The Little Black Jacket

Hello Lovelies! Starting off as usual with an apology for my lack of posts this week...but I have a good excuse - I've been in Paris! The highlight of my trip was my morning in the Karl Lagerfeld exhibition of The Little Black Jacket which was absolutely amazing. The exhibition was in London a few weeks ago at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, and what with Chanel and Chelsea being two of my very most favourite things I was so upset when I thought I'd missed it, but then I saw the advert for the exhibition in Paris! It was at Le Grand Palais which is where Chanel hold their fashion shows during Paris Fashion Week and this was my second visit to the venue. It really is a stunning building; elegant, detailed, cultural and historical, it's just so Chanel. 

The exhibition was curated perfectly, and featured celebrities, muses, icons and new faces. Words cannot describe the beautiful simplicity - it was just so completely Karl. Before I over-describe, or under-whelm the exhibition, I shall cut straight to the photographs and let you see for yourself a snippet of The Little Black Jacket.

Le Grand Palais

We've been best friends since we were four

Inside

Kirsten Dunst

How kind of Karl to give away prints of this poster?

Chanel Babies

The wonderful Yoko Ono

Who else? Fabulous Anna Wintour.

SJP

The roof of Le Grand Palais

xxx

Boot Up

So far this Autumn I've been on a never-ending hunt for the perfect pair of winter boots. But the problem I always encounter with things like boots, handbags and coats is that the majority of the things on offer are trend-led. And this is not always ideal for me. See, my legs are pretty spindly from the knee down and they are super short. So cute little flat ankle boots don't work for me. And guess what's in fashion this fall?! Cute little flat ankle boots. I think the fashion trap is one we all fall into at some time or another, and while I absolutely adore fashion, it doesn't always love me back.

So rather than being another cute little flat ankle boot girl this Autumn, I've dug out my old faithful Hudson boots, taken them to the cobblers to be re-soled and revived and they'll be my boots for the third year running. I bought them in 2008 and this is the first time they've been re-soled (at the cheap price of £18) so add that to their original cost of £169.99 (ouch, I know) and divide it by the amount of times I've worn them over the years, I think I'm racking up a pretty good cost-per-wear average. The thing I like most about Hudson is that their designs are not trend-led, they are wearable and timeless. My boots are three years old and they're still stocking them, if that's not longevity I don't know what it.  Buy yours here or just have a general browse of their website. I'm currently coveting a pair of these for their gorgeous design and the fact I know how long they'll last.

Conclusion? Spend more on something with fabulous quality which you'll wear for longer.

Three Years Old 

I Couldn't Fault The Quality

Even If You Paid Me

Thank You Hudson.

It's All In The Eyes

Happy Saturday! I've been asked a bit recently about my eyebrows and where I get them done, so I thought I'd dedicate a post to brows! I'm a firm believer of beauty being in the details - brows, nails, perfume, the little things which help the big things be big! I am also a firm believer in doing things for yourself which is why I do my own brows and nails! I've tried pretty much every brow pencil under the sun (small exaggeration), including 17, No7, MAC and (in a dire time I'd rather not remember) Collection 2000. What I found about each and every brow pencil was their tendency to look waxy and shiny which is never a good look. Us brunettes have to be careful as well to avoid anything with a red tone to it, because in natural light it can appear auburn very quickly. Much as I love ginger hair, when you're a natural brunette you do not want ginger brows.

This week, I made a trip to Bobbi Brown, a brand which I have always loved, mainly for their fabulous concealer and setting powders. I walked away with an eye shadow called Saddle and an eyebrow brush because the lovely lady assured me that using shadow and an angled brush on brows gives a much more natural and polished finish than a pencil. So after a mini-demo and hope of fabulous brows, I purchased both items. And I have never been more impressed! The pigment in the eye shadow is fantastic, which means my brows were filled to perfection without the waxy bold line I've encountered with pencils and the angled brush kept the shape of them really well. All in all, brow success!

