Work Wear Haul

Today has been great - shopping in town with Billy! I recently confirmed a work experience placement at a magazine firm, designing layouts for their two magazines. I'm so excited for it, and of course, every girl needs some smart, cute office clothes, so it's the perfect excuse for a little work wear shopping haul. So I hit the streets of my local town ready for a day out shopping, it's been a while since I've attacked my bank card to buy clothes for myself! So here's a quick show of what I bought today.

Atmosphere, Primark, Navy Blazer £7

I absolutely adore the blazer look - no matter what colour! As I'm on a bit of a budget (being a student and all!) I thought I'd hit Primark first for as many high-street priced items I could find before blowing all my money in shops such as New Look, TopShop and River Island. This navy blazer is just as lovely as one you'd find in more expensive shops, but for a more affordable cost. This particular blazer was knocked down from £15 to £7 when I found it.

Atmosphere,  Primark, Wine Dress, £13

I initially picked up this dress because of the colour, it's a rich burgundy shade and the patterns make it even lovelier. I don't normally opt for dresses with a close neck and no sleeves, but once I gave this dress a chance and tried it on, I was pleasantly surprised! When paired with the blazer (above) I loved it even more. This dress also came with a thin black belt, which can be removed, but looks cute either way.

Atmosphere, Primark, Black Short-Sleeved Shirt, £6

This one doesn't need much of an explanation! As I already own a white short-sleeved shirt, I've opted for a black one to match. This shirt looks smart and well-fitted and is completely versatile, so can be worn with either trousers or a skirt.

Atmosphere, Primark, Wine Long Cardigan, £10

Although I hadn't aimed to buy a cardigan today, when I saw this I immediately loved it. It's such a warm colour and would look great with a smart shirt. Ideal for the season too!

New Look, Black BTS Pencil Skirt, £12.99

I've wanted to get my hands on a pencil skirt for so long now, but I've never found the right one for me. I have quite short legs, so any pencil skirt on me looks almost dress-like! That was, until I found this one in New Look today. Looks great with a pair of work heels and black tights! Love this purchase.

Primark, Black Pumps Heels, £10

Okay, so admittedly I already own lots and lots of pairs of shoes, but name a girl who doesn't! All the heels I own are too high or simply just unsuitable for office work, so I've chosen some sensible, really cute heels from Primark. I absolutely love them, and they have an almost velvety feel to them. Comfortable and practical!

So that concludes my work wear haul! But alright, I'll be honest and say it didn't really stop there. I couldn't help but buy two more things (just for casual wear) so I'll show you what else I picked up along the way!

New Look, Green Lucky Tee, £7.99

So I saw this and fell in love! Which is unusual, as I don't own a t-shirt much like this one. As soon as I saw this, it brought the phrase "luck of the Irish" to mind, which is apt, as I'm part Irish... Even though I'm not all that lucky (this shirt could change that though, right?) this loose top is so comfortable and casual and great for days at university or days out in the town.

New Look, Purple Aztec Hem tee, £5

First thing first, this top is so comfortable! I wasn't sure whether or not to buy this top, I'd put it down and picked it back up again about four times before I finally decided to buy it! For some reason I just couldn't put it down. The pattern is so lovely and I found it complimented my dark hair colour nicely. This top would look great with some dark leggings and lots of chunky accessories. It was on sale too, as it had been knocked down from £9.99 to only £5! Again, great for casual days.

There we have it, a little bit of a mix up of styles for this haul! I've had a lovely day and now feel (almost!) ready for my work experience. I think next time I'm in town, I'll look into buying some smart skinny black trousers, as the ones in stores today weren't in my size. Can't wait to mix-and-match with my new clothes!

So what's your take on a suitable office/work outfit?

