Autumn Winter Lookbook 2016

I really love Autumn and Winter fashion, I love layering pieces, I love the burgundy, kahki, mustard shades, the dusky pastels and then the deep greens, reds and black around Christmas - and for that reason I love putting together Lookbooks at this time of year.

This is the final look I'm yet to blog about from this years Lookbook. This dusky rose pink pinafore dress, with a cute bee print shirt underneath, rocked up a little bit with black buckle boots, a leather jacket and a fur headband. This outfit is the perfect combination of looks for me, it combines feminine and classy with edgy. 

w h a t   I ' m   w e a r i n g 

Bee Shirt - Primark

Pine Pinafore Dress - Primark

Boots - New Look (similar)

Leather Jacket  - All Saints

Fur Headband - It was a gift, but this one is similar. 

You can see the other looks here ::

Outfit One - Bare Legs & Boots

Outfit Two - Autumn Pastels

Outfit Three - Winter Wardrobe Essentials

So, Here's the Look Book! A huge thank you to my boyfriend, Henry, for filming this for me, I quite literally couldn't of done it without you! I spent hours editing and pushing the boundaries of my normal, rather safe editing style so I hope you like it. Please do leave a comment and Subscribe for more videos just like this one... and lots of festive ones throughout December too!  

xxx

TWENTY TWO

I don't know about youuu, but I'm feeling 22!

Couldn't resist, sorry! 

Today, Monday 28th November is my 22nd birthday! 

It's a little bit terrifying that I'm not 21 anymore. I'm like an actual grown up now. Not that I feel any older than I did yesterday, but it just sounds a lot more grown up. Like I should start getting my shit together, which I'm getting there with... in baby steps... but it's tricky, you know?

I celebrated on Saturday night with my best friends and family. We whipped up some Mexican food (homemade guac going down a treat, as always), Dad was making the Margaritas, the Mexican playlist was blaring (with a few anomalies... 'I'm Drinking Rum and Redbull' made it in...) We played games and laughed until the early hours and woke with very sore heads on Sunday. 

Twenty One was wonderful in many ways, some crazy highs and a few lows and I'm very excited to see what this year will bring, but I'm going to save my rambles about goals and achievements for a New Year post.

Twenty Two, let's do this! 

Winter Primark Haul

I went for a good old snoop in Primark this week and obviously I didn't leave empty handed! 

Have a little peek at the new super cosy additions to my Winter wardrobe - All under £15!

xxxx

Why You Need These Winter Wardrobe Staples

We all need those wardrobe staples that can take an outfit from basic to stylish and sophisticated in a matter of seconds, right? I've currently got two go to items that do just that.. 

- L o n g l i n e   W i n t e r   C o a t s - 

 A coat can often be the main part of your outfit throughout autumn and winter - a day up in London spent dipping in and out of shops means you'll be wearing your coat for the majority of the day! This is why I love purchasing a new winter coat, as I know I'll be getting so much wear out of it.

I recently picked up this gorgeous Long Line Camel Coat from New Look for just £34.99 (it's actually now in the sale with £10 off, so hurry hurry hurry!) and I have not stopped wearing it since. It's flattering, it fits a chunky jumper underneath without looking bulky and is super cosy without being too thick and heavy. The colour is smart and sophisticated and goes with absolutely everything! 

- C o m f y   H e e l e d   B o o t s -

I'm a shorty. I'm about 5"3 so anything that gives me a little bit of height instantly makes me feel better about myself and a bit more confident. I love a pair of chunky heeled boots, they're comfy enough to wear all day long and give that little bit of extra height to feel a tad slinkier and to extend those legs a little! 

My current go to pair are these ones, also from New Look (Similar). Although these were last season, they have plenty of similar pairs and New Look boots have never failed me so far! These are tan 'suede' with a black chunky heel (by chunky, I just mean not a stiletto heel!) gold hardware and tassels on the zip.  

Adding both these wardrobe staples to an outfit makes me so much more confident and stylish within seconds. I feel so much more put together, even if I haven't made too much of an effort with the outfit underneath.

