Shopping '& Other Stories' and 'Zara'

Seeing as it's payday-week I may have given in to shopping temptations & broken my self-imposed spending ban.

First of all I discovered the amazing store that is & Other Stories. It's just round the corner from Liberty on Regent Street & is the luxury counterpart to H&M.  In keeping with the Scandinavian fashion powerhouse that is H&M & COS, the store is a veritable treasure chest overflowing with beautiful clothes, accessories, lingerie & beauty products. I couldn't justify them on this occasion but I LOVE this black bustier, gold ring, wine coloured tassel sandals & grey mohair beanie.

Instead I treated myself to a couple of staple jewellery pieces that will go with everything & have been adorning my hands & wrists ever since. 

The gold ribcage ring & silver wave bangle came in at just £10 for the ring & £12 for the bangle, for the quality I think the price is amazing. Across the store they have definitely made an effort to keep prices as affordable as possible.

My next purchase was this pair of Zara boots.

I've been on the lookout for a new pair of heeled ankle boots for ages & I actually prefer these to the Ash Jalouse boots I was toying with buying. The fact that they were £29.99 was just an extra bonus!

I wore them to the Grazia event at the Harrods Fashion Lab earlier this week & they are far more comfortable than the four inch heel would suggest. They also come in black & sand but I'm glad I went for the khaki colour. The sludgey green is really versatile & neutral, working well to break up the all-black outfits I gravitate towards during the winter.

Have you made any new purchases? I love seeing what other people have been buying so please leave a link to your shopping posts or a comment below!

Harriet x

Harriet's A/W Wishlist- Zara

So I started doing this as a general A/W wishlist across my favourite brands, however the shortlist became so Zara heavy that I decided to keep it simple & do my picks of the current (amazing) Zara collection. Even so this selection is heavily streamlined, I could easily have picked twice as many pieces. A/W is definitely my favourite season style wise & as ever Zara have really hit the fashion jackpot with their lust-worthy coats, shoes & knitwear.

1. Duffle Coat with fur Hood. I love so many of the Zara coats it was hard to pick a favourite, for versatility combined with the luxe (faux) fur collar this grey number got the No.1 spot. It's a classic design that will see you through post-Christmas without the fickle fashion world moving on & leaving it for dust. My more trend-led runners up were this tartan jacket, & Zara's casual take on the ubiquitous pink coat that is everywhere this season.

2. Floral Lingerie Style Dress & Oversize Sweater. I think this delicate slip dress would look great with an oversized chunky knit like this one thrown on top. Teamed with some thick tights & ankle boots it would be a perfect cosy & girly winter outfit.

3. Combination Wellies, Ankle Boots & Leather Slingbacks. These are my three favourite Zara shoes at the moment, an elegant pair of wellies for combatting the inevitable rain & snow in the city. A pair of amazingly cheap burgundy Chelsea boots, & elegant evening heels that (thanks to the absence of a peep-toe) won't give you frostbite.

4. Maroon Dress. This jersey dress is right up my street. A throw it on, minimal effort dress that with the drape detailing doesn't require much dressing up. Add a snuggly scarf & some boots & you are good to go.

5. Shopper bag. This would be a great work bag for me, lots of room to pile all my rubbish in & really affordable so I won't be precious about taking it out in the pouring rain & subjecting it to the commute bus & tube floor. I love the burgundy/black colourway for Autumn.

6. Skirt with Buckles & Extra-Fine Sweater. Finally I love this black mini-skirt with buckle detail & ultra fine grey knit. They are both smart & versatile, & appeal to my love of back-to-school preppiness.

Let me know in the comments if you would like to see any A/W haul posts to see what new season items make their way into my wardrobe!

Harriet x

Sunday OOTD

Jumper: Gap

T-Shirt: Topshop

Scarf: Zara

Trousers: Miss Selfridge

Shoes: Nike via Size

Ring: Spitalfields Market

Nails: Ciate Caviar nails "Pearl" beads & "Cookies & Cream" Polish

This is my go-to comfy yet stylish outfit at the moment. The weather in old Blighty has been a bit miserable this week so baggy jumpers and lightweight scarves have been a must. I absolutely live in these leather look jeans from Miss Selfridge at the moment. They are really wearable and a bit more fancy than normal denim. Also feeling uber cool in my new(ish) all black Nike Air Max 90s. I like to think they add a bit of Hip-Hop into my otherwise quite plain outfit. The photo didn't come out too well but I tried out the Caviar nails by Ciate for the first time. I just did one nail on each hand with the beads quite understated and they're growing on me but be warned they do scare off children!  

Have a lovely evening!

Isobel x

Field Day OOTD

Miss Selfridge Jacket

Zara Scarf

Topshop Jumper

Zara Jeans

Office Boots

I went to Field Day Festival in Victoria Park on Saturday and thought I'd post my outfit for the day. I love these Zara jeans I bought recently, they are summery and fun. I normally opt for darker colours on my legs as my Mum tells me its slimming (you should always listen to your Mum) but I thought these were so cool I just couldn't resist. The scarf is also Zara and I literally haven't taken it off since I bought it. I feel a light, colourful scarf is a real staple for Summer (especially English summers!). 

Field Day is quite a small, intimate festival, we had a real blast. The line up was really good, lots of House Djs which took me back to my Uni days, I would seriously recommend it. 

