Outfit Of The Day: Rita Ora on November 11th

Rita Ora was snapped on the red carpet of the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards in this deep red Marchesa gown from their Fall 2012 collection - this was actually the finale dress in the show.

Paired with diamond and gold Cartier rings and bracelets, the bold red lip and smoky make up make this a statement look, although I wish she didn't have roots - the blonde faux bob helps to draw the nude sheer part of the dress together and make the outfit feel more refined. The colour of the dress itself is perfect for her skintone and the wrapping of the skirt at the waist makes her look tiny without overwhelming her figure!

Rita has never really featured on my fashion radar before but I think this outfit in particular is impeccable, so I will definately keep a look out! This outfit is causing quite a stir amongst fashion bloggers, so I would love to hear your thoughts on it in the comments - do you love it or loathe it?

Free People 'The Snow Queen' Lookbook

Free People are releasing a series of Winter and Christmas themed lookbooks in the run up to the holiday season. The first one named 'The Snow Queen' is absolutely stunning and actually perfect outfits for British winters when it gets really cold and very un-Californian like in weather! With the knit jumpers, beautiful party dresses, coats, knit beanies, maxi dresses, scarves and jeans - its layering paradise and great inspiration for your own winter outfits!

Check out the full lookbook HERE and check back for more of the gorgeous lookbooks as winter fashion inspiration in the coming weeks!

Autumn/Winter Nail Polishes: Copper & Bronze

This is part two of my autumn/winter nail polish recommendations, if you missed my first post on the best berry toned polishes check out the full post HERE!

Nails are a great way to express your fall fashion loves - they subtlety add life to an outfit, can draw a whole outfit of different colours together in one go and can add a pop of colour to the darker winter days. Bronzes and browns are a particular favourite because you can get so many different shades that can create entirely different looks - a particular trend is the metallic nail so I've included some metallics, some glittered and some more subtle toned too. Here are my top four favourite bronze toned nail polishes for Autumn 2012 (Note: To gauge the look, pictures of all of the varnishes on my nails can be found in the polish reviews)!

From left:

Essie Nail Polish in Penny Talk 

A reflective pinky copper polish  - a metallic colour with an interesting final look but at the high end of the nail polish market. Check out my full review of the polish HERE.

Accessorize Metallized Nail Polish in Copper

A bronze tone that definately lives up to its 'metalised' claim - the edges of the polish, although clean, seemed to dirty like the metal was rusting, creating a fascinating look. Check out my full review of the polish HERE.

Collection 2000 Lasting Colour Nail Polish in Fudge Brownie

A light, subtle, pinky brown tone - at only £3.99 and available across the high street, its well worth the price with great staying power. Check out my full review of the polish HERE.

Max Factor Max Effect Nail Polish in Red Bronze

A sparkly bronze with a deep red highlight. Needs a lot of coats to give a great look but its well worth the time! Check out my full review of the polish HERE.

What are your favourite bronze, copper and brown toned nail polishes for fall - let me know in the comments as I'd love to try them out!

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

Brand Profile: The Cambridge Satchel Company

I really love being introduced to brands I hadn't heard of before - especially ones with interesting back stories and beautiful products so when I watched this, I knew I had to share this right here, on my blog!

I always find the Google Chrome adverts touching and inspiring - the stories they tell are aspirational and hugely uplifting, whilst being beautifully shot. The most recent is being showcased as the YouTube header advert and entitled 'Google Chrome: Julie Deane'. The advert tells the story of how Julie started her fabulously fashionable brand The Cambridge Satchel Company and how its moving from strength to strength.

I'd not heard of the The Cambridge Satchel Company before but I'm so glad I now have - the pieces are beautiful, utterly timeless and modern with a classic vintage twist. Ranging from the brown classic bag reminescent of school days gone by to the Downing with its autumnal berry colours and detachable strap, the pieces are perfectly en trend with their own unique edge.

The company offer a full size guide - so you can work out exactly which size would best suit you and what you require out of the bag you have chosen. They also offer a fantastic embossing service (which is reminiscent of the actual school bags from the past) which enables you to personalise your bag with your initials, name or other message in a variety of classic colours.

