Holiday Pastels

Photos by Katie Field

Pastel colours seem to have been ever creeping into my S/S wardrobe this year as you may be able to tell from the photos above. Just maybe. 

I love how bright and summery they make you feel regardless of the miserable weather we've been having recently. What happened to summer eh? My dress is from Joy, a payday treat for myself a few months ago and I'm still having a love affair with it. It makes me feel like an American Ice Cream seller (not something I thought I'd aspire to be, but fashion wise I'm loving that career choice). My cardigan was a bargain sale purchase from Urban Outfitters a year or so ago that is a staple regardless of the season. It goes with so many different outfits and really is the comfiest thing.

Shoes wise, these are another sale item that I picked up last year at Topshop. They've come out quite purple in the photo, but they are in fact quite a dusty pink. They remind me of shoes I used to wear as a child and make me feel like I should be frolicking somewhere. Finally my bag was a Birthday gift from Topshop, its one of those bags that I would never pick myself citing it as impractical due to its hue. But actually, its one of my most used bags I own and I love that its not just a common neutral colour.

Whats your take on pastel fashion?

Aimée
Xxxx

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My Festival Essentials.

Tomorrow I'm off to Glastonbury! Wahooooo! Literally am beyond excited. I'm definitely NOT looking forward to the toilet facilities, or lack of. But, theres sooo many people I'm excited to see and I can't wait to be in full cliche festival mode, flower crown and kimono intact.

I thought I'd share with you the things I've picked up in preparation. I don't think I've gone too overboard, so I'm pretty happy with myself!

The obligatory flower crown is from topshop! I especially liked this one as it has a ribbon tie, making it so much easier to keep on my head! The elastic ones always stretch too quickly or just pop off my head. Either I've got a huge head or I need to invest in better elastic...

I got some new shorts this year, in a lighter more 'washed out' denim. They were in the H&M sale so I was pretty chuffed! I also fell in love with ALL of the tops in H&M. They're totally winning at summer clothes this year. I got 3 or 4 really cute summer tops to go with my shorts which I'm actually really excited to wear!

Top right is a Boohoo Kimono. Its a super pretty floral pattern with lace tipped sleeves. The picture of it online looked like the sleeves were 3/4 length but they're actually full length! I won't lie, I'm a little disappointed so I may be doing some late-night sewing! Its super pretty though, and it'll be a really great coverup!

Practical Aimee came to the fore with my next purchase, which was a mac from Primark. Its really long and folds down to a tiny pouch so I'm pretty chuffed with that.

I got some super cute sandals from Primark too! I have an exact pair in Mint Green from Urban Outfitters which were like 30 Quid! So anyone looking for a bargain? Hit up Primark!

My sunglasses are also a new buy - does anyone else always feel like they need a new pair of sunglasses every summer? These are from River Island and I'm in LOVE. I think I've finally found a pair that suit me - hooray!

I won't lie, I know the tiny backpack is totally a 90's throwback. But the 90's are definitely in at the moment right?? I wore it out today and I'm already obsessed with it. Its just so damn cute!! Also, for practicality reasons its so handy having both hands free! I usually lug around a huge bag and kill my arm in the process, so I'm excited to start using this.

And there we have it, my Glasto essentials! Please pray for dry weather with me!

Anyone else going too??

Aimée
Xxxx

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My Style Evolution.

I'm quite a sentimental person and looking back at old pictures is one of my favourite pastimes. So with that in mind I thought I'd take a look back at how I've evolved throughout the years, from a baby to the present day. Whats immediately apparent, is that I had some interesting ideas on how best to style my hair...

As a 90's child I was never destined to be as stylish as the toddlers I see running around today! But I don't think my mum did too bad; cute little dresses are always a winner! The end of the 90's and early Noughtie's seemed to take a turn for the worse however and my love for black trousers came in to play. I'm not entirely sure how this begun, but I vividly remember literally living in black trousers. Its funny how I seem to have come full circle when it comes to clothes - as a child I was never out of a dress. Cut to the age of 10 and trousers were my thing. I wouldn't be caught dead in a dress and I HATED washing my hair! Then cut to the present day and my wardrobe is overflowing with dresses and I spend far too much time on my hair!

In 2002 I started High School and appeared to begin a love for the 'Jane Eyre' hairstyle as I like to call it. It definitely was NOT a good look for me, and my puppy fat was only accentuated by it! Oh dear..Also how delightful was my school uniform? I was a shining beacon. Check out 2003's amazing fur lined jacket too. That was a favourite for many a year!

