Lauren Loves... Vivienne Westwood!

So, each Sunday I will be posting about one of my favourite things (hence 'Lauren Loves!'); whether it be a certain designer, shop, fashion trend or fashion icon.

Today is the turn of fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood. I have always been a massive fan of Vivienne's and I'm forever browsing through her latest collections. Note i'm forever 'browsing' and sadly not forever buying!

Anyway, I thought I would share my latest wishlist with you all! It's my birthday soon... hint hint!



Classic Orb Bag - £665
Melissa Skyscraper Heels - £128
Orb Locket - £190
Orb Poison Ring - £160
Naughty Alice perfume - £35-60
Leather Heart Gloves - £175
Anglomania Ankle Boots - £90

I absolutely love the burgundy Classic Orb 'Doctors' style bag. It is produced in a decadent faux crocodile skin, finished with the signature gold Westwood Orb on the front. There are even Orb engraved studs on the base of the bag and handles! It is priced at £665, but it is definitely an investment piece!

The classic black heels would fit in anyone's wardrobe perfectly! They can be worn with absolutely anything. A classic platform court covered in faux suede for a luxurious look. The Westwood orb appears on the gold tag near the heel.

Next is the Orb Locket and Orb Poison Ring. They both open to reveal a hidden compartment, which I love the idea of. The locket is Sterling Silver and is decorated with Swarovski crystals. Inside is a heart shaped inscription in French, “+ qu'hier - que demain“ meaning: (I love you) more than yesterday less than tomorrow (which is so cute!) The ring is also made from Sterling Silver and Swarovski crystals.

My favourite perfume at the moment is Naughty Alice. This is how the perfume is described on the Vivienne Westwood website: 'Naughty Alice is a sensual and audacious new fragrance inspired by Vivienne Westwood's playful and highly creative imaginary universe. Sexy, musky yet comforting, Naughty Alice enlivens the senses and is the perfect example of modern femininity. The fragrance transports you to a sensual dream world where everything is possible and your adventurous curiosity can be unleashed. This chic feminine and provocative new floriental perfume leaves you with a naughty twinkle in the eye. At the very heart of Naughty Alice's perfume is a luminous floriental which dazzles the senses. The modern powdery elegance of black rose and carnal violet is sublimated by the warm sensuality of the ylang-ylang.' Personally, I just like the smell and have not yet been transported to that 'dream world' however I shall live in hope! The perfume is available in three sizes (30ml, 50ml, 75ml) and with each bottle you recieve a lovely charm bracelet.

The soft black leather Heart Gloves are brand new, taken from the AW11 Womenswear collection. The gloves fasten at the wrist with a gold press stud engraved with the Orb. I've wanted some leather gloves for a while but I always find them a bit boring; these are definitely more girly.

Finally, the little black ankle boots that I have wanted for absolutely ages but didn't see any point in buying until Autumn. I will eventually get my hands on them soon; they're perfect for rainy days but a lot more of a statement piece than ordinary wellies. On the website it mentions them being 'bubblegum scented'?!?!?!

And now, I decided to pick out some pieces from the mens collection. None of my posts so far have included anything men would even slightly be interested in really, so here we go...



Two Button Classic Suit - £600
Skull and Orb Black Tie - £70
Montana Snow Jacket - £165
Metropolitan Bag - £525

If you fancy a splurge on a suit, then this is the one for you. A timeless must have from the Autumn/Winter 2011-12 Mens Collection. The tailored, slim cut wool suit is finished with skull and crossbone lining and brown Orb engraved buttons.

To match your suit you may like the slimline Skull and Orb tie, also from the AW11 collection.

The jacket is a popular style featured in many different branded collections this year. This particular one if from a collaboration between Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and Lee Jeans. The quilted piece features an embroidered Orb on the chest and Orb engraved button.

The soft tan leather bag is ideal for travelling in style. A very reasonable size, again featuring an engraved Orb logo.


There were lots of other items I was going to share with you from http://www.viviennewestwood.com/ and http://www.hervia.com/ however I didn't want to bore you too much!

