Dolls Union Launch!

This week was exciting has I was given the chance to have a preview of some stock for a new online clothing website - Dolls Union. www.dollsunion.co.uk

Dolls Union was set up by Alice (wonderlandbyalice), to provide on trend and quality clothing for affordable prices, to ensure anyone on a tight budget can still get in on the fashion antics. All of the stock Alice brought to the mini blogger event was fab and perfect for Summer. The only problem I have now is that I just want to buy everything!

Here's how I styled some pieces - all of which are now available on the website here

Baby Blue Velvet Lace Print Shift Dress

This dress was my favourite item, I love the pastel colour and I think the style and shape would look good on anyone! It's velvet flock/lace pattern gives the dress a unique look perfect for a summers day.

I styled it with a long tassel necklace, to just add an extra detail to the simple shape of the dress. Adding a white blazer, white court heels and a matching clutch would make this outfit ready to wear to a wedding or another special occasion.





You can find this dress here

Baby Pink Boxy Top

I styled this top with some high waisted jeans for a casual daytime look.With just some simple stud earrings and a gold watch as accessories.

The scuba material is so soft and comfy, I just loved how it felt on! There is a matching midi skirt in the same colour and material available, which would make a great co-ord piece if put together- which  I  highly recommend I love a bit of a co-ord.

At just £6 I think this is well worth the money, there is so many ways you could wear it.


You can find the top here
You can find the matching skirt here

Ivory Floral Crochet Crop Top

I really like this pretty floral cut out top, it's perfect for summer and would look great over the top of a bikini for your hols!

I styled the top with a black bandeau and bodycon skirt to contrast against the ivory flowers. Pair with some black wedges to complete this night time look.

An alternative way you could style this top is to wear over a nude bra and match it with some high waisted denim shorts and a flower crown/headband to get that festival look.

You can find this top here

Other bloggers that took part in this little meet up were Louise of Pretty Style and Beth of Fashion etc, keep an eye on their blogs for posts on the Dolls Union launch!

              

               

I love all these pieces, there are so many ways you could style them, getting as much wear out of each piece as possible-which means they are a good investment! You should definitely go take a gander on the website and treat yourself to an item or two!

You can keep up to date with everything Dolls Union related via these links:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

I just want to say a massive congrats to my bezzle Alice for starting up her own website, so proud of you lass!

Let me know in the comments which is your favourite item!

 Also, sorry for my squinty eyes in the photos, the sun had its hat on.

Thanks for reading :)

- SJA xo

My Top 3 Hair Products!

Hi guys! With the sun finally making its arrival this week I've been trying to look after my hair a lot more and I thought I would share with you my top 3 hair products I've been using to keep it in good condition and to prepare it for the sun.

1.) VO5 Give Me Texture Tousled Style Spray

I mentioned this spray in my last post 'May Favourites', and I still love it. I am trying to avoid using heat appliances on my hair especially over the summer so I find this the perfect alternative to straighteners or curlers. I just spray a couple of inches  from the roots to the ends of my hair and then just scrunch with my hand to achieve a tousled messy hair do. However,the spray does protect against heat so if you did want to use some straighteners or curlers as well as the spray for a more elaborate style, you could do so without compromising the condition of your hair.

2.) Aussie Dual Personality Coloured Hair Protection + Shine Serum 

I've had this serum nearly a year, I cant believe how long it's lasted me! I do use it sparingly though, with two small squirts at a time, using too much can make your hair look greasy. I apply this to towel dried dry hair concentrating on massaging the ends and working up, combing it through with my hands. I find it keeps my hair from being frizzy and dull, giving my hair a healthy looking shine. It was my go-to product on holiday last year, the sun and constant washing wasn't helping the condition of my hair.

3.) Schwarzkopf Supersoft Kids Detangling Spray

After washing my hair it tends to get knotty and hard to comb through which can cause my hair to break and create split ends! I accidentally came across this spray whilst looking at shampoos and thought I would give it a go. I was a bit dubious to use it at first due to the fact it's a 'leave-in' conditioner, I thought it might add weight to my hair and make it greasy. Its safe to say it doesn't add weight or make it greasy. The sweet fruity scent and the way it leaves my hair feeling soft is a bonus to how easily it makes the task of combing through my hair after its been washed! 

This was a lucky find in my local pound shop, here are a couple of alternatives from Boots.