2004 saw the feeble beginning of my interest in fashion. It started off slow, mainly with lots of long necklaces to 'jazz' up my outfits. But that era of my life was definitely the birth of my love for the more girly side to life! That was also the time of my love for skinny jeans! From 2005 I started cutting my hair really short, which I REALLY regret now!! Why oh why did I do it?! So frustrating! It didn't even suit me..ahh the joy of hindsight!

In 2008 I finally acquired contacts and could get rid of the glasses I'd worn nearly my whole life! It was a very exciting time for me!! Especially as I could buy my first pair of sunglasses - too exciting, trust me. By 2009 I'd started growing out my hair again and was still loving my long necklaces. 2012 saw me make the most momentous hair decision I'd ever made..... having a fringe cut in. I know, groundbreaking. But it was for me. I'm SO glad I decided to do it though! By 2013 I was getting even crazier and decided to jump on the Ombré trend and dresses were back on the menu in full swing!

And here we are, in 2014. I don't know if I particularly have a "style" now, but I'm definitely the most comfortable I've felt in my own skin for a while and I definitely think that's a good thing.

How's your style evolved?

Aimée
Xxxx

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A Ring Obsession.

A bit of a different post from me today and not one I thought I'd ever write! I've never really been a 'ring' person, but recently I noticed myself always gravitating towards the rings in jewelry sections. I eventually bought two different sets from H&M and I literally can't stop wearing them! I'm a total ring convert.

Rose Gold is definitely my favourite shade when it comes to jewelry at the moment too and I think it looks even nicer on rings. The only issue I do have with rings is the sizing! I feel like I have in-betweeny fngers with the medium being a tadge on the tight side and the large leaving me fearing the ring will just slip off my finger! But perhaps that's just H&M sizes? Do different shops have different sizes?? I feel so out of the ring loop!

I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about midi rings though! I feel like they might just make my fingers look super fat, as if I couldn't get the ring on the whole way! But who knows, maybe I'll be converted to those too soon! What's your take? Are you a ring person?

I hope you all enjoy the bank holiday weekend! :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Anniversary OOTD.

Last Thursday was my two year anniversary with my man, Craig :) We spent the day at Hampton Court Palace and took a picnic with us. The sun decided to come and celebrate too, and it was lovely and sunny all day! We had a really fun time wandering around the palace together, and stopped for tea and cake too! We also conquered the maze, which a lot of other couples seemed to struggle with!? We ended the day back in Central London at Jamie Oliver's restaurant Barbecoa which was AMAZING. We had such a brilliant meal, with a beautiful view of St. Paul's Cathedral and the tastiest red wine we've ever had. I won't divulge quite how much wine we drunk....ahem.

It was genuinely one of my favourite days though and I thought I'd share with you what I wore :) I feel like my obsession with Topshop is slightly evident in this outfit...oops! My dress is a recent Topshop purchase, but I absolutely love it!! I love tea dress styles, and I love how the pattern is slightly more Autumnal. My shoes (also Topshop!) are probably my favourite shoes I bought this summer. I love the clog style, and although they look rather high they're actually super comfy. Especially with tights on! Finally my H&M bag, is my most loved bag of the moment. I always carry a million more things than I need, so this bag suits me perfectly. I think it looks a lot more expensive than it actually is too! I actually kept my make-up really simple for the day, but when the evening and dinner time came around I added my Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Balm in Red Sunrise.

Neither of us had been to Hampton Court since we were little, so it was really fun to walk around as adults. The gardens were beautiful too! If your looking for a day out I definitely recommend it :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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A Primark OOTD

So this isn't exactly a current OOTD as this picture is from my holiday about a month ago! But I've been meaning to share this Primark dress with you forever! I feel like Primark have been on a serious winning streak at the moment with a load of really cute dresses in stock. This red flower number is a definite favourite, I don't think it looks 'primark' at all! So many friends have been shocked at how cheap it was.

You can still buy the dress on ASOS here (so loving that they're stocking some Primark items now!) although there is only a few sizes left - the dress has literally been selling out everywhere!

I didn't pair the dress with any major accessories as its quite a bold print on its own, and my shoes are just some cute grey pumps from H&M. You can't seem to buy the shoes in grey anymore, but they sell them in black, blue, white and coral red here.

Do go and check out Primark at the moment if your on the hunt for some new cute dresses - I want to try and drag out my summer gear as much as I can too. I refuse to accept that it'll soon 'technically' be autumn!

