a short stay in london with ace hotel
30/06/2014
so first of all, i'm going to apologise that my post didn't go up at the weekend. it seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. it was my #DPDressSelfie which ends tomorrow so get your entries in with the chance to win a dress each month. all you have to do is post a snap in your dorothy perkins dress with the hashtag and post is on either twitter or instagram and who knows you could be the winner.
anyway just a quick post on the beautiful hotel room the lovely people at ASOS provided me for when i visited london for there #epicsummer event last week. the whole time i kept getting amazed at every tiny thing. the layout was so sleek and smart and incredibly quirky. i loved it so much, i didn't want to leave. thank you ace hotel for having me and ASOS for helping me discover a super awesome hotel. i'll definitely want to stay there again when i'm in london again.
ps. also got to try eggs florentine for the first time ever - note to self; it tastes bloody awesome.
holiday shopping on a budget with asos sale
26/06/2014
1,2,3,4,5
there's two things i love; sales and ASOS. so put them together and it's a match made in heaven. as it's twelve weeks until i'm jetting off to venice it couldn't be more perfect timing as of course want a whole new wardrobe to take with me... obviously. i've already delved into it and bought a couple of things (trainers and duster coat) but there's no harm in wanting more. as i'm going on a city break rather than a summer holiday it's a win-win as it's clothes that i can wear at home too when i come back! i definitely need to get myself some birkenstock's before i go, it just seems compulsory with being a blogger and all. wouldn't want to let the team down.
mellow yellow
25/06/2014
what i'm wearing:
zara striped tie-sleeve blouse
zara striped tie-sleeve blouse
zara heeled sandals (similar here)
topshop croc faux leather tote bag (last year)
primark sunglasses (ONLY £2!)
nomination composable bracelet
nomination composable bracelet
so i seem to have developed quite the obsession with yellow recently. last year it was burnt orange so it obviously must be summer just brings out the colourful side of me; as in winter you normally find me draped in head to toe black. so just incase you didn't guess, i was in london last week. myself and the lovely rachael (who you can find blogging at www.beautypea.com) drove two 5 hour journeys in the space of 36 hours and boy was it tiring but equally as worth it! the only negative is that there just wasn't enough time and has left me longing to live there more than ever. there's something about the sense of rush constantly that i love and crave to be amongst coming from such a quiet and boring area. we did plan on trying to blog at least three outfits whilst we were there, but we had no time between arriving at the hotel and getting ready to the ASOS event which we travelled down for. so down in shoreditch where we were staying we found an alley to snap some shots and guess who only went and bloomin' walked behind me... alex from made in chelsea! i do have photographic evidence which you can look at here. he was on his phone so it felt rude to ask him to stop and take a photograph with us but ah man it was such a surreal experience. anyway i really love this outfit it's one of my favourites at the moment. i'm definitely into stripes big time.
#epicsummer party with access all ASOS
23/06/2014
if i'm going to travel five hours for an event, what better than an ASOS event! i must admit i wasn't quite sure what to expect and didn't want to go under dressed so i did pop a bandeau dress and heels and i ended up over-dressed! i must have missed the brief because i felt like a total numpty. although i suppose if people live in london they are more used to the dress code for events... where i unfortunately am not. even so who cares when an event is full of loads of hustle and bustle right? so in the theme of it being a summer party there was pimms, hotdogs, ice cream being served and bottles of brothers flavoured cider. there was also a station for you to have your nails done with ciate and floral headbands were being made from real flowers, so of course i had to wait in line for one! it was so beautiful although it was bittersweet as the next day when it went all limp i was gutted as i wish i could have kept it forever. one thing i couldn't stop watching was the social playground live instagram printer! i didn't realise that it was if you popped a picture up on whilst the event was running with the #epicsummer hashtag that the ladies would print it out and pop it up on the wall. i want one! overall, i had a lovely evening and i FINALLY got to meet the two hannahs (awaywiththefairies and hannahlouisef) which was great as they both uber lovely. of course hannah from awaywiththefairies persuaded me and rachael to go to tottenham court road primark with her after and lets just say some damage to my bank account was done... darn you hannah!
illamasqua gleam cream highligter in aurora - £20*
what's this... a beauty post? it's been a while since my last, but when i find a product i'm absolutely loving i just had to post about it! so i'm not going to lie, this is my first illamasqua product i've owned (don't hate me) and so many people had raved about them as a brand before and i have no idea why i had never picked anything up. however now it's a whole different kettle of fish. i've worn it everyday since i got it and couldn't wait to try it before photographing it either. you need the smallest amount and it's the most beautiful pearlescent. not too shiny to make you look oily and not too thick that it doesn't blend. i normally apply it by dabbing some on my finger and that is enough to go onto my cheekbones, bridge of my nose and my cupids bow. then i blend it in with my buffing brush or my fingers if i'm in a hurry. it's just a beautiful creamy consistency and has amazing staying power. no re-application needed here. i did think it was going to be hard to beat my trusty benefit watt's up, but i have to hold my white flag up and say there's a new highlighter sheriff in town. totally recommend!
