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Monday 25 May 2020

V I N Y L | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

It's now week 7 of the VINYL window releases, and I do think this week is a step up from last week a bit, I certainly like these windows a lot more, even if I really dislike the swimwear pieces on offer! There are a mix of styles, but I would say these releases are just getting a bit too quirky, I'm after a little more on trend and stylish pieces in the whole release and not just one or two items. This release was also more popular with you guys, I managed to pick up a couple of features - first up millaxx styling the Marilyn Earrings, the Secret Sunnies and the Heel LUX which I think all work quite nicely together. I really liked the use of this floral and lace and tulle top, it really caught my eye first with the bold shoulder design and then drew me to the new accessory pieces. It's fun to see the look combined with jeans, but it would also work well with a smart pair of trousers too. Also loving this bag included in the look!
And next up is starsuepretty wearing the Spring Ricky Handbag, it's not so much my style, but I love it in this look! The colours definitely make it a bold piece, but they work really well against all of the mint in the clothing, this top and these trousers go great together and I think the boldness in the belt and the new bag really work well to make the look stand out =)
And for my looks, I also just bought accessories this time, and I think they're pretty decent pieces. First up the Heel LUX which are a pretty decent sandal with a current trend of a square toe, I think these will work well in a wide range of stylings. I've gone with a midi skirt, and I think it works out nicely, I like the addition of the print and I've kept the rest of the look very classic for me - but these shoes are a classic and totally work with this. Next the Feather Handbag which I just think is amazing, I'm so glad to have this in my wardrobe. Love the colour, the size, the twist design to the handle and of course the feather trim on it, so different to what we already have! I thought I had the perfect peach accessories to match, but the shoes I had weren't quite right, so my original plan didn't work out, but I think the peach looks great standing out against the white. I think lighter tones are best for this one, but it will look super cute with Spring and Summer dresses too, can't wait for that! And lastly the Marilyn Earrings which are a classic pair of earrings really, and work perfectly against the dark hairstyle I'm currently wearing. I love adding more pearl-style pieces when I wear pearl jewellery, so these jeans get a fair amount of wear! But I think they look great here, I kept the rest of the look light in the accessories which really lets the pearls, and the beaded bag design really stand out - super casual and simple, I love it^

Sunday 24 May 2020

Round 2 | W E A R D E M J E W E L S C H A L L E N G E # 12

Sunday has come around again, time for part 12 of the Wear Dem Jewels Challenge, not gonna lie, I feel like I've been doing this for a lot longer than 12 pairs of earrings, haha! This week I've picked out the Epiphany Luxe Marble Earrings, which are a pretty nice pair and look great with this black hairstyle, they really pop out perfectly =) I've never worn these before, so this is a first time styling, and actually I really thought they had quite a pink tinge to them until I took the pictures for the post and realised they're really not too pink at all - but that's what I based my makeup look one. I used a browny/beige base for the eye to give some depth then I used a couple of pink shades around the eye which I think looks fairly natural. And just a little mascara to finish it off, I think it works out quite well and fits in without taking focus away from the earrings. For the first look I really like this blazer and miniskirt combination with the earrings, they're a little pink and I liked that when I thought the earrings were pink, but I think it still works. I kept the top and shoes super neutral as I didn't have the perfect pink items to work with the look but I think that's fine as the skirt has a lot of pattern going on. I did try and pick a bag, but I didn't quite have anything perfect that worked with all aspects, everything was either too pink or too gold. For the second look I had to choose this gold slinky dress, but mixed it up a little by wearing it as a skirt and I love it! I think these two compliment each other really well and are great with the earrings. I used the gold trim of the earrings for the accessories and I think it works out nicely for everything and adds a little shine to the silk^ Not my favourite set of looks for this challenge, but I still think successful ones for this pair of earrings =)

