Fashionably Late

I had one of those periods where I didn't read as much as I would've liked to, due to a busy schedule and a lot of life changes. However, I made a real effort to start reading again, and I utilised my hour-long lunch breaks and works proximity to my local waterstones to get through a pile of books, that frankly surpassed my expectations.

I'm was apparently really into thrillers and mysteries this last while, picking up three different books from the genre as my fallout from an addiction to Gone Girl last summer, and of course the obligatory easy beach reading makes an appearance too. I've not been disappointed by any of the books I've picked up yet, but I intend to keep doing these types of posts, so I promise to be brutally honest if I hate any I read from now on.

1. The Year I Met You- Cecilia Ahern
I bought this for holidays, and I grabbed it as some easy beach reading, but I did misjudge it, as it was a much better story than I'm used to for holiday reads. It sucked me in and I was left wanting more after a few days. I hadn't read one of Cecilia Aherns books for ages, but this has encouraged me to pick up some new ones.

2. The Husband's Secret- Liane Moriarty
I found this book lying round our house one Sunday and decided to give it a go, and it was one if those books that had me instantly hooked. I read it in 3 days, and that says as much about the book as it does about my social life. One of those stories with a major twist around each corner, just when I thought I'd figured the mystery out, the story threw me a curveball and I was left trying to guess all over again.

3. Us- David Nicholls
This is the third one of David Nicholls' books I've read, starting with One Day, then The Understudy and now US. I highly recommend all three if enjoy books about relationships and human interaction that are the farthest thing from soppy.

4. The Other Me- Saskia Sarginson
This is not the kind of book I usually go for, but trying to fill the void left by Gone Girl, I reached for it in the shop one day and now I honestly can't stop reading thrillers. It gets a bit dark in places, but honestly it is well worth the read.

5. The Girl On The Train- Paula Hawkins
I'm a little late to the game with this one as I'm sure you've all heard about it by now. This book sucks you in and gets you addicted, and I seriously advise that you book a few days off work before reading it.

6. Love, Tanya- Tanya Burr
This ones a little different, as it's not a novel like the others, It's a total mixture of things, from Tanya's life story, to makeup tips. a lovely insight into how she became so successful from making youtube videos.

The days of the traditional advent calendar are over, once reserved for children in the run up to Christmas with cheap chocolate behind the doors, they are now available as luxury items, with everything from beauty products to alcohol as a daily surprise.

These days our phones seem to be an extension of our hands, and honestly I can't remember the last time I didn't have it with me, (which is pretty bad, really) but in the age of smartphones this is pretty useful, as you can do pretty much anything on your phone. Whether you use it mostly for social media or for listening to music there are some pretty great apps out there. There are also some great fashion and beauty apps available.

(Please note, these are all iPhone apps, as that is what I use, however a lot of these will be available on an android platform as well.)

1. Shopstyle

This app is an online shopping saviour. whether you're looking for something specific or just having a browse, this app does work great for both. I mainly use it to search for specific items, simply type what you're looking for into the search bar and then it will bring up 100's of options. Then further refine by colour, size and budget and you will have the ultimate, personally curated shop, better than you can imagine.

If you're feeling brave you can even look at the designer options, and set up a sale alert, so you will get an email the second the item gets reduced. It is a total lifesaver.


2. Depop 

This is ebay for the instagram age. Whether you're buying or selling, Depop lets you do it in a more aesthetic way, and the app has a much more social media feel to it, with 'Followers' and 'Likes', but it is still easy and quick to sell stuff on, and still has the safety net of using paypal as a payment method.

Mostly for selling clothes and shoes on, so anything else you're looking to sell it might still be better to stick to ebay.


3. Polyvore 

Polyvore is great for getting creative, and most of you will probably already know about the website, but the app is great for creating quick moodboards and style boards, as well as browsing other peoples boards.

Outfit inspiration will be readily available from all the collages available, so no matter what occasion you're dressing for, you should be able to pick up some tips.


4. Lookbook

The ultimate destination for outfit inspiration, lookbook is full of outfit pics from all over the world. If you're ever struggling to put a look together, lookbook is the place to turn to.

Perfect for those times when you buy something really nice and have no idea how to wear it, this app is perfect for tackling tricky trends,


5. Bloglovin

Ideal for those of us that love keeping up with the latest posts from our favourite bloggers. Keep all of your blogs in the one place, so you don't need to have several different tabs open on your browser.

