Some kind of calm

I reached a personal epiphany this week: As my life gets more hectic, my clothes do the opposite.

My work load grows and my days get longer whilst my wardrobe gets simpler in attempts to bring some kind of calm to life. Subconsciously I've switched to black, white and grey clothes over the past week since resuming A-Levels, embracing clean lines and minimal cuts. Patterns, on their rare appearances, have been monochrome. Black running trainers have been the shoe of choice. My white pleather bag officially has a place in my life as that which carries my plethora of folders and books. The lack of colour and basic fabrics seem to balance out the potential stress of essays and deadlines.

Happy Friday, 

Bethany Paige X

OOTD: School uniform

I can't imagine going to a sixth form with a smart dress code. The idea of having to wear a skirt suit every day makes me feel a little bit unwell. Especially considering that I work at the weekends so would literally have no chance to wear casual clothes! Luckily for me though, my school have a very loose dress code that basically only prohibits shorts and crop tops. 

It certainly makes getting ready for a day of lessons a lot more interesting. I think going back to school after the summer holidays has made me even more grateful that I didn't have to go from crop tops to blazers! Instead, for my first day back I went for a long line black and white kimono. Basic trainers, an oversized top and my high waisted jeans acted as the base of the outfit with me only having to add my white school bag and several gold rings to finish off the look. The simple black and white palette of this OOTD is something I'm obsessed with at the moment and that I plan on continuing throughout the year.

 

Trainers - Primark // Jeans - New Look // Top - Primark // Kimono - Primark // 

Bag - Primark // Thin gold and midi rings - Primark // Thick ring - New Look

I hope you're all having wonderful weeks, 

Bethany Paige X

August Favourites

Since I've been a blogger for more than two years now, it's pretty crazy to think that I've never done a "favourites" post before. There's no time like the present though, so I thought I would take this opportunity to get straight into it with one for August!

Forbidden by Victoria Secret 

I'm insanely loyal when it comes to my everyday scent. Once I've found a perfume that I love, I stick by it! Ralph by Ralph Lauren has had a solid place in my life for two years now and I had no plans to change that fact. Then I came across Forbidden by Victoria's Secret a week ago, bought it and haven't touched Ralph since. It's a gorgeous mix of "exotic pear, jasmine and amber wood" - you have to go and smell it. Not that I want to be too hasty, but I think this is serious, not just a perfume fling. 

 Bourjois Nail Polish Remover

I don't think I ever realised how annoying and time consuming removing nail varnish was until I finally gave into the hype and bought this Bourjois Paris Magic Nail Polish Remover. It is so worth every penny. Not only does it take off nail varnish ridiculously well (even black which has a tendency to leave me looking like I haven't washed in a week with normal remover) but it smells like red fruit and vanilla! If that doesn't make it worthy of a place in my August favourites, I don't know what does.

Kiko Eye Palette

Kiko palette in Harmonic Swing

I've been obsessed with neutral eye looks recently and this Kiko palette which I bought while in Spain is perfect. Even though the colours are relatively neutral they have a beautiful shimmer to them, without being so glittery that they can't work in the day time. The white shimmer is perfect as a brow bone highlight and the purple is my current favourite for the crease.

The Falsies 

The Falsies mascara by Maybelline

Okay, we've all heard of this mascara. Tanya Burr absolutely raves about it! So I finally gave in and bought The Falsies by Maybelline. I could talk about it for hours but all I need to say is that it does exactly what it claims. I curl my lashes, put this on and I'm sorted.

Coral cheeks

Rimmel London in Shade 012 Coral Blush

These pictures don't do this blusher/bronzer justice at all. It's the most stunning coral colour which I pair with a BB Cream on days when I don't feel like wearing a full face of makeup. I apply it with my The Body Shop blusher brush and that's all it takes for a gorgeously pigmented cheek colour.

