The Vintage Girl.

Recently, vintage and girly have made a combined style, which is rather wonderful! It tends to go for a vintage shape, insome floral pattern, or pastelledcolour. I really like this look, it's very elegant, and quite lenient, so you can get away with it in most cases, as you can wear it 'dressy' or 'casual', dependant on the occasion, which is always good!

So, here are my Top 3 Vintage Girl outfits-

Outfit 1-

A brown lace Yoke Blouse, which costs £32 from Topshop, worn underneath a Peacock Print Kimono, £45, also from Topshop. I think this top is best fittedto a black Tube Skirt, costing £8 in New Look, and worn with Antique Lace tights, in grey, which are £8 in Accessorize. Shoes, I would go for Satire, by Rocket Dog, which cost £49.99. Of course, no outfit can go without accessories, so I would go for a Mary Jane Pearl necklace, £22.00 in Accessorize, and also a Grey Slouch shoulder bag, from Miss Selfridge, which costs £30.

Brown Lace Yoke Blouse, £32, Peacock Print Kimono, £45. Both Topshop.

Antique Lace tights, in grey, £8, Accessorize. Black Tube Skirt, £8, New Look.

Grey Shoulder Bag, £30, Miss Selfridge. Mary Jane Pearls, £22, Accessorize.

Satire Ankle Boots, £49.99, Rocket Dog.

Outfit 2-

A 'Jenna' 3/4 sleeved lace dress from boohoo.com, in cream, £18, topped with an Uma embellished blouse, in cream, from Elle17; £32. For shoes, how about Obel, byRed or Dead, £64.99? Style this outfit with a pearly bead charm bracelet, £6.00, New Look, and a Luella Boudoir bag, £37.00 from Accessorize.

Jenna Lace Dress, £18, boohoo.com. Uma Embellished Blouse, £32, Elle17.

Luella Boudouir Bag, £37, Accessorize. Pearl Charm, £6, New Look.

Obel Shoes, £64.99, Red or Dead.

Outfit 3-

A wonderful pink cardigan, £29.99 @ River Island, worn open to show a Victoriana trimmed cream vest, £14.99, New Look, and also from New Look, a cream gathered lace skirt, £22. Wear with Sandle Toe Tights, £5.00, Accessorize, and Corsage Ballerina Pumps, in Nude, £28, Next. For a bit of added 'wow', how about a Ballerina Alice Band, £10, Accessorize, and a floral zip purse, £15, Marks and Spencer.

Victoriana vest, £14.99, New Look. Embellished Cardigan, £29.99, River Island.

Lace Skirt, £22, New Look. Sandle Toe Tights colour, £5, Accessorize.

Corsage Ballerina Alice Band, £10, Accessorize. Floral Purse, £15, Marks and Spencer.

Corsage Ballerina Pumps, in Nude, £28, Next.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy being a Vintage Girl! xx

Kitsch and quirky!

Ah, let's be honest, we all love those little quirky and unique items that never seem to make it to 'big trend'. I think these delightful goods deserve more attention, because they are absolutely lovely, despite being very eccentric. So, I'm using up yet another post to share my favourite effervescent products with you!

A rather retro style coin purse, the Lunacy Boutique doesn't fail to please with the 'Musak' Pink Cassette Tape Purse. It uses a zip fastening, to ensure efficiency, and also is aesthetically pleasing. The measurements are 4.5" wide, by 3" height, which I believe is a perfect size for an everyday purse. I like how this is quite decade-theme, but at the same time, it has it's fun and modern qualities. At £7.00, I think this product is all round the ideal purse.

As much as freak shows should be classed as offensive, and cruel, I can't help thinking that the ever-brilliant website of Hannah Zakari has managed to make a freak show cool, and even stylish! A vintage cinema ticket, even with torn edges, and an entry code, made from wood, and designed by Hungry Designs, this 5cm by 2.5cm brooch is absolutely wonderful, and I adore it's style, and utter individuality. £6.00, rather a bargain for it's style, in my opinion!

From Artbox, I'll recommend this beautiful, lightweight summery bag. It features a cute little cookie character, which is appealing, and also a happy and different design along the sides of the bag. The measurements are 49x29x17, which is a good size for taking all sorts along with you, and the bag is extremely light, as it is made of cotton. It also has a large, front zip-up pocket, and the main compartment of the bag is velco-fastening. I found this bag really different, and for some reason, it made me think of 1960's America, which proves this bag quirky, as 2010 Britain is rather a different style! At £21.00, you're getting a good bag for the money.

I've always loved hippy accessories, which is probably what brought my attention to these hippy-style daisy earrings, which were also at a shocking low price of £5.00, at Punky Pins. They have extremely delicate detail, how would you ever know they weren't made from real daisy flowers? The charms (25mm by 25mm) are attached to silver plated ear wires, which give them an attractive, eye catching appearance. I love these earrings, and would definitely wear them out, as they fit my kitsch description for this post pretty well!

