The xx, among other things...

Ok, I apologise in advance for the fact that I am about to go off on a rant about how much I love The xx (If you have never heard of them, they're a band. You should really look them up, it'll change your life).

 I went to see them live at the Usher Hall on Wednesday and OH MY GOD they were fantastic. Wonderfully, beautifully, insanely fantastic. The songs, the set up, the lighting, the atmosphere...It was all perfect. I can confidently say that it was the best experience of my life - I just want to go and see them again!!

So yeah...really the point of that was to explain the t-shirt that I'm wearing in this post... I bought it at the gig, and the 'x' is the same as the one on the cover of their new album Coexist. I love it so much, I don't want to take it off! 

T-shirt - The xx merchandise; Jeans - Topshop; Creepers - New Look

For the concert on Wednesday, I used the covers of both albums by The xx: XX and Coexist as inspiration for my nails. (I bet I sound like such an obsessed fan). It was quite fiddly to do - I put two strips of sellotape over the base colour, painted the whole nail and then took the tape off to reveal the colour underneath. I was doing it quickly before I went out so they ended up looking pretty messy...but from far away they seem to look fine! And I actually quite like the idea of having the nails on each hand a different colour...it's an easy way to make them look a bit more interesting!

Yesterday I finally bought myself a pair of brothel creepers. I have wanted a pair for months but only got around to buying them now and, surprisingly, they are sooo comfortable! They're probably the comfiest shoes I own to be honest, and they're really easy to walk in as well which was a nice surprise. I wore them in the rain today and I kind of expected them to get wrecked (clearly I didn't have very high hopes for these shoes), but they were fine - woo! Overall I am really happy with them. I want to go and get them in other colours now, haha!

Well I hope everybody is having a great day, Bye! Iona xo

I'm back!!! + Comme des garçons

Ok, firstly I would like to apologise for my extended absence - I'm not really sure what happened! The past couple of weeks have been pretty hectic with schoolwork, this year seems like it's going to be insanely tough... I'll be lucky to make it out alive! Anyway, I hope everybody had a great Summer.....

On that note: As you may have gathered from the fire in the background of the first picture – it’s beginning to feel a lot like Autumn here in Scotland. Slightly reluctantly, I dug out a big thick jumper to wear today because it was cooold!

The reason I called this post 'comme des garçons' was sadly not because anything I am wearing is from the brand 'Comme des Garçons', but because of it's meaning - 'like the boys'. This outfit is a lot more androgynous than my usual outfits, but I am quite enjoying the 'mannish' look...although I paired it with heels which kind of ruins the effect!

Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but the jumper is actually a v-neck school jumper worn back to front…haha! It probably looks a bit silly from behind, but at least I have long hair to sort of cover it up. I have never worn my treasured mint shirt with a jumper over it, but the idea came to me during a daydream in school today (a bit of an epiphany really) and I knew I had to try it out when I got home.

Because the jumper is quite thick and baggy though, I paired it with some treggings…is that even a word?! If not, it is now. They’re basically a cross between trousers and leggings; treggings are a wardrobe staple for me, they're just so comfortable and easy to wear.

 

I hate having to admit this...but these aren't my real nails *gasp* ...they are false nails that were black with white polka dots... until I got bored of the design and painted over them in mint (then topped them off with a pearly white). It's fair to say that I am becoming addicted to false nails...I feel rather bad for my real nails :( I bet they're in a terrible state right now. Sorry guys.

I hope that everybody has a great weekend, see you soon! Iona xo

8.7.12 - neon flatforms

Heeey, I've not really had anything to post the past few days because I've become so lazy and have basically been living in my pyjamas haha! But today (shock horror) I actually left the house and went shopping.
 I was only meant to be buying people birthday presents but there was a sale in Topshop and I couldn't resist the neon flatforms. I am so sorry purse, I have been abusing you quite a lot lately.

I have plain black flatforms already which I love, but I've had my eye on a fluorescent pair for months. I didn't want to pay full price for them because I'm guessing they're something I won't wear all too often, so I was well happy when I found out they were in the sale! They don't match anything I own - apart from a nail varnish - but I kind of like that. It will be easy to pick me out in a crowd at least!

Denim shirt, shorts & shoes - Topshop; T-shirt - New Look; Tights - Accessorize

Wheeee

Here's a better quality picture of them... they do slightly resemble bowling shoes haha!