Have you found any amazing Primark bargains recently? :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Wishing for Autumn.

Whenever someone asks what my favourite season is, I will always shout SUMMER! But, I have to confess the past few days I've begun longing for a fresh chilly breeze, wrapping up in a big jumper and the chance to make more excuses for a Starbucks than I already do. So with that in mind I thought I'd share with you a little A/W wishlist to sate my autumnal needs for now. (I might add, that it probably won't help in sating my endless shopping needs however!)

Why are pretty things so expensive?! I have literally wanted a OnePiece onesie FOREVER. (That pattern in particular being my favourite!) They just look like the most comfiest things alive, and my Primark onesie just isn't cutting it anymore. Unless I win the lottery anytime soon, I think my dream of a OnePiece is just that. 

The Topshop shoes may very well be the cutest shoes everrr. I realise they're not particularly autumnal, considering the cut outs - but they would definitely look cute with a pair of tights and I think that's enough to include them in my list. Being only £35 however, I don't think they'll be staying on the wishlist too long....

When it gets to coat season, a statement bag is the one thing that completes your look and Michael Kors knows it. Most girls have that one designer bag that they lust after forever, knowing full well that it's probably out of their reach. Mine is the Selma Satchel. At £315, its not anyway near the expense of some designer bags - but its definitely still way out of my reach. Fingers crossed on that lottery guys!! 

Ted Baker always seem to make the most beautiful yet classy dresses. This in particular being one of them. I can literally see myself prancing around town in it! But alas, I think this may be a few too many pounds for my pocket :( 

Lastly, the Topman jumper. I realise this jumper is aimed at men - but don't you think guys get all the best jumpers?? I'm in love with the colours in the pattern and being made from Lambs wool I don't doubt that it must be ridiculously comfy! If this doesn't end up in my wardrobe, I may just have to buy it for my boyfriend instead!

So there we have it, my current A/W wishlist! What are you lusting over at the moment?

Aimée

Xxxx

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Muddy Walks and Aztec Prints.

DISCLAIMER: This is a picture heavy post to soothe your tired Monday morning brains. I do hope you enjoy looking at the pretty things :)

Showcased in this post, are pictures I took last weekend of a muddy walk on Box Hill, Surrey. I've also included a little 'haul' of clothes I've bought recently. The Topshop Black and White Boyfriend Coat that I've lusted over for a good month or so and finally caved to buy. The super comfy H and M aztec print jumper, that I can't find online but was £29.99. The floral skirt, courtesy of Primark, which was about £10. Finally, the black quilted ballet pumps, again from Primark at the bargainous price of £6.

I hope you enjoyed this Monday post, and I hope you all have a lovely day :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Dress It Up...

Dress It Up. Its the name of my blog, but what do I actually mean by it? I love getting dolled up, wearing pretty things and generally making quite an effort with clothes. I so wish I could do the 'casual' look, but it just doesn't suit me. I literally look like I've rolled out of bed rather than spending hours to look like I've just rolled out of bed. Therefore my answer, is to wear casual clothes and dress it up with a statement piece so I don't look so plain! See what I did there? ;)

The necklace I bought above was a New Years splurge from Topshop. I really love detailed collars on shirts, so when I saw this beaded beauty in necklace form I knew I had to have it and its been an outfit staple ever since!

 

Be it a plain dress, skirt and top or jeans and jumper combination  I really think the necklace just adds a bit of oomph to the ensemble.Even when I'm wrapped up in my coat (which is a must with this current weather!) I think it looks so cute peeking through. :)

So there we have it, the 'meaning' behind my blog name. I have tried to find a link to the necklace on the topshop website, but I can't find it anywhere. I have seen it recently in store though, if it takes your fancy. :)

I hope the New Year is treating you all well! I'll be back soon with beauty and craft posts!

Aimée 

Xxxx

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Christmas Jumper Day.

Today in the UK is Christmas Jumper Day! All in aid of the charity Save The Children! Click on the pretty link above to find out more if you wish! :)

I have to be honest though, the whole day was pretty much just an excuse to me so I could be festive, jolly and generally look a bit silly! I think it worked quite well! ;) The jumper is from Primark, for a measly £12! Suchh a bargain! There were some amazingly cheesy jumpers in Urban Outfitters that I wanted so badly but sadly they were all a bit out of my price range :( 

I can't wait to wear my jumper again on Christmas day! Only 11 days to go now!! :D! Have any of you got a cheesy Christmas jumper? :) 

Aimée

Xxxx

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OOTD | Casual Office Attire.

