Thursday 11 August 2011

Back to Reality...

Hello everyone!

Firstly, I would like to apologise for not keeping my blog up to date this week. What with being on holiday, visiting family and my birthday, every time I sat down to post I was dragged away somewhere! Anyway, I'm back and I promise to make up for my absence.

So, I thought I would update you all with what's been happening. I was shocked to return to consistent amazing viewing figures, considering I haven't even been attending to the blog! As well as new comments and followers! (Don't be too shy to say hello!)

As I've said, I've been away in Wales which always means hardly any signal and jam-packed days where I barely have time to breathe! We always say we will try and stay away from the shops and go to different places but we still ended up going shopping mad! Most of my purchases were jewellery items to be honest, if you know me then you know I love my jewellery and nine times out of ten I would choose a piece of jewellery over an equally as nice item of clothing. Although I did buy one dress from New Look yesterday, I was given a gift card and wanted something to wear out for a meal for my birthday last night. The top half of it is lace and the skirt part is pleated, (and conveniently I can't find it online!) I shall post a photo soon. It's nothing that special but I couldn't really be bothered trying lots on so just decided to go with it!

As for the other things I did - visited family as usual, went to Barry Island for my first time - typical seaside town but because I'm a massive Gavin & Stacey fan it suited me down to the ground. Had the loveliest chips in Boofy's but sadly didn't get an Ice Cream from Marco's. Ended up spending lots of money on little souvenirs; the usual postcards, mugs etc. I'm souvenir obsessed, seriously, it's terrible!

Marco's!

Me in Nessa's Slots (Bad photo!)

Boofy's!
Other adventures included the annual trip to Rhossili, it was a gorgeous day and there were dolphins! YES, DOLPHINS! Out of the 10 years we have been going there we have always missed the dolphins and then suddenly they were there! Admittedly though, they were quite hard to see and therefore I don't really have any photos of them but it was such an amazing thing to see. And also for the first time the causeway to Worm's Head was closed until later on in the evening which was unusual as it is usually open around midday.

Worm's Head

Rhossili
I'm pretty sure I'm boring everyone here so I will try not to go on too much longer! Again this isn't really a fashion post is it? But they will resume from tomorrow!

Yesterday it was a toss up between Cardiff and The National Showcaves. Stupidly I chose the Showcaves, don't ask! I was moody all the way there because of this, however when I actually got there and stepped in the caves it was amazing! Actually part of the reason I chose them was because I didn't want to spend any more money than I already had.....! I had actually never been to any caves before so it was a great experience. They even have a cave there named 'Cathedral Cave' where people get married! The only part where I wasn't amused was when I had to walk in between two waterfalls and as a result got soaked!

Cathedral Cave

Dan-yr-Ogof

Weddings at Cathedral Cave

The View of the Brecon Beacons from outside the caves
All in all it was a great trip. Same hotel as each year with the same lovely staff. It's so nice to be surrounded by lovely people constantly for a change. I'm not saying people back home are horrible, not at all! But although some people disagree, I truly believe Wales is a happy place... and the customer service is 100 times better to be honest with you. As always, when leaving this morning I was so upset, as were the staff at the hotel. They said they love having friendly faces around and generally find many people to be miserable. It made me think about what has happened to people over the past few years, no one is as friendly anymore, the world would be such a better place if we were.

So, back to my purchases, and as I mentioned in my last post, I'm obsessed with Clogau Gold. If you're like me and you have a special connection with Wales then I think the jewellery is really precious. I didn't own any items before this visit and have now come back with two rings and a bracelet and I'm currently browsing their website to buy more! The thing is, because the St Davids Gold Mine closed in 1998, the Welsh Gold will eventually run out which means it's the rarest in the world. And if it's good enough for royalty......!

For some reason my photos of the jewellery aren't uploading, I will definitely post them tomorrow. In the mean time have a look at their website: http://www.clogau.co.uk/!

Anyone own any Clogau items? Regularly visit Wales etc? Let me know!






Saturday 6 August 2011

Little Update from Sunny Wales!

Hi everyone!

Sorry there was no post yesterday, I was mega busy packing and then somehow the time just slipped away!

Anyway, I am now in Wales and have spent about two hours trying to log on to here on my phone! Signal is really that bad! 

