Face of Today & Outfit of Today: Red Lips & H&M Tunic.

I'm sure that if you follow me on twitter you witnessed my incessant whining about how much I needed to purchase a certain tunic from H&M in other colours but they weren't online. The H&M website is utter rubbish & I've yet to see anyone have a hassle free transaction with them so I braved the 50 minute bus journey to my closest H&M (living in the country isn't all sunshine & roses! 50 minutes is insane!!) and hoped that I'd be able to find what I was after in store and I did - yay! I no longer need to be whiny and irritating, well, for now at least!

Tunic Dress: H&M - £7.99.

Cardigan: Boohoo.com. Very similar to this one!

Leggings: Matalan - £6 Similar to these.

I’ve never been one to stock up on wardrobe basics before, I’ve always just preferred filling my wardrobe with pretty dresses and it took me a long time to jump on to the leggings bandwagon! I’m finally at that stage where I don’t feel the need to look ‘cutesy’ every day in a floral or patterned dress because sometimes it’s okay to go for the comfy look! The slight empire line cut of this tunic makes it incredibly flattering. It would be even more flattering for me if I cinched it in with a skinny belt which I ordinarily would do, but I was channeling comfortable and relaxed & cinching doesn’t really sound like a comfortable or relaxed word!

Like many tops/dresses on the high street I wish it were just an inch or two longer. I’ve come to the conclusion that I have an abnormally long body & that’s why things that are a good length on most people, look a bit short on me. Never mind, after all, project tone-up-legs is the reason I’ve just purchased an exercise bike! In leggings I don’t think my legs are that bad, I’m certainly not as repulsed by my thighs as I used to be, but no way will I be showing them off without leggings, or at least tights, just yet. Nuh uhh!

Initial Necklace: 16th Birthday Present.

I’ve had this necklace since my sixteenth birthday and only since I turned 21 have I started to wear it. In my late teens I went through an I-hate-gold toned-jewellery phase because back then it was synonymous with chavs and I did not want to be be a chav! But now I absolutely adore it. Recently I’ve been longing for a classy name necklace but at the same time, I’m not sure I’d want every Tom, Dick and Harry in the street knowing what my name was. A simple initial necklace solves that problem, I think it still looks classy and elegant, but no one knows my name!

Feather Necklace: ASOS - Similar to this one - £5.50. 

Heart Ring: Scape Jewellery - £12.99. 

Amethyst Ring & Silver Ring: Vintage. 

Gold Peace Ring: ASOS - £5. 

Nail Polish: Revlon Purple Petal.

Wearing more simple items of clothing means I can go all out on the jewellery front, which I’m loving. I’ve had this long feather necklace from ASOS for a little while now and I’ve barely worn it, which is a shame because I love it so much. I’m also on a little bit of a ring kick, not so much costume rings because I’m growing tired of how quickly they tarnish, but I’d really like to find a few more inexpensive real silver rings to add to my collection.

Base: Illamasqua Light Liquid Foundation in shade 133, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair & Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation in Blondie as a setting powder.

Cheeks: NYX Natural Cream Blusher, NARS Douceur Powder Blusher & a touch of MAC Rose Ole Highlighting Powder.

Eyes: MAC Vintage Selection Paint Pot, Urban Decay Sin Eyeshadow from the Naked Palette, MAC Blacktrack Fluid Line Gel Eyeliner & Collection 2000 Big Fake Mascara. 

Lips: Benefit Benetint & NARS Rose Gitane Lipgloss. 

These photographs really show how much my hair has been lightened by the John Frieda controlled lightening spray! I’m so happy with the colour & strangely, for a product that contains bleach, my hair feels much much healthier and stronger! I’m not complaining there, it needed a bit of a boost!

Do you have a lot of basic items in your wardrobe? Do you feel that they help you to put together a wide range of outfits? Or do you prefer stocking up on more detailed pieces & styling them in a similar way each time you wear them? I’d love to know, I’d love to learn some more fashion and styling tips from you stylish bunch because I'm clueless!
xoxo