Tolly Dolly Posh

Bonjour! Before you start reading, make sure to head over to Part 1 of this post in case you missed it! For those of you who read that part, you can now enjoy the last instalment! If you remember, I am an official Jeans for Genes Day supporter! Woop!

What I Wore: Classic White T-Shirt £7.50* (Jeans for Genes), ‘Mom’ Jeans (Jumble Sale), Pink Statement Necklace (eBay),  Black Jelly Shoes €4.00 (Supermarket) & one heck of a moody face (Don’t Know Why).

I actually quite like this top. It’s simple, yet the ‘slogan’ makes the outfit more complete. Just like the fashion tee in the last post, it has a nice fit and is nice to just throw on for casual wear. It’s a stylish and simple way to show your support for the amazing charity, and for only £7.50, you can’t really go wrong. I paired it with my favourite jeans which are  so comfortable, and the only pair of jeans which I actually enjoy wearing. Of course my outfit would not be completed without my gorgeous necklace from eBay and my bargain jelly shoes.

It’s getting a lot closer to September 20th now, which only means one thing. You need to get your jeans out! I’m challenging YOU to wear your favourite pair of jeans on September 20th to show your support. Just simply Instagram a picture of you wearing them using #jeansTDP and I will share my favourites! Even if you don’t like jeans, or it’s too hot, go out and wear them. I don’t want any excuses guys!

You guys know I love a little project, so I’m starting another (hopefully)! Take a look at my ideas for the GIANT blogger sleep over!

Oh. My. WOW. I haven’t done a design collection in yonks. I know I said I would, and I’m sawwwry, okay?! But, I thought this idea would make it a good way to start a fresh? Non? Welcome in my blogger inspired fashion design collection, oh yes!

All these designs have been based on the blogger’s style. I’ve looked at what they’ve worn and slightly tweaked them. I’m sorry if they are not totally extravagant, but I wanted to really make them wearable for the bloggers.

What Olivia Did:
As you may already know, I love Olivia’s style, and I wanted to sort of, change up a few of the classic pieces that she likes to wear. I’ve made a sailor style collar, but changed it up to a pink colour. I would also make it embellished but it was hard to show on the image above. The skirt is a skater style one in polka dots, I would make it a nice thick jersey style so it has a lot of shape to it.

Briar Rose: 
Again, one of my favourite style inspirations, Megan. I decided to sort of change up the style, by going all out pink, and also using a smock style dress. Megan has the perfect figure for any type of dress style! The neckline has laser cut detail with also a few embellishments around. The skirt is a low waist, and has a nice puffy underskirt. I definitely think Megan could rock this!

Lisette Loves:
You might know, that um, I have a slight obsession with this one 😉 in, a *hopefully* non creepy way. Lisette has a gorgeous fashion sense! I decided to take her away from her favourite style of the smock dress, and pop her in a shift dress. A shapeless dress is always flattering, plus denim is too? I know Lisette could accessorise this really well! I would make the dress a nice perfect blue with a slight acid wash effect.

Hey D*ck Face: 
A more recent style obsession, is the lovely lady from Hey D*ck face. Her style is quite quirky but simple, so anyone can try and take a few ideas from her outfits. I decided to do a twist on one of her most recent OOTDs. I’ve made the sweater a purple and pastel blue dip dye colour, with the Hey D*ck face logo.  I also changed up the skirt so it is a metallic texture – so cool. I love the metallic look, and I definitely think she could work it 😉

I hope you enjoyed this blog post! Make sure to check out all these lovely ladies, their blogs are amazing! I think I might do another one of these collections? What do you think? Let me know in the comments?

Excuse the really odd title of this My Style post. I thought it was quite fitting, though…?! I also excuse the fact that my editing is changing. I’m trying to find the perfect way that suits the feel of my outfits I wear, I know it can be annoying, but I just can’t find the right type of colours etc

What I Wore: Floral Crown (DIY), Oriental Silk Kimono Top €1.00 (Jumble Sale), Sleeveless Parrot Blouse £8.00* (Peacocks), Petite Lasercut Hi Low Skirt £13.00 (ASOS), Jelly Shoes (Supermarket).

