Fashion Trends We Will See This Season SS16

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Spring is upon us! Bring on the warmer weather and the longer days! There is nothing that I love more than to roll up the jumpers that have gotten me through the winter (I really feel the cold) and pull out my summer dresses. The great thing about SS16 so far, is that for those of us who hold on to fashion items (yes hoard! Okay I hoard clothes!) It’s where we bring out the ‘vintage’ pieces and are suddenly on trend again. Yay for us!

So what is popular right now that you can go down the high street or jump on the internet and find? – especially if you aren’t a hoarder like me! Well I believe there is something for everyone this season. Sometimes you cannot say that about fashion, but this Spring and Summer, regardless of how skinny or how curvy you may be, I think the majority of people can pull off the majority of the looks I’m about to go into more detail about.

Where to begin… For the fashion conscious among us it’s the time where we really start to take notice of what is being paraded up and down the fashion weeks. I was very happy to discover that both Lace and Stripes are in! I do have a soft spot for both of these styles. Another selection of pieces I kept coming across was big on bold colour and prints. Block prints and brighter colours were favoured. Something else that is making a comeback this year is the Tartan and Gingham style print, often used in dresses and skirts, this look is so versatile. I’m sure anyone who has lived through the 1990’s will remember what the fashion was like, dresses and jackets with puffy sleeves and of course the metallic and sequins phase! Well these things are also making a comeback it seems! So not only that, but the late 90’s early 2000’s saw lots of slip dresses become fashionable, along with statement jewellery pieces.

But the most popular look with the models this season seems to be the trend of the ‘cold shoulder’. Whether regarding a top or a dress, there are many ways to adopt this style. It was seen throughout the early fashion weeks and is a look that women of all ages can pull off. Women with sophistication have been using its stylish yet sexy appeal to bare skin for decades.

So what have I been buying I hear you ask? Well here are some snapshots of my most recent purchases, some of which are from the end of last year when these trends were just coming into season. If you can still get these items or something similar, I will be supplying links for you at the end of the post (look out for the numbers as a reference to which item).

Starting with Lace, which is a firm favourite of mine. It can make dresses look sophisticated and make tops classier. I bought this beautiful dress from BooHoo (1). The attention to detail is absolutely stunning, as you can see in my images of both the full dress and the close up of the lace detail. And it looks far better on your body with the shade of your skin underneath than it would ever look on a hanger. Not only that but it was so comfortable to wear you could forget you even had it on. If you want something that shows some elegance without having to bare too much skin then this is the kind of dress for you. BooHoo has some wonderful Lace focused pieces. I chose this one simply because of my size and my height. I was very happy with the quality of the material and it also washed well after I wore it.

Detail in Lace Dress ProcSW

On to Stripes now, and I suppose some of these can also be classed under the block colour trend as well. I have so many striped items in my wardrobes, tops and dresses mostly, but I just love how stripes can make you look. Not only that but you can wear stripes in many ways, with heels and a necklace for a night out, or just throw on a stripy jumper to go down to the supermarket in. For whatever reason you buy something with stripes, just make sure it will flatter your figure. Some people look better with larger stripes and others benefit from thinner and more subtle striped pieces. The photograph I am sharing with you contains some of my pieces from Dorothy Perkins purchased over the past 3 months. Although they are all jumper dresses, the versatility of these and the comfort you get from wearing them, makes it all worthwhile. We all want to look nice and sometimes you need an item that is both easy to wear but can also look good. Dress it up with a nice jacket and heels, or they go perfectly well with leggings or jeans on a dress down day. All of these dresses of mine in the photograph (2) wear and wash well.
I have many stripy dresses in my wardrobe too, and they vary in material. I do prefer a thicker dress, one that I can wear all year around, but that’s mainly because I despise tights!

If you’re thinking about giving stripes a go then there are several places doing some beautiful striped items right now. Those I’ve researched include Pretty Little Thing, Dorothy Perkins, BooHoo, Next and New Look. Check them out and find something you love.

The final look that I am going to talk about I am not actually that familiar with, and that is the Tartan and Gingham style of clothing. I have a check dress (3) which is pretty cool because it has two pockets on the front which is detail that really adds to the piece. Unless prints like this make your eyes go funny, it really makes a statement to wear. In my opinion you need to pair an item such as this with plain accessories so it doesn’t take away from the detail of the article. You want people to see the dress or skirt as a statement piece, that’s why your eyes are drawn to its pattern. You can wear this thin strap style with a t-shirt underneath, or on a warm day just as it is. So at least if this trend stays in through to the Autumn, I can wear this dress knowing I’m still in fashion.

