OOTD

OOTD by emilyhouse featuring a brown long sleeve shirt

OOTD

OOTD by emilyhouse featuring black ballet flats

These are a few of the items that you will always find in my handbag. My essentials and items that I think all us ladies should carry and heres why...

Soap and Glory Hand Maid:

So often I find myself wanting to wash my hands with no where to do it and this is why I always carry a hand sanitiser. However, it might just be me but i cant stand the smells of most that you can find on the market. That was until I discovered SAG Hand Maid. It has that we all know and love and is a refreshing change from the alcohol and cucumber scents that I hate.

Soap and Glory Hand Food:

I have mentioned this product before and I don't want you to get bored of me so I'll keep this short and sweet. If you haven't tried this yet...what are you doing? £2.50 isn't a lot to ask and it is hands down (excuse the pun) the best day time hand cream i have used and to top it off it has a smell to match Hand Maid so you smell twice as sweet when using this perfect combination.

Witch Anti-blemish Pressed Powder:

This has fast become my favourite pressed powder. Since summer is on its way I have been trying to minimise the make-up I use and a bit of collection concealer (we all know the one) and this powder is doing a great job. This has been my go too replacement for foundation and I carry it everywhere. I'm not sure about its anti-blemish properties but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Carmex Strawberry Lip Balm:

Carmex has always been my favourite lip balm but I hated the cherry. I just cant stand cherry flavours and smells. But when I found the strawberry version I thought my prayers had been answered. This is my lifesaver when my lips get that little bit too dry. 

Extra Gum:

Smelly breath lifesaver- enough said. The worst thing in the world is having bad breath without any way to rectify the issue. Which is why I carry gum at all times.

Anadin Extra:

A headache is bad enough but being far far away from anywhere to pick up a pain killer is well...a killer. So having a pack of pain relief is an essential in any hand bag.

Ipod:

On a crowded bus, a busy train or a long commute an Ipod is my number one essential. I like many others am one of those people who think music can change your mood completely and the Ipod is the best way to get e out of any bad mood the day might throw at me! Bad grade at uni or a difficult customer at work and all I need is a quick blast of my favourite song to chill me out completely.

- And obviously don't forget your purse and keys.

I love mugs. To some of you this will seem a bit of a strange thing to enjoy buying but others among you will no doubt know exactly what I mean. But this post if for us all: a way to inspire the mug lovers and convert the others. Emma Bridgwater! I was unaware of her incredible home wear until a few months ago and now I can't get enough. I want everything! But it's the mugs that really caught my eye. From gorgeous cups and saucers to mugs the perfect size for a hot chocolate no stone has been left unturned. My favourite is definitely the 'Love' mug. Although I also like the personalised mugs too. 

All in all I love everything about the designs and collections, the only problem for me is I can't afford it.  

These are my top mix and match products to get a perfect red lip whatever the season and whatever your mood. Everything you could want in a red lip look from a sheer wash of colour to a long lasting shade these four products provide all you need. These are my fail safe items and this is what I think of them....

Mac's 'Ruby Woo': 
The ideal choice for those days when you want a long wearing lippy or know you'll be doing a lot of smooching. It's notorious for being a bit drying and a tad chalky but I find with a good lip balm underneath it is the perfect long wearing lip shade. It doesn't require a lip liner and with a gloss over the top or even a bit of Revlon lip butter to keep your lips conditioned and your good to go.

Rimmel 'Red Dynamite' lip pencil:
On its own or as the perfect base this lip pencil is my go too choice. I wore this on the weekend as an opaque base to the new and undoubtably popular Rimmel Apocalips lip colours. Not only did it  kept the liquid lipstick in place but made it last through breakfast and lunch!

Revlon lip butter in 'Candy Apple':
My go to red for this summer! Light and glossy I think this is the perfect shade for the summer, in fact I'm already thinking about outfits I can wear it with. Obsessed? I think so. Also it works brilliantly as a gloss, thats not at all sticky, over lip-stick or liner.

Rimmel Apocalips 'Big Bang':
Like everyone else in the blogging world as soon as I tried the Apocolips lip colours I fell in love. As a red lip stick lover the first one I picked up had to be 'Big Bang' and I wasn't disappointed. Opaque and glossy there isn't much not to like about these. Although, I have found that I do tend to get it on my teeth a lot.

