A beautiful year and more beauty to come

2013 has been one hell of a year. Without the slightest hesitation, I would say that it has been the most beautiful year of my life as well as a huge learning curve. I wanted to avoid the kind of clichés that NYE posts often bring, but I can't help but feeling as though this year I have really found myself. 

A lot has happened. I finished my GCSEs and moved up to Sixth Form, made some new friends and kept the old ones that still mean the absolute world to me. I've learned even more just how much my family mean to me and how important it is to cherish them while you can. I had the most amazing summer of my life which will remain forever in my memory. My love for writing has grown when I didn't realise that was even possible because I loved it so much already. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I've let myself dream more freely and I've realised that people who don't understand why you do what you love, are not worth knowing.

The circumstances that 2013 bought with it have changed me a lot and I believe that change was for the better, although it's not something that I planned. I'm sure that 2014 also has a lot in store for me and I'm optimistic that I will make it an amazing year. 

In preparation for the beautiful memories that 2014 and I are going to create together, I made a few things that will keep me smiling and help me to remain utterly in love with life. 

My "Beautiful moments: 2014" jar is something inspired by my internet travels. The idea is that every time something nice happens this coming year, whether it be success of some kind, a day out with wonderful people doing wonderful things or anything that makes me smile, I will write it down and put it in the jar. This time next year I have no doubt that it will be bursting with beautiful moments, which I can read over and realise just how amazing the year has been, despite how it may feel at some points. 

I'm not a big fan of normal New Year's resolutions and the idea that a New Year should bring a new you. However, I do like the idea of setting some achievable aspirations out so that as the year begins I can start finding out more and more about myself. That's why I created this list of little things I want to do at some point or throughout 2014. They range from regarding education and making people smile through to things that I just want to experience and I have no intention of doing anything but achieving each and every one of them! 

You may also have realised that I've given my blog a bit of a re-vamp in time for 2014. I think that this design is a lot more personal and individual to me and I simply adore it. Plus, who doesn't love to see flowers growing? 

I think that as the year is coming to a close I have nothing more to say than thank you to everyone who has made 2013 so special! I hope you have wonderful times celebrating the start of 2014 and that it's beautiful for each one of you throughout, because you all deserve it. 

Bethany Paige X

Christmas giveaway winner

As you probably remember, at the beginning of the month I launched a festive giveaway full to the brim with stylish prizes as a big thank you to all of my followers for everything you've done this year! I'm happy to say that lots of you entered for the chance to win a mixture of Bumble and Bumble, Batiste and Rituals products, some funky socks plus a few extra surprises. As I said in the original post, I wish I could give each and every one of you a gift and a big ol' hug, but unfortunately I can afford neither the postage fee nor the cost to fly all over the world to meet you! Still, I was able to pick one of you at random as my Christmas Giveaway winner.

Congratulations Emily, I'll be in contact shortly!

If you didn't win, never fear! I've got plenty of giveaways planned for 2014, so just keep your eyes peeled.

Bethany Paige X

An addiction to gold

I always seem to be drawn to gold. When faced with a selection of jewellery my fingers naturally sway towards the gold - in terms of colour not necessarily the metal type - and away from the silver, which very rarely makes an appearance in my shopping basket. Recently though, my obsession has kicked up a gear! Thanks to Christmas and the sales that it brings with it, over just the past week I've somehow acquired 5 gold pieces. But they're not all rings!

Firstly, I have my new pride and joy - a Michael Kors rose gold watch. This beauty was an extremely generous Christmas gift and one that I am beyond grateful for. I've always wanted a Michael Kors watch, as you all probably know, so opening this on the 25th caused quite a large amount of girly screaming! It's just so perfect. No doubt you will be seeing a lot more of it!

H&M £2

I hit the sales on the day after boxing day, as per usual, and H&M facilitated my need for gold jewellery perfectly. For £2 I got this adorable necklace, with raw gold style blocks on a dainty chain. It's relatively small in comparison to my usual choice of chunky jewellery, but it's anything but boring. I think it's the kind of piece that can be worn with almost anything due to its simplicity yet will still add interest to a plain outfit. 

H&M £1

I got this thick gold bracelet as a piece to wear with the gold chain that I also bought from H&M last year. I've had my eye out for one similar but for some reason never got around to making the purchase. So, when I saw this beauty for £1 I just couldn't resist.

