Get SS17-ready with these 3 new-season trends | Fashion & Style

As the high street sets its sights on spring, you’ll begin to notice the influx of catwalk-inspired pieces hitting your favourite retail destinations: blouson sleeves, laced-up knits, pyjama-style silky separates and oversized shirts. Dramatic cuts and over-the-top shapes are mixed in with light layers; tulle and silk skirts and dresses are offset with see-through tees and structured shirts.

With feminine florals in light fabrics, power-play co-ords or dynamic pieces in ruffles, feathers and tulle to choose from, there’s something for everyone this seaon. But with so much choice, I’ve narrowed down the spring/summer offering to my favourite three trends. Here’s how I’m updating my wardrobe for the new season. Images courtesy of Marie Claire.

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BRAZEN BRALETTES

I was so excited last September when designers took the underwear as outerwear trend to a new level, and I absolutely love the dramatic layering that our favourite fashion houses channelled. Bralettes are the perfect feminine antidote to an otherwise brash outfit: layered over structured shirts with skirts or trousers makes for a fresh take on your traditional 9-5 staples. My favourite bralette is this sequin crop top from Zara, which I’d layer over a white shirt with suit pants and sliders.

STATEMENT SLEEVES

I’m a huge fan of officewear, and I’ll definitely be updating my working wardrobe with shirts, sweaters, blazers and jackets which sport some seriously statement sleeves. From oversized, blouson sleeves to embellished styles with embroidery and dramatic cuts, there’s a new-season style you’ll sure to love. I’m going to opt for this poplin frill shirt from Topshop, and I’ll pair it with jeans, boots and a chunky knit.

THINK PINK

If Givenchy and Chanel are doing it, you can be sure your favourite high street retailer will be too: pink is everywhere this season, and it’s not going anywhere fast. Opt for a slick showcase of the statement shade on a shirt or jacket, or clash the colour by mixing and matches various shades in one ensemble. I love these velvet court shoes from River Island.

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I’m really impressed with Topshop’s new-season collection this time around, as I haven’t been particularly besotted with their range for a while now. Zara continues to champion fashion-forward style on the high street and other Inditex brands (Mango, Massimo Dutti) also lead the way. If you’re on a budget, definitely head to New Look – their buying team has put a lot into their new spring/summer offering and I think the store has seriously upped its game on recent years.

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New In: Estée Lauder Smoky Nights Eyeshadow Palette | Beauty

As a self-professed make-up addict, it’s of little surprise to most people who know me that I’ve invested in a new eyeshadow palette. With a collection of palettes which includes options from Tarte, Too Faced and Urban Decay, you’d be safe in saying that I didn’t need a new one. With that being said, most of my previously-purchased palettes mimic each other with their soft taupe, warm brown and natural shimmer shades; I’m a sucker for a honey-brown smoky eye. So, you can see why I needed to expand my coveted collection to include an array of shades that I wouldn’t usually opt for. Enter stage right: the Estée Lauder Smoky Nights Eyeshadow Palette.

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The Smoky Nights palette from Estée Lauder features 14 highly-pigmented eyeshadows, which include seven shimmers, and seven pearly-matte finish shadows.

The palette features an intriguing composition of beautiful, bright jewel tones, bold and seductive navy and purple and a selection of lighter, highlighting shades. This palette promises to deliver a multitude of different make-up looks, from olive green smoky eyes, to pretty pink and brown neutrals, extravagant brights and delicate, natural shimmers. With such a diverse selection of colours, you can definitely experiment with different looks, making sure to juxtapose usually opposing colour combinations.

The palette comes with a guide to achieving different make-up looks, and their suggestions include combining the beautiful purple, lilac and violet shades for a delicate, on-trend vibe; the pink, brown and shimmery shades for an everyday, nautral smoky eye; the rich navy, sky blue and lilac shades – a beautiful combination for blondes; and the olive green, grey and light pink shades for an earthy look which would look divine on olive-to-medium-coloured skin tones.

The beautiful jewel-toned eyeshadows are intensely pigmented and pick up beautiful colour. They characterized by their silky feel and pearly finish, and the colours wears really well on the skin. An eyeshadow primer or make-up setting spray will help to ensure these bright colours don’t smudge though.

