Valentines Day Special: First Date Style Inspiration

Having recently become part of the dating scene, it made me think that the first date is always a tricky one in terms of outfits. You don't want to look like you've made too much of an effort and yet, you want to look nice and alluring. So, here's my top tips for first date success.

• Flat shoes or ones which you KNOW you can walk in without thinking twice are essential in putting you at ease. If you're already a bit nervous then adding to that by wondering if you're also going to fall over isn't going to help. Last month, I went out to a friend's birthday where I knew my exboyfriend would be. So I wore these amazing wedges which I knew would look THE BOMB. Bad idea. Cobbled streets + new shoes = Emma falling over x 4 in front of said exhubby. Not my classiest move I'm not gonna lie!
• Wear something you like and you know you look good in. If you know you look amazing, you will feel amazing and that will come across in your body language and what you say. Comfort is key!
• Relax! and don't put too much pressure on yourself. The first date (technically!) should be quite easy because you don't know much about each other so you should have loads to talk about! fave films, music, hobbies, can they cook/dance, where did they grow up, where did they go on holiday? You'll have loads to talk about. And plus they must already like you a bit or they wouldn't have asked you out or agreed to meet up with you! :)
• Remember you can always dress an outfit down a bit by adding a cardigan or dress something up by adding accessories.
• If you're totally stumped or have no idea where he's taking you, you can't really go wrong with an LBD, a cardigan and some ballerina shoes.
• I know I've mentioned this article before but Jezebel's "Guide to Flirting" is really great for top tips
• Be yourself. No matter what outfit you wear, be funny, be sarcastic be cute, be glamorous but always be yourself let your personality shine through. Remember you're gorgeous and amazing and funny and you can do what you want so go get him! :)

If any of you have dates coming up, let me know how it goes!

Hugs and cupcakes,

Perk it up: New in at Dorothy Perkins

I love seeing all the new things in the shops. We are finally through winter and into spring and warmer weather. Yippee! bye bye nights in with a movie and hello barbeques, playing frisbee in the sun, wearing my flipflops and sipping Pimms!

All items are from Dorothy Perkins, UK and are available at www.dorothyperkins.com

Cream pussybow blouse, £27 GBP, - The cream version of my favourite purple number.
Coral frill pumps, £22 GBP, and who said flats were boring?
Black ponte frill Dress, £32 GBP - because spring = new beginnings and it's best to start a new job with style!
Pink bead halter Dress, £24 GBP
Coral bag, £22 GBP
Strawberry Earbud headphones, £10 GBP, So So cute! If I didn't already have a pair with diamontes in, these would be mine.

Tomorrow: What's new in Miss Selfridges!

Hugs and Cupcakes,



Style inspiration: Chanel Ad Campaign Spring/Summer 2011

Morning Girlies!

Okay, I know I'm never going to be able to afford these outfits.

But it doesn't stop me looking at the cute models and pray every day that my lottery numbers come up so I can get some of this style inspiration into my wardrobe. These photo's were taken by the fashion genius himself, Karl Lagerfeld.

What, to me, is most suprising about these shots is the relaxed feel. One model is even smiling! which is very different to the sulky, pouting seductresses we're used to! Anyway, let me know what you think! xox












Source 1 Source 2

Don't Change the Chanel

This is one of the most expensive TV adverts ever made and was directed by the film genius Baz Luhrmann. I just had to share it with you because it is so so gorgeous.

What do you think? absolutely divine?

Hugs and cupcakes,

P.s The film shoot when great today! I was absolutely freezing but I'm really happy with the results. Can't wait untill they're edited and I can share them with you!

Quirky Handmade Jewelry

My friend Katie is the queen of unique style. Some things she wears I didn't even know they were cool until I see them on her (sparkly gloves a la lady Gaga = YES) and suddenly everyone wants one! and I love supporting local talent. Handmade unique jewelry = super cool. If it was made by Louis Vuitton would be called Couture, as it's not we just call it  . .. . "awesome."  So, take a look at this beautiful jewelry she made and some outfit ideas of what you could put it with and the good thing is you can bid for them right now by clicking on the link.

