Fashion Union Wishlist!

Hey ♥

I don't know if you've seen a few of these posts already but Fashion Union are currently running a little(HUGE!) competition for one lucky winner to win £500 to spend on Fashion Union clothing! Whaaat?! If you haven't heard of, or haven't checked their sexy 'New In' section for this season you definitely want to do that, and you can click right HERE to their website.

Obviously, my love of fashion and my love of Fashion Union meant that I HAD to take part in this opportunity. I love almost everything from Fashion Union at the moment, they are so on trend and such amazing prices but here is my wishlist with my ultimate faves of the moment:

~*asymmetrical - I clearly can't spell, i'm ok with it haha!*~ 

I love these items too much I literally need them!

If you too love Fashion Union and you want to get in on the action you can enter this amazing competition by clicking your beautiful fingers right HERE. Entries have to be submitted by Monday 30th September 2013 before 5pm.

As if the competition wasn't enough, if you're not a blogger, or you don't want to take part in the wishlist competition you can still get free delivery on any order you place for the rest of September!

Hope you like my wishlist and good luck if you enter too!

Lots of love♥

Pictures of August!

Hello! ♥

As I haven't posted much this month (or last for that matter but we will let that slide!) I thought it would be a nice idea to share with you what August has consisted of for me in pictures!

You may, if you follow me on instagram (Ashlee_yy), have seen some of these already as I'm rather obsessed with taking pictures and uploading them to insta! Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Explanations from top left to bottom right:

The first picture is the beautiful view on one of my runs along the rail way track. Literally one of the only things I love about living in the countryside. 

Then we have my new white blazer and pink top. Obviously I've shopped a lot during August, as I do every month! But this has been one of my faves, I've wanted a white blazer for the longest time and this topshop one is just beaut!

Nandos. What more can I say, I'm obsessed!

New top, but most of all fave lipstick! You all know since I bought Rimmel's Apocalips lip colour I haven't been the biggest fan, but this month it really is growing on me in the colour galaxy and I have to admit it has been my most worn.

Eggs. I have been trying to eat healthy, workout loads and hopefully loose my fatty wee tummy! I used to hate eggs but I've been experimenting and I can honestly say, I no longer despise them.

Pink sky at night. See, the most beautiful thing about countryside living is the views. So pretty!

Scone with eyes? Yes, I'm mature. You will have seen from my birthday haul that my sister got me these edible eyes and obviously I've been sticking them on all of my families food.

This has been one of my favourite hair styles this month, so easy to do, so comfortable and still looks cute. Sometimes I just wear the doughnut alone but I think the bow adds a girly cute touch to boring outfit days.

Lastly, my new Chanel nail polish phone case. I've been loving this thing to bits. Its downfall would be that it scratched so easily but, what did I expect for under a fiver? 

Anyway, there has been my favourites for the month of August!

Hope you enjoyed them,

What have your favourites been this month?

A♥

Primark A/W13 Wishlist!

Hello Beauties♥

So, if you follow me on twitter (@labellavida2), you will have seen my latest rant about Primark's rising prices. I know this has been happening for a while but i just feel now, that Primark is pretty much, with the occasional cheap little gem, the same as every other high street shop in regards to it's pricing.

I obviously have noticed the prices going up in there over some time now however looking at their A/W collection for this year has made me realise just now much, and you will see what i mean on the products i show where the prices are known!

Regardless, i still like some of Primarks collection and i thought i would share bits and bobs of it that i will probably purchase throughout AW for myself!

 Shoes:

Strap Boots £18
Buckle Boots £18

Tops:

Sweatshirt £8
Monochrome Jumper
Rose Print Jumper
Bead Blouse £14

Bottoms:

Baroque Shorts £10

Denim Shorts £12
Black Quilted Knee Trousers
Tie-Dye Skinnies

Printed Skirt £4

Outerwear:

Pink Biker Jacket £25
PU Sleeve Jacket
Jewel Cardigan £18
Baby Pink Coat £25

Accessories:

Sapphire Necklace £8
Blue Jewel Necklace
Wool Fedora £8
Chain Beanie £3
Studded Bag £20

If you want to view these items or see more of the Primark A/W13 collection you can do that here :).

