IS NEW YEAR'S EVE THE MOST PREDICTABLE EVENT?

So you're at this nominated lucky friends' house for pre- drinks, ready to get leathered for a night out in town. You dress up in sequins, velour or a dress you found last minute in the sale because you already checked your wardrobe and you can't simply wear your 7 other previous NYE dresses just because. We've been through it before, ultimately deciding on the sequin garment in the annual "what do I wear?" debate, only to stand there in the club surrounded by imitations of yourself. Huh. Who knew that sequins is the dress code for anything New Year's Eve? You're in the club, they've already started the minute countdown to the New Year, you're either: a) sober AF because you couldn't get anywhere near a 2 mile radius of the bar, b) scouting around for potential suitors for that dreadful New Year's kiss, or c) having a craic with your pals after you've told them you love them for the billionth time. By the time it hits 2am, you're more than eager to leave the sea of people and the night is over. Okay maybe not before a cheeky Mcdonald's pit stop. 

I do love to express my participation for a festive occasion in payments of sequins, and so do clothing sites so it seems. I went to search "New Year's Eve dresses" to find dedicated tabs from the likes of Missguided and Prettylittlething specifically for, said event. Exploiting the panic buyers out there and enticing them to an endless scroll on their page for them to not actually find anything they like. In the end, when it eventually boils down to the 31st, the majority can all nod in agreement that it is also the most overrated event of the year. There is so much pressure to feel and celebrate it in a certain way, the sweeping documentation depicted by social media is just an example of how your netflix and chill night in can go from 100 to 0. I'm just not interested in going out out anymore listening to the cliché countdown amidst a sardine packed room full of strangers, maybe because it's after the 2 month build up to Christmas and now that the day has gone and past I'm too exhausted to motivate myself to do anything extravagant. This will be it for my last post of 2018. Enjoy your NYE whichever way you decide to spend it!

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IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME

It's only been 4 months since I was back in Manchester, not that long in retrospect, but it's been the longest I've ever been away from home. It was difficult navigating two jobs and hanging out with friends to find the time for a weekend away as I'd always end up convincing myself the extortionate prices of train tickets was not worth the short and stressful duration I'd be home. Honestly I could nip over to anywhere in europe for cheaper than a return virgin trains journey from EUS to MAN. It was obvious the home-sickness near the end of the third month was weighing on me, even the thought of arriving at Euston station all beady eyed with my Pret mac n cheese got me excited. The festive lights in London is incredible and pretty much everyone raves about winter wonderland which BTW is overrated but can be justified if, like me, you aim to make a cameo appearance once a year. It just ISN'T the same compared to the Christmas markets in good old Albert's Sq.

 I hope you all had and continue having a joyous holiday season while I take a seat for the rest of this week waiting for NYE. I'm actually sad the festive season is running its last lap. I didn't realise, until a few nights before I left to go home where I was sat in the living room of my flat amidst the glow of our Christmas tree, how much I will miss the atmosphere, the mulled wine and the homely feeling of fairy lights wherever I go.

jeans, topshop*/ trainers, adidas/ bag, allsaints

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THE BIG ASS LIST OF BLACK FRIDAY DEALS

Bumble and bumble thickening go big treatment spray, feelunique/ Bumble and bumble thickening blow dry creme, ASOS 

We have now reached the holy grail of days for the best discounts, savings and most importantly, the day where most people, you and I alike, buy their Christmas presents. I'm particularly impressed with Allsaints this year where they've decided to dish out a whopping 30% off everything on site including their signature, and my favourite jacket of all time, Balfern leather biker jacket for only £222.60.

I have hand picked a list of my favourite go-to places for online shopping with the best discounts for you cheeky lot to have a browse at*. I've already done my fair share yesterday.. FYI Deciem sales are always the best but they sell out super quickly so you have to be quick if you want to get your hands on a £2 bottle lactic acid 10% + HA formulation from The Ordinary. That's less than the price of a coffee. What?!

