Winter Warmers - My Problem With Coats

Navy Blue Zip Coat by New Look - £44.99

I really suck at buying appropriate seasonal clothes... I love layering, so when I'm shopping I tend to buy things that are adaptable enough to be layered in the winter and worn alone in the summer. I live in cardigans of various states of thickness and warmness and own a limited number of coats - a rain mac (which does nothing to keep you warm), a leather jacket (which does nothing to keep you warm), a cropped military style jacket (which does nothing to keep you warm) and a black button-up coat, which does keep me warm but is at least 7 years old and falling apart.

Coats are particularly expensive, which I think is another reason why I tend not to look at them when I'm shopping. I think darker button up style jackets are pieces you can spend a few extra pounds on and will last for years to come but to spend £50-80 on one piece of clothing on the high street can seem outrageous. Buying a classically styled coat would help me with this as I could know it would never go out of fashion - I especially think this is true for darker blues and blacks which always look smart. Timeless pieces are probably worth the investment.

So, I figured this is the perfect time to see what's on offer across the high street and see if its time to replace my one winter coat (or perhaps add a few more!).

Wool Coat by Crafted at Republic - £60.00

Short Hooded Swing Coat by Topshop - £75.00

Navy Hooded Duffle Coat by River Island - £80.00

The Power of a Cute Sweater (High Street Edition)

Republic's sweaters from left: Crafted Azted Cross Jumper, Soul Cal Deluxe Striped Jumper and the Crafted Rebel Jumper

Whether its a hoodie, a light casual sweater,a zip up or a winter warmer, hoodies and cute sweaters are a great edition to your wardrobe. They're not just great for covering up after a workout or hanging around at home in, I think they can give everyday outfits a bit of spark and style! You can brighten up a pair of jeans and add a pair of loafers for a winter warmer, or rock it with some leggings and add some boots for some street style!

All of the best High Street stores have got a great collection for Autumn/Winter this year, plus, if you've got a little extra to spend on fall fashion there are the rather fab designer ones too! These are some of my favourite sweaters from this season from Republic, Topshop, New Look and River Island and be sure to check back soon to see my favourite designer ones too!

Which is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!

River Island's Sweaters From Left: Black Sequin Grid Stitch Jumper, Black Rose Print Jacquard Chelsea Girl Jumper and the Bright Coral Jumper

Topshop's Jumpers From Left: Knitted Shimmer Star Jumper, Oversized Heart Jumper by Love and the Knitted Stud Sheer Jumper

New Look's Jumpers from Left: Cameo Rose Cream Skull Printed Oversized Jumper, Dark Red Twist Knit Heart Jumper and the Cream Fluro Printed Yoke Knitted Jumper

Craving: Topshop Scarves for Fall

Now we're moving into autumn, scarves become a wardrobe staple for me. They provide warmth whilst allowing you to still wear the pieces you loved from summer for a few months more.

Some of my favourite scarves this season are from Topshop. I love subtle patterns that give the piece character without being over the top. The Topshop range of scarves and snoods are definately at the high end of the scarves price range, with the average piece close to 20 pounds each, but I'm easily swayed in store when I feel the fabric and try it on!

Neutrals with bright aspects are fun because it means they're versatile enough to fit with any outfit but have their own focus to make a subtler outfit pop. I'm not such a fan of snoods (although I have featured some above) because they aren't quite as versatile as scarves are - I like that you can wear scarves in so many different ways but snoods, although they may have a great pattern, are literally a loop or two of fabric around your neck.

What do you think of the scarves Topshop have produced this season? Let me know in the comments!

The scarves above are: Topshop Ditsy Scatter Floral Scarf (Top Left), Topshop Fairisle Snood in Multi (Bottom Left), Topshop Cream Skull Scarf (Middle), Topshop Toucan Pront Scarf (Top Right), Topshop Mono Ivy Skull Scarf (Bottom Right)

Wardrobe Staples: Jersey Skater Dress

I wanted to share another wardrobe staple with you - jersey skater dresses. With the weather so changeable at the moment, I've found these mini dresses to be the most useful basic and a fabulous edition to my wardrobe.

I've always been very scared to try on clothes like this because I'm not the most confident of people and prefer to hide my lumps and bumps wherever possible. With the jersey material that you would presume to be clingy in the wrong places, they don't look all that appealing on the hanger. So to those who are like me, go for it because sometimes when you're ransacking the aisles and you've picked up a few bits, you might find a gem.

The shape of this style of dress is so flattering - particularly I find for those with a little waist and bigger hips & thighs. It skims over the stomach and flares out as soon as it reaches your hips so no one need know you're hiding slightly chubby thighs beneath. I also find they are super adaptable no matter what the occasion - I've paired my red dress with a brown leather jacket, chunky knit scarf, tights and boots on those days when its not so warm and also rocked the dress with layered necklaces, leggings and heels for a night-out with my friends. You can also pair it with jeans when you don't want to get the legs out, or bum around the house in them with a pair of shorts. 