PocketOfCheckDressPSW

Thank you for reading my article today. If you are interested in purchasing or looking further at any of the clothes featured in my blog post, then please see the references below for the links.
1. http://www.boohoo.com/restofworld/going-out-dresses/zoe-flock-long-sleeve-bodycon-dress/invt/azz61708
2. http://www.dorothyperkins.com/en/dpuk/product/stripe-cold-shoulder-tunic-5319725
3. http://www.dorothyperkins.com/en/dpuk/product/gingham-check-pinny-dress-5264298

Review of Wake Me Up Foundation products from Rimmel London

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RimmelReviewSW

At the end of 2015 I took the plunge and changed my foundation for the first time in two years! I was pleasantly surprised with how light this foundation was on my skin. Rimmel London is a great brand and I have used their Nail Varnishes and Matte Powders for over ten years. The appeal to change to this type of foundation was because of the natural ingredients used within it. The Vitamin C along with the soft texture of the foundation won me over. And I was right to try it.
I have never known a foundation to be so smooth and to stay so flawless on my skin. With all over coverage it blended into my skin tone giving me a natural looking finish. I wore it all day (around 12 hours) and I still looked great after all that time, which included eating, drinking and socialising. The foundation itself during that time felt light and left my skin feeling moisturised. It easily covered the dark circles under my eyes and blended any areas of redness away. I do often have sensitive and dry skin, and I found that the moisturising aspect of this foundation meant that I didn’t need to use much primer before applying it. Over all I would give these foundation products a 5/5.

5/5 for its durability.
5/5 for application ease.
5/5 for the quality of the products.
5/5 for value for money.
5/5 for its appearance and final look.

7 Ways to be more Positive and spread Positivity

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There is a strong belief that being positive can affect your life for the better. I am a strong believer in the way that positive thoughts and actions can make those difficult days more bearable. We all go through things at times in our lives that can benefit from being more positive. So I wanted to share with you today, my 7 favourite ways to be positive and how to spread positivity.

1. Smile
Smiling, pretty simple really. It’s incredible how a smile can make, not only your own day better, but by smiling at a colleague, a loved one or even a stranger without provocation can cause a chain reaction. We all know that smiling is the reason for having positive emotional content, whether it’s seeing a friend in the street or watching a cute kitten on a video. By smiling at will we are stimulating our brain to think that it is experiencing something positive and therefore it makes us feel good. Here is something interesting, the next time you’re out walking to somewhere pick a random person to smile at, make sure you catch their eye, and see if they smile back, I almost guarantee they will, and it could make their day better too.

2. Share
I am a huge believer in ‘if it makes you happy it probably would make other people happy too’. For some of us that is sharing social media of kittens and puppies doing ridiculously cute acts, and for others it’s a really good joke! Either way, by sharing that small moment of happiness with others, you are putting it out there to benefit people other than yourself.

3. Talk
Well this one might seem an odd one, but talking really can help extinguish negative or sad thoughts. Whenever I feel low I tend to pick a family member on my phone and either hit dial or send them a text. It can be amazing to discuss things, especially if they are worries, because a problem shared really is a problem halved. More so if you are speaking with someone of any wisdom on their shoulders. Even if you don’t have a family member you can speak with, a friend or even a stranger can make all the difference. Seeing an issue from another person’s point of view can make them think differently about what is going on, and could help them through the tough time.

4. Hobbies
There’s nothing I like more than getting stuck into one of my hobbies. I do have a lot of them and it’s often difficult some days to decide what to do. If I am feeling particularly patient then arts and crafts will be on the agenda, however if I am agitated I might opt for a video game to take out frustrations… The point I am trying to make is that no matter who you are and what your means are, there will always be a hobby out there for you. Some hobbies are solitary and others require friends, but the best thing they can do is be a great way to take your mind off things, and even make new acquaintances.

5. Be Kind to Yourself
Sometimes this isn’t so obvious, especially if we are feeling down because we may reach for the television remote and the largest bar of chocolate we can find. But actually being kind to your body and mind can help your mood in a drastic way. Even a fifteen minute walk will give your brain an oxygen boost and the exercise releases endorphins. These create positive feelings and also reduce our perception of any pain we may be experiencing. Eating well can always help you feel more positive, getting plenty of natural vitamins and minerals, as well as enough water a day can really make a difference. Cooking can be really fun to try as well.

6. Sleep
For me, this is an obvious one. I love to just lounge about on a day off (until you remember all the things you need to do that day). But speaking honestly now, sleep is so important, you will definitely feel the benefits if you don’t already get enough hours a night. Adults need anywhere between 6 and 9 hours of sleep a night to function well. This doesn’t mean the nights of broken and interrupted sleep patterns though. This is often why so many people struggle with negative feelings that creep in during the later hours of the day when we are at our most tired. Take the time to rest; you will thank yourself for it, even if you can only afford one lie in each week, and your body will thank you too.

7. Being Grateful
One thing that I have always been a big believer in is that somewhere in the world someone is suffering more than you. Be thankful for all that you have and all that you are. We often neglect the simple things and take them for granted. But the great majority of us live fantastic lives, we have loved ones, we have social lives, we have food in our tummies and belongings we treasure. When something is really bothering me I try to take a timeout, to breathe slowly and to recall mentally all the things I’m most happy about and grateful for in my life. Sometimes the thing that upset you moments earlier seems small in comparison, and you can hold your head high knowing that you’ve overcome that moment of negativity. The positives almost always outweigh the negative thoughts, so don’t let them win. You’re worth more than that, you deserve to be happy.