I LOVE THIS OUTFIT. When this gorgeous blouse slipped through my letter box, I was like.. ‘Hmm, what should I wear it with’, so I went on the hunt for something to wear with it. BINGO. A 1 EURO Silk Kimono Top in the perfect turquoise blue. The colour picks out the parrots in my blouse, and ooooh they look so nice together. Add my flowy lasercut skirt from ASOS (Still available here, grab it whilst you can!), and it’s just perfect. Although this blouse is Peacocks, I really do like it. It’s great quality for the price. The one thing that is a shame, is the fact that there are only a few gems in the range for girls, which are in the midst of 1D T-Shirts, so come on Peacocks, give us some more! I definitely think I would wear this to LFW though, for one of the more informal shows… *sob sob* Ahhh, one can dream!

As I always do, here is the lifestyle part of my OOTDs… last week we went on a day trip, involving an hour and a half car journey. We went to a pretty village which was basically on the edge of a hill (One of the building was IN the hill). We had a walk round, a drink and a kebab – the yummy ones, pita bread, chips, BBQ sauce, onion… you know the drill. We then went back home stopping off to of course take my OOTD pictures 😉 #bloggerproblems. It was a really lovely day, but also absolutely boiling! I am going to miss the summer, but oh boy, I can’t wait for cosy nights in the winter!

Unfortunately, the leaves are turning. Autumn is upon us, and it’s time to change up our wardrobe. I’ve rounded up the best picks for your Jewellery & Accessories for A/W 13. At very cheap prices, anyone can afford these pieces…

Turquoise Bracelet//Ring//Pearl Collar//Tartan Scrunchy//Tartan Scarf

Turquoise Stone: I’ve seen a lot of this type of stone on jewellery recently, and I think it’s going to be even bigger this upcoming season. It looks great with anything monochrome, and it looks more expensive than it is. I love this bracelet and it looks great with the leather straps. The ring is also really nice! I love how it is such a statement piece, and it’s definitely a key piece for anyone’s jewellery collection!

Pearls: As I said in this post, I think pearls are definitely on the rise. Although this collar does not feature real ones, it’s still effortlessly gorgeous, and would go with any simple dress. After the film, The Great Gatsby, the rise of this type of costume jewellery has shown!

Scrunchy: I love the old school vibe of scrunchies. Although some people think these are just a little too retro, I think they can complete any outfit, especially when they are brightly coloured like this one from Season’s Online. It’s a cute and bright addition to your collection, and would look amazing with a simple smock or skater dress.

Tartan: The scarf and scrunchy are perfect examples of tartan. The print is quite hard to get right, but when you add a touch of it to an outfit, you will most likely get it spot on. Mix the scarf with a leather jacket and you’ll be ready to rock! Plus, it’s Buy One Get One Free so… it’s a bargain really!

I hope you liked this round up of Jewellery & Accessories for the new season! My favourite has got to be the scrunchy! It’s so cute!

(This is a sponsored post on behalf of Season’s Online. I may have been gifted or paid to write and publish this post, but all opinions are 100% honest and are in no way biased. All content was written by myself. You can read my full disclaimer here.)

What up, peeps?! Today it is the 3rd installment of The Beauty Reviews. If you don’t know already this is the only beauty post I publish on this blog. It happens every month, and it’s basically a round up of some products I have been loving (or hating!). I’m not 100% feeling these posts, so please let me know if you like them or not, but yeah… enjoy…