Isobel x

Coffee Break OOTD

Jacket: Zara

T-Shirt: Topshop

Jeans: Primark

Bag: Accessorize

Shoes: H by Hudson

I've got the week off work (yay!) so I had a much needed lazy day. Keeping it casual as I just ran a few errands this morning and grabbed a quick coffee with Harriet...bliss. I got her to take a few snaps of my outfit before I head off for dinner tonight at a friend's house. I only got this jacket on Friday and have been wearing it all weekend as I'm totally in love. I'm really appreciating Aztec patterns being back on-trend at the moment and this jacket goes really well with these "red wine" coloured jeans too. 

Isobel x

January Sales!

'Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping'
Bo Derek - (80s Actress/ Model & Pinup)

So I have a shopping problem, some of my earliest memories are of discovering the joys of shopping & if I'm being honest (& very shallow) it's probably my favourite pastime.

As I mentioned in my very first blog post I have some saving to do in 2013, this means hiding my credit cards and reigning in the spending somewhat. However if its on sale and an absolute bargain then I don't see that as cheating. Plus I need it. Obviously.

I was going to wait until all of my January Sale bargains had arrived before I did this post, but some of them are taking a while to get here & I wanted to have it up before the sales end, so some items will still be available!

First stop SPACE.NK, I had completely forgotten to check out this luxury beauty sale until I saw the video Vivianna Does Makeup did on the bits she picked up! This is what I went for.

'Little Treat' by Aromatherapy Associates. £12 - reduced to £6.

I LOVE Aromatherapy Associates, such a gorgeous luxury brand. I saw these 'Little Treats' before Christmas but forgot to go back & pick any up, so I was delighted to see them 50% off in the sale! I picked up quite a few of these as I think they make an adorable little gift for someone. 

'Blueberry Water Booster' by Dr. Brandt. £30 - reduced to £15.

I've used this supplement before & had great results from doing so. It's a green tea concentrate with each dropper full equivalent to drinking 15 (!!) cups of the potent antioxidant filled stuff. It gives me the same great benefits that I get from a regular green tea habit - but as I'm not wild on the taste of green tea this is a great alternative for me! Great skin, health & energy levels? Yes please!

'Salon Glaze Conditioner' by Frederic Fekkai. £24 reduced to £12.

Already a fan of Frederic Fekkai hair products I thought I'd give this a whirl. As someone with wavy hair I'm always looking to add shine (our hair reflects less light) so hopefully this will live up to its claims & the brand.

'Shaker Bottle' by David Kirsch. £5.50 reduced to £2.50.

I added this to my basket as it'll be handy for preparing my protein shakes on the go. 

'Lip and Cheek Palette- The Pinks' by Kevyn Aucoin. £44 reduced to £22.

My most exciting Space NK purchase! The picture really doesn't do this palette justice, the colours are gorgeous, bright & right up my street. I've had a play around with it and I'm so impressed, great texture & pigmentation. 3 lip glosses, a cream blush & a lipstick all with a lovely big mirror, I think this is a bit of a bargain at £22, new handbag essential!

THE OUTNET

Not technically 'January Sale' but heavily discounted none the less.

'Paris Can Wait' Jersey Top by Zoe Karssen. £65 reduced to £39.

I love Zoe Karssen's designs, I live in basics like her jersey tops and tees but I'm not sure I would pay full price for them. They stock a lot of her last seasons line on The Outnet & after the discount they are much more purse friendly. I can't wait to wear this with skinny jeans, biker boots & a cute jacket, casual outfit done.

WAREHOUSE

'Colour Block Tweed Biker'. £65 reduced to £20.

I saw someone wearing this way back in the Autumn and loved it. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this little gem in the sale at £20! I snapped it up straight away. I love the oxblood colour and cropped biker style, a great item to freshen up my winter wardrobe.

ZARA

After being distinctly underwhelmed with the Zara sale first time round, I had another look today & noticed that there have been some serious markdowns in the meantime!

'Printed Platform Wedge' £49.99 reduced to £16.99.
An elegant monochrome wedge, I think these will look great with a dark manicure & black skinny jeans in the Winter or a tan, coral nails & a white skirt in Summer.

'Studded Cowboy Low Cut Boots'. £69.99 reduced to £19.99.
I couldn't let these boots pass me by! £20 for real leather boots is pretty hard to beat. I know I'll get a lot of wear out of these, the small heel means that I can run about all day in them & I love a pair of brown ankle boots (see this post).

'Neon Studded Bracelet'. £15.99 reduced to £3.99.
Again I saw this bracelet a while ago and was drawn to the neon colour and chunky studs. However I'm glad I waited - £4 is a lot easier to justify than £16! Another addition to my neon jewellery collection that I love teaming with neutral grey & black clothing.

&....... I'm still contemplating these!

'High Platform Sandal'. £49.99 reduced to £19.99.
I WANT these! I love the bright cherry red and the pop of colour it would bring to an outfit. But I really don't need another pair of heels......

'Studded Hell Ballerina'. £29.99 reduced to £16.99.
A basic black ballerina shoe with a twist. Perfect with black skinny jeans.

'Wool Herringbone Jacket'. £69.99 reduced to £39.99.

I Love the cut of this jacket. I think it would be a super stylish & flattering addition to my wardrobe. In a cool tone dark grey that I love.

Did you pick up any bargains in the sale? I would love to hear what you got. One shopping addict to another ;)

Harriet x