Mixed Assortments

I recently made an Instagram account for the blog (@halcyonfuturefashion - go follow follow follow if you haven't already!). I'm using it as a way to showcase what's on and going on with the blog, as well as mini 'blog-bites' - smaller posts on a daily basis. 

A mixed assortment from the last week..

Candy Colours - turquoise Lovisa necklace paired with a gorgeously soft candy floss pink Topshop knit.

Mint Sorbet - Sally Hansen 'Mint Sorbet' on the nails, my new three band Sportsgirl ring and Sportsgirl turquoise tote in the background.

Back on Black - University is back so I took this sneaky accessories snap while waiting for my philosophy lecture to start. Wearing my Lipstik cut out boots with tassels and 'tote-ing' (terrible pun!) my Zara black leather bag. I bought it a few months ago for only $49.99 - and that was full price!

I really do think Zara has some incredibly well-priced accessories (and clothes, but less often), given what you'd expect to pay for a similar bag had it been in Sportsgirl/Forever New etc

Feeling Blue - finally got round to repainting my chipped mint nails - the weather was unusually glorious with blue skies a-plenty, so I stole some inspiration from that. The sky blue is from Barry M cosmetics, a brand I don't think is available in Australia. I absolutely love this colour, so always buy myself a few bottles whenever I'm back in England. I still really like the effect of the accent nail, so chose a slightly darker and glossier blue from Rimmel London.

Also spy my Sportsgirl silver floating rings!

 Birthday Drinks - With it almost being my 19th birthday (three more sleeps!) I had to do the obligatory teen club outing. I won't say too much about the dress, as I want to do a special blog post on it, but it's from online store Harpers Dresses. I felt amazing in it, and had a brilliant night too. 

Finally - Arrived home from work to find my British Vogue had arrived! Turned out to be the perfect end to a very good day, with a few bits of news I'll hopefully share with you very soon!

Brittany x

Nothing beats a sale: Topshop Adventures

Moving to Melbourne from London five years ago, one of the things I found hardest to adjust to was the lack of British High Street. The idea of shopping without any of the shops I loved and was used to, such as Topshop, H&M and of course Primark was one that filled me with dread. Alright, not dread exactly - I could never feel that way about shopping! - but it certainly posed some challenges.

When you're familiar with a place, you know exactly where you need to go for certain items. If I needed new underwear, M&S was the place to go. Jewellery at a price that wouldn't break the bank? H&M was your (wo)man. Cheap anything? Primark. It took a while and a few (expensive) mistakes to figure out my equivalents here in Australia.

Luckily I've discovered the great fashion secrets and shops we have here in Australia, which I'll hopefully be doing a blog post on soon. But needless to say I am still extremely excited that the shops that I loved in England are finally beginning to reach our shores (Zara and Topshop last year and H&M to arrive later this year!)

Topshop is a shop I've always loved, due to its fun and stylish designs, incredible designer collaborations and obviously clever branding and marketing. One thing we haven't always agreed on however, are the prices. For me, Topshop was always the place for a treat - yes, the items were gorgeous but you were paying quite a lot for them.

A good day at Topshop Chapel Street!

Probably because I'm no longer 13, and maybe because I've become accustomed to Australian prices (where I feel like its harder ((but not impossible!)) to get good quality fashion items for lower prices a la H&M/Primark), Topshop now seems a lot more reasonable.

And when they have a sale on... Well, you don't argue with reason, people.

And so I found myself in the crazy crowd of Topshop sale goers last week. Racks upon racks of discounted clothes greeted me as I stepped through the doors, so the only thing to do was roll up my sleeves and dive in.

I was surprised at how heavily discounted many good items were and as a result it was hard to stop myself just grabbing everything in sight. Luckily Mum was there to restrain me.

Peek inside my Topshop bag

I tried on a few things, including the athletic 'GEEK' t-shirts that everyone has and I've been wanting for a while. Unfortunately they only had it in the crop version which I felt going into WINTER might be a tad limiting..

Anyway, I felt with two holographic cat bags (whaaat!?) filled with goodies, which in addition to the knowledge that i'd made myself some good savings, makes it a very good trip in my mind!

My Purchases

The Evening Dress

 This would have to be my favourite buy of the day. There was just one left on the rack which I made a quick beeline for, ready to elbow anyone who got in my way. It's a gorgeous turquoise sequinned figure- hugging 'disco' dress. It's quite long, probably just above the knee, which I think makes it a lot classier than if it only just covered my bum. As well as being sparkly and my favourite colour at the moment, it was also massively reduced - $65 down from $131. I couldn't wait to wear it, so ended up taking it for a spin that night for drinks with friends.

The Bodycon Dress

Now I think this was actually spotted by Mum (giving credit where it's due!) but as soon as she showed it to me I was sold. The design is striking and reminds me of liquid gold, and the material is gorgeously silky. Again this one is also longer, but I think it looks better shortened so thats probably how I'll wear it. Made some massive savings on this one too - $23 down from $73!

