Outfit ideas for summer

Today in England it is extremely sunny, so I am feeling summery, bright and determined to publish a post! So here are a few outfit ideas I have put together, using polyvore, they include casual and formal outfits for every occasion during summer.

Urban Outfit
I personally would wear this look shopping, out for a meal or to the cinema

This outfit consists of a cropped black top, with cut-out panels on the sleeves, crop tops are  being seen everywhere this season from bandeau's at Prada to longline Bras at Nina Ricci. This key piece is from Miss Selfridge. the next item is an absolutely gorgeous anomalous hemmed skirt in a claret colour. I have seen these skirts around and think they're amazing, I can't wait to get one myself! the shoes are Jeffrey Campbell Lita's, with studs on, they're amazing! They capture an urban feel but still very wearable. I have chosen three rings with this outfit as I wear a lot of rings myself, here is a double fingered gold finish ring, a gold coloured triangle ring with eye detail and a black, beaded cross ring. The overall style of this outfit is urban and modern.

Girly look 

This outfit has a very feminine feel to it and could be worn out for dinner or to the shops

This look is made up of very pastel shades, such as the pastel pink tone of the top and shoes, the pastel orange of the jeans and the pastel shade of the clutch bag. This look is finished off with a gold necklace to draw some attention to the plain top, if this look was to be worn more casually, you could swap the heels for a cute pair of dolly shoes, not use the clutch and get rid of the necklace, this would make the outfit more layed back. This look is very calming and girly due to the tones of the pieces and overall is very on trend. A perfect summer ensemble.






Glamorous Outfit
This is an outfit perfect for a night out somewhere classy

 This outfit consists of a gorgeous black dress with a large gold panel taking up over half of the dress. The gold is very sparkly and glamorous. This look also contains a white feather shrug, this can be quite and 'old fashioned' piece but the look I aiming for here is 'reinvented 1920's flapper' So therefore I have teamed a classic piece with more modern pieces. The bold tights modernise the look and give more of an urban feel, the bright sparkly ring compliments the gold panel on the dress and the shoes pull the outfit together as they are a simple style and colour.

All in White

This look could be worn to the beach, on a picnic or to the shops

This season 'girlish white' was seen multiple times on the runway, this included detailed pieces, an abundance of lace and some very sheer silk. This outfit has a white, lace bralet, perfect for keeping cool in the summer but still looking stylish. It also shows a gorgeously detailed, maxi skirt also in white lace. The embroidery on this skirt is stunning. I have teamed this outfit with an amazing pair of white embroidered wedges to again add to the total white theme, the decoration on the shoe makes the outfit even more girlie. Finally I decided to add a black, cross necklace over the top because it adds a modern edge to the look, this was seen on a model at Emilo Pucci.

  American Style 

I am in love with all things USA, so I decided to make a look based on the flag and culture. 

This is my favourite look out of all of the looks I have created because it is so simple but so stylish, it can be worn by so many different people, my sister and I both have extremely different styles, yet she agrees this is an amazing outfit and she would wear it herself. The trousers are the focus point here as they are made up of the American flag (hence the stars and stripes), the Graphic tee is a bit of fun and the simple monochrome look matches well with the jeans, personally I would tuck the top in loosely, the Lita's add a fashionable, urban feel to the outfit as do the retro style round glasses. the 'love' wristband is gorgeous and adds to the fun feel of the outfit. The colours of the nail polish are taken from the flag and worn alternatively on your nails would look amazing. 

Flower Power

This was obviously going to come up in a 'looks for summer post' as it is a simple connotation of summer, however 'flower power' can be interpreted in many different ways...

This outfit was inspired by a huge trend every year, florals, whether they are clashed with various other bright florals or worn in pastel shades they appear in the trend forecast year in - year out. So I decided to mix it up a little and mix floral with a Californian style. This outfit consists of; a floral print bralet, a asymmetric maxi skirt (designed by Lauren Conrad - a fabulously brilliant style icon) a peace necklace, a stunning Chanel bag and a pair of flip flops with a cute bow on the front. The flip flops, maxi skirt and floral print seem quite boho but the the colours and style of each of them make it quite urban and modern.







