LFW day 1

Morning chums! 

Thought I'd share some of the pics of my time at LFW now I have a smidgen of time to do so. Have been working like a dog lately, and am finding it is sucking the blog mojo out of me! Working until 10 tonight preparing for a big store visit tomorrow. This means lots of hard work, heavy lifting and cleaning... Definitely in the mood to reminisce on more stylish times!!

Now, I didn't get many snaps at London Fashion Week as I was so busy filming, but here are some of my favourites:

Loved this girl's grungey look. 

Models from the Jean Pierre Braganza show

Specs appeal! 

Lily getting her makeup done by Vicky!

One of my snaps from the Felder Felder show we were let into (for those that haven't seen my LFW vids, we realised that if you lurk about a fashion show after the ticket holders have all been let in, they let in people with tickets if the venue isn't full!)

Here are my favourite looks from the show, nicked from Style.com. That girl I style-snapped above was clearly ahead of the trends in her leather skater skirt! I love the flippy silhouettes in this collection, and the metallic green leather is frankly amazing. I love collections that are flirty yet badass, so the Felder twins impressed me big time with these looks! Notice Amber Le Bon rocking that last dress of the show I loved so much. 

  

Hanging out with Vicky, Jen, Claire (whose LFW outfits and blog posts are a must see), Carrie and Dina

My slouchy first day outfit. Jumper - c/o Tesco, Leggings - H&M, Boots - Emma Cook for Topshop, Glasses - Specsavers. 

Loved this rock chick (literally, she's in a band!), casually walking round swigging bubbly! 

After dinner and our bloggers afterparty at Vicky and Jen's hotel (all seen in my LFW videos!) Lily and I headed back to our hotel, provided for us by Premier Inn. It was a huge room with with a fab view over the South Bank, and a bloody comfy bed. We'd been so busy gossiping and harassing staff, we didn't realise the TV was playing some steamy old 80's movie! Check out the passion occurring in the background of this pic!

We had a fab night's sleep, and the next day had the most amazing breakfast - pics in my LFW Day 2 post! Definitely sorely missed right now - I had to have Shreddies sans milk for breakfast today... 

Stay tuned for LFW day 2! 

<3

Vogue's Fashion Night Out: Juicy Couture

It seems like so long ago now after all the madness of LFW and my weekend away, but I had to tell you about the amazing evening I had courtesy of Juicy Couture on Vogue's Fashion's Night Out a couple of weeks ago.

Lily and I were picked up from Charing Cross in a taxi and taken to Claridge's to have afternoon tea. Now I don't like tea, but the orange and passionfruit tea I had there was gorgeous. Like hot Ribena's more glamorous cousin. With a small group of other bloggers and writers, we chatted about blogging, brands and Juicy Couture with members of the Juicy team. We also had a gander at the gorgeous winter lookbook - if you thought Juicy Couture only did velour tracksuits, have a peek and think again! Apparently Juicy has a new president who has refreshed the brand's image and marketing approach and, as a result, this was their first UK blogger event!

Lily in the beautiful bog. 

Then it was back to their store on Bruton Street for a lock-in. We had free reign of the store for a styling session and mini photoshoot with a Vogue photographer - ooh la la! There wasn't a lot of time before their VFNO party was due to start so I gave the dressing up a miss. I did, however, become rather attached to the pink fluffy dog bag from kidswear... Tres chic, I'm sure you'll agree. There were some truly gorgeous clothes in the shop (Loved the velvet dress Emma tried on), as well as the VFNO charity t-shirts sold across town that night in aid of Kids Company.

Is it crass to discuss the contents of the goody bags..? I am always curious about that sort of thing so I shan't delay the goss any further! My bag had some Elizabeth Arden 8 hour moisturiser, a 100ml bottle of Viva La Juicy (which is my actual perfume, so I was leaping with glee - ask Lily!), a NARS lipgloss, a book of Vogue Front Covers, and a £20 Nails Inc voucher, which I spent almost instantly after the event on this set for weak nails.

Thanks so much to Heather and the team for such a luxurious evening, and for educating us about Juicy Couture's new sartorial (and marketing) direction. Viva La Juicy, indeed!

