Dark doll

I love the vibes in this styling from my_sebnem, there's a retro vintage feel that just comes across as cool! For me it was all about these cool shiny square toed boots, they really stood out in the outfit and completely pulled me in. They look great with the cropped pinstripe trousers and the mix-length hem of this jacket, such a cool and quirky idea that really stands out as unique. The blazer layering is cool too and I love the flash of colour in the burgundy bag. Also loving the hair and makeup styling =)

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 H O T B U Y S

It's the end of another month and another trial way of Hotbuys - this month we got two separate floors released, one at the start and the second around half way through the month, which I think was fine, however it should be 'pinned' to the front of the Plaza so it's not lost in other releases. Whilst I still prefer the original way of doing HB's, this was ok too. Let's get on and take a closer look!

F I R S T I M P R E S S I O N S

 

This month came with 1 male and 3 female looks, as I have a female doll I am focussing only on these pieces. There were 9 items this month, with a mix of clothing and accessories, but with a lack of bags! There's a more glamorous vibe to this release with slinky cuts and stylish earrings. The earrings are both pretty great, I love the gold and red colour combination of the Errings Berry (Voile, 13SD's), it's really stand out! And the Earrings Classic Twist (Voile, 13SD's) are in a very popular design, these will go down very well. For me the shoes aren't so great, the styles are quite basic, with HB shoes I'm usually looking for something quite stand out. The clothing pieces are quite unique - I love the butterfly theming, it looks awesome! I also love that you can choose contrasting colours for the style with either the black Butterfly Blouse (Voile, 25SD's) or the white Butterfly Dress (Voile, 34SD's). Neither of these pieces is cheap, but they do have great design, and I love how they look on the doll, they're definitely something a little bit special for sure =) I'm really loving the Leather Slit Skirt (Voile, 22SD's) because it has such a great sheen and is made with a very nice texture, we've not got much like it in the Plaza. It fits the doll really nicely and looks like it will make some great dressy stylings^

F E A T U R E S

First up in the features is Bianca.Vos wearing both the Errings Berry and the Sandals With Heel Black in this cool look - I'm loving the burgundy tones in this! I'm also really liking the sparkling polo added, it really jazzes up the neckline in the blazer. The slicked back hairstyle really works perfectly to show off the earrings well^

Rob_sef7 also wears the Errings Berry and I really love this look with a difference. I love a silk dress, but would never have though to pair green with these earrings, but it's looking amazing! The white shirt provides a simple base and pairs well with the headband and sunglasses, which are a good base for the earring colours to stand out on - the red lip is particularly perfect with them too =D

And the final feature, ajenkam styling up the Leather Slit Skirt, and I just think looking overall very cool! The leather is balanced out nicely in the outfit with the crop top and the boots, and I love the mattifying made with the brown polo, an unusual pairing but looks super =) The accessories are nice too, love this belt with the skirt so much, I'll need to remember that for next time!

S T Y L I N G S

I bought two pieces this month, the Errings Berry and the Leather Slit Skirt and I'm pretty happy with my purchases, although I might make a last minute decision on the Butterfly Blouse because I kind of want to see what I could do with it! With the earrings I kept on the burgundy theme, this trousers and shirt combination is one of my favourites and it's perfect with these earrings too. The gold also pairs well with this bag and I added these fun heels to match, they really stand out against the trousers, I'll definitely remember this for a future pairing. And then with the skirt I was a little stumped as I couldn't imagine anything other than black with it. The top adds a matte effect while the leather boots are pretty fitting with the overall style of the skirt. I really like this grey fringed bag with the look, whilst you can only see a small part of it, I think it helps to 'lighten' the styling a little.

Girl in Gucci

Gotta love a lot of Gucci, and clearly Alison.Glow. feels the same way as I do! It's great to see this skirt still getting some love, it's a fantastic piece that really stands out. The grey top is a good neutral addition to let the prints pop, and the printing on the tights still stands out even with the boldness of the skirt, love it! The accessories are all so perfectly fitting, the shoes are a great style, and the bag and bows of the belting and necktie are great touches. Really love seeing someone using these glasses too, they really caught my attention in this styling!

P L A Z A P I C K S | Winter Releases

Wow it's been a hot minute since I posted a Plaza Picks post - I was feeling very uninspired by the Plaza over the past several months, which definitely contributed to my lack of interest in posting. However I was quite keen to do a little 'round up' of my favourite releases into the Plaza over the Winter season (excluding limited releases and Tributes). I found this easy to pick out my favourite picks, and there aren't too many! These are the pieces that I can really see myself wearing in numerous ways and with a lot of the things I already have in my wardrobe.

