sun split

:: Leather Jacket - DIY & Vintage ::

:: Hooded Top - Primark ::

:: Aztec Tank - Urban Outfitters :

:: Fringe Necklace -  Astrid & Miyu :: 

:: Trousers - c/o AA @ ASOS ::

:: Boots - Dr Martens :: 

As I said in my last post, yesterday was spent casting models all day. Sitting on a panel, watching a stream of beautiful and unique girls parade in front of me is something I never thought I would do. Yet is has become an integral part of my job. As I cast the girls, get them to the shoot and style them on the day, I usually feel very protective over them. Almost like they my delicate little sisters.

We were casting for a really exciting TV advert that is coming up in the next few weeks - around the time of a big shoot or commercial, my outfit posts seem to go out of the window , I work longer hours and dress purely for comfort. Usually sporting leggings and an oversized t-shirt, which isn't really thrilling for my blog readers to look at. However I am going to try and document what I do each day on the way up to something like this, hopefully giving you a true insight into my life. I hate that some people that work in the industry make out that its all shining and fabulous. It is hard work, worth it, but tiring. So, as yesterday was spent sitting watching parading models all day, I didn't exactly dress to impress- but balancing my camera on my car wind-mirror ( how chic ), I managed to grab a few snaps for those who 'read' my blog without actually reading it.

N.B - I would never ever in a month of Sunday's pay £70 for a pair of trousers, but I had a voucher & with all the money I spend on leggings to wear for work - these seemed ideal. Ive been wearing them for every photo shoot when styling. They are a godsend for a Stylists workwear.

forget the sorrow & I can be on the last train home

:: Knitted Hat - Primark ::

:: T-shirt - DeadHeroes Clothing ::

:: Skirt - H&M ::

:: Tartan Scarf - H&M ::

:: Hooded Top - Primark ::

:: Leather Spiked Jacket - DIY ::

:: Triple Skull Ring - Astrid & Miyu ::

Yesterday's outfit was all about the comfort factor. This t-shirt is essentially a second skin, and despite the fact that warmer weather is on the horizon, my unmanageable hair definitely benefits from a hat of some sort . I am casting models all day today, which I will go into more detail on tomorrow so this is just a super quick post, in fact I have a few really amazing things to share with you all.

I am pretty much in love with my new ring and am ready to have lots of silver skull babies with it . It's often hard to find rings that don't slide straight back off these witch like fingers my Mam passed down to me - but this little bugger is hanging onto them . Perfect sizing. Oh, and for any budding jewellery designers out there - stick the pieces in a fit little bag - it makes it that little bit more awesome.

Get your very own little skull ring here at Astrid & Miyu .

your love is gonna drown

:: T-Shirt - Hero&Cape ::

:: Hooded Jacket - Primark ::

:: Leather Jacket - Vintage with DIY spikes ::

:: Denim Levi Shorts - Urban Outfitters ::

:: Rings - London Markets ::

:: Boots - Dr Martens ::

After bonding over our mutual love of Death Cab for Cutie, Hero & Cape sent me this amazing tee with the 'Marching Bands of Manhattan' lyrics on it. My love of all American electronic indie rock will never falter. Death Cab and The Postal Service CD's literally litter my car - my other loves include Bell x1, Dashboard Confessional, Hadouken, The Libertines, The Sex Pistols, The Beatles, Joy Division and Goo Goo Dolls. The two worlds of fashion and music live so harmoniously together.

i'm never as good as when you're there

 

:: Hat - H&M ::

:: Dress - c/o Zalando ::

:: Bag - Gift ::

:: Irregular Choice Shoes - c/o Brandosa ::

:: BodyChain - Urban Oufitters :: 

Say no to red and pink and yes to black and silver.

This dress could so be something I am not, but I think the juxtaposition of pairing a rather slinky dress with fishnets and a chunky shoes works to my advantage. The detail on these shoes is amazing; glimpses of mallard and green can be seen when the sunlight hits the feathers and given the frosty , almost white skies, the contrasted palette of blacks and greys gives a simplistic monochrome look  . The almost shapeless rectangle that is this dress, allows it to be rolled, tied, tucked, pinned and worn off the shoulder - here though, a body chain was used to define my waist and add a little extra interest to this blank canvas.

Look how feminine I look ?! Lap it up guys and girls!