Concoction ‘ShampYou’ £14.00 & Creme De Conditioner £16.00*: I was really excited to receive these products. The concept of Concoction, is basically to personalise your haircare. You can choose from a variety of ‘bases’ for your shampoo and a choice of different ‘shots’ which are things like moisture boosts etc, just like a cocktail. I have the Bakhour ShampYou base, with the Turn Up The Volume & Back To Your Roots Superserums and the Cashmere & Water Lily Conditioner. First of all… The packaging; It’s sleek, and simple, but when wet, it is really slippery and hard to hold. The lids are quite hard to use because it means having to squeeze the slippery bottle to actually get the product out, of which I found hard to do with the conditioner. The Superserums; You add these to the shampoo. Snap the lids off, and unscrew the bottle of shampoo, pour in the serums and shake for at least a minute. I found this quite an annoying process in my opinion, but I like how personal it is. The outcome; To be honest with you, I think this is an over priced product.. eep! I didn’t see a massive difference when I used the products together. The shampoo did it’s job in making my hair clean, but it didn’t really make it fresh like some other ones I use. The conditioner again didn’t really do much, but did make my hair silky. I haven’t seen extra volume in my hair from the Turn Up The Volume Superserum, but my roots do feel a bit nicer from the Back To Your Roots one. All In All; I think I will need to keep trying this product even more to see exactly the changes, so I will report back to you! But for now, I’m not 100% feeling it. The concept is nice, but the product… hmm? Rating: 6.5/10

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in 640, Plum Luck: As it’s getting nearer to A/W, I’m using darker colours on my nails. This colour is a really nice, dark purple colour. It looks almost black, but with a nice purpley red tone to it. With a clear top coat it looks so shiny, and takes around 4 days without chipping. It looks a lot lighter in the bottle, so I would be aware of that. It’s actually one of my favourite formulas at the moment, and the colour too. Rating: 8/10

Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser with Orange Extracts: I found this amongst a load of products which I rarely use, and I decided to give it a go. This cleanser is a really nice, fresh exfoliater. I like to use this after removing any make-up, but this is probably only once a week. Although it is quite gentle, I think if you have quite sensitive skin, it could be quite rough for you. I find even if I go on my cheeks, it can start irritating around my eye area, because the grains are quite big. The consistency is a nice creamy one though. I think it would be good for oily skin types, and a nice summer cleanser as it is refreshing. Rating: 7/10

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash: I bought this sort of on a whim when I heard of foaming face washes (sounds silly that I’d never heard of them, I know!), but it’s actually really really nice. It’s amazingly gentle, but it definitely soaks into the skin. If I have any blemishes or small spots, I like to wash my face with this as it seems to reduce the appearance of them. It’s nice and foamy at first and you only need one pump, after rubbing it in it goes into a more soapy consistency which is when you know it is really working. Simply wash off with water, and voila! I use this most mornings and nights, and I’d say it is a perfect face wash for anyone my age or in their teens. Rating: 9/10

Heal Gel for Eyes £32.00*: I’ve been really interested in buying an eye gel because of what the beauty blogging community has been saying about them. I’ve used a cream one before, but really didn’t see any difference, so when this came up, I was intrigued. It’s a clear gel which comes with a handy pump. It’s a great travel size and would be great for people on the go. I love the packaging, it’s very simple and quirky. What I like about this is the fact that you can get really close up to your eyes, and it doesn’t irritate them at all. It’s very gentle. When using it, throughout the day or in the morning, I do see a difference. I also see a difference when I’ve been using it for around 2 days, but if I stop, my eyes just go back to normal. It makes my under eye area, nice and soft, and also a little tighter, but I don’t see much of a difference. I’m going to carry on using it and see if it makes a difference in the long run, but for now, I call it my ‘under eye moisturiser’. Rating 7/10

I hope you liked these mini reviews! I’m sorry it was a long one, but I had to fit a lot in! If you do like these posts, do let me know because I don’t know whether to keep them as part of my blog, or not? 

