daisybutter · UK Style and Fashion Blog

a (cold beyond cold) week in photos

2012-02-12T11:30:00.000Z

Went to some events, ate a lot of food, made teriyaki udon noodles at home, met and chatted to a crazy amount of bloggers (and took photos in posh toilets with Kim and Steph!), watched people setting up for the BAFTAs tonight, and was denied cakes and scone at TOWIB. And I went to Uni a lot and stayed up 'til the twilight hours with media law reading.

This week has been pretty ridiculous. I haven't had much time to myself, and I wouldn't say this week's photos are representative of my lifestyle at all, aside from eating stupid amounts of food all the time out of boredom. Needless to say, I'm more than ready for a duvet day (kind of) today and some general chilling out, with some Dancing on Ice thrown in tonight for good measure! What can I say? I'm secretly not 20 at all...

In other news, I'm at the "Y's" of my alphabetical playlist after embarking on a personal challenge to sift through my music. I still have a good 400 songs to get through, because I listen to a lot of Chinese, Korean and Japanese music, which haven't come up in my playlist so far! While we're on the topic, so excited for Big Bang to announce their 'Alive' World Tour 2012 dates and locations, got my fingers crossed for something reasonably priced in London! Apparently I hadn't listened to some albums since 2009, and some didn't even have a playcount! It's been a learning curve to say the least, and I've rediscovered some old favourites! Do you listen to old music frequently, or are you a play-once-and-move-on type of person?

I've also officially started at the internship I was interviewed for a few weeks ago! I'm doing some in-house PR and editorial for a luxury jewellery company in London. I'm currently on a one day a week basis, and moving on to a six-month contract when I graduate which is sweet! Going to be a busy few weeks for me with keeping up with Uni, LFW next week, helping my Mama at HyperJapan in London the week after, and finally going home the week after that for my birthday. Can't wait! ♥

- this week in five:

meeting swarms of bloggers who I've been 'following' for ages
eating out more than my pursestrings could manage
venturing into the world of Kiehl's skincare and thus changing my life
eating myself into a sugar coma courtesy of MUA Cosmetics and Love Hearts - thank you so much!
taking my first baby steps on my dream career ladder

Currently Coveting: three weeks to go

2012-02-10T13:20:00.000Z

coco fashion coat · topshop lenny cross front wedges · topshop salute ankle strap wedges · chanel nail lacquer in peche nacree and pearl drop · kiehl's creamy eye treatment with avocado · see by chloe april duffle bag · coco fashion double-breasted jacket

Think I've gone a little overboard with wishlists already this year, but it's a mere three weeks until I turn 21, which means I'm now on a no-spend project until 2nd March. As with Christmas, I never actually ask for anything in particular as a gift, I tend to take the backseat and hope that my parents know me well enough to surprise me with something pretty like last year's birthday! That said, this wishlist is rendered a little useless, but I'm a sucker for a list and a good collage, and I'm currently procrastinating from sifting through content analysis doom.

Seriously in love with this fur lined coat from Coco Fashion, which is one of my favourite online import retailers. My brother and I are planning a post-Uni trip back to Hong Kong in the summer, but until then, imported clothes from Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan with a hefty shipping price will have to suffice! Can't decide how 'clever' it'd be to order a coat when spring is supposedly around the corner. The double-breasted jacket looks like the perfect lightweight piece to wear all year too.

I bought my first round of Kiehl's skincare on Wednesday while lurking around London, waiting for Emma to get her act together. (I joke, she had Uni, I went shopping...!) Really like the look of this eye treatment, especially as my current Lancome eye cream smells like rose wine. Sad face. I completely forgot to ask the Kiehl's SA to show me this product, but for now, it's on the wishlist! Finally, I'm after some more Chanel nail lacquers to add to my collection: think I'm going to get rid of most of my nail varnishes, seeing as I've only used most of them once and some are untouched, Pearl Drop looks so pretty. ♥

MUA x love hearts collection launch

2012-02-09T15:24:00.000Z

The MUA x Love Hearts collection collaboration is easily the cutest and most appropriate that I've seen in a while. Last night I was kindly invited to see the new collection before it launches in Superdrug in mid-February. While I hadn't tried anything from MUA Cosmetics before, I'd heard a lot of good things about them through other bloggers, and I think I've been converted! The event was a relaxed, intimate, sweets-infused affair held in a little bar overlooking Piccadilly Circus, perfect to catch up with the likes of Emma, Lily, Lauren, Fei, Aisling and Sabrina over a cocktail and check out new beauty goodies!

As with the core collection, the Love Hearts products start at just £2, which is very reasonable for the quality. The nail varnishes feature six new shades, and cover both brights and pastels for the new season, and have been redesigned with a limited edition Love Hearts lid. Love! I also really like the Love Hearts lip balms (scented, of course!) which are slightly vanilla scented and are also topped with Love Hearts designs. I can imagine these will be perfect to have in your bag for on-the-go touch ups! Finally, my other 'stand-out' product from the event was the contour pen, particularly in Gunmetal and Auburn, which are a silvery, purple grey, and a rich, burgundy copper colour respectively. The new additions to the MUA range are cutesy, on-trend and very affordable, and I'll definitely be heading to Superdrug next week to add to my collection.

Thank you to the wonderful Zoe as ever for such a sweet *coughcough* evening; the jar cocktails, pop-up manicure stand and blogger company was a perfect mid-week pick me up! You can find the new MUA x Love Hearts collection online now, and in-stores next week. ♥

page 394

2012-02-07T17:51:00.000Z

Wearing a warm colour palette today, more for comfort than 'style', but this outfit is very me in that I adore seperates and massive, cosy knits! I had one of those annoying Uni days that start in the afternoon, have an awkward hour gap in between lectures and seminars, and then is over before you've prepared yourself for a walk home. I'm so lazy sometimes that it hurts!

(Jumper, Warehouse;
Shorts, Forever 21;
Tights, H&M and Wolford;
Suedette slipper shoes, New Look;
Bag, c/o Romwe;
Coat and faux fur stole, as before here;
Swan ring, Topshop.)

