Wolf Alice

WAAAAHHHHHHH so FINALLY me and my boyfriend have tickets to see Wolf Alice! I am OBSESSED with this band and I have made my boyfriend love them just as much. The tickets went on sale a little while ago now but we have been waiting to purchase them. But the wait is over and we have tickets to see them in Sheffield on the 27th of March!

If you aren't familiar with Wolf Alice here is one of the songs that is more familiar and well known.



If you like a little grunge, I would totally recommend this band. For £12 you can grab a ticket, it is cheaper than a night at cinema or however much you spend on a night out and will be an experience much more worthwhile.

Totally obsessing!

Charlotte
Kiss.

New purchases! ASOS and Zara.

I was super proud of myself this month, I have so many clothes it is unreal and I would say that I wear maybe 20% of what I actually have; so with my week off I decided that I needed to spend some time and re-organise myself and get rid of all the things that I no longer want. Me and my boyfriend are on serious track to saving and every little bit will help towards that end goal. It's just a shame I have a terrible spending problem! I made a good amount of money from eBay and felt that I wanted to get myself a little something for being so ruthless with all of my clothes... Shameless.

I was in desperate need for some jeans and I found some absolute beauties on ASOS. They were in the sale for an amazing £12! I do sort of feel as though the ripped jeans look has been over done now but I do actually really like these ones. If I am being totally honest I have never bought jeans from ASOS. I am very particular so ideally I like to try them on before purchasing, but this time I thought what the heck and just ordered them; you can't really go wrong for £12. The only problem is they only have a certain amount of sizes left now. Luckily I am tall enough to have a 34 inch leg so I was able to get my size!  I have linked the webpage to the image so you can see for yourself as I have with the other items in this post.

         

I styled these jeans with an oversized shirt which I got from Bank. I never shop in Bank but I returned my Adidas Gazelles and they didn't do refunds, only exchange or gift card so I picked up this amazing shirt with my voucher. This type of shirt can be picked up in a ton of places! If you want a good tip for an oversized shirt, just go to Primark and buy a shirt from the menswear section; I cannot tell you how many times I have done this and I get some amazing shirts from there for super cheap. They are great if you are after a laid back, grungy sort of look. Team it with a pair of jeans and chunky boots, and hey presto! Super cool and effortlessly chic outfit.

My coat is one of my favourite things in my wardrobes, and also one of the best bargains I have ever bought! I got this when I was living in New York from Forever 21. It cost me only $30!!! So about £20 in British pounds. It is so versatile, I can literally put it with anything, the downside is that it ins't fully lined so it is a little chilly, but that just gives me an excuse to layer up more. 

My next purchase was this beautiful dress. I love minimal looks and I can just picture this with a pair of super sleek black shoes with tied back hair and minimal make up. This was from Mango but purchased on ASOS. Again this was £12. 

My final purchase for the month was this gorgeous bag from Zara. I have been after a really large clutch bag that I can sort of use for day time and also more evening events. This was just perfect at only £12.99 in the Zara sale. It is unfortunately now out of stock.

I am super pleased with my purchases and how cheap I got them all for. 

Now hurry up pay day so I can buy all my other lovely treats!! 

Charlotte

Kiss.

Givenchy's Femme Fatales and Fiendish Males.

I have wanted to post about this since I first saw the pictures hit my social media; I'm talking about the spectacle that is Givenchy Menswear Fall 2015. I am obsessed with Givenchy and this just made me even more so. This show threw me right back to the sublime creations of Alexander McQueen in early 2000's.

I have loved Givenchy for as long as I can remember now. From the simplistic and sleek designs from it's founder, Hubert de Givenchy, to the satanic and gothic designs from its now creative director Riccardo Tisci, Givenchy is never a disappointment. I always look forward to seeing what Givenchy will do next, but I am always in extreme anticipation for their couture shows; however it is their Fall 2015 menswear that has taken me by real surprise. I adore everything about this collection! Its dark and satanic images, its creative incorporation of jewelled femme fatales and strong tailoring, this has to be one of my favourite collections for a long time that I have seen from the designer. Riccardo Tisci has always been renowned for his religious influences and it is greatly obvious in this collection.