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The palette retails for £44 and you can purchase it from Harrods or Debenhams, as well as from other department stores. For £44, you’re receiving 14 eyeshadows, with each eyeshadow working out at just over £3 each. Whilst the price initially seems steep (although not dissimilar to the price of other beauty brands’ palettes), £3 for an eyeshadow is an absolute steal. When you consider that just one eyeshadow from Estée Lauder retails for £20, the overall price is quite enticing – especially if you like the colours.

All in all, I’m really excited to play around with this eyeshadow palette more, and I definitely want to incorporate more colour in to my make-up looks. I’ve almost never worn blue or purple eyeshadow before, most notably because my colouring suits warmer colours, but I’m going to push myself out of my beauty comfort zone and go for a dark blue smoky eye on my next evening out with the girls. Watch this space.

As always, let me know your thoughts by commenting below and, if there’s an eyeshadow palette that you just can’t live without, then I’d love to hear about it.

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Beauty Must-Haves: My Estée Lauder Essentials | Hair & Beauty

It’s no secret that I’m an Estée Lauder devotee; I’ve definitely worked my way through a questionable amount of Double Wear foundation. With a rich history that dates back to the 1940s, the Estée Lauder brand is a leading (and, at one time, pioneering) voice in cosmetics which I absolutely adore, and trust, for exactly that reason.

Recently I needed to repurchase my holy grail foundation, the Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup, which retails for £31 at Boots (linked). As often is the case, the brand had a gift with purchase offer on orders of two items or more, where one had to be either skincare or foundation. Instead of opting for another cosmetics item, which would be my usual choice, I decided to treat myself to the Estée Lauder DayWear Advanced Anti-Oxidant Creme at £42 (also linked). In return, I bagged a selection of travel-sized samples and one full-sized lipstick in a small make-up bag.

Whilst on a little bit of a beauty splurge, I also treated myself to a brand new perfume whilst passing through duty-free at the airport in Vancouver. After lusting over the Estée Lauder Modern Muse Eau de Parfum for what felt like forever, I picked up a 50ml bottle. The scent is absolutely perfect; I couldn’t love the perfume more. It’s my signature scent now and I’ll definitely repurchase it when I run out (for reference, I’m already half-way through the bottle – although this is after quite a few months of daily use).

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I honestly couldn’t rate the Estée Lauder skincare, make-up and perfume products more if I tried – they’re all absolutely beautiful products which have had years and years of research and development put in to their creation. Earlier, I said that Double Wear is my favourite foundation, and that’s because it’s one of the only foundations which lasts on my skin all day and leaves it feeling cared for and covered. I love it. The DayWear Creme moisturiser is an absolute essential for me and, for the perfume, Modern Muse, I urge you to go into your local drugstore or pharmacy to test the scent out for yourself.

Are you an Estée Lauder fan? Which products do you use? I’m interested in trying one of the brand’s serums but they’re quite expensive, so please let me know in the comments below if you use one, and which your favourite is!

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Going for Gold: Jewellery and Accessories from Ted Baker | Style

I’ve always been enamoured with the opulent metallic shade of gold, and it seems as though Ted Baker – one of my favourite British premium high street brands – is having a similar love-affair with the colour, adding intricate embellishment to their autumn/winter collection and amping up their range of accessories sporting the shade.

Recently, I was gifted a beautiful piece of jewellery from the Ted Baker collection, and I’ve also equipped my iPhone with a colour co-ordinating case. I’m totally in love with both accessories, so I thought I absolutely had to share both with you – hopefully you’ll love them too.

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I’ve just turned 25, and one of my presents was a collection of nail polishes and lipsticks from Ted Baker. I’ve never actually used the brand’s make-up before (it’s produced by KMI, if you’re wondering), but I was really impressed with the quality of the products.

The collection features six nail polishes and six lipsticks, all in corresponding shades. The duo I’m loving when wearing an outfit with gold accessories is this nude polish with nude lipstick.

If I’m going out for the evening, though, I’ll almost definitely update the look with a bright red lipstick. I adore this orange-toned red, and the matte finish lasts all night. On an aside: don’t you just love the rose gold accents on this pretty packaging?