It’s getting to that time again where students are making decisions. What university or college do they want to go to? What job do they really want to have? Should they take a gap year, etc. Sometimes knowing a little bit more inside detail from the people who actually hire employees can be reassuring. I was given the opportunity to speak to Boohoo.com‘s Head of HR (Human Resources), Kathy Allison about getting a job in the fashion industry, and what working with Boohoo is really all about. Enjoy… (Images courtesy of Boohoo.com)

Bonjour! It’s taking my ages to actually take the pictures for this My Style instalment. I tried it at the beach, but my hair got wet, but then I realised that we recently bought a tripod and remote for our camera. Which means… I can take the photos myself! Woop! Excuse the weird 2 toned hair colour… not sure what happened there…

What I Wore: Floral & Embroidery Print Bomber Jacket £18.00 (ASOS Petite), Monochrome Aztec Dress (H&M – Jumble Sale), Cyan Jelly Shoes £19.00* (Sun Jellies), Love Beaded Bracelet £3.50* & Spiral Above Knuckle Ring* (Both from Daisy Mae Jewellery)

Except from changing into a swimming costume or my PJs, I have been living in this outfit the past week or so. Slight exaggeration, I do change. I just love it! It’s a very LLYMLRS inspired outfit, because I have been loving how she mixes bright colours with monochrome. I haven’t really known how to wear my ASOS Jacket since the #stylebloggerawards, but I think this is the perfect way! It’s casual but it has a certain ‘some-in’ some-in” going on. It’s incredibly comfy too! Even in the heat, this jacket doesn’t get too hot, unless you are in direct sunlight, then you may, quite possibly, boil up into a brightly coloured soup (with croutons of course.)

As I said, this outfit is very LLYMLRS inspired. I’m trying to make my style a little bit more retro and quirky because I just love certain aspects of the retro vibe, but at the same time, I want to keep my grunge feelings running through my style, and of course my love of mixing prints.  Looking at the above picture though, my hair looks ginger at the front and dark brown at the back?! Weird lighting alert haha!

In terms of jewellery with this outfit, I like to keep it simple, which means adding 2 cute pieces from Daisy Mae Jewellery. I found Daisy’s store over Instagram and instantly fell in love! She makes all the pieces herself, and I am obsessed with her chocolate and cake inspired rings! They are amazing! Daisy kindly sent me this gorgeous bracelet and ring. My favourite has got to be the bracelet! I was going to by a similar one ages a go for about 5 times the price because I loved the little gem (it says ‘love’ on the otherside!), but this one is so cute and it makes my summer tan look that little bit more.. tanned. Haha!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t so happy with the ring. I absolutely loved it when it arrived! It was rose gold and really shiny. There was a little note with it which told me to add a coat of clear nail polish, and I forgot 🙁 The ring is now a copper colour which doesn’t quite look as dainty. I love the shape of it, and it is the perfect of sizes, but it’s a shame it is now a funny colour!

It’s getting to that time again where brand’s are releasing their look books and official collection ‘promo shots’, it’s one of my favourite times of the year, because it means sitting down with a cup of tea flicking through the gorgeous pictures which feature clothes that I wish could fill up my wardrobe.

Alice & Olivia: Up until recently, I’d never heard of Alice and Olivia, but when I did find them, I fell in love. I think I’m going through a sort of ‘basics’ phase because I love how simple and effortless both the collection and look book are. I think they have captured the ‘essence’ and ‘vibe’ of Autumn, because there is nothing too ‘vampy’ or ‘gothic’ in there, which I think a lot of brands do when it gets to A/W. One of my predictions for the new season is the ‘flapper’ style, which I strongly believe is because of The Great Gatsby film (is the DVD out yet?), and I love it! I never really wear lace or pearl necklaces, so I hope it will suit me when I give it a try!

ASOS: I love ASOS. I think probably everyone who knows me, knows that I have a love affair with them. You can’t really go wrong with £10 dresses can you? No, exactly. When my eyes set onto the new look book, I fell in love all over again. ASOS have really caught onto the 90’s vibe which I am sure is going to be big, and have put their own chic twist on it. I love the jumpsuit above, if it’s in the Petite range, I believe I may just have to put it on my Christmas wishlist. I have to give it to them, I think ASOS are by far my all time favourite brand out there. Thanks big sis for the recommendation!

