Halloween Costumes

If you like me love any opportunity to dress up then you will have sweaty palms at the thought of making a fab Halloween costume. 

In my time I have made so many fancy dress outfits that my wardrobe has a better supply than Angels!  Outfits have ranged from Super heroes to Little-BO-Peep with many a Madonna look along the way!  My speciality though is Halloween and the element of sex appeal that is required for a truly spectacular ghoulish look.  My practice began back in university when I was called on by my fellow house mates to make sexy witches outfits for us all to wear to our student union night Club sandwich!  What this entailed was a trip to Lewisham to purchase the cheapest black sexy material we could get our hands on and the obligatory fish net tights!  The material was expensive so to save money for booze, the finished look was net mini skirts with sequin embellishment, black knickers underneath as they really were very very short, matching customised tops (low cut), broom sticks, cape's made of black bin liners and fake eye lashes.  And since that day of dress up, I have never looked back.

Here is a look at some of the fab fancy dress outfits over the years:

Check out my how to make your own Halloween costume videos on videojug, this one is for a ghost costume but my favourite is the corpse bride, but there is a how to make a devil, skeleton or witch costume to look at too!

Halloween Costumes:
How To Make A Ghost Costume

Happy Halloween. x

Skincare Special

If you like me, have had a stinking cold or are just noticing the effect of this freezing weather on your skin then I thought I would share with you my secret skin care tips.

I have been a Dermalogica girl ever since, working as a Saturday girl in a beauty salon 12 years ago!  I had a short unsatisfying dalliance into Clinique when i joined university but soon returned to the wonders of Dermalogica  after a serious breakout and a case of dry skin that looked and felt terrible.

I have a religious routine that I follow day and night and then an extreme weather or skin crisis routine.  This sounds boring and UN experimental but it works and It doesn't stop me trying new products or ranges which I do all the time, but 99% of the time its dermalogica and this last week it has prevented the crusty, red nose that these winter colds usually bring!

Then I pop on the skin smoothing cream in the obligatory upward motion (to prevent the wrinkles).  This moisturiser is great for an everyday one but in the winter or when I am feeling under the weather I like to use a little extra product to protect my skin!

The magic miracle product is the Barrier repair cream.  I initially purchased this product to protect my skin on the slopes when skiing, but now I use it as a primer for make-up or as a layer to lock in the moisture of my skin smoothing cream when I want to avoid dry skin or a crusty nose, and it really works.

With the barrier repair cream I find that my skin is really smooth even when its cold, so I can still use my favourite new product this year...  The Laura Mercier minerals powder foundation.  Trust me ladies this foundation is to die for, it makes my kin look sooooooooo smooth and clear.  I love it love it love it!

 My last little keep the winter skin at bay tip is this gorgeous Moisture replenish lip balm from Clarins.  I keep it in my handbag and use it in between lipstick applications to keep my lips soft and plump, so that my red lipstick looks smooth.  It also tastes lush (if you like rose flavoured Turkish delight).

I hope this is helpful to all you gals fighting a cold or the affects of the weather and the heating!  Don't panic there will be fashion chat back tomorrow, with a ghoulish twist!

Knee High boots!

In the last 2 weeks I have had lots of my clients asking about knee high boots, where to get them?  How much to spend?  What colour should I get?  So I started looking at the best the high street had to offer, from low to high budget and from flat to high heeled options.


I loved these Buxton boots from Dune, they are £155 and look fab on the leg.  The studded detail on the platform add a little interest that will complement my favourite trend of the season glam goth!  Don't be afraid of a little detail as it makes your boot stand out.

Another boot from the high street with some detailing was this fab Belle and Mimi boot from Dorothy Perkins.  Its £95, is really comfortable and fits the leg really well, in terms of the embellishment I prefer the Dune boots but if you want something that wont date then this is a great choice.

If your not scared of buying boots with embellishment that is bang on trend then check out these boots from New Look.  They are £39 and a great casual option.

For those of you wimps out there who don't like to much of a heel... Check out these Haitian boots from KG.  They are £180 and look sophisticated and chic with any outfit.

But if your like me and love a killer heel and an uber sexy knee high then look no further than these Vienna boots also from KG.  They are £220, but when you put them on you feel like a vixen and that feeling when buying a pair of knee high boots is what you should get when you try them on!

I came away deciding that the British high street really does cater for everyones budget and taste! 

Workwear - how to wear a pencil skirt

Recently I have been doing a lot of styling work for TK Maxx, promoting there work and smart wear.  This involved a fab week long tour of the UK on the very red TK Maxx bus and doing mini makeovers for competition winners all over the country.

One of the looks that works really well for us women in the working environment is the classic pencil skirt.  I recently filmed this short style video for video jug about how to wear a pencil skirt and thought that I would share it with you.  Aside from talking slower next time and wearing a brighter lipstick, I would be really grateful for your feedback and advice on the video as it's my first time styling to camera.  I would also love to know if there are any style videos that people want to see?