I hope that everybody is enjoying their Summer so far :) Bye! xo

Days 2 & 3 of Work Experience

Sorry this has taken so long for me to post this! I've been pretty busy this week and haven't had a chance to blog. I also apologize because I was too unorganized to get pictures of my outfits on days four and five of work experience, woops. 

I'd just quickly like to say that I had such a good week at New Look though, the staff were all amazing and I got to try different things every day, it was a really great experience overall!

Ok, so on day two I carried on my mint theme (no surprises there) with the dotty top I got for my birthday which was great because it is made from quite a thin, floaty material meaning I didn't get too warm in the shop. I wore it with my high-waisted Topshop jeans and the same shoes as the day before. The handbag is possibly my favourite bag ever... I brought it to work every day! I like how it's so sturdy, and is the perfect size to carry everything I need without being too bulky. I also love the coral detailing which makes it a lot more interesting and appealing to the eye than any of my other bags. 

On my third day, I wore an outfit completely from New Look (apart from the shoes). I bought the top last weekend with work experience in mind - and I really like it, seeing as it is a bit more grunge-y than anything else I own, particularly as I'm going through a pretty pastel phase. I teamed it with my coral skirt and a pleated belt to counteract the gothic vibe though. I was going to wear a black skirt, but thought it made the whole look a bit too dark.
I may have lied a little in the next pictures... I actually didn't wear the Doc Martens to New Look, I just wore plain black plimsolls. They looked ok, but I wanted something that would make more of a statement for taking these pictures!

Top, Belt & Skirt - New Look; Boots- Doc Martens

 As you can see, I got a wee bit carried away taking pictures! My legs look super short here, haha.

Tippy tooooes

I tried to match my nails with the skirt but they looked a bit too plain... so I added black dots to my ring fingers to miror the black in the top. It looked a bit messy and strange, but it was just a last minute addition before I left the house! I seem to be incapable of leaving my nails all painted one colour...I just think it looks a bit boring because I'm so used to having patterns or contrasting colours!

Thank you so much for reading, sorry for such a picture heavy post. I hope you're all having a great Monday! xo

Day 1 of Work Experience - Mint Jeans & Collar

Hey, so today was my first day of work experience at New Look - and I'm really enjoying it so far. All the staff are so lovely and it's really interesting to get an insight into how this branch of the fashion industry works. Plus, I'm a bit of a compulsive tidier which seems to be very useful in shopfloor work! I can't wait to see what I'll be doing tomorrow. 

Today I wore my mint jeans which I am stilllll in love with, although I'm always paranoid that they are going to get dirty. I paired them with my new white top which has a (yes, you guessed it) pretty little mint collar on it. My love of the colour mint is bordering on obsessional, I can't help it though - it just makes me so happy! 

Jeans - Topshop; Top - Tesco; Shoes - Accessorize; Watch & Earrings - New Look

The top is actually from Tesco...normally I would only buy items such as plain cardigans from there but when I saw this I couldn't resist. I was fairly surprised to find such an on-trend piece there, but I'm not complaining at all! The only thing I would say about this top is that it is very see-through, so I have to wear a white vest underneath it. 

I don't really understand why some people are so opposed to buying clothes from supermarkets...I mean, I know the image attached to them is not something that is exactly fashionable or sought after, but at the end of the day if you like something then why does it matter where it's from? Also, they are a fraction of the price of clothes in the stores that I normally shop in. I have no problem mixing Tesco and Topshop, haha!

I hope everyone had a lovely day, and I will be posting about tomorrows outfit soon! As always, thank you for reading xo

DIY customized sunglasses

Hey! I was feeling quite creative on Friday, so decided I would customize a pair of sunglasses that I got free with my copy of Cosmopolitan magazine. They are just a simple pair of black Ray-Ban style glasses that you could buy pretty cheaply in any high street shop if you wanted to customize them yourself. 

I was in the middle of painting my nails when the idea came to me that I could paint a design onto the glasses with nail varnish - I decided to stick with a pretty simple design though as I didn't want to ruin them!

 The dots are a bit messy, but hopefully that won't be hugely obvious when I'm wearing them. I might even add some more colours at some point if I get bored.

 I must admit that I got a bit carried away with it...you probably won't even be able to see the dots along the top of the glasses, but oh well - it was fun to do!

 Here are the three nail varnishes that I used...You could use any colours and do any patterns you feel like though.

Baby Blue - Next; Mint - BarryM; Electric Blue - Topshop

Thanks for reading! xo

Fake Tattoos...