I don't feature this jumper nearly enough times in proportion to how much I wear it! My Mama kindly bought this for me when I started third year of Uni: it's become a tradition to receive a new jumper from her each September, almost like an alternative uniform, perfect for nights when the heating is particularly crap. I'm slightly gutted that I won't be getting a new one this year...! Paired it with the olive green shorts that Emma practically forced me to buy in Forever 21 when it first opened in London, I love the buttery tones together. I'm also wearing the bag I ordered from Romwe about two weeks ago, I can't even put into words how much I love this little number! The side panels unzip (hard to describe, but I'm sure I'll show it properly in a future post!) so that it looks slightly Celine-esque. It's the perfect balance of chic and corporate, so I'm deeming it a worthwhile piece what with the end of education looming.

Tomorrow I'm going to another internship interview to see what another placement could hold for me. I'm really nervous, even though I've had a few before, so if anyone has some tips or words of advice, share the love please! I think I'm meeting Emma for some shopping damage and food before the MUA Love Hearts event, and possibly Melabelle launch, too which will be nice! Excited for a little midweek break from reality! And finally, before I go, found out last night that Big Bang announced their world tour for this year. So. Excited. Be still my fangirl heart. ♥

i will never be

2012-02-06T17:04:00.000Z

Currently sat in my bedroom musing over options for dinner tonight, and debating over leaving the warmth of said bedroom to make a coffee and snack. I always find it so hard to kickstart myself into action once I've sat down and started getting on with things! The surprisingly mild weather today, nearly warm if you weigh things up against Friday's -7 degrees, called for an outing of the newest addition to my wardrobe. I don't wear dresses nearly enough considering how simple they are to wear! Minimal thought, minimal effort: perfect for a Monday of freelancing lectures and workshops at Uni.

(Polka dot tunic, c/o Ever Ours;
Tights, Wolford;
Black suedette slippers, New Look;
Coat, Topshop;
Faux fur stole, H&M;
Necklace, Disney Princess Collection at Chow Tai Fook (Hong Kong);
Ring, c/o Jimmy and His Girl.)

I absolutely adore navy blue and cream/white accents for a Parisienne-esque look. The lace collar on this tunic is such a lovely addition to the tunic and while there is a lot going on at once, with a lace hem, slightly 60's inspired bell sleeves and a lace trim on the bodice, it looks perfect with block black tights and my faithful suedette slipper shoes. Apologies for no details photos, it was raining and I snapped these at around hometime for the schoolkids round the corner! Also, I think this little ensemble is a testament to completely discounting the navy-and-black fashion myth too! Oh, and look how adorable this ring is?! A little brass mouse curled around my finger! You can receive 20% off your order from them on the ASOS Marketplace with my code 'DAISY20'.

I'm currently working on a new blog layout at long last! I've had some ideas in mind for a while, and it's a work in progress, but all shall be revealed later this month with the help of a few other girls. It shouldn't be too different from my current layout, but hopefully things will look a little more 'together' and streamlined. In more blogosphere related talk, I'm in London for most of Wednesday for some internship things, the Melabelle SS12 collection launch and the MUA event, followed by TOWIB on Saturday. Will I be seeing anyone around this week?

Anyway, I think I will go for that coffee now! Thank you again to Kim at Ever Ours for my lovely ambassador gift/dress! ♥

a (wintery) week in photos

2012-02-05T12:59:00.000Z

On the way back from my first meeting at my internship place of work, such a beautiful area of London! · Went to Vapiano's with lots of blogging lovelies pre-#ZOMGbloggersbash and had the best pesto pasta · Me after my London escapades, running on about four hours of restless sleep · Marie Claire Blog Awards snaps! I wish I'd taken more photos but it was far too early to function! · Pasta pieces and cheese for lunch, best thing when it's this cold · My January GlossyBox arrived; review to follow early next week · Things that are currently the bane of my life · Some snaps from around my bedroom at Uni - about as close to a 'bedroom tour' as you'll ever get! · My pretty new bag from Romwe · Establishing my position as a fully-fledged Hufflepuff, courtesy of Skye and her skillz at "I Am Handmade" · Inside my wardrobe at the moment, worryingly bare while my chairdrobe piles up next to me!

This week has been a complete blur to me, meeting hundreds of new bloggers on Monday seems like a million years ago! Had a lovely evening celebrating all things social media, lipstick and Zoe though (: I've actually spent most of my week feeling jetlagged after train dramas with Victoria on Monday night, and hopping straight back on another first thing on Tuesday morning. I even stayed up late on Friday night in a very awake, cold conditions induced shopping spree with the assistance of Bee - that girl is a star! True to self, I've stayed awake far later than 1am, and my late mornings have returned: I need to kick that habit by, er, tomorrow for Uni!

It seems as though Southampton is one of the few places that hasn't been hit by the snow. I'm not complaining though, my only footwear that is fit for snow is sitting happily at home, possibly in warmer conditions than an old student house, about a hundred miles away. Le sigh. Off to begin today's to-do list with brunch and a coffee! Stay warm all! ♥

loved you so

2012-02-02T17:27:00.000Z

Hello all! I'm back and blogging after a whirlwind few days of attending lipstick launches, blogger bashes and morning meetings. Oh, I do like a little alliteration. I think I've finally recovered from train journeys, and in even better news, my new camera tripod has arrived, which means I'm free to snap away at outfits to share at my own pace and in my own time!

(Sheer drop-hem shirt, Topshop;
Heattech camisole, Uniqlo;
Corduroy leggings/jeans, River Island;
Suede 'Aggie' boots, ASOS;
Striped cardigan, Topshop;
Coat, Topshop;
Necklace, c/o Maria Allen Jewellery;
Deathly Hallows tote bag, from the amazing Abby!)

Showcasing my love for the High Street today, with some old and new favourite pieces. Sunday saw me have a little bit of a panic-shop session in town: I snapped up this baby blue sheer shirt from Topshop after featuring it a day before on my blog. So pretty. Wore it with an essential Heattech top underneath to brave the icy weather, and my cord jeans/leggings which remain a current favourite of my wardrobe!