 

H&M £2

I have worn this solidly for the past three days! I think the main reason for such an adoration is its stylish simplicity. It's not garish but it's also not too delicate which makes it my dream ring and extremely wearable. The ring actually came in a pack of two with a silver version as well, however I doubt that it will be worn anywhere near as often as this one.

H&M £1

Finally, I got this chain style ring. It was also £1 and I have no more of an explanation for its purchase except the fact that it thought it was pretty!

Is there such thing as an addiction to gold?
Bethany Paige X

OOTDs: Festive style

Christmas isn't over yet. I refuse to admit it. In fact, I plan on stretching it out into the foreseeable future, since it is my favourite time of the year! And this year in particular has been extra special. As well as receiving some absolutely spectacular gifts, which I will be posting about later, everybody loved the presents I gave them and most importantly, I got to spend the period with my family. Of course, it also gave me the opportunity to dress up a little which can mean only one thing to a fashion blogger - OOTDs! 

Christmas Eve: 

Scrunchie - unknown, necklace/earring set - Topshop advent calendar, 

jumper - thrift shop, dress - Primark, boots - H&M

I spent most of Christmas Eve indoors with my family, but instead of wearing my usual PJs all day, I thought I would add some festive style to a laid back look. It seemed only right to wear this oversized red jumper at some point over the season and paired with my tartan scrunchie, I don't think the outfit could be more Christmassy. I had to drag the outfit a little further away from the realms of what a 10 year old me would have worn at Christmas though, so I added on my jersey grey dress and chunky monster boots! Thick black tights kept me even more toasty and I finished the look with my simple diamond chain and earrings from my fabulous Topshop advent calendar.

Christmas Day: 

Dress - New Look, shoes - Primark, lipstick - Elizabeth Arden in Sultry

For Christmas Day I stepped up my game and went for a less laid back style. As you can see, it gave me the opportunity to wear this gorgeous tapestry skater dress that was bought especially for the occasion. It fits beautiful and the print is just a dream. I am in love! Keeping it as the main focus, I paired it with plain black pumps and thick tights. Obviously, me being me I couldn't keep the outfit too formal so I also added on some deep red/purple lipstick and my usual out of control mane of curls remained! 

I hope you all had beautiful Christmas periods too, and if you have some festive OOTDs up then feel free to comment your links bellow. I would love to see! 

Bethany Paige X

Mini makeup and accessories haul

I was recently lucky enough to receive a £10 Amazon voucher for "achievement in the study of Drama throughout year 11". As you can imagine, I logged on to my account on the same day that I won the voucher and spent all of it at once on pretty things! And pretty things always warrant a new blog post. 

The first item that landed in my Amazon basket is this simply divine Elizabeth Arden lipstick in Sultry - an extremely deep red bordering on purple. I've been after a shade like this since probably the beginning of the year but somehow I've managed to withstand from purchasing one. Until now, obviously. Apart from the beautiful colour, the price made it absolutely irresistible. It came to a tiny £3 because it's actually a tester that would usually be sold to shops to use on display. You can't really complain when it's the same lipstick just without the fancy lid and with a plastic one instead!

If you follow me on Instagram (@paigeoffashion) then you will have seen this hat before. Several times. Since the first time I saw it on twitter I've been absolutely obsessed - that kind of fashion obsession that means you lay in bed at night creating outfits around it. Well, I finally had the opportunity to get my hands on one and, of course, didn't pass it up. No doubt this will feature in an OOTD fairly soon, because I'm simply in love.

Until this week, I'm ashamed to say, my eyebrows have been pretty neglected. Apart from keeping them in shape through plucking, my makeup regime has not included my eyebrows whatsoever. I have finally purchased an eyebrow bar though and it is amazing considering it cost me just £2. It contained 4 different eyebrow colours, an eyebrow brush, a makeup brush and stencils. It's my new addiction.

This was kind of just a basket filler so that I had used the whole voucher and didn't leave a silly amount of money on it by the end of my shopping, since it was £1. I've never really seen an eyeliner like this - and that's saying a lot considering my status as an eyeliner addict - but it's amazing. It's soft enough to glide onto the lid and the thickness is great for creating flicks. I'm not quite sure how it will be once the end has become blunt though, because I doubt you can sharpen it. 