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Liverpool in Photos

New colourful Winter socks, traveling to Liverpool, What's Cooking?, The Classic Rock Show, Sightseeing in the town, the Titanic and Liverpool: The Untold Story exhibition at the Maritime Museum, Elvis Presley monument beside the 'Elvis and Us' Beatles exhibition, Our final evening at the Crowne Plaza Hotel

I'm finally back from Liverpool, and I'm a very happy girl! Apologies for the short break in blog posts over the weekend, I've been really busy these past few days and I've definitely been enjoying my first ever trip to Liverpool. Let me run you by how my weekend went down!

On Friday evening Billy and I left my house in Worcester to travel down to my family home in the countryside, where we stayed for the night in preparation to leave early the next morning (and I mean early, I'm talking 5am!) so, on Saturday morning, after making sure we had everything completely packed, we set off to catch a 7:57am train. Unfortunately we had to take a detour on the way there because of an early-morning-run-in involving two cars had blocked off the road. Not a great start to any morning! So, braving the snowy country roads, we made our way to the station at about 10mph... Which resulted in us being very late. Rushing to the ticket machine as soon as we pulled the car up we had to wait in a queue and for our tickets to print! This resulted in us racing across the longest bridge ever to jump on the train which was less than 10 seconds away from pulling off from the station (I'm not over-exaggerating!)

So you guessed it, a bit of a mad start to our weekend away - despite leaving the house on time. However, once we'd settled down on the train and caught our breath, we could finally look forward to a relaxing weekend in a new city. Settling down with my Nexus 7, a Starbucks, and my feet on a little radiator, the 3 hour journey to Liverpool began.

Once we arrived, we stopped off at The Liverpool pub for a traditional English Breakfast (Fry Up) which was warmly welcomed after the lengthy journey! Beans, sausage, bacon, egg, mushrooms... the works! It was lovely and definitely made up for the mad rush earlier. If you're reading from anywhere other than England and haven't tried one before, I highly recommend it. Best way to start the day!

After breakfast, we went straight on to the Crowne Plaza Hotel (which had a gorgeous lobby) we dropped off our bags and headed straight for the pool. Billy and I spent most of our time in the jacuzzi though! I still swear they're one of the best inventions made... After a good swim and relax in the jacuzzi, steam room and sauna (all day!) we got ourselves ready for an evening out.

We went for a meal at What's Cooking? (Check them out here) Which was honestly one of the loveliest meals I've ever had! What's Cooking? is an American Diner style restaurant, with a rustic, warm twist. I had a starter of Chicken Strips, followed by a small mushroom Florentine burger, and a slice of cake for dessert. Guilty or what! But hey, it was a weekend away after a busy semester at university (that's my excuse anyway!)

After our meal, we took a taxi to the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (Check to see what they've got on here) to go to see The Classic Rock Show. Let me tell you - it was a brilliant show! All the performers were exceedingly talented, and enjoyed every second of being up on stage, which shone right through, playing songs such as The Chain by Fleetwood Mac, More Than A Feeling by Boston and Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Although my camera didn't focus as well as I'd hoped when I was taking a few photographs, the memories will last a lifetime!

Saturday was such a brilliant day, when we woke up on Sunday, we could barely believe it was the day we were going home. There was still so much more we really wanted to get around to seeing! So, at around 10am we went down to the hotel's restaurant for breakfast, then straight out sight-seeing in Liverpool - which we definitely needed to dress up warm for because it was so cold and windy right next to the Mersey! I donned my big coat, woolly hat, scarf and gloves of course!
So we've wanted to visit the Merseyside Maritime Museum now for a while (Have a look here!) so I was really excited to finally get the opportunity, especially since they had an exhibition called The Titanic and Liverpool: The Untold Story. I've always been fascinated by the story of the Titanic (a little morbid, I know) so to find out so much more about it here was amazing, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I can't imagine any other exhibition focusing on the Titanic having much more information on the topic that this museum did - it was brilliant. There was also a short one-man (or rather, woman!) performance about what it was like to be a part of the W.R.E.N.S. during the war, which was equally as fascinating. (It also turns out the uniforms aren't too far from what we call fashionable these days!)