I often gravitate towards brands which have a great back story and produce individual, beautiful pieces and  The Cambridge Satchel Company definately fits this - let me know what you think of the advert and the brand in the comments below, as I'd love to hear your thoughts! AND if you want to recommend me a brand which I perhaps have not heard of before, leave it below - as I said I love being introduced to new brands!

Free People in the UK!

One of my favourite US clothing stores is now available in the UK - Free People! I've blogged their lookbooks and pieces from their collections for such a long time and I am so excited that they're finally in the UK. The brand is all about free spirits as stated in their target audience girl:

A 26-year-old girl, smart, creative, confident and comfortable in all aspects of her being, free and adventurous, sweet to tough to tomboy to romantic. A girl who likes to keep busy and push life to its limits, with traveling and hanging out and everything in between. Who loves Donovan as much as she loves The Dears, and can't resist petting any dog that passes her by on the street.

Although it was possible to order from them and have it shipped over from the US before, the customs fees and taxes made it really confusing and a hassle but now its all been made easy! Although the pieces are still shipped from the US, there are no nasty surprises from customs - the total billed at the checkout is the final amount and returns to their UK centre are free. They're even offering free delivery until the end of the month!

I can't wait to start buying from their site and hope in the future, they may even start opening stores across the country!

Last Night's Looks: LACMA Art & Film Gala 2012

With her new brunette hair in a sleek up-do, Amber Heard wore a Gucci Spring 2013 little black dress with a detailed gold and black embellished neckline. She added a pair of black Gucci 'Lisbeth' heels with the delicate three strap look. This dress looks particularly difficult to pull off - not just because its straight cut but also because that neckline is so bold - but Amber certainly manages it. She looks fabulously chic!

The LACMA Art & Film Gala 2012 was held last night and as always with these big events, I wanted to share some of my favourite red carpet looks, as well as some that are.... interesting to say the least! The event was held to honour Ed Ruscha and Stanley Kubrick and presented by Gucci, with the majority of the female attendees wearing a piece from the designers' most recent collections.

Let me know what you think of the looks in the comments below!

Evan Rachel Wood looks beautifully elegant in this one-of-a-kind Gucci frock. The nude and rose gold palette works perfectly for her skin tone and hair colour; and the bold eye make-up gives the look some depth and dramatic edge. Paired with a Gucci box clutch and Gucci rosegold heels, the natural up-do with her flowing blonde hair pulls the whole outfit together. Beautiful and en-trend all at the same time!

Rosie Huntington Whiteley chose a floorlength mint dress with ruffle detail around the neckline from Gucci's Spring 2013 collection, which she paired with Gucci ankle strap sandals and a Gucci box clutch. Rosie styled her look very similarly to the way the brand showcased their outfit on the runway earlier this year with the centre parting bun and make-up. The dress is very straight down, which she is lucky enough to be able to rock, but there is a lot of side boob with this dress which ruins what is otherwise a nice look!

Cameron Diaz wore a Gucci Spring 2013 dress paired with Gucci black ankle-strap heels and a chunky clutch bag. The dress itself is lovely with the oversized sleeves, synched in waist and detailed neckline but the fit just doesn't seem to work for her body shape and I don't think she styled it particularly well with the black heels and clutch, messy up-do and interesting make-up palette - it seems a bit all over the place, almost thrown together.

Fall Wardrobe Staple: Berry Toned Nail Polishes

It's officially autumn - the chilly weather has set in full force this week and its time to pull out those winter warmers and snuggle in front of a roaring fire, instead of bask in the last of the sun. Autumn is my favourite time of year for fashion - layering, scarves, boots, coats and those fab berry shades which I love to rock all year around.

Nails are a great way to express your fall fashion loves - they subtlety add life to an outfit, can draw a whole outfit of different colours together in one go and can add a pop of colour to the darker winter days. So here are my top four favourite berry toned nail polishes for Autumn 2012!

From left:

Essie Nail Polish in Angora Cardi 

A deep, dusty plum tone - a subtle colour with great coverage but at the high end of the nail polish market. Check out my full review of the polish HERE.

Essie Nail Polish in Size Matters  

A bold deep red shade - leaves a shiny manicured effect finish but again at the high end of the nail polish market. Check out my full review of the polish HERE.

Barry M Nail Paint in Raspberry 

Different in every light but a plum, red and deep pink mixture. Only £2.99 with great staying power and finish. Check out my full review of the polish HERE.