Outfit Of The Day posts have always been something I enjoy reading on other peoples blogs, so I thought I'd have a crack at it myself :) I don't profess to be a trendsetter, but I do really love fashion and I love trying out new outfits! :)

At the moment I'm an Intern in the Academy Music Group press office! Everyone dresses really casually, jeans and hoodies alot of the time! Now, I've never been relaxed in my attitude towards clothes, I 'don't do casual'. Not because I don't want to! But I just find it really hard to pull off the effortless chic look! So naturally, working at the office has been an issue for me fashion wise!

So, here is my attempt from the beginning of this week at casual office wear! How'd you think I did? haha

Burgundy Jumper - Topshop, Denim Shirt - Urban Outfitters, Black Jeans - Red Herring, Black Brogues - New Look, Clock Necklace - Hannah Makes Things

I hope you've all had a good week and haven't been caught up in too much flooding (if you're in the UK)! I'm going to stay with my boyfriend this weekend, I haven't seen him in a month, so I'm more than abit excited! :D I do have a Christmassy themed post planned for this Sunday (exactly a month till the big day! :O!) though so stay tuned for that! :)

My good thought of the day, actually comes from watching The Holiday recently! "Be the leading lady of your own life" I really like that sentiment :)

Have a lovely weekend :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Shopping Haul.

Well hello there!

I hope you are well! :) I've had a lovely two days, shopping with my sister, and then today visiting my cousin as it was her 31st birthday and playing with her two lovely daughters :). They're 3 and 1, so adorably cute!

So, me and my sister Katie, went shopping in Guildford yesterday! For those of you that haven't been, Guildford is really pretty, and has cobble stones down the main high street, which always makes a town look really cute I think :) And, the shops are ace too!

I didn't get a massive amount, as we were attempting to find an outfit for my sister, as our cousin John is getting married next weekend :) Andd, we did mess around quite abit trying on ridiculously fancy clothes with extortionate price tags, just for the fun :)

Anyway! Heres what I got, :);

My BARGAIN OF THE DAY! A lovely Mustard Blazer from Topshop!

Now, as you probably all know, blazers from Topshop are usually around the £55-65 mark! Which, as much as I love Topshop and really am in need of a good new blazer, is just way too expensive for me at the moment! But, I saw this beauty in the sale rack, and managed to blag it for just £20! Bargain or what?! I was well chuffed! The picture makes the colour look a little dark, it's actually slightly lighter but still very vibrant! I can't wait to wear it :) Oh, and it feels super soft!

I then blagged another sale item! This time in River Island, a really cool plain white structured shirt;

I've seen this in River Island for a while now, and always been unsure of whether I liked the 'hole' design by the collar, but as this was only £12 in the sale, I figured I may aswell try it! And I love it! Its a nice twist to what otherwise would just be a plain shirt! Result! :)

I got this black leather bag for my cousin Michele's birthday;

It was from Accesorize, and was about £35 which I thought was pretty standard for the shop! I really liked the butterfly detail though, and being an over-the-shoulder bag (which was pretty damn roomy) I thought it was perfect for a busy mummy :) She really liked it anyway, so thumbs up Accessorize! :)

The last item I picked up was, the Ojon Rare Blend Oil - Total Hair Therapy from Boots;

It was £29, so abit of a splurge but I really wanted to try it! And it just looks so prettyy, how could I resist?! ;)

I used it this morning, and my hair did feel instantly smoother and really soft! And now, after going out in the horrible wind and random rain showers its still looking good! So I'm a very happy camper so far! I'll do a proper review when I've used it for abit longer though :)

I tried to take a picture of my hair after using the Ojon oil to show you, but I'm god-awful at taking pictures of myself so this was the best out of the lot (harks back to my emo/scene days :P). I do think it has made my hair look quite sleek and de-frizzed though! :)

One last thing, its not beauty/fashion related...butt I am LOVING this M&S Peach, Camomile and Green Tea drink at the moment! Its literally delicious! And only a pound! Gotta love M&S Food :)

So thats everything! I hope you enjoyed the post, :)

I'll leave you with a good thought;

"While there's life, there's hope."

Bye for now!

Aimée

Xxxx

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October Favourites.

Well hello there!

So to properly kick start this blog, I thought I'd tell you about my favourite things of this month!