I wore this outfit to the #ZOMGbloggersbash on Monday, easily the most talked about blogger launch party for the gorgeous vivid pink lipstick launched by Rockalily with Zoe. It was such a crazy night, and so perfect to kickstart the blogging year with some of my blogging favourites, and to meet others that I'd wanted to meet for ages! A few of us (namely Victoria, Hayley, Abby, Steph, Hannah, Faye, Sarah and Emma!) even went for a pre-party at Vapiano's to get the evening started! Needless to say, finally meeting Abby was a life-changing moment for me: I've been talking to her since the very, very early days of both of our blogs, and she is even lovelier 'in real life'. I mean, just look at the bag she kindly gifted me?! Was also amazing to see Emma and Lily after a million months of being apart/being woken up to assist Emma and her Harry Potter life decisions(!)

The rest of my Thursday looks set to be devoted to defrosting from spending my day outside in a wannabe North Pole, working out ways to get my Mum to send my Glossybox over to me without her realising what it is and promptly stealing my samples, sorting out the content analysis for my dissertation, catching up on the Law lecture notes from Tuesday and getting my finances in order. Whew! Roll on the weekend, eh? ♥

Ways to Wear #32: pastels

2012-02-01T13:30:00.000Z

I posted a Spring Summer wishlist last week, full of whimsy pastels and spring pickings following on from another wishlist that I'd posted before that, and the comments all pointed to one main issue: 'Aren't pastels wildly unwearable?' I'm a strong purveyor of the idea that you can wear whatever you want, as long as you feel comfortable and confident in it. I think the idea that girls with pale complexions can't wear pastels is a mere myth, and quite frankly, I think a pale complexion was made for this trend!

Rather than focusing this week's installment on one particular item as I so often do, I thought I'd have a go at styling different ways of incorporating the pastel trend into an outfit, much like in my Aquatic trend edition. You don't have to go overboard and delve into the Meadham Kirchoff or Louis Vuitton extremes of the trend, gorgeously cute and sweetly whimsical as they are. Heck even my 'your clothes look funny, Mish' sister approves of these Looks!

Look One is the most 'currently realistic' interpretation of the pastel trend, on the basis that jeans are all you want to wear when it's THAT cold outside. The pastel jeans can easily be swapped for those pale blue jeans from Primark that everyone seems to own, or even a light grey version, available everywhere. I saw this jumper as worn by Emma and Suzi, and it remains on high on my wishlist: a perfect light coverup that'll see you through to the beginnings (or end) of the British summertime.

I think the second Look is inspired by lazy summer days that are spent sitting outside in the garden with a book, or the pub with a pitcher, whichever floats your boat! The subtle crochet stripes on the top are quite sporty-inspired, another trend which sees itself peeking out this season, paired with a bloggers' staple of an AA skirt, a bag that hits at hip length and woven detail shoes.

Finally, Look Three is a preppy-mixed-with-tougher-accents kinda outfit. The printed bralet would be perfect under a much more conservative shirt, and paired with lace-up boots and high-waisted shorts, it's the perfect twist on a classic preppy Look. I also threw a peachy knitted top, just to tie the colours together!

an (industrious) week in photos

2012-01-29T11:30:00.000Z

Bought a Keep Calm x Harry Potter inspired poster after spying it on Franky's blog! · The sky just before it hailed on my walk home from Uni · A vanilla spice latte and doughnut with the lovely Kat on Wednesday · Pretending it's 2004/MySpace at Chinese New Year! · Working by candlelight while it poured down with rain on Friday · InDesign at Uni · Chilli chicken in honey and soy sauce with 白菜 for Chinese New Year - cooked from scratch by yours truly ;) · Lunch with Lauren and Leanne at Coffee Nation · Pretending to be Elle Woods in my law seminar · Had an indulgent Dominoes with the girls after spending a LOT of time perusing a leaflet that fell through our door (standard student mail!) and deciding that ordering pizza online was better than cooking. By far. · Went for a walk to the Southampton Docks to walk off said pizza and ice-cream · Brushing up my Chinese reading skillz with some extra dissertation research.

Happy Sunday, Daisybutter campers! (Still struggling with a name for my readers, as you can see.) How are we all? I can hardly believe it's the last day of the week already, I haven't given myself much of a weekend but I've finally made a breakthrough with my dissertation, and I'm feeling much better about the prospect of final semester. Time to chill with coffee on tap (we bought a coffee machine for £5 so the theory is thereabouts), lovely blogs and some films.

This week has basically seen me dive headfirst into silly amounts of work, eat double lunches on more occasions than anyone should, catching up with the girls and mentally prepare myself for travelling to London and back twice in two days next week. Eep. I'm venturing outside of my bedroom den in a little bit to pick up some essentials and have a wander in the shops for something to wear tomorrow night to the #ZOMGbloggersbash. So excited to see Zoe and some of my other blogging friends, as well as meet many more - namely Abby, who I've failed at meeting for two years now. If you're heading over on tomorrow too, I'll be the short one...

By the way, I just wanted to say a huge 'thanks' to anybody who voted for Daisybutter in the Marie Claire Blog Awards last week: I was announced as one of the ten shortlisted blogs on Monday, and am heading to the awards in Mayfair (swish, I know!) on Tuesday morning. Never been so proud/excited/nervous about something before! I know there's a little bit of, er, controversy surrounding blog awards and magazine affiliation, but in my eyes, the chance to write for MarieClaire.co.uk is huge for a fashion journo undergrad, free or not. Just my two cents on the matter! My money is on Audrey/Frassy to win the fashion blog category anyway!

Oh and as a mini update of my 2012 goals... I failed one of my goals this weekend. Stayed up til about 3am, oops. How are you all getting along with your New Year's resolutions/2012 goals? ♥

paperboy mornings

2012-01-28T13:58:00.002Z

Instead of running errands and braving the crowds today in positively Arctic conditions outside (stupidly left it until the weekend, and town will be heaving now!), so far I've been spending my Saturday updating my online portfolio and consequently, trying to take photos of my face to include on one of the pages. Embarrassing.