I hope you have found this interesting and that I have given you some inspiration to try new products to look after your hair this summer!

What hair products are you loving at the moment? Be sure to let me know in comments, thanks for reading :)

-SJA xo

May Favourites!

Hi guys! This is my first ever favourites post, and I'm really excited to tell you everything I've been loving this month.

White Sole Cleated Boots - New Look

I saw these boots a couple of months ago and instantly fell in love, however has they were a hefty £30 I was initially put off buying them straight away. I regretted not getting them so much. I couldn't stop thinking about them (yes, my love for them was that bad!). Since discovering them in New Look the first time I never saw them again in any of the stores near me or online! Till one day when I was rummaging through the shoes on the sale racks, I found them!! To add to my delight they were a mere £12 - BARGAIN. I love these boots, they are sooo comfy and definitely on trend. The weather isn't fully ready for everyone to embrace the Spring/Summer sandal yet so they are just perfect for keeping feet warm and dry. 

If there was a negative to these, its the little scuffs that appear on the white  heels, if anyone can recommend how I can keep them looking new and in good condition let me know in the comments please!!

Mini Messenger Bag - TK Maxx (DNUK)

Most bags I have are medium to large in size, I needed a smaller one I could use to nip out of the house with when I didn't need a lot of things to carry around with me. Instead of trying all the usual high street stores that I would normally head to in search of a bag, I tried TK Maxx. I found this satchel/messenger style bag which is DNUK brand, it was £17.99 which was half the RRP price! I use this bag a lot since I haven't been at uni has I haven't needed to carry a lot around with me when going places, I've even used it for going out on a night out with the girls! I think it's the perfect size and the pockets really help to organise all my bits and bobs.

Lipcote

This is a genius product why haven't I used it before?! I love wearing lipstick, but something that prevents me from wearing them all the time is the pressure of reapplying throughout the day and being on permanent alert of any smudging that may occur when eating and drinking. These problems all disappear when wearing 'Lipcote', you simply apply a coat on top of your lipstick and it keeps it in place all day! I can't stress enough how much I love this!! Everyone who enjoys a dark or bright lipstick colour should definitely invest. Well I say invest, but it was only £3 - in my eyes a clear bargain! I bought mine from Primark but it's available in pretty much any store that sells make up such as Superdrug and Boots.

VO5 - Tousled Style Spray

I use this pretty much all the time! I like how it can add texture to my otherwise flat frizzy hair. This spray is also really good as a replacement for hairspray, I spray it on my curls and scrunch with my hand to create a 'messy' tousled effect and it will keep the curls in the same as hairspray would. Its a great product to take away on holiday or when you're in a rush to just spray - scrunch - and go. I bought mine from Boots as part of the '2 for £5' offer on VO5 products. It will be a staple hair product that I'll use continuously throughout Spring and Summer for sure!

Schwarzkopf GLISS Liquid Silk Conditioner 

I religiously use Herbal Essence shampoo and conditioners, but felt like a change this month and tried GLISS Liquid Silk Conditioner. I can honestly say I have noticed a difference in the 'shininess' of my hair! Because my hair is now purple/lilac it can often look 'dull' with no shine to it, but since using this conditioner I feel it has a new lease of life! I highly recommend you change up your shampoos and conditioners, we can often become complacent and buy the same products again and again but its worth having a change now and again to experiment with how your reacts to new products. 

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Body Lotion - Gradual Tanning Moisterizer

I am so so so happy that I've finally found a cheaper gradual tanning alternative to the more expensive St Tropez lotions! The cocoa butter gives a nice even gradual tan and you can see a subtle difference after just one application, I could go on and on with how much I love it! Although, with any fake tan product,  I would recommend you ex foliate before hand and make sure you really rub and blend the moiserizer in to prevent 'streakyness'. The cocoa butter has a smell of chocolate I find which I love, however if you prefer a non smelling tan this isn't for you. I got my 250ml bottle from  Feel Unique for £5.49, they give you 10% off your first order as well as free delivery!

VAMPIRE DIARIES

Ahhhhhhhh I love this sooooo much! Probably a bit too much tbh. I have spent the most of April and all of May TOTALLY obsessing over this programme! I thought at the beggining it was going to be like Twilight, which initially put me off watching it - but its not! I highly recommend people watch this, its so so so so good. Big shout out to Netflix for making it possible for me to connect to my inner vampire hahaha!