Happy V- Day from SaraLuxe & my favourite, 'Almost Famous' :

dodge them

:: Faux Fur - River Island ::

:: Velvet Dress - Missguided ::

:: Boots - Dr Marten ::

A weekend of bowling, mega breakfasts ( see here ) , watching Daniel Radcliffe act all manly in 'The Woman In Black', braving the cold, driving through fog, arcade loving and hair plaiting.

settle down

I never write about advertising campaigns here ( unless styled by yours truely ) but this has blown me away. There is something so poetic and dreamy about butterflies settling on a tattooed man, plus my girl crush on Charlotte Free continues heavily. Everyone involved in this should be uber proud. Stunning.

i had to run away high so i wouldn't come home low

:: Faux Fur Coat - River Island ::

:: Checked Shirt - Topshop ::

:: Vintage Shorts - Urban Outfitters ::

:: Hat - H&M ::

:: Feather Badge - Primark ::

Cold bleak mornings are only made worse when you must de-ice the inside of your car . The only positives are that there is very little wind which makes for good hat-wearing weather; allowing my to wear this hat outside for the first time this year without fear of chasing it down the street.

I tend to reach for the same silhouettes for workwear; collared shirts, knits, leggings, shorts and oversized t-shirts are a dream for me to work in - comfortable for when I am styling in the studio, but not overly grungey.

In other new I have been trying to eat healthily - as some one who tends to reach for high sugar foods and snacks heavily and then misses meals - it has been more of a challenge than I thought ( see me talking about my health & fitness in this video ). Lets be clear - I am not dieting. My sleep, emotions and general health has suffered of late due to my unhealthy eating habits and I am trying to cut sugary snacks out of my diet cold-turkey until I get used to reaching for something healthier instead. The handy iPhone app 'MyFitnessPal' has been helping me along - just noting down everything you eat makes you much more aware of eating well. My fridge has never looked so green and fresh. 

shellshocked

:: For product info - watch the video :: 

I quickly took this video's and photo's using a phone last weekend - I felt an item this out of place in my wardrobe needed documenting despite the lousy equipment. With many describing my wardrobe as black, and me having a secret crush on neon's since my shellsuit in the early 90's ( yes I did just say that - blame MammyLuxe ), I wanted to give it a bash. I'm not crazy about the outfits, but I did what I set out to do and this blog finally has a little more colour.

The first outfit I wore to do a weekly shop in Sainsbury's - that's what velvet catsuits are for right ? and if not, why the hell not?! The second was a more sophisticated outing. If i could change anything it would be my hair in the second outfit - far too curly and neat - you will be pleased to know much finger combing and messing went out before I faced the outside world . My biggest pet hate ? My hair being neat - makes me look around 12.

my day job

:: Hat - H&M ::

:: Knitted Jumper - Primark :: 

:: Shirt - Very.co.uk ::

:: Shorts - Missguided.co.uk ::

:: Shoes - PPQ for Office ::

Yesterday was the Missguided Spring/Summer 2012 Press Day in London. After 6 hours sleep we arrived at the venue to organise the pink chesterfield, the pick n mix, danish pastries, smoothies and mixed fruits ready for the press. The stylists of celebs such as Kelly Rowland & Alexandra Burke came, much to my delight, dressed in a way that highlighted their creative roles - causing me to make a beeline for them as soon as I could. Nathan Klein arrived dressed in Dr Martens with slouchy knit socks casually rolled over the top , an oversized flannel-like stripe shirt with a wooden cross necklace and quickly became my favourite new Twitter follower. Sally-Anne (my secret girl crush), the Fashion Editor at More Magazine arrived with Sophie Stevens and I caught up with Theresa from Company Magazine as she browsed the new collection. Speaking to freelance stylists, magazine editors, fashion journalists and reporters about our Spring range and gossiping about what everyone is up to made me totally forget that I was wearing stupidly towering heels - and after 11 hours in the bad boys I finally changed into my trusty brogues. I managed to invite a handful of bloggers that have worked with Missguided, so it was so nice to be able to have a catch up whilst I was down south for a change - even if I was in work mode. Now I have stripped of my 'work persona' and am back to being a blogger  - until Monday anyway...

If you wanna see photos from the Press Day , you can see them on my Facebook Page here. 

I can also now officially announce that Missguided are the main sponsor of Manchester Fashion Week 2012 ! How amazing is that ?! Head over to the website to find out more . I have a feeling you will hear a lot more about it from me over the next few months from a styling point of view.

feeling fine and dandy

:: Nails - Twilight #27, Plum #28, Hotpants #15 Nail Pop from LOOK Beauty ::

:: Lips - Fruit Punch #4 Lip Slick from LOOK Beauty ::

:: Dress - River Island ::

:: Hat - H&M ::

As stated a few days ago, I have a pretty unstable relationship with my own face. So when LOOK Beauty sent me some items, & they actually suited me ( shock horror ) I had no idea how I could comfortably photograph me wearing them.