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Nail Polish in Black Cherries

A very deep purple, almost black shade with hints of red in different lights. Very unique colour with glitter highlights. Check out my full review of the polish HERE.

What are your favourite berry toned nail polishes for fall - let me know in the comments as I'd love to try them out!

Outfit Of The Day: Olivia Palermo on October 22nd

I'm really loving Olivia Palermo's style at the moment - she mixes skinny jeans and leggings with oversized tops which are perfect for fall and her outfits feature basics that can easily be replicated by style-savvy fans.

On October 22nd, Olivia was spotted walking her dog in New York city rocking the Hudson 'Leeloo' Super Skinny Cropped jeans in a beautiful purple shade, an oversized black high necked sweater, simple black flats and a pair of Westward sunglasses.

The gorgeous berry tone of the jeans are perfectly on trend for fall and winter - I especially like the black stripe down the side which pulls the shades of the whole outfit together. Incredibly pairing the super skinny jeans with the hugely oversized jumper still looks sleek, flattering and chic too! I'm really loving her style at the moment and can't wait to see what kinds of looks she wears next!

The Power of a Cute Sweater (Designer Edition)

Wildfox Couture's Sweaters from left: Sparkle Heart Baggy Beach Jumper , Seeing Stars Lennon Sweater and Love Me Baggy Beach 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!

You can really see where the inspiration for the high street alternatives come from by looking at the designer pieces that are produced each season. Wildfox is one of my favourite for cute tees, sweaters and pullovers but there are lots of great brands whom produce great quality, wearable pieces for a more high end price. Check out my rundown of great sweater brands below and my full rundown of high street alternatives HERE!

Which is your favourite and have you seen any copies on the high street? Let me know in the comments below!

Haute Hippie's Sweaters from left: Navajo Fairisle Cropped Sweater, Embellished Aran Sweater in Nude and Chain Cable Pullover

Markus Lupfer's sweaters from left: Sequin Star Jumper in Charcoal, Tinsel Star Intarsia Jumper in Beetroot and the Totes Amaze Jumper

Planet Blue's Sweaters from left: 

Vlogger Favourite: TalkBeckyTalk

I thought I'd share a vlogger I've recently discovered and love - TalkBeckyTalk! I discovered Becky's channel through FleurDeForce as she did some videos with her about two months ago. Since then, she has been regularly uploading videos to her channel on a variety of subjects including fashion, hair, make-up and more!

As a beauty vlogger, I find her particularly refreshing because the videos are packed with information from her own personal experience. She recommends products that she has used for months or years on end, unlike some vloggers that wear something once and claim it changed their lives. She also reviews and uses a mixture of high end and high street end pieces and has a great mix of beauty and fashion videos, without one strongly taking over the other. Her advice is practical, simple, using high street products and perfect for normal girls.

Let me know what you think of her channel in the comments and be sure to subscribe to her too!

Rebecca Minkoff Fall 2012 Film

After seeing the Mini Mac bags on celebrities and fashion vloggers alike, I've admired Rebecca Minkoff's collections for a while now. Whilst browsing Shopbop this week, I noticed this rather interesting lookbook video for the brand's Fall 2012 collection. Created by Shopbop itself, the site has produced a lookbook as well as this really incredibly shot film that showcases her most recent pieces!

I LOVE the colours of her bags this season with the studs, mixture of textures, brights colours and berry tones and of course more of her classic designs. I can't wait to see which stars are toting them around town this autumn and have a few suspicions about who we might see with one first!

Check out the film above and the full lookbook HERE.

Brand Profile: Hiut Denim Co

I discovered Hiut Denim Co through Mulberry's Brilliant Britain Guide (which has LOADS of fabulous cultural information on Architecture, Fashion, Art, Shops and so much more) and found their story so inspiring that I had to share it with my blog readers!!

The brand was born out of the moving of a denim production company from Cardigan in Wales, abroad for cheaper production costs - at the time, a tenth of the town's population were employed by the business. Wanting to revive the local industry, David and Clare Hieatt founded the Hiut Denim Company last year and employed some of the skilled workers who had previously worked in the town's denim factory. Their aim is to develop their company to be large enough to employ all of the talented seemstresses who lost their jobs when the previous company moved abroad.

