10 Street Style Blogs To Know Now

Fashion Week is my favourite time of the year, and also the most notable event on any style maven's calendar worth her salt. Not only would it be another chance to feast our eyes on delectable couture on the runway, we also get to see them off the runway, that is on the backs of who's who of the fashion world, donning the season's latest trends. And what better way to chronicle their fashion choices than in a street style blog? 

During Fashion Week, all you need to do is to walk past say Lincoln Centre during New York Fashion Week, and ta-da! Style paparazzi clicking away at throngs of preening fashionistas, wearing everything from the latest trends to vintage finds and limited edition capsule collection pieces. These snaps have become inspiration to the fashion-conscious more than the glossy editorials in magazines, mainly because real-life people are wearing the clothes in an everyday life setting (minus the photographers at the back), thus it is more accessible and relatable. Trends are also set and seeing the latest looks of It-personalities has increasingly become a hobby for many people (including me!). Although I would love to feature renowned blogs like The Sartorialist and Altamira, today I would be focusing on lesser-known, but equally inspiring street style blogs from all around the world that you need to know (and bookmark!) now.

1. Le 21ème

This blog is just one word. Breathtaking. It doesn't picture still images of people posing, rather it takes action shots of people in their candid moments in the streets as well as detailed close ups of a variety of accessories. Definitely a must-visit, especially if you need a little cheering up. 

2. Street Style Aesthetic

One of the most successful street style blogs out there, Wayne Tippets captures his photos with a unique photo journalist take on street style. 

3. GarbageLapSlap

This is one of my favourite, partly because it features street style looks in Singapore! It always makes me smile to see a familiar building at the background in some of the pictures.

4. Pimpumpam

This Italian blog stands out in the fact that they interview every person they photograph, giving readers a peek into these style-setters world. The name of this blog is also really unique! 

5. Candice Lake

Born in Australia, Candice is based in London as a blogger, photographer and most amazingly, Contributing Style Editor at Vogue. With these kind of credentials, you can definitely count on her to produce swoon-worthy snaps of off the runway style.

6. Style East

Trendy street style from the upscale neighbourhood of East London.

7. Xssat

Captured by Xiaohan Shen, these photographs have landed her covetable features in Vogue, Elle and Refinery29! Look to her blog for the most gorgeous looks in the streets of Sydney.

8. Style Borsch

From the colourful streets of St. Petersburg, Russia comes this micro-blog which features Russians going about their daily lives in style. 

9. Nevskiy Podium

This blog also hails from St.Petersburg, but this time expect to see luxe pieces from notable style labels donned by many a Miroslava-to-be! 

10. The Street Walker

Israeli-based, this blog takes most of its pictures from the streets of Tel Aviv and the simple yet stylish outfits really took my breath away! The scenery in some of the pictures are also equally amazing.

What do you think of these street style blogs? Which one is your favourite?

14 Clutches To Covet Now

Recently the fashion world has ditched their oversized boho bags, pint-sized minaudieres, and ever practical canvas totes for a sleek rectangular piece of arm candy. Not only does it serve it's storage function, it doubles up as a major style statement. It is also a celebrities' favorite when it comes to choosing the perfect accessory that would make heads turn.

Enter the Clutch.

This coveted bag has made its impact on the fashion world, springing up from collections in the recent S/S, F/W and Resort seasons. But with its practical yet stylish qualities, no wonder that it is the It-bag of the moment! A clutch is small enough to be carried with one hand yet it can contain all your essentials, from the emergency compact to your cellphone or even just a book for leisure reading. The size also indirectly forces you to bring out only what's important! Let's not forget that it makes a total statement piece. With it's simple rectangular design, it is both elegant and chic in a restrained, minimalist kind of way. But of course, there are also eye-catching ones for those who want to make a statement. Labels like Charlotte Olympia, Olympia Le-Tan and Lulu Guinness are famous because of their whimsical and quirky designs : Olympia Le-Tan has her signature book clutches and Lulu Guinness her trademark bright pink and red lip ones.