Friday 22 May 2020

H O T B U Y S R E V I S I T E D | May 2019

And today looking back to Hotbuys of more recent times, May 2019! I actually really liked this collection, the pieces are just right up my street in terms of colour and style, and I still have all of the pieces that I bought last year. I've worn most of the pieces a couple of times over the year, particularly the Burberry Inspired Bag, I think that's definitely my favourite, and also the Triangular Sunglasses, which are a little trickier to style, but a fabulous piece =) So today I've decided to style the lesser styled pieces, the Ring Sandals and the Lambskin Skirt:
I have to say, while I like these looks, I don't love them as much as some of the Revisited looks in the past - these pieces were definitely super tricky to style! First up with the shoes, I struggled a little which I think was due to the ankle strap, I just find those difficult to work with! But I think these trousers aren't a bad choice, I do love the bag with the shoes though, the colours are great together, and I'm glad to get something together with this bag that looks alright^ I do like the use of the brown polo, it really breaks up the light colours and I think it's not too bad against the shoes at all. For the second look, another struggle, the skirt length is quite an awkward one, and the brown isn't quite like any other brown pieces I have so I couldn't get a colour-match in. So I went very classic me with all of the beige, which I do think works well for the skirt, it definitely holds the focus of the outfit, but I don't think it's the most creative way to work with this piece, I have dreams that one day I can find a perfect way to wear it in a fun outfit!

Monday 18 May 2020

V I N Y L | Styled Outfits

Week 6 of the VINYL window releases - this week we had 3 female windows to choose from, and I think this is quite a low point in the releases. The pieces are just disappointing and overall, really not great - sorry if you don't like me saying this, but it's my opinion. The week also included a male floor, which wasn't any more exciting. I did pick up a couple of items to share looks with you though:
First up the Open Woven shirt which is a pretty standard piece, I like that the open neckline isn't too wide, but it's big enough that you could show off a necklace through it still. I also like the tighter fit compared with some of the looser ones, so I think it looks good with this slim-fit skirt, the silk styles look great together, I think they're very complementary items to each other. I kept the look a little street with the leather jacket and I loved using these strappy sandals^ And then we have the Bag Bag (I mean these names are really not doing the pieces any favours!) which is in a great green colour, we really have nothing in this shade already. I actually found a couple of pieces which I think will be perfect with this bag, so I look forward to wearing it again already, but this time I picked this slinky dress - the green paneling in the dress is a great colour match for the bag! The styles look great together, and really are the focal point, I struggled to add anything else without it looking too much, so I stuck with simple black strapped shoes again, but did add a little glamour in these earrings (which look great against the dark hairstyle) and I love the outcome. For all my dislike of this weeks releases, I do think these two pieces are gems amongst them!

Sunday 17 May 2020

Round 2 | W E A R D E M J E W E L S C H A L L E N G E # 11

Sunday again, and time for the 11th Wear Dem Jewels Challenge post - this time I've changed up my hair, the blonde was making some pairs of earrings get a little lost so I've gone totally opposite, choosing this new style, in black, from Claya., it's so cute! I love the length, this above the should style really works perfectly for me, and hopefully the dark colour will help to show the earrings -which this week are the Alexander Wang Wang Inspired Plastic Earrings. These came as a suite jewellery item, but then we also got the free beauty parlor pair too, which is what I've used today. With my makeup I knew I wanted to go for black and white colours, so I layered up from light to dark using white, grey and black shadows and I think it's made a pretty decent smokey eye, I'm a little impressed that I managed to create it^ For the looks I also wanted to go with a black and white palate and I did try to incorporate some plastic/perspex/PVC style pieces to pair with the earring style, but I didn't have too much to choose from, so my vision didn't work out as planned, but I still really like these stylings. First up a darker look, I thought it would be fun to use these sheeny culottes, they're kind of a strange piece, I'm really wondering why I bought them, but I love them here! I liked pairing them with a matching black boot. I kept the rest of the look more matte with a plain top and then went a little colourful with this pink coat, I tried out a lot of different colours and liked the pink best, and also love this bag with the styling, it's the perfect place for it^ In the second look I went with a white base and absolutely love the outcome =D I also got some plastic booties in too, I think they make a good balance against the black bag and top. The light fabric white trousers work really nicely to keep the look Spring/Summer, and of course paired with one of my favourite blazers - just a classic combination for sure!