So, any of you own any Westwood items? More importantly, do any of you own the ankle boots? Do they REALLY smell like Bubblegum?! Let me know what you think!

A Right Royal Do!

So today was the day for our second Royal Wedding of the year! The Queen's granddaughter, Zara Phillips and rugby star Mike Tindall finally tied the knot! I do love my Royals so I was very excited about today's event; especially the outfits to come out of it!



(Left) Princess Beatrice (Right) Princess Eugenie

Princess Beatrice & Princess Eugenie both wore outfits from designer, Angela Kelly. Beatrice opted for a bright blue suit whilst Eugenie stayed neutral in brown and cream.


(Left) Prince Edward & Sophie, Countess of Wessex (Right) Autumn Phillips

Sophie wore a taupe tailored outfit by Bruce Oldfield and a matching hat by Jane Taylor, whilst Autumn also wore a similar tailored two-piece.

(Left) The Queen (Middle) Prince Charles & Duchess of Cornwall (Right) Princess Anne

The Queen represented the joyous event in a bright apricot outfit, from designer Stewart Parvin (who also designed Zara's dress!) She matched it with a straw hat by Rachel Trevor Morgan. Camilla wore an ivory coat dress along with a floral head piece, and the bride's mother, Princess Anne was colourful in a red pleated skirt and a floral jacket.

(Left) The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge (Right) Linda Tindall

Kate Middleton chose a cream coat dress (which she has reportedly worn before at the wedding of Laura Parker Bowles and Harry Lopes in 2006). I was actually a little disappointed with Kate's hat, which almost resembles a satellite dish... but anyway! The groom's mother, Linda wore a simple but elegant dress with a lilac jacket.



There were even some recognisable stars in attendance at the wedding. Una Healy joined rugby boyfriend Ben Foden and Katherine Kelly came to see her school friend, Mike Tindall become a married man. Television presenter Kirsty Gallagher also joined the celebrations.


(Left) Una Healy (Middle) Kirsty Gallagher (Right) Katherine Kelly



But, of course the most exciting thing of all was Zara's dress; designed by Stewart Parvin, paired with Jimmy Choo heels and flowers by florist Paul Thomas. Her Greek key tiara was lent to her by her mother, Princess Anne.


Zara Phillips arriving at Canongate Kirk

Zara's maid of honour and best friend, Dolly Maude wore a dove-grey, duchess satin cocktail dress, also by Stewart Parvin. The dress was made to echo the silhouette created by Zara's gown. She wore Emmy shoes and Emmy hair decoration. The bridesmaids, Zara's half-sister Stephanie Phillips, Dolly Maude's daughter Nell, Jaz Jocelyn (the daughter of a family friend) and Hope Balshaw (daughter of the best man, Iain), wore dresses by local dressmaker, Sue Palmer. Zara also had one page boy: her godson, and Dolly Maude's son, Ted, who was in traditional Balmoral tartan.

... And here are the happy couple as they emerged from the ceremony!

And the official wedding photograph...

Aaah, what a lovely wedding! Let's all wish Zara & Mike a very happy future together!

(I do not own any of the photograph's above. All photos were taken from http://www.hellomagazine.com and http://www.dailymail.co.uk)

Lend A Helping Hand

So today I am completely lacking fashion inspiration, mainly because I am in a foul mood due to having my hair cut. One of the things I hate the most is a trip to the hairdressers, which is stupid right? Because you're meant to come out feeling and looking a lot better? Well this is never the case for me, and especially not today! They never do what I ask, always cut my hair a lot shorter than I want and make it super flat.

ANYWAY, I sat down for a few minutes and thought about it and realised how stupid I was for being so miserable just because of my hair! There's so much else going on in the world and so many people that have much bigger worries, A LOT bigger worries than me.