Which of my top picks is your favourite?

A♥
(credit for all images used in this post goes to look.co.uk and all items can be found at this link: Look)

Festival Fashion!

Heey ♥

So the focus of this post is to put forward a few different festival appropriate outfits within different price ranges to let you see what's out there and give everyone an option for their budget! I'm not going to waffle on today, i'm just going to get straight to the outfits!

Outfit 1

Cheap But Chic

All £5 each from Everything5pounds.com

Heart Print Jacket // Here

Pink Shorts // Here

Wellies // Here

Outfit 2

Bright & Bold

Denim Jacket // Topshop £45 Here

Crop Vest // Topshop £24 Here

Lace Panel Shorts // Missguided £24.99 Here

Floral Wellies // Fruugo £16.49 Here

Outfit 3

Subtle Florals

Floral Top // Topshop £30 Here

Biker Boots // ASOS £35 Here

High Waisted Skinnies // Missguided £24.99 Here

Outfit 4
Aztec Cutie

All Miss Selfridge

Shorts // £32 Here
Gilet // £22 Here
Aztec Crop // £10 Here
Boots // £20 Here

Outfit 5
Darling Daisy

Daisy Print Skirt // Urban Outfitters £35 Here
Bowler Hat // H&M £7.99 Here
Creepers // Barratts £20 Here
See Through Mac // Topshop £36 Here
Fringed Bag // Next £28 Here

Would you wear any of these festival outfits?
Which one is your favourite?
A♥

Birthday Wishlist!

Hello Beautiful♥

So, it's my birthday next month! And, although i say i don't want to celebrate anymore now that i'm too far past 21, i still want presents, obviously, haha!

Just kidding, i'm not putting this out there for people to buy me presents, i'm just using it as a normal wishlist but as people have asked me what i would like or what i am receiving for my birthday i thought i would just share the things i'm loving at the moment in a wishlist :), so here it is:

I'll go through the items above in order from top left to bottom right and if you love anything and want to buy if for yourself or to buy as a little present for someone you know then simply click the pink writing and it will take you straight to it:

Tiara Charm // Links of London

Passport // Renew or Replace UK here

Crystal Bra // Various places such as Here

Neon Yellow Skater Skirt // Missguided

Mega Platform Shoe // Amazon

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in Colour NC20 // MAC

Chanel Hair Mist // Selfridges

Black Skater Skirt // Amazon

You Can Sit With Us Crop // Amazon

Infinity Type Ring // Various such as Here

So basically, i have liked most of these things for a long time now:

I love my Links bracelet so i love looking through the charms, i like a lot of them on the website just now such as the hedgehog with the apple, the chic handbag and this cute little tiara. Even at 23this July, i still like to think of myself as a princess, haha!

The passport is obviously because i want to go on holiday, i'm planning on bribing my mum into paying for this one for me for my birthday as she has no idea what to get me and it is something worthwhile getting, that i actually need and will use!

Crystal bra, i'm obsessed with these just now, like literally in love. I suppose they could look trashy but i think worn in the right way they are really pretty and can really add sparkle to simple outfits. I just think they're really cute and i desperately need to get my hands on one!

This yellow skater skirt has also been on my wishlist for a while, i love absolutely anything that is yellow just now for some reason and this bright skater has to be mine! Love it and it's so affordable.

These platform shoes are massive, and might break my ankle but i think shoes like this look really cute with skinny jeans and a nice top on a night out and i need a new pair of closed toe black heels to replace my Primark ones which absolutely kill my feet like nothing else!

MAC studio fix fluid is a foundation i love and i just want to go back to it after using Max Factor for some while now, we all need a change every once in a while!

The Chanel Hair Mist obviously isn't essential ad is probably quite a waste of money as i could just use my perfume to mist through my hair, i just thought this was a cool idea for hair lovers and a good present to give anyone you know who likes this kind of thing.