*Click here for all of the picks in your Plaza dressing room*

Sparkle crossing

How chic and glamorous is this styling from Opioides?! So much creativity in this styling, I'm a little jealous^ I'm loving blazers at the moment, this white one makes a perfect base for this look, the frilled white hem added is so cute, it fits with the blazer and is super stylish. The addition of the meshed dress on top is amazing, it looks fantastic for sure! The accessories are fitting and add to the great look, love the quilted bag and mesh tights in particular =D

M I N I S K I R T S I N W I N T E R | Styled Outfits

Wearing something different for me - miniskirts! The shorter length isn't something I usually go for, especially not in Winter, but I felt like giving it a go for once^ It's all about styling these lengths up with boots to keep that little bit warmer. First up choosing a white-based styling with the Choppy White Skirt, which I think looks fabulous with these white boots - I think white looks particularly good against my dolls tan skin tone. This black and white polo helps to add some layers to the look and also works well to add the black accessories to the styling. The furry coat makes for the perfect Winter styling! Sandwiched between two light looks, something super dark with the Balenciaga Inspired Jeans Skirt. With this one I decided to use tights as the bare leg looked out of place with all of the dark tones. The denim of the skirt really stands out with the matte of the top and coat, while the sheen of the leather boots adds another piece to attract the eye to the outfit. Also loving the standout bag, the silver is great against the black for sure^ And lastly a styling I've been wearing for a couple of weeks because I really really love it - styling up the Sheer Ribbed Golden Skirt. I simply adore the skirt with these satin beige boots, such a dream together! The top and the jacket are neutral additions but the one-shoulder style really adds a cool vibe and lets a good chunk of the skirt be shown off. Also loving my bag choice, it's a piece I love the look of but have always struggled to style. I've never quite been able to sell it on as I always think there will be a perfect look for it, and I think I've found it now =D

Do you guys like the mini length in Winter? Let me know how you'd style it! 

R O Y A L T Y | Styling Shoes

As I said in my recent Royalty post I bought quite a few pieces from the release, I already styled up the clothing that I bought and now it's time for the shoes! I got three pairs, they all have quite a retro vibe to them, with chunky heels and square toes - styles I'm really loving at the moment. So first up the Leather Con Boots, these have a cool vertical striped design and also tabs over the toes lined with a black trim, the orange colour is just fantastic! They look great on and I found quite a few pieces that looked good with them, in the end I chose a neutral trouser, the rolled hem is great with the boots. The orange top and bag are the perfect partners for these shoes^ Secondly the Cherry Boots which I loved for their deep colour, I went through a phase a couple of years ago and styled with this colour a lot, I'm desperate to get back to that with these! I immediately went with pink and I love the colour combination. I didn't go too wild on the colours, and added neutral pieces to offset from the pink additions in the accessories too - I love the look and can't wait to wear them in so many looks =) And lastly the R Heels which just look super classy, I love the golden detail on the front! They look super smart with this midi skirt, there's such a vintage vibe with these style pairings, they'll look great with many other skirts like this. I like the brown tone to the shoes and continued that with the clothes, this oversized knit gives such a cosy styling. Also loving this bag choice, I haven't used this in such a long time but I think it works out perfectly with this outfit^

V O I L E | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

We recently got a new VOILE release - all very gown-based, which to be honest, I'm a bit over, they're not wearable pieces that are worth their money for me. But it did come with a fair number of accessories which seem to be doing pretty well. Turkiye has gone for both the Lemon Dream Belt and the Square Heels which look fantastic, they really stand out in the styling with the mini-length of the dress. Love the bold printing on the dress, and the accessories tie in very nicely with their black details which work to bring the shoes into the look. Definitely very cool, and a very modern look!

