That Wee Trip to Westfield

Last post, I mentioned having a cheeky trip to Westfield to spend my birthday moolah.  Here’s a sneaky peek of my purchases:

H and M

These are my H and M beauties (or Hemmies, as it is affectionately known).  I’m a big fan of high waisted anything and this simple black body covers my arms and ensures I have no annoying t-shirt bits to tuck in.  The donut and the flowers were last minute impromptu till purchases, one of which I love, one of which I regret.  I love the flowers pins, they look great in a clipped back side parting do or even on a lapel.  On reflection, I don’t have quite enough hair for the XL donut .. my baby one will have to do!

Topshop

Every girl should own a LDD.  A little denim dress.  I have three.  Regular readers may remember my trusty denim pinafore, both summer and winter worthy, which is what makes them so versatile.  It got to the point where I was easily wearing it 3 days out of 7 and just really needed a couple more!  The one on the left is a skater style denim dress that I recently wore with a cutesy blouse underneath whereas the one of the right is a bit more bodycon, and suitable for a night out.  Either way, they’re both lovely!  The socks were to go with my Vans, with the cute frilly bits peeking over the edge (reminding me of primary school!).  And the gold geometric necklace was £2.50 – reason enough!

Sneaky peek complete – laters!

September Syndrome

It’s currently 8.38am.  So far today I have had two mugs of coffee, washed up and have done a load of laundry.  Now I’m sitting watching Lorraine contemplating my day, and it’s not even 9am.

On Monday, I started my Masters course at University and Boyfriend started a new job.  We are well and truly in the swing of September Syndrome.  Granted, we’re a few weeks behind everyone else.  All the children ran back to school the first few days of September, us Uni students are just catching up.  But nevertheless, the stationary shops continue to plug ‘Back to College’ gear, everyone decides they need new commuting shoes and a new bag is just, well, essential.  I also find September the time of year where people, young or old, assess changes in their lives.  Maybe it’s the combination of coming home from a summer holiday, the evenings getting drastically shorter and the need to find your scarf but something changes and people become more ambitious, driven and contemplative about the future.  I know friends who are years from education who use September as a time to address that diet, consider that savings plan or change their hair.  I don’t know why it is, or what it is, but with the going back to education season, people seem to want to become brighter, want to become better.  Myself included.  It’s almost a mid-year revolution feeling if you like.

Are you suffering from September Syndrome?  Don’t feel bad, it’s a good thing!  Perhaps you’ll fall in love with life..?  I dare you.

SS/13 Lust List

Hello all!  Gosh, wasn’t the weather gorgeous today?  I found myself with a spring in my step needing my sunglasses.  It really got me in the mood for Spring and all the beautiful new bits and pieces that will grace the shelves of the top shops.  After my Mother and I’s jaunt around Harrods a couple of weeks ago, I really am having champagne dreams on a beer budget.  But it doesn’t matter!  The girl can dream :)  And here’s what I’m dreaming of ..!

1) Coast Amiana Maxi Skirt, Mole (from John Lewis) – £160

2)  M Missoni Bow Embellished Fine Knit Dress (from Harvey Nichols) – £399

3)  Chloe Floral Print Top (from Harrods) – £550

4)  Delhi Paisley Wool Stole (from East) – £50

5)  Legacy D Leather Tassel Mocassin (from Dune) – £59

6)  Light Denim Cassie Ripped Boyfriend Jeans (from River Island) – £45

The items I’ve picked are VERY much ‘Day’ items.  Things I could just pop on, walk to Uni in, have a lecture, cheeky pub lunch perhaps then hit the library.  Item 1 I put in small because I’m not completely sure about it.  I love wearing skirts and dresses, with tights in the Winter then providing my legs look alright, baring brave in Spring/Summer!  I looked around quite a few websites compiling this list, and couldn’t find a single skirt (for my body shape) I liked the look of!  Other than this, I do like the colour transition and the hippy floaty feel.

I absolutely LOVE Item 2, just beautiful.  Item 3 is gorgeous too, would look great with basically any plain bottoms.  Item 4 I love because it’s not too out of my price range.  This is the kind of item I might splash out on if I needed a treat, beautiful, goes with anything and long lasting.  I remember I used to have some mocassins like this way back when as school shoes, and I loved them!  I’ve looked for some since and haven’t been able to find any, so was very chuffed when I stumbled upon these.  They are so comfy, and again, go with anything.  And a good pair of jeans for a good new season.  Can’t go wrong.

What’s on your SS13 lust list?  Bella x

 

Hair Story

Ever since the lovely Louise over at Sprinkle of Glitter (I blogged about her beauty challenge here: https://bellasbits.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/bedroom-beauty-challenge-january-vivacious-vixen/ – check it out!) did a post about her Hair History, I thought what a great idea!  Though mine isn’t really a history, it’s more of a story.  So here goes:

Even since I was little I’ve had blonde, fluffy, frizzy wavy hair and to be perfectly honest, it’s only in the last year or two I’ve learnt how to manage it!  It’s always been about boob length, with no layers making it quite heavy, but I’ve learnt how to roll with that, and I like it, so why change it?!  

Here’s me way back when in 2007, at a Wedding I believe.  As you can see, no product, no accessories (apart from the John Lewis red peacock thing going on..!), no nothing really.  I think I just spritzed it with some hair spray and off I went.  How wrong of me!  I mean, it’s fine because I was only 15, but looking back it looks awful!  It was around about this time my hair started to go darker and my Mum sat me down and we had the highlights talk .. and I’ve never looked back!