The above outfit would look great accessorised with these earrings. These are the perfect earrings to buy if you want your neck to look long and slim. Matched with a boho scarf in this seasons colour of  bright blue, To bid, go to: http://shop.ebay.co.uk/14-xanadu/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25

A Beautiful vintage lace choker would look fantastic with:

Get the choker by clicking the link: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/UNIQUE-HAND-CRAFTED-lace-vintage-choker-beads-/270696569379?pt=UK_Jewellery_Watches_CostumeJewellery_CA&hash=item3f06c5da23

and if you don't like those two she has lots of other bits and pieces which might catch your eye, so take a look.


Love, cupcakes and Happy Shopping,

Spring Street Style: Mac in Time

Good afternoon my fashion divas!

Yesterday I went out to a great Mexican restaurant and my gorgeous friend was wearing a really trendy outfit which I just had to show you all.  It just shows that you can still be totally trendy on a student budget.

A cream Mac is a must for any winter to spring to summer wardrobe.  (I also have a bright red one which is lush) You can wrap up warm up by being light enough to put a jumper underneath, it protects you from the occasional April shower and is light enough to carry if it warms up a bit. If you don’t have one, buy one now, you won’t regret it!

Under her Mac she wore a sleeveless dress from Zara, with a cute pattern, and accessorised it with a thin brown belt which matched the colour of her brogues and handbag. Adding a thin belt is a great way to add shape as it focuses attention onto the slimmest part of the body, the waist.

Brogues are very trendy this season, and are another great changing season’s piece as you can wear them under trousers, or like this outfit with a skirt. Brogues are also part of the fashion trend of combining the masculine and feminine. As brogues were traditionally man’s shoes, by pairing it with a feminine dress and bright red lipstick the whole outfit is balanced, neither looking too girly or too Tom-boy.

Hope you like it as much as I did and let me know you think. Also watch out because I will be taking my camera to the streets to snap style conscious Lads and Ladies to show you all on my blog.

Hugs and Cupcakes,

Lily Wiggleworth Sale

Hiya guys,



I have found a sale with so many bargains I just had to share it. Lily Wigglesworth specialises in designer clutch bags but also sells jewelry and some other accessories. Unfortunately they're closing down (Boo!) but it means that all of their clutch bags are 70% off! (Woop!) There are some gorgeous things in the sale including these which I will be purchasing soon:



A cute little clutch by designer Suzy Smith which will go with practically anything due to it's neutral colour. Was £69 now £19.50



This is another cute clutch Bag by Suzy Smith that was £35 but now £10.50. Look at the sparkles! :) This would look fantastic with skinny jeans and a black top. Instant Glamour!

The website for the shop is: http://www.lilywigglesworth.co.uk/

Enjoy girlies and let me know what bargains you end up going for,

Love and Cupcakes,

Shoe Pornography

 Over the last few days I have been scouring the internet and highstreet stores for shoes worthy of lusting over. So love them or loath them but definately want them.

Shoes are from Various designers and highstreet names including Jeffrey Campbell, Jimmy Choo and Harrods.

Love and cupcakes,

P.s. A small part of me hopes that someone will type 'Porn' into google and this beautiful page of glitter and pink and gorgeousness instead of what I ca only describe as  . . . smut! shame on you ;-)

Chanel your love

After reviewing the Chanel R-T-W collection Spring/Summer 2011 I thought, how does a girl with a part-time job and a university loan (legally!) get their hands on a vintage Chanel Bag? The ways I came up with are:

1) Win the lottery
2) Your best friend/significant other/close family member wins the lottery.
3)Win one in a competition.

and to be honest, I don't like those odds! so I thought, how does a smart girl with a part time job get a Chanel Handbag? and I came up with either:

1) saving and saving for years on end
2) not getting one but getting one which looks exactly the same instead. Clever eh?

My quick guide shows you where to get those copy cat designs.

and then it occured to be that rather than my fiance-to-be get me an expensive engagement ring, that I would rather have a cheap one and a real vintage Chanel Handbag. Now that is true love!

Love and Cupcakes,

Style Newsflash: Meggings

One of the styles which we have seen in the catwalk shows for a couple of seasons is 'Meggings.' Or in other words, Leggings for Men. Okay, Spider-man has been been wearing them for a couple of decades and we've seen them on the catwalk every now and then but its never something I ever thought would take off......until now.