I ended up picking up quite a few pieces to try out. First up the Knot Handbag which has such a great sky-blue colour, something missing from my wardrobe for sure! I found this super easy to style, and I love the overall style of the bag too, it looked good with so many items of clothing that I tried. In the end I chose these cool floral trousers, I think the mixed colour of the print works well with the block colour of the bag. I kept a neutral jacket and love the oversizing of this one with the trouser design, but added a little more blue in the shirt. I really love this combination! Then in the second look, the Flower Pant Set which I was a little hesitant about over the shape of the piece, however I really like the print and colour so decided to give them a try! I love these with the white boots, I think it looks so cool and is a great base for a range of looks, I kept with a light shirt and belt but tried something darker with a coat, I quite like it and the trousers do well to pop out against the darker colour - I do think the cool vibes of the coat add a totally different vibe to the trouser design which I like. I'm excited to try these out more =) And finally the Orange Open Pumps which I just love, such a simple design in a great colour, they really stand out. I couldn't resist but pair them with some matching trousers, they make a great duo^ I played it simple with the white shirt, and then had to include this bag again, I loved showcasing it in another look recently and it goes so well in this styling too!

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

Time to look back to last years Hotbuys, initially I didn't so much like these pieces, I think it was the neon styling that really made me not like them and overall these pieces don't fit what is my preferred style. But in the end I bought six of the ten pieces, however they are for sure some of my least worn HB's and I think I've never styled some of them, not even in the review last year! So this time I looked at the pieces I haven't styled and have gone with the Margiela Tabi Boots and the PVC Ariel Pants:

I'm actually pleasantly surprised with these pieces, I really like the stylings - I think I just needed to have them for a while and take a fresh view with them. For the first styling I went with light trousers and a matte coat which helps the sheen of the boots pop. I loved adding the silver leopard print top as something fun, this would make a great Winter look for sure! And then with the trousers, I really couldn't help but catch the blue tones in the leather so I had to follow through with that - I love these booties with them and the navy blazer was the perfect touch to add here. The black top and bag complete a solid look - I'm so happy with this combination and really love being able to wear the black and navy combination =)

R O Y A L T Y | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

I always love a new Royalty release, there's always quite a few special bits and pieces in this store. This time I didn't quite feel like writing a review, but still wanted to show off some features and my stylings from my top picks from this new collection. First up the features, and a couple wearing the Graphic Print Top, this look is from Mh91 going very sleek pairing it in a covered black and white look. I love the silky skirt with the top, the black and white chunky belting is a great split between the two pieces and the trim of the top is perfect ontop of the skirt. Also love the long boots, the leather is super shiny, matches with the bag and really stands out to catch your eye - love it^

Next up also in the Graphic Print Top is rob_sef7 showing it can be a versatile look. This is also layered but in a different way, I think it looks great with the net dress on top of it. And the same thick belt design is there in this look too, the corset style is very nice here. I like using the navy of these trousers as something a little different, and the accessories are perfectly fitting to all of the clothes, great choices!

And then we have two looks from Mia1435, both are great and I couldn't just choose one to feature, so first up with the Hero Shoulder Woven shirt, which is looking very smart and also very cool with these pleat front white trousers. I am also loving the matching shoes, these look great, and also the little touch of the blue nail polish, that's fab^ Love the bet and bag choice, the gold trim on these really pops out while the pieces are still very fitting to the overall style.

And in the second look styling the Silk Dress Champagne and making the piece somewhat more casual pairing it with jeans - the light wash makes them work well colour-wise. I also love the casual vibes from this checked coat, perfect with the jeans and the checks really add to the look and don't pull from the dress. Adore the shoe and jewellery choice in this look, really the perfect finishing touch =D

And now for my stylings - I actually bought quite a few pieces, so I'm saving up my shoe-stylings for another post, this time, the clothing! First up the Green Animal Pants, which I wasn't sure about at first, but when making my final decision on purchases I decided to give them a go to try out something different. I kept it very basic with all black, the green of the trousers really pops this way and I really like it! I added green in the bag too and more white with the glasses which I really quite like to try and lighten the look. I'm quite happy that I got these in the end! Next up the Hero Shoulder Woven which I liked for the pearl-esque details on the shoulders and so I continued that in the rest of the look with these pearl jeans and the bag. I really like how this looks, I don't wear denim a lot but this is a pair I can work with! I even added earrings, and I'm happy with the completed styling^ And finally the Graphic Print Top which I bought after seeing the above stylings, they really made it seem the coolest piece to have! Another super simple look, choosing black for the clothes which lets the grey of the top pop out. I was pretty different in my accessories choices with this pearl bag, silver shoes and the plastic-based sunglasses and earrings, but I think it all works really nicely together =)