Can't have too many skater skirts and i actually own loads, none of which are black! This one is particularly cheap and well worth a purchase as a wardrobe staple!

You Can't Sit With Us Crop - Literally my favourite saying and movie quote, i've wanted this top for ages and ages so quirky and simple and yet again Amazon have come up trumps! Love it.

Infinity Ring - I look at infinity rings online all the time and i think they are so cute! I have always wanted a really simple cute one maybe with a little bit of sparkle on one side or something and i love the ones that are engraved in the inside, so personal and sweet! Some i have seen online have "I Love You", "Best Friends", "Forever" or some personal sayings engraved inside just for the person you are giving to. Too cute. Probably wouldn't pay a lot for one of these unless it's for something really special, i just really like the affordable cute ones like the one i've linked above :).

So that's basically my July wishlist! Which items do you like from it?

Would you like to give or receive any of these items as a gift?

A♥

Massive Haul Number 2687ish..

...OK, maybe I haven't done quite as many hauls as that, but I do buy loads of new things that I can't even afford all the time, and its only manners to share them with you lot right? Rude not to! 

So this is a bit of a collective beauty and fashion haul from things I have bought over the past two/three weeks. All items mentioned should still be in the shops if you want to run and pick them up!

I'm not going to do this in any particular order of shopping trip etc, I'm just going to lump it all together and let you all see for yourselves:

OK I'll start with beauty shall I? All the beauty stuff in here is a mixture of different shops, I'll just go through it all quick!

OK so here we have:

Elf Makeup Lock & Seal - £3.75 here.

L'oreal False Lash Telescopic - £10.99 here.

 Max Factor Face Finity - £11.99 here.

Sure Compressed Deodorant - £2.10 here.

 St Moriz Instant Glitz - £2.99 here.

 Elf High Definition Powder - £6.00 here.

 Soap & Glory Sit Tight - £16.50 here.

Every single one of these apart from the deodorant is a repurchase. These are all products I've loved for absolutely ages and need in my life! If you do want me to do a review on any of these so you can see the product in more detail please do let me know! 

These were all a complete bargain! The small dotty tights you can just see lying at the front were £2 reduced from £5 from F&F at Tesco and I love them so much, they're a cute change from normal tights and at 100 denier they are great in this weather!

The mickey mouse printed tights were £3 from Primark and I've wanted them since I seen them on some of the little mix girls and thought they were so cute! 

The wonderbra was my major bargain! I've wanted this ultimate plunge bra in nude for forever as it will look really flattering under my mesh panel dress but I just couldn't justify the £34! However, a wee trip to Tkmaxx later and I have come away with this without even looking for it for £7.99! Could not be more chuffed!

This jewellery is all just random. I bought it all in a chain within Debenhams but I can't remember if it was Warehouse or Miss Selfridge or another! However I got two ear cuffs, the one still on the backing with the skull and the cross was on sale for £1.25 from £2.50, the other one with the pastel diamontes was £2 from £4 and the necklace with the spikes and pink stones was also £2 from £4, I think! I love them all, they're not usually what I'd go for but I thought they were pretty and I've always wanted to try an ear cuff so why not!

In other accessories I also picked up these:

These were all from Primark, the studded belt was reduced to £1 from 3, the other belt with the chain I think was still £3 and the glasses were also £3. I've never worn the glasses yet as obviously the weather has been pathetic, but I thought I'd throw in a wee pic of them on, still with tags n that! Haha.

Anyway, aside from me posing wishing it was summer, I'm eventually onto the fashion:

These are all from different shops, going to try and show each one as well as possible:

Cropped Bardot top £8 from Boohoo.com

Wet look skater skirt £9.99 Missguided.

Free Spirit fringed crop top £3 Tkmaxx.

Textured white skater dress £14.99 H&M.

J'aime crop top £4 Primark.

Floral dress with crochet waist band £10 Primark.

