October Faves

 So, it's the return of autumn favourites. It's an annual revisit of heavy coats, denims and layering. Yay!!  These are without a doubt my top choices for this season. Stepping more towards autumnal shades with beauty,complimented with an oversized winter coat. River Island have a beautiful option which I have my eye on. Next payday it will be mine! Being a massive fan of black accessories is again reflected in footwear and my nail choice, the leather backpack is also amazing!! I've been debaiting a backpack for awhile as I question the safety issues but for fashion reasons I can't argue with how beautiful this one is. Full information on all items featured are below; 

Athleta shirt crop top

J.Crew j crew jeans

Mulberry leather strap backpack

Daniel Wellington white dial watch

Tai jewelry

Eye shimmer makeup

Lips makeup

Chanel fragrance

Nars cosmetic

Love C X 

& Other Stories

              

In a few weeks I am going to London for a few days and I have been doing a bit of research on different places that I want to visit while I'm there. I always try and visit as many different clothing stores as possible, particularly ones that are not around me usually. There has been lots of hype about & Other Stories recently largely due to their collaboration with H&M (another favorite of mine), so I have been glued to their website and I am hooked. Below are my must-haves which I am hoping to pick up while in London. 

               

Leather Trousers £245 

                

Square Frame Sunglasses £45

Brass Bangle Set £12 

Black leather trousers are  always a winner for me being both classic but trendy, and working with both a casual and smart style. Last year I bought a similar pair in River Island for 60 Euro but they have since began to loose their shape so it's that time to stock up on another pair and these could not fit the bill any more. 

              

Pocket Detail Jersey Dress £45 

               

Suede Platforms £69

I'm obsessed with anything grey at the minute, especially when it comes to knit wear and tops. I have scoured the internet for the perfect grey knit, that mix between wool and cotton that gives a soft, rich texture to the garment. I am still on the hunt. Once I saw this grey jersey dress on the website I instantly clicked into it, now I don't know yet if this is due to me being aware of the fact that I love grey or that I really love the dress but I'm sure we will find out when I finally try it on. Overall, my first impressions of &Other Stories is that the quality of the products looks amazing and the stock isn't too pricey where we can't afford! My next step is to go and buy these pieces and fall in love with the brand even more. If any of you have any advice on which &Other Stories shop is the best one to visit in the Central London area please let me know. 

                 

Double Compartment Handbag £145 

All about products are available from here. 

Love C X 

Jewel Citizen

I've been saying this for awhile now but I definitely want to start designing my own jewels. This is the perfect way of making the necklace, ring or bracelet that is exactly how you want or to accessorise an outfit that you have in mind. Over the past few months I have collected and researched various different techniques on how to make a range of pieces and today I am going to share one with you.

What I enjoy most when it comes to my personal jewellery is a statement, particularly with neck pieces. Bold colours, beads and gold is definitely a winner. Below is a guide on how to create this costume neck piece. The colour of beads that you choose to use is completely optional and I think I may venture for a deep purple tone when posting my own edition. 

The best place to gather supplies for crafting your own jewels is etsy. Here you will be able to buy your cable wire, pliers, beads, and chains, and all at very affordable prices. My favourite bead tone at the minute is seen below. 

As soon as I start making a few of my own bits in the new year I will make sure to share with you guys but for now I will share with you a few of my favourite jewel pics of the past few months. 

Love C X 

All I want for Christmas.......

So I've decided to put together a little list of gifts/gift ideas that could make good presents for sisters, girlfriends, friends, secret Santa and also things that I would love to receive, so it's a mix of both really. This is purely based on my personal taste but it may give you an idea of what to get someone if you are struggling to think of something.


1. Etsy Phone Cover 

Over the past few months I have discovered Etsy, which basically is an online platform for really creative people to sell pieces that they have made or designed such as jewellery, clothes, personalised blogger templates and phone covers, just to name a few (there's much more). But as someone who loves a good phone cover I always find that etsy.com by far have the most original designs and completely unique from anything that you will find in any Carphone Warehouse shop. Also they are priced higher than your average phone cover but this is because they are one of a kind hand made gifts, and still reasonable to justify paying the premium. Below are some of the phone covers that I love which can be found by clicking into the Etsy link above.

2. Fur Gillet

For the winter it is essential to wrap up because it seems to be getting colder each year. So fur is the obvious choice, yes? And now I am mad about the idea of a fur gillet and was absolutely delighted to find this amazing one in my local Promod, and I wasn't even aware of this shop until recently. When I buy from the high street I usually try and stick to a specific budget and this would normally be out of my budget so I'm really hoping that if I drop enough subtle hints that it may just appear under my tree on the 25th........

3. Free People 

This next idea is inspired by a website called freepeople.com, which is an online fashion boutique based in Australia. I love this place because every thing they sell is bohemian themed and if I could afford it I would literally buy the whole website, but I can't! So for the minute I have just hand picked my favourite bits.

Khaki Vest $13

Denim Waistcoat $170

Beige Denims $22

Tan Ankle boots $145

Black Soft Leather Satchel $465 

All can be purchased at freepeople.com

4. Instagram Gifts

Instagram is fast becoming one of the most popular platforms for social media addicts. Personalli I cant get enough of it (@cicijewels) and think that these personalised gifts centred around photos that have been posted by your friends are a really nice and thoughtful gift. The following are just a few ways that you can create a really special gift for someone.

 StitchGram
This site allows you to personalise gifts such as pillows, christmas stockings, bags and purses.