The Cozy Jumper

This was perhaps my most practical buy - a pinky/brown knitted jumper. Close up you can't really see the geometric pattern but I think it's quite playful. It's extremely cosy and I quite like that it's more pastel colours - it will look great with some very blue jeans and boots for winter. Another great save - $26 down from $86.

The Nail Varnish

Top: 'Green Room', Bottom: 'Plume'

So as I've confessed in previous blog posts, this year I've become a serial nail varnish buyer and now have quite the collection going. I've been hunting for a Tiffany coloured blue nail varnish for a while now, so I was extremely excited to finally spot it in Topshop. I also couldn't walk passed the galactic purple, so that ended up in the basket too. I think they were about $12 each, which is a bit above average for nail varnish, but i'd fallen in love with the colours.

Having never tried Topshop nail varnish, I was initially rather disappointed with the quality. I decided to paint my nails 5 minutes before I was due out (silly idea I know!) so only had time to do one quick coat. The consistency was watery and the colours very pale. The following day, I tried a few more coats and was much happier with the colour (as seen in the picture - excuse the chips!). The turquoise is slightly more green than i'd hoped but I love the purple. What do you reckon of the quality of Topshop nail varnish/make up collections?

Taking my disco dress out for a spin!

With loads of stores now having their end of financial year sales, it's definitely time to hit the shops! It's a great opportunity to pick up things you've been eyeing up for a while with big discounts, or just treat yourself to a few indulgences. What do you reckon of my bargains? Would love to hear what new items you're loving at the moment in the comments below!

Brit x

Nails Resolutions

When we make resolutions, we're socially encouraged to make them at the start of the year in January. 

Like many people year after year I write myself a list of things i'd like to change/achieve and generally by the second week of the month i'm already crying in my despair at failing to achieve them. However so far 2013 has proven to be quite the exception. 

One of my more frivolous resolutions was to take better care of my nails. I don't bite them, so they're generally always in a good condition and I own a fair few bottles of nail varnish. However, I confess I used to be lazy with my nails. There i've admitted it! I'd pick a colour, do a hasty paint job before leaving them to chip. When there was nothing more than a few specks left i'd finally get round to taking it off. My nails would remain naked for a few weeks before the process would repeat itself.

But no longer! Inspired by some beauty youtube videos i've recently got into the habit of watching and restrained by my dwindling bank account (#currentlyunemployed) I decided to revitalise my wardrobe starting with the tips of my fingers. It's a great way to look and feel 'put together' and it really doesn't have to break the bank. I visited a few of the discount chemists and had a look at some of the really cheap no-name brands, thinking that the good stuff would be way more than I was currently willing to spend. Luckily, I decided purely out of interest to have a look in the general make-up aisle. For just $1 or two more than the cheap brands I spotted the Sally Hansen 'Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear' collection. I already have a lot of bright colours, generally in the blue-y spectrum, but was particularly drawn towards the more pastel/neutral tones that were on offer. After an embarrassingly long time deliberating over exactly which colours to purchase i settled on three.

Yes, I know there are four here...read on, dear reader to find out why!

1. Sally Hansen 'Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear' in Bamboo Shoot

2. Sally Hansen 'Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear' in Mint Sorbet

3. Maybelline New York Colour Show in Audacious Asphalt

note - Audacious Asphalt!? Who comes up with these names? Absolutely hilarious, I decided I had to have this one just so I could tell people the name.

A lovely surprise was waiting for me at the counter - There was a 3 for 2 offer on all Sally Hansen! Feeling like a bit more sparkle i ended up going for Sally Hansen 'Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear' in Celeb City.

Clockwise from top left; recent purchases; Maybelline 'Audacious Asphalt' with Sally Hansen 'Celeb City'; Sally Hansen 'Mint Sorbet'; fluorescent pink with accessories

 I've been really admiring the recent trend of using two colours on your nail - one as the main focus and then a single nail in a contrasting colour. I thought the silver would work really nicely with the grey and decided they would be the first colours i would try out!

It's amazing what a difference a fresh (home) manicure can make! Only downside is i've found i've been shoving my nails in the face of everyone i meet to show them, including my boyfriend who really couldn't care less! Why is no-one else as excited as me! I tried out the mint sorbet the other day, and am also really enjoying it. It's such a refreshing colour, and perfect for when the weather is as good as it has been. 

I'd definitely recommend the brands I picked up too. With a $6.95 price tag, I was afraid the colour would be pretty thin and chip easily, but I have really been surprised. You only need one or two coats to achieve a striking colour, it's lasted a couple of days without chipping but is still easy to remove when you decide you want a change. 

Some other colours I've tried out recently (really just an excuse to use my new instagram app weeeeeeew!)

I think what i'd really like to try next is some more experimental nail art - maybe different tips/more colours and some graphic designs. Let me know what you think!