Bubblemint Gum

I've never been a gum chewer. Fake mint flavours usually give me a headache so I tend to avoid them. But I'm also obsessed with my teeth feeling clean and having fresh breath. This is the first gum I've had that doesn't make me feel unwell after a few minutes of chewing and as random as this favourite may seem, it has been my saviour this month! Plus, who doesn't love the flavour of bubble gum?

Round Sunglasses

 Primark Sunglasses

These round sunglasses have the ability to turn any outfit into a chic ensemble. Seriously, I could wear these with a tracksuit and be LFW ready. Okay maybe not quite, but they've still been amazing this summer.

Straight hair

Toni&Guy straighteners 

I usually leave my hair in its naturally curly state but over the past month I've been straightening my hair at least twice a week. I don't know that I'll carry on with it but for the time being my Toni & Guy straighteners are doing the job brilliantly.

 Striped and jeans

White Tee - New Look // Blue Tee - Primark // Jeans - New Look

My last favourite is a fashion pairing. I am beyond obsessed with wearing my black high waisted jeans with baggy stripped T-Shirts. It's such an effortless style that I can just throw on whenever I want. Plus, these jeans are the softest things in existence! You'll probably see a striped tee and jeans OOTD very soon. 

What have you been loving in the month of August? 

Bethany Paige X

School uniform

It seems like only yesterday that I was counting down the days to the summer holidays. Willing time towards six weeks of shorts, crop tops and sandals. Don't ask me how, but suddenly I have less than a week until I'll be back in sixth form and back to clothing regulations! My whole wardrobe will alter to accommodate for days sat in classrooms in place of days in the sunshine. 

As much as I would rather stay in my summertime attire, at least I go to a school with a fairly liberal dress code. Whilst most sixth forms demand suits and ties, mine isn't so formal. So, with September quickly approaching, it seemed right to put together a few relatively inexpensive outfit ideas to get myself back into the academic dressing mind set!  

Jeans - £19.99 New Look // T-Shirt - £12 Boohoo.com // Nike Roshe Runs - £70 

// Watch - £16.99 ASOS // Nail varnish - £2.99 Barry M 

Jacket - £70 Topshop // Trousers - £40 Topshop // Top - £4.99 New Look // Bag - La Moda UK £18 // Shoes - La Moda UK

Skirt - £45 Topshop // Jumper - £14.99 New Look // Shoes - £28 La Moda UK //  Bag - £18 La Moda UK // Necklace - £8 ASOS // Scrunchie - £6.50 

I guess my school wardrobe next years is looking very black, white and grey! 

Bethany Paige X

OOTD: Crochet and high waists

You would have to have been living in a hole (or somewhere without wifi) for the past two months to not have noticed crochet crop tops. Thanks to the likes of Vanessa Hudgens, Coachella and Tumblr it seems like these halters have been everywhere this summer. And I for one have been sucked in by the hype. I'm pretty much obsessed. 

So as you can imagine, when I was sent this gorgeous handmade one I was more than a little excited! Even though the summer is coming to a close, I'm looking forward to making the best of it and wearing this beauty as many times as humanly possible before it gets too chilly. Or maybe I can book a holiday? I'll figure something out...

I simply couldn't resist styling it up and sharing some OOTD pictures with you all. 

Boots - boohoo.com // Jeans - New Look // 

Top - Cloister's Crafts // Rings - Primark // Bag - Primark

Luckily for all of you that are just as obsessed with crochet clothing as I am, the wonderful people at Cloister's Crafts have offered Paige of Fashion readers £5 off this crop top which retails normally at £35 as well as free postage and packing! Every piece is handmade to your measurements and is absolutely amazing quality. To order, email cloisterscrafts@outlook.com and mention Paige of Fashion to get your discount! 

If you do use the opportunity to get one of these gorgeous tops, let me know! 