I've already been spending! I'm obsessed with all things Welsh and I've wanted an item of Clogau Gold for a while, so ended up buying the 'Lady of Caerphilly' ring, for £130 instead of £260! Bargain! It's got three little emeralds in it which I really like. Bit of a love or hate ring I think - may not be to everyone's taste! (You can judge for yourself with the photo below) And I also bought some Loose Women shower gel (random I know!) 

Yet again this isn't a very 'fashion-y' post but I am using my phone and I'm restricted, I don't even know if this is going to come out properly! 

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend like I am! Will be back with more fashion stuff soon!

Nos da!

Lauren - xx
(P.S. Couldn't get my little signature to upload!)
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone on O2

Thursday 4 August 2011

ChloBo!

Today I discovered designer Chloe Moss' collection of jewellery, named 'ChloBo'. Her jewellery is 'inspired by the beauty and energy of Bali culture.' The jewellery is designed to be collected and worn together to create a stacked look.

There are four collections in ChloBo's jewellery range:

- The Oystins: These are made up of pearls, silver beads and different charms.
- The Iconics: These are made up of Silver beads, 'Noodles' and different charms
- JuJu: Created with Horn and Rossdale beads and silver charms
- Summer Love: Made from a selection of bright coloured beads and charms

I love all the jewellery but especially the Summer Love collection which various pieces are being spotted on the wrists of the celebs this summer, as well as the gorgeous necklace Cheryl Cole has been seen wearing from the JuJu collection.


As you may have noticed, Peter Andre was thrown into that mix of photos! There is also a collection cleverly named 'ChloBoy', which means everyone can enjoy this jewellery!

A few of my favourite pieces are:

And some for the boys...

Definitely a must-have collection to get the celebrity look! Please have a look at the website http://www.chlobo.co.uk/

Which are your favourite pieces? Will you be buying some ChloBo? Leave me a comment!
(All images above taken from http://www.chlobo.co.uk and http://www.facebook.com/ChloBoJewellery)


In other news, my blog may be a little quieter from tomorrow evening as i'm off on my holiday... to Wales! I joke about this however, I would not wish to go anywhere else. Wales has always had a special place in my heart and is definitely my favourite place to be. I sometimes wish I could just pack up all my stuff and run away to a little cottage out in the sticks in Gower but sadly this is not an option...! My favouritist favouritist place is Rhossili, I took this photo last year (below), it is truly one of the most beautiful places, and so relaxing. Even Dylan Thomas used to cross the causeway over to Worms Head to get inspiration for his writing. You don't really understand how amazing it is until you've been!



So anyway, even though I say I'll be quieter, I am shamefully taking my laptop with me so I will probably still end up posting!

Also, I don't know if anyone has noticed, I have a little Cosmo box at the side of this page, which takes you to a page to vote for me to win a Cosmo Blog Award 2011! I know I've literally only been on the blogging scene for just over a week or something ridiculous like that! But I have already had so much support and feedback from you all and a staggering amount of views (I'm seriously shocked!), that it would be so amazing if you did possibly want to vote for me.

If you do, just click on the Cosmo box at the side as I said, and then type in my blog url which is http://www.the-life-of-a-fashionista.blogspot.com/ and select the 'New Fashion Blog' category. I would be ever so grateful. I know i've already had a few votes so thank you so much to everyone!

And I think that's just about everything! Bit of a mixed post for you all there. Please remember to share your views in the comment box below, I want you all to have a say in the ramblings I post too!





Wednesday 3 August 2011

Everybody's Wearing... Lace!

Lace is ultra fashionable right now! It has been seen on recent designer catwalks such as Lanvin, Giles and Louis Vuitton, and almost every celebrity you can think of has been sporting the trend!


I have been searching the high street for some purse friendly pieces and here's what I have come up with! I especially love the red dress, a very popular colour and SUCH a bargain price! I'll be doing a post on The Fashion Bible soon!

(Left to Right)
Love Label Bell Sleeve Lace Dress - £49 - Very.co.uk
Shift Dress in a lace fabric - £54.90 - Mango
Frankie Red Lace Pleat Dress (Also in White) - £13.99 - The Fashion Bible
Yellow Sweetheart Lace Bodycon Dress (Also in Pink and Purple) - £40 - Topshop
White Lace Black Bow Dress - £24.99 - H&M
White Print Lace Embellished Smock Dress - £20 SALE - River Island

If a dress isn't what you're after, then i've found some other items too...