After a little more sight-seeing (and coming across an Elvis Presley monument in relation to the 'Elvis and Us' Beatles exhibition) we headed back to the hotel for a drink and to collect our bags ready for the journey home. After 4.5 hours of traveling home (I'll save the details on how our train from Chester was cancelled and how I almost broke my ankle) we finally made it back after a whirlwind weekend.

This past weekend has been truly amazing, and I've thoroughly loved it. Next time I visit, I look forward to having a go on the Yellow Duckmarine and discovering what more Liverpool has to offer!

Have you visited Liverpool before? If so, where would you recommend checking out?

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Outfit Snippet

1. New Look, Grey and White Chiffon Collar Layered Top, £6 (buy here) 2. New Look, Burgundy Skinny Jeans (buy here) 3. New Look, Blue Flecked Boyfriend Cardigan (buy similar) 4. New Look, Black Eyelet Lace Shoes (buy similar) 5. My Glasses 6. Gold and Brown Strap Classic Watch (buy similar) 7. Psyche, Pilgrim Women's Gold Rose Gold Heart Stud Earrings, £6.99 (buy similar)

So at the moment I'm packing for a long weekend away in Liverpool with my boyfriend, and I'm so excited! I don't think I've been to Liverpool before so this will definitely be something new, and now all of my exams and all my deadlines are met, I can finally spend a stress-free weekend away taking some time off! As I won't be posting much over the weekend, I thought I'd do an 'outfit snippet' post, showing one if the outfits I've put together for a chilly day up north...

First with number one, I've started with a grey short-sleeved shirt, this is a layered shirt (as it's really made up of two shirts) and has a cute little collar. There are buttons on the opposite side of the collar in order to loosen or shape it around your neck. Personally, I love the look of collars so I'll be wearing this shirt with the buttons done up.

I've opted for some coloured burgundy jeans as these are guaranteed to keep my legs warm while out walking, and also bring a pop of colour to the outfit. I'll tuck the under (white) part of the shirt into these jeans in order to keep the cold out.

To pair with the burgundy jeans, I've chosen a flecked blue boyfriend cardigan. I'm absolutely in love with this cardigan at the the moment, as it's so warm, thicker around the neck and the colours are really lovely. Although this is primarily a blue cardigan, it has multi-coloured flecks in the pattern, which is ideal and brings out any colouring you choose to pair with it. For example, the burgundy flecks in the cardigan will co-ordinate with the burgundy of the jeans. Love it!

For number four, I've chosen to go with some comfortable black lace-up flats (it was a toss up between those shoes and these, which are my favourite shoes to wear at the moment - it was difficult for me not to choose those as they're so comfortable and weather appropriate!) however, these lace-up shoes are subtle and won't look too out-of-place as I've opted for darker shades, and I also have dark hair which will help the shades blend and won't clash.

Now for accessories, and although my prescription glasses aren't accessories I still enjoy wearing them (not to mention how much they help me see!) moving on, I've chosen my dark brown watch (to match my hair) which I love as it has a vintage classic face and is a lovely old golden colour, and to pair with this I've chosen simplistic yet pretty golden heart earrings, because after all, we don't want hoops or dangling earrings getting in the way as it may be quite windy!

So there we have it, a quick and pretty but warm and appropriate outfit I've put together for a cold day up north. I love how cosy this outfit is (as well as my other outfits for the weekend) and can't wait to wear them. Now all that's left to do is pack a few final things and look forward to it. I'll keep you posted!

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EOS Lip Balm • Review

EMS Medical Warehouse, EOS Strawberry Sorbet, £8.79 (buy here)

I was so excited when I woke up this morning to find that my new EOS lip balm had finally arrived in the post. For the past year I've been tossing around with the idea of buying an EOS lip balm (A long time for lip balm consideration, I know) but when I heard about the new flavour - Strawberry Sorbet - I simply couldn't resist any longer!

