CASIO GOLD MINI DIGITAL WATCH

For years, I was never a watch person. I think as a child I had a couple of watches with characters on, like Hello Kitty and such, and then as a teen I had one watch and once the batteries ran out, I never went back to it. However, for the past 6 months or so, I've been wearing this Casio Mini Digital every single day.

The reason I like this is because it doesn't look like the classic watch. I have very very small wrists and a lot of watches therefore tend to look bulky and just don't suit me, which also lends to why I chose to buy the 'mini' version rather than the standard size Casio. But this is different. It has a sort of 'old school' vibe to it, and it is also ridiculously simple. The best part is that I got it for about £20, and it still looks almost brand new except the general wear and tear.

It also works really well for me due to the fact it is 'water resistant'. Of course, I'm not going to go swimming with my watch on, but as I work in a café I'm used to a lot of splashing and things and this just means I can still wear it to check the time and not be fretting constantly that it's going to get damaged.

For someone with a personal style similar to mine, I think this watch is such a good purchase, and it isn't exactly breaking the bank either. It's easy to wear, style and is the perfect size too. Perhaps, I'll even get the silver...

UNIQUE JEWELLERY STORAGE

 URBAN OUTFITTERS WHITE ANTELOPE TRINKET HOLDER 

I'm constantly looking for ways to both store and display my rather extensive jewellery collection (H&M is my favourite place for jewellery - both inexpensive and very pretty) and I hit the jackpot recently in Urban Outfitters with this white ceramic dish with an antelope head to hang things from. I tried to get a link for you all because I got this in the sale for a couple of pounds, but it has sold out. But, on the plus side they have multiple other variations of these 'trinket holders'.

I really like this to just sit on top of my IKEA Alex unit which holds all my beauty and makeup bits, and it just looks really clean and chic I guess. Although not the biggest of storage methods, it definitely makes an impact and is unique to anything I have. I like the fact that you can lay things in the base and then hang rings or small necklaces from the ears and horns (are they called horns?! Don't quote me on that...). I just generally like the aesthetics of this holder, it is so simple, and ugh, there are just no words. 

This purchase has definitely made me want to branch out a bit more with my storage - perhaps I'll turn to Pinterest for some inspiration.

PROM 2015 JEWELLERY PICKS

My Year 11 prom is swiftly approaching and the preparation is in full swing. Until recently, I had the dress, shoes and bag all at reasonable prices and I was just waiting to see what jewellery to buy. I knew I wanted gold as my dress is a pale blush nude colour and silver washed it out a lot (despite it being my favourite for jewellery I had to make the compromise), and I got quite a few good picks.

The chunky chain you see is actually a head chain/hair chain. This was from ASOS and is the Flat Curb Chain Hair Crown and although I'm still not quite certain I can rock it I will be giving it an attempt on the night with some beachy curls. The necklace you see is from ASOS too, and is the Mini Shard Necklace and I really liked the small clear crystal-esque detailing it had and was super dainty too (my dress is strapless so it looks rather nice on).

That necklace then inspired my next purchase which were the earrings from New Look. These were a mere £2.99 and have the same sort of hanging clear crystal on them, so they look like they are literally made for the necklace. The ring was a bit of an impulse buy in a pack in Primark, but I realised that the stone in it looked very similar to the colour of my dress too, so it might be an addition on the night.

If you are interested, I could do a complete post on my look (dress, jewellery and makeup etc.) after the night as I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures to spare.

MIXING THE METALS

Ask me a few years ago, and I would have claimed rose gold to be my favourite type of jewellery. I then moved onto gold, then more recently silver, then onto both gold and silver. What? Mixing metals has been a new thing for me and I actually have been enjoying it. I know a lot of people hate the clash between gold and silver but I really like the contrast. 

What got me into this is the larger necklace from Primark. It cost a mere £1.50, so isn't the best quality but the concept is what I love. The gold 'v' is about as statement as you will see from me when it comes to jewellery, but it's pretty thin and dainty, and what I personally like is the thin contrasting silver chain. In terms of necklaces I also have some more subtle options, and I have a selection of gold ones from Forever 21 that I sometimes wear at once, or wear one with this silver knot necklace from H&M. 

In terms of rings, I have quite the collection, as I tend to go a little bit mad in the sale section of H&M, and pick up a good four packs at a time - especially when my older ones are looking a little worse for wear (I don't have the money to invest in pricey rings). I like either really thick, bold rings or very thin dainty ones, and at the moment I have a good mix of the two, in gold and silver, both midi and regular in size. I love wearing rings, because I have quite short stubby fingers almost and I really dislike my bare hands, however when I wear lots of rings they look far more elegant. 

Do you love or hate the mixed metal look?

DAINTY NECKLACES

The stages of statement necklaces have more than passed for me, and nowadays I tend to crave the dainty, tiny accents round my collar, and when in America I found some perfect candidates in Forever 21 for the equivalent of about a £1-£2 so I picked up a good little trio.

