Fashion That Changed The World.

Marie Antoinette, Kate Moss, Coco Chanel. Not a group of names you would usually see together but in the world of fashion there they are, all together and rightly so. These three women, along with many other women, and men, have each made their mark on the fashion industry we see today. 

Whilst shopping I always like to have a look at the books in Urban Outfitters as they are always so quirky. I'm not one for novels and get bored if I'm not hooked straight away. This particular book caught my eye due to the title and because as you can see, it has the ever so stunning Audrey Hepburn on the front. A true beauty. I turned it over to read the blurb and upon reading it I knew I had to buy it. I love history and fashion and like to know "why" to absolutely everything.

Sitting in the passenger seat of my boyfriends car, I immediately got the book out and began to read. By the end of the first paragraph I was hooked. "Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy / but not expressed in fancy-rich, not gaudy / for the apparel oft proclaims the man" which roughly translates as - dress well, because people are going to judge you for it. Shakespeare wrote this 400 years ago proving that even before the likes of instagram and blogs, the way we dressed was still a crucial part of life. 

If you know me you will know I am a huge fan of people watching. I love seeing the clothes, shoes, accessories, hair and makeup choices people have made. The way we dress is a way of saying who we are without having to speak. Even if you aren't in to fashion the clothes you choose to wear still say so much about you.

Fashion portrays many characteristics and emotions and you can completely recreate yourself in others eyes through the clothes you choose. The way each individual styles new fashions and trends is what really speaks to me. Fashion isn't just about shopping and fitting in, it's about creating something unique and standing out.

Fashion That Changed The World by Jennifer Croll takes you through time looking at social, economical and cultural factors that effected the course of fashion. From Queens to Supermodels this book gives you a snapshot of what we used to wear and why we choose the clothes we do today.  Broken down into chapters with wonderful images throughout, this £14.99 book is perfect for anyone who loves fashion and likes to ask "why". It's been a brilliant read and I highly recommend it.

Here are some more books I hope to purchase soon: Why Fashion Matters by Francis Corner, Champagne Supernovas: Kate Moss, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen by Maureen Callahan and En Brogue: Love Shoes, Hate Heels by Hannah Rochell.

If you've read any of these books I'd love to hear what you think.

Little Red Dress.

Shopping. I love it. I could spend hours looking around stores at all their clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty products, ornaments, anything and everything really. I also love getting dressed up for shopping. As I've mentioned before I don't get to dress up for my job so at the weekends I like to make the most of it.

For this shopping trip I decided to where my Topshop Shift Dress, £45, which with the right shoes and accessories will take you from day, to evening, to night. It's a very versatile dress and I just love the fit and colour.

So, to make this dress suitable for shopping and lunch I decided to team it with my Dune, Real Leather Thigh High Boots, £159, not the cheapest I know but they are great quality and look absolutely stunning, a pair of plain black tights, my Longline Primark Blazer, Plain Black H&M Shoulder Bag and my Ralph Lauren Sunglasses, again not the cheapest, but sunglasses like these are going to last you a good few years, so why not treat yourself.

When I'm shopping I don't like heavy makeup, especially when the sun is shining, so to create a thinner foundation and add that glow, I simply mixed my Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation with a pea sized amount of Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser.

Dress - Blazer (similar here) - Boots - Bag (similar here) - Sunglasses (similar here) - Foundation - Moisturiser

Right, my hair didn't go exactly as planned. I used my straighteners to curl it, then when I brushed them through they went slightly larger than usual so I simply used my fingers to push it over to one side and then gave it a spritz with some hairspray. This isn't a style I would usually do, but after pinning it to one side and trying it on with the evening dress I found, I think I may try to recreate it this Friday.

I was lucky enough to my dress in the first shop I went in, but that of course meant I just had to continue looking around the other stores to make my trip worth while and in the process ended up picking up a few more treats. 

Keep an eye on my blog to find out what's in these bags.

Gorgeous Views & Vintage Shops.

I have had the most wonderful day today in Matlock, Derbyshire with my partners mum, her friend and auntie. We started off by doing The High Tor which is a lovely, but steep, walk through the countryside. The views are beautiful and we were so lucky with the picturesque snow on the ground. I dressed sensible but couldn't resist adding that touch of glamour.. hooray for the sunshine.

