Fashion- Skint but Chic

The BEST pair of wedges in town!

2008-03-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

A nice cork heeled, 50's-influenced wedge. Red or black canvas with a kinda slingback and a bow.
Absolutely gorgeous.
Wait until you hear the price...
£13!!
From Next...order them now!
xoxo

Scary stuff!

2008-03-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

Okay this must be one of the strangest blogs on this site...
Was just randomly clicking 'next' on the blogspots, and stumbled across this...
http://diegomondejarpari.blogspot.com/
The whole thing is a complete documentation of this young boys day to day life...A photo documentation!
Like thousands of photos of him crawling around, being a baby.
This is freaky, who would want that much insight into a toddlers life?
Who would put their child on the internet like that?
Havent they heard of child-safety? Or Paedophiles?
My god, somebody tell this woman to stop!
Amber-Rose xoxo

Fashions best kept secrets...

2008-03-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

5 great tip-offs so that your 'in-the-know',
Enjoy!

1.)
www.elf.com
Simple concept...Simple effective makeup, at a simple price. Oh and did we mention that that simple price is oh so outrageously cheap! £1.50 for each piece of makeup-yes you did hear right! Even brushes...So no need to break the bank at the Estee Lauder counter, Enough said.

2.)
www.littlewoodsdirect.com
Okay so its hard to believe that the old tacky Littlewoods that used to take up a corner in every town has transformed into a fashion haven...Well it has, its captained by the Trinny and Susannah mafia, the prices are great, and the clothes are bang on- you would be mad to miss it!

3.)
www.npw.co.uk
My favourite gift sight! Gorgeous girlie treats, nik naks, stocking-fillers, perfect little presents...You name it they sell it, and trust me, you will want it all!

4.)
Supermarket chic...
Thats right...Forget the highstreet (well not completely!) and brace the supermarkets! With George at Asda reaching the fashion magazines, F&F at Tesco offering reasonable basics, and TU at Sainsburys leading the way with bang on fashion there is no doubting that supermarkets are racing to catch up with the highstreet in the style stakes...So while your popping out to get a pint of milk, why not a new top as well?!
Oh and as for Marks and Spencers...where did the Granny-land go? 4 words...Lilly Cole Limited Collection. Oh its beautiful, and its great, and its lovely...We want it all.

5.)
www.carmindy.com
Carmindy has been a renowned makeup artist for years, working on countless magazines and glamorous shoots with glamorous people. AND she is sharing her expertise with the likes of me and you on this pretty website, for free. No longer will we fret over our makeup bags with this load of helpful tips and masterclasses.

Enjoy and remember, shhh!
xo

5 Steps To 'Feng Shui' Your Space

2008-03-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

A stylish bedroom- a stylish person.
Here is how to breathe fresh life into your space...
In 5 easy, cheap ways. (No changing rooms needed here!)

1. Stylish storage.
Using pages from magazines- adverts, articles, photoshoots, compeltely cover shoeboxes and PVA over the top to make them glossy. Voila- some seriously fashion-forwards boxes-perfect size for your magazine collections, CDs, books, photographs, makeup...whatever! Now PLEASE get rid of those gross clear plastic crates...

2. New cushions.
Take inspiration from the vest top customising streak in the last post, and grab some buttons, bows or even better...cut some squares of material from old tops, towels, sheets, scarves-whatever you can find, and sew them on-patchwork cushions! Top tip...fabric shops and stalls always have heaps of extra cuttings...some will give you loads for 50p odd, whilst the really nice ones give them free (remember to mention the 'I'm a textiles student...and Im reaally struggling' line)- perfect!

3. Tidy your desk/Thought sheet
Scribbled post-its, loose sheets of papers, a million textbooks files and rubbish...? Well, simple, turf out everything in your drawers and put textbooks in one, files propped up next to your desk/table, and put ALL loose documents into plastic wallets-instantly neater. Then tack a sheet of paper onto your wall...And write everything, reminders, thoughts, quotes, numbers, jokes, and everything from your post-its on it...now throw away those bloody fluttering stickies (!) and enjoy your arty, interesting thought sheet that makes your room look interesting too-result!

4. Photo collages
Photos, resemble memories-generally happy ones, they remind you of friends, they beam sunshine and nostalgia...So dig out the childhood snaps, print your favourites off facebook, grab the holiday photos (an instant uplift-exotic beaches and a tanned you-whats not to love!) and tack them up artisticly...maybe even add in fashion piccies and vogue front covers too, to give it an edgy look. Your room will suddenly be more personal, and will look lovely!

5. Flowers
The most beautiful thing in a room is definitely fresh flowers..but they are so overpriced nowadays...well get picking! England is celebrated for its wild flowers, so get in your garden, street or nearby lane (make sure its no one elses garden...you dont want a law suit on your hands!) and pop them in your room. For a retro effect, grab some dandelions and put in a jamjar. Beautiful. Remember to change them though...droopy/dead flowers arent cute!