As well as my eternal hunt for perfect brows, I've been chasing the perfect mascara for years! I've literally tried them all - Rimmel, No7, Clinique, The Body Shop, MAC, Dior, L'Oreal and Benefit. All of them were completely wrong for me! I've been happily settled with my Maybelline Falsies Mascara for about a year now, it's the best one I've ever used and it's great value. It lasts ages and the brush is big, fat and curved so it's great for lengthening and thickening lashes. I always curl my lashes before applying mascara then apply a few coats. Try it yourself, I promise you won't look back! Here's a few snaps to finish:

My Eye Kit: 

Bobbi Brown Saddle Shadow

Maybelline Falsies Mascara

Bobbi Brown Eye Brow Brush

Eyes:

Bobbi Brown Saddle Brows

No Mascara

Eyes:

Bobbi Brown Saddle Brows

Maybelline Falsies Mascara

Umpie Bags

Hello Lovelies!
Apologies for my lack of posts recently, it's been absolutely non-stop! I've been in full Christmas mode at work, as we had a Christmas Event to showcase all our new products! A lovely interior designer from Leeds wrote a fab blog post about it all which you can read here! Or visit our Facebook page to see the snaps for yourself! Anyway, so that's a bit off topic! A few weeks ago, I had the most amazing opportunity to visit the home of Umpie Bags, a handbag company based in North Yorkshire. All of their products are designed and manufactured in Britain, thus promoting British manufacturing! The meeting went well, and we walked away with a whole boot-full of Umpie Bags to bring back to Skybluepink. And as a sneaky gift from my boss, I was also given one! You may have seen mine on previous outfit posts, but here's a link to one anyway.

So, here's a few photos of my day out to Umpie, enjoy!

Bejewelled Knitwear

Hello Lovelies! Last week, I discovered the most divine piece of knitwear. I like to imagine that if I were to die and come back reincarnated as a jumper, this is what I'd look like. But that's just wishful thinking. This jumper is soft, snuggly, the perfect mix of smart and casual and all round fabulous. Also, with it being a Topshop number, the lovely designers at Head Office have churned it out in three different colours so there's one for everyone! I've opted for the lovely blush colour, but they also have it in grey (not going to lie I'll probably be buying the grey one this time next week), black and burgundy.

I wore my new favourite thing at the weekend for Sunday Funday when my other half came down to visit me for the day! We had a lovely date day and enjoyed a little shopping spree (for him, not me) and then went to see Madagascar 3! Obviously I'm aware this is a children's film, but it was extremely funny and very enjoyable! If you fancy a few hours giggling then it's a must see. Here's a few snaps of my new outfit:

Jumper: Topshop (buy yours here)

Bag: Topshop

Jeans: Topshop

Ballet Flats: H&M

Tweed and Fur

Faux fur, obviously. Today's outfit of the ever classic blue jeans and jumper was my standard uniform. Topped off with this tweed jacket! I've rootled around my Mum's collection of vintage designer wonders (where they all come from I don't know) and found this Laura Ashley tweed coat! Not quite as designer as the fabulous Nicole Fahri LBD (pictures will definitely follow), but lovely all the same.

The real gem here is the faux-fur collar. I'm so happy with my recent purchase! H&M have started twirling out these lovely faux fur collars in black and brown and burgundy for only £12.99, they're the perfect update for any coat or jumper! I strongly recommend you all pick one up asap before they sell out, I've worn mine most days since purchasing it! They're online here.

The bag is by a brand called Umpie Bags. Based in North Yorkshire (yes, just down the road from me!), they're a fabulous brand and they design and manufacture all their products in England! I had the priviledge of visiting their studio in Northallerton for a meeting with work and it was amazing! The Umpleby sisters (Alison, Joanna and Ruth) are all lovely and it was a pleasure to meet them and see the brand first hand in their studio. There's a bit more about them here.

