From Friday....

Found a few pictures on Friday I forgot to put on.

Went into Primark to pick a couple of bits up last week, needed to re-vamp my accessories. Came across some lovely summery bits:

Gold necklace with actual material flower, and stacked flower rings that are going to take a lot of my outfits into Spring :) (both £2 each)

Also found an outfit picture from Friday I'd forgotten about. Just going to work, this is me trying to slowly stop using extensions as much....

Cardigan and trousers both H&M

Brogues River Island

Vest Primark

Belt Vintage

Confessions of a greasy, hairy orange (or something like that)….

When asked recently in a conversation with friends if I’d rather give up my hair extensions or my fake tan, I answered bluntly with ‘I’d rather die’. 

On reflection to this, I think I may have an answer. I think I could give up both. You may have seen my rantings on here recently about my hair extensions and my sheer paranoia about having to go out with my natural locks for everyone to see.

(The hair kit....)

I revealed my natural, extension-less hair to my boyfriend for the first time last week (in the dark, after a couple of drinks so he wouldn’t notice) and he didn’t run away in terror. I straightened my own hair the otherday and went downstairs before I’d got to the extension stage and was greeted with a ‘your hair looks lovely’ comment from my mum. I popped to the shop the other day (hair down and no extensions, large sunglasses on, joggers and my Uggs) and unexpectedly saw an old friend. First thing she said? ‘Wow your hair got long!’

So maybe it’s not all bad. I could save myself £40 a month, 15 minutes in the morning and at least 30 minutes getting ready to go out at night (oh no wait who am I kidding, I’d still wear them on a night out!) and with the summer coming up, I can avoid ‘sweaty neck’ syndrome.

As for the tan, again I’d save myself at least 10 minutes at (every) night, £30 a month, and my whites would remain white. My mum would also stop yelling ‘HAVE YOU SPILT FAKE TAN ON THESE SHEETS AGAIN I CAN’T GET IT OUT’ when I’ve had a St Moriz related accident. I would also avoid the good old Rimmel coming off on the sheets when I come in from a night out (although I do have dark sheets and black towels to avoid such things) and the nightmare of ‘shit it’s raining and my tan’s going to go streaky’. Or the worst still (and girls who wear Rimmel or any other similar wash-off tanning product will know exactly what I mean when I say this) you just step into the first bar and some dick who’s been on the ale since 5pm that afternoon spills his drink all down your arm and you end up looking like you have some weird sort of skin disease.

So really, on reflection, there’s not a lot of plus points to this whole tanning malarkey. Yeah OK so I look bronzed and like I’ve just stepped of a plane from Marbella, although I do sometimes have a tendency to go overboard and look like a greasy orange.

(The tanning kit....)

I like to think of it in terms of money (one of my favourite things, I won’t lie). So this £70 a month? That’s a spree in Primark. It’s a full tank of petrol and a bit left over. It’s a handbag from River Island. It’s two really decent nights out (where I DON’T look like a greasy orange). And if you add it all up for the year, it’s £840! We’re not talking small change here, especially for a girl in her first PR assistant roll on, lets face it, not the largest wage in the world. I could put this towards my Audi A3, or splash out on some designer shoes. It could even make a dent into the designer handbag list I have (hot pink Mulberry, you will be mine).

OK so I’m not going to end this post with ‘right that’s it I’m never buying Garnier Summer body again’, or saying ‘byebye hair extensions, into the bin with you’ but maybe I might start wearing the extensions less, limit it to nights out and once a week? And maybe I won’t tan EVERY night, just at the weekends?

Or maybe I won’t. (Can someone pass me the Rimmel and my tanning mitt please?)

Essex Fashion....

Some people would call this an oxymoron. I personally think it makes sense.

Let’s look at a few examples:

Who doesn’t love a (slimming) all black outfit? Black wet look leggings and a floaty black top with lace detailing sounds spot on right? Add a pair of heels to make it glamorous and bob’s your uncle.

Now take a look at Jess and tell me she doesn’t look incredible (this top is also New Look so you can forget what you hear about having to wear designer to look this good).

(photo from towiestyle.blogspot.com)

How about enhancing your eyes with makeup?

Lauren opts for a subtle yet effective smokey eye along with pale glossy lips. Effortlessly beautiful.

Heels in the day? Teamed with pencil skirt and vintage top, Lydia rocks it. And the heels? They’re New Look.

(photo taken from http://misslydiarose.blogspot.com)

And the maxi dress?

Maria goes high-street for her coloured flowing maxi underneath a gorgeous jacket.

OK so they sometimes get it wrong; but who doesn’t. The only difference is, when I wear a too tight/too slutty dress on a night out that flashes my pants and becomes see-through at the flash of a camera bulb, the whole of the ITV2 viewing public don’t see it.

(sorry I love you Amy but I'm just not too convinced on this one....)

I know that if I had the option to be as glamorous in my daily life as they can be, I certainly would. However I don’t think this....

....is suitable to be sat behind a desk trying to book a Hog Roast for 50 people at a housing development in North Hykeham.

This isn’t to say that I don’t try and add a bit of essex into my everyday life.

There’s always got to be some pink (Amy Childs, we share the same opinion on this!)

and I am a false eyelash addict (eyelure double lashes are incredible)

It’s got to be big hair, and tan tan tan! I would actually give my entire shoe collection (but can you please spare my River Island brown wooden heeled sandles?) to go to Amy’s Salon for an Amy Childs tan: “nice and brown but just a bit orange” (I love that girl).

Anybody who rocks highstreet the way they do and look so fab deserves some recognition in the style stakes, and not dismissed as ‘essex girls’. Quite frankly, I love them all and I’m insanely ‘jel’ of their wardrobe and lifestyle combined. 

Work work work....

Top: Topshop

Shorts: H&N (new purchase)

Tights: Primark

Brogues: River Island

Thought I'd make a bit of an effort tonight as I was meeting a girlfriend for dinner straight from work. These are my new shorts I bought last week, I actually want to wear them with everything! They're coming out on a night out with me soon with a pinky-peach coloured lace tank-top and black over the knee socks. Also, even though I HATE it, I'm trying to have my hair up more often to get it to grow more, my straighteners are slowly killing it! It also means I get a bit of extra time in bed in the morning. 

Trousers: Topshop

Heels: New Look

Cardigan: H&M

Yet another work outfit. I'm actually going back to buy this cardigan in loads of other colours. They had a pink one with black swans, and a cute floral design in a green/purple colour. 

OK on a totally different note. I'M FINALLY BOOKING A HOLIDAY! Going with the new fella and his mate n girlfriend, not sure where we're going, or when exactly. All I know is:

Hello excuse to buy new clothes! Sorry H&M / Crafted at Republic / River Island/ Topshop. I'm coming to get you!