The first is two rings kind of interlinked into each other. This is different to anything I've seen before so I couldn't resist it of course. I've been wearing this with my beige-y coloured jumper and LOVING it to be fair. I also like to wear this with the tiny triangle necklace as they look rather nice with one shorter than the other. They both have a normal chain, and I love how they look barely-there.

The other is on a different more boxy chain, and is a small 'v'. This one is like others I have seen before but I think it's a good staple to own so of course I chose that one too. I wish I had looked at the other jewellery in Forever 21 as there were some really affordable pieces in there, and if you get a chance to go in there either in London or elsewhere, definitely browse the masses of jewellery.

CURRENT JEWELLERY STAPLES

It isn't often that I write fashion related posts, unless I am really loving something or it is really worth rambling about and taking a post away from one of my much loved beauty products. But this, my friends, is worth the post. I love jewellery, it's one of those things that I feel completes any outfit, and so I will be sharing some of my favourite pieces of the moment.

This neon necklace from Topshop has really been lifting my general monochrome outfits. I like how the neon chain leans somewhere in between a green and a yellow, and the gold spike at the end hangs nicely to close of the neon-ness. Did that even make any sense? But this is a good'un nonetheless.

You may remember if you were one of my earlier followers I did a post on my Joules & James Rose Gold Watch, and I still wear it (even though the rose gold is fading a little to reveal a hint of silver in some lights), this is just my go two when I want some wrist-action. On the path of rose gold and wrist-action, this spike stud rose gold bracelet is by far one of favourites of the bunch, and I wear it with so many outfits.

Another necklace is this monochrome triangle one which I got in the sale in Dorothy Perkins a while back and I still love it. Sometimes, I like to wear a necklace to spice up a monochrome outfit, but other times, I add monochrome on monochrome and I like that option too.

For earrings, these triangle ones from Topshop have been floating my boat recently to add a little edgy-ness to my outfits. They are rather big, but I quite like the way they look. I also like these ones from Matalan which are round studs with jewels/diamonds in. I like these for a little more glamour to my lobes (how weird do I want to make my sentences sound?).

Writing this, gives me a craving to go and buy some more jewellery... statement necklaces are where I am headed....

 

BOXING DAY NON-BEAUTY BARGAINS

Another day, another haul. I haven't done a haul for what seems like months, and probably is months, but I am trying to elongate the festivities and what better way that to shop you the bargains I picked up in the sales. I didn't get these on Boxing Day, but the following few days count if you ask me. I did get some clothing but it was awkward to photograph, so you will have to wait until some fashion posts for them to get their debut. 

So, these items are form Matalan and ASDA both of which, places I don't tend to shop in on a regular basis, but these bargains definitely will be getting a lot of wear. 

So, the 3 jewellery items are from Matalan all of which were half price in the sale. The first is currently on my finger now, and is this adorable midi ring, which has a ladybird on it for detailing, and I thought this was the cutest ring ever. This was £1.50 half price, which is a bit of a bargain.
I also got this pair of round earrings, which have some jewel detailing all over, so for a little bit extra bling when you wear them... Did I actually just say that? But cringe worthy phrases aside, these were £1.50 too, and I am excited to get some wear out of these.
Finally on the jewellery front, I got this set of 3 pairs of heart shaped earrings. There is a gold pair, a silver pair, and also a gunmetal shade which is really edgy, but the heart shaped frame still makes them look dainty.

So, the other two things were kind of on the knitwear side of things. Also from Matalan I got this purple/aubergine chunky knit scarf with some fluffy tassles at the end and a tiny bit of shimmer in it if I am right, and I absolutely love this. I may be a few months behind, but I now have a scarf which shall be keeping me cosy in the upcoming few months. That isn't to say though, that I will stop hunting for the perfect tartan scarf must I add. This was half price at £3, so totally worth it.

Finally, from ASDA I got these huge, chunky knit, colourful long socks, which I have been wearing a lot, just lounging around the house. These were also £3 (from £5), and I shall me wearing these oh-so-much.

Bargains everywhere. I think I need to keep the spending at bay now, but a day with Megan tomorrow could mean otherwise...

 

Weekend Shop #3 | Beauty, Jewellery and Shoes

Hi everyone! So at the weekend I went shopping, as per usual, and I was going to post this at the weekend but I went off at a tangent and decided to post about 4 posts at the weekend, so I thought I would spare you of one, but here it is now! By the way, there are quite a few pictures, I had a little bit of a splurge, although the price of less than £15 for the lot is pretty good if you ask me!

Bourjois Paris Pencil Sharpener £2.49

 So, I got this in Boots, as the next two products require a decent pencil sharpener. This one seems to be pretty good quality by looking at it, but I haven't tried it yet. The next 2 products and this were in a 3 for 2 at boots so that worked out well!

Bourjois Smokey Effet Pencil in Smokey Graphite 50p in Boots Clearance

 This looked quite cool, so I grabbed it as there was only one or two sitting there in the little acrylic box of clearance items, and the price was too good to say no to. It might be quite nice on the lower lashline.