It's also great for finding new blogs to follow, as it will recommend similar blogs to the ones you already follow, making it even easier to find new inspiration.


6.The Net Set


This app actually comes from Net-a-Porter, but its great even if that is way out of your usual budget, as there are way more things than just shopping on it. Create a profile and follow designers and industry influencers, and you can also join different 'style tribes'.

It's a fashion based social network essentially, and it is the best kind of social networking I've ever discovered.


7. Pinterest

I've already discussed my pinterest obsession, but the iPhone app is really handy and means I can use it wherever I am.

At the moment my Pinterest is a bit wedding crazy due to the fact that my best friend is getting married (Yay!) but I'm also loving the AW fashion and beauty pins that are starting to pop up now that it's September,

Necklaces
I love statement necklaces. Give me a chunky chain and a bit of bling and I'm a happy bunny. These three necklaces are a few out of my (admittedly too) large collection, and the three that I wear most.
The jeweled Accessorize number is my ultimate fave. It goes with so much because of the range of colours, and the fact that it makes something simple, like a black tank and jeans or a LBD look better.
The chunky gold chain goes with literally EVERYTHING. it was a bargainous £5 from H&M and 6 months after purchase it still hasn't tarnished at all. Fabulous.
The black bow necklace is in my favourites list for sentimental reasons probably. My sister bought it for my 21st, and it also looks pretty good with my favourite Célfie tee.

Perfume is one of those things that are totally personal to each person. scent can evoke strong memories in you in a way that none of the other senses can.

The first designer perfume I owned was Jean-Paul Gaultier classique. It was fresh and young, but made me feel oh-so sophisticated. I wore it all the time, and the smell still takes me back to being 16 and trying to sneak into bars, and spending time with friends.

Since then, my perfume collection has grown, and I no longer need to wear the same fragrance everyday, but i can still remember the situations that brought each beautiful bottle to my dressing table.

Lacoste - Touch of Pink £19.99-£29.99
I first got a bottle of touch of pink when I was about 17, and to my minimum wage self, it was a more purse friendly addition to my collection. I was able to feel like I had a designer input into my wardrobe, and it felt good to not have to sport a cheap celeb fragrance. (Who knew I was a snob even back then!)

Marc Jacobs - Daisy £23.50-£63.50
I bought this exact bottle of Daisy in the duty free section of the ferry on my way to uni for the first time. it has lasted me pretty well considering I wore it a lot over the last 3 years, but there is something slightly depressing about the fact that it's pretty empty now, just as uni comes to an end, as if it marks the end of my studenthood or something. but this is one of my favourites, and will forever remind me of student antics, and the amazing time I've had over the last three years.

Balmain - Extatic £36-£46
This little mini bottle is so handy to have, and perfect for carrying around in your handbag. The smell is distinctive and has a slight rock chick edge, in the kind of style you would expect from Balmain. I got this in a beauty bag when I worked at Star magazine back in March, which has definitely been one of my favourite placements so far.

Vivienne Westwood - Mon Boudoir £19.99-£38
This was also in my beauty bag from Star, and I didn't use it much at first, but now I have come to love it. It's the perfect spring/summer scent, as it's light and airy, and has some beautiful floral tones. It's one of those scents that's light enough to wear everyday and doesn't get too overwhelming.

Lancôme - La Vie Est Belle £43.50-£69.50
When this perfume came out it was one of those things where I didn't want to buy too much into the hype that it had created. I hate when bloggers and magazines big up a new release so much that I wait to buy it, and then I'm sorely disappointed and left with a big boots-shaped hole in bank balance. However, my mum wanted it, so being the generous daughter that I am I treated her to it, you know, so I could 'borrow' it. I loved it so much I went out and bought my own. Mum still has her own bottle so she's happy I haven't totally stolen her belongings.


All prices: theperfumeshop.com
Images: Niamh Stewart

Jewellery can transform an outfit completely. Add a statement necklace to a LBD and it has the ability to make it look like a brand new dress. However, having a slight jewellery addiction can be expensive, especially if you're trying to keep up with the latest trends every season. To help all you jewellery addicts out, I've had a look all over the high street and internet and found some gorgeous pieces for under £15, so we can treat ourselves to something and not feel too guilty about it.

