FASHIONCHICK • Goody Bag

So if you're all caught up with my previous post, you'll already know that on Wednesday 7th May I was invited to a really lovely FASHIONCHICK redesign launch part event (have a nose over here if you'd like to hear more about the event itself) I had a really fabulous time, and I was totally surprised when they had nice goody bags for all of the attendees at the end! Now when somebody says "goody bag" I instantly think of those little plastic bags you were given when you went to a friend's birthday party in school, so for that reason alone the idea of goody bags is a little bit exciting. I haven't had one in years (but I was still equally as shy as I was when I was six-years-old accepting it on my way out)

My plan was to initially wait until I got home to have a look inside the goody bag, so I resisted right up until I got to Euston Station - to find that my train was delayed not only once - but twice. Isn't that just the way it goes!

I may or may not have had a very quick sneaky peek, but for the most part, I managed not to get too carried away and ruin the surprise until I'd got home (at an offensively late 11:30 - and for someone who had work the next morning and had to be on a train to Euston again at 7:30, this really was late)

To put it simply - I was absolutely blown away by what was in the bag. Although if I'm honest, I felt very strange since my birthday had been and gone (as had Christmas), so to be surprised with a little bag of goodies just for attending something was a bit unusual. I know that people in the fashion industry probably receive stuff like this all the time, but I don't know - I guess I found it really humbling and I really appreciate the gesture.

The first thing I really want to talk about is the goody bag itself, I seriously love it! It's a loose, black canvas bag with the FASHIONCHICK logo on the front in white. Now I love the handbag I'm currently using for work (I really love it) but this bag is great to use when I have more to take with me, like my flats when I have to walk through London and my phone charger). It's fab because I can just throw my things in it and not have to route around for too long trying to find them.

I think these loose-style canvas bags are really in at the moment - every girl seems to have at least one! So when I opened my bag to find another cream coloured one, I was loving life. Admittedly, I definitely prefer the black one. But the cream one gives a bit of variation and choice depending on what outfit I'm wearing.

These weren't the only bags I found in the goody bag (bags within bags within bags), I also found a (very) white and neon pink Juicy Couture bag folded up inside! Now, I don't really wear many neon colours, but this Spring I'm starting to explore them a little more - with brighter nails and brighter thin t-shirts paired with black jeans - I just never really thought I was brave enough to take on such bold colours! But it'll be nice to give this bag a try, as it's not "too much". I'd be a little more hesitant if the entire bag was hot neon pink, but as it's just minimal, I think I'll be brave enough to give it a go this week!

I was really blown away by the smaller things in the goody bag - I found the most gorgeous River Island necklace (that I've genuinely worn every day to work since the event, oops!) and I am in love with the FASHIONCHICK's own nail polish I found in my little bag.

Last week, I went back to my family home to see my family, and I went out for dinner and a few drinks with my little sister (who is 18 so apparently I can do these things with her now, promise I'm not an irresponsible big sister!) and because I bought a new black and pink playsuit for my birthday, I was looking for the perfect shade of popping pink nail polish to wear with it. Luckily, my even younger sister had the exact shade I was looking for - so I borrowed it. A few days later when it was so chipped I had no other choice than to take it off - I asked what shade of Barry M nail polish it was (so I could buy it for myself!) ...Only to discover it was a limited edition polish and I couldn't find it anywhere. I digress, when I found this nail polish in my bag - granted it wasn't the same shade - but it was pretty close. It's slightly more of hot orange than a hot pink, but I love it just as much as my sister's Barry M polish! So there you go, a nice long-winded explanation as to why I'm so happy about a nail polish. Welcome to my blog.

Anyway, the last thing in the bag apart from some of the obligatory leaflets was a gorgeous fragrance sample; Moschino Chic Petals. I only own one perfume (Alien by Thierry Mugler), so it was great to explore a new fragrance. I'm normally a little bit picky about which fragrances I use - I'm still looking for my signature scent. But honestly it's a really lovely fragrance, so I'm glad I've got a little sample!

