The Editorial Edit #1

Ive always been very honest about using this blog as an expressive platform to voice my personal opinions of certain styles, trends, fashion collections, beauty products etc, I sometimes feel I cover a bit too much! I tend to be more specific in other projects but Factory F covers a vast range of beauty and fashion. In more recent times, perhaps a year, I have focused a lot of my time looking at campaigns from various different brands; how they work, what's the message, what's different, who cares about this campaign, who does it resonate with, how does it make them feel? Basically, dissecting marketing methods from afar. I've never done much with this information but simply just thought about it, but recently I thought It might make a nice additional feature to Factory F. 

You may be wondering what is the point of this, and to tell you the truth it's exactly like every other aspect of this blog, it's about sharing my opinions, thoughts and passions with you. It may also bring to light some brands that you may not be aware of or a new collection that you haven't yet seen. Naturally, I will share some actual real lIfe campaigns that I'm working on with my job but I won't dive straight into that. For this post I decided to talk about why I think editorials are such an important addition to brands, and personally I think a large factor is to visual resonate with people much more because it gives the  story of that brand or product. It's completely fair to say at this point that a press release also does that, but (and I say as someone who works in PR) does the image featured above not tell you more about message of that editorial and clothing rather than a paragraphs explaining where the clothes come from and what they should represent? 

 A lot of the images that I will share with you in this additional feature will come from publications as it will be these title editorials and featured advertising that I will be taking about. As a side note to this story, I recently. Started to download my favourites monthlys instead of popping down to the shop to buy them. Why did I start this I can hear you ask? Well, one of my personal highlights to read every month is Company magazine which has now transformed to a completely digital magazine. At first I was a bit unsure if how I felt about that because I love reading a physical copy in front of me but I've been readjusting. Actually that's putting it mild, I've been completely transformed into digital editions; Vogue, Elle, Company, Red, Marie Claire.... The list goes on but they all now get the download on my ipad each month. One major reason for my change of heart is down to the technical features! A major role within my job in social media and when I saw how interactive and social friendly these apps are made me realise that I'm actually not really on top of this digital age after all. Inspiration has  been restored! 

                                         I can't wait to share the first in this new series very soon. 

                                                                               Love C X 

So, Factory F moves to London

I'm home! The past few months have been nothing short of manic, from work to settling in London and just enjoying life in a new city, I haven't really stopped. I've decided to take a few weeks to just chill out and relax, definitely well needed. Although the theme of this blog is primarily fashion and beauty, this post is slightly different. This is going to be more of an update on what I've been up to and I have to say, some of it has been really exciting!

Firstly, as I mentioned in a previous post I started working for two hair care brands at the beginning of the year; Goldwell & KMS California. This has been a really exciting and so far my role as PR & Comms  has been great. Working for such an established brand has allowed me to work on some really creative and large scale events; London Fashion Week being massive highlight for me.

Our brand sponsored the Bora Aksu show on day one at Somerset House. As this was my first time as LFW, I wasn't too sure what to expect but working backstage was definitively a privileged insight into understand the one of fashions most prestigious events. Meeting press, bloggers and stylists which I have admired from afar for years was overwhelming in the best way. Along with working backstage, sitting in the second row of one of the most talked about shows at this years fashion week topped this exceptional experience. The hair for the Bora Aksu show was styled by Sam Burnett, KMS California Ambassador. Read all bout the show and how to get the look here. 

So besides work London has been an adventure. After 7 months of living here I'm happy to be getting back into the swing of Factory F and returning to something that I love. I'm really excited to start sharing what life has been like over here; from fashion to food to art and back to fashion again. I suppose this has been a natural progression for this blog as interests have broadened since this blog first began a year ago. Fashion will remain my main focus but elements of lifestyle will drip feed through from time to time. Overall I feel this will be a positive change for me and for the future of Factory F.

Looking forward to sharing more exciting news with you

Love C X 

Bomber Reboot

 

So we've had an influx of the 90's revival over the past year! From joggers, to scrunchies and back to high waisted denims. And thankfully, it seems that it's not going anywhere soon. I was very sceptical to believe that this trend would become as big as it has, thankfully I was wrong! The multitude of colours and prints that are available were definitely a bargaining factor for me when I was debating weather I should buy one of not, I obviously gave in and bought a floral option from Primark. I tend to try out something with a Primark version before I commit to the cost of a better quality option. 

Street style is a massive inspiration personally, and teaming bombers with basics is a look that I'm loving!! Bringing back the summer classic of maxi skirts and simple tanks, as well as going crazy with accessories is what I love.I recently took some street style images (as part of my job) and came across one girl called Rachel who literally just pinned this look perfectly. Just a simple black dress and silk vintage pattern bomber. Very similar to the image above actually.

  Black is obviously a colour that goes with everything, I mean try name one thing that it doesn't go with... Okay, navy! But still, I think sometimes black and navy work. So basically, it goes with everything, but the point I'm trying to make is that is that it particularly works with the vintage bomber. 

