Weekend Wishlist: The Zara Edition

// All from Zara //

Following my little shopping trip which resulted in many a Zara purchase last weekend, I'm finding myself a little bit obsessed with the place. There are so many gorgeous pieces I wish I had picked up, and every time I pop onto their website I find myself tempted even further. The funny thing is, although I've always liked Zara, it's never really been a shop that particularly excited me, yet now I can't get enough of it. I really think the quality and variety have come on leaps and bounds over the past year or so, and there are now so many iconic pieces being churned out it's hard to keep up. What I really love about Zara is how well-made their pieces are, and the way in which they are able to keep up with the trends while still remaining chic and sophisticated. I know that anything I buy from Zara will last me years, so I'm not all that put-out by the prospect of forking out for a blazer or handbag - when it comes to classic, timeless pieces I'd rather pay that little bit more than go for a cheap option that's going to fall apart in five minutes. I save the likes of Primark for the fast fashion and rapidly moving trends, which it does so well.

At the moment I'm mostly craving brightly coloured blazers. I love how they can be dressed up or down, and a good pop of colour is all that's needed to take a monochrome outfit into Spring. I'm also lusting after a really good quality handbag, as I tend to chop and change quite easily and as a result usually pick up cheaper options that don't quite stand the test of time. I'm after a spacious neutral or black bag that has plenty of space for all the junk I cart around, but that is also easy to organise so I don't find myself having to rummage it through it for my phone or purse, which would inevitably be residing right at the bottom. Of course, while seeking out such bags, it was impossible not to be drawn in by one or two of the brighter, more ornate looking clutches. There are some gorgeous beaded and embellished numbers in at the moment, and being the sort of girl who usually throws caution to the wind and just grabs whatever's prettiest, I'm going to have to exercise some restraint!

Footwear-wise, I'm looking to update my collection with some bright boots and shoes, and I must admit that I'm still partial to a bit of animal print or stud detailing. I know they've been done to death by now, but I love the fact that shops and designers are still coming up with new variations and managing to keep things fresh. I'm quite happy to see these trends continuing on into the next season, and I'm looking forward to seeing how they are going to be combined with more traditional Spring/Summer styles, as well as the lighter, fresher colour palette of pastels and pretty brights.

Last but not least, there are some stunning statement necklaces in for the warmer months, and personally I love to keep a stash of these to brighten up basics, as I find that they help me to get so many more outfits out of my wardrobe, and get me wearing items I might otherwise cast aside or reject as being a bit boring.

Have you popped into Zara lately? If so, what caught your eye?

xx

Weekend Wishlist

London Pop-up book, £5, Topshop/ Printed Headband, £10, River Island/ Caudalie Divine Oil, £25 (100ml), Caudalie/ Nars American Dream Palette, $55, Nars/ Tiger Beret, £10, Topshop/ Studded Bralet, £26, Miss Selfridge/ Cake Cases, £1.99 for 54, Hobby Craft/ Tribal Shorts, £32, Miss Selfridge/ Ram Head Studs, £5, Topshop/ Origins Spot Remover Blemish  Treatment Pads, £24, Boots/ Leopard Skater Skirt, £18, River Island/ Chain Peplum Top, £39, Rare at Topshop

Hi lovelies, hope you've all been having a great weekend so far and making the most of the sunshine. Apparently, it's going to last throughout the remainder of August, so hopefully that means finally getting some wear out of all the gorgeous Summer pieces we have been stockpiling since Easter!

I must admit, for once in my life, I felt a little bit uninspired by the 'New in' sections this week. I'm not sure whether it's because all my favourite clothing and accessories stores are a bit 'in limbo' at the moment, with a mixture of Summer's leftovers and new Autumn/Winter bits, but I think that must be it. Understandably, after the lack of sunny weather so far this year, I'm not really ready to start thinking about my Winter wardrobe yet. However, aside from clothes, there are certainly a few other random bits I'd be more than happy to get my mitts on, whatever the weather.

Origins Spot Remover Blemish Pads are not something I would have needed to consider purchasing until recently. Even as a teenager, I had perpetually good skin, and luckily for me, outbreaks have always been rare. However, more recently, my skin has been starting to play up a bit. I think this is probably down to my recent experimentation with skincare, and I now need to let my skin settle down into a routine, but while I am doing that I would very much like to try out these pads. Origins always come up trumps with their skincare, and I have heard good things about these, such as that they are gentle and do not strip the skin as many blemish-fighting products can do. They are, however, a bit on the pricey side at £24.

I've also got my eye on the Caudalie Divine Beauty Oil, which may sound odd given that I was just talking about my forehead being a bit oily, but I have again heard fantastic things about this and am keen to give it a try. It's a multi-use oil, so it can be used on the body and hair, as well as the face.

I'm still feeling a bit patriotic after the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympic Games, so I fell in love with the idea of the pop-up London book from Topshop. Granted, I am not a tourist, but I really like the idea of having a pop-up London landscape at my fingertips. Plus, I love books and like to collect quirky and unique ones from time to time.