The very last thing I wanted to mention is my midi ring. Although it didn't actually come in the bag (it was given to me by the lovely Lauren of The Girl Who Stole London) I love really simple designs, and my new ring has made it up there with my other two favourites (my topaz ring I got from my mum for my 18th birthday, and my Onyx ring I got from Italy earlier this year). I have never, ever found anything with my name on (literally ever) so I've settled for just my initial which I think works just as nicely. I really love it, and I just hope and pray I never lose it!

I can only apologise for my chipped nails - this was the pink nail polish I was talking about - I just didn't want to take it off until I absolutely had to!

Well that just about covers today's post for FASHIONCHICK's Goody Bag. I know I've nattered on an awful lot today, but hopefully you found it vaguely interesting (I hadn't anticipated this blog post to be so long!) and on final note, I'm really grateful to FASHIONCHICK for the lovely thought. A huge thank you!

See you guys again soon!

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FASHIONCHICK • Redesign Event

A while ago you might remember I wrote a blog post for FASHIONCHICK's new Spring/Summer shoe collection (see here if you can't remember!) Well, as a follow-up, I'd been invited to the FASHIONCHICK Redesign launch party event on Baker Street, London by a lovely lady called Rebecca. The event was held on Wednesday 7th May, and by the time the day arrived, I'd only ever been to one event before with my work colleagues (the Ethical Fashion Show) so I have to say I was a little nervous - especially as I'd be going alone! I'm one of those people who really likes to know every single detail about everything on their schedule before they go ahead and do anything. So as I was going alone, I was definitely feeling the nerves, but I was really excited none-the-less.

It was held at the fabulous Fable Bar on Holborn Viaduct, and it was the perfect setting. FASHIONCHICK had rented out a bar room for the entire evening, with little stalls dotted around by the windows and an area designated for special FASHIONCHICK photographs.

I was offered a complimentary drink from the free bar (opted for a red wine!) and I took this as an opportunity to snap as many photographs as I could while the sun was still up. The evening was really relaxed, and a great chance to meet bloggers just like myself and others who worked in the fashion industry. After a little talk about the new collection and a quick discussion about some of the products, the waiters brought out platters of all sorts of yummy bites (calamari, canapés, mini fish and chips, mini sausages - followed by little baskets of mini doughnuts and brownies!) and we all had a natter about our blogs and the new collections. I made friends with two very lovely ladies, Samantha and "The Girl Who Stole London" (more commonly known as Lauren). If you're reading this girls - it was great to meet you both!

At the end of the evening, we all received an amazing goody bag filled with a selection of cute little gifts from different retailers including River Island, Juicy Couture, Moschino... Which I'll talk more about in my next blog post.

Overall, the evening was so much fun (what did I ever have to be nervous about?) and I can't wait to do it all over again. Thanks so much to FASHIONCHICK for hosting such a fab event, and for giving us the opportunity to network with other bloggers and fashion/beauty-lovers who share a common interest!

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Ethical Fashion Show

Good morning you lovely lot! If you're all caught up with yesterday's post, you'll know that I'm back after not posting a blog for a month. But just like I promised, I've got lots in store to chat about it.

On Wednesday 30th April, I attend my first fashion event - the Ethical Fashion Show at St. Paul's Church, Hammersmith. It was really amazing, the atmosphere was incredible (with it being set in a church, it made it all the more beautiful), and with little ethical clothing and exotic food stalls dotted around a central catwalk, I knew it was going to be an exciting evening. After a complimentary drink, the audience took their seats around the catwalk and stage, and we watched a discussion with a panel of guest speakers followed by a catwalk show. I was left a bit in-awe after my first event, I'd had a really lovely evening!

Panel of guest speakers at the Ethical Fashion Show

A few days later, I had my second event, the FashionChick UK Redesign event, and then following that, a really lovely lady from House of Fraser got in contact with me and asked if I'd like to attend their Autumn/Winter 2014 Press Event on Baker Street - and would I! I won't go into much detail about these events because they're for another post, but heads up - much glamour and gorgeous photos coming your way!

My next event is tomorrow (Monday 12th May) for Pulse, and then I have another wonderful House of Fraser event to attend on Thursday for their homeware collections (which I am seriously so excited for, as I can't wait to move house so this will definitely get me all jittery! Plus I'm just a bit of a homeware geek).

