The LOOK Show AW11

The British High Street is on top form right now, so last weekend when I attended The Look Show it was fantastic to see leading looks from 13 leading high-street stores.

Spotted on the FROW was Kelis, Tolulah Adeyemi, girl band Parade, Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and an array of fellow bloggerati and high street lovers.

Kimberly admires Miss Harding on the runway

 

Kelis checks out this little number

Dionne Bromfiled wows us all with her amazing performance of 'Yeah Right'

A catwalk debut from the stunning Sarah Harding who showcased looks from Warehouse and Miss Selfridge wowed the audience as she strutted down the runway with her gorgeous copper crop. Sarah looked like a glamorous siren as she elegantly walked like a pro.

Sarah Harding opens the show in Warehouse

Favourite collections amongst the show were Warehouse, with a laid back 70s vibe featuring faux fur, sequins, prints and womanly shapes; Urban Outfitters where aztec prints met padded and knitted layers; Forever 21 which offered a cool spin on graphic prints and girl-next-door meets boy; M&S Limited which I have been blown away with since the Ad Campaign launched, bodycon styles mixed with slouchy jackets and floppy hats make for a stylish look; and River Island where all of this season's hottest trends were covered - a jewel coloured jumpsuit, a high shine shift dress (which I must have), bold floral print trousers and monochrome masculinity. The great thing about all of this is that it is all in stores and available to buy NOW! I'd better get to the shops...

Stain Glass Nails

I have always had a bit of an obsession with my nails... as someone who bit their nails to shreds as a child, I was so excited to have something to work with when they finally started growing! I began attempting nail art a few years ago, just on myself, and nothing too outrageous as there wasn't too much nail inspiration around as far as I can remember, but recently with all sorts of ideas and looks becoming so popular within nail art, I have been playing around and having lots of fun!

I did the marbling, messy but looks cool... the crackle polish, the contrasting half moons, multi coloured spots, leopard print, you name it... but recently whilst experimenting I discovered the stain glass effect. Now I'm not going to say I had some amazing vision and it worked first time round, because the truth of the matter is that I was attempting something completely different... and it just so happens that stain glass was the end result!

So, how did I do it?

Step 1: Paint a base coat in a rich, shimmering colour - I chose gold. I guess silver, bronze etc would work too.

Step 2: Use a nail art polish or pen (I used a polish with a very fine brush which I found in a random outlet shopping centre) to paint on small circular patterns, but don't be too careful. I used orange.

Step 3: Use another nail art polish/pen to trace around the patterns, again don't be precious about it - turns out that when it runs a bit the overall effect is better. I used a deep red colour as I wanted to palette to be quite tonal.

Step 4: Paint on a clear top coat to prevent chipping and to give another dimension.

And that is all you have to do! I think this would work with most colour palettes as long as they are tonal, so maybe a nice jade green with a couple of shades of blue/turquoise. If you do this, and manage to come up with some cool colour combos, let me know!

Who wore what? 2011 Teen Choice Awards

Taylor Swift wearing Rafael Cennamo, paying homage to Marilyn Monroe

Blake Lively rocks this season's hottest colour, by Gucci

Rachel Bilson wears this ultra feminine Chloe dress so well

Nina Dobrev opts for something a little less vamp in this D&G number

Beautiful people...

Kaley Cuoco dazzled with her choice of beach babe beauty on this year's blue carpet. Opting for loose, messy waves was a great choice as it really sets off her multi-tonal blonde locks. Kaley's skin was glowing, with the bright pink lip really dominating the look. Her lilac and charcoal smokey eye was subtle, enhancing her pretty green eyes beautifully. A pop of rosey pink on the apples of her cheeks brought her lips to life, and added to the overall luminosity. Perfect!

<3 to get this look I recommend...

Chanel Pro Lumiere foundation, Bare Escentuals blush in 'giddy pink', Dandelion face powder by Benefit, MAC Sheen Supreme lipstick in 'Insanely it', Rimmel Soft Kohl pencil and Barry M Dazzle Dust in lilac

www.chanel.com
www.bareescentuals.co.uk
www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk
www.maccosmetics.co.uk
www.rimmellondon.com
www.barrym.com

A birthday to remember

Even the animals were a bit worse for wear the following day...

This weekend marked my 23rd year on the planet. A terrifying thought until I realised that I actually have more years ahead of me until I'm 50, than the amount of years I have been alive... that made me feel a lot better!

I celebrated with my lovely boyfriend, friends and family with an abundance of food (cakes more specifically) and wine.

I wore a gorgeous Topshop dress that I've had my eye on ever since I first saw it in store, and a pair of coloured Zara courts that I picked up in the summer sale. I accessorised with the most stunning diamond ring, a gift from my wonderful parents.