Barry M Eyeshadow Pencil £1.00 in Boots Clearance

 This looks all scary and white in the pencil form, but when it is on the skin or swatched, it is a stunning champagne colour. I thought it may look nice all over the lid or in the inner corner.

Allura Beauty Stamping Kit £1 in Poundland

Wow, stamping sets in Poundland, woop woop! Well, I found using it a little difficult, but for a pound, it is a good thing to try if you want to get into stamping and can't afford the likes of Konad and things.

Nivea Soft Rosé lip balm, £1 in Poundland

I use Nivea Lipbalms religiously, so when I spotted this little one in poundland, I bought it right away! It smells really good too, so that is also a good thing! Haha.

Nspa Bathing Rituals Glamour Set - £2.50 in Asda

Wow, this was a bargain! I used this today, and it smells lovely! The lipgloss probably won't be all that good, but it was mainly the two shower products, and for £2.50 you can't really pass it up! 

Sale Matalan Leaf Ring - £1.50/£1.35 w/ 10% off voucher, originally £3.50.

This ring looks really pretty on my finger, I think it elongates them and makes me look all nice and put together. Yep, just rambled about fingers, yay. For the bargainous price I couldn't leave it there, so it ended up in my shopping bag.

Matalan Pumps £6 each or two for £8

 2 for £8 is not bad at all for these shoes. I got a pair and so did my sister, so that was £4 a pair. That is great, especially because these are so comfortable! I will be taking these on holiday with me in May, and I will get a lot of wear out of them I think!

Matalan Pumps again.

The pattern is really cute as well! 

Have you bought anything this weekend? I certainly have ahah! Though I don't feel full-filled as I have just heard about some cool new MUA things, and I would like to buy them... :)

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' and GFC (buttons to the right) and also on twitter, tweet me if you like! - www.twitter.com.thebeaubow  

Bye! Lauren x

My Current Favourite Statement Jewellery Items

Hi everyone! Another fashion post for you today!

This will be showing you a few jewellery pieces I have been loving recently.

I am really into statement necklaces, large rings, and spikes and triangles at the moment, as you will probably see in the pictures!

Spike Bracelet - From a pack of 4 in Primark £2

This bracelet has been on my wrist non-stop. It is pale gold and black spikes, the black ones being smaller than the gold ones, but it matches with everything and it compliments all outfits. It was a really good value for money, I know it's probably not going to last forever, but while it lasts I will be wearing it continuously.

Bracelet from Primark £2 (sale), originally £2

Rose gold has been one of my favourite things at the moment, and this bracelet is perfect. It is gold, but it has small pink gems which gives the effect of it being rose gold. I have been seeing these type of bracelets everywhere right now, but they are preettyy expensive, so this one is pretty good for a cheaper version.

Spike Necklace £2 (sale) originally £4

AHH, this necklace is amazing! It has 5 large triangles on a medium size pale gold chain, and the triangles are iridescent/duochrome! It really makes every outift look so much more interesting, and I have had quite a few compliments on this necklace! If you can still find it in store, buy it!

Cross earrings £1-£2 (unsure) Primark

Crosses have really been in fashion at the moment. I am not featuring these as a religious statement, I just really like the way they look! They aren't too big and aren't heavy at all! I rally want to get some other colours of these, as they look great with any outfits.

Bow Ring £1.50 - Primark

This is the final item I wanted to feature today. It is a large oversized black and gold bow ring. I have been wearing lots of rings recently and this one caught my eye. I don't know if you can still buy it, as this was purchased before Christmas. But I really love it!

 

So... it turns out I like Primark jewellery a bit!

What are your favourite jewellery items?

Let me know in the comments and don't forget to follow!

 

Thanks for reading , come again soon! :)

 

Lauren x

OOTD #1 Simple but Statement

Hi everyone! Today I will be sharing an outifit with you all that I thought was so simple to create but also so statement. The monochrome cardigain with the colour everthing else was stunning and I thought I would have to show you. It's a little picture heavy, but you shouldn't mind as Megan's photography skills are pretty top-top!

The oufit we put together.

So, the cream marl/speckle t-shirt was from Tesco, for £6, which isnt bad at all! The jeans are the Primark £7 jeans, and I absolutely love them and wear them quite a lot! The cardigain is also from primark (belonging to megan), and was £8 I believe.

Necklace; Primark £1 in the sale, £2 originally I believe.

It was actually raining when we took these pictures, but we thought that we would go for it anyway, and who doesn't love seeing a bit of british weather in the back of their fashion pictures?! Well, probably quite a few people actually...haha.



Rather dirty looking navy shoes; Primark £7

One more picture of the outfit together.

So, how did you like reading my first OOTD post? Did you enjoy it and would you like to see more? Let me know on the comments!

I'm looking for some subtle monochrome pieces for my wardrobe at the moment, and some statement necklaces, suggestions?

Thanks for reading!

Lauren x