Must Haves This Winter!

The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting colder and it's finally time to pack away the mini skirts and hotpants for a while. Yes, it seems winter is finally here. The best TV is back on the box, the weathermen have already hinted that it may snow soon and best of all this means it's almost Christmas!

However it's so hard to choose what to wear in winter! No matter what you wear the moment it snows your tootsies are going to get wet and/or cold and there's always this awkward moment when you step inside, bundled up to the max from the cold and then the heat hits you - cue the frantic strip of hats, gloves, scarfs, coats, jumpers and whatever else. But it always helps to be stylish!

This winter's theme has to be rust. Rusty browns, wine reds and mustard yellows should be the staple pieces in your wardrobe this winter. Although jeans are comfortable, this winter it's definitely time to experiment with different stays to keep warm AND stay stylish at the same time. Try ditching your jeans for a pair of stone coloured chinos or even a knitted skirt with thick, grey tights. The options are endless.

Here are some of my top picks for the perfect winter wardrobe ;

The Knitted Granny Skirt

Clockwise from top left ;

Petites Intarsia Knit Skirt, £20.00, Miss Selfridge

Brenta Fairisle Knitted Mini Skirt in Camel, £11.99, Missguided.co.uk

Black Fairisle Midi Tube Skirt, £20.00, River Island

Snowflake Knitted Mini Skirt Cream/Black, £10.00, Funkydivaa.com

This is definitely a tricky trend to pull off as the style definitely reminds you of old grannies! However with the skirt short and feminine it could definitely give off a vintage vibe. Wear with black tights and a simple plain white or black vest top, nothing to take the attention away from the skirt. My personal favourite from the ones featured above is definitely the Brenta Fairisle Knitted Mini Skirt from Missguided, it looks just that little bit more different with a bit more colour and looks a bit more Christmasy to me. For those of you worried about getting frost bite, the Fairisle Midi Tube Skirt from River Island is ideal as it's much longer and will therefore keep you extra warm.

Wine Red Tones

Clockwise from top left ;

Long Sleeve Basic Top In Wine, £5.99, Funkydivaa.com

Wine Red Stretch Skinny Belt Jeans, £29.99, Quiz Clothing

Snake Peep Toe Platform Court, £19.99, New Look

Kelly Jersey Short Sleeve T-Shirt, £10.00, Boohoo.com

This deep but warm shade is absolutely gorgeous and is perfect for those cold nights this winter. Add a bit of warmth to your outfit by wearing this daring wine red shade which best goes with both cream and rusty brown shades. The items featured above are lovely for winter, the top from Funkydivaa has long sleeves to keep you warm, whereas the skinny fit jeans are, er, so skinny that no cold will get in! 

Mustard Yellow Must Haves!

Clockwise from top left ;

Lace Collar Chiffon Top, £12.99, Missrebel.co.uk

F&F Funnel Neck Coat, £25.00, Clothing at Tesco

Evangelie Jersey Leggings, £5.99, Missguided.co.uk

Ochre Bobble Scarf, £18.00, Miss Selfridge

As you've probably guessed from the many posts I've done about this, mustard yellow is a really big thing right now! The only thing to remember is to use it sparingly - as it's such an out there colour! A subtle addition of this colour - like with a scarf such as the Ochre Bobble Scarf - is the perfect addition to an outfit. A bright, fitted coat in this gorgeous colour will also keep you especially warm this winter. Mustard yellow looks great with chocolately browns or, if you're feeling brave, wine reds like the ones featured earlier in this post!

Rusty Browns

Clockwise from top left ;

Corsage Necklace Tee, £12.99, Missrebel

Bellina Skinny Jeans In Brown, £25.99, Missguided.co.uk

Flannel Chain Belted Shorts, £36.00, Topshop

Vero Moda Nordic Snowflake Knit Dress, £38.00, ASOS.com

Browns are always big when it comes to Autumn/Winter, but this year the main tone is 'rusty brown'. Luckily, brown is a warm colour which means you'll look picture perfect during those cold days, and brown also goes with pretty much anything! Wear big, comfy white or black ugg boots with the pair of Bellina Skinny Jeans from Missguided, or wear a pair of massive thick tights with either the shorts or the dress.