I really hope this post has let you in on what's been going on at the moment, it's a really exciting ride, and I love writing about it and allowing you all to join in. The world of fashion is fast, ever-changing and leaves you feeling a bit dazed at times, but at the moment I love what I do, and for someone who can't stay happy with the same nail polish colour for too long - I think this counts for something.

See you guys soon, and stay tuned for my next post coming up shortly!

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Sanctuary Spa • Body Butter Review

Hello everybody! Huge disclaimer: sorry for not updating in so long! It's been one of the most busy and surprising weeks I've ever had - but we'll get more into that in the coming posts. Some super exciting news coming up! I'll be blogging a lot more regularly now my schedule is starting to settle again (I have a huge list of blogs I've got to write up!) To get back on track, today I thought I'd start with a little review. If you haven't already guessed what it is, it's all about Sanctuary Spa's Body Butter!

If you're not familiar with Sanctuary Spa, they're a spa that can be found in the heart of London - Covent Garden. They've been selling their high-quality skin and body care products for years, but I have to admit, I'm relatively new to trying them out.

For Christmas a couple of years ago my mum bought me a box of mini Sanctuary Spa products (Moisturiser, Foaming Bath Soak, Body Scrub and Shower Gel). I hadn't used them for a while, mainly because I never really got around to it, and when I did, I forgot! But since I moved down to London, I've had a chance to route through all of my bath and body bottles and I've given Sanctuary Spa a whirl!

All Sanctuary products seem to have the same scent - a musky oriental, woody scent which is totally recognisable as Sanctuary - no other product smells quite like it. I like unusual fragrances, so this ticked a box for me (albeit Sanctuary isn't my personal favourite scent, but I do like it!) However, I can certainly understand that this might not be your cup of tea if you prefer fruity tones.

Their iconic orange, easy-to-handle packaging is great. Although I've never bought a larger version of any Sanctuary product, I really like the packaging on the smaller products. I travelling around the country a lot as I have family in the West Midlands, so I really like a product I can throw in my wash bag and not have to decide between squeezing it in and risking a spillage or leaving it at home all together!

After trying my older products, I was pleased that I'd given them a good go. They really are worth it! They leave your skin feeling silky smooth, and the fragrance leaves you feeling super chilled out.

About a week ago I received a surprise package from Sanctuary Spa, it was a little pot of their Body Butter! I couldn't wait to give this a try, as the first products I'd tried worked a treat, and I hadn't tried this one yet.

Once I'd showered, I put the Body Butter to good use. Initially, I'd assumed the product would be fairly oily, as it looked thinner than previous products I'd used such as Extracts (see review here). However - again - I was pleasantly surprised! My legs were left instantly smoother (Seriously, I can't stop feeling my shins right now), and the best thing about this product is that it was in no way oily, it dried straight away, which was absolutely amazing as I didn't have to wait around for ages just to get dressed! Revisiting what I'd said about the fragrance, even though Sanctuary Spa's products smell lovely in the bottle, they smell even nicer on your skin as it's more subtle (still sniffing my skin. A little weird? Probably).

Overall, I love Sanctuary Spa's Body Butter, and I honestly don't have any gripes. I have really sensitive skin, so to find a product that works for is fabulous. I've tried a few Sanctuary Spa products now, but the Body Butter is definitely my favourite. So if you're looking to try out some new bath and body products - check out Sanctuary Spa's Body Butter!

Tune in tomorrow for a chat about the new ethical company on the fashion scene - London Ethnic. See you then!

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It Was All Yellow • SS14 "Best Picks"

Recently I've been offered a super exciting job in the London fashion industry, and when it comes to fashion - if you talk the talk you've got to walk the walk. And of course, what I'm getting at here is this means a genuine excuse for Spring/Summer shopping.