I've got a confession to make... I bought my first pair of sunglasses this year around an hour ago. Now I know its still winter and the sun doesn't come out all that often in the UK but I just love sun glasses. They might even be my favourite part of summer time. So in light of my purchase it thought it would be a good plan to have a look online for the glasses I'm after this year. So, here they are. Four of the styles I'm after for the soon to be summer.

I love this shirt, mainly because of the pattern. At £12.99 it's a steal so how can you go wrong. It reminds me a lot of the Topshop unique a/w 12 pattern too which i think makes me like it even more!

home decor...

Homewear - Okay I'll admit this is a bit of a strange one when it comes to a fashion and beauty blog but I think I might have an addiction. Over the past 2 years I have become home decor crazy. I buy everything from duvet sets to book shelves and everything in between. Now For those who are still living at home or like me have a gang of housemates decorating communal areas may be a bit out of your control but this doesn't mean you cant enjoy decorating your own space! My room is my haven, impeccably neat and clean (although that is down to my OCD tendencies) it's the once place I can call my own and I love decorating it! If you hadn't noticed from my top six picks on my homewear wish list I love neutrals and hints of metallic and if I had my way my room would be feminine luxury with a few  retro twists. Although, being a student I think this fantasy will be left to my dreams until I get a place all of my own.

My top tip when looking into homewear is to check out your favourite fashion retailers to see if they have 'home' collections too. My best discovery was Zara home for gorgeous pieces which would make perfect additions my fantasy home and existing bedroom, although I'm not sure my bank balance would agree it was such a great discovery. Urban Outfitters, Next, H&M, M&S, habitat and Argos also come top of my list for great finds!

Heres hoping I've inspired you to get creative and start to decorate your space!

Winter hates hands...

It's time to show your hands some love as we are thrown head first into the cold snap this winter. I have neglected my hands over the years and this winter they fought back with a vengeance. Dry, irritable with nails not even a dog would accept. My hands were looking horrific. So I started to give them the love they deserve. These are just a few of the products that got them up to scratch....

Nivea Creme

Now my mum uses this and her mum uses it and so on and who am I to mess with tradition? As soon as I picked this up my hands were in heaven. This has to be my fail safe product for dry skin but it never occurred to me to use it as a hand cream. It's super thick and gives your skin a much needed injection of moister from the very first application. Although I do warn you it takes a few minutes to soak in so I would suggest it as a night time regime. Maybe whilst your sat in-front of the T.V?

Hand food

What can I say this is a no brainer and every beauty guru's must have. Soup and Glory do an array of amazing products but this has to be one of the best, nourishing and with that classic Soap and Glory smell we all know and love there's nothing not to like. Plus it comes in a mini size so it's the perfect handbag staple.

O.P.I Nail Envy

Ranted and raved about this product is something I had always been curious to try but with a price tag of £18.00 I needed a little more convincing before I forked out the cash. So when I saw it in the clearance section at sally's for £8.09 I couldn't say no. And I can honestly admit that I should have payed the £18.00 for this years ago it does exactly what it says on the tin and is keeping my nails strong and long.

Sally Hansen Gel Cuticle Remover

I was a bit well, weirded out when I was introduced to this product. The idea of scraping skin off you nails is, lets be honest,  a little bit disgusting on all accounts. The first time It happened to me I hated it but I was amazed at how much prettier my hands looked. Neat nails are definitely the way forward. Now I just have to work out how make it less disgusting. 

Essie 'Wicked'

The finishing touch. It's all well and good having nice looking hands and nails but when you want to show them off you need a bit of colour. This Essie colour has to be my go to nail varnish for winter, dark and vampy with just a hint of red to spice things up a bit.

This week my weekly want is at Topshop and if you haven't noticed this is one of my favourite shops but don't worry my wants will have variety! And what can I say about this week I'm a sucker for stripes...

New Year new blog...

Right. This is it. My blog is getting a re-vamp...

No more slacking my new years resolution is to get back to what I was going when I started this blog posts at-least three times a week. That's right and it's going to have some structure. I'm going to introduce some regular posts that will encourage me to step it up when it comes to posting!

1. Weekly wants... / Wish list
     - A quick and simple post that includes the item(s) I have seen that week and am lusting over.

2. Whats new?
    - My favour purchases of the month/week

3. OOTD
     - We all know what that means don't we?

4. Monthly favourites.../ Great discovery
    - My favourite items of the month from clothes and makeup to music or just a great discovery.

Along with these regulars my blog will be peppered with features on everything from budget shopping to week in photo.

I hope you stick with me while i re-dedicate myself to my much loved blogging.

