Stylist Live 2017 - The Talks and Haul

Hands up who loves Stylist Magazine? Well Stylist Live brings everything in the magazine to life all over three days of experts, interviews, comedy, food, beauty and fashion exclusives. There is so much to see and do and there is something for everyone. I went for 2 days and I am now officially exhausted but exhilarated and inspired to do so many things. So here's a little peek of of  what I did.

The very first talk I went to was 'Morning Routines of Successful Women' with Jasmine Hemsley, wellness and nutrition expert and co-author of  the popular Hemsley & Hemsley books, Annie Ridout,  founder and editor-in-chief of online lifestyle and parenting magazine , The Early Hour and Cassandra Stavrou, Founder of Propercorn. So these ladies know a thing or two about having a morning routines that works. 

The recurrent tip throughout and something they all did was to get up early. It is not rocket science and e all know it. However if you are not a morning person (i.e me) waking up early can be torture. I will do anything or an extra hour in bed and live for the weekend when I can sleep in. They all said this was their quiet time and got so much done in this time that it was worth it. I have to say, I will just take their word for it. Jasmine Hemsley described the importance o meditating to maintain balance in her lie. '20 minutes meditation is worth 3 hours sleep'. Really, if so, I really need to start meditating. She said she meditated on the train or in a taxi so does not have to be at home. So this makes it a little more achievable. Jasmine also talked about scraping your tongue. It helps with bad breath and is a good indicator of health as when she has been out the night before she can tell and see the effects which I felt was quite interesting. One of the most important things to a successful morning routine is a good nighttime routine. Anything you can prepare the day before, do it. From making your lunch, to a good nightcream, to packing your handbag to selecting your outfit so everything is ready. These are all little things that will save you precious time in the morning. 

One of my favourite talks of the whole event was 'Put Down Your Phone and flirt; The lost art of human connection' with Jean Smith, Flirtologist. Are you tired of getting nowhere with the army of dating apps available? I know I am. I have tried them all and got nowhere. Jean asked 'why do keep turning to our phones instead of each other?' Because a digital rebuff is easier than face-to-face rejection. You want to meet someone, start with conversation with someone, smile at the hot guy on the tube, ask someone in the coffee shops what they recommend, anything, just start somewhere. Here's the thing, its hard to put yourself out there. But Jean said 'Rejection is your friend'. Rejection is a weeding out tool. He said no, no problem, he's not right for you, NEXT!! Ah, lightbulb moment. No one born a bad flirt, it takes practice. So yes, the first guy you chat says no, ok but the next guy might say yes and he might be your Prince Charming. What have you got to lose? What have you got to gain? You know what this talk, the practical tips. the things you can actually use to start that conversation with Prince Charming. You will quickly know if he is interested or not (short answers, no eye contact etc, just move on)  

• Q. That's an interesting rink. what drink is that? 
• Q. You look good in a dilemma. what should I drink? 
• Q. Do you know anything about......? Can be anything 
• Q. Do you know about Italy (or whichever country you are holidaying in next)
• Q. So what do you think about this piece of art?

Go get him girl!!. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

The Fold London - dresses to die for

I love a fantastic dress. The type of dress that flatters you, when you can rock it to work and look like superwoman. I am always on the lookout for a super dress and I discovered Fold London. A British label started by Polly McMaster who used to work in the city and knows all about looking professional. The dresses are nothing short of spectacular. If I could have one of everything I genuinely would. Over the years, I have learnt of power of fit and quality. I have learnt you get what you pay for. So when I received my first dress from Fold, I literally gasped. I kept telling my friend ‘Feel the fabric! Feel it’. It has to be felt to be believed. I loved it so much I feel Gollum and want to stroke it and say 'my preciousssss'. I have visions of me stomping in to a boardroom in Louboutins looking fabulous in one of these dresses. It will never happen but I can dream. Seriously just look at these beauties, they speak for themselves….*I die*