This a selection from the catwalk shows of Givenchey, John Galliano and Bernhard Willhelm. This first one looks okay, the next is jester style and the third just darn electric crazy.


Russel Brand has reportedly been calling them his "testostrousers" and he actually pulls the look off pretty well, but then again, his style isn't exactly what you would call 'everyday' or even 'everyman' anf they could easily be mistaken for his skinny jeans.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love the male phyisique as much as the next girl but a part of me does think that this is stealing our fashion secret. What?! they're supper comfy, super warm, usually come in a slimming shade of black, are dead cheap and show off your posterior?! No! you can't have them! What do you think ladies? Its odd at best, outrageous at worst and yet, what could not be more innovative, more eye catching than dressing men in a type of clothing which previously has only even been considered for women?

Model on the right: Journalist Jonathan Heaf, wearing sparkly leggings. Photograph: Teri Pengilley/Guardian

The catwalk style this season has been for a clean, fresh and yet emascluated woman, which can be seen very well in Stella Mcartney's ready to wear collection for spring/summer so perhaps this is a reversal. A clean, fresh, different man and yet acknowledging female fashion?

and then I think......Am I one day going to go into Tesco and accidently pick up the meggings instead of the leggings and only realise when I get home and they have a zipper? hmmmm..... Next thing you know it will be Meels. Men's Heels. hang on a minute.......

I would love to know your thoughts,

Love and cupcakes,

Spring/Summer Fashion Shows - Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton
The Louis Vuitton Spring summer collection featured electric block colours of orange, golds, blues, pinks and purple in a style which Marc Jacobs called ‘Camp taste.’ There was a distinct feel of the orient with exotic flowers, sequined pandas and the animal print trend being updated from last season to include the electric colours and Chinese-style collars. The collection also included some bright variations on the flapper dress where the dresses tassels were picked out on the shoes and accessories. In many of the collections this season we can see a fusion of masculine and feminine styles and I love the structured shoulder dress with the fuchsia orchids. Whilst it could be seen as a bit eccentric for some, expect neon colours and floral patterns (but not too floral, just a touch) in your high street stores next season.

Love and Cupcakes,

Paris Spring/Summer Fashion Shows

Paris Spring/Summer Catwalk collections

Over the next week I am going to do a review of the Spring/Summer collections of the most influential designers in the fashion world and give some indictions of up and coming trends. The first one is one Chanel but coming up are reviews of Louis Vuitton, Elie Saab and Stella Mcartney.

Chanel

Karl Lagerfeld’s ready-to-wear collection for Chanel was absolutely exquisite.  Smart and classic, the collection featured egg shell blues and pinks and feather embellishments which were particularly used at the bottom of dresses, around the collar and on the shoulders. (This trend has already been picked out my Miss Selfridge in some of their Christmas party dresses) The collection overall could not be described as colourful as there was an abundance of blacks, greys and white but it was definitely crisp and fresh. My favourite pieces were the umbrella shaped like a classic Chanel hat and the dark washed skinny jeans which, when looked at closely, had beautiful detailing.

Love and Cupcakes,

Websites I'm Loving this Week

There are a few websites which I absolutely adore. And a few which i find quite amusing. And a few I go on when I’m insanely bored or have work to do because they’re a great great way to procrastinate. Anyway! Have guessing which is which with these lovelies:

www.galadarling.com – the play girl’s guide to radical self love. This website is full of good advice to make you happy and beautiful photos.

http://www.kirstymitchellphotography.com/home.php - amazing amazing amazing pictures. I love the Alice in wonderland inspired ones.

http://zodiac-signs-astrology.com/zodiac-signs/gemini.htm - Apparently it’s mostly women who like horoscopes because we like to make sense of the world, but its a fun of fun however you see it.

http://aheadrobot.com/2010/06/12/ipad-unchocolateboxing/ - This guy bought an ipad and then dipped it in chocolate! Wow.

from mancavesite.org

http://uk.askmen.com/specials/2010_great_male_survey/ - This is brilliant. It’s basicly a what-men-really-think guide. If you have a look though the site you can read articles such as ’10 signs you’ve been single too long’: 4) you get a cat! Lol. Aparently girls think that guys with cats are weird.  I’m sure if men read women’s websites about understanding men they would be equally as funny, and I’m not trying to put anyone down who is single but.....you know.....I wouldn’t be put off a guy if they had a cat! That’s just silly. Anyways! Have a peek!ey/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1146544/21_questions_to_ask_a_guy_fun_relationship.html?cat=41 – 21 questions to get to know a guy in a relationship. Or you can ask your friends, which would be equally as fun. J One of my colleagues also taught me a questions game called what would you rather? E.g. Would you rather have lots of nice shoes but no pets, or a dog and only one pair of shoes? And you can each ask each other a question until you get bored.