Friday 15 May 2020

H O T B U Y S R E V I S I T E D | May 2014

Another look waaaay back in time at the May 2014 Hotbuys today! These are pretty colourful, with a lot of prints and patterns to choose from, I'm not sure they'd go down too well if they were released now, 6 years later, but they're fun pieces. I think at some point I did have the Hot Buys HiTech Heels at some point, but no longer do, however I have kept a hold of maybe the most boring piece of the collection, the Hot Buys Leather Shirt, which is definitely a piece I've styled here and there but keep meaning to give more focus to! I have seen a couple of people style it up over the years, and it's a great piece, it deserves some limelight =)
I took a few attempts at styling this shirt, the first day I wasn't feeling very inspired, so I took a break and came back the next day, which worked out perfectly because I'm really loving these looks! It's something which seems very different to see on my doll, but I think they suit her really nicely^ The shirt has a very masculine style fit, it's boxy with no fitted shape, and I think that scares me a little - hence why I've added jackets to each of these looks. First up with the light blazer, I was surprised that these two worked together nicely, the dark buttons on the jacket help a lot. That inspired me to choose a lighter trouser and I think these are such a great style contrast to the leather of the shirt, I love it^ I went for black in the accessories and I think it balances really nicely. For the second look I added more leather with this jacket over the shoulder, I think the style works well. I tried a lot of different colours for the trousers, because the look really needed something, in the end I decided on the green and I think it's perfect for a stand out styling =) And I love the accessories with this one - you'll also notice I've picked earrings for both looks, that definitely impresses me too!

Wednesday 13 May 2020

V I N Y L | Styled Outfits

Week 5 of the VINYL releases is here - for me this is the least exciting week, not so many pieces I want to wear, and I think you guys feel the same as I haven't really seen many stylings with these items. The pieces just aren't as good as previous and don't fit the styles I like really. I did pick up a couple of things to style though - I would also have loved to buy the Square Pants, but the fit doesn't look good on my doll, I do like the checked pattern though^ First up the Knitted Sweater - I do like it, but have a couple of reservation, I think the white tulle sleeves will make it harder to be a versatile piece, they won't work for everyone, but I love the black and white floral design on the front, it looks great. I used the sleeves to my advantage for this look and chose matching floaty white trousers, I think these are a great fit^ I liked adding a few dark accessories and I think this works well with the design, I'm really pleased with this earring choice actually, love that I'm trying to step outside my comfort zone more with earrings! Next up the Chain Earrings, which do get a little lost in the blonde, I think a darker hairstyle would be perfect for them. I really like this look, it's kind of typical me, but I think the snake print shirt looks good with earrings like this and I've added gold details throughout - but it's missing a slim chain necklace for sure^ And finally the SSSENSE Heels which I think are the most versatile piece of the week, the light colour and slim strap design are great current features for a Summer shoe. I love the smart styling with them, the trousers are a perfect length to show them off, and the white shirt keeps it light for the season. And accessorised with my favourite sunglasses - super easy styling that will be timeless =)

Monday 11 May 2020

I T G I R L S | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

It's our 4th release of It Girls:Recoloured now, and wow it was a great one! I think it maybe was our largest release, so many things to choose from, mixing some of the previous recoloured items with some new ones and getting fun colours to choose from - I could still use a little less neon, but there are some great basics in here in wearable colours too =D First up a quick feature, sarah_1980 wearing the Fendi Inspired Thigh High Boots Neon Green and the Blanciaga Jacket White which balances well with the neon tones. I think there are so many options for this oversized piece, this is a great way to wear it. I particularly like the layering of the green boots with the shimmery sheer trousers, it really mutes the colour a little and gives such creative vibes - plus the pink bag works perfectly in there too^
And for my stylings - I actually bought quite a lot of pieces, so many pairs of shoes! I was really impressed by all of them, so there will be more looks to share in the future. First up the Mirrored Thigh High Boots, which I just love so much, the shape is great for a pair of boots and the colour is super stand out - it's not quite gold or orange, so I think people may shy away from them a little, but they're so worth the challenge to style! I went with hints of gold, the clothing are much lighter tones, more yellowy which I think has ended up perfectly, and then the gold in the bag and glasses is quite minimal - these boots do all the talking! Next up the Black Animal Pants, which are a dupe of the Royalty Green Animal Pants we got earlier this year, which I mention specifically because I really like those, and have them, but the colour gives me heart palpitations, it's so bold - this black pair are a perfect alternative^ I didn't mean to go all out leopard with them, but I love the quirky outcome, it just works pretty well together. The red colouring in the shoes is perfect for some flair which I continued in my bag choice - I really like this one =) And finally the Soft Pink Thigh Highs which are just gorgeous, the colour is beautiful, in fact almost everything I tried on with them looked so good, it was hard to pick something! I'm so glad I went with this dress though, it's a tricky one to wear and I think the boots are a great fit to highlight the pink tones in the pattern. I picked out this bag that I've not worn in such a long time either, and I think it's a great fit with the look, the lighter colour really looks good with the floral print, and even added earrings too, these are super cute, and pretty fitting to the overall styling too! I really love this set of looks, I think I've been trying out so many new and different things with these re-colour releases, it's super fun =D