So, hopefully now you'll be confident enough to try out some different styles of kitsch and quirky! Here are some useful links for having a go with that-

http://www.punkypins.co.uk/

Punky Pins, unique, as always! I like the consistency of their products, and the way some of their collections are so hippy orientated.

http://artbox.co.uk/

Artbox is perfect for you if you are quite into the American or Japanese quirky styles, and also this website is often updated, and cheap.

http://www.hannahzakari.co.uk/

This website is my all-time kitsch favourite, and I was stuck for choice which item to add to my blog! Enjoy!

http://lunacyboutique.co.uk/

I think this site is responsible the quirky fashion, and it has some amazing products, especially their thematic work, and their bags and purses.

Thanks for reading xx

Tan satchels- the new craze?

I've recently spotted how many people have been seen to carry tan leather satchels, from ordinary people in the streets, to catwalk models. I think this trend is mainly stemmed from the Alexa Chung 'Mulberry' fad, but now bags like this are available in high street stores at a low price. Here is a selection of photographs of people with a tan satchel.

This is Alexa Chung herself, with the Mulberry bag. She shows in this portfolio that tan satchels can be worn with different types of outfits. On the first photo, she wears a beautiful neutral polka dot dress. She also wears a biker style leather jacket, and black patent ankle leather boots. Her hair is neatly scraped away from her face, and I don't think she's wearing any makeup. Then we see the fabulous Mulberry bag, on her shoulder. I admire Alexa in this photo for showing that she can look natural, i.e, no makeup, hair scraped back, and she can still look wonderful, with her Mulberry bag for company. The second photograph shows Alexa looking quite dressed up. Her makeup is still at a low amount, I really like Alexa's natural side. She wears the same black boots as in the first photo, with a short black skirt, and black spotty tee-shirt. She also wears a black blazer, with pinstripe lining, which adds to the scholar look of the Mulberry bag. Alexa does also wear a nice pendant necklace, which doesn't beg her attention. The Mulberry bag is clinging her right wrist, once again, matching her outfit. The third photo, Alexa once again wears the leather boots. This time she wears a delicate yet statement black tunic, with ornate goldish design, and the sleeves are of a floaty, net style. For the second time, the Mulberry bag is hung on her shoulder. This bag really does seem to match, no matter what it is worn with, and how it is held. Well Done Alexa!

Jessica Alba, seen looking fairly natural, in a plain white vest top, slim jeans and an earthy brown cardigan. Her bag isn't quite to the Mulberry style, but hopefully I'm getting the point across that tan satchels are stylish.

Above shows Kirsten Dunst, wrapped in in black, and concealed by her sunglasses. Her bag is of a paler shade than most of the tan satchels, but once again, it really suits her outfit, and I think she looks very preppy and unique.

Finally, Reese Witherspoon. She looks very casual, and has a coffee-brown satchel slung across her body. As shown in the background of the photo, she is eyeturning with her wonderful casual looks, and tan satchel.

These bags are absolutely brilliant, and I genuinely don't think I could fault them. They have many highlights to them, such as that they look so trendy, yet scholarly and preppy, which is a great modern styling look, so this bag fits perfectly. Also, they are the most useful bag size I think we will find in any shop. They are big enough to fit in pretty much whatever you are taking out with you, yet at the same time, they don't need lugging along, partly because of the many different ways you can wear this bag. The bag has a smart briefcase style leather handle, which is small, and solely to be handheld. However, there is also a long loose strap which could be worn on the shoulder, or slung across the body. This way, you can't really complain about the bag being awkward to hold. Inside, this bag is quite large, and spacious, but it also has many extra pockets, inside and out. There are two buckled pockets on the main front. These shaping of this bag can also be slightly modified to your preference by two buckles on either side of the bag. My particular version of this bag came free with a couple of padlocks, keys, and tags, which canbe tied or clipped onto any part of your bag, as a styled accessory, or to also help fight off against thieves. I have chosen to leave the extra parts off my bag; I like it as it is. Penultimately, the bag I have is made of a fine leather quality. Of course, this depends on the price you pay foryour bag, but I would say it's worth going for the more expensive. Not only does it currently look in better shape than the cheaper bags, but it will also hold more, and last longer. As a final highlight to me, I find the colour great. I quite like tan colours anyway, but this particular shade will fit well with most outfits, and doesn't seem to go with a seasonal preference, so you can use your bag confidently, all year round. The tan colour should have a lasting effect, and because it is quite shiny, it will have your bag eye catching for quite some time. No complaints, an all round amazing style of bag!

This bag can be found in many shops, going from Alexa Chung, at about £750, down to Primark's vague copies, at around £8.00. They can also be purchased in your general high street shops, Next, New Look, Topshop...? But I would definitely recommend going for the pricier, as these bags are perfect, and I would predict they will stay stylish for quite some time. I think I will get the use of the bag that I paid for, definitely.

Above, the true Mulberry bag, by Alexa Chung. This bag is the priciest of the tan satchels variety, but in my opinion, it's the best looking, and will last longest. It also gives you the pride of holding a lovely bag.

This is the New Look version on tan satchels. It's slightly different from the Mulberry bag, as in that it doesn't have a handle, or the same colours. It is, however, cheaper than the Mulberry bag, so depending on how much you'd like to pay for a bag, New Look might be more suited to you.

