Wardrobe Shopping Survival Guide

Trying to save some money? I know I am... With a year of being a student again staring me in the face, the need to spend sensibly is more apparent than ever.

You may thinking, Shopping Survival Guide?? If you're after constructive advice on how to avoid being eaten by your shopping basket or how to swerve falling makeup counters (I'd never had to imagine a shopping apocalypse until now) you will have to head elsewhere I am afraid... though it is an idea I may come back to...

But for questions that you should be bearing in mind when shopping with a budget, you may want to look this way.

1. How will this wash? Sometimes buying cheap basics is a false economy... You wash them once and they're good for nothing but a life as pyjamas; sometimes you're not actually saving anything at all. For me, it's meant that I've bid farewell to buying from Topshop and Forever 21, unless pieces are massively reduced in the sale.
2. Pale colours = high maintenance. I learnt this one the hard way last week; I bought a beautiful dove grey jacket from H&M and stained it on its first wear. Be careful; this one will lead you back to point 1...
3. Is this a staple or a statement piece? I tend to reserve my statement pieces for special occasions; a bold, unique piece will definitely be worn less, whereas staples should combine with one another and form the backbone of your wardrobe; less exciting, but a lot more useful.
4. Get savvy with separates. A few years ago, my wardrobe was full of garments that worked for one outfit but couldn't be combined across the board. I've since learnt my lesson and am a separates convert. I've never been so happy with the state of my wardrobe.
5. Read your labels. Dry clean only is my worst enemy.
6. Don't spend on a trend. A no-brainer here but a mistake lots of people seem to make; ripped jeans may be cool now, but they're not worth splashing out on if you're bothered about falling out of style. Especially important if you're keen on being first to try a trend: you may end up hating the look after a while.
7. What's already in your wardrobe? Will this combine well? Or are you making a mistake that I have committed many a time - am I buying a carbon copy of something I already own?

These are genuinely the questions I ask myself when buying and I find it super helpful to take a moment, in my changing room, and imagine myself walking out with what I have in my hands or with nothing and deciding which I am going to do today.

Have you got some wardrobe buying thoughts that you feel like sharing? I am all about hearing more!

Trying Some Style Classics

Lately I've been far into my fashion than my beauty stash - though trust me, my makeup love may wane but never it truly dies out - so I'm here again with another style post to follow on from my Whistles jumper purchase confession, which can be read here. Today I'm telling you about the four classic pieces that I plan to always mix into my wardrobe.

First off is the Classic Red Lip... I told you my love for makeup never strayed! I've got a few classic, yellow and even pink based reds in my makeup stash, but the one that screams old school glamour most is my MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Laquer in Reckless. To me it's a refreshing antidote to all the orangey red lippies that are in season at the moment; not summery in the slightest, this is a very blue toned, darker red that dries to a very matte finish. It's not got the greatest applicator or formula in the world, but at just £3 and with a banging colour to boot, it's become an instant favourite.

Next is my Little Red Bag, which looks rather vintage to me despite the fact it's a modern buy and you can get yours online here. It's got a decent length shoulder strap, a couple of nice zipped bits to stash your cash in and a completely timeless, trend-free vibe that I for one am loving. It also has the added bonus of perfectly matching the colour of my lippy: something that definitely did not factor into its purchase...

I am also into my super cheap little Pearl Earrings, that came as part of a set in C&A, now no longer in business in the UK. Here I've linked you a £6 pair from John Lewis, but you could definitely find them cheaper elsewhere! I am a bit temperamental when it comes to earrings; I either lust after them endlessly and am desperate for more piercings, or else I forget I've had them done at all and my lobes sit bare for weeks on end. I've been wearing my pearl ones for the last week or so and I love that they're a subtle touch of chic (to offset my mad red hair of course).

Then finally we have my Vintage Denim Jacket - an unexpected family heirloom (!) from my dad. It's older than I am, having been bought from Levi's in the early 80s, and Dad did an amazing job of keeping it so well it could be brand new. You can get similar, modern versions from Levi's here, here and here.

It's A Ring Thing

So over the last few weeks I've developed a bit of a jewellery obsession... And at the moment, it's rings I can't get enough of. I started gathering a little collection for myself from Dixi, who impressed with their great Instagram, regular discounts and speedy delivery. This post is obviously not sponsored but I still wanted to show you my favourites!

Endless Infinity Heart Knot Ring - £6

La Lune Ring - no longer available! Gutted! The Wanderlust Ring is a similar idea though - £14

Wishbone Midi Ring - £8

Night Visions Ring in Antiqued Silver + Moonstone - £10

Plain Band Midi Ring in Silver - £8

And there you have them (sorry for my sad, cut off nails by the way!) I am obsessed with these rings and am still wanting more (the rose gold rings have me tempted!)

Where do you shop for your jewellery? Actual serious question, I am on a mission for more!

That Whistles Jumper Though...

I have been after a Whistles jumper for a good old while now, and deciding which to go for was quite the challenge... I knew I wanted there to be French on it, so the 'W' version was a miss... Then the Je Ne Regrette Rien version had sequins on the front, so it was a no to that too... I liked the idea of a navy one, but ever since I saw Fleur de Force wearing the Fleur version, I knew I couldn't wear it as no one else could rock that so well, right?
So it was between the Jolie one (God, I was tempted) and the L'Été one. I tried on both in John Lewis last week and in the end, L'Été one for the colour combo (blue and grey and my babes) but I was worried that I'll be limited to wearing it in the summer, which for a blummin' gorge long sleeved sweatshirt, seemed a bit daft... so I'll be wearing it ironically all year round, I've decided, and may be keeping my eyes on the autumn/winter offerings to see if they have a navy one to fill that wardrobe hole in my life...