My Christmas Wishlist

Well hello there, 

So as I'm sure you're all aware, Christmas is nearly upon us, if you weren't aware of this, I'm terribly sorry to have ruined the surprise for you. And what with the most wonderous of days being less than a week away!!!!!! (

As I'm now so ridiculously old, I do tend to ask for more practical things for Christmas that I wouldn't tend to buy for myself, however if someone bought me a Barbie Dream House and a Tickle-Me Elmo I would be in no way disappointed...here's my more realistic gift preferences for this year: 

Firstly, we have make-up. Arguably my most favourite thing to buy/own/use, I go all out at Christmas. This is the first year in a while that I'm not asking for brushes, as I think I'm pretty much set. My actual make-up collection is also pretty substantial so this year, I have asked for some more exciting purchases, for example...

 Rebel&Hang Up Lipstick

And the list goes on. Hoola bronzer and Chanel powder are something I get every year and they are firm staples in my every day routine, I love them, lots! The Edie Sedgwick Collection by Nars is possibly one of the most beautiful sets I've ever layed eyes on, I'd get it for the film case with Edie's face on alone. Considering Factory Girl is one of my favourite films, this is definitely a must for me. 

Two beautiful things I definitely want are: 

A gold Daisy Knight's ring

And these shoes from Topshop

Finally I would also very much appreciate a selection of the always lovely books from Urban Outfitters and a nice sum of iTunes vouchers to purchase all my new loves. 

What are you all asking Father Christmas for? Let me know! 

If you want to know more about anything featured in this post, every image is linked to it's rightful home (none are affiliate links, obviously) 

Lots and lots of love and Christmas cheer! 

Izzi X 

Rocking On: My Winter Playlist

Hey kittens!

                     So for the last few weeks I've had the same playlist on a loop at all times and I'm absolutely loving it. I started getting into Spotify in the summer and ever since then I've developed a little ritual, in order to broaden my musical horizons. 

1. Find the song: Basically every time I hear any music that remotely interests my ears, I find it on Spotify, add to a playlist and give it a listen. 
2. Check out the artist: If I like the song, I look into more of the artists stuff, usually the top 5 songs on their Spotify page and add those to my playlist. 
3. Decide: If I'm still liking the artist, I'll download their music to my iTunes and add it to my favourite iTunes playlist
4. iPod: If it makes it to my iPod, it's a keeper

These few steps have helped me discover some truly wonderful artists, that I'm sure are going to keep me company over the next few months. A good playlist is essential at all times, but considering we spend so much time inside during the winter months, it's even more important to musically educate yourself whenever it's possible. 

Here's my top 15 picks: 

• No Room for Doubt - Lianne De Havas
• Piledriver Waltz - Arctic Monkeys
• Goodbye Kiss - Kasabian/ Lana Del Rey: Give both versions a listen, you wont be disappointed.
• Young Love - Mystery Jets Ft. Laura Marling
• Diamonds- Rihanna
• Someday - The Strokes
• If I Were a Boy/ You Oughta Know - Beyonce
• A Real Hero - College
• Pilot Jones - Frank Ocean
• Octopus - Bloc Party
• The Last Time - Taylor Swift Ft. Gary Lightbody
• Not Nineteen Forever - The Courteeners
• Feel To Follow - The Maccabees
• 99 Problems - Jay Z 
• Lonely Boy - The Black Keys

 So there's my top 15 songs off my winter playlist. It's a bit of a peculiar mixture I must say but there's pretty much a song for all moods on there. Some of it's from a good few years back but whatevs, I'm sticking with it. 

What song's are going to be getting you through winter? Do we share any musical loves? 

Thanks for reading lovelies! 

Stay Classy X 

Keeping Glam: How to Survive Winter

Hola Chicas! 
                       Long time no see, what've you been up to, how are the kids? Good? Brilliant andddd back to me. So we've reached that awful time of year where the trees are naked and we're anything but. Knits and tights have replaced my many beloved pairs of shorts and the Barbour's been dragged out of the wardrobe. 
I don't know about you but winter does me no favours, I hate wearing pants, I hate wearing coats and as a girl who basically has an afro, I react the way to rain the same way the Wicked Witch of the West does....