Having never tried any of the EOS lip balms before, I wasn't entirely sure whether or not it would be worth the price tag attached (although it's not expensive, I'm used to picking up £1 lip balms) but it's worth a try right? I'm a big collector of make-up, and even when I was primary school I used to pester my mum for chapstick whenever we were at the local pharmacy. Now I'm 20, I've got so many I've lost count, which for a girl like me, isn't brilliant as I don't think I've ever fully finished one! (I think I need to start promising myself not to buy any more until they're finished)
Back to EOS, when I sat back down to open it, I was greeted with a small egg-shaped pink pod. After opening to plastic wrapping, at first I couldn't figure out how to open it. Tugging at it hoping it would pop open - note, I was definitely wrong and don't try tugging at it! It's a clockwise screw-on cap. When opened, inside is a sphere of lip balm. Before I ordered this, I watched and read many reviews online as I know that when something claims to smell like fruit, they normally smell more like sweeties! But when I gave it a sniff, I was pleasantly surprised! Imagine a cross between fresh strawberries and strawberry bubblegum. If you're reading from Britain, it's not too dissimilar to scent of strawberry Lypsyl, just not as sweet. Although you can tell there is an artificial undertone to the scent, it's certainly not unpleasant - it's still fresh and very yummy!

Different lip balms obviously have different textures and ability of appliance. Some can be sticky, slimy or can dry your lips out worse than they were before, which definitely isn't what you want in an ideal lip balm. I can safely say that EOS Strawberry Sorbet definitely doesn't. I've been looking for that lip balm that is just right for me - smells lovely, applies easily and doesn't make my lips sticky or dry. This lip balm seems to tick every box. Once I applied it, my lips felt smooth and soft. I'm so addicted that I keep applying it! On the contrary, my advice is to not apply too much or your lips do end up feeling a little too moist (mine only felt this way because I'd applied it 3 times in about 10 minutes!)

EOS Strawberry Sorbet lip balm is rated a 9/10 for me as its fresh, yummy scent makes me want to use it all the time, which is just as well because the texture and appliance of the lip balm is perfect, keeping your lips protected and soft. I'll definitely be carrying it around in my handbag and using it regularly. I think it's time I had a look into the other flavours EOS has to offer!

What's your favourite flavour lip balm?

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Top Spot of the Week • Flecked Lurex Jumper

Mango, Flecked Lurex Jumper, £19.99 (buy here)

It's official, my top spot of the week is definitely this flecked jumper from Mango at House of Fraser. I know, I keep going on about jumpers - but I just can't seem to get enough! When I found this on House of Fraser's website, I fell in love. Not only would this jumper be perfect for those relaxing days indoors, but also would work wonders with a pair of bright jeans (or black if that's not your thing) for those busy out-and-about days. As it's such a subtle colour, there's not much this jumper will clash with, and with the added flecked texture, it definitely makes it that bit more interesting and unique than your average jumper. Keeps you warm and looks gorgeous - a total bonus. I've noticed that there are so many varieties on this look so keep your eyes peeled in stores such as (House of Faser), New Look, TopShop, Asos and Bank.

How would you style a flecked jumper?

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High Street Disney • Aladdin

As I type this I'm looking out of my window on to a snow covered street (still!) I think it's safe to say it's definitely the weather for big jumpers, copious amounts of soup and lots of Disney movies. As I pulled out my ever-growing Disney DVD collection, the thought raced through my mind "You're never too old for Disney!" I reminisce the days when I little, putting on a pink dress, combing my hair and wearing my sparkly jelly sandals. Okay, maybe I'm a little too old to do that now... But if you're anything like me and Disney-mad, who says your fashion sense can't be influenced by it? I'm not talking crazy black and white hair or extravagant ballgowns, I'm talking sleek, stylised and simplistic takes on some of our favourite Disney characters. So sit back, get comfortable, have a think about which Disney classic is going in the DVD player next, and have a nose at my first outfit design.