So, I knew I needed to wear my Next Clearance wellies, £4 and a decent coat.. bring out the Berghaus. This coat isn't the most glamorous but it's not too bad, it fits nicely and I like the grey and silver detailing, plus its super sensible, warm and waterproof. From there I just wore whatever I felt like. I went for black wet look jeans, Newlook, a plain vest covered up by my mottled grey turtle neck from River Island and then on top of that, but hidden by the coat, was my plain black work cardi.

I detailed my outfit with natural make-up which included Elizabeth Ardens Beautiful Colour Moisturising Lipstick in Breathless, a simple half up half down hair do, pinned back with a small clip to keep my hair off my face and a pair of silver aviators from Urban Outfitters.

Waterproof, similar here - Jeans - Turtle Neck - Wellies, similar here - Sunglasses, similar here - Lipstick

After our walk we went and looked around all the vintage and antique stores, something I haven't done before. In the first one we went in I found a copy of The Tatler Magazine, dated April 1957 for £8.50, which Freddie's Mum treated me to. This beautiful magazine is in great condition and features exquisite fifties fashion, french debutantes and the queen. If you know me, you'll be aware of how much I love the fifties and the sheer elegance that surrounds it. This magazine is a lovely and interesting find, particularly as it informs me of what was happening on April 19th 1957, my birthday.

These shops are simply wonderful and hold so much history that I could barely contain my excitement. The jewellery, the clothes, the hats, the suitcases, the typewriters and my personal favourite the cameras, were all so fascinating I could have spent all day in there. I definitely think that this is the start of some serious collecting for me as I already cant wait to get my hands on some more magazines and will hopefully go back to Matlock soon and pick up some of the vintage cameras.

We finished our perfect day at a little cafe where I had a delicious jam scone.

Where are your favourite places to visit?

Elizabeth Arden All Day Chic.

So I finally got around to using everything in this super gorgeous collection by Elizabeth Arden which I got for Christmas. When on offer, you can pick up this vanity set for £50 when bought with another Elizabeth Arden product, unfortunately when it isn't on offer it will cost you £330! I think its safe to say it's worth waiting until the offers.

However, if you're anything like me and don't like waiting, here is a review of the products so you can pick which ones you really want.

I'll start with the Eye Shadow and Blusher Pallets. I don't really wear eye shadow and I especially don't wear it in bright colours, so you can imagine my shock upon opening the cases and immediately spotting a blue one among the beautiful nudes and pinks, each with just a slight sparkle, but of course I still tried it and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Rather than the bright blue it looks in the case It comes out in more of a silver/gunmetal colour, which actually looks really nice with a bold flick of eyeliner. The blushers are also lovely but have slightly too much sparkle for the day time in my opinion, but look gorgeous in the evening and will be perfect in the day time during summer with a good tan. These Pallets are great and I love the quality.

The Mascara. Not much to say on this product except it's brilliant. Coated my lashes beautifully without any clumps and it remained in place all day with no smudging or crumbling, despite me being at the gym.

Next is the pencils. These Lip and Eyeliners are amazing, they go on perfectly and are long lasting. The first eyeliner is in Gun Metal, which is simply an off black colour and looks great for a daytime look or if you're going to focus on a dramatic lip. The Smokey Black is well, as it says, a black eyeliner that has just the right amount of smudge to create that smokey eye we all love.The first lip pencil is in Sugared Kiss and is a sort of bronze colour and the second, Bare, which is my personal favourite, is a dark nude with a slight dusky rose colouring to it.

For the lips, this set included four Beautiful Colour Moisturising Lipsticks and two Lip Glosses. Now, as lovely as the lipsticks are to apply and they are moisturising, I must say I'm dissapointed by their staying power, especially for their price. I particularly noticed the fading with the two darker colours, Red Door Red and Ultra Violet. The other two colours I didn't notice it with as much, Dessert Rose which has quite a sparkle to it and my favourite Breathless which is a slightly darker, rosier version of my natural lip. The pocket sized lip glosses are lovely.. and they taste great! They aren't too sticky and the darker one, Passion Fruit, leaves a nice bit of colour unlike most lip glosses. The lighter shade is Precious Petal, it doesn't have much colour but it does leave a nice shine.

Wow! The All Gone Eye and Lip Makeup Remover is fantastic. It removes even waterproof makeup with ease and doesn't require you to scrub at your skin. The oily texture leaves the eye area soothed and it doesn't sting either unlike some makeup removers.

This set was such a beautiful gift and I absolutely love my new beauty products, plus I got three super cute brushes with it and a stunning red vanity case.

Do you use any Elizabeth Arden products?

A Spot Of Afternoon Tea.