These six outfits are the perfect blend of my style, the Spring/Summer 2012 trends and easy-to-pull-off looks. Obviously they can be altered in various ways such as switching up accessories and jackets in order to make it more formal or casual or changing the style of a skirt to fit a body type, they're all very modern and can easily be pulled off this summer. I hope you enjoyed looking through my ideas.
Love Dixie
:) xox 

How to dress like Hanna Marin (Pretty Little Liars)

For those of you reading this post that doesn't know who 'Hanna Marin' is a.k.a Ashley Benson, you obviously haven't been watching the hit American TV show 'Pretty Little Liars.' I recommend you do! Anyway onto the Fashion side of things...

Some examples of her style:

   

 In this picture, Hanna wears a simple neutral top, paired with a bright red above the knee skirt, she teams his with a charcoal-toned blazer and long necklace and black flats. She looks effortlessly chic. Whilst the blazer adds not only another layer to this look but also more interest to the outfit, the necklace glams the whole look up, giving it a girlie, fashionable finish.

 I personally adore this look and have recreated it myself, numerous times, the claret skirt looks gorgeous with her skin tone, she then keeps the rest of the outfit minimal with a monochrome striped t-shirt tucked in and pulls the two pieces together with a simple black belt, she also wears a cropped black jacket, this gives the illusion she is taller. She pairs this look with knee high black boots, the overall look is edgy, vampy and girlie.



In this picture Hanna wears a green toned snake print t-shirt, leather jacket and dark jeans, to add more interest to the outfit she wears a khaki oversized, slouch bag and a large dark ring. This dark-toned outfit contrasts with her light hair and skin, making it dark but girlie and stylish, she pulls the look off by mixing the skinny jeans with a loose cut top and then pulls it in with the blazer, defining her figure but still looking layed back.

 This look is also gorgeous, she wears again a black and white top, however this time it is dotted in a certain pattern rather than stripy, she again pairs this with a black jacket, however this one is longer, she also wears a deep red coloured pair of jeans with this look to add some colour but not to go too colourful. this look is mature yet stylish and fun and could easily be dressed up or down.

This look is absolutely amazing, it is more stylish in my opinion as it is more daring, clashing different colours of lace and some fringing all in one look, however it works perfectly. In this look she wears lace style black tights under a short black bodycon skirt. Over this she wears a white lace undertop with a navy/charcoal coloured oversized cropped t-shirt on top with fringed mid-length sleeves. To draw more attention to the outfit she wears her hair up. On the t-shirt she wears a long,white necklace wrapped around her neck twice.

 This look again is effortlessly chic, she wears a neutral toned blouse with a large cascading ruffle down the front, teamed with a short black body-con skirt. To pull the outfit together she wears a cropped, tailored black blazer, which again adds layers, perfect for colder months but also pulls the outfit to a finish. she wears the look with a large brown bag (hand carried, not rested on the should like normal) and some plain yet stylish gladiator style sandals.

I adore this look of Hanna's she wears a large, thick navy trench coat with muted silver buttons. the coat has a gorgeous frilled colour, although not very visible in this photograph! She teams the look with over-the-knee, patterned yet translucent socks. She is also wearing knee-high black boots however you can't see them in this picture. Her hair is tied up in a top know with a loose strand either side of her face and a blackhead band around her hair. This whole look is gorgeous, I love it because of how easily chic it is.

Finally this look shows a simple black long sleeved top tucked into a high waisted short purple-toned, floral print skirt. A belt has also been pulled around the waist to create definition. Hanna has teamed a large white bag with this look giving a gorgeous contrast with the black t-shirt. This look again so simple yet so stylish and is very simple to recreate yet mix with your own style make it your own, for example, clashing tights, a smaller bag, a brighter t-shirt etc.







Hanna's style is very Girlie but still stylish and edgy, her look consists of feminine pieces mixed with urban pieces and tons of jewellery to create a gorgeous look that seems hard to master but all you need to know are 5 simple steps...

1. Balance frills and masculine style pieces 

Hanna often wears frilly blouses, or dresses and teams them with structured blazers that resemble men's clothing, this style suits a range of body shapes and can look effortlessly gorgeous if done right. For an easy way to achieve this look find a bright coloured floaty or frilly dress and pair it with a structured or oversized blazer.

2. Define your waist

In almost every outfit Hanna defines her waist, this is mostly done when she is wearing a lot of layers. This is a very easy step to accomplish, use a skinny, bright coloured belt over your favourite blazer to not only add definition but to add a pop of colour, you could also add a chunky belt over a top and skirt combo to pull it in at your waist and add to the overall look of your outfit.