If you’re a sucker for a pretty phone case, why haven’t you checked out the Ted Baker range yet? Available at proporta.co.uk (the home of Ted Baker’s official tech accessories partner), there’s a whole host of pretty book-style folios and soft-feel back shells to choose from, all in Ted’s signature prints. The AW16 collection has just landed, but I’m loving this transcendental rose gold folio for my iPhone 6.

As if this case wasn’t cute enough already, it opens to reveal a hidden interior mirror which is perfect for on-the-go pampering. I’m obsessed.

As the newest addition to my Ted Baker accessories collection (I must admit, there’s more), this beautiful ballerina pendant has to be my favourite. I was gifted this piece of jewellery last week and I absolutely adore it. I honestly can’t explain how beautiful it is; I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a piece of modern costume jewellery which is so elaborate and intricate.

The beautiful pendant features a crystal-embellished bodice, gold-plated finish with gold chain, pearl head feature and a ribbon-tied tutu. You’ll notice Ted’s meticulous attention-to-detail when you spot the tiny crystals in the ballerina’s ballet shoes and Ted Baker branding to the back. Retailing for £79, you can opt for the nude/rose gold or black/gold version at John Lewis.

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You can shop all of Ted Baker‘s pretty accessories on their website, as well as at several concession stores including House of Fraser and John Lewis, and I urge you to check out their tech accessories at Proporta.

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Greenwich MMXV Luxury Leather Accessories for iPhone | Style

As a huge advocate of real leather accessories with an undeniable penchant for luxury purses and pretty phone cases, I was quite excited when I heard about new designer, Greenwich. Based in Brighton but drawing their heritage from the South London borough, the self-professed ‘non-brand’ is quintessentially British, using our maritime history as their inspiration for product names.

I’ve come to learn that each piece in the Greenwich collection is meticulously hand-crafted from the leather which is used to upholster Bentley vehicles, which might divulge that products in this range are a little on the expensive side. At £90, the real leather wallet (‘Shamrock’), is actually quite reasonably priced (I’ve had Michael Kors and Kate Spade wallets which are more expensive, but where the leather used isn’t nearly as good quality, or it’s not even real leather in the first place). The folio case will set you back £80, though, so it really does depend on how much you value your iPhone looking luxe.

As pictured below, I have the Greenwich CHRONO Folio Case for iPhone 6* and the Greenwich SHAMROCK Purse*, both in the shade Linen. Items are available in a selection of premium shades, including Beluga (black), Fireglow (autumnal red) and Portofine (blue), among others. The colour names are definitely unusual, but not just thought up at random; instead, they’re based on the leather shades available for your Bentley. (Which I guess is great, if you plan to match your new purse with your car – I mean, who doesn’t have a Bentley, right?)

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Each of the pieces feel unbelievably tactile in the hand, and you can instantly tell that the leather is out-of-this-world quality. Right down to the hand-stitching around the exterior to the finer details which make up each item, Greenwich clearly pay very close attention to their design and product quality.

I absolutely love both of the items from Greenwich, however it’s the leather purse which has me sold. The wallet opens to reveal the usual coin pockets and card slots, but there’s an interior device slot which can hold a variety of smartphones, including my iPhone 6. It’s the perfect size for holding all of your important cards, cash but also your phone, and I often use this as an alternative to carrying around my backpack. (I’m currently using a leather/suede mix slouchy backback from Warehouse, which has now sold out I believe.)

Like Kate Spade and Aspinal of London – who are similarly priced – Greenwich accessories might be something you choose when you’re looking for a real treat. What’s great though, is that the fine leather construction of these items will definitely outlive its cost. I can’t even begin to explain how beautiful the packaging is too (think carefully-designed, luxury black box with a map print around the product, wax stamp seal of approval and lots of extra goodies included – yes, really). If not for you, I urge you to check their website out around gifting times. I bought my boyfriend one of their iPhone 6S cases and he absolutely adores it.

What do you think of the Greenwich collection? If there’s any other small British brands you think I should know about, please let me know in the comments below! I love championing infant British designers, so definitely share the love.