Finally, not forgetting the perfect finishing touch to your very stylish winter outfits - the nail colours! Without a doubt, buy all the coolest winter shades in one go when purchasing Models Own' Autumn/Winter Collection, priced at £20 and available from Modelsownit.com

Left To Right -

Grace Green,

Purple Ash,

Becca's Brown,

Purple Grey,

Mushroom

and 

Nude Beige

Keep an eye out for an upcoming shopping haul post, showcasing all my winter autumn purchases from Funkydivaa (some of which appear here!). Also do not forget that you can receive an exclusive to this blog 15% discount to use at Funkydivaa when entering the code LOUISE15 at check out!

www.missselfridge.com / www.missguided.co.uk / www.riverisland.com / www.funkydivaa.com / www.quizclothing.com / www.newlook.com / www.boohoo.com / www.missrebel.co.uk / www.clothingattesco.com / www.topshop.com / www.asos.com / www.modelsownit.com

Models Own Haul

Remember when I posted that Models Own were offering all fans a 50% off code for all products on their website? Well, I of course had to get some use out of this code for myself! Although at first my order didn't go through and I had to wait a little bit longer for my nail varnishes to arrive because of the high demand, I really didn't mind as the wait was worth it! Here's what I bought...

I bought 13 in total, two box sets and an additional shade - 'Coral Reef' - which you can see in the photo above, the really bright pink shade!

The Autumn/Winter Collection

The Pastel Collection

All the names listed beneath each shade, you can click on this photo to see a bigger, clearer version!

I am really excited to start wearing all these different shades, I am extremely pleased with them all! Each shade is utterly beautiful, my particular favourites would definitely have to be 'Pastel Pink' and 'Lemon Meringue'. However, with it now pretty much being winter, I think I'll be more inclined to stick to the Autumn/Winter collection for the meantime!

My only concerns are the shades 'Feeling Blue' and 'Top Turquoise' as I don't think they represent the shades they are seen as on the website, I do not think they are very pastel, especially 'Feeling Blue'. However, I have yet to actually use them so there's every chance they may look different on and as you can see, 'Feeling Blue' needs a bit of a stir! I will keep you updated on how they turn out to look.

I am very, very pleased and personally I'm pleased that I can say I own over £60s worth of Models Own nail varnish!

50% off at Models Own

For anyone who is not aware, to coincide with gaining 50,000 likes/fans on Facebook, Models Own has issued a 50% discount code available to use on any of their products!

To use, make sure your total (before check out) is at least £20 and then upon check out enter the code FIFTYFIFTY. Bear in mind though, however, with many people trying to use the discount code the website is crashing and people are having problems completing their orders. The code is valid for one week so don't feel you have to use it right away!

Wednesday Wishlist

Black Glitter Print Vest Top, £9.99, Quiz Clothing

As you all may know, I do love my rocker/emo/indie boys! I don't think I've ever dated a guy who hasn't been in a band/played guitar/bass/drums or sung! I adore this top, it's cute, its cheeky and its available in black or white. If you're like me and like your rockers to be rockers i.e not popstars, then the black is perfect as its a bit rock chick/punk!

Further note - this should probably be removed from this post because I spotted this top the other day but posting a picture there just made me want it more so I treated myself too it! I am completely and utterly skint at the moment but got paid £25 a while back for doing some reviews and thought this had been paid into my bank account...turns out it's been sitting in my paypal this whole time! It's a sign! Plus I can justify this purchase because I got a quid off and got cash back for it!

Lace Drop Back Top, £16.99, New Look

As I stated before, I am keeping an eye out for clothes to wear on my work experience and this has caught my eye. It's bang on trend at the moment with its peter pan collar detailing and the back has lace detail as well. It's white so its quite smart, but it's stylish as well. I'm pretty sure I could find a white lace top for much cheaper elsewhere, but I imagine this would look lovely and smart with a long black cardigan and dark blue jeans, or, for a more fashionable look, a cardigan in maybe coral or even a daring mustard yellow.

Serena Contrast Sheer Blouse in Mink, £19.99 and Denisse turn up stud detail shorts in black, £14.99 both New Look

I spotted this outfit being modeled for the shorts but I really love how the outfit looks altogether. I'm terrible with putting my own outfits together so this is quite nice to see and again this would be lovely for my work experience. It's smart and stylish at the same time, and the whole outfit screams sophistication.