3. Wear eye-catching jewellery 

With every outfit, your bound to see a bright necklace, big earrings, a stack of bangles or a large cocktail ring, Hanna certainly knows how to accessorize! This step is extremely simple, however there is such a thing as too much bling! Choose an area you want to play up for example a boring t-shirt can easily look more expensive with a a gorgeous glitzy necklace or a boring hair-do can instantly look more amazing by adding a sparkling hairband, it's all about quality of placement not quantity of jewellery! 

4. Dress like every walkway is a runway

For Hanna style is extremely important and you can see that everyday, whether she is catching a movie with her friends, meeting up for coffee or studying she always looks effortlessly glamorous. This is a step that takes practise but can be achieved easily. Just wear clothes that look good on you and suit you and reflect your personality but are also comfortable. Experiment with upcoming trends and add a Hanna touch to them! Look back at previous outfits for inspiration.

5. Be polished and poised

As Hanna is a trendsetter and a Rosewood 'IT' girl, she is looked up to by many people, she must set trends but also keep classy standards, short tight skirts and low cut top paired together are not classy and definitely not elegant. To keep a classy touch to outfits choose one part of your body to reveal, and hide the rest, for example pair a short skirt with a few layers on top such as a bright vest top, oversized t-shirt, fitted blazer and a bright skinny belt, you will look stylish yet classy. Also whilst rocking the Hanna Marin look, walk with poise and purpose 

I hope this helps and inspires you

Love Dixie 

:) xoxo

Beauty haul 10/03/2012

On Saturday 10th March, I decided to pick up a few essential repurchases and a few little treats :) Check out what they were...

First (and my favourite) Store - Superdrug

Superdrug is my favourite because it stocks some of my absolute favourite brands and the prices are affordable, anyway, let the haul commence :)

First product - MUA Matt-finish eyeshadow Shade 20 £1

 

  This is an absolutely gorgeous colour, I was looking for a matte black shade to use on my upper lash line to define my eyes and I was using shade 4 from the immaculate collection palette by MUA, however I found that although the shade was perfect it was not very portable as it is part of a palette so I decided to purchase a single eyeshadow and shade 20 was exactly what i was looking for. It is highly pigmented and blends so easily, for only £1 you can't go wrong!

Second product - MUA Mosaic Bronzer  Shade 1 - Natural Glow £2.50

 This is a repurchase as my other bronzer was nearly finished and it shattered because I dropped it :( However, this is an absolutely wonderful bronzer, it looks more browny/orangey toned in real-life and applies so easily. You can build the colour up for a dramatic look or apply one sweep for a 'natural glow.' Also due to the mosaic effect you can also use a single 'tile' as neutral eyeshadow, two products in one! For £2.50 I think this a brilliant bronzer and will leave you looking sun-kissed, I definitely recommend this product.

Third product - MUA Love hearts nail varnish 'I WANT U' £2

This is my second love heart nail polish - my first was 'U R FAB, a light claret tone - After using my first one, I had to buy some more, the colour is bright and eye catching. Although two coats is necessary for a full colour effect, it was still an amazing purchase. Whilst writing this post I'm wearing this shade on most of my nails and shade ' U & I' on both of ring fingers, looking at the bright colours remind me that summer is coming and makes me happy :) The Nail polish applies easily and dries quickly, definitely a great purchase.

Fourth product - MUA Love hearts nail varnish 'U & I' £2 

This is my third nail varnish from the love hearts collection and I love it, the colour is a bit brighter than it looks after layering it twice. A very sunny colour that looks gorgeous next to the orange shade ' I WANT U' Not only do I love the actual product but the packaging is adorable, with cute loveheart sweet-style messages on the top of the bottle and the love hearts logo printed on the bottle these make a cute addition to any nail varnish collection or an adorable gift for a friend. 

The next store I went to was Boots (by this time I had spent all of my money so I am now borrowing money from my best friend). My best friend and I discovered an amazing deal, all 'Frontcover' products had 75% off, We had a quick browse through the small stand and I decided on these gorgeous products...

First product - Front cover to go 'Powder Puff' powder eyeshadow £4 reduced to £1

First of all I would like to apologise for the poor quality of the picture, my Camera is broken so I am using my horrendously rubbish web cam :s Anyway on to the product, at a price of £4 I wouldn't of picked this up normally as MUA probably stock a much similar shade, however at its discounted price of £1 I thought this was very good quality. Before purchasing I tested the shade on my hand and it was gorgeous, it leaves a little colour and a little shimmer, I thought this shade would be perfect for highlighting the brow bone. 