Check out the Topshop's Flippy Hem Dresses (as featured above) HERE - I've brought two colours of this style so far and I'm definately going to get more! In particular, I've found the material to be uber-comfy - not the kind of comfy where the fabric stretches out of shape and looks awful but in a flattering way where you can feel relaxed without having to worry about how you look like.The fabric is of a great quality, the come in a great selection of colours, they wash up nicely, they haven't stretched or got out of shape and they're on sale for £12 right now - bargain!

Jersey Skater Dresses are a great basic for anyone's collection no matter what size, shape or style you rock, its very flattering and has become one of my wardrobe staples.

Craving: Topshop Eye Palette in Secret Liasions

After my success with Topshop's Nail Varnish Remover (read my review HERE), I've now turned my attention to other cosmetics from the brand - especially the Topshop Eye Palette in Secret Liasions.

The colours seem like they are the perfect natural day-to-day look - something you could vamp up in the evening with the purple colour and relax in the day with the nude hue. I haven't had the chance to swatch these yet (as I only spied the product online today) but I really think they would be a great addition to my steadily building make-up collection. Topshop's products (especially their cosmetics) always seem to be of a high quality and well-worth their price so I hope that this one will be the same.

I'm not too sure about the packaging - seems a bit old fashioned... I don't know... but its shape and layout is nice with the mirror and brush in the centre. Seems like a perfect compact for your bag or car when your eyes need a boost after a long day.

What do you think of Topshop cosmetics? Do you have any favourites? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Topshop Nail Varnish Remover [Review]

I picked the Topshop Nail Varnish Remover up in town last week when I was browsing the make-up - they were only £2 and I'd never tried "pads" to remove nail varnish before, so I thought I'd give it a go! With work looming tomorrow, I knew it was time to get rid of my nail varnish this afternoon and it gave me a great opportunity to give these a whirl.

You simply rub the pads over your finger nails and it removes the polish quickly and easily. Its interesting as in the packet, the pads are soft and dry but as you start to rub, it lets the liquid out slowly onto your nails meaning it doesn't go anywhere and you don't have to worry about spilling chemicals over any nice surfaces. Literally takes a few seconds - no vigorous nail scrubbing to get rid of the colour - and it left my nails feeling smooth and clear. The product also contains Vitamin B5 which gives strength to your nails which can get damaged so easily. My hands were a bit greasy afterwards - handwashing solved that - but the horrible chemical smell of normal nail polish remover wasn't in the air which was fabulous.

There are 20 in the packet and I managed to remove all my nail polish with one (I had to use both sides and every millimetre of space and liquid to get rid of the polish but I did it!), so for 10p a pop, seems really worthwhile giving them a go! Next time you're in Topshop, be sure to pick up a pack and give them a whirl - I'll definately be picking them up again.

April Showers Outfit Guide

"Rain, Rain, Go Away, Come Again Another Day"...with the British weather being as bad as its been recently, I thought I'd do a fun wet weather outfit. I think its really hard to stay warm and dry, yet remain stylish in these kinds of conditions. Especially because the outfit needs to be great for outside and then easy to wear inside too!

As always, the little hearts show the items from the outfit which I would most love!

Outfit

Topshop Chiffon Side Tuck Blouse in Cream <3

RD Style Moto Jacket

J.Crew Pixie Pants in Black <3

Accessories

Keys Print Silk Scarf by Beta <3

Hunter Original Tall Wellies in Red

House of Harlow 1960 Key Cocktail Ring

Topshop Clip and Leather Slouch Bag

Essie Nail Polish in 'Poor Little Rich Girl'

I Love Crossbody Bags

Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC Bag

Perfect for festivals, a day out at a theme park, walking around town or even shopping at the supermarket, crossbody bags are just so practical. The perfect size for your purse, phone, keys and a few other essentials they're great but can sometimes be a bit clunky and not all that stylish, so I've picked a few of my favourite cross-body bags! What are your faves?

Topshop Leather Punchout Crossbody Bag in Coral

Marc By Marc Jacobs Karlie Bag

Free People Hammered Stud Zip Crossbody in Turquoise

Neons: En-Trend but Unwearable?

Wildfox Vampire Smile Baggy Beach Sweatshirt - I am obsessed with Wildfox Couture, so for me that was an obvious choice. Wildfox + Neon = LOVE!


I know that Neons are going to be big this season but for me I think they can be difficult to wear without either looking too overdone or the neon disappearing into the outfit. I mean, no one wants to walk down the street looking like they've just left a rave!

I recently discovered that I own nothing that is neon... so, I've put together some items that I think are great for the neon trend and will look awesome in outfits too! What neon pieces do you love? Let me know in the comments!

Blue Life Long Sleeved Best Bum with Pocket - I think this would look fab with tonnes of layered necklaces,  rings and bracelets for that complete bo-ho chic look!

TopShop Moto Neon Pink Hotpants - paired with an oversized tee and ankle booties, I think these shorts are perfect for summer!

Vanessa Mooney Hallie Neon Wraps - Add this to a stack of fun wrap bracelets for a simple introduction to the neon trend!

BarryM Neon Nail Polish - Finally, a great way to kick some neon into your outfit without making it the focus is by adding a neon nail polish! LOVE IT!