What do you think of Juicy Couture as a brand? And have you smelt the Viva La Juicy perfume? I'm telling you, it's the dreamiest scent since sliced bread!

<3

Boy oh boy

I can finally blog now I've arrived at my mum's house for her birthday celebrations (namely charity shop shopping!) Our internet has gone schizophrenic at home, so I haven't been able to be the LFW-reporting whizz kid I was hoping to be. Sigh!!

I have two Jack Russell's vying for my attention right now, but thought I'd post this quickie of an outfit I wore to work this week. I wasn't intentionally going for an androgynous look, but what with my geek chic new glasses (Gok Wan for Specsavers - not a freebie, I feel I should add!) the buttoned up old Topshop polo shirt and the new corduroy shearling jacket (found in a charity shop) I chucked on over it, the vibe was positively penile! Just had to Google to check that 'penile' meant what I thought it did. It does. And if you try it, don't click on Google Images out of curiosity, k?

I've had a hilarious morning. Mum came to collect Alex and I from the station (in her Superman pyjama top) and her car broke down on the way home. She had to call the mechanic out, who helped her push the car to the side of the road and he said to just leave it for a couple of hours to chillax (sometimes this is all it takes to fix a VW, appaz!) so we had to leave a note explaining that we were leaving the car on a yellow line because it had broken down. The only piece of paper we had between us was the envelope from mum's as-yet-unopened birthday card so I had to unsheathe it and write 'BROKEN DOWN :(' on it. We were then presented with the irony of the design on the front of mum's card reading 'MUM, keep calm and carry on!' Definitely words to live by when your car has died and you're stood in the road in Superman pyjamas on your birthday. 

So much for a quickie blog! Right, I'm off to play with the pooches, go round the charity shops with mum and visit the apparently amazing Andy Warhol exhibition that opened at the De La Warr pavillion today.  

Have a good one! 

<3

LFW video diary part 2!

Thanks for the fab response to the first LFW video I posted! I've loved reading the comments and tweets about it - glad lots of you found the room service calls as funny as I did at the time!


This second instalment is a bit shorter, probably slightly less of a lolfest, and my over-excitement at The Look Show may be a touch irritating but you'll see why I was so excited!

I definitely want to keep making videos, as I find it much more satisfying to receive a good response from something I've put loads of time and effort into rather than the usual outfit photos, etc.

Hope you enjoy!

xx

LFW video diary part 1!

Just running out the door to work now, but had to show you the first part of my LFW Video Diary which I painstakingly edited all day yesterday. You'd never know it to look at the thing though... Really need to hone my 'steady hand' skills...

Also, thanks for the fab entries to my Me & Zena LFW Style competition! You only have until the end of tomorrow to enter it, so make sure you upload a photo of your outfit or nails to the Facebook by then. As this competition requires more effort than posting a comment, it's bound to get less entries than usual blog competitions, so your chances of winning are much, much higher! Don't miss out! 

Have a fun day, people :) Part 2 of my LFW antics coming soon!! 

<3

Competition: LFW Style Challenge!

Well, London Fashion Week kicks off today, so my camera and I are heading to London for a couple of days to take photos of stylish folk. But it isn't all about the Fashion Week fashionistas... As a blogger, I know good style starts at home! 

I've teamed up with Me & Zena to host a LFW Style Challenge for our followers. Judged by (quite literally) Me and Zena, we want you to upload a stylish picture of yourself to the Me & Zena Facebook page (or send to emily@meandzena.com if you're shy). Style is what you make it, so whether it's your sunday best, or some fierce nail art, we want to see it! We need stylish snaps by 20th September.

Possible extra brownie points for creativity. Check my Tuesday Tips for some DIY ideas... 

The winner (announced on 23rd Sepember) will win some flipping amazing prizes:

1st Prize: Me & Zena Television necklace, Lazy Oaf Mouse Tee, Lime Crime lipstick in Retrofuturist, 10 Beauty UK Salon Professional Nail Polishes of their choice, and the pic of their outfit posted on this here blog!