Now being born in 1992, not only does this make me (the grand old age of) 20, but this also means that the Disney movie released when I was born was Aladdin - unsurprisingly one of my all time favourites. So which better Disney movie to make a start on? Here I've designed a contemporary, classic, smart outfit design taking inspiration from the character Aladdin, enjoy!

1. New Look, Cream Floral Lace T-Shirt. £9.99 (buy here) 2. Beloved, Plum Berlin Blazer, £22.50 (buy here) 3. TopShop, Moto White Jamie Jeans, £40 (buy here) 4. New Look, Cream Snake Print Platform Court Shoes, £24.99 (buy here) 5. Accessorize, Tsar Stone Ring, £12 (buy here)

Here I've taken into consideration how the costume for Aladdin has been created. Although he's certainly only a cartoon character, I found I could definitely work with his simplistic costume design, taking note of the bold colouring against neutral tones. 

Starting with a skin-tone, beiche top, I've opted for a classic lace pattern to bring it out behind the dark purple blazer. This would work equally as well with a sequin or subtly pattern top of similar colouring.
Now as we know, Aladdin is set in the sandy deserts of the Middle-East, so his clothing is minimal to say the least. Like I mentioned earlier, and if you're reading this from England, we're all snowed in! So I wouldn't advise leaving the house without a subtle jacket, which is exactly where our Plum blazer comes in. Matching perfectly with the colour of Aladdin's waistcoat. With added detailed collar design to add a touch of elegance. 

As Aladdin's baggy white trousers aren't quite in season (or fashion!) I've chosen a pair of simple yet classic white skinny jeans. These will make the purple elements of the outfit pop, without merging too much with the creamy beiche tones.
To follow up, I've added a pair of gorgeous cream platform heels to match with the top, and to keep the colouring consistent (not to mention Aladdin was barefoot, but please don't brave going outside with nothing on your feet in the name of Disney!) If these shoes aren't your thing, then pair of purple heels or (if you're not comfortable in heels) then beiche or purple brogues would look just as great.

For the finishing touch, a simple gold and purple ring to couple with the blazer, straight from the Cave of Wonders, and if you're not sure what that is, I recommend you put Aladdin in the DVD player first if you're still trying to decide!

There we have it, my first Disney inspired outfit design. I've definitely enjoyed putting this one together, so look out for some more in the future!

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January Favourites

1. TopShop, Casual Big Pocket Shirt, £36 (buy here) 2. TopShop, Skater Rib Snood, £16 (buy here) 3. Yankee Candle, Creamy Caramel, £13.99 (buy similar here) 4. Alien by Thierry Mugler, £41.50 (buy here) 5. Eos Strawberry Sorbet Lip Balm, £6 (buy here)

Here I've put together a collection of my favourite bits and bobs that have caught my eye this month or have got my rating. First we have a big casual white shirt. Now for me, this is a must have wardrobe item! It's such a versatile shirt, as you can wear it with some simple skinny jeans (black skinnies teamed with Jeffrey Campbell Litas = more professional, or blue skinnies teamed with Brogues = more casual) you could even rock this shirt under a floral dress for a vintage look, or wear tucked into some bright high-waist jeans or shorts (although my advice is save the shorts for Summer!) Absolutely loving this shirt as it's so versatile and matches perfectly with almost anything you're in the mood to wear.

Coming in with number two, the Snood! For about a year now I've been obsessed with Snoods. They're just like scarves, but you don't have to worry about them falling off or catching them in doors. I find it's always best to go for subtle colours when choosing a Snood, such as grey or beige, as these won't clash with what you're wearing. Black is also a nice colour to choose, although this can heavily darken your chosen look and doesn't match as well with pastel and lighter tones.