chillin'
19/06/2014
what i'm wearing:
h&m striped oversized top (similar here)
primark double band sliders
h&m plaited belt
you think taking pictures at the beach would be a walk in the park right? wrong. my oh my was it crazy windy. we've made it look so easy here but in reality every other photo was all my hair around and stuck to my face. i was having a bit of a lazy day today as i've pinned my fringe back probably for the first time since i got it first cut in january. i know that sounds crazy but i've always got used to having it down or throwing it all up in a bun. there's something about wearing white in the summer, i'm drawn to it like a moth to a flame. it also helps me look more tanned which is always a plus (although i do have to take extra care when eating as i'm the biggest klutz ever). i'm also LOVING sliders far more than i ever thought i ever could. bagged another pair from primark for only £5, yes you heard that right! they are a million times more comfortable than my pair from next aswell, which absolutely ripped my feet to shreds the other week when i wore them for a few hours. anyway i hope you like - let me know!
reaching 21
17/06/2014
so just incase you don't keep up to date with me via social media today is my 21st birthday. yep, that's right i'm an official adult now. i haven't had a total breakdown like i heard some people suffered when reaching this milestone. however i don't really like to admit that from now on everything really is supposed to go downhill. even so, i was totally spoilt running up to my birthday; with my dad buying me a new laptop (which i needed desperately) and accumulating a fair amount of money which is always great to help the funds when you have a spending problem like myself. i was given some lovely beauty bits from my auntie and uncle which i can't wait to use and review. and of course liam was great as i was woken up to more balloons and he treated me to loads of stuff he knew i was lusting after; a new perfume, clothes from zara and whatnot. although i wasn't prepared for his final surprise to me which was....
a trip to venice!
i had no reaction when i opened the documentation to say he'd booked for us to go for 4 days at the end of september as i think it took a while to sink in. but i am so excited it's insane! i've always wanted to go to italy since i was younger so there are no words to describe how overwhelmed i am. he really has gone above and beyond for me and i'm so happy we will be able to make memories that will last forever. just imagine the photographs i'm going to get aswell! ah!! can you tell i can't wait? so yeah, i've had a pretty amazing 21st birthday and thank you so much to all of you for your birthday wishes you sent over whether they were by facebook, twitter or instagram! i appreciated them all.
p.s the feedback on my last post was also incredible! i'm glad so many of you agree and feel the same. it's also crazy that it seems my little ol' post has actually helped others and people have been tweeting me to say they feel like they've had an increase in comments since my post. i have to agree aswell, i've noticed more on mine too. also the #bbloggers chat on sunday was about it too so it's great that the topic is circulating.
p.p.s sorry have a lot of things to add into this - myself and rachael are venturing down london this thursday and friday for the ASOS and inthestyle events! if you are going please let me know we would love to meet up with some bloggers afterwards or before. :)
an issue that needs to be addressed
15/06/2014
one thing i've always loved about the blogging community is our ability to support each other. we understand how much dedication and hard work goes into running a blog and all the other things that go with it; social network and what not. so it upsets me to see how many bloggers i've noticed recently (myself included) that have been left deflated from realising that either there page views or that comments being left on each post have decreased significantly. from my experience it does put me down a bit when this happens, as i personally feel much happier with how my blog posts look when i publish them compared to a year ago, and also i know that i put more effort into them now than before. however this time last year i would receive around 40+ comments and now i barely make 15-20. COME ON GUYS, this is not acceptable! we are supposed to be each others motivators because we all know what it's like. it's as if we've all gotten lazy and think just liking the picture on perhaps instagram is suffice. let's promise that from now on just when we have a spare minute; or even if we've have read the post and really do like it, just pop that blog a like on bloglovin or a comment saying what you love about it. it takes what, two minutes? and it gives a boost in a great way to that blogger. we have enough of negativity coming from outside factors so we don't need it within the community. LOL that makes us sound like a cult...
the only way is up
13/06/2014
what i'm wearing:
in the style 'by lauren pope' striped playsuit* (now in SALE)
you know you have a spending problem when you bought something almost two months ago and have only got round to wearing them for the first time now... this is me with these shoes. i have no idea why i bought them in the first place, and to be honest i'm not 100% on them either. maybe with jeans they'd be a better match for a more grunged look. it also doesn't help that i resemble casper at the moment; trying to save my fake tan for my birthday so i'm not doubling up on old tan = scales for skin. i'm a little late to blog about this playsuit as a result of losing my mojo a little while back, but they have a great houndtooth version of it in the sale for £16.99 online at the moment which is a total bargain. sorry that sunglasses seemed to be constantly glued to my eyes currently, because all my last outfit posts have been done when it's been lovely and sunny i just end up looking squinty which is not a good look for me. even so i hope you like it. :)
nonchalant
11/06/2014
what i'm wearing:
ASOS chambray oversized shirt
ASOS chambray oversized shirt
urban outfitters leopard print sunglasses
primark zodiac necklace
next double band sliders
popping up a post a little late - sorry! so i've had a good few days; i had so much fun at the zoo at the weekend and then today i met with helen from thelovecatsinc (as she's a fellow local to me) and we spent the day snapping some blog photos for each other followed by food, naturally. of course it was not without drama as it was so hot and i don't do well with heat = me nearly fainting and having to lie on the ground. yep, stay cool charissa. i bought this shirt a couple of weeks ago and i've been dying to snap it. i just love how oversized it is and flattering it looks with both white or black jeans. i feel like this post does look a little similar to my last but i really am loving wearing jeans at the moment. i promise my next will show i do actually change my style... sometimes.