This is a tan satchel from Next. I think this one has even more detail than Alexa's, although I doubt it'll all be of the same quality. It is quite alike the Alexa bag though. It's not too expensive, and is probably a good middle range style.

Topshop. I think this bag is just as nice as the others, and has a reasonable price. The colour of this bag is more 'wooden' in my opinion, and it has a sort of creased look to it, so this bag looks more old fashioned. I still do like it though.

amie natural skincare

Amie Skincare, a fabulous natural range specially formulated for teenage skin. It doesn't use any parabens, mineral-oils, or petrochemicals, and uses rich botanical products, organic where possible.

I absolutely love this range, and found it extremely effective from just the first use. Each product has a brilliant texture, and also a sweet yet unique scent to it. I would highly recommend 'Amie' to anyone! I especially like the name 'Amie', meaning 'friend' in French.

Amie Skincare has been highly spoken of by many healthcare specialists, and has also been presented 1st Place in the 'Pure Beauty Awards' of 2008, 'Sugar Beauty Stars' of 2010, and was a finalist in 'Beauty Insiders Choice' 0f 2009, so we can see thatAmie is definitely up to recent skincare standards.

There are 6 wonderful products to choose from, and I couldn't say I have a favourite, they're all amazing!

Makeup remover, entitled Bright Eyes, is wonderful, and removes makeup with one wipe, and this particular product has a lovely fresh scent of chamomile, meadow cornflower, grape water and cucumber, leaving you with bright eyes, as the name suggests. This is very gentle, and leaves your skin soft, but not at all greasy. I love this eye makeup remover, and is absolutely essential with its effortless yet extremely effective cleansing methods. At £4.75 per 125ml, I think this is a fab price for such shockingly good results.

Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash is a delightful product, strong enough to cleanse your skin properly, yet gentle enough for an enjoyable daily use. This cleanser is in a creamy lotion form, and contains almond oil to moisturize your skin as it cleans, and is scented with harmonising flavours, including various blossoms, raspberries and elderflower. Morning Clear will leave your skin feeling soft and clean, and unlike many cleansers, it won't dry your skin out. I like this product because it showed great results from the very first use, whereas many cleansers will take up to a week to have any effects at all. It costs £4.95 for 150ml, so once again, a very reasonable price.

Petal Perfect, 2 in 1 Cleanser and Toner. I must say I really love the colour of this product. I know, it's not the most practical reason for this blog, but with such beautiful colours, people will be inclined to buy these lovely skin products, and get flawless skin! Anyhow, I think that this product has a great rinse-off quality, so it can be used when you are pretty short on time. It has a catching scent of pure apple, witch hazel, raspberry and a dash of French rose water. I think this products best ability is that it wakes your skin into being smooth, and manages to keep blackheads and spots away. It's great, not only does it cleanse your skin, detoxifying you, to keep skin moist without being oily, but at the same time, it tones your skin, and saves you from being patchy or in need of a strong foundation. £4.75 for 200ml, the best bargain yet!

Morning Dew Matte-Finish Mousturiser is brilliant for fighting off dry skin, and with its anti-oxidant properties, it can also protect you against sun damage and pollution (though you still need to wear suncream!). This mousturiser is very rich in its organic rosehip and bilberry scents, with lemon and orange extracts to act as antiseptic clarifying lotions. I love how this mousturiser is light, with a wonderful velvety texture, so that you're left with 100% non-oily, non-dry skin. It will perfectly hydrate your skin, whilst blocking 'shine', which leaves you with a clear and smooth base to apply your makeup. This mousturiser can be used daily, because it's so light, but works so effectively that you'd never guess it only costs £4.95, per 75ml tube.

The Amie Range also have a beautiful exfoliator, New Leaf Skin Exfoliating Polish. It gently lifts dead skin cells from your face, leaving you with a much clearer complexion. It has a lasting effect, and so you only need to use it once or twice a week, but your skin will constantly look just as fresh! It uses activating bamboo and jojoba as the main exfoliators, and they help to maintain a healthy blood flow as well as lifting dirt from your skin. The main scents in this exfoliator are cocoa butter and mango, and these are used to make the smooth cream that the jojoba and bamboo beads are immersed into. This product will revive your skin, and leave you not only looking, but smelling and feeling clean as well. Have your skin exfoliated for £4.95 per 75ml.

The perfect face mask, Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask. This face mask is so amazing because its botanic ingredients have fabulous cleansing properties. Also, you will be left smelling of purely organic peppermint, French white clay and fresh lime butter. The peppermint will help freshen up your skin, and keep you feeling awake; it will cool you, and leave you looking unbelievably healthy. The French White Clay is very absorbent, and carefully absorbs unwanted toxins from your skin, whilst mousturising, improving your circulation, and making sure you have enough natural oils in your skin. Lastly, the fresh lime butter will also wake up your skin, whilst making sure you smell fabulous. It will tone your skin, and shrink pores, so as not as much dirt can get in. This costs £4.95 for 75ml.

The above products can be purchased from:

John Lewis

Boots

Superdrug

Victoria Health

Enjoy, and thanks for reading xx