So anyway, I asked what people would like me to blog about today. One of the suggestions was Aston Villa, which isn't really one of my strong points I have to admit! I then recieved a tweet from food writer, author and founder of the 'Precious Hearts Foundation', Sally Bee, suggesting I wrote something about 'The Survivor Birds.' The Survivor Birds being Sally Bee herself, her friend Anna Westwood and 38 other women, who together have proved that life is for living and are encouraging other women to do the same and raise crucial funds for charity. They all gave their time, voices and inspiration to raise money for three charities: Breast Cancer Care, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust and Star Support for Domestic Violence, by recording a single of the Helen Reddy song, I am Woman.

The video above says it all, these women are inspirational and the charities they are supporting totally deserve support. For more information on the charities visit Sally Bee's website, where you can also purchase the CD, 'Sisters Roar' for £2.99. You can also purchase it through iTunes. All profits go to the charities.

(Information taken from http://www.sally-bee.com/)

This blog post is going to become a real charity post now, as I have two other charities to share with you.

Birmingham Children’s Hospital has one of the busiest Children’s Heart Centres in the UK. Over the past few years the demand for their cardiac services has increased due to their excellent reputation and life transforming stories, such as Alison Hammond's niece. However, because of the demand they need to replace their existing facilities with new ones and add a second cardiac theatre, which will be the first of its kind at a UK children’s hospital. They will be able to perform surgical procedures and keyhole techniques simultaneously, and reduce the number of operations that children may need - generally making children's experiences at the hospital much better.

Please watch the following video: http://www.bch.org.uk/

Donating to 'The Children's Heart Appeal' couldn't be any easier. You can do this via Text, by texting 'HOSP33' followed by a space and then £3, to 70070. Also by post: By sending a cheque or a CAF voucher with a donation form. Find more information here.

(Information taken from http://www.bch.org.uk/)

The final charity I am sharing with you today is The Parkinson's Society. This is due to the fact that my grandad has the condition and has been suffering with it for as long as I can remember. For anyone that doesn't know what Parkinson's is, it is a progressive neurological condition. One person in every 500 has Parkinson's. That's about 120,000 people in the UK. Most people who get Parkinson's are aged 50 or over but younger people can get it too. One in 20 is under the age of 40, which was my grandad's case.
People with Parkinson's don't have enough of a chemical called dopamine because some nerve cells in their brain have died. Without dopamine people can find that their movements become slower so it takes longer to do things. The loss of nerve cells in the brain causes the symptoms of Parkinson's to appear. There's currently no cure for Parkinson's and no one knows why people get the condition. Parkinson's doesn't directly cause people to die, but symptoms do get worse over time.

This is why the society still needs support to continue research and help improve lives.

You can donate to the society on their Virgin Money Giving Page or by post or even by phone, on 020 7932 1303

And that is it, all I wanted to say. Please help these charities if you can - any donation is gratefully recieved and can help in such a big way. I know this isn't a 'fashion post' but there are much more important things to write about sometimes. I hope you will all read this and share it with other people.

Thank you,

... Topshop Summer Capsule Wardrobe!

So, after the success of yesterday's post, I was asked to do some more capsule wardrobe type posts. For those with a slightly larger budget, I decided to look at Topshop, however to be honest I think the majority of their stuff for sale now is for Autumn BUT that didn't stop me coming up with something. I was really angry that I couldn't find a certain bag I wanted though...!


Lemon Strappy Crop Cami - £24
Electric Blue Tile Print Shorts - £32
White Knot Front Vest - £10
Moto Blue Scallop Hem Shorts - £30
Cream Embroidered Bandeau - SALE £15
Cream Garden Floral Print Strappy Maxi Dress - £48
Hammock Yellow Jelly Sandals - £10
Hammock Orange Jelly Sandals - £10
Panama Premium Mid Espadrilles - £70
Lime Drop Lense Oversize Sunglasses by Squint Topshop - £22
Knot Detail Large Sunglasses - £16
Tan Moroccan Leather Duffle Bag - £45
Blue Straw Stripe Floppy Hat - £25
Cream Flower Crochet Insert Sundress - £34
Berry Floral Jersey Ruffle Bandeau Playsuit - £26
Multi Fluorescent Stripe Bandeau Bikini - £26
Polka Dot One Piece Swimsuit - SALE £10

There you go! Another simple solution to holiday wardrobe problems!

