwi and complimentary asahi beer at TopMan General Store, free consultations and complimentary fringe trims from the hair-care experts at Sassoon Salon, plus savour hot pork belly sandwiches and mulled wine from the Jamie’s Italian stall in St Martin’s Courtyard.

Check out Sevendials.co.uk for more details and T&C’s

MasterCard want its cardholders to feel special and if you do own a MasterCard, you can take your Christmas shopping night even further. You can check out all the extra deals exclusive to you here: https://www.priceless.com/london/offer/Seven-Dials?productNumber=136&preview=&cid=64085 The Mastercard deals are available now until December 31st.

It certainly sounds like a fun filled evening and the perfect chance to indulge in some Christmas shopping. Nothing beats a lovely warm cup of mulled wine to keep you warm between shops. I also really like the sound of the makeovers, so you can get glammed up then pop over to the cocktail bar for a tarot reading. Sounds more like a fun night out than the usual monotonous shopping trip.

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Trends: Winter Party Dresses

As soon as December hits we are all meant to be in the festive spirit, being invited to fabulous parties and having a wonderful time all round. It’s not always as perfect as the TV ads make out though. When we should be having fun many of us are stressing out over what to wear. It never is just as easy as swanning around the shops and picking up a glamourous frock, in truth some day’s it would be easier to the find the Holly Grail than the perfect dress! If you are wise you might have hit the shops months ago in preparation, before the Christmas crowds swamped them en mass. You might even already have the perfect dress in your wardrobe which you can dress up with new accessories. But most people want something new, many women buy their party frock as their gift to themselves and it is nice to have a treat. There aren’t many places which cater for everyone, with different body shapes, ages and styles but Phase Eight really is one of them. They have cute sequin mini dresses, elegant full length evening gowns and lace sleeved wrap dresses, in a multitude of colours, fabrics and prints. I really do think it is a great place for a good quality dress – they even have some of them on sale!

A lot of thought has gone into the designs too. A bug-bear I often hear is the lack of sleeves on dresses, not all of us have the arms of Michelle Obama, yet so many stores only offer sleeveless frocks. Phase Eight have dresses with every type of sleeve you could want, from cap to full length. I particularly liked the lace sleeves on the dress above, perfect with the vibrant purple floral print. Many of the printed dresses have a wrap detail or a darker colour at the waist, giving the illusion of a slimmer figure – just what you need after all those mince pies. For us shorter girls they also offer a full length dress with a fitted bodice and fish tail skirt, details which enhance rather than swamp a petite frame. With over 200 dresses online I think it is well worth a look.

Have you ever tried Phase Eight? What do you think of these party dresses?

My love of Panache Lingere

Is it just me or do all party dresses seem to create a problem for underwear? Why do they all seem to have these crazy straps and fabrics that make your regular bra super visible! Carrie Bradshaw might have been able to pull of the bra on show look but it isn’t for me, so I have the festive joy of having to find a bra to match my dress. I hate shopping for undies, hate it. I find it so boring and so annoying trying things on, so what I usually do is once I know the size I need from a brand I just stock up online. My fancy pants come from Agent Provocateur but my every day brand is Panache. The Moulded T-shirt bra is my favourite bra ever, it is so comfy and you can wear it under pretty much everything without having to worry about it. It comes in standard black, white and beige, what more could a girl need. Well going back to the party dress bra situation I can’t tell you how made up I was to discover the Panache porcelain bra range has been extended. There is now a Strapless bra and a Plunge bra in the collection. With the addition of the Viva to offer the bra in a different fabric and with more colour options. This has made me very happy indeed. I have been taking a look around their website and discovered they also do this fun range called the Cleo which you can see here – as much as I am partial to a plain bra they don’t make for an exciting blog post! The Cleo range however comes in all sorts of colours and styles, I really liked the cute candy shoot. What I noticed even about the fancier ranges is that they all have the same classic fit, designed for comfort. I am feeling tempted to stray from my basics. Whether I can cope with the pressure of having to match my undies every day is anther story.

Do you wear Panache? What’s you favourite lingerie brand?