 

Gosh, how terribly natural!  Aha!  This is me in Kenya, Africa in 2009 whilst I was out there at a school teaching street dance to kids.  Apologies for the dazed look, I discovered my love of coffee on this trip and think I was off on a caffeine high somewhere above.  This is pretty much my hair, completely natural!  This is what I have to work with everyday, and NOW, I think I do okay.  But here’s what happened next …

Oh hey there cheeky.  This is one of my MANY dance looks I’ve had over the years.  I’ve had braids, the tightest plaits in the world, up dos, down dos and lots and lots of hairspray.  All the hairspray from dance was seriously starting to damage my hair around this point (2009) as well, until I discovered deep conditioning hair treatments.  L’Oreal do a great one for highlighted hair.  You have a shower normally, shampoo your hair normally, then whack on the treatment and leave it for as long as you like really!  My hair dresser told me if I wear a plastic shower cap over the treatment it works more effectively so I do that as well, cling film works just fine also.  I tend to do that about once a month when I feel like my hair needs some loving.

 

And the girl discovered straighteners!  I don’t tend to straighten my hair very much at all really, only ever usually for nights out clubbing.  Every time I have a special event, it’s always curls r us over at Bella Land.  I love this picture because my hair looks so shiny!  As it tends to when it’s straight.  I always prep it with a heat protection serum or spray, that really helps with the shine factor!

This was taken in 2010, and probably when my hair was the longest it’s ever been.  It also shows my pretty signature style: curls (created with tongs) and my side parting kirby gripped to the side/up.  I discovered my side parting when I was about 11, and it only ever heads central when I forget to brush it after it’s washed (usually being when I have a lot of work on).  The side parting is my saviour.  It makes my face look slimmer and I love all the styles you can do with it, without looking like a 5 year old: braids, plaits, even bunches!

 

When I discovered dip dying!  I had this done in 2012 and I remember it only happened a day or two before Jessie J went public with her purple tips.  Annoyed?  Me?!  I love dip dying with random colours because it allows you to have the freedom of a different colour without going too drastic, and it usually washes out in about 6 weeks anyway.  My hair style here is literally just braided in plaits when wet the night before, then spruced with some hairspray.  If in doubt, that’s what I usually go for.

 

And here’s me just a few weeks ago!  My hair dresser persuaded me to move away from the dip dye because he thought it was a bit too blocky (and to some extent, I agree with him) and allow him to just brush casual streaks of this deep red through my hair from about half way down.  And I have to say, I loved it!  Definitely my favourite so far :)

So there’s my sort of hair story!  The red has almost gone now and my hair is still about the same length because it grows at snails pace but I can’t wait to try some more colours!  I don’t have a hair appointment til around March time now, but I’m thinking some copper streaks?  What do we think guys?  

What’s your Hair Story?

Love Bella x

 

 

Urban Outfitters Obsession

After a little break, blogging about other things and the like, I’m back on my personal Bella’s Bits challenge to do 14 posts I’ve assigned myself.  This is much easier now I have a stunning new camera, Brendan!  He’s gorgeous.  Blue and Canon like and ultimately stunning.  So here’s a teeny tiny peek into my winter wardrobe, Urban Outfitters style.  I’m well aware that the shots look like bad Ebay ones selling my clothes.  I’m still getting used to Brendan, lighting etc. and my bedroom at Uni is pretty dark.  Ah well, enough excuses!

My love for Urban Outfitters began when I was about 12/13 years old, WAY before it got popular.  About once a month all through school and college my Mum and I would pop up to Oxford Circus and trail around the flagship store for goodies.  My secret is to head to the sale, I don’t think I paid full price for any of these items.  I would say that well over a third of my wardrobe is U.O..  I don’t shop there as much anymore.  I don’t know if that’s because it’s become way more popular and I have the whole ‘don’t want to see anyone else wearing my stuff’ fear or just because I’ve grown up a bit.  When I say grown up a bit, I mean I don’t have the same desire I used to to buy, buy, buy.  I’m more than happy with what I’ve got and I think (at least I hope!) I have the creativity to make new looks with my existing clothes.  Anyway..!

Here goes:

 

Here are my beaut blue suede desert boots!  I love them to pieces and they’re SO comfy.  £20 down from £80 .. bargain!

More shoes!  Here are my, what I call, Victorian booties.  I’ve had these for about five years now and they’ve been sewn/stitched/reheeled/relaced more times that I care to believe.  These only really come out in the Winter and I can only really wear them with tights, cause they pinch a bit now due to all the reloving.  Still gorgeous though!

 

This is one of my most recent U.O. purchases.  A beaut of a cardigan I wear ALOT.  It’s huge but so versatile cause it can be just a cardy or act as a giant jumper.  Love.

 

Here are some dugarees I got in the vintage section of U.O. a few years ago, before they started to reform absolutely everything by adding studs or patchworks (I’m not bitter, honest.)  They’ve done me well.  I’ve partied at festivals in these, worn them as a cover up on holiday, and even added long sleeve tees and tights for winter.  All good.

 

And it’s not all casual wear!  Here is one of many playsuits/jumpsuits I own from U.O. but it’s my fav as it’s probably the most versatile. It is my LBD in playsuit form.  Black, silk, plain, gorgeous with a killer lacy back.  This is the kind of thing I throw on to go out when I’m not sure what else to wear.  Looks great with Keds or Heels!

So a teeny tiny peek into my U.O. Obsession.  Bear in mind I have jeans, jewellry, bunting, flasks, pictures, posters, tees, tasches from U.O., to photograph them all would take FAR too long!  Hope you’ve enjoyed your sneak peak.  Want to see more of my wardrobe?

Right kids, well I’m off to London for four nights.  So expect a travel post when I’m back.  Take care kids!