Mint green waterfall front blazer £15 Primark.

I love all of these fashion pieces sooo much! 

You will also know if you read my last post, that this I was kindly sent these beautiful shoes from Barratts:

Spiked shoe boots* Barratts.co.uk £32 here.

And that's pretty much all I've been buying! 

This post has taken me ages and I need to get going to town for more shopping ;-). Expect another haul very soon!

Have you been buying anything exciting recently?

A♥

Who Likes Short Shorts...

...apparently I do, even when its snowing outside! 

Yes, today, I really wanted to wear my denim shorts and new crop top, so, despite the snow, I did it! Just so you all know, I did wear two pairs of tights and I did wear a coat, I didn't freeze to death, in fact absolutely no one saw my crop top as I didn't remove my jacket once!

So I only went to town for a couple of hours but I thought before I left I would take a few quick pics! I'm not feeling amazing today so please excuse the lack of my face, I just wanted this ootd up as I have loaaads more planned to come!

So my top is from Primark, it says j'aime with a little Eiffel tower, it was £4, my tights are also from Primark, I have two pairs on each were £2, and my shorts are from River Island and were £25. Literally love these shorts too much! 

T

My little zipped Chelsea style boots were in the f&f sale and only cost me a tenner! Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos with my jacket on but, I just shoved my Mango boyfriend style jacket over with my faux fur sole and my black mittens to keep my hands warm!

Hope you like, as I say, more OOTD's to come, loads!

Hope you're all well, lots of love

♥

Weekend Wishing - New Find Fashion Retailers!

Hello Beautiful ♥

Quick Note: Before i begin with this post, i'm sure you have all heard about the end of Google Reader which probably means that GFC will also go, obviously i would still love you all to follow me on GFC if you don't already but, if you like my blog please could you click the little box on the right hand side below my blog archive that says 'follow via bloglovin'. You would make my day and if you leave me your link i will definitely follow you back! Thank-you ♥.

Right, i know in my last post i was moaning about how much money i am constantly spending and my lack of job success however, that shouldn't stop me wishing, right?

So today's post is going to be a wish list post! Rather than go and buy the items i want, i am going to show them, look at them, probably cry that i don't own them, and move on... (or go buy them, the more likely outcome ;)!) 

This wishlist is a bit different however, as it is not going to include any high-street or really well known online stores, instead, i am going to focus it on smaller retailers or online boutiques as i think they sell and array of beautiful things and deserve a lot more recognition than they get! 

By this, i just mean i'm wanting to broaden my horizons from the likes of Topshop, River Island, Primark etc, and have been looking in different places!

Anyway, here is what i want:

First up, is this really quirky top from Birdy's Boutique! I love anything moustache so obviously i want this top! I have seen similar ones around town but i like the font of this one much better! This retails from Birdy's Boutique for £6.99 and you can purchase it by clicking right here. Please also follow them on twitter here.

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I'm on a major hunt for cute, quirky crop-top's to go with my new RI high waisted shorts so, if you know of any please pass the link my way, i promise loads of OOTD's are coming with them! 

Anyway, this crop is from Owntherunway.com, i am in love with this print and i already have it in mini-dress form from Karma. It is very similar to body-suits i have seen in Miss Selfridge and it is a snip of the price! Follow Own the Runway on twitter here.

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Talking of Karma and Crop-top's, i've fallen in love with this one. I'm so into crazy prints just now and i think this is just so quirky. I may have to purchase this but, i really am trying not to spend money! Cartoon and Monochrome all in one, what's not to love. Obviously you can purchase this clicking here, and you can follow Karma on twitter here.

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I seriously have fallen in LOVE with the voodoo girl website. It has really different looking items and although i am in love with their voodoo barbie tee, i don't want to feature too much barbie! I am equally in love with this sleeveless shirt and think it would be amazing to dress down with jeans or even wear to the gym! I love everything about it. If you want this you can get it here, and follow them on twitter here.