(Left to Right)
Mia Playsuit by Goldie London - £68 - Topshop
Floral Lace Blazer Jacket in Black - £24.99 - Funky Divaa
Datty Lace Skirt with Scallop Hem - £99 - Ted Baker

Will you embrace the lace? Do you have any lace items in your wardrobe already? Don't forget to comment and let me know!




Tuesday 2 August 2011

Sleek MakeUp Pout Paint!

I finally have another beauty/make-up post for you!

I'm obsessed with all things lips at the moment and got extremely excited when I saw these were going to be launched tomorrow! 'These' being Sleek MakeUp's Pout Paints.



The highly anticipated paints act as both a gloss and a lipstick. They have an ultra intense pigment like a lipstick and the texture of a gloss. They are said to be fade proof and a long wearing formula. I am forever hunting for some sort of lip product that will actually stay on after you have eaten or had a drink, rather than leaving those two horrible lines around your lips that are super embarrassing if you don't touch them up! Which means I am always pulling out whichever product I'm using whilst out and about, resulting in me looking very vein! Therefore I'm really hoping that these do what they claim to do - I can't wait to get my hands on them!

The Pout Paints will come in 11 different shades, two of which are mixing shades. Cloud 9 (Pure White) will allow you to cool/lighten colours whilst Peek-a-Bloo (Blue) will warm/darken shades! I love the idea of being able to create your own unique shades with these and getting so many different looks for a bargain price. Because the product is intensely pigmented, it means a little of it will go a long way, ie. these should last you ages!

They take the same kind of idea as OCC Lip Tars, except they are cheaper and more widely available to us in the UK! And the Sleek MakeUp website ships worldwide, so we can all be happy!

These will be available from tomorrow at Superdrug and Sleek MakeUp for only £4.99 each! Make sure you snap them up whilst you can!

So what do you think? Will you be purchasing these? Do any of you own any of the OCC Lip Tars? Let me know!

Monday 1 August 2011

Click for Fashion

I've recently entered the world of online shopping in a big way, don't get me wrong, I love going in to shops and being able to see things properly for myself and also being able to try on, however I have discovered there's so much more to the world of fashion than Topshop and River Island (which is where I always tend to find myself!) So many unusual pieces can be found online, as well as amazing vintage and celebrity look bargains. So here's my picks of the bunch!

Catwalk Look

Aqua by Aqua - http://www.aquabyaqua.com/

I absolutely love the red carpet and catwalk look dresses on this site. Definitely must haves if you're off somewhere special where you want to make a statement. Some of my favourites are...

Lopez Maxi Dress (Also available in Green, Orange and Black) - £175
Fleetwood Maxi Dress (Also available in Orange Print and Plain Orange or Black) - £135
Poppy Mini Dress (Also in Tan) - £88

Spock Jumpsuit - £129
Finsk for Aqua Wedges (Also in Stone) - £420
Scott Wilson for Aqua Albatross Necklace - £120

Celeb Look

Missguided Fashion - http://www.missguided.co.uk/

Missguided are amazing for some of the popular dresses you see all over the magazines on celebrities. They stock my favouritist (is that even a word?!) style dress of the moment on their site which has been seen on The Saturdays' Frankie Sandford. The prices are extremely reasonable too. Get a real bargain celebrity look.

Leeane 'Frankie' Pleat Dress in Burnt Orange (Also available in Rust and Camel) - £24.99
Jemimma Crochet Waistband Skater Dress in Peach (Also available in Cream, Red and Rust) - £24.99
Calantha 'Cheryl' Maxi Dress in Mocha (Also available in Black, Blush, Coral and Red) - £29.99
Ashlee Backless Bandage 'Cheryl' Dress in Black (Also available in Cream and Blush) - £22.99
I also love Missguided's selection on Playsuits & Jumpsuits - take a look!


Vintage Look

Pret a Portobello - http://www.pretaportobello.com/

Pret a Portobello sell a mixture of clothing but I especially like the Vintage section. I'm a bit obsessed with all their sequined and embellished pieces. Definitely glam garments for Autumn.

Vintage Pure Embellishment Jumper - £30
Vintage Dawn Flower Sequin Top - £70
Vintage OJ Linen Jacket - £50
Vintage Feather Drop Sequin Dress - £80

So, have a look at these sites and let me know what you think! Such lovely pieces to be had.

Sorry for the lateness and the not so great-ness of this post, I'm not feeling too grand so I shall now be off.

Goodnight fashionistas,