5 Runners Up will each receive 2 polishes of their choice from Beauty UK. 

Can't wait to see your efforts! Good luck! :)

<3

Missguided Blogger Lookbook

Missguided contacted me recently to be one of 10 bloggers featured in their blogger lookbook. Our task was to style up a piece of knitwear sent to us, which would then be uploaded onto FaceyB. The blogger with the most 'likes' wins a voucher to spend on Missguided and one to give away to their readers too. 

I was sent the Bryanna jumper with shoulder and elbow patches (£23.99). It was too short to pair with jeans, so I styled it with a H&M bodycon skirt, Primark belt and tights and my Topshop boots. The necklace is the Velvet Feather from my last outfit post. 

I tend to dislike competitions that pit bloggers against eachother as I don't like popularity contests, so I'm not going to ask you to 'like' my look!  I do recommend a visit to the Missguided Blogger Lookbook on Facebook to see how the rest of the lovely ladies involved styled their items, though. Feel free to 'like' whoever you, er, like!

I'm just flattered to have been asked to be involved and I've enjoyed the challenge of styling up an unexpected item and getting my legs out for the first time in ages! Kinda forgot I had them! 

Off to work and then onto a night out with the work buds. Lovely jubbly! 

<3

Tuesday Tips: University Fresher's FAQ

As many of you are about to start uni, I thought I'd do a little (mammoth) post of advice for students new and old! 

I studied Fashion Promotion at UCA Rochester and graduated in July. I didn't live in halls as I was already living with my boyfriend, so I can't offer much advice there. I have included some tweeted tips from my Twitter followers for another perspective on all things uni! 

I hope those of you that are going to university are excited! Some of my tips may sound a bit like 'don'ts' rather than 'do's', but I don't want to give anyone any more stress than you're already under. Everyone's experience is different, so mine is just one perspective on it based on my own mistakes and experiences. 

If you have any more questions, post them in the comments and I'll do my best to respond to all of them in the next couple of days :)

Let's rock.

SAVING MONEY

Get an NUS Card

It costs about £11, but you get heaps of discounts on fashion, food, beauty and more. Gotta be done. Make sure you check the website so you're making the most of all those savings you're entitled to! 

BANKING

Arrange to have your student loan put into a high interest bank account. You'll make money from it, and can set up a standing order to have a monthly amount paid into your current account so you don't fall for the 'OMG I'm RICH!!!!' syndrome the day your loan arrives... That feeling wears off pretty quickly after a few nights out and food shopping trips. Martin knows more about banking advice, so have a lookie! 

FOOD/DRINK

Save money by cooking meals in big batches and refrigerating/freezing the rest. This works great for things like pasta bake, bolognese and curry.

When eating out, use your student discount. Many Nando's branches offer discount (the Canterbury one offers 20%!) and a whole bunch of places offer deals with an NUS card! 

My favourite bargain food: Tesco Value 50p Tortilla crisps (next to doritos), Tesco Value midget gems, Batchelors savoury rice (bung some prawns in to make my signature Pauper's Paella!), PASTA with any old sauce. 

Probs illegal of me to admit/advise this, but I have been known to take my own alcohol out with me. If money's tight, I totally begrudge wasting £3 a pop on alcoholic drinks! Makes much more sense to buy my own cheap booze, and take some out with me to top up soft drinks with. If you get caught, you may get barred, so approach with caution! 

CLOTHES

Again, use your NUS card to get discounts at squillions of shops. 

Topshop are offering 20% off to students until the beginning of October if you complete their SCVNGR mobile app game (only available on smart phones). You have to complete a series of mini tasks in store (take a snap of your favourite mannequin, etc) and you unlock a 20% off voucher to use instore! 

Look out for in-store events in September and October. I think Topshop have stopped their student lock-ins, but I'm pretty sure Urban Outfitters still do theirs. 

Shop on eBay! To get the best price on the items you've got your eye on, NEVER bid before the last minute! It lets your competition know that they have some, er, competition, and starts a bidding war. Not good. Use a site like Goofbay to to automatically 'snipe' your bids in the final seconds and increase your chance of winning the item (at a bargain price!)