(Dress, H&M;
Glitter hair bow - worn clipped on a necklace chain, c/o Beau XOXO;
Bracelet, Mulberry.)

This is what I'm wearing today, and I've decided I'll probably run it through the wash and steam the creases out tomorrow and wear it to the Marie Claire Awards on Tuesday. I bought it a few weeks - or more like months - ago at the Elle x H&M networking event with Sabrina, and honestly don't get enough wear out of it. It's the perfect, tailored-yet-casual fitting dress, with a light, black slip underneath a chiffon layer. The back is completely sheer, so warrants nice underwear or a camisole top, and the front has large sheer pockets and a collared, button-through bodice. Lovely. After I'd taken my portfolio photos, I also clipped my Beau XOXO hair bow on a spare necklace chain and wore it as a sweet alternative to a bowtie. I can't get enough of it!

Other than that, I'm having a relatively chilled Saturday: reading journal articles and textbooks about blogging for my dissertation, writing said diss, poring over a law book (send help!), and preparing for a meeting with my internship boss on Tuesday morning! Oh!... and I also failed a 2012 goal this week. The whole 'in bed by 1am' thing? Not possible when your neighbours' Jack Russell is awake and barking until ungodly hours. ♥

oh how i love thee, topshop

2012-01-26T17:52:00.001Z

Had two hours at Uni today and then a three-hour lunch with the girls - lovely jubbly! My weekend starts right now, so what better way to ring in three days off than with another host of items I want in my wardrobe?!

Topshop and River Island are standouts this season on the High Street for me: River Island surprisingly a little more so than Topshop for once, their range of dresses and colour palette is just gorgeous, although Topshop are a little more on trend with beautiful pastel hues. I'm more than likely to be investing in one of these lilac or mint drop hem sheer shirts, you all know how much I loved my New Look one from last year! Added some soft knits out of habit, although we all know deep down that those will get more wear than strappy playsuits and sandals!

I still haven't come across my perfect pair of spring shoes yet. Ideally I'm picturing something tan, woven and simple, but the High Street haven't read my mind (or blog) just yet sadly. I adore these taupe flats with bright neon pink though, I've placed them on my mental 'to buy' list, because they'll be perfect for the workplace when I start my internship in June! I've also started to let my mind wander into handbag territory again, almost a year after my parents gifted me a Mulberry Alexa for my 20th birthday. The mint green 'drench holdall' is classic and cutesy, without looking too young, and again, would be somewhat of a fashion investment by way of my upcoming internships.

Which pieces are you currently coveting for the impending SS12 season? What are your thoughts on the pastel trend? Let me know so I can add more to my own wishlist - my shopping habit is lethal! Have a lovely evening, I'm easing myself into more dissertation reading and data collection prep tonight! ♥

the freckled sky

2012-01-24T19:20:00.000Z

Had such a ridiculously long day at Uni today, 'Crimes of Fashion' lectures and seminars paired with a guest lecture that I absolutely hated. Oh well, life goes on, and I'm sat tapping away at my laptop once again, so all is well! I really liked my outfit today as well, even though it isn't really anything special: just another jumper and dress foolproof look.

(Jumper, c/o Boohoo;
Dress, c/o Ever Ours;
Ribbed tights, H&M;
Suedette slipper shoes, New Look;
Necklace, c/o Jewellery by Jaymie;
Ring, Ever Ours;
Belt, Primark;
Tote, London Fashion Week.)

I'm still a huge fan of the olive green, khaki tones at the moment, such a lovely mid-neutral colour palette that transitions well all year round - perfect for me and my Spring Summer fearing ways! The dress underneath is one I wore at the start of the year: LOVE how versatile it already seems to be though, which is a winner in my eyes. It looks completely different simply by covering up the white lace, and will be gorgeous with a light tan (wishful thinking?) and some tan accessories.

Think I'm going to spend my evening eating leftover pizza and writing some more of my dissertation. I've got a law textbook beside my laptop to be read for next week too, feeling ever so slightly out of my depth but I'm sure I'll be fine once I've taken a minute to take everything in. I had a late-night blog brainwave last night too, so I 'might' work on a new feature that I 'might' start posting soon. Hope you're all well, catch you on Twitter! ♥

year of the dragon

2012-01-23T17:36:00.000Z

Had the standard first day back today, which in translation was headache central, some useful snippets of info and a lot of waiting around. I honestly can't believe I'm in my final semester of education - ever! Today also marks the start of the Year of the Dragon! Not doing much by way of celebration, just a quiet night in of attempting to cook some Chinese food and getting on with things.

(Lace and faux leather tunic, Ever Ours;
80-denier tights, H&M;
Suedette slipper shoes, New Look;
Duffle coat, Topshop;
Illustrated cat ring, c/o Jewellery by Jaymie;
White gold heart ring, A gift;
Alexa, Mulberry;
Nails, 'Razzle Dazzle' by Deborah Lippmann.)

Had a panicked, last minute shopping session late on Thursday night, after realising I hadn't bought anything new to wear for Chinese New Year. It's tradition to wear new clothes, new shoes, etc. on the first day to bring good luck, fortune and prosperity, and when I celebrate at home, we usually keep to most of the traditions! I bought this after repeatedly going back to Ever Ours to stare at it, and I adore it: it's a gorgeous balance between prim and proper, and something a little edgier with the faux leather collar and cuffs. I never really wear lace, although I've worn it in my last two 'outfit posts' now! I think the dress has such a sweet 60's x 90's feel!

In other, slightly less materialistic news, I've made it to the shortlist of the Marie Claire Blog Awards! I'm still in disbelief, but I'm so, so grateful to anyone who has read my blog and decided to vote for me - thank you times a million. I'll be off to the Awards Show next Tuesday to watch them announce the winners, which will make a nice change from mooching about in my pyjamas before Uni! Huge congrats to the other bloggers shortlisted too!