Finding Mr. Bright, £28.50, Benefit

I adore Benefit! It's cute, quirky, and I love the names! This new set they have just brought out includes girl meets pearl - liquid pearl for face, posietint - poppy-pink tinted lip & cheek stain, high beam - luminescent complexion enhancer and erase paste no. 2 - medium brightening camouflage for eyes & face. So it's perfect for the mornings after those late nights and will fit right in your bag for whenever you need a quick makeup top up. It may also result in you meeting Mr Right!

Smash Up nail polish, £6.00 Models Own 

(coming soon!)

Models Own is one of the leading nail polish brands around at the moment and they have finally caught on to the fact that girls are no longer happy with their nails just being one colour. Models Own have now developed 'Smash Up' which is a variety of nail varnishes that give you a funky, cracked pattern when painting your nails. Soon to be available in 9 colours from the neon pink and orange to the classic black and white, these nail varnishes are sure to fly off the shelves! They are available at an affordable £6.00 and can be bought soon from the Models Own website, and Boots will also be stocking a few selected shades.

http://www.quizclothing.co.uk/

http://www.newlook.com/

http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk

http://www.modelsownit.com/

How to dress for a Date/Date Night - At The Movies

I have put together some outfit ideas using the website 'Polyvore' for a date at the Movies! I've tried to do a variety of different looks and have tried to use items that are all under £30. I think most of them are, the website uses dollars and I searched items under $50, which is equivalent to about £30 apparently. Anyway, click on the look/set to be taken to a bigger version, where you can click on any item in the set to be taken to where you can buy it, and find a list of where everything is from. But remember some items are available at a number of different places for cheaper so look around! I have also used make up ideas, the crushed makeup affect - which is so cute - obviously isn't a specific colour from a specific store (though clicking on it may take you to a shop) it's just an idea of how to do your eye makeup to go with the look.

Enjoy!

Look One - Girly

This is the girly look I have created, without going too over the top. I have tried to make it a mixture of both girly but casual by using pumps instead of heels and a mixture of both bangles and bracelets to tone the outfit down a little. I've picked a small clutch bag and some girly stud earrings. For makeup, I've picked (and would suggest) a mixture of smoky, chocolate browns for the eyes - basically smoky eyes but with much more softer tones. I've also picked brown mascara for eyelashes so you don't draw too much attention to your eyes. I've also gone with nude lips and a pinky/coral blusher, so the makeup as a whole is girly but not too 'out there'. I have also, of course, picked a French Manicure for nails!

Look Two - Rock Chic/Look with an Edge

This look has a bit more of an edge to it and is for those girls who want to stand out or who want to really impress by showing off their style. I've chosen casual clothes again - a nice printed top with dark colours and black skinny fit jeans - with the choice between either black converse trainers that go with the outfit or pink converse trainers that stand out and really make the outfit 'rock chick'. Rather then using the typical deep, black smoky eyes with heavy eyeliner I've used a mix of a peach, brown and purple eyeshadows which mixed together will create a gorgeous, sultry and sexy look which is both dark and feminine. Because the eyes will be a bit heavy, I've used a very light peach blusher. For the lips I've used the new MAC Wonder Women range - which is a statement in its own - in, again, a light colour to keep attention drawn to the eyes. I've used a variety of different bangles and the earrings are quite girly to keep the outfit feminine. All in all this look is a bit different, but will definitely go down well on a date especially if you know your date loves listening to the rocky stuff! If its a bit much for you, try plain black pumps instead of the converse, a more girly shade on the nails such as coral or hot pink and tone down the eye makeup a little.

Look Three - Dressed Up/Classy

This look is for the date that doesn’t end at the movies i.e. that may lead to drinks or food afterwards. This look would also be perfect for dates that aren’t at your normal cinema – instead cinemas that have bars or restaurants in them or those old cinemas that are restored to how they are in the olden days. Y’know the ones I mean, with the red curtains and candle lit tables. Anyway, onto the look.