The thing about clutches is that it is one of the only bags that can bring you from day to night without committing a serious fashion faux pas or looking terribly out of place. Smart enough for a day at work and stylish enough for a girls' night out, a clutch adds a touch of glamour and edge as well as a much-needed pop of colour (if any) to every outfit. Clutches also work their magic in the details, think exquisite beadwork, lush prints and vibrant hues splashed across. Whether you are a maximalist heavyweight or a minimalist junkie, the clutch is definitely a must-have for everyone. Here are my fave clutches of the season that are worth coveting now :

From right to left :
- Olympia Le-Tan The Lure of Long Beach embroidered clutch
- Anya Hindmarch Domino Rayskin And Leather Rigid Clutch
- Saint Laurent clutch in blue leather
- Chloé Amelia leather clutch
- Anya Hindmarch Valorie glitter-finished leather clutch
- Jason Wu Bow Clutch
- Lucky Brand Hard Clutch
- Oscar de la Renta Sequins Cara Vanity Case Clutch
- Lulu Guinness Lips Snake Clutch
- Marchesa beaded clutch
- Charlotte Olympia Perfume Bottle Clutch in Pink
-  Charlotte Olympia Royal Pandora Perspex clutch
- Alexander McQueen Britannia Skull Box Clutch in Dark Cherry
- Chanel Lego Clutch

What do you think about these clutches?

Charlotte

Spring Product Releases To Look Out For In 2016

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It's that time of year when Spring is almost upon us and everyone is preparing themselves for the seasonal change. So many brands like to release new products for the seasonal changes and it's just so hard to keep on top with all these new things to try out. Especially for a beauty blogger, my list doesn't stop growing. So I thought it would be handy to cover a wide variety of new releases from well known brands with prices, dates and links to buy. There's some really great stuff being released this year which I can't wait to buy already.

Collections

Kiko The Artist Limited Edition | link
L'Oreal Infallible Sculpt | link
Mac The Brows Are It Collection | link
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Collection | link


Nails

SensatioNail Polish to Gel Starter Kit | £49.99 link
Rimmel Super Gel Nail Polish | £5.99 link & Top Coat | £5.99 | link
Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Spring Collection | £3.99 | link
Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Spring Collection | £3.99 | link
Barry M Nail Care Collection | £3.99 | link

Eyes

Barry M That's How I Roll Mascara | £4.99 | link
Nars Dual Intensity Eyeshadows | £21.00 | link
Too Faced Peanut Butter & Jelly Palette | £26.00 | link
theBalm Batter Up Longwear Cream Eyeshadow Stick | £15 | link

Soap and Glory Archery Brow Putty Dip Pot & Brush | £10 | link

Clinique Lid Pop | £15 | link

Face

Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint | £30.00 | link
Smashbox Colour Correcting Stick | £ | link
Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid | $28 coming soon UK | link

Sleek Makeup Cream Contour Kit | £10.99 | link

Clinique Universal Stay Matte Blotting Powder | £26 | link

Clinique Chubby Nude Foundation Stick | £23 | link

Urban Decay Candleglow Foundation | £35 | link

YSL Touche Éclat Le Teint Foundation | £32.50 | link

Lips

Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Gloss | £20 | link
Topshop Beauty Everything Stick | £10 | link

Clinique Glaze Sheer Lip Colour + Primer | £16 | link
Mac Velvetease Lip Pencils | £17.50 | link

Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquers | £7.99 | link
Too Faced Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick | £16.00 | link
Too Faced La Matte Lipsticks | £17.00 | link
Bourjois Rouge Edition Souffle Velvet Lipstick | £8.99 | link

Skincare

Origins Maskimizer Skin Optimising Mask Primer | £18.50 | link
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Cream | £40.00 | link

Hair

Invisibobble Hair Ties Spring | £4.00 | link
Sheer Blonde Go Blonder In Shower Lightening Treatment | £6.66 | link

TRESemmé Beauty-Full Volume Pre-Wash Conditioner | £4.99 | link

Accessories

Zoeva Rose Golden Vol. 3 Brush Set | £75 | link
Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette | £12.99 | link

I will be coming back to this post to update prices and links but if anyone knows of any other releases which I've missed and you think needs a mention then please feel free to let me know in the comments.