But as we lucky little Brits are stuck in this predicament for the next few months, here are my tips for staying fabulous. 

1) Don't be a fanny:  Okay so maybe I could've phrased this better but seriously why is it that people are completely and utterly intolerant to any form of cold weather? Winter happens round about the same time every year, yet people still bitch/moan/cry about it when it pops its head up at the end of September. Yes it's cold, but it's not the Arctic. There is no need whatsoever to sacrifice looking lovely to stay warm. Warmth is overrated, just ask the eskimos. If it's cold put on a jacket and find a scarf, but please do not use winter as an excuse to cocoon yourself in a mixture of jeans and bubble coats for 5 months, it is not acceptable. (Bubble coats are never acceptable...) 

2) Fake it till you make it: If you don't catch my drift on this, clearly you've never been to Liverpool. Winter means cold, it also generally means no sun, unless of course you live near a ski resort where it's about 20 miles thick with snow yet you still manage to burn, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?! For the many of you that don't live on a ski resort, you may think the lack of sun means sporting dull, pasty skin is acceptable, it isn't! I urge you all to invest some time and money into Orange Wednesdays, no not the 2 for 1 movie deal, but the routine of tanning on a Wednesday day night and carrying it on for the next few days (depending on your desired level of tannedness). This not only insures that you are nice and tanned for the weekend but it also means you won't go through the following week looking like you're doing a shit impression of Caspar. The only time it is ever acceptable to be sporting your natural skin tone *shudder* is on a Tuesday night/Wednesday morning depending on when you're planning on doing your tan as obviously, full preparation (exfoliate, shave, moisturise) must happen before all ventures into the world of St Moriz.

3) Be extravagant: Winter is after all the season, that holds some of the best holidays of the year. Halloween and Bonfire Night have been and gone and it's only been winter for like, a month! In 3 weeks we'll be rolling out the Advent Calendars and preparing for the most wonderful time of the year. Excited? You better be. If there was ever an excuse needed to be completely over the top at all times (FYI, their isn't. It's a state of mind and a basic human right) IT IS NOW. November is pretty much the bleurgh month, everyone's just waiting for Christmas really aren't they? So combat the shitty weather and your even shittier mood by simply being utterly fabulous. Sequins, leather, purple/red lipstick, beautiful coats and even better shoes, should be on your mind at all times, if not on your body. Overcompensate for the weight of your jacket by whipping your legs out. If you're covering up, make sure you throw on a ridiculous amount of jewellery to compensate for your sheer lack of effort regarding your wardrobe choice (I'm talking to you Mrs "jeans go with everything" aspffft). Stay interesting, otherwise come New Years Eve you'll be the one asleep by 12 on the couch whilst people are draping party popper streamers around your seemingly lifeless body...that's totally never happened to me, I swear...) 

4) Hydrate: In the winter there are 2 main sources of hydration which you should all be doing on a regular basis. The first is moisturising. Not just your general nightly moisturise before bed, I'm talking about buying shares in the Body Shop body butters because you plan on using that much. If you do one thing this winter, please moisturise, please. I don't think I can cope with seeing girls looking like actual mutants in the early weeks of April, as they start to re-introduce their scaly limbs into daylight. As if anyone wants to see your flaky knees. Just don't do it, okay? 

The second source of hydration is alcohol. Yes, alcohol. Winter is shit. At first, it's all cute and everyone loves wearing their jumpers, watching fireworks, walking through crunchy leaves blah blah blah. BUT after a week while, the novelty wears off and it's just cold and miserable and depressing. So cheer yourself up with alcohol. If you've followed my first few steps then go out, grab your friends/boyf/monkey lover and have a ball in town. If you haven't however, go to Tesco, buy some Glen's and have a night in, followed by a quiet word with yourself promising that you'll step it up from now on. Winter is the best time for going out! You can spend all day getting ready because there's no urge to not waste a nice day, the lack of going out in the day time means you'll have more money to spend in the night time AKA more money to spend on alcohol and because everyone is so miserable at the very sight of the sky, they will all jump at the chance of going out and restoring fun back into their boring little lives. 

So that's pretty much how I plan to survive Winter. How about you? Bought anything amazing that's going to be a saviour over the next few months? Let me know in the comments below!