I always feel very 'dandy' when wearing this hat and despite the pairing of it with a green dress seeming odd, it kind of worked. To finish off the 'dandy' feel, I needed a carnation. Alas, a bunch of plastic flowers from inside an empty Whisky bottle on my windowsill had to suffice. Look at how I smell them to fool you all.

I'm heading down to London for the Missguided Press day on Thursday, so if you are going make sure you come & say hi. It's a mix of fashion insiders, journalists, bloggers etc should it should be fun. Hectic but fun. 

ricochet, you take your aim fire away, fire away

So here is the video of my purchases whilst in London. Don't get too excited, I have rent to pay & a hamster to feed so I only spent around £45 in total. Like I have said before I dont really like the word ' haul ' but due to the pressure of 'tag' words, I've called it that .

Feeling more confident speaking in this video, so I hope that comes across as I'm not gasping for breath halfway through each sentence. You should know that I smashed a lamp in the making of this video & wandered around the flat for 30 minutes with my camera trying to find a spot with lighting that didn't make me resemble an ogre. Which is quite an achievement given that you can walk from one side of my humble abode to the other in six seconds. . 

I'm wearing:

:: Tribal Top - Urban Outfitters ::

:: Necklace - London Market ::

:: Lipstick - Diva @ MAC ::

I bought:

:: Necklace & Headwrap - Matalan ::

:: Tee's & Tanks - YoCoCoCamden ::

let's face it

:: Eye Liner - Rimmel Soft Kohl in Black ::

:: Lipstick - Collection 2000 Volume Boost in 14 Red Red ::

:: Cat Ears Ring - Cheap Frills ::

My own face is something I have never gotten quite used to, despite the number of times over the years that I have come face-to-face with it . Many of my blog photo's remain lacking in expression, on family photo's my 'looks' range from drunk, sleepy, bored, deranged and creepy and despite me modelling for such sites as 'NEXT' in the past I have still become very insecure about what I really look like.

Hoping to push this crippling self-doubt to the back of my mind and start a-fresh I have decided to start showing you a face that portrays something other than a sullen little child.

So here is some images from a shoot I did for a friend which exercised my facial muscles beyond belief.

N.B - I am still developing my 'About Me' page so ask away below, tweet/formspring me !

casting my net

A few months ago on live Radio I was asked what I would wear on a night out. My answer ? The same as what I would wear during the day - swapping my converse for heels. No glam dresses, sexy satin or vibrant shades for me, I'm afraid. I want to feel comfortable on a night out, not worrying about spilling down myself ( an all too familiar occurrence ). Don't get me wrong I like dressing up as much as the next girl. But truth be told, I find black & high-waist's are my friend. I am also not unfamiliar with abandoning my tights half way through the night should the rising temperature call for it, or loosing a jacket, whipped off when a particularly up tempo song comes on. Therefore I need thin layers - that if the night should call for it - wont mind being discarded in a corner somewhere.

So I might take a simple pair of velvet high waisted shorts and a black bandeau...

then add a netted layer ontop - light enough to be dance-ready yet conservative enough that I need not worry about the Police picking me up .

I'd prob add a few necklaces - later regretting it when they are caught in my mane after some extreme dance moves - Then viola ! Let's all go for drinks !

:: High Waisted Velvet Shorts - London Market ::

:: Lace Bralet - Primark ::

:: Cross Pendant pinned to the top - Vintage , given to me by my Mammy ::

:: Tights - H&M ::

:: Netted Top - Primark ::

:: Nail Polish - c/o LOOK Beauty ::

reality leaves a lot to the imagination

So here it is, my last day in London after going to the Brit Awards Nomination Party. It mostly consisted of Market Shopping, eating proper food ( I'm a pie and chips girl & I work in fashion - sue me ), sitting on a bench by the famous Abbey Road crossing for over an hour watching the tourists attempt to get the perfect freeze-frame photo without getting knocked off their feet by people trying to get home & resting my ankle after 3 days of non-stop walking in Dr Martens. Hope you have enjoyed these video's - would love to hear what you think as always.

