NYFY STYLING INSPIRATION

For as long as I can remember I have spent Fashion Week stalking the shows for what's new.  Whether I'm lucky enough to get invited along or I'm absorbing the photos and videos on Vogue's website between meetings, I'm always looking for those little updates to keep looks fresh.  

This week is of course New York Fashion Week and I am doing the website stalking rather than the partying.  Work is super busy (mostly working on Christmas Windows) so I'm thrilled to have new inspiration on my commute to and from the office.  One look that I adored at Givenchy was a simple scarf tied around a camisole like a belt.  It feels elegant and modern and looks amazing with a pair of wide-leg suit trousers.  If you don't have a suitable top and scarf hidden away already here are a few of favourite my picks.

Black Lace Cami £14.99 New Look

Black Metallic Scarf £4.99 New Look

Cream Silk Cami £480 Carine Gilson @ Net-a-porter

Cream Scarf £195 Rag and Bone at Matches Fashion

The NYC 3

This season New York Fashion Week has produced some incredible collections filled with wearable trends.  I didn't want to bore you with pages filled will all of my favourite shows so I thought I'd pull together three trends that kept popping up time after time. The best thing is you really don't have to wait until Spring to pull any of these off.

Elegant, feminine suits in silky materials are no longer for the Red Carpet.  Pair with ankle boots and a simple tee to wear daily. I adore this black Topshop Boutique blazer above with shorts or wide leg trousers and a grey vest.

Catwalk by Dion Lee/Maiyet/Derek Lam

White long line £59.99 Zara

Black raw edge blazer £130 Topshop Boutique

A modern update to this seasons must-have shirt is the pyjama style blouse.  These are already sneaking onto the High St so its easy to get in on this trend early.  Pair with lace trim silk shorts or black leather skinny trousers and clean scrappy heels.

Catwalk by Thakoon/Givenchy

Wrap blouse £1580 The Row

White PJ Blouse £110 French Connection

So this one is far from new but the sporty, printed twist has me smitten. The bare legs and flats thing may be out of the question as Autumn has already hit down in London (brr) but paired with a sweat and ankle boots they look awesome!  Shop my current favourites below.

Catwalk by Rag & Bone/Victoria Beckham

Diagonal stripe midi skirt £36 Topshop

Camel midi skirt £49.99 M&S

Asymmetric midi skirt £620 Tome

THE BEAUTY DEPARTMENT

This month H&M relaunched their beauty department and filled it with new, exciting products.  If you are a fan of the brands sibling '& other stories' you will love this.  

I swung by the Oxford St store last week where 'The Beauty Department' has taken over a large space on their Ground Floor.  Rows of every colour of eye shadow and shade of powder fill the space along with an area to try the products.  Alongside the make-up there are new launches in skin care and hair styling with prices starting at only a few pounds.  

I picked up a couple of products including this Revelation Body Lotion which is fantastic!  The creamy texture soaks in quickly and leaves skin glossy and soft.  It also smells amazing.  The grape seed oil and vitamin E keep skin well moisturised. 

I also picked up a slim packaged finishing powder that I have been carrying around with me all week.  The soft powder is perfect for topping up your make-up half way through the day and for setting newly applied liquid foundation. 

If you can't make it to store don't fret as a lot of the collection is also online!  Its selling fast though so check it out today here.

WRAP UP

Autumn has definitely hit down this week and I am more than happy to embrace my favourite season.   Knits are going to be huge again and this includes their size.  Oversized cables, giant cardigans and large blankets are filling the shops and I am starting to stock up.  

This muted, super soft blanket wrap was kindly given to me by New Look at their Autumn/Winter press event and has just hit down in store and online.  I love styling this type of knitwear with black glossy jeans, ankle boots and a wide leather belt like this vintage Jaeger one.  Also it's a great excuse to go to work in a blanket!

Cream stripe tassel hem blanket wrap £19.99 at New Look

Leather belt - Vintage Jaeger/Waxed jeans - Topshop (old)/Ankle boots - Office 

NORMANDY ROAD TRIP

Nothing beats leaving your day-to-day life behind you and hitting the open road.  A few weeks back me and the husband did just that as I jumped on the back of his motorbike to take a ferry over to Normandy.  As we rode off the ferry with the sun rising in front of us we headed off on our adventure though vineyards and villages.  

I have always loved Northern France since about the age of four when family trips regularly involved a converted barn and far too many pastries from the local Boulangerie.  Now they involve far more local wine, seafood and Macaroons than they did then but are equally enchanting and relaxing. We rode to Arromanches where the views of the remaining temporary Port from the invasion of Normandy still remain and are quite spectacular.  Pointe Do Hoc is also well worth a visit.  From here we travelled and visited Granville, home of Dior and a beautiful harbour with great Ice-cream and Seafood. 

Carteret followed on the West Coast which is a pretty town I would highly recommend.  We stayed right on the sea in the La Marine where our room had a balcony perfect for drinking wine and watching the world go by.  Ensure if you stay in the hotel you eat in the restaurant run by chef Laurent Cesne who is both handsome and has earned the restaurant a Michelin Star. The food is incredible!

Hotel la Marine

BEAUTY DELIVERED

Nothing beats a good experiment with a pile of new beauty products.  A few years back I dabbled with the 'Beauty Box' thing and was rather unimpressed.  Then recently I was sat at my desk working on a not-so-exciting document on a dreary afternoon when a parcel arrived for a colleague.  It came in the form of a small box, which when opened contained a beautifully printed Birchbox filled with goodies.  Well it looked rather good!  So I joined, and I have not been disappointed.  Granted it is a small extravagance, however at just £12 including delivery it is only the price of a couple of magazines on the way to work.  

Each month you get 5 product samples to try which you can steer by filling in details about your skin and hair type on the Birchbox website.  The samples are of mixed sizes and there were some brands and products that I hadn't heard of.  This month I was a big fan of a dark violet Laura Mercier eyeliner which is great for a full 70s flick.  Also the Huygens Paris exfoliator is completely brilliant - I will be buying the full size from the Birchbox site once I have consumed the sample.

The September box is looking pretty good.  If you too are a beauty nut and fancy a monthly treat landing on your desk or too come home to each month then hop over to the website and sign up, just like i did.

birchbox.co.uk