Not bad for £10, right? 

Bethany Paige X

2013: The Year of The Cyrus

I wonder what people will think of, in 20 years time, when they hear "2013". The birth of the Royal Baby and North West, the return of Gaga and the introduction of Robin Thicke with that song plus numerous twitter trends that can be described as nothing but insane, to name just a few will probably stand out. For me though, there is but one person - and her tongue - that will forever remain in the 2013 spotlight. Miley Cyrus.

Yes, 2013 saw Miley Cyrus develop from being a certain loveable teenage TV character, into a scantly clad, party loving individual who has the ability to cause controversy like no other with a simple post on Instagram. She's not exactly been a rarity among the style columns either, regularly being critiqued on her fashion choices. Of course, certain VMA outfits are most prominent in all of our memories, but she's had her style successes too. They've just been, shall we say "overshadowed"?

The Good...

Granted, the hairstyles may not be all that (yes, Met Ball outfit I'm talking to you), but it's undeniable that Miles has shown us her style credentials this year. Within these looks, she manages to retain her now trademark craziness, without going overboard. She pairs kooky pieces like her duo "Mom jeans", cropped Mickey Mouse jumper and insanely short leather skirt, with chicer items like the bright white heels, A-line midi skirt and metallic accessories. Even whilst going all out - because I doubt you see many people wearing a money print skirt and top set - Miley keeps her jewellery to a minimum of basic gold chains. Plus, her short hair makes the look even more desirably urban. Cyrus circa 2011 certainly couldn't have pulled it off!

The bad and the ugly...

I know you can't stop Miley, but how I wish you would. 

These are some of her more memorable looks of the year to say the least, and it's not really hard to see why. I just can't comprehend them. Why does she need an obscenely large Chanel bag during a performance, what could she possibly be carrying? Why are the faces of The Notorious B.I.G and Tupac wrapped around her body? And more worryingly, why is such an item paired with thigh high, bordering on hypnotic boots? These are the questions that will continue to plague me. 

In fact, her furry mouse leotard (there's a phrase I never thought I would use) is possibly the least revealing of all her insane looks. But she ripped it off to reveal flesh tone PVC underwear soon enough, so I'm not sure whether that counts. Probably not. 

It's not hard to see why Miss Cyrus has been causing waves in the fashion world when on one side she manages to make a Marc Jocbs net dress look simply stylish, whilst on the other her white net dress looks more like something she would purchase in Anne Summers. Or maybe a cheaper, less classy version of Anne Summers. But hey, I guess she's just being Miley, and that's kind of why we love her. 

Bethany Paige X

Christmas for the one who...

We are well and truly into December now. That means that for most of you, trees will be up, the sound of Slade will be filling your house and quite a few mince pies will have been consumed already whilst wrapping gifts and writing cards. At least, I hope it's not just me! Plus, if you're anything like me - which most of you will be if you're fellow fashion bloggers - you've already thought about what you will be wearing over the festive period.

Christmas day is always a tricky one. Whether you want to go full on glamour and sparkle brighter than your tree or stay nice and cosy whilst the weather is the opposite, is quite the clothing conundrum. Either way, I try to make whatever I wear on the 25th of December extra special, because it's my favourite time of the year!

I'm not sure what I'll be wearing for certain yet, despite the numerous ideas bubbling away in my fashion loving brain, but I thought it would be nice to create a few festive outfit ideas for every kind of Christmas person.

Topshop: shirt - £25, socks - £10, shorts - £12, headband - £10 

Nasty Gal: Dress- $68 

Topshop: Necklace - £16.50, midi ring - £5.50, shoes - £65 

Topshop: Skirt - £50, top - £35,  shoes - £65, lipstick in ruthless - £8

Topshop: Coat - £79, boots - £88, jeans - £60, jacket - £350, scarf - £14, sweater - £29

Which is your favourite outfit? 

Bethany Paige X

Christmas Giveaway

Since it is The 1st of December –the season of giving and all that - I thought a festive giveaway would be the perfect way to start the Christmas blogging period! After all, I couldn’t leave my favourite people off my present buying list, now could I? As much as I would love to give you all a gift, unfortunately my teenage budget doesn't quite stretch that far! So, one of you lovely people will be lucky enough to win all of the bellow, plus a few extra surprises to make it that little bit more special. Even I'm a jealous of the future winner!