Time for one of my ultimate favourites this month - the Yankee Candle. I've only recently gotten into candles, but now I've started my little collection, I'm absolutely obsessed. They're so lovely to have burning on a cosy evening in with a blanket and some good TV. I've tried lots of different variations, and I really recommend Sainsbury's own Sandalwood candle and Winter Berries candle, and the ever-famous Yankee Candle collection. The first scents I purchased were Christmas Cookie (which I've got burning right now) and Creamy Caramel. Both smelling absolutely delicious, I find that the Creamy Caramel candle smells much stronger than the Christmas Cookie one. As you can imagine, they're both very sweet. I recommend looking into buying the tealights or tarts if you're not too sure, as these are far cheaper and smell just as lovely! Out of both of these candles, I prefer the Creamy Caramel one, but it's definitely down to personal taste. I'm looking into buying the Fresh Cut Roses Yankee Candle next, as I've read brilliant reviews and can't wait to smell it!

Number 4 is one of my favourite perfumes of all time. Alien, by Thierry Mugler. Since I first discovered perfumes, I've always chosen the sweeter scents, however this time I've gone for something a little different. Although this isn't your typical sweet perfume, it's definitely worth trying out as it smells lovely! I first discovered this perfume in a video posted by one of my favourite YouTube beauty and fashion gurus Bree at MyRedSolara (video here! At 05:00) so I thought I'd try it out and I'm really glad I did, as I love wearing this. I once heard that 'a lady should always wear one perfume, so that the scent becomes hers'. I definitely feel this way about Alien - it's my signature scent!

Number 5, Eos Strawberry Sorbet Lip Balm. This is a product that's really caught my eye. I'm an avid collector of make-up, but my real weakness is lip balm. For the past year I've held back on buying much more lip balm (as I don't think my make-up box can take it!) and refused to buy any of the tempting flavours Eos has to offer, but recently they've bought out the strawberry sorbet flavour, and I could not refuse any longer. I caved last night and ordered some for delivery (as I haven't seen this flavour available in the shops) so I can't wait for this to come in the post! I've read some smashing reviews about it, and I will definitely keep you posted once it arrives!

So here it is folks, after much thought and deliberation - my January Favourites line up. I definitely rate every product I've shown here (given exception to the lip balm, as this hasn't arrived yet, but I'm sure I'll love it) and I highly recommend checking out some tester candles, or trying out some new versatile styles this season!

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Style This Saturday • Cream Popcorn Knit Oversize Jumper

1. New Look, Cream Popcorn Knit Oversize Jumper, £24.99 (buy here) 2. TopShop, Moto Grey Cast Clean Denim, £30 (buy here) 3. TopShop, Wax Coated Denim Leggings, £25 (buy here) 4. New Look, Rocket Dog Mint Black Short Buckle Boots, £54.99 (buy here) 5. Butter London, Lady Muck Nail Lacquer, £13 (buy here)

So, we're now half way through January and we should be looking forward to spring and sorting through our masses of winter jumpers, coats and jeans to find our pretty, slinky summer outfits. But nay, this cannot be. I mean, unless you've been under a rock (or wrapped up in a duvet with some hot choccy and movies - of which I'm extremely jealous!) you'll have noticed that dreaded, slushy, icy snow is back with full force. Looks like we're not quite out of winter yet, ladies. But just because the weather is dull and boring right now, doesn't mean we have to be! You can be warm and stylish at the same time. Which sounds like nonsense to me right now as I'm having flashbacks of dragging my feet through the snow with my biggest coat on, red-faced and donning my ever glorious wind-swept hair. But I'm serious, girls. Here I've put together a pretty, simple and most importantly super cosy outfit for these cold wintery days.

So, how do you style a big oversize jumper? Well, keep it simple of course! Less is more when it comes to this little number. This knit sweater is an absolutely gorgeous colour with a subtle, knitted pattern, and will compliment any hair colour. To match, I've gone with a long denim jacket. This works on layering, while also looking totally gorgeous, showing a little blue collar.
The leggings I've chosen are wax coated denim. (I can hear you gasping 'double denim!?') but  hold your horses, as these are waxed denim, you won't get that must-be-avoided double denim look. They're definitely more like a thicker casual style of leggings. As these are also non-patterned, they'll match perfectly with the patterned jumper.