H&M Summer Capsule Wardrobe!

It's that time of year where many people are getting ready to jet off on their summer holiday's - rushing to find last minute bits, discovering you don't have much to wear apart from the thousands of pretty bikini's you've been buying, worrying that you won't fit everything into your suitcase; to then come home and discover you didn't wear half of it - we've all done it!

This is why I love the idea of creating a capsule wardrobe; a small selection of items that can be mixed and matched to create different looks each day. I then thought to myself how much easier it would be if you could buy your capsule wardrobe all from one store, saving time AND money!

So, my first stop was H&M, they have a brilliant sale on at the moment and if you look carefully you can create a brilliant selection of items. This is what I came up with from their website (below), however, as long as it mixes and matches, you can choose anything you like! (All the items below are in the sale by the way)



White Vest Top - £2.49
Black and White Patterned Shorts - £4.99
Orange and Pink Stripe Top - £5.99
High Waisted Denim Shorts - £7.49
Black and White Patterned Maxi Dress - £9.99
Tiger Print Jumpsuit - £7.49
Tan Sandals - £12.99
White Swedish Hasbeens - £24.99
Black Sunglasses - £2.49
Tortoise Shell Sunglasses - £1.99
Straw Bag - £19.99
White Playsuit - £7.99
Flower Print Dress - £6.49
Leopard Print Bikini Top - £4.99
Leopard Print Bikini Bottoms - £2.99
Mint Green Bikini Top - £3.99
Mint Green High-Waisted Bikini Shorts - £3.99

(... and breathe!)

 So there you have it, my H&M Summer Capsule wardrobe! To all of those off on holiday abroad, have a fantastic time... for me, Wales it is!

Anyone can look like a Princess...(Or her sister!)

I have just been sent an email asking if I could do a post on Kate Middleton's style, so I have spent a couple of hours trying to track down some of her signature pieces which has proven very difficult as, as expected everything is sold out! However, there were a few items I managed to find available...

Kate wore the Reiss 'Peacock' dress for a day at the Epsom races. She wore the dress in white, however the dress is now only available in red, BUT it is in the sale!

Reiss 'Peacock' dress (Red) - SALE £89 (Was £195)
Available here

 On tour in Canada, Kate was seen wearing the outfit below. Unfortunately Kate's crochet top was from the pre-fall 2007 collection at Whistles, as was the skirt. However, I've managed to find an identical skirt! Oh, and her shoes are reportedly from Barratts! YES, BARRATTS!



French Connection 'Tabby Knits' skirt - SALE £25 (Was £67)
Available here

Barratts 'Belle and Mimi' Pointed Court Shoe - SALE £28 (Was £40)
Available here

 Then there's Kate's Reiss 'Shola' dress that sold out as soon as she was seen wearing it, but I have found a more purse-friendly dress which was designed as a replica!

Priscilla Panel and Pleat 'Kate' shift dress - £24.99
Available here

Whilst looking for the items above, I came across some photos of Pippa Middleton and found these items:

The bag that is used so much by Pippa that it has now been named after her!

Modalu Pippa Leather Grab Bag - £170
Available here

Below is another bag seen on Pippa's arm, out and about; although they bags look different they are infact the same, Pippa is showing the back of hers.

Ri2k Walcott Leather Tote bag - £175
Available here

Steal Pippa's summery style...

Whistles Alex Denim Skater dress - £95
Available here

Get Pippa's look with these bargain buys:

Oasis White Banded Crochet Knitted dress - SALE £15 (Was £25)
Available here

H&M Denim Jacket - SALE £14.95 (Was £29.99)
Available here

So there you have it... how to have true Princess (and sister!) style!

Designer Must-Haves for Less!

Today, I thought I would share some amazing websites with everyone! Many of you may have already heard of these discounted designer dealers, but for those of you that haven't...