B I Z O U | Styled Outfits

We got a brand new Spring collection in the Bizou store with a variety of some of the popular trends of the season to choose from. For me it's a bit of a mixed bag, some hits and some misses, but I managed to pick up a few very nice pieces that will be perfect for Spring stylings. First up the Blazer Dress which I really love the colour combination of, the nude base with the black half belt really is something very nice to see. I styled it up as a blazer, it works well as either outerwear or a dress. I kept very minimal, choosing a black base to fit with the belting. Love these nude heels with the coat, they're a really very nice pairing that I will repeat for sure, then rounded off with a bag to fit both colours - love this for a Winter styling with light tones for sure! Then we have the Open Everyday Heel which are just such a fun unique pair of booties. Love both the colour and the open front design, I can see it working with so many different stylings. I went with a printed skirt and they really balance in the look with the beige sweater but also manage to stand out. I can't wait to wear these with more fun prints^ And finally the More Flowers Dress which really is the epitome of Spring styling with light tones and a floral print. I love the long sleeves, the mini length and the tied belting. I really didn't add much to the dress, just matching pink boots, bag and sunglasses as I didn't want to cover it up with any outerwear, but it will work with a range of coats and jackets too. I'm excited to style this through the Spring/Summer season!

L I M I T E D E D I T I O N | Release Review

Wow, it's been almost 2 months since our last LE release, and last weekend was time for another one! I love the colour tones in the advertising, they're very current yet also a retro one, but I don't like the turn to just a background advert - I like seeing the clothing or some of the collection featured!

Highlights So it's a very dressy collection, and gown heavy. It's themed on a recent awards red carpet - this sort of style isn't so much my thing for my doll as I find it trickier to wear, but there sure is a range of colours and styles available to choose from. And there are a couple of guys outfits too.

Accessories There's a pretty good collection of accessories in this release - it's a little short on bags, with just the Fringe Clutch. It's a nice enough piece, and it works well for the overall theming of the store. I like the silvery/pink hue and the fringe detail is quite pretty. But plenty to choose from in shoes and jewellery! There are 5 pairs on offer, with a focus on dressy style - think heels^ There are also one pair of boots, the High Thigh Boots which were at the top of my list and I'm so glad I was able to get a pair! They're in a versatile cream satin which is just a dream. They also fit perfectly on the leg, and have a pointed toe - they're ticking all the boxes =D The Silver A Heels are delicate sandals, the straps are lined with diamantes and there are hanging pearl details at the ankles which are super stylish. The Purple Velvet Heels really caught my eye, as this dark shade is something I'm missing in my wardrobe and have been searching for on occasion, and also the GG Heels, I love the croc texture to these and the metallic sheen the the cool mix of orange and green tones - it makes them something really unique! There are 4 pairs of earrings, which is quite a lot for one release. There are two golden based pairs, the Shell Circle Earrings which are a little similar to some pairs we've had before, and also the Flower Loops, which I picked up, I like the thin gold drop hoop with the yellow floral design, it will be fun in Spring/Summer stylings. The Chain Glitter Earrings have also proven popular, I've seen a lot of people styling these up!

Clothing For me the accessories are better than the clothes - they're wearable items, while the clothes are very much for the red carpet. So this section will be a little short as actually, I haven't bought any of the clothes (yet). I like that it's not quite all gowns though, with trouser based sets to choose from too like the Snake Blazer and Trousers in a bold green then pink with the Jumpsuit Gloves and Cover, or you can go for black with the Oversized Blazer and the High Waisted Flarred Suit Pant which I think is my favourite of the 3 as it's the most wearable. There are just 2 of the dresses which I really like - my reason for not purchasing is the price, both are over 150SD's and gowns are a style I know I don't wear more than a few times, so I can't really justify the price. Firstly the Layered Dress, which is the tan toned chiffon piece, while it's quite sheer, I just love the design and would totally work past the sheer for it, I like the ruffling at the collar and on the sleeve cuffs - also loving that it's long sleeved - I think it just looks fab on my doll^ And then my favourite piece, the Warrior Dress which is the yellow pleated piece, it's just dreamy and if it were cheaper I'd buy it in a flash! I love the voluminous style to the sleeves with the rounding from the shoulders paired with the slim style of the skirting. The design on the chest is also beautiful. I also think it looks great on my doll!

Prices This release ranges from 29 to 210SD's, with most pieces on the higher side of things which is down to it being a gown-based release. As it's LE, it is limited to SS and Royalty members, and there are a limited number of each item.

