London Fashion Weekend - Part One featuring Amanda Wakeley

I was lucky enough to be invited to this year's London Fashion Weekend that took place last week from Thursday 28 February until Sunday 1 March. I would like to start my blog by thanking the organisers of LFWend for inviting me to the event as I had an amazing time. The 4 day event took place at the iconic Somerset House in London and it was a great fashion showcase!

I went to the event on the Saturday and having never been to a fashion event like this before, I must say that I had the best time! I learnt so much about up and coming designers, make up techniques, hair care and the latest catwalk styles and also got the chance to purchase exclusive items and newly launched designs.

 

Fashion is about so much more than just clothes; it's about how you wear your items. From the event, my favourite aspects were surprisingly jewellery & accessories, hair styling and the Maybelline make up masterclass.

Overall the whole London Fashion Weekend was very busy but well worth it. As there is so much to cover from this event, I decided to do a three part blog of my favourites from the whole event. I'm going to start with my favourite designer from London Fashion Week which is Amanda Wakeley.

  

Photo credits: londonfashionweek.co.uk

I absolutely love the 'clean glam' style that Amanda Wakeley's designs have. It's so sexy but chic and effortless at the same time. There was an 80's influence with the SS15 designs that were showcased but these every day pieces had that powerful female look. Similarly, the AW15 designs are also stunning. Below you can watch the video from last week's London Fashion Week showcasing the autumn looks for this year.

Thousands of facial cleansers - which one should I use?

There are so many different types of cleansers available to buy and it can be difficult to find the right one for you. I decided to review and recommend 10 different facial cleansers which all work in completely different ways. I hope you enjoy watching this vlog and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel here :)

Products mentioned in this video:

Johnson's Gentle Exfoliating Wash 

Clarins One-Step Facial Cleanser 

Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser 

Champneys Conditioning Cleansing Milk 

ESPA Refining Skin Polish 

No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser 

No7 Soft & Soothed Gentle Cleanser 

Simple Pore Minimising Toning Cleanser 

Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel 

Dove Beauty Cream Wash 

Alexander McQueen SS15

The stunning new SS15 collection by Alexander McQueen caught my eye straight away with the bold colours, elegant, feminine but still edgy designs and the Japanese inspired styles. The red, black and white colours on the pieces - both dresses and accessories, gives the whole collection a sexy vibe whilst still having that ‘innocent’ feel with the flower prints. Normally I wouldn’t call a collection both pretty and sexy in the same sentence, but in this case I had to make an exception.

Image credit: alexandermcqueen.com

My favourite pieces from this collection include the Japanese inspired kimono dresses which are so elegant and chic. Both the Satin Kimono sleeve long dress and the mini dress are stunning and guaranteed to turn heads at any evening event.

The footwear in this collection is designed so cleverly with flowers and peep-toes being paired together, which makes it so different from the rest. Even the lighter pastel colours of the collection have managed to retain that boldness but still be classic and timeless. The Lotus Flower peep-toe bootie in pink and white is a great example of this.

 

Images credit: alexandermcqueen.com

The whole SS15 collection has a sense of strong femininity and for me it’s all about opposites coming together. For example, flower print dresses would usually be thought of as pretty and sweet. Instead, the collection takes that ‘prettiness’ and makes it sexy, strong and powerful. The sexy satin materials are paired with flower graphics – two things that would usually be polar opposites when it comes to fashion. 

Boots No7 Skincare Products

Photo credit: No7 by Boots

I've recently started using some No7 products by Boots and I must say that they're working really well for me. I usually write blogs about what I would recommend but a few of you that read my blog have asked me to do a video - so here's my first ever video! I hope you enjoy watching :)

No7 Soft & Soothed Gentle Cleanser http://tidd.ly/ed4218bd

No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser http://tidd.ly/afc9146c 

No7 Youthful Eye Serum http://tidd.ly/b05edac1

Some of the above links may be affiliates.

Hosting the perfect dinner party at home

It's January and we've all got the blues after Christmas and New Year. Many people won't be going out too much this month after partying over the festive season and some may also want to cut back on the spending in January until that end of the month paycheck arrives! However, this does not mean that your January has to be a blue and boring one - why not host your own dinner party for your close friends at home? Here's my tips for hosting the perfect dinner party in the comfort of your own home in January.

1. Fresh flowers
Flowers arranged in a beautiful way in your favourite vase can change the atmosphere of any room. So if you're planning on having friends over for dinner, get that vase full of fresh flowers as your centre piece to the dining table. This would also look great in a hallway or even the living room.