I have a post with my London 'buys' coming up . The word 'haul' grinds on me, perhaps its jealousy that I never have the time nor money to do big shopping trips, and I don't think a Primark Snood & a packet of Haribo constitute a 'haul'. So this will  be another big cherry pop for me, I actually bought more than 2 things ! Cup-a-Soups for me for the rest of January then.  Boo-urns. 

his and hers , yours truly

Day two of London, after the night of the Brit Awards Nomination Party,  we went to Covent Garden, Petticoat Lane market & had a night out in Soho. Visiting a bar called Garlic & Shots which was pretty much a perfect place for us amongst all the 'pretty bars'. Old American stickers covered the furniture, random things hung from the walls, over 100 shots were served, many containing garlic & all the food was dripping in the stuff.I went for a shot containing tomato, chilli, vodka & garlic. Isn't hindsight a marvelous thing...
  Not the place to go if you hope to bag yourself a classy lady, but a place to go for a knee's up with metal heads and people with stories so random that would baffle even the brightest of minds.

I have incorporated a few outfits into the video. Outfit's of the Day, if you will. Hope you like the execution of it all. Still learning, still learning. 

ASOS winners

A while ago I posted about the ASOS Fashion Finder, & one of their competitions 'Party Style with Reiss' where you could upload a pic of yourself in your 'ultimate party outfit' & you win a £300 Reiss gift card for 1st place, £150 for 2nd and £50 for 3rd. Amazingly it was judged by the Fashion Finder Editorial Team, the Brand Director of Reiss & the Brand Manager of ASOS Fashion Finder which I think is a great way for Bloggers to get more exposure and get inspiration from other people's style. However the 3 winners were:

1. Thank Fifi ASOS Look / Blog

2. Clare Astra ASOS Look  / Blog

3. Elfie Eva ASOS Look  / Blog

Make sure you check them out. Clare (2) is my fav, however I might be biased cos I follow her blog, PLUS she is wearing a Missguided Blazer. That's my girl. 

* Sponsored - Asos sent me an email about this competition however the decision to post, words & opinions are my own.  

Also I am going to do an About Me/FAQ section as i get a lot of questions on Twitter & Formspring and thought it might answer any things you want to know. So if you have any, Tweet/Formspring/Comment & I'll add it on.

she is no-one standing alone

A little 'behind the scenes' video from my night at the Brit Awards Nomination Party. I took a few short video's in London, so I have 2 more to show you which are more outfit based. This isn't a Golden Globe winning video, it is just so you can get an idea of what I got up, after I got requests to see more of my life behind the blog.
I finally got to meet Professor Green, saw Rizzle Kicks, Jessie J & of corse the performers. I was late due to my inhability to follow both a map on my phone and walk on cobbles in heels but it was worth it. If only for Paps to take photos of me running from the venue until someone shouted 'She is No-one'. Thanks Guys.

You can also see my Henry Holland for Pretty Polly tights with my very own 'SaraLuxe' print that were gifted by them for Xmas - plus turn your speakers up for a treat by The Tapestry .

bird flies online tonight

I wore this last week but am only just getting around to posting it . The last few days have been hectic & I cannot wait to share some of the new video's I have been doing with you - including a 'Behind the scene's at the Brit Awards Nomination Party' one.

I've started doing these GIF's as a way of showing my outfit's as right since the dawn of time on this blog I have constantly waffled on about my need to layer anything. I feel naked when I wear a top & bottom simply,on their own.

We have started to do more video's at work & it is my responsibility to find & produce content. So far we have done video's and stop/start animations. The stop/start animations are video's made up of lots of photos. As my camera is not one that can be used to take lots of snaps of me putting on my outfit, the photographer suggested that GIF's were the next best thing. Now we use GIF's on the homepage & I've stole them to use on my blog, I am however, investing in a better camera & have a few new idea's on how to produce my outfit posts so watch this space. Evolution is a wonderful thing.

Im sane but Im overwhelmed

I write this on my phone, sitting in a rather apt cafe called 'Luxe' in London. Last night I had an amazing night at the BRIT Awards Nomination Party & today I am hitting the markets.

Literally hours ago I learnt that I am nominated for several 'awards' at the COMPANY blog awards which seriously made my heart burst. I am so so thrilled and it really does mean the world to be nominated with bloggers I admire and regularly read.

I thought i'd just quickly tap up a post on my phone and ask you that if you do think I deserve a vote- to please vote. I'm not expecting miracles but I thought I'd bring it to your attention anyway.

Look at me urging you to do so along with Mr Blue M&M. Sporting my 'SaraLuxe' tights that got a lot of love last night at the party and on Twitter. I'm a walking sandwich board! Vote at - http://www.company.co.uk/high-street-edit/your/style-blogger-awards-2012

- Thankyou so much if you do

cant get over it

Wearing underwear under clothes can sometimes be a sin if the underwear in question is a work of art. This H&M corset bralet bridges that gap between underwear and clothing to the point where it is only just decent. Despite my scared face - I actually like this .