Styled Outfits First up the High Thigh Boots, I styled these a few times before deciding on this look as a lot of the longer coats I was choosing covered them up too much - this look shows them off^ The tone of colour is perfect with the light tweed of this set, I think it's super cute and something really simple yet with a fancy and elegant design. Next up the GG Heels - I love this look so much, it's such a fun one with simple pieces! I knew I wanted to wear these trousers with the heels, but choosing the rest of the outfit was tough as I wanted to stay away from black piece, you can see I failed at that, but actually it worked out for the better as I'm so delighted to style up this bag! I'll totally wear this outfit again =D And lastly the Purple Velvet Heels, which I knew I wanted to pair with this bag, the colours are a great match together. To avoid being too purple right off the bat with them, I decided to go for pink, I think it works out well, but I think the shoes will be better in another styling. I love the outcome of the look though, I think it does work out and looks pretty decent =)

Features And now for the features, just a couple to share, but they're fabulous! Firstly ohmonica styling the Move Please Dress. I love it layered up like this, worn more as a jacket, it works so nicely. And the cool floaty design of the skirting is a great style contrast, the white base also makes the orange stand out even more. Love the floral booties, they're a great balance. Also loving the white fishnets, those are a super cool addition^

Next up Opioides styles the Chain Glitter Earrings and the Snake Belt, accessories can go such a long way! I'm loving this skirting idea so much, the pink is super pretty and the belting addition as an applique design looks amazing, so creative^ The long sweater makes a cool layer and I like the masculinity of the blazer. The glitter pieces stand out so much and balance the look well, those heels are perfect!

Sterlina2010 is draped in this LE collection, wearing the Silver Snake Skirt, Long Sleeve Bead Top, High Thigh Boots, Shell Circle Earrings and the Golden Sparks Hat - wow that's a lot! But it really works well together. The accessories added further really are perfect too, I love the use of this draping LE bag from an older collection, I'm really regretting selling it because it's perfect with these boots. And I love the golden necklace additions, they fill the neckline beautifully!

And the final feature, from Lawliet. who is also wearing the Long Sleeve Bead Top and the High Thigh Boots but in a totally different style. I love the top paired with this base layer, the bead design is great with the circle pattern. The lace jumpsuit on top is a cool idea to pull everything together, for sure a great surprise, but I love it! Also loving the belt bag and hat additions to the look =D

Casual tan

Such a great mix of smart and casual in today's look from dm2udm2u, I love it! For me it was all about the light wash of the jeans, it's not one that I wear, but it sure looks amazing in this colour combination with all of the browns. The checked coat is great to tie in the browns with the blue, it's perfect with both the jeans and this polo. Loving the accessories, especially the ribbed socks with these heels, such a sweet pairing and perfect for both winter and this jean hem length^

N E L L Y | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

We've had a couple of Nelly releases recently, and this post is for the first of those. Normally I get on pretty well with the Nelly, I always find quite a few pieces I like, but with this round of releases I've been pretty disappointed and not a lot has caught my eye. I did pick out a couple of pieces from the first release, and you guys seem to have liked this one better too. First up features, this look is from isajapa styling the Green V Neck Top which is looking super sleek and beautiful. I love it with the cropped culottes, a perfect style pairing, and the accessories are super classy, I'm particularly loving these nude shoes, they look awesome =D

And then we have RiManiKordenty wearing the Croc Tshirt styled up as a very cool set of a cropped top and mini skirt, how cool is that?! The coat is a great layering piece on top, the colour fits well with the tones of the croc and the shape is very nice for the styling. The accessories are pretty cool too, love the dinky bag and the strapped heels are very fitting!

Finally for my stylings. I picked up two pieces, the Green V Neck Top and the Suit Pant Flarred. First up the Top, I had a look in mind when buying this, but I struggled to find the perfect skirt to suit it - in the end I went for something quite different and vibrant, this skirt is pretty fun! The colours aren't quite the right match, but I don't think it's too noticeable with the beige coat and accessories. I think this Top has a lot of potential, I just need to search for the perfect piece to pair with it! And then for the Pants, I really love the colour, shape and fit of these, they're very 'me' overall so I'm sure it's no surprise that I bought these. I kept super simple with cream tones, I really love the chunkiness of the sweater with the oversizing of the blazer. I stuck with basic accessories, but I think these trousers have so many options to style them with, I'm excited to work with them more^