Cord jacket, monki via ASOS/ Monica Vinader pendant, Monica vinader

The Ordinary Glycolic acid 7% solution, ASOS/ The Ordinary Hyaluronic acid 2% +B5, feelunique/ Kiehl's midnight recovery concentrate, feelunique

Beauty

Clinique

15% off any order with free delivery using the code BLACK

MAC

20% off and a free mascara when you spend £45 using the code BLACKFRIDAY20

Lookfantastic

25% off everything using the code BF25 

Feelunique

Up to 33% off selected products

Glossier

20% off everything

Deciem

Up to 50% off selected items 

The Body shop

Up to 40% off selected lines with code 19805

Fashion

All Saints

30% off everything

Mango

30% off everything using the code BLACK18

Topshop

Up to 50% off selected items

ASOS

20% off everything using code HELLO20

Weekday

25% off trousers with promotions varying daily

H&M

Up to 20% off everything

& Other Stories

20% off everything using the code FRIDAYNOIR

ARKET

25% off selected items

I saw it first

50% off everything with code JACKFRIDAY

Nike

30% off varying items with code Clear30

Superdry

20% off everything plus free delivery using the code BLACK20

Missy empire

25% off everything with code TEASE

Missguided

50% off everything

ASOS

20% off everything

River Island

20% off £75 and over (€100 and over IE)

Nastygal

50% off everything

Luxury

Monica Vinader
40% off sterling silver

Dear Frances
25% off everything using the code BF25

Selfridges
Up to 20% off using the code SELFCCE 

*links used are affiliate links

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WHAT I WORE THIS WEEK

top, topshop*/ skirt, topshop*  

As black Friday is approaching, like me, you must also be getting bombarded with subscription emails accompanied with flashing! gifs with what discounts they have to offer. Not saying you should put all your eggs in one basket as there's a tonne of sales out there so doing your research is key before you head out into the big wide world. Or.. the world wide web, if you prefer the comfort of your own home. So here's my Topshop edit with a friendly black Friday price tag.

blazer, topshop*/ trousers, topshop*

Welcome to this month's WIWTW (what I wore this week) and shock horror, they're all items from topshop. This is by no means a sponsored post or a collaboration, although my God would I love to work with them. I'm an advocate for taking occasion pieces such as coloured suits and satin slip dresses and putting my own spin to make it work for everyday wear because, you only live once right? 

top, topshop*/ dress, topshop*

boilersuit, topshop*

 dress, topshop*

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THE MOST COVETED TOPSHOP SATIN SKIRT AND HOW TO WEAR IT

I started working at topshop last month and one of the perks of working there is that you get to see the newest pieces that hit the shop floor. One of them being this delicious satin skirt, you'd be a fool to not foresee how fast this skirt was going to sell out. It comes in two colours, rust, which is the one I am wearing, and chocolate brown. Both perfect colour palettes to prime your new AW18 wardrobe. I have a tendency to tuck all my tops into whatever bottoms I'm wearing, so it was a little out of my comfort zone to convince myself that it looks good to let a jumper hang loose over the skirt and not feel like a sack of potatoes. For styling, I'd simply pair this skirt with boxy fit jumpers or oversized t-shirts knotted at the front.

skirt, topshop (similar here and here)

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A LOOK I'M STEALING FROM INSTAGRAM

On this series of how many animal prints do I own, we have a debut of my newest animal addiction addition. There's something so cool about wearing snake print more particularly than zebra, is it the neutral pixelated design? or am I subconsciously associating it with the adjective after seeing the cool girls of insta wearing them so well? (FYI leopard print is still my number one). It can be overwhelming, I admit, finding the right item amongst the sheer volume of animal print available on the high street right now. It is pretty obvious that animal print is the leading trend of AW18 and I have to hold back everything in me to stop over buying too much. If you're able to group together a full head to toe outfit in the same print, that's a sign to just take a step back and congratulate yourself because, well done! You've just unlocked the next level. 

top, topshop (sold out, similar here* and here*)/ jeans, topshop dree*/ hat, H&M*

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THE NEWEST FASHION WEEK ACCESSORY

Merlot. Pairs well with white. Or so I've heard. May not be as practical on the front row but definitely eases the frantic commute from one show to the other. I'm partial to a pretty dress and an all white look, that's just the western inside me that secretly wants to let everybody know that, WHY YES I HAVE BEEN ON HOLIDAY! As the new academic year closes in, I find myself wondering why I hadn't worn some of my most summer pieces at least once during the summer and I enter full regret mode. Transitional season is a tough time, warm days but unbearable cold nights, a feeling not unfamiliar to all of you. Hey, merlot also helps with that bit, a few glasses in you and you won't even feel the cold at night. That aside, I am ready to part with my little to nothing crop tops that *immensely* helped me survive against the humidity in Hong Kong and start layering up for AW. 