Anyway, here's a few snaps of today's outfit:

Tweed and Fur

The Faux Fur Collar

Leigh Skinny Jeans in Light Blue from Topshop
Ballet Flats from H&M

My Umpie Bag

Splash Of Colour

When it comes to colour, on the whole I'm a scaredy cat. I love blacks, whites, greys, the odd khaki or navy, but that's about it. You'll never see me in turquoise or any lovely zingy colours. They're just not me. Which is why I love throwing on a patterned scarf as a way of brightening up an outfit. My fail safe outfit tends to be jeans and a jumper. Current favourite fail safe is black jeans, black heeled boots and a grey jumper. However, it can look a bit samey same, so I like to lift it with my (one of my many) favourite scarves. This one is the most hardworking accessory I own. It was a gift from a friend when she went to Turkey so I know Topshop haven't knocked out a million like it. When it comes to scarves and more statement pieces, I always think it's best to buy away from the beaten track. If you want a stand-out scarf, necklace, bag, bracelet or whatever, buy it from somewhere new! Somewhere no one else knows about! Buy them on holiday, in one-off boutiques, from little indie websites.

Anyway, here's my fail safe outfit from today! Enjoy your scarf hunting!

Fail Safe Jumper: H&M (here it is)

Scarf: Turkish Market

Black Skinny Jeans: Topshop (here)

Boots: Dune

Watch: Rolex

Orange Pleats

Orange pleats. Now they don't sound very nice do they?! But I dragged an old orange pleated mini skirt out my wardrobe the other day, after buying it for a night out years ago I decided the poor thing needed a run out. I have an awful habit of buying things, wearing them once, then discarding them you see. So, I felt a bit sorry for the little orange skirt. So out it came and paired with my standard black tights and ballet pumps it actually looked alright! Much to my surprise.

The best part? It matched my new ASOS Cross Back Jumper! This jumper is my new favourite thing, mainly because it shows a bit of back! I think things which show off shoulders, backs or shoulder blades are so elegant and effortlessly gorgeous! You definitely need to snap one up before you miss it and regret it!

Wear your hair up to really show it off

Or brush it down and sweep across

 your shoulder for more of a 

"Oh, you can see my back? Oops" look.

The only necklace I wear day in, day out

Thomas Sabo

Orange skirt you are coming out to play again.

Quintessentially English

Hello Lovelies!

I have got such a treat for you to read, I have discovered the most wonderful bath products in the world! Honestly, I promise this isn't an exaggeration. The company is called Quintessentially English, based in Wiltshire and run by four lovely ladies, the brand is passionate about natural ingredients and handmade products!

Check out their website here to read about their brand and shop online for some yummy bath goodies! My personal favourite is undoubtedly the English Rose Melting Moment. The melting moments are mini bath bombs, but instead of fizzing off within five minutes, they gently release petals and shea butter oils into the bath over half an hour! Now, I'm not one to big up a product if it hasn't had an impact on me, so I can safely assure you that the melting moments are my absolute must have for a relaxing bath. The shea butter in them means that you're left with super soft, gorgeous scented skin and the petals can be scooped out the bath and re-added to your next bath!

Here's a few of my favourite products:

Goddess Moisturising Cream

Lavender Fields Melting Moment

My Fave, English Rose Melting Moment

The Formula For A Perfect Night In:

1 x English Rose Melting Moment

1 x Glass of Chateau Le Boscq Red Wine

1 x Scented Candle

1 x Magazine (your choice)

Enjoy!

Beautiful Flat Shoes...

Following on from yesterdays post about my new flat shoes and the trials and tribulations I went through to find them, I thought I'd dedicate a bit of time to sharing the most beautiful flat shoes I've seen recently. Because after all, flat shoes are meant to be beautiful! Lovely little pieces of loveliness, femininity and prettiness. Hopefully someone who designs footwear for Topshop/ASOS (my usual two go-to places for new lovely things...both of which let me down in my never ending hunt for beautiful flats) will see this and make me a pair!

However...if I see one more pair like these...

...I will lose my faith in flats and spent the rest of my life in heels.