Hope your bedrooms look worthy of Ikea, girls.
Love Amber xoxox

Old tricks...New style!

2008-03-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

The best feeling in the world is doing up and old rag...and its fun...and its free...oh and did we mention, it can be extremely stylish?
Here are the best tips of the trade to help you on your way with 'The Summer Wadrobe'...Your Nan would be proud.
:)

Buttons
High-quality buttons on a garment have always been a sign of an expensive garment-designer blouses always have gorgeous pearly buttons. So if your buying a cheap cardy as a cover up, or just a highstreet basic then raid an oldies' button box and get sewing-transformed!

Customise vests
Vest tops are extremely cheap nowadays, plus you have probably got loads from last summer...well customise them! Add stars, bows, and buttons to make them on-trend. And if you have outgrown them-layer them. Simple as that- get creative!

Cut up your jeans
Find an old pair of jeans..too short, old style, whatever. Then rule a line-dip it down slightly in the middle remember, and then get snipping. Turn up the bottoms (allow for this when cutting-there is a limit to shortness!) and stitch a turn-up (NOT OPTIONAL! They will look vile without!) Add some sequins or buttons to the back pocket...hottest shorts in town. Jessica Simpson eat your heart out.

Sparklise your FlipFlops
This summer its about sparkly/metallic flipflops, and your being skint aint gonna stop you! Find an old pair of plain flops, (or wait to the summer, and get a free pair with a magazine), then using a line of sequins from a craft shop (literally-10p!), carefully sew onto the two straps. Thus you have a gorgeous pair of flipflops, without splashing out!

Summer makeup
Sprinkle on some bronzer and forget heavy foundations for summer-think fresh faced eh! If you want fuller coverage mix a sprinkle of bronzer with some moisturizer. Use a sheer spf 15 lipbalm, and then layer a pearly lipgloss over the top. Keep eyemake-up bronzey and neutral but big lashes are good. Invest in some decent bright colours for the evenings...and get experimenting...

Amber-Rose xoxox

The cheapies- tried and tested.

2008-03-22T17:23:00.001-07:00

We flick through Vogue...We idly scroll through the yarns of catwalks on style.com...We read about Victoria Beckhams new handbag....And we dream about which designer pieces we will effortlessly add to our bulging wadrobes.
But the reality is, we havent got the money. Unless your the super-rich, 800 pounds is a lot to pay for a handbag...no matter how huge it is!
But this doesnt make you any less stylish, top designer Henry Holland says he takes his inspiration from urban places and the youth, and Topshop buyers say they take great influence from stylish students on Europes streets...That means us!!
So we need to adapt our budget...and the current raging trend is to raid the cheap-as-chips shops, so to find the best for the skint budgets, here is the ultimate tried and tested.

Matalan-
Recently, obviously due to a great tip-off from Matalan, Company magazine has included a lot of pieces from Matalan into their highstreet and fashion pages...so I headed down to check it out.
Okay, first impressions were, a warehouse style shop-full of clothes and people, an old festive cd on replay, a lot of old women, and frumpy print tops that your Gran wouldnt wear! Further in, there are some decent plain tops (note: a lot of styles, clearly fobbed from topshop for half the price-result!), and some nice summer pieces...including gold gladiator sandals, some blue pin-striped shorts, cotton mini-shorts in lovely summer brights, and some pretty dangly earrings.
Summary:
Some nice cheap summer pieces, though you must first fight your way through the swamp of size-18, print kaftans...not for the faint hearted!

Peacocks-
Fighting off the image of the tight bootleg black trousers that back in 02 and 03 were all the rage...I enter Peacocks. The lighting is bright and flourescent, and whilst the shop is crammed it is quite organised and there's a suitable back-ground jangle of the latest sugababes hit. I immediatly notice that the prices arent as cheap as expected...but I reassure myself that 5 pounds for two vest tops is actually entirely reasonable! I am, however, pleasently suprised, in fact shocked by the stocks...Okay so after over-looking the tarty going-out tops, and the 'Babe' jogging bottoms, there is some tailored fitted waistcoats, cropped mini blazers, denim shorts, pretty kaftans, and some simple but pretty tops (also very similair to the topshop stock...) including ones with gathered sleeves, and a t-shirt with an interesting neckline.
Summary:
Peacocks has been a big suprise to me, and I am very happy to report that the clothes in there are quite inline with the fashion pack, and will be my new favourite cheapy! Just dont buy the jogging bottoms....