Printstagr

These guys can professioanl print your instagram pictures and put it together like a book/memoir so you can remember those special moments long after your post has been published. 

Postgram

So if you have at least 50 images on your instagram account these guys can create a stunning poster similar to the one below. 

5. MAC Eyeshadow Palette 


AS I've stated previously, during the winter months I prefer to go darker and edgier with eye make up (even during the day), so I am always on the look out for colours that  1) I haven't used before or 2) that I haven't used in awhile. Right now I am searching for deep purple tones with a glitter underlay. It is also a common fact that investing in eye shadow palettes is definitely the way to go because of the variety of colours, tones and endless experimenting.  MAC offer a great palette containing four base eye shadows (of your choice) for 40 Euro. This is amazing value and will definitely make nay girl happy.

6. Downton Abbey Season 4 

If any of you follow me on twitter (@cicijewels) you will already know that I am OBSESSED with this series. Last Christmas I got the boxset with series 1, 2 and 3, and spent the rest of the month gripped by Lady Mary, The Crawleys and the waiting staff. If you haven't seen any of it, invest! And if you have I would say pick up season 4 because it doesn't disappoint.

7. MAC Lipstick and Liner 




So instead of picking obvious colours for my next lipstick purchase I decided to be a little bit more adventurous and I am going with brown! Normally I would not even think twice about this but while sampling various shades at the MAC counter, I really surprised myself at how much I warmed to the earthy tones. I finally settled on a tone : Lusturing  Lipstick  and Film Noir Lip Liner to match. A great fresh look for the party season which will be sure to grab some attention!



So that's it! My list is short but sweet and if I could have it all I would be a very happy girl :) Wishful thinking........

Hope you found this interesting/helpful.

Love C X 

Sweet Velvetine

There is something about this time of year that always makes me want to wear velvet, particularly burgundy velvet. I always have this image in my head of a specific dress; skater skirt, sleeves to the elbow, scoop neck, very simple. But yet I have not found it anywhere. This time I am determined that I am going to find it! 

Velvet is also appearing more and more frequently in high street shops in the form of mostly crop tops and skater skirts. Personally I am not a big fan of crop tops, but the later I love and will definitely pick them up in black and burgundy. I'm picturing a lace top teamed with a dark rose lip to give an overall Gothic feel for the Christmas. 

The biggest shake up in the reviving trend is the breakthrough of velvet boots. These can be bought in virtually any fashion outlet at the minute. My favourite (Christmas wish list!) are from River Island for 65Euro, and will go with everything, therefore completely worth the money. Urban Outfitters is another brand which have lots of velvet options in at the minute. To mic things up a little I've been spotting this Navy Overall Skirt which although is way more than I would pay for a skirt at $110 (roughly 81Euro), I just think that there is something quite special about it and I haven't seen anything like it on the high street. Is it worth the money??

 One of the most influential style sources of our generation, Vogue, has suggested that those who are not entirely comfortable sporting a velvet outfit (sometimes it can be quite unflattering) could subtly embrace the look with the aid of a velvet fedora/jewellery/bag. It doesn't have to be an in your face statement. Vogue recommend investing in the "Rabbit Felt and Velvet Hat" by Maison Michel for $950, which is ridiculous! Pop down to H&M and pick up a brilliant replica for £12.99.

Back in September I wrote a post called Turkish Delight and I spoke about my love for a particular bohemian lifestyle that resembled Turkish and Moroccan markets.I also think this post has something similar to offer in that velvet co-ordinates this style effectively. If you need any more encouraging on the effects refer back to the previous post (link above). 

Love C X 

November Loves .....

Chiffon Blouse, H&M, 18 Euro

Levi Acid Ripped Denims, Etsy, 34 Euro

Kookie Black Heel Platform, SPY LOVE BUY, 31 Euro

Double Triangle Necklace, Accessory Foundry, 27 Euro

Eastern Delight Rings, ASOS.com, 20 Euro

Floppy Brim Fedora, Rag & Bone, 130 Euro

BlissfulCASE Galaxy Pink Cover, Boticca, 22 Euro

60's Collection Lennon Glasses, 80's Purple, 6.69 Euro 

Heart of Flames Nail Polish, Etsy, 6.69 Euro 

Love C X 

Turkish Delight

Warm sunsets, flee markets and a crisp sea breeze usually springs to mind when imaging/reminiscing the exotic plains of Turkey, but it is due to the cultural attributes that signifies its permanent presence in my style influence. Rich colours such as maroon, ruby, burnt oranges and Sapphire blues are all shades which have always suited my natural features well, this mostly springs from being a natural brunette and a fan of fake tan. These days, the high levels of Sally Hanson have calmed significantly and my hair tone close to white blonde, which results in experimenting with new colours. Yet, it seems that I am too accustomed to my genetic fashionista. Bold floral, grunge paisley and faux fur are all featured in my "wish lists" on ASOS, Missguided and Topshop, and when combined, portray the global traveller image which rests kindly with my fashion heart. Turkey continues to increase its popularity amongst tourists annually, and Istanbul in particular has recently been described as "the perfect mix of cosmopolitan chic and old charm", which reinforces (as if it needed to!) its influential stamp on todays trends. 

The Moroccan culture has evolved not only through the clothes that we wear, but lifestyle as a whole. Ow more than ever fast paced living menas that we crave "peace", "exotic" and "escapism" when it comes to home style,a nd the Turkish/Morocan vibe offers all of this. 

Love C X