Here are my favourite looks from the collection.

 

The impeccable tailoring and mismatched pinstripes, the black devore velvet, and the satanic and fiendish aesthetic; Tisci has not only created sense of power and strength amongst the male model, but he has created his very own femme fatales. These women have an even more overwhelming sense of power than that of the males they share their stage with.

Now the anticipation for what will be undoubtedly a spectacular couture show!!!

With couture fashion week kicking off, be sure to keep an eye out for more of my favourite collections and reviews.

What did you guys think of Givenchy's Fall 2015 Menswear collection?

Charlotte
Kiss

This season's must have...CULOTTES.

I I have been admiring culottes for a long time and just never dared to stray away from my old faithful skinny jeans and tapered trousers. I mean they are HUGE! But the more and more I see them the more I seem to fall in love with them. They are going to be big this season as they were in Fall and I have to admit I feel a little late catching onto the these bad boys but I finally have myself a pair!! They have been on catwalks everywhere; from the likes of Chloe and Fendi, to J.W.Anderson and Kenzo, but now I have a pair I can complain no more!

I have been getting some ideas on how to style them and there are just so many ways! I remembering having a pair when I was very young and styling them just so so bad, maybe that is what used to put me off, the fear of yet another wardrobe disaster. There is nothing worse than looking back and cringing at your shambles of an outfit!

Here are my favourite street style looks on how to style culottes.

I have decided to start simple in terms of styling with these. Need to ease myself into it I think, but I honestly cannot tell you how hard it was to style these. I felt totally out of my comfort zone. I often struggle when styling if I feel that a trend is a bit to 'out there' or 'too cool' for me. I am my own worst critic at times I think, people always compliment my taste and clothing choices but sometimes I do still get it very wrong. But I guess practice makes perfect and I need to start somewhere. So any opinions on what you like and don't like about this outfit would be totally amazing!!!

I put my culottes with an oversized top which my boyfriend bought me for Christmas. It is a basic ribbed jersey top from Topshop and I believe it was £18... Il have to ask him on that one. But having looked at some street style inspo, I felt like oversized was a good way to go. By tucking it in, it gives a more slouchy, effortless look.

I was always told that when attempting to style culottes, treat them as you would an A-Line skirt. So I guess that is what I tried to do! If you want some amazing tips on where to start with these check out this website below!

http://stylecaster.com/how-to-wear-culottes/

Rather than teaming it with a tailored coat, I put my ASOS 'leather' jacket with it to make it look a little more casual. I LOVE this jacket. I got it in the ASOS sale for £55 and it was one of the best buys I have ever bought. Every girl has a leather jacket in their wardrobe, whether it is real or not real, we all have one and this is just perfect!

I decided to wear these with heels, I was very concious of where these trousers finished on my leg, so by combining the outfit with heels, I hoped that it would elongate my legs a little. I am quite tall anyway at 5'9'' but I think with a cropped trouser, it is still easy to make anyone look a little stumpy. These shoes are from House of Fraser in the sale for £19 which unfortunately they no longer have. 

The best part about these culottes is the price! £7 from good old Primark! I thought for £7 even if I wear them just once, you can't really go wrong. The only thing that I wish that they had is pockets! I love nothing more than a pocket in my trousers but who cares about a pocket or two when they are this cheap!!

So go grab them girls! Its a wardrobe must have! Let me know what you think about this outfit!

Charlotte.
Kiss.

My favourite STRIPE picks.

So what is going to be big again this year... my favourite! Stripes!!! I love stripes, they are just a timeless print that can be used in so many different and effective ways. I have seen so many nice pieces on the high street right now and in this post I am going to show you my favourite.

My first pick it this totally amazing shirt that I WILL own as soon as I get paid! I love shirts anyway, I think they can make any outfit look totally amazing without really trying.