Not only is the history of the UK based brand fascinating, one of my favourite things about Hiut Denim is the history tag they impart on each of their pieces. Each pair of jeans has an individually produced code sewn into them during production - when you purchase a pair, you can view images of each stage of production for your exact pair of jeans (as they are photographed at each stage) and add your own so if your jeans go to new owners themselves, they can see the full story of how their jeans came to be! To me, its these little touches that make companies like this so unique and likeable - and makes me want to run my own business to.

Unfortunately, the collection is currently only available in two mens styles (although the skinny pair could be worn by women as a boyfriend jean because they do small waist sizes too) but as they perfect each of their styles, they'll be adding womens cuts too which I can't wait for.

What do you think of Hiut Denim's story and unique touches? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Craving: MORE Scarlett Hearts Jewelry

Scarlett Hearts' Gold Hamsa Bracelet

I've got my younger sister Emma rather obsessed with Scarlett Hearts (just like I am!). She came into my room today with a little list of things she would like from the site, so I thought I'd put her list and my newest favourites together for the latest edition of 'Craving'!

We're going to branch-out this time and purchase jewelry that isn't just necklaces - I find myself constantly buying necklaces and then never having a nice bracelet to wear, whilst we both love the Turquoise Cross Necklace so who knows which one of us will buy it!

I'd love to hear your favourite pieces in the comments below and when we buy some (which we will inevitably do this week!) I'll be sure to review my faves! Be sure to also check out my summer Scarlett Hearts purchases HERE and my review of the 'Golden Snitch' Necklace HERE too!

Scarlett Hearts' Turquoise Cross Bracelet in Antique Bronze

Scarlett Hearts' Zodiac Necklace

Scarlett Hearts' Peace Necklace

Scarlett Hearts' Rose Gem Ring

Outfit Of The Day: Ashley Tisdale on October 2nd

On October 2nd, Ashley Tisdale was spotted on the set of her new movie 'Scary Movie 5' wearing a Free People 'Collegiate' Cardigan, Truly Madly Deeply 'Live To Ride' Muscle Tee, a pair of Tractr Jeans and her favourite Sam Edelman Gigi Sandals.

I love the fall feeling this outfit brings - layering up your favourite summer pieces is one of the best parts about Autumn in my opinion and Ashley does it perfectly. I love the dark red theme that runs throughout this outfit from the highlight on the cardigan. part of the detailing of the graphic tee, the shade of the jeans and of course the brown sandals - it all flows perfectly. This is the perfect university insipiration outfit in my opinion, stylish yet casual and comfortable too!

I love graphic tees and jeans but am never comfortable enough to wear that simple of an outfit in public... maybe now I'll try?

My Pandora Bracelet

This is my Pandora Bracelet, which I was lucky enough to receive as a gift from my aunts for my 21st Birthday in July. I did know what I was going to get as I was allowed to pick exactly which charms and bracelet I wanted, with a little input from them too but I was also given one of the charms as a surprise!

I started with the Pandora Moments Starter Love and Stars Bracelet which consists of the sterling silver bracelet itself, the two 'Firework Clips' (Above: far right and far left) which hold the rest of the charms at the front of the bracelet and the 'Openwork Heart Charm'. (Above: Second from the right)  These things all together were £99 which I think is reasonable considering buying these pieces seperately would have cost £125. I then added the 'July Birthstone Charm' (Above: second from the left) which is a silver metal flower with orange Carnelian stones. To me, my bracelet was complete for my present - I had the clips and two gorgeous charms.

On my birthday, when I received the gift from them, there was also an extra box in the Pandora Bag - the 'Heart and Love Charm'  (Above: Middle). Its an absolutely gorgeous bead - one of my favourites from the collection and I was SO excited to be able to rock it on my bracelet! I think it really completes it and puts me on a solid gold and silver colour scheme for future special occasion charm buying!

I truly believe that Pandora Bracelets are great accessories - as gifts or for yourself. Each charm could represent an important life goal or event, marks in a relationship or even just to buy one for yourself for your personal jewelry collection. They are expensive but I think totally worthwhile as they'll last forever and will be a timeless piece. 