Below are current options available at Primark which I love, just incase you want to take a leaf out of my book and try the cheaper options before commiting to the higher priced options. Also, they are both just beautiful designed and at 15 pounds! #Bargain 

I have the floral option but getting the black one next :) 

Love C X 

Street Style #2: Denim

So for the second installment of this street style segment, I have decided to focus my attention to some denim love. Ripped denim has taken over my fashion vision, it's all I want. I have spotted some amazing black pairs in Zara but I am consistently on the lookout for a great pair. Have you bought any lately?? Where have you spotted the best jeans??

Here are my favourite street style snaps from this week.

Love C X 

Street Style #1

So when it comes to fashion inspiration I always find myself most innovated by street style. When I'm on social media it tends to be all I look up. So to put all my hours spent doing this to use I decided to feature some of my favorites with you guys. Every week I will share five of the best street style snaps that I have come across. Lately I've been loving laid back, casual styling and this is very much reflected in the images below. As part of my new job I will be sourcing amazing street styles throughout London and may feature some on this blog so keep an eye out. Hope you enjoy this weeks looks.   

Love C X 

These are a few of my favorite things , 2013

 


To sum up 2013 in a few words can be tough but I only need one; change. Finishing college, finding a new job, making some big decisions regarding travelling, friends and a career, its been stressful but now has led to a very confident and positive  mind set for 2014. This is not something that I tend to do, look back on the year and highlight my favorite moments, styles or purchases but for the purpose of this blog I am giving it a go (this blog has been the biggest highlight of 2013 personally). So here we go....

Feeling the free love: Kimono's 

Discovering your own style is something that can absolutely take years, particularly to perfect. In my time I have tried to experiment with as many styles, looks, prints etc, as I could to determine what I am most comfortable in and find out what I REALLY wanted to wear. As a women, clothes are such a personal aspect of your personality and this has taken me a really long time to completely understand. Thankfully, I unveiled certain aspects of this in 2013. Boho is an area that completely grabbed my fashion attention this year and really felt myself when dressed in this style. Investing in good clothes is something I took seriously also and I bought a few kimonos that will 100% see me right through to 2015. Paired with skinny jeans, ankle platform shoes and a fedora and I'm sold. 

She's The Man: Masculine Tailoring 

Back in September I sat down one day to write up a post and blank, nothing came to mind. So I left it for a few hours and revisited the topic later in the day. I've always wanted to write about styles and trends that I love and want to wear but for some reason, just could not reflect it on that day. So like always when I am looking for inspiration for anything, I turn to Pinterest! My style board is my pride and joy, so while browsing this folder I realized the pure beauty of clean cut tailoring. This has reflected in my work so much but I had never realized. So the topic for the post was born but little did I know that this not only became a style focus for me personally from that day on but it also was Factory F's most popular post of 2013. This is also one of my favorites from the bunch, just in case you missed it Girl Meets Boy.

Bring the Bitching: The Face 

Every so often a TV show comes along that grabs my attention, all of it. 2013 was no different but this time it was in the form of Naomi Campbell s bitchy back slaps, wanting to be Erin O' Connors best friend and having my fingers crossed that Caroline Winbergs team loose, yes that's right, it was The Face. Every Monday evening I was hooked and just couldn't bring myself to miss it. The platform is a mix between The X Factor meets Americas Next Top Model. The American series (which will also feature Naomi Campbell) airs in January so if you haven't had a chance to see any of it here's your chance. 

Music to my Ears: Spotify 

Starting life as a grown up means that I had to take that leap and find full time work, sad face! But this has meant that I can now afford to pay for Spotify Premium now, happy face! Finding new music has really never been so easy and as I write this I am listening to Dry The River, a brilliant band that I discovered on the website. It has been a great year for music but a handful of albums had me playing them on repeat over the past few months.

Lorde: Pure Heroine
The 1975: The 1975
MS MR: Secondhand Rapture
Chvrches: The Bones of What You Believe
Artic Monkeys: AM
 James Arthur: James Arthur
Grimes: Visions
Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
Hozier: Take me to Church

All amazing albums which I highly recommend anyone to get their hands on. A little old school with Fleetwood Mac but one of the highlights of my year was going to see them in Paris in October and the love rekindled. I'm hoping 2014 brings another year of great music and live gigs, so far I have tickets for The 1975 in February and One Direction in May (Well I have eyes)!  My sights are set on Hozier having a massive year and I cannot wait for his debut album. 

Discovery is an art: Factory F & Your Style Forecast 

This year I took a massive step in achieving personal ambitions and started this blog. I am

fully aware of how cheesy that sounds but it's true. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to write and work in fashion, and if this year has proved anything for me is that it is up to me to make that happen. After about a month of writing I was asked to start contributing to Your Style Forecast, which has been going brilliantly. While saving to move away this has allowed me to gain more experience in a field where I wish to work, it's perfect. To be paid for doing this is the dream! At first it can be really hard to tell people what you are doing and why you want to do it (it took me ages to tell people) but once I did they were all very supportive and encouraging, which definitely helps your confidence going forward. One of my biggest resolutions/hopes for 2014 is to give Factory F and Your Style Forecast 110%. Hopefully others will enjoy this blog as much as I enjoy writing it.

