Thursday 27 November 2014

All I want for Christmas is...

Today I was suddenly hit by a wave of Christmas excitement. In less than a month I will be well and truly submerged in the festive spirit, no doubt eating more than my fair share of mince pies and dancing around in fluffy socks to Mariah Carey. That's how it usually goes at least.

For me, my favourite part of Christmas is giving people their presents. I plan them months in advance which means I have plenty of time to build up excitement to see their faces when they open them! There's no denying that I'm pretty fond of receiving presents too though. We'd be lying if we said we didn't get a little bit like a child every year! And I thought it was that time of year again when a little Christmas wishlist is in order. It's the fashion blogger's equivalent to a letter to Santa.



Naked 3 Palette by Urban Decay // Too Faced Melted Nude // 5th Avenue by Elizabeth Arden // Yankee candle in Merry Marshmallow //  Snakeskine notepad from Paperchase // Holly Golightly lush bubble bar // He Wasn't Man Enough Boots by La Moda // Mi Vida Loca backpack in White by La Moda // "It was all fucking awesome" photo album // Quay cat eye sunglasses // Underwire white bra by Topshop 

What are you hoping to find under the tree this year?
Bethany Paige X



Sunday 23 November 2014

OOTD: Black and navy revolution

Who created the fashion rulebook that every woman seems to live by? The leather bound book that contains such rules as "never do double denim" (please see Balmain SS14) and "socks and sandals will never be trendy" (please see any vaguely fashion orientated Tumblr page and search for Nike Sliders). My point is, there's always an exception to fashion rules and usually those exceptions are a hell of a lot more kick ass than the conventional looks we see on a daily basis. Sometimes it's just good to put a metaphorical middle finger up to the book and do what you want. 

One rule I never understood was the fact that you're not "allowed" to wear navy and black together. I'm not sure I comprehend where that idea spawned from. And frankly, pairing the shades has been one of my favourite fashion moves recently. In particular I've been obsessed with wearing my black oversized t-shirt dress with navy accessories. I know, shocking.  





T-Shirt dress, button down, bag, trainers, 
leather jacket - All Primark // Gold ring - Newlook 

Bethany Paige x

Friday 21 November 2014

The segregation of sunglasses

A couple of days ago, as is often the case in the colder months, I was mourning the loss of my summer wardrobe. I miss shorts, crop tops and open shoes terribly. I feel like I've gone through a break up and have rebounded into a relationship that's left me completely unsatisfied! Yes, winter does bring the opportunity for layering (I'm sure you've heard every other fashion blogger shouting about it already) but nothing will beat the carefree approach I can take to dressing in mid August. Most winter mornings I spend more time contemplating whether a scarf is absolutely necessary than I do actually getting dressed. And that's precious time that could be spent still asleep.

So I continue to feebly attempt to bring some kind of sunshine into my daily dressing. Starting with sunglasses. I am taking a stand against the frankly ridiculous notion that sunglasses should be utterly neglected in autumn and winter. The sun doesn't disappear in September! And some of us have eyes that enjoy watering as soon as the clouds clear leaving us a mascara covered mess. So despite the strange looks I will undoubtedly get, I'll no longer be segregating sunnies into my summer wardrobe. 

I may just start my rebellion with a pair of these beauties... 



Quay Athena Sunglasses - £12 ASOS // Quay Invador cat-eye sunglasses - £27 ASOS // Double bridge cat eye sunglasses - £9 ASOS // Posh in Gold - $25 roseandono.com // Willow cut off cat-eye sunglasses - £18 Topshop // 


Bethany Paige X

Thursday 13 November 2014

Thigh highs

I never was a fan of thigh high boots. In fact, I never was a fan of anything longer than an ankle boot for that matter. As far as I was concerned, they were just a tad trashy. Even when pop angel Ariana Grande wore them I wasn't convinced and couldn't help but feel they were a bit much.

Then a few days ago my whole perspective on the thigh high boots matter shifted. And I have La Moda UK (as usual) to blame/thank! These black, suede effect boots have me drooling. Maybe it's the fact that they're not overly high in the heel department, or maybe all of my fashion morals have disintegrated, but I'm officially obsessed with them. It's got to the point where I plan outfits to wear with "my boots" and pretend that they are the most versatile form of footwear known to womankind.



At the moment I'm lusting over the idea of pairing them with a simple shirt dress, a clutch and gold accessories.