Stylebook App - Catalog your wardrobe

I am a bit of hoarder. Over the years I have amassed a ridiculous wardrobe. I just love shopping and when I see something that is so amazing, that I just have to have it, to hell with everything else. Who cares about space?  A few years ago I had a tiny wardrobe. I am talking it perhaps fit one dress, a top and a trousers. So I decided I needed an upgrade and went to buy a huge Ikea Pax wardrobe. I promptly filled it up. It got quite hard to find items. I would buy things and forget I had them. I had no option of upgrading my wardrobe because of space constraints and the Ikea Pax was also not cheap.  Nope, I thought I have to make this work. I needed to find a way to organise my wardrobe and able to decide what to wear with ease. I have always wondered how celebrities who have multiple wardrobes manage their immense wardrobes. How do they know where that red dress they wore 4 months ago is? When you go shopping, you need to know if you have something that goes the item you want to buy, otherwise, you bringing more problems. How do remember all the trousers you have to know if a top goes with it? Enter the Stylebook App. Simply it is iOS app which acts as a virtual closet to help you curate your wardrobe. You take pictures of all your clothes or download them from the internet like I do, upload them into the app and voila, browse away.

Bicester Village Review

I love shopping, I just love it. Online, in store, you name it if it has shopping I am there. So one of my favourite places to shop is Bicester Village. If you have not heard of it, it is a discount shopping village in Oxford. It is one those places you love or hate. You love it because you get designer pieces on the cheap or you can hate it because the armies of people who cannot walk straight that are front of you and push you are driving you crazy.

My picks for AW12

Well it is that time again. New season and new clothes. AW12 isoming in to stores and your way very soon. For the new season, there is lots of leather, purples and burgundy and peplums are here to stay. Here are my picks from the new season. Tell me what you think?

This top is from Zara and hits two of the trends for this season, peplum and leather. I absolutely adore this for a dinner out. £89.99

The Rising Stars of Fashion and Jewellery

I always find the smaller brands interesting. They are innovative and make you rethink how you wear something. At a recent press day, I discovered four rising stars that blew me away. First up is jewellery designer, Eleanor Bolton. The pieces are made using a  unique craft technique perfected at the Royal College of Art. It is all hand-stitched cotton rope coils and really make a statement. Here is Eleanor herself wearing one of her necklaces.

A favourite piece of mine. Her current collection is colourful so she has kept in black and white for AW12 with gold elements.

Goldie London

Since small beginnings in  in London's Portobello and Spitalfields markets, Goldie London has grown into a global label with a celeb following. The pieces are feminine with a rock n' roll edge. You can get floaty dresses or rock chic leather shorts. Goldie  was founded by designer Michelle Goldie and fans include fashionistas Fearne Cotton and Jameela Jamil. Here is her current collection for SS12. Lots of lace up detailing...

Nobody Jeans

For many ladies, the quest for decent jeans is never-ending. Some do not fit right, others are not the right colour. Well I have come across a brand that you may well like. Nobody is an Australian jeans label who love, love, love their denim. They have been around since 1999 and source some of the best possible fabric from Japan, US and Europe. Having felt some of the jeans, I fell in love with the quality. What makes Nobody different is you can customise your choice for you. Like a certain fit but want it in a certain colour. No problem!

 This is the Cult Skinny fit. Cult is their high-waisted type of jeans and sucks everything in.  

Join me on Pinterest

Pinterest seems to be the word on everyone lips right now. I have found it to be one of the most addictive and inspiring new social networks. Essentially, it is place to create 'board' or a collection of your favourite pictures. How many times have you seen a makeup look or a hairdo that you want to remember or tell others about because it is THAT stunning? I have created 3 boards so far which are quickly filling up with some hairdos and outfits that I have to try. I have seen variations on the fish braid that I would never have come up with by myself. I have also just seen a look that has given me a way to use a product I was never going to use but it is going to look amazing.

 

So if you see a picture you like on the internet you can pin it to Pinterest. For bloggers, it is a very powerful tool as I can pin pictures from press days that do not make it on the blog, outtakes if you like. I see so many gorgeous pieces that I want to share but just do not have the time to post something about it. So this is perfect for me. You can 'follow' your favourite pinners for a constant stream of inspiring piccies and repin pictures to share to your followers.

 

Well I hope you like my boards or moodboards as I like to call them. You can follow me and see all the pictures by clicking www.pinterest.com/theglamorous. Tell me what you think or is there you want to see?

Sh*t Fashion Girls Say and Sh*t Bloggers Say

You must have heard of the 'Sh*t Girls Say' series. Just in case you have been on holiday for a year, they are a series of Youtube videos all about crazy things people say. There are various parodies relating to various industries and cultures but the Sh*t Fashion Girls Say just kills me. There is a new one out, focusing on NYFW, just in time for London Fashion Week. I watched this and was rolling about in laughter. Best line...'If this outfit does not get me on a street style blog, I give up!'. Just watch it...