Right, there's a chicken stirfry waiting to be cooked downstairs, and things to be sorting out for Uni, so I'm going to start our Chinese New Year festivities, student style! 恭喜發財, 新年進步 and all that jazz ;) ♥

a (fortuitous) week in photos

2012-01-22T12:38:00.000Z

The evening sky in Southampton · Clear blue skies on the walk home from town · My first Graze box arrived! · Shooting photos for an outfit post in the garden - very, very cold! · Made a pesto pasta on Saturday night with cherry tomatoes, chicken and red onion · New purchases from the week · Found one of my favourite photos from a second year photography project, featuring the lovely Kez as Twiggy! · King prawn thai noodles · Me, having a cheeky pose instead of shooting outfit photos... · Dissertation doom · Taking photos for future beauty reviews · Creme Egg Splats, my new love in life.
Been the most surreal and hectic week by some lucky twist of fate! One of my 2012 goals was to get myself on track in the internship 'game', so I spent that first week of the month meticulously writing cover letter upon cover letter and crossing my fingers. Well this week I've secured two placements, one of which is a long-term one starting as I graduate from Uni! I've been dropping hints about it all week but didn't want to confirm until I'd had my interview, which was yesterday morning. I'm so happy that my cover letter roulette finally paid off, and I'm even starting to get excited to graduate! (Although putting my digital portfolio together? Not remotely fun. Anyone have any ideas to replace Issuu on Wordpress?!)
This week saw me indulge in too much chocolate and too many magazines - what's new?! I think my sudden obsession with blogs over the latter half of last year meant that my love for print magazines ebbed down to non-existent, but I'm making a conscious effort to read a magazine or three again each month. This month's favourite reads have been the redesigned Company and my old favourite, InStyle. Seriously lusting after this little See by Chloe number!
Received the loveliest email from a fellow fashion journo undergrad this weekend: Libby studies at the London College of Fashion, and recently produced a documentary exploring the issues around breast cancer and womens' changing perception of the fashion industry. I found it really interesting and rather moving, as it highlights an issue that is so centric to a lot of people. You can watch it here, if you're interested! As Libby pointed out, it's always interesting to see a varied, conscientous side to the fashion industry.
Anyway! I'd better get moving, my floordrobe won't tidy itself and I'd quite like to kickstart Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon with an organised wardrobe! Bought the loveliest little dress to wear tomorrow for the whole 'new clothes for the new year' tradition ;) My housemates and I are planning to spend the evening devouring the majority of Dominos' pizza menu tonight too! Busy busy(!) ♥

rituals' hammam delight

2012-01-20T17:28:00.000Z

The Rituals range of bath and shower products is always something I look at and put on my 'things I wish I could buy' list. Their products look and smell incredible, and for some reason, I'd always classed them as something completely out of my price range. I received their Hammam Delight Foaming Shower Gel in December's Glossybox, and all other shower product options have (quite literally!) blown out of the water by it.

Firstly, the packaging is sleek, weighty and indulgent: I love the brown and light aqua colours of this bottle, and it suits the product and scent inside perfectly, as well as serving well to look pretty amongst the hoards of products that are housed in my bathroom. If I'm being completely honest, Fresh Eucalyptus and Rosemary wouldn't have been my go-to scent for this product. After seeing other bloggers' unboxing posts about their December Box, I wanted the Rice Milk and Cherry Blossom, or Indian Rose and Sweet Almond Oil one, but nevertheless, I hopped in the shower armed with my fancy new product and... I absolutely love my Rituals shower gel.

The scent is fresh, clean and woody, with a hint of something fruity or leafy. I'd describe it as a sophisticated scent, although I do use this daily, it'd probably fall under the category of products-to-use-before-going-out. I'm sure we all have that category in our bank of products! The gel consistency is thick and creamy, and foams really, really well. The smallest amount of product goes a really long way, making this product an excellent investment. I find it moisturising enough to go without extra lotions and potions afterwards, and the scent is longlasting too.

Rituals' foaming shower gels retail at £6.50 for 200ml (the large bottle), which is much cheaper than I'd expected, and I'm probably going to treat myself to another next week. In hindsight, I'm so pleased I got this in my Glossybox: I'd never tried Rituals on the basis that I didn't want to ask after the price, and have to politely decline a purchase if the price was more than £10 haha! You can purchase Rituals products online or at John Lewis and House of Fraser.

Did you get a Glossybox last month? What did you think of your Rituals product? ♥

it had to be you

2012-01-19T17:06:00.000Z

Wasn't in the frame of mind for an outfit post today, despite really liking my outfit. I think I'll save it for a (non)rainy day and shoot it when I next wear it out instead. This week has been a bit of a whirlwind to be honest, I'd planned to spend it sorting out my dissertation, sorting through my belongings and writing some cover letters, yet I haven't stopped since Sunday evening!

A few of you already know from following me and my forever excited train of thought on Twitter, but yesterday I finally managed to get myself another internship. I'm going to be interning at Debenhams' Press Office for a few weeks in March which is really exciting! I graduate in May (well, I finish my studies, and graduate properly in November) and so far, I've had experience in both fashion journo and beauty PR, so I'm excited to add to that and see where my interests really lie. Got another internship interview type thing coming up as well, which I'll talk about if it goes well!

It's feedback week at Uni this week, which evidently means going in to Uni for 5 minutes a day, if that. Got my first module grade back on Tuesday, and I received an A1, which is 100 marks. One hundred(!!!) Out of one hundred. I've never been more shocked or proud in my life, so promptly skipped out to town, and picked up some beauty essentials as recommended by the beauty blogosphere: so far, I can easily advocate that both the VO5 Miracle Concentrate Elixir and Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer are worth their pennies and the traipse around a sullen Southampton! Included my new Shu Uemura eyelash curlers in the photo as well: would also recommend those! (Also, you can still get 15% off orders at Beau XOXO with my code 'DAISYBUTTER', if you're after one of the glitter bows that I'm wearing above.)