1.     Fashion Bloodhound - http://www.fashionbloodhound.com/

What is it? Fashion Bloodhound is a designer fashion resale site which features brand new items and also pre-loved items for sale from the public.

Tell me more: Visit the 'Selling' page of the website to input your desired items for resale; Fashion Bloodhound will review your items and discuss an estimated selling price; You will then send your item(s) to them to be listed on the site. They keep you updated on your items and when they sell they will deduct their commission fee and you will recieve your money. (20+ items - 30% comission per item, Under 20 items - 40%).

Brands: Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Gucci, Hermes, Prada, YSL - Basically any designer brand you could think of!

My Top Picks:

Chloe Edith Bag (Whisky) - £365 (RRP £700)
Matthew Williamson Abstract Maxi Dress Pink - £320
YSL Arty Brass Cuff Gold - £135 (RRP £200)
Prada Cork Wedge (White) - £195

2.     Brand Alley - http://www.brandalley.co.uk/

What is it? An upmarket fashion site, specialising in designer lifestyle.

Tell me more: Every day they have different sales from various top designer brands, with up to 70% off! They have a wide selection of items for men, women and children, plus the top beauty and homeware brands.

Brands: Everything from Celine, Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino and Vivienne Westwood, to Lipsy, Ray Ban and Emma Bridgewater!

My Top Picks:


Dolce & Gabbana Black Mock Croc Patent weekend bag - £647 (RRP £1785)
Lipsy Multi-Bedazzled floorlength dress - £39 (RRP £135)
Vivienne Westwood Boudoir Body Lotion - £6.50 (RRP £22)
Ray Ban winged rectangular sunglasses - £80 (RRP £120)


3.     The Outnet - http://www.theoutnet.com/

What is it? The most fashionable fashion outlet devoted to selling discounted designer womenswear and accessories.

Tell me more: The Outnet is brought to you by the team behind the award-winning designer fashion website NET-A-PORTER.COM.

Brands: Matthew Williamson, Alexander McQueen, Miu Miu, Temperley, Issa - Again, every brand you could imagine!

My Top Picks:

Matthew Williamson Ball-Embellished leather jacket - £598 (RRP £1495)
Alexander McQueen Mischief Textured leather bag - £472.50 (RRP £1050)
Miu Miu Jewelled Whipsnake gladiator sandals - £279 (RRP £620)
Matthew Williamson Paisley-Print Silk maxi dress - £409.50 (RRP £1170)

Don't know what it is with Matthew Williamson today!


4.     Cocosa - https://www.cocosa.com/

What is it? An invitation-only fashion site offering members exclusive access to private sales.

Tell me more: Each sale event runs for a limited time only so you have to be quick to grab the deals.

Brands: Victoria Beckham, Firetrap, Alice by Temperley, Vivienne Westwood, Antik Batik

My Top Picks:

Alice by Temperley Tiger jumpsuit - £59 (RRP £240)
Victoria Beckham Skinny with outseam zips - £75 (RRP £210)

 I know a lot of the items I have picked out are out of some people's price range, but you have to admit that the reductions are brilliant; and there are lots of other items that are much more affordable - have a look at the sites and tell me what you think!

Touch of Magic!

Okay, so here comes my first 'review'; Barry M's Touch of Magic Lip Paint, otherwise known as TMLP.

Why I have only recently discovered this I don't know, but I have been trying to track one of these down for a few weeks now, proving them to be a rarity!

Basically, it is a lipstick that looks rather unattractive at first glance due to it being GREEN! However, this clever little thing actually changes to a pinky colour depending on the alkali level of your lips.

It also claims to be a waterproof formula with added Aloe Vera, that stays on for up to 8 hours. I found that although at first my lips felt very soft and moisturised, after about an hour they were feeling quite dry, however the colour stayed put for the full 8 hours and stayed on so well it was a mega hassle to remove! The lip paint also gives quite a glossy finish and therefore doesn't look like an ordinary lipstick.