Create Your Style:
How To Wear A Pencil Skirt

I think that the important thing with work wear is to get creative with what you have.  Don't be afraid of colour and layering and accentuate your femininity with luxury fabrics like silk and chiffon and always finish off your look with a fab accessories, like a shoe, bag or belt in a standout colour!

Hear are some great pencil skirts on the high street:
This one is the Tuxedo skirt from Karen Millen £110, it has great seeming detail on it and no fuss on the waistband which means you can play around with waist belts or wearing tops UN tucked.

This grey stripe pencil from Dorothy Perkins is great if you don't have much of a hip as the ruched detail gives a little more bulk to the hip area which will make your waist look smaller (yay).  It is also allot cheaper at £25!

Then we have this great ASOS jersey skirt which accentuates the midi length of the season but is also ultra comfy.  At only £20 it is a great way to buy into a work look and a trend length for the season.

Or you could try a great print or colour on your pencil skirt.  This houndstooth skirt is from the TK Maxx website and is only £16.99.

for more tips on work wear check out the interview i did for THE WHARF.

Winter Accessories - Wish list

I love it when the weather starts getting cold and I can start thinking about my winter accessories list!  The list is ever changing and usually involves a fantasy story to accompany each accessory, and subsequently usually ends up being a catalogue rather than a list, here are a few that I have added for the time being!

I love theses purple over the knee socks from River Island.  They are only £6.99 and will look fab with my brogues and great to keep me warm in  my drafty house!  (actually I have already purchased them, oops)

Because my house is so cold in Winter I usually wear my fluffy sheep slippers, but have not found any replacements that I love yet.  I will of course keep looking but should I fail I have found these fab furry feet warming boots from Zara, the downside is that they are £108 and I am not sure if they are worth it!

This little pom pom eared Bear face beany is SO adorable.  I think the child in me is imagining wearing this and diving into a heap of autumn leaves, and I am loving the dream, so I will be parting with 12 of my hard earned pounds at Topshop in the very near future!

Once I have embraced my inner child and frolicked in the leaves, I will be reverting back to the uber glamorous woman that I am and sport this fabulous statement necklace, £95 from Reiss, with an even more fabulous frock (yet to be chosen) whilst drinking champagne in front of an open fire in a gorgeously opulent country manor hotel with my beloved!

Did I mention that I love Autumn Winter?

Beautiful Bumps!

As 2 of my fabulous friends are currently pregnant and dressing their beautiful bumps, I thought I would look at the Maternity wear available on the high street and I was pleasantly surprised with the selection.  Gone are the days of smocks and ill fitting maternity jeans, now the maternity wear is stylish and bang on trend so as your body changes your sense of style does not have to!  Most high street brands do maternity versions of the current collections and the specialist Maternity wear designers do fabulous classics that look luxurious and comfortable, but most of all stylish!

So this blog entry is for Ruth and Hazel and all you other gorgeous pregnant ladies!

Topshop has a great selection of maternity and the London Flagship also has a great maternity section which is almost its own little shop.  I think it is important to stay true to your own personal style when pregnant and this outfit i have picked out would be a great everyday outfit that can be dressed up or down with accessories.

These camel trousers £40 are bang on trend in the camel camp, but also really flattering. 

I would add this floral top £35 which has a fabulous open back for a great day look.

Alternatively glam them up with this great cobweb top £18 and add some gold or silver necklaces and a smokey eye and your away!  The fab thing is all of these are in the maternity range so they will fit your bump, your lifestyle and your bank balance!

Isabella Oliver has a great selection of maternity day wear, but the items that really stood out where the selection of dresses with some great day to day looks but also fabulous occasion wear options, from black tie to weddings.  This is the place to go for flattering and feminine maternity evening wear both of these dresses are $195 but well worth the investment.

The first dress I have selected would work really well for day, evening or special occasion by adding layering and boots to dress it down or glitzy accessories to dress it up!

The second look I thought was a fab winter look and includes the new maternity polo neck $115, that they have added to there collection!

Mama's and Papa's also do great selection of maternity wear as well as gorgeous baby stuff and these 2 looks are both from Mama's and Papa's and look really stylish and relaxed.

This top is £48 but really great over shirts or long sleeved t-shirts

This t-shirt is a great fun print £14 and the cardigan is £42 and again in that great camel colour which is key for this season.

Looking at maternity wear has been really good fun but I will be honest, I found some of the maternity collections really disappointing.  The first was the DVO collection with Very, it was really boring and slightly frumpy, it consisted of mostly basics that I felt were overpriced.  Having said that Very did stock mama's and papa's and another fab brand called South.

This top is £22, a bargain and would look great layered over a polo neck or long sleeved T!

When dressing your bump, don't loose your own personal style or individuality.  Experiment and have fun dressing your tummy as it is one of the only times we get to show off an expanding waistband rather than hiding it or squeezing it into SPANX!  When shopping, I would opt for Dorothy Perkins or H&M for basics, Topshop and Next for the style element and Isabella Oliver for the dressier options!