Consider it a big Christmassy thank you for being so wonderful this year.

You could win...

Blue sparkly ankle socks with a lace frill 

Graphic flower print ankle socks 

Adjustable cross two finger ring 

Matte nail varnish top coat 

“Twist and out” artificial nail remover pot

Batiste XXL volume dry shampoo

Bumble and bumble thickening hairspray

Rituals fortune scrub 

Plus a few extra surprises

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will end on Christmas day and I will get in contact with the winner shortly after that. It is open to UK residents only. Good luck to each and every one of you.

Just call me Father Christmas!
Bethany Paige X

1 Month to go

In exactly a month it will be Christmas Eve (cue screams from those of us perhaps a little too old to be as excited as we are). That means that in a month's time, it will be a matter of hours before children every where - and by children I mean anybody willing to embrace the Christmas spirit as I will be - will wake up and set eyes on their stocking. There's nothing as wondrous as seeing it go from empty to bulging over night, even if we no longer have a portly fellow in red to thank these days.

I've always thought that stockings or small gifts are one of the best parts of Christmas. The tiniest of presents can range from being humorously ironic to heartbreakingly thoughtful and they're all packed within a rather large sock. It's basically a fashion blogger's dream!

Since we are a mere month away from the night before Christmas, I thought I'd create a festive wishlist post of things I would love to either find in my stocking, or put in someone else's.

1) Whatever Beanie, Etsy £7.91
As you probably know already, I'm quite the clueless enthusiast and also an avid lover of beanies. So, as you're likely to have figured out, this "whatever" printed beanie appears to have been manufactured in my dreams. I suppose it would keep me warm in the chilly weather too, although that's less important than its style credentials!

2) Horse print knickers, Topshop £4
My mother always finds some pair of comedy knickers to sneak into my stocking and make me laugh. Somehow though, these horse print briefs are so dorky that they become cool, is that possible?

Maybe I'm just dorky .

3) Luxury Pud Bath Bomb, Lush  £3.40 

I quite like the idea of being able to smell the beauty oozing out of my stocking before I've even opened it, thanks to this Lush bath bomb! I'm always drawn in by their cosmetics and this Christmas pud themed bomb is no exception. I'm relaxed just thinking about it.

4)Check scarf, Topshop  £14.00

I can't help but feel my parents would jump at the opportunity of having me wrap up a little warmer in the winter months. So, if I'm going to do so, I may as well do so in style and in my favourite print. 

5)Velvet trim socks, Topshop £3.50
I always want cute socks, so I would certainly be happy to find these festive velvet trim ones from Topshop in my stocking on Christmas morning. I think most girls would.

6) Lipstick in Inhibition, Topshop £8
When winter comes around, darker shades of lip colour do the same. Little makeup bits are always a cute stocking filler, right?

7) As If bracelet, Etsy £3.80
As if this isn't the cutest bracelet I've ever seen! Once again, a Clueless quote steals my heart and I suddenly need something I didn't even know existed last week.

8) "You're a virgin who can't drive" Clueless phone case, Etsy  £10.50
This is the final Clueless themed gift, I promise. But out of all of them, it's probably the one I adore the most. I don't think it needs too much explaining, I just love it.

9) Disty ring multi pack, Topshop £6
Yes, I already have a sizeable ring collection. Yes, I still want more. Yes, these are the perfect little things to do the job.

10) Hamsa palm necklace, Kukee £1
I've been going through a bit of a boho/hippy phase at the moment, so this Hamsa palm necklace simply sung to me. As far as jewellery goes, you can't really turn your nose up at £1 either - perfect stocking filler price.

11) Unicorn iron on, Ebay  £2.29
To cut quite a long story short, once upon a time I saw a denim jacket covered in unicorns when on an expedition to Camdem. I trawled the internet and couldn't find one like it, so as a result I resolved to DIY my own. That's why I have iron on unicorns in my dream stocking, it's not (entirely) random!