p.s noticed anything different on the ol' blog? i have a new layout! it was done by pipdig (credit is placed at the bottom) and it's what i've wanted for my blog for so long. minimalistic, professional and simple.
she's known as henry the VIII's mistress, second wife, and second queen. but more so than her historical titles, anne boleyn was known for her ability to influence others. while her persuasive abilities are usually discussed in regards to her relationship with henry the VIII, she was just as influential to the public, not with her words, but with how she looked. i know this is a little different to my usual posts, but i've always been interested in history (i did it at uni before i dropped out...) so it's nice to combine it with my blog.
in modern culture, anne boleyn is frequently portrayed as a woman of great beauty. she's been played by gorgeous women including hollywood a-lister natalie portman, famed opera Singer anna netrebko, and the go-to actress for period projects, natalie dormer. even in picturebox films' brief description of the film, the other boleyn girl, (a film depicting the life of anne and and her sister mary, as they fight for the love of king henry VIII) they make sure to note that anne and her sister are, "two beautiful sisters." however, further historical research on written documents of the time have helped shed light on the matter, and surprisingly enough, many described the queen's features as being downright dull. a huffington post article from earlier this year explained the following about boleyn: her "dark auburn hair and olive skin did not match the medieval and renaissance ideal of the fair-skinned, blue-eyed blonde, an idea that managed to combine equal parts virgin mary and botticelli's (1486) powerfully sexual venus." the article also reported that even her admirers had nothing particularly complimentary to say about her looks. diplomat francesco sanuto noted that her body didn't make up for her plain facial features either, claiming that her "bosom not much raised." boleyn's physique was considered slender, while the ideal of the time was more curvaceous.
so how did this woman considered to be a "plain jane" earn a reputation centuries later as being physically exquisite? she simply used the other attribute she was well-known for, her intelligence. to make up for the characteristics that were considered undesirable at the time, boleyn learned how to "dress for her body type" so-to-speak. the majority of her fashion inspiration arrived while she was living in france. as history of european fashion reports, boleyn was credited for bringing the french trends of square necklines and crescent caps/french hoods to england. she was also responsible for the trends of higher collars, tying ribbons around the neck, squared necklines, and long, flowing sleeves. during the elizabethan era, royalty was the equivalent of the modern-day celebrity. citizens looked to them as the standard for excellence in their behaviors and appearance. boleyn was nothing short of the style icon that kate middleton is today. when she wore something, it quickly caught on as what was "in" for the time. but what many of her fashion followers didn't know was that boleyn's fashion choices weren't made for the style alone, they were also chosen for function. boleyn used many of her cutting-edge fashion choices to hide her less desirable traits. the french hood was effectively used as an ornament to brighten and beautify her darker hair, and the squared neckline allowed for the embellishment of her cleavage. she was able to conceal the large, unsightly mole on her neck with a high collar, tying dark ribbons around her neck, or wearing bulky necklaces. her signature long, draping sleeves weren't just for the sake of fashion, they worked to hide the sixth finger on her right hand.
while she may have proven that anyone can be fabulous with the right look, her mind is what really makes her a fascinating historical figure. regardless of whether or not she was guilty of crimes against the king, or anything else she was accused of, what remains to be the most disappointing thing about boleyn is that we are left to wonder what such a smart, and strong woman could have accomplished had she not met her demise so young. instead we will have to settle for what she was able to accomplish during her life: giving women a voice, and one hell of a wardrobe.
*this is a guest editorial post*
brainwave
06/06/2014
what i'm wearing:
h&m broderie peplum cami top
h&m broderie peplum cami top
urban outfitters cat eye sunglasses via depop
primark zodiac necklace
so... i did a crazy thing yesterday, i cut my hair off! considering how much got snipped i'm doing surprisingly okay, no state of shock or anything. although it did feel weird when brushing through my hair and it ending so suddenly. kind of an off-duty outfit post today, definitely more of my relaxed looks that i don't expect people to be interesting in seeing for a blog post on a regular basis. i only hope i can still do my halo braids as that hairstyle is my go-to on the laziest of days. let me know what you think! like i said in my last outfit post i'm off to edinburgh on sunday for two days so there'll be no post from me until after then. i don't trust that liam will be able to take photos for me as good as rachael but i'll try! if not blogging will resume wednesday i can imagine. hope everyone has a lovely weekend and if you're from the UK is soaking up the sun.
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