I am totally in love with the back of this shirt. I am all for open back things. I think a woman's back is one of the nicest parts of our body and its always nice when we can get a glimpse of that without getting it all out there. This is £36 from ASOS. Literally soooooo excited to buy this!!!

My second pick is this amazing ASOS bikini. Even if you are staying in the UK this summer, everyone needs a bikini and this one is one of the nicest I have seen. What is even better about this is that they go up to large sizes and the bottoms are sold separately. I have always had an absolute nightmare with swimwear especially when they are in sets because my bust is much bigger than my body. I absolutely HATE it when they do a dress size bikini top. I have a 32F bust and found I was having to buy size 18 bikini top with a size 10 bottom! It is so embarrassing! But this bikini is measured to an actual bust cup so you know that is it going to be a perfect fit!!

I am a massive fan of longline design. I have a longline bra and when I saw that this bikini was also I just HAD to have it. It isn't the best for your tan lines, but I aren't the biggest fan of sunbathing anyway. The bikini top is £16 and the bottoms just £10. If you like the pattern but not to sure on the style, they do alternative styles with the same fabric. Well worth a look!

My next pick is a bit of a cheat actually, but I just loved it so much I just had to put it in. A different coloured panel at the bottom can be classed as a stripe right?

This is a blazer from one of THE nicest shops in the world, COS. I love the whole minimal look. I really need to invest in more of this style of clothing really but I like to change my style all the time so it depends what sort of day I am having when I go shopping! This knitted blazer is a bargain at only £55.

My next pick is also from COS but it is just a staple piece that EVERY fashion lover needs in their wardrobe. Super versatile and just effortlessly cool.

This is one of the more expensive that I have seen, you can get cheaper alternatives, but if you are a proud lover of COS this is perfect at only £35. This basic top can just go with anything! Culottes, jeans, tapered trouser. Its so easy to throw on with almost anything.

My final pick is this beauty of a scarf which is again from ASOS.

I love this camel colour and the oversized style of this scarf. It is only £20 from ASOS. I cannot wait to snap this up when pay day hits my bank!

These are my favourite picks. What will be your favourite trend this coming season?

Be sure to look out for my next post where I will be talking about my new culottes and my favourite street style inspiration.

Charlotte
Kiss.

Skin Detox!

I have mentioned before I have very troublesome skin. I have had it under control for a while now but I can start to see it just getting gradually worse so its time to stop it in its tracks and get it looking healthy again. I hate thick and cakey make-up. I am very much an 'Au Natural' sort of person and so for me when I have bad skin I feel ugly when I have to pile a ton of foundation onto my face to make my skin presentable. One positive for me is that I have a lot of freckles on my face which is a GOD SEND when my skin breaks out as you can't generally tell much, people always compliment me on my freckles so when I have to cover them over in an inch of make up it is very evident how much make up I am wearing.

With my job I am super active, my lifestyle never allows me to stop. I work 6 days a week so I never take care of what I am putting into my body. I never drink enough, I know that I don't because I get terrible headaches and I am constantly tired which then has a knock on effect on my skin. When I was younger my skin was awful, I had a serious lack of confidence from it but luckily my skin is nowhere near as bad as that but it really is an effort for me.

Currently I take Yasmin which is a contraceptive pill that it is targeted towards controlling the hormones which effect things such as your skin. I have found that this pill is one of the better prescriptions I have taken but I still have to take other supplements alongside of this.

So here is my guide to nice healthy skin!!

1. Dairy free diet. 
So I have done this before and it does take a while to get used to be it is 100% worth it. It is also much healthier for you in general which is an even greater excuse.

Apparently the hormones which are found in diary products have a bad effect on our own skin. The hormones in the milk are hormones which are essential to a baby cows development and growth, but them hormones that we are putting into our body have a bad effect on us. As an unnecessary hormone for us, it causes more damage than good.