I've paired them with a roll neck striped top, a black a-line skirt and a signature red lip. I've gone for simple jewellery with just my silver rings from Silverado in Brighton. This was for a day of roasts and countryside dog walks with my boyfriends family and it was a perfect outfit for a mix of comfort and style. Obviously I swapped out the boots for wellies for the dog walk! 

- o u t f i t    d e t a i l s - 

Coat - New Look

Boots - New Look (Similar)

Scarf - Accessorize (Similar)

Roll Neck Striped Top - Primark 

Black A Line Skirt - Primark 

Rings - Silverado 

Lipstick - L'Oreal Blake Lively Red  

All photos taken on an Olympus Pen E-PL7 with a 45mm lens. 

Photos by Henry Gottelier.

Current Favourites

Time to gather my favourite bits and pieces together and share them with you.

A mix of autumn style, high street and high end beauty, music, must watch TV shows and YouTubers and I really am LOVING them all! 

What have you been loving recently? 

xxxx

5 TV Shows I'm Loving Right Now

I love a good Netflix sesh. Light some candles on a grey, rainy day, grab your softest blanket and a cup of tea and settle down a good hour (or what could easily be hours) of Netflix. 

So with that and the fact TV is in it's prime right now, with it being Autumn/Winter - I thought I'd share some of the programmes I'm loving at the moment. 

1. Scream

I'm a mega wimp and usually anything that comes under the genre of 'Horror' is completely banned if I'm on my own - this series however, has me hooked! It's on Netflix and I'm currently watching the second season - so there's plenty to catch up on. It follows a similar story to the Scream films, with the masked killer making phone calls to his next victim in his crazy deep voice, picking off friendship groups one by one! I'd say it's a bit like Pretty Little Liars with a lot more blood. There's lots of jumps and twists and turns, but I'm actually able to watch it alone... but not with the lights off! 

2. Total Bellas

Anyone who's read my blog for a while might know about my love for the WWE wrestlers, the Bella Twins and the TV show Total Divas. They now have their own spin off show, also on E! and I just love it. It's so easy to watch, It'll make you laugh and they're pretty sassy. 

3. The Missing

Another Thriller, this time on BBC 1. This is the second season of The Missing but with a completely unrelated storyline, so no worries if you missed the first one. It's about a girl returning home after being kidnapped over 10 years ago. It's dark with a lot of suspense and it's a little confusing at times, switching between the past and present, but definitely worth a watch. The end of episode 5 had me gasping, it was pretty unexpected. You can catch up on iPlayer. 

4. Married at First Sight

A slightly more light hearted option! This programme follows a bunch of singletons who have opted to be matched up by experts to meet and marry a stranger... on the day of their wedding! It's a crazy experiment, but so interesting to see how they get on and if it's all going to work out. It's on Channel 4 so you can catch up so far on 4OD. 

5. The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds 

If you haven't seen this you are missing out, it has me crying with laughter without fail. It follows a group of children on a day at nursery, listening to their conversations, seeing them making friends, arguing, playing, winning games, losing games and it's absolutely fascinating (and hilarious) to see how kids are with each other when adults aren't around. It'll make you laugh, cry and cry laugh but it's a great one to cheer someone up! 

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Obviously I'm also loving the more usual suspects - Made In Chelsea, I'm a Celebrity, First Dates & Gogglebox. I also LOVED the new season of Cold Feet, which I'd imagine you could find on catch up somewhere. 

TV is just far too good in the winter months, I can't keep up! But it's always good to have some new shows lined up for christmas time for those cosy evenings on the sofa!

What TV shows are you loving at the moment?  

Bonfire Night

Just a couple of phone snaps and a video from bonfire night. I was with family and friends and spent the evening by the bonfire, watching fireworks, eating delicious food, drinking winter Pimms (which you NEED to seek out and try! It's delicious!) chatting away and playing silly, rather messy games. 