Read my lips: MAC Media & Clinique "Stay Matte" 

Finding make up that suits your skin tone and style can be a challenge but it can also be lots of fun; experimenting with colours, products, layout, it's all in the name of beauty. There are a few beauty discoveries I made in 2013; Clinique "Stay Matte" in my best foundation friend and an oxblood lip is much more appealing than the classic red. The later statement is not so much of a discovery than a re-defined statement but once the perfect shade is found than it is a whole different ball game altogether. MAC Media to sum up in a shade is gothic deep purple with a hint of burgundy. Surprising, it goes with everything as well! Therefore it is an investment, no? Well, I tried. But I have been converted and I now see the light. My personal beauty discover has been that the red lip doesn't appeal/suit me the way it does others and I am not bitter about this at all because I honestly believe that I am on to something good here. Here's to experimenting with more oxblood shades in 2014!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Love C X 

You May Say I'm a Dreamer

These days I love re-pinning "wise words" with an underlying message to  be yourself and follow your dreams and I now seem to have quiet a collection on my Pinterest board. For this post I thought it would be different for me to share a few of my favourite with you. These images will include "free" photography images featuring beaches, forests and minimal shots, all of which I love. This is not a post I would usually cover but I it is nice to change things up every now and then. 

I tend to get most of the images that I love from the  Free People blog, which I briefly spoke about in my last post The Rise of Blogging. Last week I gave the blog a slight makeover (different theme and imagery) and decided to start including art and photography that inspires me, so this may be the start of similar posts like this.

I'm guessing that is is an obvious statement to say that I love black and white images, and I'm always on the look out for new amazing photography. If you have any that you want to share with me please do by either posting the link below/ tweeting me using the sidebar option (or @cicijewels) or by visiting my Facebook page CiCi Jewels.

Let me know if you guys like this.......

Love C X 

The Rise of Blogging.....

Factory F has now been a fashion/beauty blog for almost five months now but the concept had been in place for (roughly) a year before ever publishing. Blogging is something that I always wanted to dabble with due to the fact that I am obsessive when it comes to style, particularly street style platforms ie LookBook, Polyvore and Pinterest images. High end fashion is so beautiful and amazing but I am very realistic with my budget and this is honestly beyond my financial means. So my fashion focus has always been geared towards styling, so much so that I can be instantly interested in someone based on their outfit. I just want to know where they buy ALL their clothes! When I started this blog I wasn't really sure what direction I was going to take it or what topics I would even cover to begin with, I just knew that I wanted to portray my personal tastes. The reason that I am writing this post is mainly to highlight how blogging has evolved so much more than just a hobby for people and can now be seen as "a career" for successful blogs (the dream for all aspiring bloggers).

Recently I graduated and now in a position where I am "looking for a grown up job!", which is much harder than anyone prepares you for. Trying to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life is daunting and very over0whelimg, but I am slowly figuring it out. The one aspect of my life that I have decided on is that writing will definitely be a major factor, be it for a living or just writing  this blog in my social hours.

So like I said, the idea of blogging had been on my mind for quiet some time before I ever signed up to blogger, but when I started to read other fashion focused blogs (hate sounding cheesy but.....) they really inspired me. There are four blogs in particular that I found myself glued to......

• Mojo Made 
• Thunder and Threads 
• Intrigued and Infatuated 
• Free People 

If you haven't looked at these blogs, I highly recommend them. Each one is very unique and different from the last but each post is a great read. Starting Factory F with CiCi Jewels is by far the highlight of this year for me and if anyone is remotely interested in starting a blog  my advice would be to just do it. 

Love C X 

Ooh Girl, Love your Style: Nicole Richie

Love love love this girl so much that I just had to dedicate something on this blog to her. I seem to have a wide variety of different style crushes from celebs to girls who I hang out with so I've come up with a little idea to every now and then post a little piece on how I much I appreciate their particular style, so i had to start with Nicole Richie. She has come such a long way from The Simple Life with Paris Hilton when pink tracksuits were the daily attire. Over the years she has become a mother, got married, gained a sense of style and ditched Paris, all of which have created wonders for her. I am a little obsessed with any BoHo look, but she seems to always look great. effortlessly beautiful. 

The other day when I was looking for images, quotes etc of Nicole Richie, I ended up on this website starstyle.com. At first I honestly didn't know what I was actually looking at due to the cluttered layout of the site, but when you look past this aspect it is actually a great website to guide you where to buy certain aspects to re-create various looks and styles from the fashion icons. Her style is described as "laid back bohemian" and is very much reflected in her fashion boutique House of Harlow 1960. My favourite part of this brand has to be the jewellery collection. With gold and aztec as the fore fronting theme for the collection, it has Ms Richies signature style all over it. 

"Fashion give you the ability to express yourself, your mood; it's a creative outlet in many ways."

"I've always loved the possibility of being able to transform yourself through the way of dress". 

Nicole Richie 

Love C X