I love milk as well, but not for much longer. From tomorrow I will be swapping all dairy products for a soya supplement.

2. WATER WATER WATER! 
I never have enough of this stuff. It's not even that I drink alternatives, I just don't drink at all which is the absolute worst! Water is one of the healthiest things for us and with a million and one benefits it is going to become one of my main daily tasks to get at least 2 litres down me!!

3. Evening Primrose Oil.
Evening primrose oil is a natural supplement that is recommended when trying to rebalance hormone levels. It is often used by people experiencing the menopause and other hormonal imbalances like bad skin.

I love this stuff! 2 capsules a day and my skin is glowing. The only thing when taking supplements orally is that it can take up to 3 months for the results to start to show; so if you ever take anything like this, you have to be patient.

4. Witch Hazel.
This is a great product for treatment directly onto the skin. Make it part of your daily routine, wash your face with a non abrasive wash then apply this with a cotton wool pad to the whole of the face. It is completely natural and super cheap!

I used to use a face scrub every night and I realised that by doing this I was doing more damage than good. The scrub was taking more layers of skin off every time I was using it and I just wasn't giving my skin a chance to repair itself. I recommend St.Ives facial scrub for oil control but use it only 2-3 times a week at most. For every other day I would recommend a foaming face wash that is more gentle on the skin. I use BareMinerals purifying facial cleanser, as I swear by BareMinerals and their make-up. If you have love for a faceful of make-up then this ISN'T the product for you. It is light covering make up that allows your skin to breathe with a much more natural look.

Any other skin care tips I would LOVE to hear! I always enjoy finding new products that will help my skin look radiant.

Charlotte
Kiss.

And still..... More SALE!

Still spending! Seriously I have to have a problem.

But honestly, I couldn't let these ones go. It would have been one of those things where you go home and think NOOOOO why did I do it?? The kind of regret to keep you up at night. So I just went for it.

My first buy was this beautiful Primark tailored jacket. Not in the sale, but an absolute bargain!

I am always looking for lovely tailored pieces for my wardrobe and I 100% wasn't expecting to find this in Primark!! It was one of those moments when you see something and have to look around to see if everyone else is seeing the same thing as you. Well apparently not as there was a massive rail full just waiting to be snapped up! The jacket has a dropped shoulder with cropped sleeves. It is cut so well for a Primark jacket! What I really loved about it though was the pockets. They changed it from just a super boring black jacket to something a little more special. The design had been thought about and it looks so much more expensive than it cost. I paid £23 for this jacket!

If you want a bargain this month, this it the item for you. I will say that it is more for spring as it has no warmth in it at all but it could even be layered over! If you have like a really long oversized camel coat you would easily put it over this and then a Breton stripped top under it.

If you like black and minimal, GO GET IT!! You cannot go wrong for £23.

My next purchase was a little crazy even for me but as soon as I saw it I just fell in love with it. My style has been evolving a lot this past year and I think that I have more of a sophisticated style now. It is sort of becoming what I want it to be. I still have days where I feel a little unsure but I think it is quite rounded now.

This knitted jacket from Zara is just incredible. I think a lot of people will look at this jacket and maybe think, ermm what even is that but I don't even care about that. I have become so much more playful with my style that I feel adventurous enough to play around with my proportions and oversized items. If I was a little larger I probably wouldn't because oversized items are quite a challenging thing to pull off. It can go hideously wrong or just so stylishly right... I guess we will see with this one.

I paid £39.99 for this jacket, originally £69.99. It was the last one in store and I have had a look online but it is out of stock on there. It might be worth a try at your local Zara if you like this item though. The drape of the jacket is beautiful, because it is knitted the fabric behaves like fluid almost. Just hangs so nice on the body.

My last purchase was a super cute dress from Zara aswell. Now I know it looks a little goth but trust me when this dress it on it is beautiful. This dress is a Zara Studio dress and was originally £69.99 but I paid only £19.99 for this!