I'm sorry this has taken so long - but my 'Fake Tattoos' review and tutorial is finally here!
First of all, the delivery was really fast as promised - it only took a couple of days which was great because I'm so impatient when it comes to deliveries! The samples were really well-presented in a pretty pink pouch too which was lovely.

I was sent six samples, two of each design shown below. I love the four leaf clover one because it symbolises luck, and I've always wanted a tattoo on my wrist that represented this, so it was perfect for me. I really like the other two designs also, and they'll be good for Summertime (if we even get a Summer here in Scotland...sorry I always complain about the weather on my blog!)

The first one I tried was the clover, which I applied to my wrist. The instructions were really clear and the application was remarkably quick and easy (there's a tutorial further down). Personally I think it looks very realistic, and so many people asked me if it was real! The tattoos are meant to last between 3-10 days,and I had mine on for five days without any noticeable fading or rubbing off which was really impressive. 

Here's how to apply them...It's just like the ones you used to get at birthday parties when you were little!

Step 1: Make sure the place you are applying the tattoo is clean and make-up free, then remove the protective top sheet.

Step 2: Press the tattoo down firmly onto skin with the design facing down.

Step 3: Hold a wet cloth against the paper backing of the tattoo, pressing down to make sure the entire design is wet - and wait for 30 seconds.

Step 4: Peel off the paper backing to reveal the tattoo - et voila! (For best results, rinse it gently with water after this).

As you can see the application is really simple, they look fantastic and last longer than most temporary tattoos do - what more could you ask for? 

I would definitely recommend these to anybody interested in temporary body art or who isn't brave enough for a real tattoo...I've already been raving about them to people the past few days! I will definitely be buying some more designs at some point over the Summer because there are so many beautiful ones to choose from on the website: http://www.faketattoos.se/en/ ... they're not expensive either.

As always, thank you for reading! Iona xo

Spring

Hey, sorry I've not been posting much recently. Life has been pretty hectic the last month or so and I've now started fifth year at school which is both exciting and very, very daunting. It's quite scary to think how quickly my time at high school has gone by.

A couple of weeks ago - believe it or not - it was really sunny here in Edinburgh. In true Scottish fashion though, the good weather didn't last and it's now gone back to the dull weather we are used to, so in an attempt to cheer myself up I thought I'd post some pictures from the little glimpse of sunshine we got! 

I bought this cupcake from Waitrose partly because lime and white chocolate sounded like an interesting combination, and partly because the icing is such an appealing colour! (For the record it was very tasty too, haha!) My nails were done using a technique my cousin showed me where you apply the polish with a sponge, and I actually really like how it turned out - although it was a bit fiddly to do!

Bag - Topshop(£36); Jeans - Topshop (£40); Watch - New Look(£10)

I haven't gotten around to doing an outfit post with my new clothes and accessories yet, but for the time being here's a bad quality picture. I love the handbag so much, I just want to take it everywhere with me! Just about every bag I own is either black or brown, so it's a nice change to have something paler and more feminine - particularly because I'm going through a pastel phase.

Here's a better picture of the jeans since the last one doesn't really do them justice...aren't they lovely? I mean, they would look far better on a model's legs, but I just love the colour so much, and they are the same style as my trusty coral pink Topshop jeans so I knew I'd like the fit. I think they will be my summer wardrobe staple!

I hope everybody has a great weekend, Iona xo

'Fake Tattoos' review coming soon

Hey, this is just a quick post to tell you about an upcoming collaboration that I am very excited about!

I will be reviewing some temporary tattoos from the Scandinavian company 'Fake Tattoos' who work directly with their guest designers to create unique and innovative designs which are really very beautiful....and realistic too.

The samples should be arriving soon, so I will be writing about them here in not too long! I am really interested to see how they will look when applied and how people will react to them. In the meantime, here are some pictures from their website(here's a link if you are interested) http://www.faketattoos.se/en/ to give you a bit of an idea of what they are like:

I hope everybody is having a lovely day,

Iona xo

18.5.12

Hey, sooo I couldn't wait for an excuse to wear some of the clothes I got for my birthday, so I just decided to do a wee outfit post today...  As I'm sure you probably already know I am obsessed with mint, so it's not surprising that it was me who picked out the mint polka dot top that I got from my mum for my birthday.

The coral skirt was from my best friend Lauren and I love it! I don't think I would have ever bought it for myself but I'm so glad she did because it's just so pretty and swishy. I never want to take it off. That's one of the things I love about getting presents, that people often buy you things that you never would have considered buying for yourself - and you end up realizing how much you actually like them (it's the same with the ear cuff further down)!