Speak soon!

Stay Classy!X

P.S. Wellies are not an acceptable item of footwear unless you're at a festival/in a storm/fishing/being a farmer. Just because you own a pair of Hunter's, does not make it okay for you to wear them on a daily basis. Please stop it. Now. 

LFW: Burberry Prorsum Spring/Summer 13

Hey there hotties, 

                               So as the last dregs of summer 2012's obi belts, tangerine and festival fashion exit our lives and we start to embrace the oncoming flood of cobalt, statement trousers and country style everything that is going to be Autumn/Winter 2012, the fashion Gods swarm our favourite cities to reveal to us mere mortals, the S/S 13 collections. This week was the turn of London Fashion Week and more importantly, the Burberry Prorsum show *flutter*. I don't know about you, but for me, Burberry is the very essence of British fashion and more importantly, their clothes represent everything I want to be, beautiful,classy and timeless. So without further adieu, here is my take on their Spring/Summer 13 collection...

Within seconds of the first model gracing the runway, I was in love. As usual, Burberry presented some insanely beautiful coats and they really did excel themselves this year. A white almost caped coat, fastened at the neck, with an extremely Madonna-esque pink basque peaking out from beneath, set an extremely high standard as a starting point for Mr Bailey but alas this fashion extraordinaire really did just get better and better as the show went on. 

As Cara and Lily strutted down the runway in their own white coat of wonder, the beautiful Jourdan then followed wearing a metallic pink and orange trench that pretty much put me in a state of euphoria that did not leave me for a good while after the completion of the show. 

A sea of beauty ensued and I shan't analyse it all but here are what I think are the key trends from the collection: 

Colour wise, jewel tones are being carried right through from Autumn/Winter with amethyst, emerald, burgundy and royal blue all playing a huge role in the show. Also nudes are going to be big, with various shades of beige,brown and pink being shown. 

Metallic's are back, hurrah! Whether it's an almost tinfoil like shirt or a shiny structured bodycon, make sure they're part of your wardrobe. Lace, satin and silk were also heavily featured.

Tailoring is either structured and bodycon or loose, shift and oversized but with the waist always being cinched to the point of unbreathable and the shoulders and sleeve balloning but going in at the wrist to keep a feminine shape. 

Platforms are out and pointed wedges and courts are in. Say goodbye to comfort ladies, as if you're foot isn't completely diagonal to the floor, something's not right. 

Make-up wise, I'm more than happy to announce the return of the red lip. For the last few seasons, we've flitted between coral,vampy purple,lilac,bright pink and nude but finally my beloved red has returned to its rightful place of the runway. Make those lips big,red and bold with huge brows to match love,love,love.

To close the show, a flurry of models trotted their way round the runway in a rainbow of trench coat wonder, it was awesome!

Christopher Bailey I salute you once again, you amazingly minded man. 

Thanks for reading guys, what was your views on the collection? What LFW shows caught your eye? Let me know in the comments below! 

Stay Classy!X

Disclaimer: All images are the property of Vogue.com and their respective photographers, no offence intended. All copyright belongs to the owners of the pictures, not me.

Rocking On: Vamp It Up

Hey beauty's, 
                        Just a Quick post today about one of my favourite things of the moment. I'm absolutely loving Bow by Nails Inc's nail polish in "Girls Just Wanna Have Plum". It's the perfect plummy purple and adds an instant hit of cool to any outfit. 

It's look great both when you're working the St Moriz or you're having a pale day which is perfect for me. It has a really cool glossy finish and when put over squared off nails (another thing I'm loving at the moment)  looks super chic. 

Speak soon chicas! 

Stay Classy X

Farewell to the Fairground...

Hello there lovelies!

Today I've got a quick post to say goodbye to summer and what feels like my child hood, as I finally venture into the big girl world that is Sixth form and A Levels *shudder*. 

So as I stare at the new pile of stationary on my chest of drawers and contemplate how I'm going to survive taking Physics, Maths, Economics and History for the next two years, I thought I'd make a list of things I did this summer that are worth talking about...