As most people know; I am an Alexa Chung obsesser. I could not think of anyone more perfect or influential than her, she is the epiphany of style and when I saw this Zara dress it reminded me of this outfit that I saw her wearing. She has styled it so well. Just so simple but it just looks so nice. I love the smock style dresses and this Zara Studio one is just perfect.

Again I bought the last one in store and I have checked online too but it is out of stock there as well.

So what bargains did you guys find this January?

Charlotte
Kiss,

February Wishlist!

I have so many things noted that I want to buy. I always see things when I have no money... then when I do need or want something... I can never find it or afford it!

Its coming to the end of the month now and I have a post half written about what I have just bought... So now... I am broke. But here are a few things that are in the basket waiting to be purchased next month!

I have been looking for some nice pony effect boots for a while now and I have finally found some that I have fallen head over heels for!!!

Office Shoes - £90

I have seen these beauties on a few blogs now and I just loved them as soon as I saw them but it was one of those things where you aren't to sure how nice they are actually going to look in real life but I popped into work today and we have them in; and they are even more beautiful in real life. They are quite expensive at £90 but then I think this will be a staple piece in my wardrobe for the rest of the season and throughout Spring so it is well worth the investment.

Missguided - £19.99

Okay, so this is crazy girly for me. I never wear short dresses really but I just LOVE paisley and I LOVE velvet. It is mine and my boyfriends birthday next month. On EXACTLY the same day!! Kinda crazy right? But we have decided that we want to go somewhere nice for tea so I wanted something that would be a little different to what I would normally wear and this has everything.

They currently don't have my size in right now, they only have size 14 and up so this is certainly one to keep my eye on!

Missguided - £30.00

I love this shirt dress and the way that they have styled it for this shoot. This dress could be styled a few different ways. I could either wear it with my doc martens or pair it with a nice pair of chunky loafers to keep it still a bit boyish but not as heavy as it would be with boots. This is a serious must for my wardrobe as it can be layered through the rest of the cold weather but taken right through to spring as a lighter casual dress for everyday.

House of Fraser - £179

Have you ever seen a nicer bag though?? I drool over this bag every time I walk past it at work. But at a steep £179 I think it might have to sit on that shelf just a little bit longer. I never really wanted to own a Biba bag. I aren't particularly a person that likes branded things but this bag is just THE BOMB. Everything about it is perfection; the bucket design, the patent croc texture, the colour. I just adore this bag. Please someone give me some pennies??

So what are your pay day picks?

Charlotte
Kiss.

Today's Outift. Casual.

I woke up this morning with the intention of going into town to take some returns back, but what a chore it was to get out of bed! I have the week off work so I am trying to get loads of stuff done that I keep meaning to get done but never get time to. For example, putting all my old clothes on eBay that are HIDEOUS or are to big for me.

I set my radio alarm to wake me up at some sort of respectable time and I honestly have to thank XFM for some tunes this morning otherwise I would have never seen the light of day. Can't beat music to start your day.

So with that in mind, I was in quite a grungy, oversized, throw something on sort of mood.

For Christmas my mum bought me a jacket which I have been after for soooo long. I just love the fur shearling coats that are around right now and I found this one where I work at House of Fraser.

It is really oversized and just so cosy. Its a perfect item to have when you aren't wanting to think to much about your outfit. Throw this on and you can't go far wrong. It is from Label Lab, a house brand of House of Fraser. Originally it was £110. I got it for £60 but it was then reduced to a ridiculous £30!!!

The jacket is an unusual colour... I'm going to go for brown maybe? And the fur inside is a grey, so I didn't want to start bringing any colour into it as it would just not look right. I think keep it simple, keep it black and the colours will all sit well together. The jumper I chose was a Zara jumper. Its sort of hard to describe what this jumper even is. Its an unusual cocoon cut style with a high neck but not as tight as a turtle neck would be. Its lovely! £20 from Zara!