I can't watch the video without a big smile on my face. Happy days. 

xxxx

How To :: Hot Chocolate with a Twist - Wren's Christmas Kitchen

There's nothing better than a hot chocolate on a cold winters day, right? 

So, when Wren Kitchens got in touch asking me to create a Christmas recipe with a twist, I immediately got to thinking about how I could switch up a classic hot chocolate. 

All the coffee shops bring out their festive drinks around the start of November, so I thought I'd find little twists to make them at home! I wanted to make something that everyone could enjoy, so this is so simple and it all comes down to whatever flavour you fancy, but here's a few steps and ideas to achieve the perfect festive hot chocolate - with a twist! 

You will need:

t h e   b a s i c s 

Your Favourite Festive Mug (essential)

Hot Chocolate Powder 

Milk 

Mini Marshmallows

Whipped Cream 

c h o i c e   o f   f l a v o u r i n g s

orange

caramel

cinnamon

biscoff spread

nutella

peanut butter 

gingerbread syrup

black forest/berry syrup 

peppermint essence

vanilla essence

baileys (for the adults!)

You may be getting the hint that you can add pretty much anything to shake up your hot chocolate. 

m e t h o d  

This one won't test your kitchen skills and won't take any longer than 5 minutes, so you can be on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket, sipping away in no time! 

- First of all check the instructions on your hot chocolate to make sure you're following the right steps, but I'd usually try this method.

- Pour milk into your mug, leaving a bit of space at the top. This is just to measure how much milk you'll need. 

-Then, decant that into a saucepan and heat it on the hob. Keep an eye on it and be sure to stir it. Whilst this heats up add 2 tablespoons of hot chocolate powder into your mug. 

- When the milk is hot enough (but before it boils) pour it into your mug and stir to mix it with the hot chocolate powder. 

- You can add your flavourings at any point, but I'd add them in here. So dollop in some caramel sauce, squeeze a zesty orange or add a few drops mint flavouring and a peppermint candy cane - whatever takes your fancy. Then stir, stir, stir. 

- Top with mini marshmallows and as much whipped cream as possible and you are good to go! 

It's so simple that there's so many ways you could make it, you can pop it in the microwave if you want to save on washing up. 

I'm probably going to be trying out every single flavour from now until Christmas, but at the moment I'm loving adding a squeeze of an orange into my hot chocolate for a zesty surprise.

Click here to head on over to Wrens Christmas Kitchen for more classic recipes with a twist, including a Millionaire's Pavlova which I might have to try myself! 

Give it a go! What flavours will you be adding? 

Hello November

I just wanted to write a little note about November. It's always one of my favourite months and I just wanted to say why... 

bonfire night

- Crackling bonfires and the kind of fireworks that make you go 'wooow' as they light up everyones faces. I've got exciting plans with family and friends full of food and fireworks. I'm hoping to film a nice little video too 

autumn

- Autumn is in full swing, showers of orange leaves fall from the trees every time the wind blows and the countryside is like an artists palette of beautiful autumn colours. 

goodbye uni

- This year, I'll be graduating with a 1st from university. Graduation feels like it's been a long time coming as we're pretty late to be having ours, but I can't wait to tie the final bow on my uni years. 

twenty two

- It's birthday month! I don't think I'll ever be over the excitement of birthdays. I have lots of plans with my favourite people and I think that's one of the reasons birthdays excite me so much, I get to say 'Hey, all you people who constantly make me smile and laugh and who make me feel loved daily, come and spend a day doing fun things together' what's not to love about that?!

the lead up to December

- I don't just find 'Christmas Day' exciting, I find the whole thing exciting. The lead up, the time with friends, time with family, watching films, getting cosy, celebrating, playing games, wrapping presents, that warm, cosy feeling you get throughout the whole of December. 

This look will feature in an upcoming Autumn Lookbook on my channel, but if you want to know any details...

what I'm wearing

jumper :: BooHoo 

jeans :: Matalan

lip colour :: NYX Liquid Lipstick in Cannes

What do you love about November?