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I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT LEOPARD PRINT

This may be the second leopard print skirt I own and it's all for a good cause for the sake of fashion. I bought this piece during the peak of it's popularity from a boutique store in Hong Kong for a tenner while you lot were pining over a certain sold out silk leopard print skirt. Did I mention this was a tenner? Basically the same price as an all over boob mug from UO except you can't flaunt it while side stepping on the central line platform during rush hour. 

I just LOVE wearing leopard print, the neutral tones of the beige amongst the dark brown and black spots really diverts the eye from the rest of the outfit. I don't know about you but I've seen this non- neutral neutral print all over my Instagram feed featured by bloggers and fashion industry experts alike, so much that I had began subconsciously pulling up different tops from my wardrobe and thinking how a silk leopard skirt would ultimately complete my look. There are literally no ends as to where or when you can wear leopard print (okay. New game. Shot for every time I've mentioned the word leopard in this post). 

What do you wear for an interview? leopard print

Want to stand out on the first day of uni? leopard print

First date? leopard print

 I think you understand where I'm going with this. The only occasion where I felt awkward was when a guy approached me and out of the blue, introduced himself and then proceeded to ask whether I had travelled to Africa to kill the animals I was wearing. Picture the shock horror on my face when I tell you that what I was wearing that day was a leather jacket and a leopard print dress.  I was taken aback from his comment and numerous thoughts raced through my mind, number one being 'omg is he part of an animal protest group?! Am I going to be named and shamed on Facebook for wearing leather and being associated with an animal print?'. I found out eventually it was just his way of chatting me up in the middle of covent garden. Strange encounter nonetheless and one that has become a great story to tell. 

t- shirt, zara/ boots, dr martens/ belt, äland HK (similar here*)/ necklace, monica vinader*

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JEANS AND A NICE TOP

Oh hello, I'm talking to you with a fresh new do! As you can see I've gone full monty blonde.. but um some may say, a bit ginger. I had proposed to dye my hair a few years back, been telling my friends each year that this summer was THE summer I was gonna lose my virgin asian hair and I finally did it the summer of 2018 and it only took a mere 6 hours sat in the salon. The best and worst thing about having much lighter hair is that I don't see the physical strands anymore on the floor like I used to when applying my haircare routine as I have wooden flooring that is oddly the same shade as my hair. So give it a couple of months and I'll be swamped by my own hair with my room looking like a scene from The Lorax. 

I didn't realise how much I was obsessed with this low-fuss combination of an oversized tee and jeans look until I got my #OOTD taken. I go through phases of really loving colourful tops and tops with prints that are so statement others don't dare try it on for themselves. Most days where I'm wearing a t-shirt and jeans, I'm feeling the most 'me' and suddenly I think of how has this confidence appeared from the less genius (or is it genius?) idea of a basic tee and a pair of old jeans. Of course it's the type of jeans and how you style it, no pair of jeans is just that, a pair of jeans. I am very, very into straight leg jeans with a frayed hem. For the t-shirt, as contradicting as it may sound, I'm quite picky and it's a complicated process in choosing this simple decade old garment (FYI it has to be cotton and crew neck). 

 top, levis*/ shoes, Y3*/ glasses, ace&tate lily

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MY LIFE UPDATE

skirt, urban outfitters/ top, FILA from TKmaxx (similar here and here)/ necklace, H&M/ bracelet, tiffany & co

It's been a while since I had the spare time to sit in the sun with my Spotify discover playlist playing in the background and just being able to write freely on my blog just like the good old days of 2015. I finished my third year exams mid may, on my birthday actually. It seems like months ago but it's only been two and a half weeks? I didn't do anything OTT for my 21st, nothing like wining and dining at the Shard or going out out but just a bloody nice BBQ with my best mates. I came back home to Manchester just last Wednesday. I was greeted by the rain (obviously) and also my parents who came to pick me up from the station, because let me tell you, it's true what they say about the amount of shit you accumulate from living out.