The perfect little... Christmas dress?

Long time no blog hey? I promise you this is the last apology you will be getting off me for the fact I'm a rubbish blogger! Uni has finally settled down, I say settled down I have two assignments due in two weeks time but who doesn't love a little bit of procrastination now and again? So, whilst I take a break from fighting with this essay I will try to entertain you by doing a much-needed post! 

After being at work all weekend and having the question "So what are you wearing to the Christmas party?" thrown at me at least a dozen times I realized I had absolutely no idea what I was going to wear. Although, I was going with a black pencil skirt and a sheer peplum top with a red velvet baroque pattern, but after I had to put together an impromptu Halloween costume that’s out the window because, well no one wants a vampire at the Christmas party do they? I tend to be one of those people who sort of throw something together at the last minute and ends up pulling out the little black dress that has been ever so faithful to me throughout the years. But I have vowed that this Christmas that will all change! So, I am now on the hunt for the, it seems, somewhat illusive PFD- Perfect Festive Dress.

Now, if you’re like me and on a fairly tight budget you may have a harder time than others locating your PFD. I for example started where I imagine most people would, the local shopping center, I have looked high and low and still found, well, diddley squat. So now in lieu of my procrastination I have put down my book on ‘Realism in Contemporary Children’s Literature’ to adopt a new mission. Online shopping! Now brace yourself, if you take this route you may be in for hours of slogging through various websites in the hope that something might scream out at you. Although, it helps when you know exactly what you’re looking for.

For example one of the girls I work with is thinking black sequin dress. Now I have been down this road before and lets just say flash photography is not my friend on a good day and neither is it with sequins on. So I for one am planning to stay clear of the sparkle this year. Velvet is one of my much loved favorites for this season, it’s just something about the texture, I mean who doesn’t want to dress on red or green velvet the one time of year they can get away with it? Lace is always nice, but then again I don’t see it being all that festive. Although saying that I have just spotted a gold dress with red lace that would fit the bill perfectly. Unfortunately £60 is a little out of my price range but a nice try from Topshop. Asos has failed me because I just cant stomach the sheer amount of items on the website and Urbaoutfitters has once again proven that it is horrendously overpriced. I’m getting so stressed I’m tempted to just forget it and go right back to my essay.

Looks like it might be a Christmas miracle if I ever find what I’m looking for. Jesus Christ all this and I still haven’t picked out my shoes.

Growing up already?

You may remember of you have read a few posts back that I not too long ago I posted the idea of my style eventually turning 'Grunge to Grown-up' and surprisingly I think it is already beginning to be a transition. Don't get me wrong I'm still fully in love with my army jacket and distressed shorts but today I picked up a jacket from H&M that might be hinting to a more grown up style.

After Discovering Lana Del Rey's album I haven't been able to get enough so when I found out she was going to be the face of a campaign for H&M you can only imagine my excitement. I browsed over the promo images and wasn't overly impressed. However, I did spot this little beauty...

The 'Biker Blazer',simply gorgeous don't you think ?

I spotted it down at my local store and fell instantly in love. But they didn't have my size, and I'm not joking, I almost cried with disappointment! But luckily 4 days later I popped back to bath and snapped it up for £24.99 and if you ask me that's a bargain.

The reason I say it might be my 'transition' from grunge to grown-up is because, well, it has a bit of both. Not only is it the style and fit of your average biker jacket but it has a bit of a grown-up twist being a kind of tweed effect and coated with a metallic silver speckles to give it a fun edge.

But regardless of the fact i don't ever really want to grow up, it has to be one of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe! I would grab one fast if your interested because it's sold out pretty much everywhere!

Perfume Love

Sorry for the horrendous lack of posts lately guys, between working every other day and moving into my new house one suitcase at a time I haven't had time to sit down let alone write anything worth posting. But her goes...

so, the other day I was in Boots looking around and when I got to the perfume I realised all I wanted to look at was my favourite perfume. For some reason I just love having a 'signature' smell. I mean I can see people after years and they instantly remember my perfume form way back when. I like that. Well I LOVE that. For some people it's about having loads of perfume to pick from ever day or even one for each season but I much prefer having just one. Plus I have never heard anyone say they don't like how it smells.

The perfume in question...

Nina by Nina Ricci. I'm appalling at describing smells all I can say is it's really sweet. On the other hand the internet says it has...

Top: A dramatic accord built around citrus pulp, revealed by an intoxicating freshness of Calabrese Lemon  and Caipirinha Lime.