Primark: It’s been a year since I step foot into the beast. It’s getting a little too much to bare. My jelly shoes are calling for the frilly socks in pastel colours, but now this? *wipes away the tears* Pastel pinks in Autumn? How can this work so well? Furry crop tops with oversized jackets, how will I live without them in my life? Primark have got it so right, and it’s so wrong that I live hundreds of miles away from a Primark shop. Another of my predictions is ‘structure’, and oh boy are there a lot of beautifully structured pieces in the new collection. I believe I will be asking my sister to order some things off of ASOS for me. (How mean is that? Putting ‘Primarni’ on my favourite online shop, and not allowing European shipping?) I can’t wait to go back to the UK soon. I have so much I want to buy! Ahhh!

(This is a scheduled post. Images used in this post are found here: Alice & Olivia//ASOS//Primark)

You lot seem to be absolutely loving this series of blog posts?! I didn’t think that it would be so popular! Following on from the last post, you guys wanted me to do a post all about ‘how to gain exposure’ for your blog, so here it is, Blogging Top Tips: Gaining Exposure! *long post… sorry*

Social Media: Twitter, Facebook & Instagram
Social Media is one of the best places to gain exposure because literally everyone and their dog has an account on one place or another. Here is my little guide of why to join what!

Why Use Twitter?: Twitter is the place to be as a blogger. Not only can you promote your blog, you can connect with brands and bloggers in your area, bloggers who are the same age, bloggers who blog about the same things, literally anyone.
What Can I Do On Twitter?: You can promote your blog, talk to people and share your views on topics. For bloggers I would recommend using Twitter for self promotion and connecting with people.
What To Remember?: Add the hashtag chats into your schedule. Times are in GMT.

Monday – #fbloggers at 8pm – Fashion.
Tuesday – #fblchat at 8pm – Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle.
Wednesday – #bbloggers at 8pm – Beauty.
Thursday – #fbloggers at 8pm – Fashion.
Friday – #teenagebloggerchat – Teen Bloggers.
Sunday – #lbloggers at 7pm, and #bbloggers at 8pm – Lifestyle & Beauty.

Why Use Facebook?: Facebook is great for connecting friends, family and friends of friends etc to your blog. Although this seems scary and ’embarrassing’ it’s nice to know what people think if they know you. It’s also nice because it’s a more safe environment in my opinion.
What Can I Do On Facebook?: You can promote your blog, get feedback easily, and get your favourite blogs into your feed! You can also create a Facebook page which you can link up to your BlogLovin’ so your ‘likers’ can get every post you publish, in their feed.
What To Remember?: Join blogging groups. It’s a great way to get exposure for your blogs and also you can find some new friends! The groups I have joined are: FBL Bloggers – The makers of the #fblchat on Twitter – & Fashion Beauty Lifestyle Bloggers (Very similar but different bloggers in each).

Why Use Instagram?: A LOT of people use Instagram on their phones, so imagine taking pictures from your blog posts and reminding people to read them? It’s a good idea. AND you can also connect with brands who have Instagram too!
What Can I Do On Instagram?: Connect with brands, share your new blog posts and find new bloggers to chat with.
What To Remember?: Use hashtags which are relevant. Brands will follow the blogger hashtags so they can find people who would be good to connect with. Plus, you might just get some likes and followers!

Advertise On Other Blogs: This is a great way to gain exposure! Not only will you connect with your favourite blogs you will also get their followers interested in another blog! A lot of bloggers either do button swaps, or they have very low prices. Obviously paying £25 to advertise on a blog for a month might be a bit too much, look at smaller blogs who have quite a few followers of which are interested in the same things as you. This is also good because brands who connect with the blogs you advertise on, may just want to connect with you as well. It’s also super easy! Pretty much 99.9% of bloggers will allow payment through PayPal, so it’s simples. *meerkat squeal* You can find my advertising prices here! Cheeky plug, I know 😉

Guest Blog For Other Bloggers: This is a really great way of gaining exposure. Bloggers have lives, which means… if they are going away or are having a little break, then they might need the help of YOU (yes, you) to blog for them! It’s pretty much free advertising. Take the opportunity to show your writing skills to another audience. It’s also a nice way to make your ‘Features’ or ‘Press’ page a little bit more bulky. It shows you can write well for other people, and for what ever type of topic.