I have been promising myself I'd find the time to bake for ages now, and I finally did  last night, when I made some scrummy banana bread. The hubby was more than impressed, and it has inspired me to get back into baking on a more regular basis (not TOO regular though, ashaving cake around all the time can only end in tears!). Next up, I'm planning to make some beautiful cupcakes in a selection of flavours. I'm thinking cookies and cream, caramelised apple and cinnamon, and peaches and cream, but if you've got any other suggestions then I would absolutelylove to hear about them in the comments box below! :) Anyway, the plan is to get a few of these pretty cake cases and a cake stand and to hold a little afternoon tea party, because let's face it, who doesn't love those?

The Nars American Dream Eyeshadow palette also caught my eye this month. Do I need to explain why? I don't think so, but let's just say that it's pretty, and it's Nars. As much as I love my beauty products and makeup, the one thing that I just can't seem to get the hang of is creating pretty looks with eyeshadow, and it really annoys me, so I'm hoping to be inspired to try again. Sadly, this is not yet available in the UK, but click on the link and you can buy it from the U.S. site.

I won't go on about the clothes, as I think they are pretty self explanatory. I just like them. Bralets, peplum tops, animal jewellery and Aztec print have all featured heavily across my Wishlists in recent weeks, and these are just the latest creations I have been admiring.

Are you ready to start stocking up on winter warmers, or are you still stubbornly holding out for more sunshine?

What's on your wishlist this week?

xx

SAVE #1: Bourjois Wild Paris Collection (A/W 2012)

So, I have been putting off writing this post, because I knew that this collection would be the perfect 'Save' alternative to the gorgeous Dior Golden Jungle, which featured in the first 'Spend' post of this Spend/Save series (find the post here), but as it's not due out until September, information on this collection is proving somewhat hard to come by. But eventually, I decided that I would give in and just share with you what I can for now, and then I will do a little update in an upcoming blog post in which I hope to be able to share some more images of the collection with you.

Wild Paris is the stunning new nature-inspired collection by Bourjois, due for release on 5th September, and featuring a palette of earthy browns, khaki greens, mustards and burgundys.
The most exciting addition to the collection, for me, is the gorgeous Python Topcoat, a burgundy nail polish which creates something similar to a crackle effect on the nails, only much more sophisticated, leaving you with a  chic snakeskin manicure.

 We can also expect two new smoky eye trios. The first, in Vert Jungle, features a deep khaki green, a light leafy green and a medium green which is somewhere between the two. As I mentioned in my Golden Jungle post, I am quite excited at the prospect of using khaki greens on my eyes, as it's something I haven't tried before. I used to be a huge fan of green eye makeup in the past, but I haven't ventured into that colour palette for a while now.

The second Trio, Brun Wood, will feature three complimentary brown shades, and is sure to do well, given that brown generally tends to suit all skin tones and is forever a popular choice.

It's clear that jungle colours, military hues and animal prints are here to stay, and that's fine by me. You can luxe up your look by adding gold accents, which will contrast brilliantly with khaki shades and is a look which translates well into clothes and accessories.

What do you think of the jungle trend?

Will you be 'Splurging' or 'Saving' this Autumn?

xx

Weekend Wishlist

So, I hope you can forgive me for not providing the direct links and the prices for this week's Wishlist. The reason for this is that my internet is playing up yet AGAIN, but I won't go into the boring details too much as you've heard it all before. All I will say is that I have extremely limited connectivity that keeps cutting out, making it very difficult to put together a  post for you at all. To make things easier, I have chosen all of this week's must haves from Topshop, so if you head over to the new in section then you should be able to find all of these lovely bits, bar the Ren face masks, which you can track down over at Ren's own site, here.

I'm finding that my Wishlists have become a bit of a mad mix over the past week or two, as while I am still busy lusting after pretty Summer pieces, the Autumn/Winter trends currently hitting the shops combined with the rubbish weather have got me also eyeing up some cosy jumpers and printed jeans to snuggle up in. I love these dusky pink heart-print jeans, and think they would look great now with white basics and sandals, continuing on into the Autumn and Winter with cosy knits and boots. Speaking of cosy knits, I'm a little bit in love with this lovely pony-print jumper. It does actually look quite thin though, again making it a versatile piece  suitable for year-round wear.

Topshop have got some gorgeous new nail polishes in at the moment, including this Crackle Topcoat in Black Dynamite, and the beautiful lilac/purple glitter polish in 'Firework'. But my favourite find of the week is, without a doubt, these gorgeous studded leopard-print shoe-boots. You can't actually see the stud detail very well in the picture, but if you look closely then you will see them decorating the toe area. I love a good statement boot, and live for them in the Winter when clothes tend to be from a darker colour palette, as they can be a fantastic way to brighten things up a bit and add interest to an otherwise basic outfit.