2. A great bottle of wine
My favourite is a nice Rose wine or classic White wine. But whatever your favourite is, put some thought into which wine you will serve at dinner as it's a fantastic compliment to the meal.

3. Place cards on the dining table
This is a nice touch and it makes your guests feel extra special. These are very easy to make at home if you buy some nice card, print the names on it (and any jokes for your guests!) and cut the card up into small sections. It's also good to assign the seats at the table before your guests arrive and I like to mix up the group and seat guests who might not know each other so well together so that people get to make new friends.

4. Lighting
This is probably the most important thing of your whole dinner party after the food. Good lighting is key and by simply dimming the lights at dinner can change the whole setting and mood of the room. I like to add extra candles if dimming the lights as this gives a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.

5. Chocolates after dinner
It's always nice to have something sweet after dinner. Before or after dessert, it's nice to go around the table with a box of chocolates for your guests to try.


Do you have any dinner party tips? What are your top 5 tips for hosting the perfect dinner party at home?

Egg and yogurt for hair!

I have always heard about people using egg based hair masks and even face masks to help nourish and give protein to hair. However I've never actually tried it myself. When I heard that some people were even experimenting and making their own hair masks at home using natural ingredients, I was more intrigued!

At first I was sceptical about making my own egg based hair mask as I thought it would get messy and difficult to wash out, but today I finally tried it. I decided to mix the yolk of an egg with a couple of table spoons of plain Greek yogurt to create my hair mask. Egg is great for adding protein to your hair and yogurt helps with making your hair shiny and smooth, as well as being a fantastic conditioner. So I thought the two natural ingredients would work well together for a hair mask.

After mixing the egg yolk and Greek yogurt together I left the mixture to set (outside of the fridge) for about an hour. You don't want to leave the yogurt in the fridge just before applying to your hair as it will feel very cold! Once the mixture had set, I applied my hair mask to the mid-lengths and ends of my hair. I was expecting it to be messier than it actually was, but I was applying it over the sink just in case of any spills. After you've applied the mask, tie your hair up in a high bun or using a clip so that it's out of your face and not near any clothing you're wearing.

It's completely up to you as to how long you would like to leave the hair mask in for. I was relaxing at home so I decided to leave the mask on for about 2 hours whilst watching a movie! But I know many women who prefer to leave hair masks on for just 30 minutes or no more than an hour. You will feel the egg yolk setting in your hair after 30 minutes so whenever you feel comfortable in washing it out.

When you are ready to wash out the mask, please be careful and thorough as your hair will be quite stiff and you'll want to make sure every bit of egg and yogurt is removed! The easiest way to remove the hair mask is to first rinse it with warm water and get as much of the hair mask out as possible using your fingers or a comb. I used a de-tangling comb when I was rinsing my hair today.

Once that's done, lather in your shampoo and again with a comb or your fingers, sweep it through your hair as you rinse through with warm water. After the first rinse, I decided to shampoo and rinse my hair one more time just to make sure there was no more egg or yogurt left in my hair. But this depends on the individual, so if you're happy with your hair after the first rinse then you can move straight onto conditioning your hair and you're finished!

After I had dried and styled my hair today, I must say that I did notice a change in the way that my hair feels. It feels much softer and it felt easier to brush through. Also, the protein in the egg will be doing great things for the hair so overall I'm glad I tried this DIY natural hair mask using ingredients from my kitchen!

Have you ever tried creating your own hair mask at home? Are there any ingredients you would recommend? If so, please feel free to leave me a comment below!

A treat for your feet!

I came home this evening after work and my feet were extremely sore. Although I'm used to wearing heels every day to work, I do get the occasional evening after work where nothing feels better than to take off my shoes and swap them for my comfy slippers. This can also occur with flat shoes, so I'm not saying it's purely to do with what type of shoe you wear.

Today was one of those sore feet days, and many women have the same issue of sore or even swollen feet after a long day at work. I've tried lots of things to help soothe my feet. For example, home foot spas, wrapping my feet in a hot flannel and relaxing, special foot creams and even foot scrubs. They all work in helping you to relax after a long day and are also great for your feet. However I've found a couple of products that I would like to recommend as particularly good for sore feet.

Left: The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub
Right: Champneys Citrus Glow Sugar Scrub

I've been using these body scrubs specifically for my feet recently and I've noticed a huge difference. My feet feel moisturised after these products and it's also a great treat for your feet as you can give them a nice massage whilst applying the scrub. I recommend both as they smell amazing and feel great too on your feet. The Champneys scrub retails at £8.00 for 200g and The Body Shop scrub is £13 for 200ml.