Sunday 10 May 2020

Round 2 | W E A R D E M J E W E L S C H A L L E N G E # 10

The weeks are passing so quickly in social distancing now, how is it another Sunday again?! Time for another Wear Dem Jewels Challenge post and this week I've picked the Valentino Valentino Star Earrings which I've had since their release (Winter 2013 =O) and never worn - I did try these a little earlier in the challenge, but didn't get past styling a makeup look! I think they're tricky as they combine gold, silver, stars and pearl - it's a lot to work with, and I don't think I've seen anyone else wear these either. I'm glad for the challenge though! I do think I should have changed hairstyle, while they look good with an up-do like this, I think a darker style would have made them pop more as they get a little lost in the blonde. For the makeup look I went light, choosing a white base and layered up with some lilac, grey and even a tiny bit of pink - I think it's a pretty nice look, however gold would have been a perfect addition! Particularly because I've used gold in my outfits - I did try a couple of silver and pearl based stylings, but nothing looked quite right, or I just preferred the gold, but I think they worked out well. Firstly with these cool printed trousers, I really like them for a stand out gold look, they do all of the talking, so not a lot more needs added. I went for white additions to keep it light and it works well, I think it looks pretty good with the earrings. For the second look I had to choose this dress, the slinky style is super perfect for the style of the earrings. I love adding this bag, the colour is great with the dress and the coloured jewels give a fun touch. I did struggle with shoes, I didn't have anything that matched as well as these boots, but I think a slinky sandal would look perfect^ I'm pretty pleased with these stylings, would love to see some others give these earrings a go if they have them =D

Friday 8 May 2020

H O T B U Y S R E V I S I T E D | May 2011

I'm struggling to believe that these HB's came out 9 years ago - but they really did =O It only feels like a couple of years for sure! They're a pretty good Spring/Summer set with bright colours and some patterns and fairly wearable styles. I've only ever owned a couple of these - the Hot Buys Skirt in a cute white polka dot got sold a while back, the orange shade isn't quite right for me, but I don't mind the shape or overall design of the piece. But I do still have the Hot Buys Bag, which is in a very bold purple and quite an iconic shape - but just because it's iconic, doesn't mean it's popular or easy to wear! I think I've maybe worn it once or twice in it's 9 years in my wardrobe, and I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone else style it, so today I'm giving it a go:
So it's a mixed bag of looks - I wanted the first one to work out so badly, but I just don't like it so much, I think it's the contrast between the dark trousers and the light sheer top. I like the bag and the trousers together for sure though, so I'd wear that again, just need to work on the rest of the outfit. This is the bag at full size and the 'correct' angle, for the second look I resized the bag a little smaller and adjusted the angle, and I think it work so much better =D And I love the whole look too, something totally different yet using some of my favourite pieces together. I really have no clothing pieces that match the colour of the bag perfectly, so this top isn't too bad a fit, and actually I think it works out really quite well. The bead details are perfect for adding colours to, the white trousers work well to make it a light look and fit with the buttons nicely. And the black beading does fit with the trim detail on the bag - I added more black to tie them together more, and I think it balances out very nicely. I really love the outcome of this one, I'm very pleasantly surprised!