I am absolutely itching to try both of these Ren facemasks, as lately I have been really enjoying having a bit of pamper time, but as I mentioned in this month's Beauty SOS, I am yet to find the perfect product for my skin. Really, I am looking for both a clay mask to combat any oiliness and clear up blemishes (I don't get many, but my skin has been misbehaving a little bit recently) and a lovely, luxuriously moisturising one just for a treat. I have been hearing whispers about Ren's masks for a while now, and one of you recommended I try the Invisible Pores Detox Mask, but while having a browse on their website, the Glycolactic Radiance Mask also caught my eye. So there you go, call me greedy but I want them both!

I just would like to say in advance that I don't think I'll be doing a 'Week in Pictures' post this Sunday, as it takes a bit of work to edit and put the photographs together, and obviously with my current internet woes this would prove quite difficult. Instead, I'll be posting a couple of other things I had already prepared for other days, and then maybe next week when I have got things sorted I will be able to get the missing post up. You will still be hearing from me on a daily basis though, as luckily I have been very organised this week and written lots of posts in advance, so I will be able to just publish those from my phone.

Hope you've had a great week and are enjoying a weekend of relaxation and release.

Have you been watching the Olympics?

What's on your Wishlist this week?

xx

Experimental Jungle Nails (Rush Job!)

If you read my post on Dior's new Golden Jungle collection over the weekend (if you didn't find it here), you will know that it's probably one of the most exciting new lines due out for A/W 2012,  featuring earthy greens, leopard print and crocodile effect alongside nudes and rich browns. One of my favourite things from the collection is undoubtedly the Golden Jungle Nail Art Duo in Crocodile Leather Effect. The combo features a golden base coat along with a khaki top coat, which, similarly to crackle polishes, dries to create the croc leather effect.

Well, last night, I found myself with chipped nails and no nail varnish remover, so I decided to do a quick patch-up job until I could get my hands on some today.

I slapped on a couple of coats of this Gold Miss Sporty polish, and then I painted on a thin layer of Up Colours Green Chrome Crackle polish, and this is the effect I got. As you can see, due to the layers of polish already underneath and the fact that my nails were badly in need of a shape and a file, the end result is not even a tiny patch on Dior's offering, but the look is not a million miles away and captures the luxurious urban jungle colour scheme that is going to be all over the place next season.

I just did this as a quick experiment really, to see how it would turn out, as I had never actually used my green crackle polish and was excited to try out the colour combo! I think that if I actually started from scratch and shaped my nails nicely, painting them carefully and finishing them off with a clear top coat to even out the surface a bit then this could actually look reasonably good (admittedly, as it is it looks a bit crap!), but I think I am definitely still going to find my debit card 'accidentally' making it's way into the chip and pin device at my nearest Dior counter before long!

If you pop on over to my Golden Jungle post (linked above) then you will see exactly what I mean - there is absolutely no contest!

What's on your nails today? Do you like the idea of the Golden Jungle colour scheme?

xx

What I'm Wearing Today

Leopard Print Top, Topshop

Black Faux Leather/ Wet-look Shorts, River Island

Cardigan, Topshop

Tights, Primark

Cat Pendant, Primark

Earrings, Vintage

Bow Headband, Primark

Sunglasses, Primark.

Boots, New Look

Lipstick: Mac Vegas Volt

Actually, this is what I wore yesterday, but I didn't have a chance to post it! The weather has been a bit rubbish, so I had to resort to a cardigan-and-tights combo, rather than risk it in bare legs, though the sun did show it's little face at one point, prompting me to get my sunglasses out. Any excuse!

I was just going for lunch with my other half and his family, so I fancied a casual, relaxed look.

I'm wearing my favourite boots here too, they are a bit battered and showing their age, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of them as they go with everything and I love the stud detailing. But recently, I took them to be re-heeled, and the man who did it (he's independent) really made a mess of them! He even thought he'd give them a bit of a polish for me - shame the colour he shoes was an orangey-brown and didn't match the colour of the boots at all! Lesson learned, won't be going to him again!

I haven't really got much planned this weekend so I think we will just be chilling at home again. The spending ban continues, so that means shopping is off limits! :( As I mentioned in my last post though, I haven't completely stuck to it, and I've got some Benefit, Revlon and Maybelline goodies I shall be reviewing for you very soon.

My in-laws have literally fed me SO much cake over the past couple of days! I did go for a good run in the park yesterday evening, but that far from makes up for the volume of sugar I have ingested! I think I should invest my free time today and tomorrow in exercise as I feel a bit lethargic and gross because of it.....it was good cake though!

I was really looking forward to a couple of days away with the hubby next week, as we haven't had some decent 'us time' for ages, but right on cue, Friday the 13th and the car starts making funny noises on the way back from his parents' house. 

Not. Impressed.

Seriously, our car always seems to throw a spanner in the works when we are planning to go somewhere! Anyway, fingers crossed that it's nothing serious and we can get it sorted - cheaply - before then.

:)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

xx