Friday Favourite: Gilly Hicks

I have a confession. I have a newfound obsession with Gilly Hicks sleep wear. The brand is fairly new to the UK but being the sister brand of Abercrombie & Hollister, I've been a regular customer ever since it opened in Westfield London in November last year. Earlier this year saw the launch of a huge joint store of Gilly Hicks and Hollister on Regents Street which I was obviously very happy about. I've eyed up a couple of pyjama shorts before when I've been in store but never actually invested in any. It was only recently when the temperature dropped and I realised that I don't own any cosy Winter PJ's that I decided to take a look at the GH website and finally thought I'd order a pair. That's ONE pair..but as always I got distracted and noticed there was £5 international shipping so thought I'd take advantage. Somehow I ended up checking out my basket with four pairs of pyjama bottoms, two long and two short, and two lounge tops to wear with them. Since they arrived I have been living in them; changing into them as soon as I get in and finding it very hard to change out of them each morning. They are so comfortable and soft, possibly the cosiest and cutest loungewear I've owned. Worth every penny because I was already shivering in September so these will ensure I'm snug and warm throughout the bleak Winter months ahead. I ordered the Latham Park Sleep Pants in navy, Kingsgrove in navy, Lion Island in navy & white dot, Riverwood Sleep Short in navy check, Callala Beach Tank in white and Maroubra Tee in heather grey. Gilly Hicks also do cute underwear and preppy clothing but for now I'm ignoring both of those and going back to snuggling up in my cosy new PJ's.

Seasonal Staples

I would not get through the cold Winter months without my trusty boots. Anyone who knows me will know I'm a boots girl during A/W and slip on the sandals as soon as I catch a glimpse of sun or some warmer weather. I live in them day in, day out, without fail, and they definitely get worn out. I just think boots are so easy to work with, you can wear them casually in the day with some skinnies and chunky knits, or just as easily work them into a more dressy look - I'm thinking rocking up a cute dress with some tights and boots for an edgy feel. This year I've invested in a long pair of boots which I hope will get their wears worth  for a few years and three (yes, three...eek) pairs of ankle boots which I will pair with my various Autumn/Winter wardrobe.

I've dedicated a post to the first pair of ankle boots already so I won't bore you by babbling on repeating my self but I love them so check them out :) 

Here are my investment boots. Named so because I'm really hoping they last me and are worth the investment. I usually buy a pair of long boots every year if not every other year and wear them so much that they almost fall apart so thought this year I would invest in a classic pair that should see me through for a while. This lovely pair is from Russell and Bromley and to my surprise due to their look, are entirely made from leather. They're sturdy and comfortable and because of the stretchy pleated soft leather, fit like a glove around my calf as well as having a great texture to admire!

I've blogged before about my well-loved Kurt Geiger boots but unfortunately they've finally given up on me (I told you I wear my boots to death!) and I've had to send them to the shoe mender in hope that they can be fixed up with some TLC. I know that I could wear them with almost any outfit though so decided another pair of little black ankle boots would be a welcomed new staple in my wardrobe. These ones from Next are much cheaper than the Geigers but are still leather and really good quality. I just love the cute little tassels, makes a change to having a boring old zip :)

My final pair of boots is also from Next (Next did good this year!) and are a pair of wedge boots. They're also available in black but I thought it would make a nice change to have a mink pair of boots as I tend to gravitate towards black at this time of year. The wedge is so comfortable and can look both casual and dressy but these are suede so will take more looking after thanks to the constant rain we get in the UK towards the end of the year!

Are you a boots girl like me or do you dedicated to your flats?

Little Boots

I'm dedicating this post to my new boots. These little gems are from M&S. Yes, I said M&S. I usually completely ignore Marks & Spencers in terms of fashion, overruling it because in my mind it's for grannies. This may be because I'm often trundling along to M&S Westfield with her to find her annual cashmere cardi so I suppose I've always linked the two together...? Either way, there have been multiple times when I've asked my step-mum (see post on her here) where she's got something and she's told me it's from M&S. There is a huge one near us in St. Albans and while she was busy looking for a pair of Winter boots for herself, I spotted these and instantly fell in love. I'm not sure what it is about them that I love so much; whether it's the multiple buckles or the subtle bronze colour of the hardware, but they stood out to me and I can see them being well and truly loved to death this season. I'm definitely a boots and sandals girl, with the odd rare occasion when I stray to ballet flats and in the colder months I literally live in little ankle boots. I don't own a brown pair and I think the buckle detail on these along with the contrast stitching create a casual feel but they still look more expensive than they are. Here I've worn them with with a pair of skinnies, but I think they'd look equally as cute with a floaty tunic top and some leggings. The one thing I can definitely say is you'll be seeing a lot more of them!

You can find them on the M&S website here, and there's a black pair too (stay away from the boots, Elle...)

Friday Favourite: Metallic Croc Effect

After my previous post on Autumnal Nail Shades, I experimented using two together. Barry M Nail Paint in 343 Burgundy Croc and Rimmel London Metal Rush in 80 Purple Reign. Both of these were two of my favourites from the selection and when paired together they create a stunning nail for this season. Metallics are everywhere at the moment and the Rimmel polish reflects that with it's electric purple pop of colour. The result with a coat of the Barry M Croc Effect on top is amazing, with a beautiful texture and two autumnal colours that work perfectly together with just the right amount of contrast.  The metallic purple peeks through the berry toned burgundy underneath the cracks formed by the Croc Effect polish and once finished with a slick of my favourite top coat, Sally Hansen's Mega Shine, you have a unique nail polish collaboration that will ad a pop of colour to the dull tones of Autumn clothing! I've worn this pair for a solid week without a single chip, perfection!