How To Drift Off To Sleep Easier

For some people It's hard to just switch off and sleep and I can be one of those. I've had many nights just lying awake with my thoughts racing away in my mind which then stresses me out as I look at the clock and see it's 2am and I need to be up at 6am/7am, which then makes me worry about how the hell am I going to get up in the morning. Can you relate?

A few years ago whilst I was doing my A levels I suffered really bad with insomnia. I think this was caused by stress and pressure of getting into uni and I used to lie awake almost every night at 3am, just nothing helped me sleep and I used to cry about it because I'm not a morning person and I really need sleep to function well. Luckily I grew out of this once I had my life on track because I didn't get into the uni I wanted it did all worked out in the end. I'm a firm believer of everything happens for a reason. If this sounds like you right now a good tip someone told me was to stay away from your bedroom as this is the room I practically live in so I only went into my bedroom to sleep not chill. I feel like I have gained enough experience on trying to get to sleep since then which is why I want to give you some personal tips on how I wind down for the night to avoid this nasty insomnia.


Have a bath/pamper night

Having a bit of me time relaxing in the tub really helps the state of mind to calm down and start feeling sleepy before going to bed. I read that having a bath an hour before bedtime helps your body temperature drop faster and is more likely to put you in a deep sleep.

Turn off electronics before getting in bed

Okay, I am guilty of this one. As soon as I get into bed I was always on my phone when the lights were off checking Twitter, Facebook, Instagram as we all love social media and before you know it, it's gone past 12 and I then hate myself for what's going to happen in the morning the same applies to watching tv so I needed to change this routine by not going on my phone once I'm in bed.

Read a book, magazine or blogs

I've started reading my kindle at night again and I've noticed many things by doing this, yes it makes me sleepy which was the aim but by keeping my brain active I now think less at night and drift off much quicker and I've gotten back into reading books again which I love, especially when you get hooked and can't put it down which then you need strong will power to call it a night am I right bookworms?

Fresh bedding

This is by far one of my favourite things when I climb into bed, I don't know what it is about freshly washed scents off my sheets and how fluffed my pillows are just really help me feel relaxed and comfortable. Being comfortable is key to drifting off as there's nothing worse than tossing and turning because you can't get comfy

Lavender oil/mist

I don't do this every night because I don't want to get used to it but when I do use it, I wake up and can tell I've been in a deep sleep if that makes sense, because I'm a much heavier sleeper and find it harder to wake up. All I do is spray a few pumps of this on my pillows or my new favourite which is burning a lavender candle whilst reading and this helps you to drift off quickly and for some time I got put off the smell of lavender but now I love it again.

Exercise regularly 

Either Mondays or Wednesdays I do Zumba sessions for an hour and because of this I feel really tired and achy afterwards which always helps me to sleep well, so by doing exercise weekly can be so beneficial for your body and mind not just to sleep well.

Use an sleep eye mask

I recently picked up a lovely new eye mask which was from River Island if anyone was wondering, what drawn me into to buying this was 1. IT HAS A CAT ON IT yes I'm a crazy cat lady and I literally ran to this when I saw it and 2. it's black. I have so many flashing lights and things in my room at night whilst my life is on charge and this can be quite distracting, so by sleeping with an eye mask on at night blocks all light which can lead to waking me up this is going to be great in summer.