Other than that, I'll leave you with some miscellaneous photos from my day so far: I'm off to watch this week's Glee episode, finish my Graze box, and find something new and red to wear on Monday (Chinese New Year)! ♥

PS. Voting for the longlisted Marie Claire Blog Awards closes tomorrow, so I'll finally be shutting up about that ;) Wish me luck?

strangers' silence

2012-01-17T16:38:00.000Z

Having another of my famous days in today: I'm on top of my emails again, my diary is full of exciting happenings, our house has been let starting from July (reality is hitting...) and I've been busy making notes for an exciting opportunity this week. I've also been jotting down ideas for new blog photograph ideas: improving the quality and style of my photographs is on my list of 2012 goals, and there's no time like the present to get the ball rolling!

(Lace and stud tunic, Ever Ours;
Skirt, Zara;
Tights, Wolford;
Suedette slippers, New Look;
Moustache ring, c/o Ever Ours;
Grey glitter bow, c/o Beau XOXO;
Bracelet, Mulberry.)

And so my favourite tunic makes another appearance... I still love this tunic, and have done since I bought it way back in October! Can't wait to pair it with patterned white tights and a soft-fit blazer for the Spring, but for now, I layered a skirt on top and opted for my failsafe slippers and tights look. I'm thinking of selling this skirt after it's come out of the wash too, it's a Zara size S but just doesn't fit me properly anymore and is a little large. If you're interested, let me know!

Thank you for all of your comments on yesterday's post too! I love hearing that people have bought something that I wrote about, and can't wait to see my fellow Little Mix wannabes style their glitter bows on their blogs. Also, thank you for all of the internship well wishes too, I think my hard work and cover letter perfecting has paid off, but I don't want to say anything yet, just in case! Our landlord was round today, showing a group of first years around our house, and as of about 30 minutes ago, we have new tenants from July onwards - the end of Uni is ever imminent. Eeek.

Anyway! Back to interview prep, sorting through my wardrobe and hunting for my perfect faux fur coat. I seriously like the look of this Motel number after seeing it on the beautiful Carrie's blog. ♥

all that glitters

2012-01-16T16:21:00.000Z

Well, I'm back in ye olde Southampton, masquerading as the fifth member of Little Mix and filling my days with creature comforts, such as pretty new books, all manner of magazines - I bought FIVE over the weekend, can someone please stop this fash journo student? She's outta control(!) - and a couple of Gossip Girl DVD boxsets in preparation for the return of season five amidst its badly-timed Winter hiatus. Can a Winter hiatus... be badly-timed? I'll save that fascinating debate for another time, perhaps after we've discovered the Bass' fate.

(Grey glitter hair bow, c/o Beau XOXO;
Nail Pop in Dove Shade 11, c/o Look Beauty;
Models' Own in Pink Fizz.)

I can't get enough of my Beau glitter bow at the moment. As a thank you for designing her blog header a few months ago, Georgie kindly sent me a bow from her Etsy shop, as seen on Perrie from Little Mix in the X Factor final. I'm very much a less is more, minimal effort type of girl when it comes to hair: a clip-in bow is perfect for me, easy to adjust and tweak if you need, and it adds just enough drama and statement to an everyday look, although I'm sure this'll make another appearance soon with some tousled waves by night! Georgie stocks these in a whopping 17 colours, so there is something for everyone, I adore my grey one but the chocolate brown one is sweet too. Even better, Beau XOXO are offering a 15% discount with all orders using the code 'DAISYBUTTER', happy shopping!

In other news today, I finished an entire bottle of hair conditioner (stop the press, this is breaking news!) and ventured out from my cosy room to repurchase my Dove Nourishing Oil Care with much excitement. I'm currently in the market for a relatively affordable hair oil after finishing my Macadamia Oil and failing to find a UK seller too, so send your recommendations to me in the comments! Oh! And I may have made some progress on my internship search too, but watch this space...! ♥

a (camera fx) week in photos

2012-01-15T11:30:00.000Z

A light lunch at the Slug and Lettuce with the girls on Monday · Embracing my inner teen & having the time of my life at a One Direction concert, which was amazing · Wearing my brother's jumper and being unhelpful with his packing · Wearing my Beau glitter bow - more to come tomorrow! · Sprucing up my dissertation notes with Mulberry stickers... as you do · My blog birthday cupcakes from the Mama · A teeny tiny Starbucks and a very long car journey · Yo! Sushi lunch with Mama · Randomly appearing uncredited in Company magazine · My Mulberry order arrived: I got excited and documented the opening in photos · Got longlisted in the Marie Claire Blog Awards!!

After an impromptu break from my Week in Photos over the holidays, I'm back with a fresh snippet into my everyday life! My DSLR had been hiding away in my suitcase for the majority of the week, so apologies for a post which is solely compiled with camera photos, I'm still more-than-obsessed with the Camera 360 app on there. The photo quality isn't too awful either, but I've thrown effects and all sorts on these before exporting to my laptop, so um, apologies!

This week has been surreal, if anything. Started the week by waking up in Southampton, going to Uni and finishing the day back home after battling with commuters for a place on the train. One Direction were absolutely amazing in concert, say what you will about them but I've never seen (teen) energy like it, and even lost my voice while shamelessly warbling along to all of my favourites from their album *cough, all of them*. On top of all that, I received an email letting me know I'd only gone and been longlisted for the Marie Claire Blog Awards! If you haven't already been on there to vote, please do, some of my blogging favourites and friends are on there too, but of course it'd make my day to nab your vote ;) I also spied my face and my Dainty Nails in Company magazine too, rather surprisingly as it seems I'm just there by chance.

I think I'm spending my day indoors, sorting through my wardrobe in a bid to control my spending and finally sell some pieces that I just don't wear anymore. I don't start back at Uni until the 23rd, so expect a whole lotta Tweet action from me in my self-induced boredom, haha. It's feedback week at Uni, so I'm sure in-between tutorials, I'll just be aimlessly browsing the Topshop website and panicking myself into a comfort eat sesh! How are you spending your Sunday?