Autumnal Nail Shades

I have an excessive nail polish collection but the strong majority of the polishes I own are darker shades, my favourites being the vampy plums and almost blacks. While I do love the brights and pastels of Summer, there is something about the deep rich shades that return every Autumn and Winter that I'm drawn to, so I thought I would head to Boots & Superdrug to scout out ten of my favourite shades that I'll be wearing this season. I've chosen from a variety of brands and tried to include different tones and finishes so I hope you enjoy my autumnal nail picks!

From left to right:
Maxfactor Max Effect in 03 Red Bronze -  A gorgeous metallic bronze, reminds me of the falling leaves of Autumn.

Models Own in Red n Black - One of the aforementioned almost blacks, with a very slight tint of red.

Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in 786 Taupe Couture -  A dark grey toned taupe, perfect neutral nail for Autumn.

Barry M Nail Paint in 327 Magnetic Burgundy - A beautiful burgundy colour polish, reacting to the magnet with stripes of pink.

Barry M Nail Paint in 433 Magnetic Moon Dust - Similar effect with the magnet, resulting in gold and silver stripes, another great metallic shade for Autumn/Winter..would look great at Christmas.

Barry M Nail Paint in 327 Magnetic Burgundy. This is definitely one of my favourite shades from my selection, I love the berry tones and the stripes the magnet creates. Makes a change to plain block colour nails and is just as easy as a quick manicure.

From left to right: (excuse the nasty little cut on my first finger!)
Barry M Nail Paint in 343 Burgundy Croc - Another great polish from Barry M with a textured finish in a great vampy colour for Autumn.

Models Own Pro in Limited Edition 043 Pinky Grey - It's not all doom and gloom! This is a great neutral nail colour and is exactly what it says on the tin -  pinky grey! Slightly lilac I think, and great for days when you want to perk up a dark Autumnal outfit with a lighter colour nail. I'm finding this is the perfect transition colour from Summer to Autumn.

Essie Sole Mate - Very similar to Models Own Black n Red but much more red so looks like a dark burgundy on the nail rather than almost black.

No7 Stay Perfect in Thunderstorm - The photo does this colour no justice, it looks a lot more dark and black than it actually is (I'm sorry!) It's similar to Maybelline's Taupe Couture because of it's grey neutral shade but has a slightly blue/purple undertone which I really love.

Rimmel London Metal Rush in 80 Purple Reign - This has to be another of my favourites, it definitely steals the show. The Metal Rush polishes are part of Rimmel's AW12 collection and from the four polishes on offer, this one stood out. I just adore the bright purple metallic shade and think it will work well to brighten up an Autumn outfit.

Best of the bunch: Barry M's Burgundy Croc is a polish like no other. I've seen the crackle effects been done by so many brands and quite frankly, I'm tired of it! This is a new twist on things and yes, it does still crackle like the others but the cracks are more precise and it definitely does look very similar to a Crocodile skin. I used this over Maybelline Taupe Couture as to not detract from the effect but I'm thinking of trying it will the Rimmel Metal Rush polish next to see how that contrast works. When finished with a slick of Sally Hansen's Mega Shine, it truly does mimic that of a patent mock-croc bag. Love it!

So there you have it, my nail polish picks for Autumn. Let me know if you'll be sporting any of these yourself this season!

ChloBo After Dark

I mentioned ChloBo in a couple of my previous posts (here and here) as well as telling you briefly that their latest collection is After Dark. This is my favourite collection from ChloBo yet; I love the current metallic trend of this season and After Dark reflects this using semi precious stones Pyrite and Haematite. Both these stones are dark intense black and bronze metallics and there's something about them that just makes me think of Winter sparkles and Christmas. I'll be wearing them non-stop this Winter but I'm sure they will complement my sterling silver stack consisting of Dreamlands (a previous collection from ChloBo) and Iconic bracelets.

Chloe was inspired to name and create the After Dark collection after a visit to Istanbul. Chloe says "By day the old town is teaming with tradesmen and traffic and the pavements are hot and dusty. As the city's lights switch on at dusk, the place becomes a twinkling kingdom and the glitz and glam come out to play." This amazing city sounds beautiful and Chloe has translated this beauty into her designs in a way that only Chloe could. The collection is a plethora of Pyrite and Haematite with contrasting Cubic Zirconia charms and she has even introduced some delicate fine chains, a cute new design for ChloBo.

I have the Pyrite Inset Sparkle Cross and Pyrite Sparkle Hamsa Hand and I absolutely love them, although I have got my eye on the Haematite Inset Peace Necklace which is stunning. Do you have any favourites from the ChloBo After Dark collection?

 ChloBo Pyrite Inset Sparkle Cross and Pyrite Sparkle Hamsa Hand

Autumnal Lunch

Currently all my friends are moving away from London for University and I'm having to say my reluctant goodbyes (cue the violins!). I met one of my closest friends Sasha today to do just that (as well as for a long overdue catch up and good food). Here's what I wore for my casual lunch date.

Top: Twenty8Twelve, not available online (sorry!)

Leather jacket: NewLook Link!

Jeans: AllSaints, old season (similar here)

I confess to having no self-restraint or patience which today resulted in me wearing my Twenty8Twelve tee that I bought yesterday, I just couldn't wait! I paired it with a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and my black leather jacket, just as predicted in my last post! On my feet I wore my beloved Kurt Geiger ankle boots that I practically live in every day..you'll notice they're looking a little 'well-loved'! 

Boots: KG by Kurt Geiger, last season (similar here and here)

Due to the sudden drop in temperatures here in the UK (Winter is fast approaching brrrr!) I had to throw on a scarf to stop me shivering. This one's from New Look.

Scarf: NewLook Link!

Meet Sasha. My absolutely wonderful friend of over 7 years who I adore, mainly because she provides photos like this.