Now we're talking suitable shoes. The worst feeling when out in the snow is feeling your shoes leaking and your socks getting wet! So sort yourself out with some thick, comfy boots! These will look great against the leggings while also keeping you warm.
The final touch? Nail polish! If your nails are looking a little worse for wear, there's nothing wrong with covering them up with a bit of pretty polish. Here I've chosen a sleek, classic vintage shade (almost a pastel tone) to compliment the blue of the denim jacket, and play off the cream jumper.

So don't worry, there's always a way to look good and keep cosy when you're out and about... That's if you're brave enough to leave the duvet and face the snow!

How would you style an oversize jumper?

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Friday Evening Culture

There I was in my slippers with a cup of tea, when I heard Martine McCutcheon’s voice resonating from my television. I heard the words “French fashion” and I was gone. Scurrying around my lounge to grab a pen and a notepad, I could already feel a blog post coming on.

So when we talk about “French fashion” what exactly do we mean? No, we’re not talking black and white stripes, neck ties, berets and clutching a baguette in one hand, and a glass of red in the other (unfortunately!) we’re actually talking sunshades, faux fur, handbags and serious shoes - it’s all about the handbags and shoes, ladies!

In comparison, we here in jolly England go for a more preppy, trendy not-too-vain approach to our every day fashion choices. “I think as British we try to apologise for everything, even for being beautiful!” - a brilliantly played-down judgement by Martine right there.

So I watched on as Martine hit the streets of Paris, approaching women and asking them all about the secrets behind their outfits. It seemed to prove a little difficult to encourage these women to reveal their deepest and darkest, but we definitely got something from it. French fashion is effortless and chic. Poised and immaculate. Think Marie-France Pisier - The Other Side of Midnight, a vision of high maintenance and discipline, but with that delicate touch of pure, clear skin and simple make-up. In fact, the only real beauty secret Martine could prise out of the women of Paris was to use lots of water for a clear complexion! My conclusion of contemporary French fashion would definitely be ‘dressing classically, rather than conforming to trends’.

Feeling slightly disappointed that this may be the end of the 10 minute programme, I had my heart set on hearing about Italian fashion. Then, thankfully, I heard the name Nancy Dell’olio.
When asked about how she would define Italian fashion she simply said that it’s all in the details - “Details are a part of out culture!” she smiled. When asked by Martine how she would define the differences between French and Italian fashion, she paused and laughed “We’re more beautiful!” followed by a shake of the head as she stopped to think; “Italian fashion is easy, open… It’s friendly.” Martine, at this point, said something that really made sense to me, referring back to how French fashion is timeless, somewhat high maintenance. The perfect simile. “So Italian fashion would be, a diamond. Whereas French fashion would be pearls.”

When asked for one single tip for women on how to feel beautiful, Nancy polished it off with “Feel confident. You must feel confident with your style. A woman could be dressed so beautifully, but people would not notice because her confidence would not show it. She must always be confident.”

After the short interview with Nancy, Martine move back on to the streets of Paris to talk more skin-care to match chic fashion statements - and here’s what I got for you:

1) Always wash your face with warm water from your basin. Not cold water as this shocks the skin and can cause blood clotting in the skin, and not hot water as this scolds. Rinse your face 15-20 in one go.

2) Immediately apply your serum/moisturiser as this keeps the skin moist and fresh - and if you’re looking for make-up tips, in the morning/afternoon keep your make-up light around your eyes and lips, and for the evening, smoky eyes are always a sexy, sophisticated option!

And with that the programme had finished, and my hand ached from making notes! Not to mention my cold cup of tea. All in the name of fashion! Now time to flick that kettle on again…

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