Sorry for the dodgy photo!

Although TMLP does turn a nice pinky colour on your hand (and in my case on my lips too), obviously when other people apply it, it could be a completely different shade of pink because the alkali levels are not the same. On some people it may come out quite neutral and therefore it could make a good base for a lipgloss. 

Overall I would recommend the product if, like me, you like little novelty items or if you are after a vartiety of shades of pink lipstick, as this will turn a slightly different colour each time you apply!

TMLP is £4.49 and available from Boots, Superdrug or the Barry M website.

Amy Winehouse: 1983 - 2011

So i'm sure most people have heard the tragic news of Amy Winehouse's death earlier today. Although I wasn't her biggest fan there is no mistaking that she was an extraordinary talent who's ambitions cannot now be totally fulfilled. She broke many musical records and won a vast amount of well deserved awards showing her to be one of the most successful british female singers of all time.

It saddens me that there are many people today that think she deserved this, however not many people realise the true effects of drugs. It is just a shame she could never find the happiness to match her talent.

R.I.P Amy Winehouse

xxx

Star Style Steal: Festival Fashion

So, although lots of festivals have already passed and the weather is turning dark and gloomy, there are still many festivals to come such as Leeds, Reading and V Festival.

Jameela Jamil was recently photographed at Lovebox wearing a lovely polka dot tea dress, looking very summery. I absolutely love this outfit, so, if the weather does brighten up again (fingers crossed!), here's how you could steal her style!

Dress: Lipsy £48
Bag: Urban Outfitters SALE: £18
Belt: New Look £4.99
Hat: New Look £9.99
Sunglasses: H&M SALE £1.99
Earrings: Urban Outfitters £12

 I hope you all like the items I put together. I was thinking of making this a regular feature, 'Star Style Steal.' So, if there are any celeb outfits you like at the moment send me a photo to lifeofafashionista@hotmail.co.uk and I'll see what I can put together! 

Fixant Brilliant

Right, so this is my first proper post on my brand new blog and I have chosen to talk about something that may be considered ridiculously boring, however after using Bourjois' Ultra Shine Top Coat for nails quite a few times now I am extremely impressed.

Seriously, I'm mega fussy with nail polish - it's always either too thick, too thin, too gloopy or it is prone to chipping. I swear this top coat has solved half of my nail related traumas. Firstly it's mega shiny and keeps its shine for ages; secondly it really IS chip resistant - on several occasions my ordinary nail polish that I have used in the past with other top coats that has lasted a few days, has been lasting up to two weeks without any chips at all! Plus, it's extremely hard to even remove the polish with nail polish remover! Honestly, it doesn't budge at all! It's only £5.99 which I think is incredibly reasonable for salon-worthy nails, and it is available from Boots, Superdrug and all other stockists of Bourjois.

So anyway, sorry for being ultra boring but I just had to share my praise for this product. I promise I won't be as boring in the future; after all it is my first blog and I don't have a clue what I'm doing!

Again, if you're reading my blog then please comment so I know who you are and your views - there must be someone lurking as I've had 40 views already! (I know this isn't much but I am a newbie remember)

Thanks everyone,

Hello everyone!

Welcome to my new blog: Life of a Fashionista. I don't have a clue where that name came from, it just sprung into my mind and I thought yes, let's go with that! This was about 10 hours after I first started trying to think of a name! I never realised how complicated blogs were; so much creativity has to go in to it, which is non-existant in my mind at the moment!

Anyway, I basically set up this blog to share my love for beauty products and all things fashion. I'll probably post about my favourite items, as well as reviews of make-up and hair products etc. Whether they will be useful to people or not is a different matter but I would like to think they will be, fingers crossed!

Also, in the title of this post I referred to 'everyone', but obviously as my blog is new I have zero followers and I am actually talking to myself. I hope some people stumble across my blog soon so all this 'setting up' business was worthwhile! If you do, then please comment below and say hi!

I'll be making my first proper post very soon, until then,

Bye for now,