I'd love to see you guys styling up this bag too, it's a fun challenge to take on =)

Wednesday 6 May 2020

V I N Y L | Styled By Me / / Styled By You

Time for week 4 of VINYL releases - for me this was the most disappointing set, it really doesn't have current pieces in stylish designs, the looks really don't fit well together (even within an outfit the pieces don't work). They just seem very young to me, camo and leopard leggings aren't pieces I can see being worn in a good way - but please feel free to prove me wrong! I did pick up a couple of items, and these were the ones popular with others too - millaxx is wearing the Green Highwaist Trousers and the Beach Handbag which look good together. I love  the white shirt combination on the top, the frill details and the bow added around the neck really add to the new pieces and make the look work. I love the neutral accessories in the delicate earrings and the perspex heels, they look great with the bag^
Despite not loving the release as a whole, I'm very pleased with the pieces I did buy and the looks I've put together for them! First up the Green Highwaist Trousers which I really liked styling, there's quite a few colour tones which work well with this one so I had more tops to choose from that I thought I would have, I really like this floral one to bring the look into Spring^ It was super easy to accessorise with some matching tones, I love that these shoes are a perfect colour-fit for the trousers, that's a total dream! Next up the Beach Handbag which I knew I wanted to style in a neutral look, this was the quickest one to put together once I'd picked out the dress, the colour is pretty much identical to the bag. I picked quite smart shoes, but I think this style of look would work with many different ones. There are some cute earrings in this look, but they're a little lost in the hairstyle - now I'm looking at it I wish I hadn't used these sunglasses, they're a little too dark on the lenses for the styling, but nevermind! And finally the White Flower Headband and the White Handbag (which came out on the final day this week, but wasn't shown in the store window) which look cute as a pair - I knew immediately that I wanted to wear them with something super flowy and feminine, and I think this white dress is perfect for that. I'm really not a headband person, but I just found this one easy to style, and it went with a lot of different dresses when I tried them on. The bag is super easy too, although a little hidden in the look, it's a simple white piece with gold hard wear, so easy to fit into a lot of different looks!

Monday 4 May 2020

I T G I R L S | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

Here is our 3rd instalment of It Girls:Recoloured, and really it's another great addition to our Plaza! This release has some of the more popular recolours and styles from last week in an additional set of colours, which I really think everyone is loving having^ Along with the new recolours - I find I'm excited to see what we get in It Girls each week now, although I'd also be ok with a little less neon, bring on some florals and pastels =D
First up with the features is millaxx wearing the White Bandeau Top, but also the White Fannypack from last weeks release^ This is such a cute Summery styling, the top looks great layered under the light toned blazer, and the white really pops out paired with the belt bag against the beige trousers - really loving all of the accessorising with this look!
And then we also have ajenkam styling the Oversized Padded Jacket White which looks super cute in this glam outfit - I love the sparkly pieces used beneath, the top combination looks great against the bright white. The light wash denim add a more casual touch while the white accessories are smarter and really complete the look nicely =)
I bought quite a few pieces in this release, firstly the LE Ather Slim Suit and you notice I did buy the matching Pants, but decided to style them separately to see if they could work well alone, and they do! For the first look I was very set on styling up a skirt and I'm so glad, I love how this has worked out! The light fabric and flowing style of the skirt is a great contrast to the black leather, this one has black detailing so works perfectly well. I picked black leather boots for balance and then chose yellow from the skirt to highlight in the accessories, I really love it^ Next the LE Ather Slim Suit Pants and the Green Small Clutch Bag which I also think work very nicely together. Annoyingly I don't have anything else quite in this shade of green, so I settled for a vaguely similar neon top, it's not too bad with the bag shade really, I should embrace the difference more! I accessorised with white to match the writing on the bag, and I think the jacket works really well to mix all of the colours together in this one. And for the final styling, the White Bandeau Top and the Pink Small Clutch Bag in a super light look compared to the first two. For me the top is very much a layering piece, I'm unlikely to wear it alone, but it works well with some of the sheer tops I have, so that is what I've gone for in my styling, and I think the white trousers work well for a match. That way the pink of the accessories really pops - I even added some earrings, they're a perfect finishing touch =D