Charity shops. My favourite way to find a bargain! If there's something specific you're after, always ask a member of staff and they'll often go and check out the back for you. I got a great pair of brogues by doing this! 

Get DIY-ing! If you get that urge to buy new clothes but don't have the dough, try refreshing your own wardrobe. Here are some of my Tuesday Tips to keep you busy:

Make hair bows from old leggings

DIY distressed denim shorts

Make fringed t-shirts

Print your clothes with bog bleach

Pillowcase tops/dresses

Swimsuits into crop tops

Wear midi skirts as dresses

Make purses out of duct tape

Refresh old jewellery with nail polish

No sew peter pan collars

Ooh, and when in doubt, learn your own nail art. If you're having a sartorial off-day, some awesome nail art always makes the look more boho than hobo...

Leopard print your nails with liquid eyeliner

Create stripes with scotch tape

Perfect polka dots

French tips/half moons

FRIENDS

Don't judge a book by its cover

On Day 1, we had to pair up with someone else. I was sat between a perfectly nice girl called Emily, and another girl with slightly wild hair and fashiony dress sense (who shall remain unnamed!) For some reason, I had this foolish urge back then to get in with a 'cool crowd' at uni - so I paired up with wild girl. She turned out to be completely scatty, unreliable and actually didn't have a clue what she was on about. Lovely, normal Emily, on the other hand, eventually became a true friend of mine, and one of the few uni friends I'll be staying in contact with! And let me just say, she is far from normal! In a good way. 

The same can be said of a time, a few months into the course, we got randomly paired with people to work on a powerpoint presentation together. I was paired with a girl called Hannah. Stunner, blonde hair extensions, fake tan and an LC obsession. Not My Type, I thought... We bonded during working together (albeit by joking that our very smiley lecturer was a rampant alcoholic) and she became another true friend, and one of the funniest girls I've ever met. 

Funnily enough, most of the people that looked 'cool' also thought they were very cool and were therefore dickheads. So forget who you think you 'ought' to be friends with, and be friendly with everyone. You'll find real friends a lot quicker if you give everyone a chance. 

Don't be a douchebag

Being a nice person is crucial if you want to make friends. Always remember 3 golden rules of being nice. 

1. Always say please/thank you

2. If someone asks you something about yourself, ask something back. 

3. Don't moan. Moaning to your friends is one thing, but moaning to potential new friends isn't going to help your case!

To conclude - be your lovely selves and you will be absolutely fine, I promise you!! Everybody at uni wants to make friends, so don't for one second think you won't make any! 

ACCOMMODATION 

When moving in to halls or your uni house, always thoroughly check the inventory. This is a list of the state of everything in the property. So if there's a stain on the carpet that hasn't been pointed out on the inventory when you moved in, you will still have to pay for it to be rectified when you move out. Go through everything on that list and add ANY imperfections you don't see noted, backing up with photo evidence. Take this to your landlord and have them sign it. This way, you can't be made to pay for damage you didn't cause. 

Don't worry if you don't live in halls. Yes, some people have had a head start at meeting people, but that's an excellent conversation starter during the first week! 'Are you in halls? How's it going?'

LECTURES

Put your phone on silent. Can be awkward if you don't!

If people are talking/being noisy, don't be afraid to SHHH them or move seats. It's your education their drowning out, so don't stand for it. And if you're the talkers, SHHH, please! I even shushed my own friends in lectures if they whispered too much, haha! Noise annoys = my golden rule. Just as well I didn't do halls, I'd never have survived!!

And just to prove I did have SOME fun at university....

Killing time between lectures with Hannah in Poundland... It said 'Canal fishing...'

Emily and Nik

My blonde beauty, Hannah <3

3 Tequila, floor

Laura and Hannah

It's fun to pose with passed out men.

See?

Pirate night...

Decided to pose for a photo next to a huge crowd of police restraining a man (see right of image). Drunkenly decided to wield my pirate sword and strike this pose. The fact the policeman is distracted from the criminal by the absurdity of it all has been a great source of entertainment for my friendship group. My mum even has this photo on the wall of her office! Haha! 

On that note, have fun everyone!!! It will speed by and you will bloody miss it, so make the most of it :)

<3