Primark-
Now Primark has had more hype than the others, but I refuse to let this tint my judgement as I brace the milling crowds streaming in and out of Primark. As I enter, it is complete mayhem- women bustling (elbows out and withering looks, girls!), clothes crumpled on the floor and heaps of unfolded tops on tables- but the models are draped in lots of layered tops and accessories which is well-done, and it suprisingly isnt too noisy, as Primark havent attempted music-thank god! The main problem I found with Primark was the sheer volume of stock...there is soo much to get through! The queues for the changing rooms actually snake right back to the shop floor, and the queues for the tills, whilst they move fast are very lengthy! But you soon see why...there are a million tops, from coloured basics like fine knit fitted jumpers at just £5, to slogan tees and very on trend sailor tops at just £3, minishorts at £1.50, and skirts in all shapes and sizes, loads of cute pajamas and even summer dresses which are suprisingly nice! But the accessories is really the killer for Primark...pretty underwear equivalent to Topshop knickers and bras at a fraction of the price, bags which every girl in your college will have, stylish bikinis and on-trend sunglasses, and everything else you can think of...from UGG-lookalikes, to makeup bags, gloves, and hairclips-and all of it cheaper than anywhere else on the highstreet.
Summary:
This is by far, the leading lair for cheap clothes and accessories and if your on a skinny budget then here is the place to be...from suprisingly on-trend clothes, to fantastic accessories-as long as your ready to brace the mayhem, and dont expect exeptional quality (!) then Primark is your heaven....N.B Dont become a Primark-Whore...dressing top to toe in Primark is cheap, there is no doubt about it...make sure you mix and match with pieces that cost more than a fiver eh!

Hope this helps you girlies, xoxox

Chloe- steal the style!

2008-03-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

Chloe is probably my favourite designer...I love the girlyness, the luscious arm-candy, and the lean towards care-free boho summers...ahh :)

But I for one cannot afford to splash the cash and buy the runway looks in Chloe boutiques...but that wont stop me from stealing the style!

Here is how...From the runway to the streets, in true fashionista style.

The trends...

<--- A blazer.

Whether you go all masculine, or simply pay homage to fine tailoring...a blazer or jacket will take you a long way this spring.

Layered over floaty skirts, (ala chloe), fine chiffon shirts tucked into high waisted trousers, or worn casually over skinny jeans with braces over a band t-shirt...it is undoubtebly a staple this season!

The blazers (r-l) grey masculine blazer- £55 Warehouse. cropped white cotton jacket- £18 and Military blazer - £60 Topshop.

The main trend, which err 'floated' throughout was delicate layers of chiffon, transparent or pastel, floating and ruffled...Try this straight cut neck blouse from

Topshop- £40, this bow-tied silk top from Warehouse-£45, the dipped-in-pink flounce skirt from New Look- £20, or my personal favourite...frolic in this peachy chiffon dress-so summery, and so flattering. Only £40 from ASOS.com

To finish the look, team with a bright handbag- try River Island, and nude high heels - a real bargain at Matalan.

Enjoy, x

Great website...www.thisnext.com

2008-03-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

www.thisnext.com

Its a website...but really its a community- a whole community of personal shoppers!
Recommend your favourite products, clothes, pieces of art...anything! Create wishlists, favourite other peoples, create lists of the best products, and learn from others...
And if you have a good scoot round...even makeup artists are on here! Giving you tips and tricks...favourite products....you need never have a indecisive moment in boots/debenhams ever again! As well as all of that...you can make friends, share tips and stories, and much much more....
How did we ever live without it? Sign up now...

This is why we love the internet....
x

Aygness Deyn.

2008-03-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

Aygness Deyn.
Omg do I worship you.
A fresh face on the dagger-filled fashion scene who shows us why British Fashion has survived...
She has the 'edge'...Maybe its her unusual looks- forgive me for finding her more attractive than some of the russian-looking-with-caterpillar-eyebrows-very-masculine-scowling girls that strut down the catwalks...Maybe its her endearing accent and down-to-earth personality, maybe its her friendship with designer-of-the-moment Henry Holland, maybe its her unusual name, or maybe its her quirky style...the bright sunglasses, checked prints, the striking blonde haircut, the slogan tees, the boots...the everything!
This girl is bringing quirky back...and finally we have a fashion icon who isnt up her own backside...AND who follows fashion off the beaten track.
Its time to embrace your personal-fashion, and customise, go crazy, and go Aygness.
x

Weheey! Skint but Chic- the christening! xo

2008-03-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

Okay its late on a Thursday night in March...its raining and dull, and Im idly flicking through Vogue and googling my boredom (yeah it really has got to that stage!) and wondering how I will ever get to the top as a fashion journalist...
So I thought here would be a good place to start.
Fashion for me, is a passion, a hobby, of great importance, and well 'life'.
But however, my budget doesnt quite acommodate my wandering eye...(stil lusting after a chloe bag!) in fact im on a tight student budget...sound all too familiar?!
So this blogspot is about finding the best looks, bargains, and accessories on the highstreet, my general thoughts and ramblings, and hot news on fashion.
Hope you will come back for more!
Lots of love, Amber xo