Necklace - River Island

The owl necklace was from my friend Amy, and it's unbelievably cute! I love owl jewellery and I have an owl ring which matches well with it. The colours make it even lovelier too!

 The ear cuff is possibly my favourite present in this post, I think it's because it's completely different to anything I'd ever buy for myself. At first I wasn't sure if I was cool enough to be able to wear it and not look stupid, but I've decided that I like it far too much to care. Again, I never want to take it off! It also reminds me that I really really want my tragus pierced - I think they'd look pretty good together.

 Wow this has been a really long post...I hope everybody has a good weekend!
Iona xo

Macaroons & Mint - 6.4.12

 Hey! Today my mum and I took a spontaneous trip to the Lovely Patisserie Madeleine in Stockbridge (I actually mentioned it here before nearly a year ago in my first blog post) which, as always, was amazing. The macaroons are to die for and the colours are all just so appealing. I had a pistachio, a strawberry and a passion fruit one - yum!

The whole ambiance of the cafe is just so French, even the music that they play. If you know me, you will know that I have a bit of an obsession with Paris so it suits me perfectly, it's like my own mini Paris in Edinburgh!

The macaroons kind of match my blouse, haha!

Sooo just like in my last outfit post, I am wearing my mint blouse again. I just cannot stop wearing it- although today I buttoned it right up to the top and rolled the sleeves down to make it a wee bit different.I wore it with my trusty Topshop jeans that I have had for about two years, I still never get bored of them though! Here are some of the pictures I took when I got home:

Blouse - Primark; Jeans - Topshop; Shoes - Accessorize

My feet look so long, haha!

...I hope everyone is having a wonderful week xo

Mint, Beige & a hint of Sunshine

Heyyy!  I am so glad that it is finally the Easter holidays, although I really should be spending most of it revising. Knowing me, I'm sure that I'll find plenty of pointless things to do instead though!  I went shopping on Friday for some essentials, and ended up buying myself a new pair of wedges. Oops. 

My reasoning was that I only own black wedges, so it was time for a new colour, hehe. 

Here's the outfit I put together when I got home:

I also bought this blouse which I am sort of in love with ....I just cannot get enough of mint at the moment.
Usually my outfits are pretty monochromatic, but since the pastel trend has begun cropping up everywhere my colour palette has been transformed!

All of the lovely pastel colored items at the moment – particularly mint ones – just make everything seem that little bit brighter and happier, even when you’re having a bad day. To me, they radiate that free and careless Spring attitude that I think everybody longs for, as well as generally being irresistibly pretty!

Sorry about my mint rant....anyway on that note, I hope everybody is enjoying the sun (if it's out where you are), bye! xo

Mint makes me happy.

Hey, this weekend has been pretty crazy. On Saturday I went shopping with my friends which was lovely as always(I bought the earrings that I mention later in this post), but on Sunday which was Mother's Day I managed to spend a lot of time in tears - I won't go into detail, but let's just say that families are very complicated things!

Anyway, I still managed to take a picture of my outfit...that's how dedicated I am to my blog - haha! I wasn't very happy with the pictures I took but they will have to do:

T-Shirt- River Island; Jeans- Topshop; Earrings- NewLook; Ring- [Present]

I have had this cropped t-shirt since last summer and I have always loved it, but even more so now because pastel is so big in fashion. I bought these earrings from NewLook  on Saturday...I just could not resist the colour, it makes me so happy. Also I thought that they matched quite nicely with my nail varnish and some of the hearts on my top - so of course I had to buy it! I also really like my Zebra (maybe it's a Zorse, I'm not too sure) ring and thought that the muted pastel pink worked with the rest of my outfit.  Here's an enlargement of the picture of it, because I don't think the small one really does it justice:

As you may have noticed, I am not in my usual picture taking spot. That's because my bedroom is being decorated at the moment which I'm pretty excited about, but it does mean that I have temporarily taken up residence in my living room!

I hope that everybody has a lovely week, and I will update my blog more often...I promise.  xo

New Clothes & Fast Fashion

Hey, so last weekend I bought myself a pair of Aztec print leggings...I know it's the kind of thing that in ten years time I'll look back on and think "Why did I think that ever looked cool?!" but for the time being I am very happy with them and think I'll get a lot of wear out of them when it gets a bit warmer:

 If I ever decide that they're too flamboyant for me though, I think I'll wear them as pyjama bottoms because they're so comfortable! I also bought a baggy coral t-shirt which will hopefully brighten up my outfits a bit because I wear sooo much black! Again, If I ever decide that I'm not too keen on it anymore I will wear it to bed, because I hate wasting good clothes.