I do have three top tips if you're thinking of buying one yourself:

Firstly, don't get a bracelet that is too large - having it slip down your arm is frustrating, as my sister brought one and the lady in the shop wouldn't allow her to try on a smaller size. Its supposed to be on your wrist, not falling down your arm because its a special piece of jewelery to savour, not to be jangling around. 

Secondly, buy clips - this keeps the beads that you buy at the front of the bracelet and stops them from slipping down the bracelet itself and hanging underneath your wrist. They sit prominently on top and you can get some pretty stylish clips too! 

Thirdly, don't worry about how many beads you have on there and the colour scheme - each of the beads having individual meanings from special occasions is to me is more important than everything blending into one colour scheme. Yes, if I was buying my own bracelet, just as a bracelet without any particular meaning, I would probably do a colour scheme but meaning is far more important!

What do you think of Pandora Bracelets? I know there are lots of charm bracelets companies out there but personally, I think Pandora is one of the best. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Free People October Style Muses

Created to inspire your personal style and showcase their impeccable collection, Free People have begun creating monthly 'Style Muses' to accompany their lookbooks. These are much more raw images than the look books that are still stylistic but more everyday wearable than outlandish- the kinds of looks you could rock at weekends, on nights out or perhaps even at work. 

I'm really loving a lot of their pieces this season (more than I normally do and that's saying something because I always love their looks), especially the Santa Ana Fit N Flare Dress (pictured below), the Fluff Sweater and the Culver City Crossbody Bag. 

Check out the full collection of images and items HERE and let me know what you think of the new style muses catalog from Free People this month!

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

Today's Nails: Essie Nail Polish in Penny Talk

I'm so sorry its a bit blurry but I thought my photos were done and took the polish off before realising its blurry! Next time I wear the polish, I'll change the picture! SORRY!

Today I'm wearing Essie Nail Polish in Penny Talk. This is the third and final nail polish which I received for my 21st Birthday from my sister Emma and is just as fab as the other two (which can be read about HERE and HERE).

The shade is a pinky copper metallic type polish - its got a lot of sparkle in it and is very reflective on the nails. In some lights its a pink and more subtle and others its a very strong copper colour - that's something I love about a varnish that different lighting can give your nails a whole different look.

The polish itself gives an interesting look but the wear is very disappointing. I would recommend two coats and a top coat at least, because even then it seemed to chip like mad within only a few days which was not like any of my previous experiences with Essie products. I had to keep touching it up everyday after that which is super frustrating and such a time waster when you're busy!

Overall, I'd give this polish a 6/10.

Last Night's Looks: 2012 Emmy Awards

Leslie Mann walked the carpet wih husband Judd Apatow in a Naeem Khan floorlength Spring 2013 gown with a pocketed full skirt and sheer floral beaded racer-style top. Yellow and marigold colours were particularly popular at last night's event and I think that Leslie's look was one of the best - the full oversized skirt suits her fabulously and the embellished top gives it a feminine girly edge, whilst showing of her svelt figure. I like the simplicity of the make-up and the loose up-do but don't think the turquoise jewels really suit the look - the are lovely pieces but I don't think that shade really works as an accent to this outfit.

Kristen Wiig wowed in a tea-length Balenciaga dress of light chiffon wih sheer panelling. This look appears effortless and I think that's when celebrities and their stylists have worked well together because it looks like this look is natural and so easily accomplished. Paired with a gold Judith Leiber clutch, nude heels, a natural make-up palette and a simple natural hair style, she looks glamourous whilst still having that "girl next door" edge. The nude tones are very pretty and draw attention to the hair style and darker tones of the bag which give the look a bit more edge. This, to me, is the epitome of girly, feminine glamour and Kristen really pulls it off well!

Back on the red carpet after giving birth a few short weeks ago, Giuliana Rancic showed how hard shes been working on her figure after the birth in a slinky Romona Keveza black mermaid style gown. Paired with a box clutch and intricate sandals, she looks professional (ready for E! on the Red Carpet!) but also sexy with the thigh-high slit in the dress, synched in waist and high ponytail. The hair style works brilliantly with the angular neckline and doesnt make the shoulders appear bare which is a welcome relief with so many stars recently seemingly making a stunning dress look bare and like its hanging there! What a great "back to work" outfit!!

What was your favourite look from the evening? Let me know in the comments below!