1. I got a job. Yes I did. I did it all on my own, without any help from family friends or people who my dad works with, like so many people do. I wrote a CV, applied, got interviewed and worked really hard to secure the job that I now have. It isn't easy at all, especially when you're getting up at 7am on a Saturday to work for £4.98 an hour. But a job's a job and I really enjoy my one, it's not the best but the people are nice and the clothes are cool too.
2. I went to a festival. It was insane. It was wonderful. It was muddy. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I will never forget the amazement of being on a random boys shoulders whilst watching Kasabian close the whole festival doing a cover of a Beatles song, complete and total goosebumps.
3. I got real qualifications. GCSE's to be exact. After months of preparation, 12 exams decided my fate. It was hard and I should've worked harder. But I did it and I got into Sixth Form to do the A Levels I want to do. I'm rather proud of myself to be honest. 
4. I grew up. I really did. I finally accepted that I am not Peter Pan and I will not be flying off to Neverland any time soon. I payed my own through summer, I took responsibility for myself, I went away without my parents and I chose what I'm going to be doing for pretty much the rest of my life, scary. 
5. I had an amazing time. This past year has been a bit of a mad one and summer was also rather mad to begin with. There's always some sort of drama going on around me and I'm rather prone to getting absorbed by it all. I've finally knocked the habit (well, nearly) and I had an absolute ball with my friends, doing silly things, throwing parties and just having fun. 

So that's my summer, what was yours like? Do anything amazing? Learn anything that changed your life? Let me know in the comments below! 

Thanks for reading guys, speak soon.

Here's a little something to leave you with, it's a motto I'm trying to live my life by...

Stay Classy!X

Keeping Glam: Internacionale

Hey Kittens! 

So after a rather shaky summer when it comes to blog posts (apologies once again) I've decided to come up with a few things which will guarantee at least a few blog posts every month when I'm low on the ideas front. One of these new concepts is going to be called "Keeping Glam". "Keeping Glam" is going to be about my favourite things of the month that have kept me glamourous. It's going to include shops, make-up, body products, helpful beauty tips or anything that has kept me feeling fab in that particular month. 

I'm starting off this little series with a complete rave for the brand new Internacionale store in L1. Now Internacionale itself isn't new, it has been around for years but after getting in some new buyers, it seems like they've pretty much re-launched and have came back with a serious bang. I rediscovered Internacionale this past weekend after stumbling into their brand new shop in Liverpool and I was super impressed by pretty much everything they had on offer. Here some pictures I snapped in store...

*Apologies about the kind of unclear pictures, but I didn't have my camera with me and there were people everywhere so it was kind of hard to get a clear shot. *

As you can (hopefully) grasp from the pictures, Internacionale has a lot to offer. The store itself is organised into various different styles, making it easier to find something for you. There's a section of brightly coloured, north London, street style clothes, full of brightly patterned t-shirts, high-tops and leggings (shown above) . Another section, which is more glamourous and included this beautiful dress...

There's also a whole section that's full of the military trend, complete with khaki maxi and midi skirts, camo jackets and studded jumpers. 

The shoe section also doesn't disappoint, with a selection of shoes ranging from Lita style platforms to creepers to metallic ballet flats to huge glittered wedges, there's definitely something for everyone. 

Internacionale also offers a range of Beauty UK, Eyelure and Nail Rock beauty products, which is always handy for last minute night out essentials. 

Gorgeous nail technician doing complimentary manicures using Beauty UK products.

I am SO impressed with Internacionale and the fact that everything is super cheap and fairly priced just adds to the fabulousness! The staff in the Liverpool store are also so friendly and helpful, with a great knowledge of both the brand and the products in store, thanks for being so lovely guys! 

I only picked up a few things on Saturday, but I can not wait to go back in store to find my next set of bargains.

Here's what I got...

Earring pack: £3.99

Eye earrings (part of above pack) and Ear cuff (pack of 3) 99p

Lace peplum top £12.99

Khaki midi skirt £8.99

Black high-waisted skirt £9.99

 Can't wait to wear these and feature them in some upcoming outfits of the day. Internacionale get in new products daily, so get yourself down there now for some amazing bargains or go to their online store to shop from home!

Thanks for reading guys, speak soon! 

Stay Classy!X

*Peplum top, khaki skirt and black skirt images taken from internacionale.com no copyright intended.