Recently I read the book To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out The World? By Lucy Siegle about how the concept of fast-fashion is having an impact on the world and the people who make the clothes that we consume at such a fast pace, then dispose of when the trends change. I found it really fascinating and eye-opening, and it definitely has made me a lot more careful when I am buying to choose items that I think I really need or will get a lot of wear out of. It also mentioned the shocking conditions that the workers who make clothing for many high street brands endure, which has also made me more conscious of where I am purchasing my clothes. Overall, I would really recommend the book to anybody - fashion lover or not!

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend, Iona xo

In love with pastel...

It still feels like Winter here in Edinburgh, but the pastel coloured clothing and accessories in the shops for Spring are making me feel just that little bit closer to those sunny days I long for. Particularly when worn together with other pastel shades, I think that these sugary sweet colours are just irresistible! I have a mint cardigan and plenty of pastel nail polishes; but would love to invest in a pair of jeans, a baggy t shirt or maybe even a hoody. Here are some of my favourite pastel coloured items at the moment:

Patent Pointy Court Shoes - New Look (£15.99)

Pastel Baby Pink Leather Satchel - Zatchels (£76)

Light Yellow Racer Back Vest - River Island (£8)

High Waist Peppermint Jeans - Topshop (£40)

Coral Super Short Hotpants - River Island (£20)

Lavendar Zip Hoody - Topshop (£26)

A letter to my body...

I cannot believe I am actually posting this. Not looking for sympathy, I just feel the need to get it out there and let go of some stuff I've been holding onto for too long. Basically I wrote a letter to my body...sounds stupid, but surprisingly it left me feeling quite relieved - I would actually recommend doing it!

Dear Body, 
Firstly, let me say that I am so sorry for everything I've put you through. I really don't know how you cope. You know we've never been best friends...when I was young I was the awkward, tall girl; then I became the awkward, tall fat girl - through no fault of your own - because I was lazy and didn't care about you. Then I began punishing you because I hated you so much by going for as long as I could without feeding you until the hunger became enjoyable.You weren't making me skinny fast enough - because I couldn't resist the temptation of binging - so I started forcing you to bring back up everything I put into you, at increasingly regular intervals. I abused you so much, even once putting alcohol into you to make throwing up easier. Sorry. I didn't give a shit about if you worked properly or what would happen when I grew older, all I wanted was to be thin.

Can I also say thank you. Really, I should be dead right now, but for whatever reason you brought me back. I poisoned you to a point where most underweight fourteen year old bodies would give up - but you didn't. And for that I am truly grateful. It makes me think that there's a reason I am still here, a reason you gave me a second chance - but maybe it was just luck. Although I never have been a lucky person.

I wish that I felt attractive. Not necessarily to others, but I want to be able to look in the mirror and honestly say that I'm ok with the person I see. Although I can't say that I love you yet, I am beginning to accept you. The acceptance process will be long, but I think slowly I'm getting there. I pray that I have not damaged you too much and that you will forgive me. I pray that one day we can be at one in perfect harmony and be able to listen to each other, but til then:

Thank You. And sorry. x

I can't wait for Spring

Hey, sooo yesterday for the first time in what feels like months it was actually pretty sunny and, as always, I prematurely brought out the Summery clothes - I really need to go on holiday somewhere warm, I'm dying in this Scottish weather. I went to Pizza Express with my best friend for her birthday which was really lovely, and gave me reason to dress up a bit - always a good thing!

 My older sister gave me this dress a couple of years ago because she didn't want it anymore and I never wore it much at first, but I actually think that it is really pretty and feminine. If you know me at all, you'll probably know that I love knee high and over the knee socks - so I couldn't resist this pair from Accessorize during the January sales... they are so soft and comfortable!

I can't believe I have never made a post with this satchel that I bought way back in October, I love it so much. It's a Topman one but hopefully it doesn't look too manly...haha! Usually I use it for school though because it's a good size for all my textbooks, but I thought it suited this outfit quite well:)



Dress- Topshop; Satchel- Topman; Socks & Shoes- Accessorize

Hopefully in the near future there will be some real sun, but until then it's back to the jeans and jumpers for me, because I was pretty cold wearing this outfit! xo