I’ve picked a fairly plain dress which can easily be dressed up or dressed down. I haven’t chosen a necklace with it because the neckline has what is called a peter pan neckline which is what stops this dress being completely plain – it’s the bit that makes the dress interesting! So a necklace would only draw attention away from this. I’ve also chosen girly but pretty basic accessories – small stud earrings, a rose ring – all of which match the outfit. The black bracelets break the outfit up a bit so you are not drowned out in one single shade. The headband is there for the heels – you can wear the heels alone to dress the outfit up, the headband alone to dress it down, or them both together to equal the outfit out. The headband definitely stops the outfit being too OTT and if you are lucky enough to be taken to one of the oldie cinemas then you’d look the part with the headband! Again with the heels – they are a lovely neutral shade and are very girly but if you feel heels are too over the top then they can be swapped for a pair of pumps. The makeup I’ve kept very pink and basic as well, with again soft tones for the eye shadow. I’ve also picked this nice cream bag rather then a clutch bag because it can just be thrown over your shoulder if the date does continue elsewhere.

Look Three - Casual/Dressed Down/An outfit for an early showing!

Finally this last look is a really casual one for a girl who wants to be comfortable and doesn’t want to look like she’s tried too hard. It’s especially good if it’s a date that’s in summer or if it’s a day date with an early showing at the cinema. I’ve picked quite casual clothes – a loose fitting t-shirt with nice detail and highwaisted shorts, which are also quite fashionable. It’s a very basic outfit. The pumps are leopard print, which spice the outfit up a little bit. Because the outfit is quite simple, I’ve used dark shades for the eye shadow and would suggest doing sexy smoky eyes with large eyelashes for this look. You can get away with this because the clothes are so simple. I’ve picked a pinky shade for lipstick as well, something that doesn’t clash too much with the eyes but also has a bit of colour, and again a coral blusher. For nails I’ve chosen a nice, girly pink that will add colour to the outfit along with the accessories. The large flowery bangle is bright and colourful and just the one dresses up the outfit without having to wear loads. I’ve picked chic earings and rings – you can see for yourself in the photos. I would also suggest earings that hang down as well rather then studs to give the outfit a little ‘oomph!’ Finally a cute chic clutch that matches the rings!

Well, that concludes my post on how to dress for a date. I've tried to do four original looks that are also stylish and fashionable! Let me know what you think or if you'd like to see a different style or a post about outfits for a different date (dinner, gig, clubbing...?)!

FREE Models Own Goodies!

If you're anything like me then you must too think that Models Own have an amazing and affordable makeup range. I especially love their range of constant on trend nail varnishes, so I couldn't believe it when an email about this offer arrived in my inbox.

Models Own will be teaming up with the News of the World  and Fabulous magazine this weekend for this special offer available to fans of Models Own. For free (well, pretty much, apart from paying for two newspapers) you can be the proud owner of a Models Own make-up kit worth £24 pound! The kit will contain a cute make up bag filled with an eyeshadow, a mascara, a liquid eyeliner, an eyelash curler and tweezers all from the Models Own range (as shown in the picture above!) As well as this, inside Fabulous magazine you will also find a voucher for 25% off an order at the Models Own website.

To get these goodies, all you have to do is collect two vouchers from the News of the World newspaper (three will be printed altogher incase you miss one!) then take these vouchers into any Tesco store. The fiirst voucher will be avaiable this Sunday (9th January)! What a bargain!


And if you need any inspiration on how to use your 25% discount, here's what I've got my eye on...

This bang on trend Autumn/Winter collection will be sure to keep anyone looking stylish in these last few winter months, going well with oversized, fluffy Christmas jumpers and funky earmuphs. Whats even better is the two shades 'Grace Green' and 'Nude Beige' (the first and last shades shown in the picture) will bring a bit of colour into any outfit and will also transition well from winter to summer. This set works out at only £15 pound with the 25% off discount, which works out at half price compared to the orignal £30 it was before!

And, at the top of my wishlist is this gorgeous, glamourous (and slightly ridiuclously priced - well, maybe not considering its gold!) special edition diamond inlaid Models Own nail varnish named Gold Rush!

At a whopping £83,000 the nail polish offers 1,118 diamonds in the lid alone. So, with the 25% off discount, that works out at a (not so) affordable..£62,250! On second thoughts, I think I'll stick to the ready to wear version for £5 from the website instead!

www.modelsownit.com