This is Sh*t Beauty Gurus Say but this should be renamed Sh*t Vloggers say. For all my video beauty bloggers out there, how many times have said lines from this video hmmm?? This made me die.

London Fashion Weekend

Do you look at the catwalks and wish you could be there? I was always that girl with my face glued to computer watching catwalk online and gasping at the clothes. I would instantly start picking my wardrobe for the next season and start looking at the trends. I may not be a head to toe uber-fashionista but I like to have one or two key pieces. Ladies, I am here to tell you about a little shopping haven that will help you update your wardrobe.

At London Fashion Weekend, you can get items from the current season at discount. It makes a lovely day out with friends. Clothes, jewellery and accessories, it's all there. Designers include Jaeger London, Linda Farrow and the fabulous Holly Fulton. Having seen her current collection here, it is not one to miss with bold colours and prints.

Get your hair and makeup done, be entertained by top DJs and eat at some of the top restaurants which are around Somerset House including resident outlet, Tom Aiken. For a perfect wardrobe update, head to London Fashion Weekend. What I love about London Fashion Weekend is the ability to be on the front row. Tickets to the catwalk shows are like gold dust so for the chance to be on the F-Row where celebs have been sitting just hours before is pretty awesome. This year Caroline Flack and Zoe Hardman are hosting the catwalk shows so I am sure it will be lots of fun. I recommend starting early as there is lots to see and do.

It takes place straight after London Fashion Week over 4 days from 23rd - 26th February. There are various ticket options for you to choose from starting from £16 for Just Shop to £39.50 for Shop & The Lot which includes entry, catwalk and goodie bag, exclusive of booking fees. For more info and book your tickets, go to www.londonfashionweekend.co.uk.

Hobbs SS12

I went to see the Hobbs SS12 collection a few weeks ago. Whenever I have walked past Hobbs it just never caught my eye and made me want to go in. Seemed a bit too mature.. almost. So I was little unsure of what to expect. I have to say I was impressed. I saw so many pieces I would love to wear to work.

So smart, so chic. I adore this colour combination.

Vero Moda SS12

Ever since the Vero Moda store opened in Westfield Stratford, the brand has quickly become one of my favorites go to places to shop. It has fashion forward pieces at very reasonable prices. I could easily set up camp and be happy. So many pieces I lust after. Here is a little taster of what is to come in the next few months and you will see what I mean. Enjoy!

My favorite outfit, I love the yellow top to hide my behind and skim the thighs.

My Shopping Picks

With all the sales and new stock coming in to stores, I thought I would pick out a few of my favourites things. I hope you like! Click on the pictures to be taken to the sites.

By Brilliant Jewellery:

The Galaxy Yellow Gold Ring


The Tilly White Gold Yellow Sapphire Ring

Marc Cain A/W 11

At Fashion Press Week which was a few weeks ago, I came across a fabulous brand, Marc Cain. It is German fashion house named after an italian couterier. The collection is made with a woman in mind as it flatters and definitely one to watch. This coral dress is the shining star of the new AW 11 collection. I love the colour and fit, everything...

Triumph Inspiration Awards

Anyone will tell you lingerie is just as important as what you wear outside. So to inspire you, Triumph will host the 4^th Triumph Inspiration Awards on 31^st March. 20 students from London College of Fashion and De Montfort University will compete in a lingerie competition to be judged by you and a live jury of celebs. 

Students will compete first in the national final to select a UK representative then the lucky designer will compete in the Grand Final against the other national finalists. The winner will have their creation made for commercial sale by Triumph and a prize fund, of course. If last year’s creations are anything to go we are in for a treat! I had a sneak peek at the shortlist which will be on site for voting and the designs are innovative and stunning. Here’s my top 3. I love the lace. Now the only question, which of the three to vote for? Decisions, decisions.

So what can you do? Make your vote count from 18^th March by choosing your favourite at http://www.triumphinspirationawarduk.com/ by 29^th March. 

The uber glamorous supermodel, Helena Christensen, was last year’s face of the competition and here she is wearing the winning piece. The piece was amended for commercial sale on the right. How sexy is that?

After the national final, the first 125 customers from 9am on 1^st April will bag themselves a free Triumph lingerie set. 

So who will get your vote?  Tell us in the comments.