I love British summer (despite often complaining, I am British after all), but I'm well excited to be heading off to Lisbon in a weeks time and then straight to Belfast to see one of my all time fave bands, Lany, at belsonic festival and Hong Kong for the first time in 3 years. Ever since I was a little 'un, I'd always take a trip there with my family every year or so and the last time I went was just before I moved out to start uni so you don't understand my excitement for all the glooooooorious food and the little things that I've missed such as the sound of the pedestrian crossing lights.

I’ve also got a fair few favourites of mine to share that I’ve discovered recently. First up,music. There are certain songs I can’t hear even the first few seconds of without being transported back to the exact time in my life that I remember playing it or how I felt when I was listening to it (‘come on over’ by coasts is a particularly potent one). If you haven't heard Post Malone's new album then where have you been?! Better now, over now and zack and codeine are 3 of my particular favourites. Listen to my other faves on my spotify playlist here for a piñata of indie rock anthems and summer vibes. You carry on pouring that aperol. I’ll wait. Secondly, I've been obsessed over the IT cosmetics cc cream, it has a delightful coverage that makes my skin look dewy and airbrushed as well as its ever so appealing SPF 50+. 10/10 recommend. I have the shade ‘medium’ and I suggest applying with a brush for the best outcome!

I've also been very much enjoying listening to a podcast by Pandora Sykes and Dolly Alderton, The High Low. I love listening to their witty dissection on society's taboo topics and current affairs especially when I'm not in the mood for prancing around to music getting ready in the morning. A fashion favourite of mine are these white stan smiths, which BTW looks mint with a cracking tan so you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be wearing them all summer. I have been pining for a leopard midi skirt for so long now after seeing them styled with trainers and a simple t-shirt by bloggers on pinterest and instagram. This one from urban outfitters was no exception with a button down front so the height of the slit is fully adjustable, *wink*. It also has pockets! Albeit not very practical and probably just for novelty as placing your phone would immediately drag your skirt down and feel uncomfortable. Leopard print can be combined with so many different colours: red, lilac, yellow, orange, pink.. etc the list goes on, which is why I love styling this feline print so much and how it’s so versatile. It is essentially one of my wardrobe staples.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading and let me know what you’d like me to cover! I’ll write soon, it’ll probably be about Lisbon the next time you’ll hear from me. Oooh how exciting.

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WHAT I WORE THIS MONTH

 top, ZARA/ jeans, brandy melville/ shoes, stan smith trainers via ASOS

top, H&M/ jeans, brandy melville

blazer, ASOS/ trousers, ASOS/ earrings, TOPSHOP

top, ZARA

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GET YOURSELF SOME ACE GLASSES

From top to bottom; phoebe in misty mauve, alfred in chocolate havana fad, nina in autumn leaves, finn in espresso gradient. Wearing; alfred, finn, nina

You may or may not know that I am blind as a bat (as in short sighted blind), I tend to only wear my glasses to see the board during my school years and currently in uni. At other times, I am completely hopeless and rely on everyone else around me to guide me through coffee shop chalkboard menus (if in doubt, flat white though). Now cue the judgement.. until last week I hadn't had my eyes checked in 5 years.. YES I know it's horrendous, it's so easy to just book an appointment yet I've been putting it off for the longest time until I've realised wow MAYBE it's time to get these peepers checked. Obviously my eye sight did get a little worse especially in my left eye but it wasn't as bad as I expected and the health of my eyes are still tip top, no dreaded glaucoma diagnosis!

I'd been eyeing up a pair of Ace & Tate glasses (pun not intended) for a while as well as wanting to try out contacts which was the final push in booking that appointment. I do like my current pair of Ray Ban frames but after 5 years, it is time for a change. I thought I'd have a go at Ace & Tate's try on at home service (which is a free service BTW), you choose 4 frames eligible within the service and they send it to you free of charge to try for 5 days and then you just send it back with the included pre-paid postage label! It's a great service especially when not everyone lives in london to be able to just pop into Ace & Tate to physically try on a pair of glasses and pictures never really give an accurate representation. I didn't have much hopes for the frames I chose since I was keen on a completely clear framed pair (wasn't available for home try on) but after trying on finn, I'm kinda undecided?! 

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