 I hope you enjoyed this post! Unfortunately I can’t tell you how to make your views ping up. As I said in the last post, numbers don’t matter! The only thing I would say is to keep blogging. Every day if needs be. It keeps your followers interested and they will keep coming back. It’s taken me over a year to get where I am, and to be honest… I don’t even get a 500 views a day. It takes time and effort so keep going. You’ll ‘get there’ in the end. I promise. 🙂 *cheese on toast*

If you haven’t been following instagram account then you may not know, but I recently added 2 pairs of jelly shoes to my ‘shawdrobe’ (Shoe Wardrobe?), and I love them! They’re quite  a ‘Marmite’ thing, but I am of course, a lover 😉 *LONG POST ALERT*

Black Meduse Jelly Sandals €4.00 (Supermarket) & Cyan Meduse Jelly Sandals £19.99* (Sun Jellies)

My first pair of jelly shoes came from my local supermarket! I was in need of some sandals, when my eyes lade upon the classic and chic pair for just €4.00! Yes, that’s like.. £3.50?! To my surprise when I tried them on, they were so comfy! My feet are very slim so getting sandals which feel nice and aren’t going to rub is key. I came out from the shop a happy girl indeed! They’re so easy to style, and are a great alternative to my old pair of flip flops!

The second pair of which is in my ‘shawdrobe’ are my blue, or ‘Cyan’ Sun Jellies. The lovely lady behind Sun Jellies sent me this pair, and oh boi, I am so happy! Although my bargain black pair are perfectly fine and versatile for all seasons, sometimes you just want to brighten up your feet don’t you? These are the perfect spring/summer pair, and just like my other ones, they are super duper comfy. I love them!

I am very happy with my bargain spotting eye, but I think that I was just extremely lucky that my pair were so so cheap. There actually isn’t a difference at all between the two pairs. They both have the same markings on the bottom, the same buckles  ‘What did you say Tolly, markings? What do you mean?’  What I mean young soul, is that they are both ‘Meduse’ jelly shoes. ‘What’s that?’

A frenchman first created jelly shoes during the leather shortage following World War II. He then went on to make the iconic fisherman jelly sandals that we all know and love from our childhood. An eternal symbol of summer. The French nicknamed them Méduse (meaning jellyfish) and the name stuck. Méduse SUN jelly sandals have been much imitated but never bettered and are still made in France today after 65 years! – Sun Jellies

A lot of jelly shoes are produced in China, and are not original, real, authentic jelly shoes. I’m very fortunate in the fact that all jelly shoes I see in shops over here in France, are 90% of the time, going to be Meduse. Sun Jellies are the No. 1 brand for the people in the UK, wanting real Meduse jelly shoes.

Although it seems that there is a gap on my left foot, it isn’t. These shoes are so comfortable as I said before, and I haven’t experienced any rubbing, or any type of sloppiness when walking. I would recommend going for your true size. I’m a 5 in most shoes now (eeek – Tolly Big Feet, Take 2), and they fit fine in a 5.. aha. They’re really easy to clean, and if they do get wet, just hang them on the washing line (1st picture haha)

Yellow Leopard Socks £1.47 (eBay)

For styling them up, I either where them on their own or, with some cute socks! I only have the ones above at the moment, but in a few weeks time I would have landed in the UK and I will be shopping til’ I drop on Primark frilly socks. Oh yeah. But, if you are interested in these ‘Pikachu-esque’ ones, well, they cost me less than £1.50 with free postage. I think it was probably one of my first ‘seen it on a blog’ forced purchases. Oops.