Bethany Paige X 

My writing process

      Maybe I'm just nosey, but I love finding out more about my fellow bloggers. I've always been a fan of reading posts that give me more of an insight into the person behind the writing and pretty pictures. I'll be honest though, until I was tagged by Hannah from Daisies and DMs, I had never heard of blog hop posts. This one specifically is all about the writing process of bloggers. I absolutely loved Hannah's post which can be found here, so I decided to take up her offer and get involved!

 
      What are you working on?

The end of the summer holidays is approaching terrifyingly quickly (not that most of you needed reminding) so at the moment I’m preparing some fashion posts for students. Everything I feature in the series will be affordable – which means no Grafea backpacks, as much as it pains me – and school/college appropriate without being dull.

For the same reason, I’m also trying to squeeze out as many scheduled blog posts as possible since A-Levels don’t leave me with so much blogging time. Usually I’m quite a sporadic blogger which leaves me longing to be at my laptop when revising and having no inspiration once I’ve finished. It’s a real problem. So hopefully the advanced planning will help me out next term.

How does my work differ from others in the genre?

I like to think that my writing style is what puts me apart from other bloggers. I’ve spent a lot of time developing my own written voice and even though I don’t have a fancy camera or photography skills, I hope that this comes across to all of you.

It’s hard to say specifically what makes my work different from others though because all blogs are so personal. That’s why we love it, right?

Why do I write what I do?

Mainly and simply, it’s because I adore it. And I’m not being dramatic, I honestly get a thrill from writing about fashion.

When I first started Paige of Fashion I also had every intention of going into fashion journalism after university. Maybe I thought posting every day would get me onto the editing desk of British Vogue. I decided to gain as much experience of the industry as possible and blogging seemed like one way of doing that. Even now when I’m not so sure on the career path I want to take, Paige of Fashion is still a huge aspect of my life and one I’m not willing to let go of.

How does my writing process work?

As I said, I’m generally sporadic when it comes to blogging. I would love to be one of these super bloggers who has a planner and the ability to write every single post a month in advance but I’m just not. I get inspiration randomly and find it impossible to force myself to write about something I’m not intensely passionate about in that moment. Hence why my attempts at scheduling posts aren't going so well!

I carry around a simple notepad with me everywhere I go to make sure I always have somewhere to jot down ideas. So when I’m in Tesco picking up some cereal and suddenly get struck by an OOTD concept, I don’t forget it by the time I’ve got home.

As far as the actual writing goes, I usually do blogging at my desk. It’s my favourite place in the world and I kit it out with everything a fashion blogger might need – my laptop, a few magazines, tea and a scented candle. Then I just write. I don’t follow structures, I just go where my mind takes me. I'll usually leave it a few hours before posting and do one final proof read to try and get rid of any errors I missed after first writing the posts. 

There you have it, my writing process and everything that goes into creating posts here on Paige of Fashion! I nominate Jessica, Kamila and anybody else reading to give this blog hop a go if you so desire.

Happy Friday,
Bethany Paige X

Backpack enthusiast

Everybody loves a good backpack. Be it a Clueless inspired tiny one or something a bit more practical that can fit more than your phone and a bus ticket, I will say with no hesitation that there is a backpack for almost every occasion. Over the past couple of years they’ve had a bit of a revival too, being  a lot more widely available in high street shops and acting as the fashion blogger bag of choice. It’s great for an enthusiast like me who no longer has to search through charity shops for the 90s rejects (although I usually do anyway)!

I’m slowly building up quite the collection, from a tapestry one I found in Cancer Research to the sleek white leather one I bought in New Look a few weeks back. And honestly, I can’t stop. Every time I see any kind of backpack I feel compelled to buy it. I feel it is my duty as a true backpack fangirl. I think I finally understand why people spend hundreds of pounds on One Direction merch.

Whistles Verity Backpack - £275 at ASOS // Grid pattern backpack - £22.99 Newlook // Vita Navy Backpack - £45 La Moda UK // Faux black leather backpack -  £34 Topshop

Bethany Paige X