Heart: A dual facet, juicy, mouth-watering, caramelized, which mingles with a precious, delicate and sweet floral note. 

Bottom: A smooth, reassuring, gentle embrace of light woods - Applewood and white Cedar - sensually swathed in soft Musks.

So all in all it seems it's smell is citrus floral and wood - an odd combination but a gorgeous fragrance.

I don't think I will ever swap perfumes. Although I did notice a few additions to the Nina collection that I'm eager to try because maybe they will spur me out of love of the pink apple.

Half of me wonders if it is just the bottle I'm attracted too haha.

Jackets

I want all of these jackets I have a thing for parkas and the leather sleeves on the Zara jacket are amazing and the great twist on a classic parka that this army jacket brings to the table is perfect for my style, I love them! As well as all that you already know I love bold floral prints and these bomber jackets epitomise my love for edgy pieces with the floral trend! I will be trying to get my hands on all of these.

I'm loving...

I am addicted to the massive floral prints of this season and cant wait to get my hand on a few of the pieces featured in this post. So i think it's time to ditch the ditsy prints of previous years and get big and bold with our florals!

Grunge vs. Grown-up

Recently I've been thinking a lot about fashion, my age and my style. Now I know I'm not old old but I've been thinking about how long I can continue to dress the way I dress. 5 years 10 years? who knows. 

I have two different styles as it is but I wonder whether the second part of my style which is more structured and feminine will develop into the one that I wear when I'm over the age of 30.

Grungy and edgy is the way I would describe my style most of the time. Then again when I really stop to think about it my every day look does sometimes fall into a more clean cut style. But, right now the pieces in the more grungy 'collection' feel much more fitted to the person I am right now. 

Me at 30+? Who knows but I can definitely see this as possible. With these clothes fitting so well into the second half as my style I expect this half will grow to take over the more grungy style that dominates my wardrobe now.

What do you think your style will develop into? Its such an odd thing to imagine and I'm probably completely wrong because 10 years ago I would never of guessed how I dress now, but then again I was 9, and I have a little bit of an advantage now as I know SO much more about fashion than I did back then. Although maybe it will be Grunge to Grown-up like this after all...

Wish List

Wish List by emilyhouse featuring black cat eye sunglasses

Matchy matchy

After creating my last couple of posts and looking through a number of fashion magazines I stumbled across some styling that I am head over heals in love with. Matching! That's right matching having a crop top that is exactly the same pattern and colour as your skirt or shorts is, in my opinion, an amazing way to embrace summer style.

I come across the first outfits looking through skirts to match with a peplum top a few days ago and instantly fell in love with the pattern and after having a quick browse of hm.com  I found the matching shorts and crop top which have made it onto my wish list meaning I will soon be picking them up and spending my hard earned cash.

Crop tops have become one of my go to pieces for this summer and I can't get enough of them paired with high waisted trousers, skirts or shorts. I think the fact they let you expose that tinny strip of skin around your waist makes me like them even more. This is yet another reason why I love this trend so much, it incorporates all my summer favourites form bold print to crop tops to high waists. 

Its not all about bright pattern so if that's not your thing I found these darker patterns selling in Topshop. With one being simple and the other a little bit more interesting they show that there is something for everyone. But although both of these outfits sport the full skirt with a little added detail they look worlds apart from one another. I love the cut out details that are everywhere this season but only at topshop have I seen them be used on the front of pieces, but I think its a great way to expose skin in a very sexy way.

And hey if you want to go the whole hog why not add a matching pair of shoes!?

Perfect for Peplum...

The peplum trend has swept the fashion nation and made a big slash on the high-street. You can't walk past a shop window or browse a store without seeing more than one dress or top in this classic style. Now I'm not really one for adopting really girly trends but this one is an exception. I've taken the plunge and invested in a simple black peplum top from Primark for just £8.00 showing they also wont break the bank balance.

Although when I got my peplum home I did sit down and realise I really didn't know what to wear it with. So if your like me and want to try the trend this is what i would recommend wearing with the versatile plain black pepelum top...

Boby-con skirts are an amazing pairing for a plain peplum top they add a pop of colour or an interesting look  with pattern to modernise the style. I found adding a plain black skirt in a mini or pencil style gives the impression of you wearing a dress which works amazingly for a formal look and bright patterns create a more casual appearance.

Let me know what you would pair with a peplum or even if you would wear one at all?