Ways to Wear #31: the aquatic trend

2012-01-13T18:59:00.000Z

Picking up any sort of mainstream fashion magazine this week will give you a quick round-up of this season's trend inspirations. The key trend that both worried me and excited me was the aquatic trend: do we have to wander around dressed similarly to a mermaid? Is the boho-inspired look really 'back'? I thought I'd tackle this trend in this week's Ways to Wear, and get back to normal posting next week.

The aquatic trend covers light/pastel hues, deeper and richer tones and a soft, relaxed silhouette, and understandably, if you're anything like me, you will have taken one look at the fashion pages of a mag and scrapped the idea completely. Take this all with a pinch of salt, I'm sure you already have similarly coloured pieces in your wardrobe, and similar clothes hanging around waiting to be worn again!

(Shirt, £38, Topshop;
Skirt, £30, Annie Greenabelle;
Cardigan, £24.99, New Look;
Anchor ring, £8.50, Topshop;
Shopper bag, £14, Urban Outfitters;
Shoes, £30, Urban Outfitters.)

Look One is very loosely inspired by the aquatic trend, and taps more into the pastels trend, which is equally as terrifying - to me at least! Featuring that gorgeous shirt from Topshop, it ties in a peach, high-waisted skirt for the classic preppy shape and Look, with bare legs (yep, that kinda thing does happen once upon a year!) some woven accessories and a big cosy knit, than looks at home both indoors and by the beach. To make this Look work transitionally, add a darker knit, a knitted headband/turban and some boots.

(Tunic, £28, Topshop;
Heart collar blouse, £17.99, Missguided.co.uk;
Jumper, £22.99, New Look;
Ribbed knee highs, £6, Topshop;
'Lenny' wedges, £65, Topshop.)

There's something about the cutesy pastels that Meadham Kirchoff showed for their SS12 collection that I can't seem to step away from: this Look is a toned down version with sandy, Earthy hues to keep it looking sleek and sophisticated within reason. I love the metallic pleating detail of the tunic from Topshop, and the tunic wouldn't look out of place come day or evening. Score! Wear the blouse on top of the tunic, with the heart detail collar (LOVE!) peeping out from this boxy New Look jumper. Hair could be topknotted or left unruly with this look, you don't want to look primped and preened at risk of looking like an overgrown five-year-old who has been styled by their Mum!

(Tee, £30, Topshop;
MOTO Leigh jeans, £38, Topshop;
Snood, £12.50, Miss Selfridge;
T-bar shoes, £10, Urban Outfitters;
Trench coat, £27.75, Forever 21.)

Finally, this is a sophisticated and more mature approach to the aquatic trend. Keeping things simple with a tee, jeans and trench combination, this is every British girl's dream: I love the textured foil look in stores at the moment, but keep it classic with everything else in the Look. Navy 'Leigh' jeans provide a welcome yet subtle pop of colour to the outfit, and the accessories are simple and understated. Wear with a bright lip and sleek, neat-and-tidy hair.

Hope you enjoyed this week's little feature! Let me know what your thoughts are on the aquatic trend? Also, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everybody who has already voted for me in the Marie Claire Blog Awards - I've only been longlisted, but with your support, I'd love to make it to the shortlist and be in the running for Best Fashion Blog and the chance to write for Marie Claire's website! Voting closes on the 20th Jan, after which the shortlist will be announced! ♥

tombé en amour

2012-01-11T14:19:00.000Z

Just over two weeks ago saw the opening of Mulberry's Winter sale on their website. In true me fashion, I've been hopping on and off the site since the 24th, and last week after being paid, I decided to take the plunge and treat myself to a post-Christmas splurge. I bought the French purse from the Tillie collection - which is still swoonworthy - and seriously love it. It replaces my broken River Island purse, and is more 'grown-up' than my Gucci one, with much more space to play with. The gold hardware is so pretty, and is the perfect contrast to my Petticoat White/Rose Gold Alexa, so I'm over the moon with the latest addition to my obsessive collection.

Also, in nearly related news, I woke up this morning in a post-One Direction haze to find my Mama had baked me these beautiful beyond beautiful cupcakes! I mentioned to her last week that my blog would turn two on Sunday, and while I was off out masquerading as a 15-year-old, she made me some daisy, Chanel and Mulberry cupcakes. Eeeek. She actually runs a cake bar/boutique alongside our other businesses, and you can order cakes and cupcakes for collection or delivery in Hertfordshire, so if you're about, give her Facebook page a little add!

For now, I'll leave you with two of my favourite images from the Mulberry SS12 campaign. ♥

Disclaimer: Everything in this post was purchased with my own money. I'm not being sponsored (sadly), blablabla, I just really love Mulberry and I have a shopping habit.

chalkboard

2012-01-10T12:12:00.003Z

Well, after a whirlwind 24-hours, I'm back at home, typing away at my laptop like there's no tomorrow (for my dissertation, duh!) and preparing oneself for One Direction related events tonight. Yup, you did read that right! I'm fully aware that this is the moment where half of you read on excitedly, and half of you leave my blog forever, but in my defence I'm taking my little sister, aka my part-time blog photographer, and who doesn't like some guilty pleasure music?!

(T-shirt, H&M;
Corduroy trousers, River Island;
Cardigan, Hollister;
Bracelet, Mulberry.)

Sorry about the lack of full-length photos today, this is something really casual that I threw on to wear while sorting out my to-do list and watching my Gossip Girl Season One boxset again. I wear this type of stuff all the time, but never photograph it; it's the kind of outfit I wear if I'm not doing anything but don't want to be in pyjamas all day. I'm still in love with the jeans from River Island (which are more like soft corduroy leggings or skinny trousers), and they wash seriously well - so comfy! Don't you hate it when you wash denim and it goes all crunchy and weird? Paired with my Hollister chunky knit and a slouchy Tee from my beloved H&M.