So as I've been really busy lately, I haven't had much of an opportunity to get out and go shopping, so I've been having a nose around some websites (New Look, Topshop, H&M... The usual) and I'm just so overwhelmed by all of the gorgeous SS14 collections at the moment that I just had to write a post featuring some of my absolute favourites. So here are my "Best Picks" for SS14:

1. Etienne Deroeux White Node Maxi Skirt, 32Avenue, £210 (buy here) + (buy similar here, £34.99, Mango, John Lewis) 2. Yellow Embossed Pattern Turtle Neck Crop Top, River Island, On Sale, £10 (buy here) 3. Rebecca Necklace, Kenrda Soft, Neiman Marcus, £120 (buy here) 4. Hunter Black Sunglasses, Jeepers Peepers, Topshop, £24 (buy here) 5. Black Tear Drop Stone Ring, Dorothy Perkins, £6.50 (buy here) 6. FASHIONCHICK SS14 Heels (available mid-April 2014, make sure you keep an eye on FASHIONCHICK's new SS14 shoe collection here: www.FASHIONCHICK.co.uk / or here if you're in Netherlands/Germany/France/Belgium)

As London Fashion Week predicted, patterns and bright colours are really in this season - and I personally just can't get enough. After what must have been hours of drooling over Spring/Summer 2014 collections, I've finally settled on an outfit that I think parades the "best of" SS14.

We're due some really hot weather towards the end of April and into the Summer months, so I've opted for a high-waisted, floaty, fresh white skirt and a really cute yellow crop top to give this outfit a signature pop! High-waisted skirts, shorts and jeans match up fabulously to crop tops, and of course, the obligatory round sunglasses have been included (with a matching ring) and genuinely some one of the most on-trend and outright gorgeous pairs of heels I've seen this year. The yellow of the crop top will bring out the yellow of the strap on these heels (and don't get me started on the pattern of the heel itself - so pretty! and elevates this outfit beyond just block colours), and to finish off the lemon-fresh look, a white and gold necklace to tie in the skirt and ring. It's all about keeping it matching and fresh this season!

I'm officially helplessly hooked on this outfit, and unfortunately for me, my purse is lying perilously close to my desk as I write this. If you're really feeling this bright, crisp style of outfit, check out the details below the photo to find out where you can get your mitts on this outfit or something similar!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous Easter break!

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Emma Watson • Noah Premiere

Another post about Emma Watson? I know, I know. But how could I not talk about one of the world's most talked about fashion icons of 2014? Well, you've made it this far, so you might as well do yourself a favour and bear with me, because today I'm going to be having a look at the stunning get-up Emma was flaunting at the London 'Noah' premiere a few days ago.

Noah sounds like it's going to be a pretty big movie this year (and I'm talking "big" on biblical terms), starring award winning actors; Russell Crowe, Anthony Hopkins, Jennifer Connelly and Ray Winstone. Not to mention the incredible set and effects used to put it together. Whether you're into the story of Noah or not, this movie promises to pack a punch while telling the story of a family's struggle when faced with a flood of cataclysmic proportions.

          

But there's one thing I love just that little bit more than really good movies - and that's fashion of course! And after Emma wowed us all with an elegant, perfectly tailored suit polished off with a gorgeous berry lipstick earlier on in the week for her appearance on Late Show with David Letterman, I was excited to see what she had in store for the London premiere - and Emma never fails to disappoint! When stepping out on to the (really impressive, very unique and a generally a little bit frightening) blue rushing-water/crashing waves style carpet, all of our attention was snatched away from the mesmerising carpet, and on to Emma's outfit choice of the evening. She opted for a beautiful, crisp white, long halter-neck Ralph Lauren dress, which had a revealing thigh high split on one side, very reminiscencent of that of Angelina Jolie.

               

Donning a highly classic look, Emma had her hair swept back into a smooth, tidy chignon. Her make-up was pretty impeccable too - Emma seems to be loving the popping, bright berry lipsticks lately, however she decided to stick with a more natural look for the premiere, complimenting the fresh look of her gown perfectly. To finish off this super stunning outfit, Emma paired her dress with some matching white stiletto heels and and golden Jennifer Fish bar cuffs around her wrists.

What a breath-taking gown! It's almost as if this 23-year-old can do no wrong in the world of fashion and beauty. I can't wait to see what Emma chooses to do next - whether that's her next outfit or movie, I'm sure we'll be loving it.

Be sure to check out 'Noah' in cinemas on April 5th, and let me know what you think about either of Emma's recent fashion triumphs in the comments!

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