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I have a few things from SheLikes.com already which i really need to feature in some OOTD's as i've never even worn them yet but, i really love this midi dress. It's simple but has a cute print, will be really cute in S/S13 and will be easy to dress up or dress down. They have loads of different quirky prints and styles and i know you know you want one so, go get one here, and follow them here! 

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So, i've only recently discovered Doll Boutique but i am in love with litterally everything they sell! Especially their Mean Girls themed clothing like this 'So Fetch' top, they even have a 'You Go Glen Coco' top, i NEED one in my life, this is why i need money! You can get this top, and their others here, and you can follow these beauties here.

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This dress, which i cannot stop looking at, needs to be mine. It is so cute! As is everything from thelittledeer, they sell both branded and vitage fashion and have a really cute website so please visit it here, and definitely follow them on twitter here, they deserve way more followers than they have!

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This is one of the cutest skirts every from one of the cutest websites ever! ModDolly is quirky website and has a range of different cute, really unique items. I really want this skirt and many more items from their site! You can check out all of ModDolly here and you should go follow them on twitter too, here!

I could list many more cute, quirky websites i have been browsing recently but looking at all the things i want from them and can't have is making me depressive!

If you like this kind of post and you find it useful to see alternative fashion retailers to the usual then please do let me know in the comments as i loved doing this and i love browsing around for fashion pretty much every day so i would love to do more!

As i said above somewhere, i really need to get myself together and get some OOTD's photographed with my new buys so i promise they're coming next!

Lots of Love

A♥

Men & Womens S/S 2013 Fashion Guide!

Hello Ladies & Gents ♥

Today's post is a bit different as it is going to feature a few key fashion trends that are hot this Spring/Summer. Not only is this post going to be for women's fashion, but I have got the lovely Kieron from the-totality.com involved to talk about hot men's trends!

Avoiding waffling on and on, here's Kieron's take on men's fashion trends for S/S13:

One of the main problems with monitoring men’s fashion developments is the fact that, for the most part, male clothing does not usually boast the wild new styles that will often dominate trends for their female counterparts. Whereas women’s fashion over the last twelve months has boasted an explosion of outrageous or eye-catching styles, such as spikes and cork wedges, men’s trends have all been somewhat more conservative and staid. So, when looking forward to the trends that are likely to make the biggest splash for male dressers this Spring, it is best not to expect anything overly revolutionary and, instead, subtlety and slight tweaks on classic designs are likely to be key.

Making It Pop! 
Most men’s high street retailers usually begin to fade out all but the most autumnal hues from their clothing ranges from as early as September with greys, blacks, khaki and blues dominating the colour pallet through to the end of winter. Judging by the Spring collections of designers such as Nautica and Michael Kors, however, men’s fashion is set to become much more vibrant this season! Whilst the spate of primary colours, contrasted against crisp whites and blacks, are not quite as vivid as the colour blocking trend favoured in female fashion circles, the colours do mark something of a bold step away from the muted colour scheme many male designers employ.

In the Shops:

From top Left to Bottom Right (click to buy):

River Island

Boohoo

Boohoo

Topman

Bold Accessories 

In recent years, men have seen the idea of accessorising an outfit as somewhat problematic – even bags had to have the prefix “man” attached so as to negate any perceived emasculatory qualities carrying one may add. Thankfully, many designers have begun to see past such short-sightedness and a new emphasis on bold accessories is likely to come to the forefront. Similarly to how Michael Kors ensembles have clearly taken colour blocking as an inspiration, many lines are due to feature brightly coloured accessories such as watches, bags, shoes and ties to further help men add dynamism to their outfits.

In the Shops:

Topman

Topman

Boohoo

RiverIsland

Subtle Patterns 

As mentioned previously, men’s fashion is not quite as flamboyant or daring as their female counterparts and, as such, whilst prints, such as floral or animal, can be widely embraced by women dressers, men prefer their items devoid of any such embellishments. Aside from the odd logo, most men’s fashion comes in bland, pattern free designs; something which might be altered slightly come Spring. Dolce & Gabbana and Parke & Ronen are two of the powerhouse brands that have begun to experiment with patterns that could be adopted by mainstream men’s fashion. However, as mentioned before, most men’s styles are quite conservative so the print which is most likely to make its mark on the high street this year is the subtle stripe. 