Yesterday, I went to a few masterclasses at my Uni. One of them was about Street Style, with a real focus on blogging, which of course I had to go to! It wasn't really what I expected, but I did get a good five pages of material to use in my dissertation, and had the opportunity to be embarassed beyond human belief in a group activity of placing ourselves in smaller groups depending on what style we classed ourselves as. Needless to say, I was one of the few who wandered about at the front of the room, lost and refusing to put myself in any group. In the end, my friend Rebecca and I popped ourselves in 'preppy' and left it at that! Which style group would you consider me to be? Which group do you think you fit into, if at all?

Finally, I'm so so excited, and kind of proud, to share with you all that I've been longlisted in the Marie Claire Blog Awards! I've been nominated in the Fashion Blog of the Year category, which is surreal to me and I've been so overwhelmed with the kind Tweets from you all on Twitter. Absolutely crazy stuff. The prize is the chance to write for Marie Claire's website, and as a fashion writing student who is just about to graduate, this would be an amazing opportunity for me! The longlist voting is open until 20th January, so if you believe my blog is deserving of such a title, I'd love to grab a sneaky vote from you here. You can also vote by clicking the button in my sidebar. Right! Important chitchat over, I'd better get a move on to catch another train into London to be surrounded by young, screaming fangirls for an evening, I'll pass your love on to Harry Styles when I storm the stage! ♥

two years!

2012-01-08T14:48:00.002Z

Today marks a whopping two years since my first post at this blog! Two years! It's strange to think that it's been two years since I bit the bullet and started tapping away at my laptop to a faceless reader, but even stranger that I can sit here now and recognise some of my oldest readers, my newer readers and all the lovely pals I've made along the way. I just want to say thanks for supporting my blog with all of your comments, Tweets, emails and messages, I still read each and every one of them, try to reply to all of them, and I'm still surprised and grateful that people are interested in what I have to say. (Was about to crack into a 'And how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling up at me. I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends.' thing then, Professor Umbridge style!)

I'm so proud of how my blog has expanded, without sounding too arrogant or corny. I honestly never expected it to grow beyond more than a few words a week/month and it's first follower *cough*me*cough*. Who would've known when I signed up to Blogger that things like taking 20+ macro photographs of meals before eating, co-ordinating colour choices to lighting situations, attending Fashion Week and feeling very very small, and even after parties in hotel rooms with bloggers would become everyday practice?! Here's to two years of blogging about materialistic things that make me happy, and many more to come.

Anyway! I'm off back to Uni tonight with Ebs - I've got an Online Branding and Street Fashion masterclass and some grown-up, post-Uni talks to go to tomorrow, before hopping on a train to come straight back in the evening. Sweet. ♥

PS. I'm hoping my Week in Photos will be back to normal posting next weekend, I haven't taken many 'blog' photos recently, I've been focusing on the family snaps instead! If you're interested though, I have a 365/366 photo blog here as part of my 2012 goals.

spring pickings

2012-01-07T15:55:00.000Z

This year, I've promised to step out of my comfort zone and embrace the Spring Summer with open arms with regards to my wardrobe. I always automatically opt for dark colours, but these are the first few pieces online that I've decided would belong in my wardrobe and not in a stuffy warehouse. I really like the icy blue of the Topshop sheer shirt: it'd make a welcome change from that peachy/nude one that I'm forever wearing. The other tunic from Topshop is covered in the sweetest, subtle polka dot pattern which I love, and would wear with my RI jeans, and the black (I cheated) sheer, longline shirt from River Island will look amazing with a bralet, leggings and a boyish jacket. Need the Yesstyle shorts and Ever Ours tunic in my wardrobe ASAP as well.

The new Harriet collection at Mulberry is absolutely perfect, and this clutch is no exception. I think I'm falling out of love with the repetitive satchel shape, which is why the Harriet clutch and leather totes stood out to me a little more! Depending on how well my dissertation progress goes - you all know that I work on a word count reward basis - I might treat myself to some new nail colours for the new season, and a Tangle Teezer to sort out my hair. Beauty bloggers, coughcough Corrie!, are too persuasive for their own good!

Finally, I'm probably going to spend some of my Waterstones points on this novel by Haruki Murakami. It sounds completely different from what I like to read, which are classics, historical literature and fantasy/manga for the record, but I did say I wanted to explore new books this year! Any book recommendations for me while we're here?

darling, everything's on fire

2012-01-05T18:03:00.000Z

Look at me: I'm well and truly on a roll with churning out the outfit posts while I have the spare time! Hopefully going to invest in a tripod and camera remote next week - getting serious now! I kid, I've broken my second tripod and I'm hoping it'll be third time lucky. I don't know many people more clumsy than me, it was fine one evening, I woke up and the top half was casually on my bedroom floor...

(Dress, Ever Ours;
Cardigan, Topshop;
Grey dipdye snood, Unnamed via Hong Kong;
Super cosy tights, Primark;
Suedette slippers, New Look;
Moustache ring, Ever Ours;
Alexa bag, Mulberry.)

Thought I'd take advantage of the windy weather to wear this floaty dress today. I had cycling shorts on underneath, and one of my old favourite cardigans on top to weigh it all down though, no Marilyn moments to be had here! If I'm completely honest, the idea of white/cream lace and pink tulle, chiffon material isn't what I'd pick out in a store. I favour dark, neutral tones and almost always opt for aubergine, khaki, muted pink and navy colours, but I was pleasantly surprised when I tried this little number on! It's the perfect length on me, above knee without having to compromise your modesty, and is very cool-toned, making it a lovely Winter-Spring transition piece. I wore it with the dip dye snood that my sister bought but now hates (a winner for me!), black basics and my pretty Alexa.

Had my hair cut today, as part of the Chinese New Year traditions that my family have always taken part in since I can remember. In addition to bathing with all manner of citrus fruits for company, loud family parties and being given red packets if you're unmarried, all of these are supposed to signify a new start and the New Year. Pretty gutted that I'm at Uni, in and out of lectures and the like, on the actual day (23rd Jan, this year), but I'm excited all the same!

Finally, my brother and I managed to convince our Mama to take us to Wagamama for lunch, as if being taken for a hair cut wasn't enough for one day. So good, although I remember Prawn Kare Lomen tasting much better which was slightly disappointing. Woes of a food enthusiast.