12)Moon and stars above the knuckle ring, Kukee £1.50
Another inexpensive stocking filler here that would  fit effortlessly into my ever expanding ring collection and into my current obsession with "hippy" styles.

13) Titanium Aura chunky necklace, Kukee £10
Kukee are serving this festive wishlist well! This is that kind of necklace that can take an outfit from boring to stylish instantly, which I'm sure means it would make any girl smile on the 25th of December.

Father Christmas, I promise I've been good this year!
Bethany Paige X

OOTD: A love of satin

I’ve always had a bit of a thing for satin. As a child I considered it the fabric of “grown up” women, most probably due to my mother’s fondness of a certain midnight blue satin blouse with pearl affect buttons that she wore, and still occasionally wears, on evenings out with her friends. I never saw a child wearing satin, therefore it must be exclusively for those over the age of 20.

Obviously, as I and my interest in fashion grew, I learnt that satin was not a fabric of such segregation and can in actual fact be worn by any age group. More importantly, it can leave any age group with a outfit that oozes glamorous playfulness.

Recently I bought a beautiful pale yellow dress, with a purple floral print, in possibly the lightest satin known to man (so much so that an underskirt is needed in order to retain ones modesty)! It was one of those love at first sight, impulse bought pieces that you only regret slightly when you get home and realise alterations are needed. Still, I find those are often the best kind. After completing the alterations  - which involved changing it from dress to skirt - it took roughly 30 seconds before I put it on and styled it up!

Here’s the result. I wore this skirt, grey jersey, and black lace ups combo to sixth form earlier this week. And got a fair few compliments, may I add. 

Sweater - Primak, skirt - vintage, shoes - Topshop, bag - vintage

I hope you're all having a lovely week, 
Bethany Paige X

Sugar and spice and all things nice

Generally speaking, my wardrobe can't really be described as "girly". It consists mainly of oversized shirts and chunky - bordering on tacky - jewellery. Even when I do head in the direction of skirts or dresses, I tend to finish them with a pair of running trainers, much to the annoyance of my mother! Yes, it's rare to catch me in archetypally feminine clothing. 

However, as tends to be the case on a Saturday morning, I was effortlessly navigating my way around the Topshop website when I stumbled upon possibly the most girly pair of shoes known to man (or woman). They are heels, they are fluffy and they are the palest of pinks. In short, they are like fashionable marshmallows for your feet.

Suddenly, believe it or not, I'm craving nothing but sartorial sugar. I'm lusting after powder pinks, dreaming of soft floaty fabrics and, perhaps most surprisingly, I can see my running trainers and chunky black boots staying in my shoe cupboard for at least a few days a week. 

Here are the shoes to thank for such a situation (available in black or pale pink):

As if the shoes weren't enough, I then came across a silk dress, entirely fitting with my new lusting criteria. It seemed only right to pair them together and create the outfit of every girly girl's dreams! 

No doubt my trainers will reappear soon, but for now I'm happy to keep dreaming of these beauties.

Happy Saturday my lovelies,
Bethany Paige X

Step aside black boots

I have a bit of an obsession with black boots. So much so, that once in a line they can stretch the width of my room, with 6 pairs in total. From my chunky H&M monsters to my Litas, they are my footwear staples that have the ability to take an outfit into realms of beauty, without outshining the other aspects of it. They are just the kind of basics that every fashion loving individual needs.

Recently though, as is not often the case, I have been craving something else. Boots, yes. Black, no - In fact, quite the opposite. Over the past month or so, my heart has set itself upon having a pair of chunky white boots. Of course, being the person that I am, as soon as I first thought of the idea I became completely and utterly fixated. If you follow me on twitter, you'll have witnessed this first hand thanks to numerous tweets along the lines of: "Craving chunky boots in white, help me! Where can I find some?!" And so began my search.

Eventually - and I say eventually because they were surprisingly hard to pin down - I found two styles that I absolutely adore, yet are reasonably priced.

In order to justify my lust (not that I really needed to) I created three outfits all using these rather beautiful white boots. For the purpose of these outfit collages I used the RI ones, but they are easily interchangeable for those available at ASOS market place too! 

(All Topshop except boots)

What do you think, could white boots become a wardrobe staple of mine?