And that's it for my May Favorites! Have you tried any of the products I have mentioned? What do you think of them? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

- SJA xo

Holiday Wishlist!

Hey guys!

 The lovely weather we have been having in the UK this week has gotten me extremely excited about my holiday in July with my friends *squeals*. Ahhh I can almost smell the beach and taste the cheap 2 for 1 cocktails!

Having bought a load of summer clothes last year that I didn't wear, I already have the majority of daytime wear ready to be packed up for Tenerife. However. I am a fashion student. Or just a girl (stereotype overload)  so I have had my feelers out there constantly looking at the new summer clothing on-line and in the shops! There is so many items I just have to have for my holiday, here's a few that I may have to purchase. *Convinces self the already half full suitcase will magically grow*

1.) Kimono - I already have a kimono, but I'm telling myself that one isn't enough. When there are so many on the market (long, short, printed, plain, tasselled) why opt for one I say? I currently have a plain black kimono so I would like either a printed or tasselled one, just so it looks a bit more interesting. I think a kimono is so versatile and is definitely the perfect item of clothing to take on holiday. It can be styled casually over a bikini during the day and then worn with a crop top and high waisted shorts at night.  If you take one thing away from this post, it should be to invest in at least one kimono for your holiday!

Here are a couple from Boohoo that I really love:

   

2.) Lace Trimmed Shorts - At first I wasn't too keen on the 'Sports Luxe' trend, I thought it was just glorified gym wear that was irrelevant to fashion. However, I've watched a couple of You Tube look books recently and the shorts have made more and more appearances and I can safely say I'm loving them. You Tuber Zoella did a Spring Haul video here which featured two pairs of shorts that I absolutely loved. I think the light weight material will be perfect to take on holiday looking as equally good during the day and on a night, bonus! A pair of these shorts styled with a crop top in the same colour will make a great co ord outfit, style with some wedges and a statement necklace for a night out.

Here are a couple from Urban Outfitters I've found:

   

3.) Flatform Sandals - These are at the very top of my list!! (other than sun cream of course!) Last year I took some wedges on holiday for on a night, but has there was a lot of walking involved I never got to wear them. My sandals were the go to shoe every night has they were comfy and this was key. However, because I lack in height I felt very conscious of my smallness and didn't feel confident. I am so happy this year that the 'Flatform' has come into fashion as a main footwear trend. These are so ideal and I want loads in different colours!

I've found a few on Ebay, head over there before buying from the high street has you can normally find the same product a lot cheaper:

4.) Round frame Sunglasses - I would definitely feel out of my comfort zone if I wore these at home, but having seen so many celebs wear them at Coachella Festival I have fallen in love with them! A holiday is the perfect time to try something new out that your unsure of wearing. Everyone's too busy having a good time to judge what new accessory your wearing!

ASOS have some really nice pairs:

   

5.) Hat - Learning from my mistake of not having a hat last year and having a difficult typical Shannon situation by ending up with a burn't and peeling scalp, I am definitely grabbing one this year! I don't really know what style to buy, I'm torn between a straw/fedora style and a snapback style. I love the fedora style, but because I have a small head they can usually swamp me *cries*. There is one from River Island that I've seen and it had a relatively small rim, but it was £18 which I think is quite a lot for a hat that I'll wear for one week (or am I just being tight?! haha). 

Here's a snapback floral hat I've found from Miss Guided:

Here's the straw fedora from River Island (found on ASOS):

What do you think of my wishlist? What's on your wishlist for your holiday, or for Summer? Has anyone been to Tenerife before and got any favourite places to visit?? Let me know in the comments! 

Thanks for reading! :)

- SJA xo

Met ball 2014

Hosted by the Met museum in New York, the annual Met ball was honouring 50s designer Charles James this year, by setting the theme 'White Tie & Decoration' to tie in with the exhibition. From this you would expect an array of different pastel shades and big skirts all cinched in at the waist, however there weren't nearly enough of the big ball gowns as expected. 

So after watching the live stream of the red carpet and seeing so many amazing outfits, I thought I'd share with you 5 of the best dressed from the night!

1.) One of the traditional gowns that caught my eye was the Oscar de la Renta dress worn by the fabulous Sarah Jessica Parker! I especially loved the monochrome grid pattern at the back of the dress, it added a nice twist to a classic gown.