Boutique silk shirt dress - £85 Topshop // Leather clutch - £45 Topshop  // Mesh and snake chain necklace - £16.50 Topshop // Sovereign ring set - £12.50 Topshop // Ghetto Superstar suede boots - £34.99 - La Moda UK


Where do you stand on the thigh high boot debate?
Bethany Paige X

Saturday 8 November 2014

October favourites

I know you are probably still in a state of shock after seeing this post on your Bloglovin/twitter feed. You probably thought I was gone for ever. But alas, I am back and blogging! Apologies for my recent disappearance from basically all forms of social media over the past few weeks; I’ve not had access to any solid internet sources and I’ve been out and about a lot. Getting my twitter fix has only been possible with free bus wifi. Thank you Ariva.

Anyway, now that I am settling back into my little corner of the internet I thought I’d share with you all the things I was loving last month. October signalled the point of no return towards freezing temperatures but as much as I despise the change in weather, it was a beautiful month spent with beautiful people.


During summertime I’m lucky enough to have skin that basically maintains its own health, but as soon as temperatures drop it’s another story altogether. So, around this time of year I invest in skincare products to get me through colder periods. The first of these that I’ve been loving is the LUSH Mask of Magniminty face and body mask. Aside from smelling phenomenal, it’s worked wonders on my face, back and arms to rejuvenate my skin thanks to it containing peppermint. To be honest, I use it every time I have a bath these days because I am simply obsessed.

 

Another LUSH product that October saw me lusting over is the Mint Jullip Lip Scrub. I’ll be honest, it’s not essential. It’s easy enough to whip up your own version of this with Vaseline and caster sugar. But it is just gorgeous. It tastes like mint chocolate (who doesn’t want that?) and leaves my lips smooth ready to apply lipsticks or just after I’ve been out on a cold windy day.



I have real problems with moisturises. I’ve spent more than I care to admit on attempting to find one that doesn’t leave me greasy and breaking out in spots after a couple of days use. I certainly did not expect to find my saviour in the form of this unbelievably cheap Boots Essentials moisturising cream. I’ve used it every day, morning and night, since buying it at the beginning of October and can’t even imagine living without it now. Cucumber is one of my favourite scents which is a bonus and it's the perfect consistency.


Final skincare favourite, I promise. And I know it seems like an odd one. For those of you that don’t know me, I always carry around baby wipes in my bag. Not makeup wipes. Baby wipes. I use them to wipe my hands clean and take off makeup on the go as they’re gentle on my skin and generally nicer to use than other wipes. I saw these Huggies natural care ones were on offer so I picked them up and have fallen in love with them. They have a fresh smell and since they’re natural, the wipes have a thicker and more cotton wool like texture to them. They contain aloe and vitamin E too which I figure can’t be a bad thing for your skin. Plus, they prevent the causes of nappy rash naturally! What’s not to love?



As the weather gets colder my obsession with scented candles steps up a gear. I’ve had this Gaia Creations “monkey farts” (yes, the name is part of the reason I love it so) candle for a few months now but have recently fallen into an even deeper love for it. It has a fruity scent which means I can pretend I’m back in summertime and it’s just so comforting to have it burning whilst I’m in bed reading.



Talking of reading – this book! The Lover’s Dictionary is easily in my top five favourite books of all time and I re-read it last month so had to include it here. It’s a love story but written in the form of definitions which is an absolutely genius idea. It’s a really quick read and for me is unforgettable.



I have a total obsession with pretty underwear but don’t exactly have a Victoria Secret budget since one bra would probably cost me the equivalent of a full month’s wages. So I have to settle for the less extravagant despite my desires. However, I was in Primark and came across this absolutely stunning set for £4! Four British Pounds. I am genuinely impressed. It’s a gorgeous white mesh with floral applique and bow detail that I could not resist. The only problem is that since they are sold as sets, the bottoms are slightly too small. Being not so blessed in the chest department, the knickers are a size 6-8 in order to correspond with the bra size, but my bum is unfortunately not so willing to cooperate!


Primark certainly have been doing well recently. This jacket merges two of my favourite things - grey and feaux leather. It only cost £25 and is really good quality considering. Paired with my grey tennis skirt as seen here or just with high waisted black jeans it's perfect for keeping warm without going all out with a coat. I absolutely adore the quilt and gold detailing. 


My final favourite of October is Costa. I’ve spent essentially the whole of my half term with my friend Jodie in Costa sipping away on Chai Lattes and taking advantage of their free wifi for a few minutes! It’s basically become another home for me. If you haven’t tried their emmental and mushroom toastie yet, you are seriously missing out and must go there immediately.



I hope you all had a lovely October too (even though we’re quite a way into November now) and I can’t wait to ramble again to you all very soon now that I’m back on the blogging scene!

Bethany Paige X