Bethany Paige X

50 shades

When people ask me what my favourite colour is, I often find it hard to produce an answer. A 9 year old Beth would've had no such hesitation. I'm sure the word "pink" would've left her mouth possibly before the question had even been finished (I did enjoy living up to that young female stereotype)! Yet, 7 years later and I can't respond with such certainty. Granted, I have been partial to the pale pinks of Louis Vuitton and Roksanda Ilincic this season, but whether that warrants, therefore, the crowning of pink as my favourite colour is questionable. In actual fact, there is another colour which I favour at the moment, but at its mention it can cause quite the controversy. Who would've thought that such a innocent answer could evoke such a shocked response?

"Grey? How can grey be your favourite colour?"

Yes, you read that correctly. I am absolutely head over heals in love with grey. I have a colour crush on that which is usually ignored or branded as "dull". Judge away my fellow fashion bloggers, as I do not chose the neon yellows or duck egg blues of the colour charts but instead the simple, and to me altogether more appealing, light grey.

I hope you all had a lovely Sunday,
Bethany Paige X

Label jars, not people.

As a generation, I think we pride ourselves on our non-judgmental natures. We've been fortunate enough to grow up in a time when race, gender, and sexuality are labels that generally make little or no impact on our opinions regarding people. Thanks to the work of our ancestors, as a whole we like to think that we're pretty open minded, with a very small proportion of us forming the exception. 

Still, labels do exist and are used as definitions, even if not as a form of judgement. Just look at sexuality. Are you hetrosexual, homosexual, pansexual, bisexual, omnisexual, bicurious or asexual? Hang on a minute, hands up, who Googled at least one? That's 7 labels for just one personal characteristic. Maybe it's just me, but it all seems a little unnecessary. 

If I had to describe my sexual orientation, I'd use the term "straight". I'm attracted to guys and not girls, ignoring the occasional "girl crush" (hi, Cara)! Still, I don't feel that aptly describes me as a person. I mean, if I were to meet a girl and fall in love I wouldn't say something like, "Sorry, I really like you, I think we could have a future together plus I'm attracted to you, but I'm straight. So we can't be together." Granted, I can't imagine myself with another girl right now, but it would be utterly ignorant and rather foolish to say that I never will be. The future can hold anything, after all. 

Consequently, such labels seem to become somewhat irrelevant. If they can change any second with an adaptation in life events, they don't hold much meaning despite their apparent accuracy in the moment. This does lead me to ponder the question of why we still continue to use them. We don't judge people as a consequence, supposedly at least, so it's quite perplexing why we feel the need to disclose such information using labels. Nobody is put in a class for being most attracted to blonde women or men in glasses, yet gender still has a huge influence over our descriptions of people.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is, that the world would be a much easier place to navigate if people weren't pressured into giving a name to themselves purely based on who they're attracted to. Maybe one day it'll happen or maybe it's wishful thinking, but I can't help but hope that soon people will just love who they want to, without question.

 “The bottom line is that we never fall for the person we're supposed to.” 
― Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper

Bethany Paige X

Just so all of you know, if you ever need help with problems regarding sexuality or anything really I'm always here (even if it is behind a screen). So, don't hesitate to drop me an email at paigeoffashion@hotmail.co.uk or contact me via twitter @PaigeOfFashion. I'm happy to help where I can. 

OOTD: Urban jungle

Today I woke up with the urge to shoot an OOTD and shoot an OOTD I did. It's been a long time coming too, considering the fact that it's been over a month since I last showed you guys an outfit! Yes, if we ever meet I give you permission to slap me on the wrist for my bad blogging habits. Naughty blogger.

Nevertheless, ignoring how long it has taken, here's today's outfit. It has a touch of urban about it which is rare with my wardrobe, but I simply adore it. I donned my trusty leather pencil skirt and simple silk cami, then bought a bit more edge to the look with a stonewashed cap and oversized denim shirt. Of course, my New Balance running trainers also had to make an appearance. They often do in my OOTDs, so why stop now? 

Trainers - New Balance, skirt - thrifted (originally Dorothy Perkins), 

cami top - thrifted, shirt - thrifted, cap - Primark.

The finished product is an outfit that somehow manages to be a mix of sophistication and street. At least, as street as Bethany Paige can manage. 

I hope you've all had a lovely Sunday, 

Bethany Paige X