                                                  

2.) Rachel McAdams went for a simple approach in Ralph Lauren and didn't follow the dress code, however I do love the simplicity and elegance of the shape! The blush/pink colour also brings me to like this dress a lot more, has I'm really loving this seasons pastel washed out colours. 

  

                                   

3.) Blake Lively stunned in Gucci, the nude/pink embellished dress styled with a glamorous 40s hair do matched perfectly and was definitely my favourite from the night! 

                      

4.) Cara Delevingne rocked in monochrome from designer Stella McCartney, I really love the white chino's matched up with the strappy black cut-out crop top. It was an unexpected arrangement for such a prestigious event and I am in love with her alternative!

       

5.) The ultimate British power couple 'Posh and Becks' didn't disappoint in coordinated outfits, both channelling cream. They looked simple and crisp in their tailored garments, with Victoria supporting her own brand 'Victoria Beckham' in a simple and elegant column dress that clung to the hip then hung loose.

           

What did you think of the looks from the Met ball gala? Do you agree with me or is there anyone I missed out? let me know in the comments!

-SJA xo

My Gossip Girl Addiction

Over Christmas and New Year I spent all my time watching the full 6 seasons of Gossip Girl, back to back! I seriously couldn't get enough of the 'upper east side socialites' and their elaborate lifestyle, watching each episode was like I was immersing myself into their world.

Apart from limousine rides and designer clothes, the setting of the show being filmed in New York made it all that more desirable to be living in a roof top apartment in the city with neighbours such as the Waldorf family. I have a new found love for the city of New York after watching Gossip Girl, even to the extent of organising a trip next year to go on the Gossip Girl tour and visit all the locations featured in the show.

*Spoiler alert!!*

The on/off relationship between Blair and Chuck was annoying in some parts, however the 'will they? won't they?' questioning whether they would end up a couple was something that drove me to watch the show. In some ways getting to the end of the final season to find out if Blair and Chuck would end up together, was more important to me than finding out who Gossip Girl was!! Their rushed wedding that took place in Central Park was one of my favourite scenes from the show. 

The Elle Saab dress Blair wore is one of my favourite dress' from Gossip Girl, I think it depicts Blair perfectly for this occasion. She had the big white Vera Wang dress for her previous wedding to Louis, so it made sense for her to wear something less conventional. I also love love love the pastel powder blue colour which is on trend this Spring/Summer!

The fashion throughout the show is a main aspect, with regular fashion shows and designer name dropping from the characters. Each character has their own style which reflects on their personalities, Serena has a boohoo chic style with shows she is carefree. Blair is known for ruling the met steps, and her headbands could be interpreted as a 'crown', these match perfectly with her 'preppy' and uniform style. 

 I could go on and on about the fashion in Gossip Girl - but I'll save that for another post!

The worst storyline/couple to come out of Gossip Girl was the whole 'Dan/Blair' fiasco! They were such an odd couple to me, and watching the episodes where they were together just made me cringe. Georgina, in my opinion was such an under rated character, I loved her no nonsense attitude and her meddling into everyone's business. Without her character I feel some story lines would have gone on for too long, for example, when she told Rufus and Lily that Scott was in fact there long lost son. This information would have dragged on for too long if it wasn't for Georgina outing him.

I have fallen in love with Chuck Bass, naming his dog 'monkey' is hilarious to me, with chuck being a serious character taking on a stray dog it shows he is not all that bad as a character than some people think. I love his one liners and the way he scams to literally get what he wants. He is by far my favourite character from any TV show I've seen! Below are some scenes including the notorious Chuck Bass:

After completing the Gossip Girl box set in January and finding out who was behind the spreading of the scandals, I have started to re watch from the beginning to see if I can find any clues and catch Gossip  Girl out! I think I'm totally addicted to the characters and the lifestyles they lead, although the last episode ended in 2012 I'm still hoping for a new season or even a Movie to show how the characters have progressed! *crossing fingers

If you haven't seen Gossip Girl, then what are you waiting for! Its currently on Netflix and you get your first month free so there's no excuse not to watch it!! BEWARE its very addictive and you might feel the need to re watch it like I have, just to see if there's any give a ways on who Gossip Girl is from the beginning and seeing if it all adds up.

I'll leave you with a photo of Chuck.. just because..

 -SJA

XOXO 

(whispers) GOSSIP GIRL