Sunday 3 May 2020

Round 2 | W E A R D E M J E W E L S C H A L L E N G E # 9

Wow this week has gone so fast - time for another pair of earrings for the Wear Dem Jewels Challenge! This week I've picked the Amaryllis Earrings from Glam 'R Us, which I did style last time on this challenge, and I much prefer these looks I've put together now^ For the makeup I really took the colours from the earrings, which are an interesting mix, and used a base of green with some pink and orange closer to the eye and I think it really works out quite nicely, I'm kinda impressed! And while it looks best close up, I think it does pretty well from afar too. For the looks I do think these earrings are pretty fancy, but I've gone for a more casual vibe, choosing from the colours in the earrings. I went with orange and pink because I didn't quite have the perfect green, but green will work too. For the first look I think this pink blazer is fantastic, it really works nicely with the earrings with the bold colour. I chose to go for a white base, which helps with the colour pop for the accessories - the shoes and the bag are great pieces, and I really think the orange and pink isn't too bad a choice at all^ And for the second look I chose to focus on the orange with these trousers, I think they're a perfect colour fit for the orange jewels in the earrings, I really love the combination! These shoes are a great fit colour-wise and I went for a neutral top to help let the earrings stand out too. I chose a bit of a different bag, it has the orange and pink tones in it, and I think it works, but I'm not sure I'm 100% convinced yet =) Anyway, love this makeup styling and the pair of stylings!

Friday 1 May 2020

V I N Y L | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

It's week 3 of our daily VINYL releases in the Plaza, and another pretty good one! It's definitely a little mixed, I thought Monday and Thursday were great releases but Tuesday and Wednesday not so much - and I think you guys felt a little the same as it's the Mon+Thurs pieces I'm seeing styled more than the others. First up we have France25 styling the Pink Silky Skirt which is very much lilac despite the name! This is such a cool combination, I love the paired shoulder slung blazers, both the colour and style work really nicely overall. The accessories are great, those necklaces really are super eye catching and the colours are perfect =)
Then we have two looks with the Rain Dress, firstly from isajapa who has gone with a leathered based styling to match the texture of the piece. I love the brown belt addition so much, it's really a perfect fit and also works so well with the earrings! The bag is also a cute addition, the sheen to the leather works well in the look and the colour makes a very nice contrast^
Also in the Rain Dress is MissTangera who has gone for the 'legs out' styling, it works well both ways - but a belt to cinch the waist is clearly a must with this piece! I love all of the other brown tone pieces added, these shoes look super cute with the socks, and this bag is just great in the styling - plus it opens the option for my my favourite inclusion of the blue sunglasses!
And finally we have MeLolitka styling the Croc Boots in this stand out look for them - the black makes a perfect base for the blue to really pop! I think the loose leg design to the trousers works well for the boots, and the oversizing of the blazer is a nice touch too. Love the white cuffs of the shirt to pair with the bow as well. The bag is great, a fabulous match for the boots, and I love the eye makeup to fit the style too =)
I picked up a couple of pieces this week - first up the Pink Silky Skirt which I just thought was the perfect addition to the Plaza as soon as I had seen it^ I was a bit basic with my styling, I thought I would have done something better, but I think I wasn't feeling so inspired this time - the shirt works, and I really like these feather heels with the skirt, but I think there are so many better ways to wear this piece! Second I styled the Black Square Handbag which is a super popular style in RL at the moment. I struggled a little because the look was better with a coat, however that made placing the bag tricky as mostly it was half covered, so I had to go without the coat. The all black styling works well, and I like the matching pattern on this top too to work with the bag, I'll definitely repeat this combination^ And finally styling the Croc Boots and matching Ganni Handbag which are such a cute and bold pairing! I really like the blue shade with the brown as in the store, so I made good use of one of my several brown midi-skirts, this one is spot on for the look I was going for and I think it works perfectly with both pieces. I would have loved a matching brown polo, but I don't have one in quite the right colour, but I think the beige works well too to lighten the look. Of course I had to add my favourite blue sunglasses, haha =D