Oxford Lace-ups

Whilst I have previously been using the word “conservative” to describe the men’s fashion trends, occasionally this is not altogether a bad thing as evidenced by the recent renaissance of 1920s style “gentlemen” inspired trends. From the widespread comeback of blazers as an integral feature for young men’s wardrobes, through to tailored suits being seen more and more on the backs of male fashionistas, the trend for smart is set to continue. Whereas previously, many men have thought nothing of teaming trainers with even the most formal of attires, the Spring is set to see an increase in popularity of smarter shoes. Oxford lace-ups, as favoured by the likes of George Clooney, are the most likely style of shoe to be widely appropriated.

In the Shops:

Next
Dune

Tod's

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Now for my take on the hottest trends in women's fashion:

So women's trends tend to be easier to define, are anything but subtle, and are usually everywhere! This S/S the hottest trends seem to include a few new takes on old trends as well as some funky, colourful designs to brighten up the likely rubbish UK weather! Here's my main trends:

Monochrome
Monochrome seemed to be a trend which never really: ended in women's fashion from last year as i remember picking up a few bits myself! It has reappeared recently and can be seen everywhere! I love bright colours but you can never really go wrong with a bit of classic black and white. A lot of shops have jumped on the monochrome bandwagon so there are loads and loads of different styles and varieties you can pick up on the high street and online, i've included a little selection of my favourite picks.

In the Shops:

Topshop
InLoveWithFashion
RiverIsland

Dip Dye
This is another trend, like most women's trends, that i feel goes in and out of fashion. I am really loving dip dyed clothing just now though and it is definitely going to be big this Spring/Summer! I am actually failing at making my own dip dye shorts which i promise, even if they do completely fail, will be up on my blog very soon for you to see!

In the Shops:

InLoveWithFashion
Boohoo
Motel

Slogan Tees
Controversial trend at the moment but i'm loving it and i know a lot of you are too! Topshop i think was the first to sell their 'Geek' top which flew off the shelves despite the number of people i have heard saying they dislike them. Then Primark and others soon followed by introducing their versions of the top. Now there are loads of different variations and loads of sellers. If you don't like this trend, i think you are going to find it a difficult one to avoid this S/S!

In the Shops:

Topshop
Missguided
Boohoo
KarmaClothing

Continuing Trends
Other trends which are continuing from last year into this year are florals, studs and spikes and denims. These trends are carrying on and have been particularly popular within women's fashion throughout last year, all through the Winter into this S/S. I am not going to include examples of these as i'm sure a lot of you are seeing spiked, floral and denim things every where and i can't even pick some faves, i love them all! Particular places i've been eyeing up these trends are Primark, Missguided, Boohoo and Motel.

**Just a note, all 'In the Shops' examples were picked by myself, so the men's ones do not necessarily represent what Kieron (or any other man for that matter) would pick!**

Hope you liked this collaborative post and i hope for more of this kind to come.

Please go visit Kieron's blog by clicking right here: the-totality.com and go follow him on twitter by clicking right here: @kieronbarr!

What are your fave trends for S/S13?

Ashley&Kieron
♥

OOTD - Wishing it was Spring!

Oh hayy ♥

I'm being so lazy today, meant to go to town but i thought i'd quickly share my outfit with you!

                                                   Front                                                Back

(I promise that's a mark on the camera lens, not my trousers!)

Disco pant dupes - New Look. They no longer sell these but there are plenty of dupes out there, give glamorous.co.uk a gander!

Floral peplum top- H&M here.

Lita Dupes - BooHoo Similar here.

Blazer - Next Similar here.

I love this outfit! Its really edgy and girly at the same time, i really must to something with my nails though!

What are you rocking today?

Have a good one!

A♥