Second product - Front cover to go 'Frosted Almond' powder eyeshadow £4 reduced to £1 

This shade looks slightly more gold in real life, and a bit more shimmery. After testing this shade and 'Powder Puff' together I saw how well they went together and decided to buy this one too, the two shades together create a natural eye look, but also give a hint of shimmer. I would use this colour all over the lid. These eye shadows are still in their packaging (as I am filming a haul later), to add these colours to a front cover palette, you open it up to get the small black square and pop that into a hole in the palette, you can fit four shades in a palette. 

Third product - Front cover to go ' Baked Bronze' powder eyeshadow £4 reduced to £1

 Originally, I wasn't going to purchase this shade as I wanted a darker tone, I found a gorgeous shade named 'Burnt Toast' in the tester section but they had sold out, so I went for this shade instead, the actual colour is a bit lighter in person, but is still gorgeous. Much like the other shades it is relatively shimmery. I would use this tone to line my upper lash line, whilst using shades 'Powder Puff' and 'Frosted Almond' also, this would give a perfect natural yet shimmery look, this could be worn everyday as a casual look. 

I also went to Savers to pick up a couple of essentials

First product - 'MUST' (savers own brand) Slant tweezers £1

Again, I apologise for the bad quality, but you get the idea, simple black, slanted tweezers. I find slanted tweezers much more easier to use. 

Second product - 3 In 1 Self Tan Applicator Mitt £1

 The mitt is double sided, the side visible is a white sponge-like material, the opposite side is a khaki coloured velvet like material, inside the mitt, a pair of black latex gloves are stored.The mitt supposedly can be used to exfoliate, apply tan and buff skin, however I will just be using it too apply the tan. I have never used one of these before and I decided on this one because it only £1, I will trial it and possibly review it 

This concludes my Beauty haul on 10/03/2012, Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, leave feedback 

Love Dixie 

:) xoxo

MUA Pro BB Foundation

As a Make Up Academy worshipper, I can't wait to get my hands on their brand new BB Foundation. It is stated the BB foundation is 'lightweight but with high coverage' and is said to be 'a primer, concealer and flawless foundation all rolled into one' It sounds absolutely amazing. Priced at only £4 and available in shades light, medium and dark, they're perfect for anybody. 

Technically, 'BB' should stand for  Blemish Balm or Blemish Base but that doesn't mean it's a spot cream. 'It's more of a multi-function cream that has coverage and skincare properties. It promises natural-looking skin coverage. MUA’s Primes the skin, smooth’s out the skin and also conceals any blemishes.'

             Swatches by MUA's Make-up artist, Karla from left to right Light, Medium and Dark.

A great advantage of these amazing BB creams is that you can blend them together to create a shade just right for you, Karla blends together light and medium to create a perfect match for herself.

Available in stores that stock the MUA Professional range on 14th March 2012, I definitely recommend you purchase one!

Love Dixie

:) xox

Ricky & Nicki for MAC Viva Glam

I am extremely excited to try out these two new products! Nicki Minaj (Worldwide female rapper & Singer) and Ricky Martin (Famous Latin singer) have teamed up with MAC cosmetics to produce a 'scene-stealing' pink lipstick and a lip conditioner. 


Nicki Minaj stated: ' When I was chosen by MAC cosmetics to be the next viva glam spokesperson, I wanted to hug everyone that worked at MAC for giving me this opportunity, I've always wanted to be a viva glam girl' 


She then went on to say 'what’s important about viva glam to me is that every cent goes to the MAC AIDS fund, which helps men, women and children all around the world. It’s bringing awareness to my culture, that’s why I am really really excited about this campaign.' 


When asked about the inspiration for the product she stated 'I remember seeing a lipstick on someone like a pink lipstick, I looked and I was like what is that? You know because before I was wearing like lipgloss, or nude colours, and I just wanted to start like popping it more, and I started wearing that lipstick and I just fell in love’


Ricky's views towards working with Nicki were 'working with Nicki is amazing, she’s young, she has the energy, she’s so sexy' 


Nicki returned the compliment with 'He’s a dream, like, he’s so humble, so genuine, so sweet, he just brought a peaceful vibe and a calmness to the set that everybody gravitated towards' 


After an amazing enegry-filled shoot the final picture for the campaign was chosen: 

And a close up for each product is shown here:

Viva Glam Nicki Lipstick £13.50

Ricky's Lip Conditioner £11.00

I will definitely be purchasing Nicki's lipstick, I'm so excited, I will also post a review once I have trialled it for a few weeks 

Love Dixie 

:) xoxo