Hope these tips help you and let me know of anymore in the comments

My 10 Helpful Tips To Stop Feeling Anxious

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I've never since starting a blog had such an urge to do a blog post on something that I'm currently feeling but I've read a few posts like these before and it's good to get things off your chest and share as I know someone out there will relate to this somehow. I wasn't sure whether to do a post like this as I am a closed person, I've never been an oversharer and I don't like to reveal a lot about my personal life in general nevermind over the internet. I kind of keep my blog a secret, I feel a bit like Penny from the Girl Online books except I'm not anonymous and anyone who knows me will see my name and picture and will know it's me. I never talk about my blog to my friends and family in person except my boyfriend Sam. I don't know why I do this, I guess I don't want to find out a bad reaction from it or think they are secretly judging me - basically the problem is I don't have a lot of self confidence in myself which I am working on. 

Back to the point Do you ever have those moments in life when the most simplest things can trigger off anxiety? Well lately I've been getting them a lot. I'd like to point out that I don't take any medication or have been diagnosed with anxiety or have panic attacks these are just some emotions which I hope everyone experiences and are considered 'normal'. I know some of the causes which trigger it and I do avoid doing these things, please let me know if I'm making the right decision in doing this or am I making the problem worse? for example Facebook is a trigger, not the website itself but the people who are on it. For some reason when a certain few people pop up on my news feed or in the Do you know? friends section I see their names and it's like my stomach has dropped, like when you go on a rollercoaster and your belly tickles and then I feel sick and I get goosebumps everywhere, I then get so emotional like I want to cry and sometimes I do and start feeling unhappy and my mood has completely dropped. I could just delete them if that's what you're thinking but I'm always thinking if I should just let this person go and if the friendship is still there? or am I clinging on to the past and when they don't make the effort then should I?

I just then think like this and worry and realise what am I doing? I need to snap out of this a cheer up again.

So that's when I thought I would write a post on how to bounce back from these sudden mood changes and give you some of my personal tips which help me.

1. Music

Music has been a very big part of my life and has always helped me through my teens whenever I went through some bad times. Listening to my favourite songs/bands really cheers me up and feel free to sing too as this helps. I like to choose uplifting songs but if these don't work listening to a slow emotional song works too surprisingly.

 

2. Have a bath

Running a nice hot water and having a little pamper session helps balance my emotions back to feeling fine as you can really set the scene by lighting scented candles, throwing in a few Lush products even the smell of these floating around in my bathroom makes me feel relaxed.

3. Watch your favourite show / read a book

You need to distract your mind from overthinking things so just get yourself focused out of reality for a bit can help the mood pass. I also find getting lost into a story works just as well plus you can sleep better with a clear head.

4. Write down how you're feeling

This was a point which I just discovered right now as the further I've written into this post I'm feeling a lot better. I think seeing all the option that help written down on screen as made me relax a lot more so I don't feel so lost.

5. Talk to someone

When I can/want to I will open up into how I'm feeling and talk about it as I do bottle up everything and by doing this I just have those moments when I can't handle it and go into a complete mess and then after a good cry I feel a lot better.

6. Clean up

I'm one of those people where I have to be in the mood to clean and when I get into one of those moods I get all OCD with my cleaning and hate my surrounds being so dirty and have to make it clean until I'm satisfied. I hope no one takes this as an offence as I don't mean literally OCD and I know this isn't your fault. 

7. Colouring

This has become a big craze all of a sudden and it was definitely more popular in Summertime with me but again by distracting the mind and focusing on something else I completely forget where I am when I'm doing this and it's a great stress reliever too.

8. Write a list

I do like to think I'm organised and I try my best so by writing a list of things I need to do tomorrow or what I need to buy helps me feel like I have a busy day ahead of me instead of waking up feeling bored and clueless in how I want to spend my day.

9. Go on Youtube

I watch either random videos which lead you deep into the world of YT which makes you question what am I watching? or I watch people's vlogs. I've really gotten into these as I just find it interesting watching how other people spend their days without sounding stalkerish

10. Go for a walk

Getting a breath of fresh air and seeing different surroundings and just taking it all in, is one of my favourite things to do. I prefer walking around the countryside in fields and woods much better than walking around town, luckily for me I have a little woodland area near our house which I go to walk the dog or fancy taking some photos.

If anyone has anymore helpful tips & advice to help shake those feelings away then please share in the comments