First of all I want to say a huge thank you to Carmen, a parent at work who treated the work girlies and I to this lovely spot of afternoon tea at The Cathedral Quarter Hotel in Derby. The building is beautiful, as was the food. I recommend this to anyone who likes a nice quite get together with the girls or as a present to your mum.

Now, for this occasion I wanted a smart/casual outfit that was going to be warm and comfy, plus I wanted to where my new Topshop jeans, see The Ripped Jeans & Jumper Dress post for more details. These jeans are extremely comfortable, the fit and colour is smart whilst the rips keep them looking trendy.

I decided to team them with this lovely stone coloured, chunky knit polo neck from Zara. The colour lightening up my outfit in contrast to the mid-dark denim and my brunette hair. I love this knit however it is slightly itchy! 

My shoes are Dorothy Perkins sling back, tan stilettos. I absolutely love these shoes and was so happy to have another occasion to wear them too, I only really wear open toed shoes on nights out and I'm not a huge fan of walking long distances in shoes without straps. These shoes are super comfy and are perfect all year round. My tan bag is from Aldo. It has a gold zip allowing you to make it bigger and a cream and black prestudded flap. 

I detailed my outfit with a gold Armani Exchange watch, MAC Lipstick in Cosmo and a loose, low, centre partinged pony tail.

Jumper (similar here) - Watch (similar here) - Jeans - Lipstick - Shoes (similar here) - Handbag (similar here)

Who else enjoys Afternoon Tea? I know I do!

The Start Of My Journey To Health #JTH.

In recent years I have grown to love all things exercise. I enjoy treadmills, bikes, dancing and most definitely weights. Ladies, lifting will not make you look like a man. However, no amount of exercise will make up for a bad diet, a healthy diet really is what makes or breaks your progress.

When I use the word diet I'm not talking of these fad diets, I mean a healthy lifestyle. A life where your diet fuels your body, gives you energy, clears your skin and makes you feel and look good, a diet filled with nutrients. Fruit, veg, protein, good fats, good carbs.. All things good! Not all carbs and fat are bad, in fact our body needs them in order to build muscle and burn fat.

Now I've never been what people would call fat, but I was what I call skinny fat. I was never bigger than a size 6-8 but I wasn't toned, I wasn't fit and I definitely wasn't healthy. I would skip breakfast and live on the same foods, sandwiches, crisps, chocolate, pizza, chips, macaroni cheese etc. I used to love these foods and now I don't even really like them. I never had any energy, my skin was bad and I was never full. Then I slowly introduced breakfast and starting eating a bigger variety of foods that were healthier during the week and going to the gym and doing cardio but I still loved chocolate and pizza at the weekends. Looking back I can't believe I ever lived like that! At the time I didn't hate how my body looked, but then I suddenly did and I also felt bad for what I was doing to it! 

I decided to start eating clean. Clean eating is having natural foods that haven't been processed so you still eat food (not juices and shakes etc), you still eat fats, and carbs but just the good ones. This sort of eating is also known as the Caveman Diet. They lived without packaged food, think fresh meat, fish and poultry, fruit, veg, nuts, eggs, potatoes etc and so can we in theory, it's easier said than done. I also slowed down on the cardio and focused on toning up and building muscle which definitely made much bigger changes to my body than cardio ever could, I'm talking nice booty and toned legs! 

Here's the part I'm going to struggle to tell you. I became obsessed with my routine (I'm kind of OCD  about things) that if I even ate the tiniest bit of food that wasn't healthy or skipped a gym session, I would feel so angry with myself that I'd cry, and that's no way to live. It had stopped being about being healthy and had become about being thin for my holiday. I'd never been body confident and I thought being thin would help but it didn't, looking back now I most of all miss the way my body felt on the inside, how much energy and strength I had.

After my holiday, I stopped eating like this and slipped back into my old ways a bit. As you can imagine avoiding all treats is not easy. At first I was really angry with myself but at least now I know what I really want. Yes, I want to eat clean again and be healthy but I also want to enjoy my life and not miss out on things, like that delicious slice of birthday cake, so here is me making a declaration to start doing that and I hope that sharing my journey to health and happiness with you will help me turn my life around and along the way help some of you. Keep your eye out for the hashtag #JTH for blog posts relating to my Journey To Health.

I have no qualifications in nutrition or fitness so anything I share is purely personal research, however I will never encourage bag habits. We all deserve to feel good on this inside and outside and enjoy everything in moderation.

Who's joining me on this journey?