Bare Escentuals 'Bright Now' collection dressed my face which I topped off with Nars pure matte lipstick in carthage.

All cakes were made especially for me, and a bottle of Champagne set the day off with a bang!

Hairspiration

Oh Olivia, is it not enough that you have the most gorgeous sense of style? You have to have hair to die for too?

The 'could be Marant' boots

Boots £64.99 www.riverisland.com

Simple, classic, comfortable and posess an uncanny resemblance to Isabel Marants elusive 'Dicker' boot, but at a fraction of the price. Western inspired, yet not your generic cowboy boot - do not mistake for a cowboy boot. These have a certain femininity about them, with the perfect heel for every day use, and just the right amount of rugged appeal to pull off that 'Oh I just threw these on' look.

Ohthereshegoesagain LOVES

Beautiful Images

I'm a hustler baby

Luxury, wealth and power are three things that come to mind when describing the AW11 Gucci show. Frida Giannini catered for every girl who has got it and wants to flaunt it. An abundance of jewel-toned colours sprung from glamorous floor sweeping maxi dresses, fur stoles, leather separates and fedoras. This look is one for the glamour girl, feminine silhouettes echoed from the halter dresses, wide leg trousers and pussybow blouses. However the more faint hearted should not be put off by the ‘glamour’ tag as the collection is totally wearable. Sheer fabrics swished beautifully from the supermodels spindly legs in palettes of teal, burgundy, green, pink and blue, whilst snakeskin handbags and leather skirts and dresses hardened the look to remind us that the 70s woman is one of power, stance and prerogative. It’s surprising that colour is not making us nauseous after this summer’s colour blocking phenomenon; however isn’t winter dull enough without dressing in black and grey? The Gucci lady is not afraid of colour, and when used in a collection as divine as this, there should be no excuse to add to the doom and gloom of the season this winter.

Today I Love

Owl bag, ROMWE £51.97 www.romwe.com

I know I have a complete obsession with novelty bags that look like animals, but do you blame me?!

Cross my heart

Silver cross Urban Outfitters £16 www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk

Gold cross earrings Topshop £8.50 and Gold cross necklace Topshop £7.50 www.topshop.com

I have desperately been trying to find a simple but stand out-ish cross necklace.

Nothing that resembles rosary beads (in my opinion these should only be used for prayer time), nothing too 'bling' and certainly nothing tacky. I still haven't made up my mind on which one to buy, I feel like there may be something better out there, I just need to find it.

I've found a few cool bits above, I especially like the earrings.

Please let me know if you have seen any!

Thanks, E x

Lovebox

Firstly, i must apologise for my lack of blogging... the laptop is broken and it feels like the end of the world. But this happened on Saturday, and thank god for Lovebox festival on Sunday because it lifted my mood so much that even broken laptops will not bring me down.

Having access all areas was probably the best thing I've ever had to do for work. I met Debbie Harry and all of her band that make up the iconic Blondie, Beth Ditto and her charming crew of dancers, Kelis and Peaches to name a few.

I was going to post a whole style feature, but as I was there on the Sunday the content may have been deemed as, well... inappropriate content. (Anyone who went or knows about Lovebox, I'm sure you understand what I mean.)

Anyhow, above are a few pics of the people I thought looked amazing - and a few snaps of the celebs I met.

E xx

Yell for Yaelle

 When ethnicity meets accessories it really does create a bold statement. Take UK based luxury design brand Yaelle, which needs no introduction from me as they have already been featured on Vogue.com. Dedicated to creating bespoke hand drawn scarves that are printed on pure silk, the collection is glamorous and desirable. Featuring prints such as dragonflies, butterflies, hummingbirds, fish and my favourite – Russian dolls in a fantastic array of colours, the scarves are vibrant and unique.

Inspired by culture and the reward of feeling beautiful, the collection is a reflection of the designer behind the exquisite pieces. Having previously worked for both Matthew Williamson and Roksanda Illincic, this savvy lady is set to make her very own mark on the fashion world.

I personally love the Russian Doll motifs; I do get drawn to things that bring a feeling of nostalgia upon me. I’m sure you can all remember having Russian dolls dotted around your home as a child. I think it is fair to say that the entire collection has a vintage feel, and since they are all traditionally hand crafted, it is fitting to use the word unique when describing the collection.

For me, the icing on the cake is that each scarf comes with its very own little detachable charm in the design of a hamsa hand or a Russian doll. The hamsa hand is said to bring its owner peace, happiness and prosperity, lovely huh?

The mantra behind the scarves is to make women feel ‘beautiful, individual and glamorous’, and I really think that they will do just this.

View the collection at www.yaelle.co.uk

What is your favourite scarf? Join the discussion on Facebook.com/yaelle-ltd