My jeans are just old jeans from New Look but they really are my fave. I am desperate for more jeans but I just find it hard to find a pair that will make me as happy as these do. They are the perfect fit. Nice and slim with a perfect finish at my ankle. I really don't like jean that gather at the bottom. If I am wearing a skinny jean it has to be skinny the whole way.

The shoes I got last year from River Island in the sale for £10. I LOVE Alexa Chung, I am so inspired by her and her style and these were a must in my wardrobe! Loafers are just so effortless and look cool with anything that you put it with!

So this was my casual look for the day. Simple. and Colourless.

Charlotte
Kiss.

My current loves... Music.

I love music. Soooo much. It can make me happy, make me sad, make me crazy, make me calm. But it is just such a great thing to appreciate and there is always something for everyone and for every part or time in their life. I have always had quite a broad range of music that I love... even.. very shamefully... Taylor Swift... I mean..uumm? WHAT? But she writes a heck of a happy song! Il have to blame this one on my sisters constant repetition of albums blasting from her bedroom... But all jokes aside I want to talk about my favourites right now.

I have always been a little bit different to my friends when it comes to my music taste. Most liked 'chart music' but I dunno, there is just something a little over produced and repetitive about it all. Not that I have a problem with that, I just like the excitement of finding something new, or a little different. My boyfriends have always had the greatest impact on my music. I have never dated anyone that didn't have a massive love for music. My first boyfriend had the largest impact on what I  listened to. He made me love stuff like The Vines, The Rifles right up to stuff like Them Crooked Vultures and Eagles of Death Metal. it was sort of around that time that I really started to appreciate music and try to find some new stuff.

But now I am with my current boyfriend Danny who has a slightly different taste in music. I would say a little heavier than I normally like but I really love how we can talk about our differences yet still appreciate the same music. Our first year together we went to Leeds festival and it was just such a great time for us to share what we both love. I made him fall in love with The Hives and he made me fall in love with Royal Blood a little bit more.

So I am just going to go look at my most played playlist and talk a little bit about why I can't get enough of these artists right now.

1. Kasabian
With their new album out '43:13' out last year, I just cannot stop listening to it. I listened to the album when it first came out and just loved it. The pivotal point when I actually said the words 'Wow, I think these might actually be better than Arctic Monkeys' was when I saw their live set at Glastonbury. Unfortunately I wasn't there. I tried hard for my tickets but it wasn't to be. But Kasabian just get better and better. I have heard that their album after this is going to be a little more electronic like more of their earlier stuff. But I guess we will have to see.

I just know that this is the album of 2014 for me! No doubt about it.

2. The Kooks
Again, another album released in 2014 and another one I couldn't contain my excitement for. There has been a lot of mixed opinion on this album as they have changed their sound slightly, apparently being more influenced by R&B, but I actually do really love it. It still has that Kooks feeling of it that they had in 'Inside In, Inside Out' but they have tried to develop in a different direction. Its catchy and its fun. I like it.

3. Skaters
This is a relatively new band that I have gotten into to be honest. My boyfriend kept saying to me that I needed to listen to them and I was always like 'Nahhhhhh, just stick The Courteeners on for a bit' and just never really gave it a chance until a few weeks back now. And now I just can't believe that I didn't listen before! I am HOOKED!

4. Wolf Alice
Perfect chill out and a cool as fuck lead singer Ellie Rowsell. They have a perfect balance of a little grunge with 'Moaning Lisa Smile' to the chilled sound of 'Blush'. Just love them.

5. Catfish and the Bottlemen.
I cannot believe how big this band has become in the past year. It's as if they just came from nowhere and now there are everywhere. I recently saw these play Fruit in Hull and were absolutely amazing. It was so good to see what is a huge band now playing Brixton Academy in a small and intimate gig like we did.

I realise that most of these artists aren't exactly 'New' or 'Undiscovered' whatever you want to call it, but I aren't bothered about that. These are just the artists that I am enjoying right now, with many other artists.

Who is top of your playlist chart right now?

Charlotte
Kiss.