15. ASOS Ear Cuffs - £8
 Ear cuffs are a perfect way to update a look, especially if you actually only have your ears pierced in the standard one in each earlobe way. (Like me, I've toyed with the idea of different ear piercings but I'm a total chicken in reality!) Just pop them over the top of your ear and you look a whole lot more stylish in an instant.


14) H&M necklace - £7.99


 I really love tiered necklaces, as you'll probably guess from the rest of this post. Pair with a simple white tee and a pair of boyfriend jeans, and you've added to an otherwise simple outfit.



13) Miss Selfridge anklets -£8.50
 Anklets are a summer holiday staple, and the best thing about them is that they're the one part of a holiday wardrobe that can be worn at home in miserable weather. I prefer them on a sandy, sunny beach though!




 New Look is not often a place I look for jewellery, but lately I've noticed a few small pieces that are absolutely gorggeous, like this little ring trio. Stacked rings are a big thing with celebs and bloggers lately and most high street brands have released all sorts of sets, but I like to keep it simple with one big coloured ring, and a few simple plain bands, so this one ticks all the right boxes.




10) Oasis Necklace - £12




 8) Urban Outfitters Bracelet - £8


I think this is the perfect gift for a best friend, but the second I saw it i loved it. Also, its totally instagram worthy and if thats not a great reason to buy something then I don't know what is.



7) River Island Necklace -£8

Image: © Flickr creative commons

Oh Pinterest, how we love you and your ability to make an hour feel like 5 minutes. From beauty and fashion to DIY and crafts that almost always go wrong, it is entirely possible to waste full days using the site. However much we use the site though, we always seem to forget that we are not as talented as the makeup artist and DIY gurus the original pins belong to and find ourselves thinking the same things every time we repin them.

10. I Can Totally Afford That
The nice outfit pictures on pinterest all seem to have one thing in common, the ability to attract your eye to the most expensive item. No matter how many times you tell yourself you can't afford those Louboutins you still find yourself doing the maths and googling credit cards anyway.

9. That Looks Easy
You know it isn't easy because you attempted something similar 5781263876 times before, but it doesn't stop you trying to recreate that fishtail braid or smoky eye, and failing miserably (and usually quite comically) every single time.

8. I Need A Change Of Image
Despite the fact you've found a style that totally suits you, all those super stylish, slightly rocky looking girls on pinterest have you daydreaming about a freshly dyed black hairstyle and a new wardrobe full of leather and spiky heeled boots, that ordinarily you'd never go near.

7. I Haven't Pinned Enough Quotes Today
You have so many quotes pinned, they're now overspilling into several boards and are categorised in lots of different ways, but you still find one that you really relate to. even if you have forgotten what it said 5 minutes later. Double points if your instagram is also full of motivational quotes.

6. I'm Going To Organise All My Stuff Like That
So many tidy wardrobes and makeup tables- so little time. You buy all the storage and set it all up, only for it to stay tidy for about 3 days and end up back in the original 'organised chaos' its been in for as long as you can remember

5. Those Healthy Meals Look Really Tasty
You go out and buy the ingredients, and usually end up binning most of them, because you're sick of eating salad after a few days and you just reach for the chocolate again. Either that, or what you attempted tastes so horrible its practically inedible.

4. I Have Time For A Flick Through One More Category
It's an hour until you leave for work and your hair is still wet and you've not decided what to wear yet, but one more flick through for inspiration won't hurt. Until you run into work 5 minutes late with still damp hair and wearing your usual black jeans/white tee combo.

3. My Secret Boards Are Definitely Secret, Right??
You're happily pinning things that would make your friends think you were mad, when you have the sudden panic that you've placed that dream wedding dress on a public board. THE HORROR.

2. Is It Too Soon To Have My Future House Fully Decorated?
You're in your early 20's, with a shed load of student debt and a crippling overdraft you fear you'll never be out of, but that's OK, because you've already picked out the colour scheme for the master bedroom of the first home you'll own. In another 15 years.

1. Why Are The Nice Clothes Always Out Of Stock?
same old story, gorgeous outfit with something you've been looking searching for forever, but you click the link and its ALWAYS out of stock. unless you want to buy it 4 sizes too big.


If you're on Pinterest follow me @niamhstewart93