Love and Cupcakes,

How to Jazz up your Junk

Hey Guys, My friend was telling me some really cools ways to jazz up your junk and I thought I'd share them with you. Enjoy getting crafty!

Cute Storage boxes.
Make Storage boxes by covering old shoe boxes with fancy wallpaper or wrapping paper. To make it really trendy, mix a plain coloured lid with a patterned bottom or vice versa. You can use these to store hair bits, make up and stationary. Another idea is to cover the shoe box with pretty paper and then put your shoes back in, take a picture of the shoes and stick it on the front and that way when you're looking for them you will be able to see what box they're in without searching for them.


These are some made with Hexagons of paper from http://litchi7.blogspot.com/2010/01/if-shoe-fits.html



Potpourri

To make potpourri, get some flowers which are going over and lay the petals on baking trays and leave in the airing cupboard for a few days until they've dried out. You can always get interesting twigs and fir cones and spray paint them a metallic colour to make it look more interesting.

Teacup candles

Buy some vintage candles from a carboot sale and make them into cute candles by filling the cup with wax and adding a wick. You can easily buy a kit from amazon and then fill 'em up! these make really cute vintage presents too.

Photo from: http://www.kid-craft-project.com

Soap Dish.

One really good way to use soaps which have dents in them or are damaged is to shave curls of soap off them with a knife and collect them in little dish so if you're washing your hands you just take a few of the peices.

Hugs and Crafty Cupcakes,

My Perfect Outfit

Hey, Don't you just love those days when you wake up with all the peices of a perfect outfit planned out in your head. This happened to me the other and these are the results. Shame the only one I own is the navy blazer, but its a good excuse to go shopping, right?

Purple pussybow blouse, £30, Dorothy Perkins
Amazon.com: Navy Velvet Satin Tie Blazer Jacket: Clothing, $100
Black tights, From all good retailers, (and lets be fair you most likely have some in your drawer anyway)
Military High Waisted Shorts, £30, Miss Selfridge
Black Glitzy Lace Shoe Boot, £55, Miss Selfridge

Only 12 days untill Christmas as well! ooooo......exciting! :)

 

Love and Cupcakes,

 

 

Day Seven: and If You Still Don't Have Ideas For Your LBD, How About This?

Heya Guys,

Well its the end of the LBD series and I hope you enjoyed and are ready to go out and accessorise like crazy! Here's a few more ideas if you still aren't sure if you have anything in your wardrode to match.

Coming up soon: A new party makeup tutorial, the anti-little black dress, festive frolics and gift ideas amongst others.

Hope to see you soon. leave a comment and say hello if you fancy.

Love and Cupcakes,

Day Six: Punk it up and your Little Black Dress

Hey guys, Off set biker boots with a girly LBD and a clutch bag. Perfect for the daring divas out there!

Love and Cupcakes,

Emma x o x

 

Day Five: LBD and a visit to Grandma

Heya guys! I hope you're all get prepared for christmas now, online shopping really is a lifesaver. Want to know what to wear when you're visiting Grandma on christmas eve? hmmmmm........How about a little Black dress?

Love and Chrtistmas Cupcakes,


Emma x o x

p.s. I hope you're liking the new Blog design. What do you think? x

Day Four: The Classic Little Black Dress for the Cocktail Party

Hey Guys, There's something about a little black dress at a cocktail party that just says instant class. Audrey Hepburn is the queen of the classic LBD so this set is inspired by her. You know what I realised the other day as well? Black is really slimming. Hurrah! is there anything the LBD can't do?

Love and Cupcakes,

Day Three: Sping Picnic and your LBD

Want to know what to wear on your next cute picnic date? The little black dress will serve you well in those unsure moments - what is too much/too dressy/what if i look over dressed/under dressed? LBD all the way! :)

Love and Cupcakes