It's so important to take good care of your feet and ensure that you're not neglecting them. So whether that means you apply foot creams regularly, or moisturising foot scrubs like I do, you should try to take care of them and the skin on your feet as much as possible. Or if you feel like treating yourself, why not book yourself in for a pedicure at your nearest beauty salon!

Beat the winter blues with colourful coats!

It's safe to say that winter is definitely here with the cold wind blowing in your face and dark afternoons by 4pm! It's very easy to fall into the 'cold winter fashion trap' as I like to call it. This often comprises of baggy but comfortable jumpers, warm socks and your most comfortable pair of jeans or trousers. There are ways to avoid this 'fashion trap' when the winter comes by just simply choosing the right colours and styles of your outerwear.

During the cold winter months, you'll still be out and about but often all that can be seen of what you're wearing is your coat and shoes! So why not brighten up those visible items? For example, I have recently invested in my winter coat for this season - a lovely baby pink coat from Zara. When paired with some black boots it's a great winter look. Even with some heels and worn to the office, this coat looks great and certainly brightens up my winter days!

Coat - Zara

Bag - Zara

Shoes - Next

I've seen so many different colours of coats and outerwear in the stores this season. Personal favourites for winter include red, blue and pink coats. Happy shopping!

To print or not to print? That's the question!

It's been a while since my last fashion blog, but I have recently seen a lot of something which sparked me up to write a new blog!

There seems to be a 'print invasion' happening in the fashion world for both women's and men's fashion. I personally love print, especially on summer dresses to make a statement piece. However, has the print design gone too far?

We have become used to seeing print a lot more, especially since the summer started, but I have noticed that with men's fashion, the print has now 'invaded' the trousers! Printed shirts are a thing of the norm for men now, with various bright styles available (see image below).

For men, the statement pieces that make them stand out from the crowd are definitely now the print trousers. This has been displayed across all the fashion weeks across the world this year with floral prints for men being showcased by designer such as Tom Ford, Valentino and Gucci (see below for Ami and Tom Ford Spring/Summer 2014 prints).

 

It's certainly a bold statement and in 2012 The Guardian newspaper even had an article called 'Are British Men Ready To Wear Prints?' which shows how different and risky it was seen as at the time. Two years on and these print trousers are one of the highlights of fashion week around the globe! 

I think it's safe to say that these prints will definitely trend in men's fashion over the next few months. It's not a style for everyone, however it's good to try it and see if it fits in with your current wardrobe. The question you have to ask yourself is: will you print, or not print?

Follow me on Twitter for style and fashion updates: @R_Sharma87

Style for your home!

Although I usually blog about fashion, I thought it would be nice to write about style for your home as this is equally as important. It’s just as important to make your home feel good about itself as it is to make yourself feel good when shopping and dressing yourself in the morning.

I recently discovered the brand Duck Egg Designs who are truly unique in their vintage designs and ideas to decorate your home. I personally love the vintage style as it’s classic and will never be outdated. It also creates a warm and welcoming feeling for your home with so many different styles of vintage to choose from. Duck Egg have some great items in their online shop to choose from that will add a touch of classic vintage to your home.

Now here’s my favourite part – here are my favourite items on offer that would suit any home – my recommendations:

Fabrics 

Duck Egg are famously known for their fabrics. With a lovely range to choose from my personal favourite is the ‘Norfolk Crab’ print. I like the fact that it’s quite unique – imagine having the fabric in your bathroom! Now that’s something you wouldn’t see in a lot of people’s bathrooms. 

Items for the home

Another of my favourite items is the 1930’s Enamel jug. Described by Duck Egg as ‘shabby chic’, this decorative jug is perfect for adding a touch of vintage to your kitchen table. Alternatively, it can be used on garden tables as a decoration for when you’re entertaining guests during summer parties.

Poster prints

One of the latest products of Duck Egg Designs are their poster prints. These have to be my all time favourite product of the company as they are suitable for any room in the house. For example, the quirky posters such as ‘Don’t cry over spilt milk’ would be fantastic in any kitchen! The best one for me however is the ‘One day’ poster as it’s open for the observer to interpret it however they want – definitely suitable for daydreamers!

I would highly recommend Duck Egg Designs to anyone looking to decorate their home from scratch or even if you just want to add some sparkle to an area of your home. Have a browse through their lovely website - http://www.duckeggdesigns.com/

Follow me on Twitter for updates on my other fashion and style blogs @R_Sharma87