So beauty wise;

Now I know that this is hardly a new and exciting product, but I've only just gotten round to buying the MAC Powder Blush in Well Dressed. I was never very interested in using a blush, but more recently I've been really enjoying it so thought I'd splurge on a MAC version. I wasn't disappointed! I really love the subtle finish it gives.

I'm also loving the Louise Gray make-up collection at Topshop. It actually launched back in August, but I only recently opted for the brush set. The colours make it super pretty (I'm a sucker for good packaging!) and the brushes are so soft! Perfect for my everyday makeup. I think they look like cute paintbrushes :)

My favourite perfume of the moment is Marc Jacob's Dot! Once again, I know this has been out for a while and it is really more of a summer scent I guess, but I'm still trying to cling onto the last dregs of summer :) And the bottle is soo pretty sitting on my chest of drawers :)

In the October Glossy Box, I received a Yves Rocher lipstick in 101 Framboise which I have to say I am really loving! It glides on so well! I haven't worn it enough to give it a full review, but so far I am really enjoying it! And considering it retails at £14.50, I think it was definitely worth my glossy box this month :)

Onto Haircare;

I do have quite naturally thick hair, but it can sometimes often look bushy and untamed, so I'm really enjoying this Tea Tree Lemon and Sage Thickening Spray, as it seems to really help make my hair look fuller without being abit Hermione Granger-esque. :) Its quite tricky to come by though, as its a Paul Mitchell brand and you can only buy it in specific hairdressers. If you find it I definitely recommend it though :)

In the September Glossy Box, I got the Maghrabian Argan Oil Treatment, which is quite literally amazing! I cannot recommend it enough! It makes my hair feel so soft and shiny, and it lasts the whole day! I find it works best when put on damp hair before you blow dry your hair, but it still works well on dry hair too. I'm going to try an Ojon oil once this bottle finishes just to compare, but I can definitely see myself buying the full size bottle of the Maghrabian Oil at some point!

Onto Skincare;

Again in my October Glossy Box, I received the Dermalogical Clean Start Kit. I know alot of people were unhappy with this addition to the glossy box, but as I hadn't yet tried it, I really enjoyed receiving it! I've used it everyday so far, and I've definitely noticed a difference! My face feels really refreshed after every use! And the moisturiser is nice and light. The only downside I think is that buying the full versions of each bottle separately is quite expensive, but then re-purchasing the mini kit seems silly as I'll use it so quick! Dilemma's!

Soap And Glory products have always been amazing, and so very pretty. But, this Sugar Crush Body Scrub is literally my favourite. I actually found it after beauty blogger Zoella raved about how good it smelt, and oh em gee was she right. I literally want to eat it, it smells divine! Even the description sounds yummy to me; "Smashed brown sugar and sweet lime, almond oil & macadamia grains".  But, it does do its job amazingly well, my skin always feels super smooth after I've used it! So thumbs up all round, and I will definitely be buying it again when I run out! 

Fashion Time!;

So, I've been trying to be good recently as I'm totally skint and Christmas is coming up, so I need to save my pennies for presents! But! I did go shopping the other day in the sale, and we all know sale shopping is allowed, right? 

I picked up some really cool leggings from Sparkle & Fade in Urban Outfitters. I never normally buy patterned leggings, cos I don't feel like I have the legs for them! But they're a reallyy soft material that just felt so nice and they were half price, so essentially, I couldn't resist! :) 

I also picked up a really pretty, almost burnt orange skirt with a brown belt from Topshop. Again, it was in the sale, but I do have a bigger confession to make with this item! As of yet, it doesn't quite fit me! I fell in love with it so much though, and I am attempting to lose a bit of extra baggage I have, so its my 'thin-spiration' skirt, if you will :) I keep it hanging on my wardrobe in the hopes that it'll help give me good healthy thoughts! haha :) Fingers crossed, eh? 

My last 'October Favourite', is a book! I'm currently reading and loving Miranda Hart's auto-biography/book Is It Just Me? Its seriously funny and has had me in stitches on various forms of public transport! Quite awkward at times! So, I won't give anything away, but if you like her t.v show, you'll love this :)

So, I've come to the end of my favourites now, its been very long so I do apologise, but I hope it was somewhat interesting! 

I'll leave you with a good thought; "Be The Best Version Of Yourself That You Can Be"

Bye for now!

Aimée
Xxxx

P.S. Sorry the photos are such bad quality! I wish I had a lovely proper camera! :(

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