I'm a sucker for the bottle.

I turned 19 on the 6th of June this year and it’s sort of a ritual for me to always get a nice perfume every birthday and then every christmas. So that got me thinking what are my all time favorite perfumes in my collection and I have managed to narrow it down to just 4 which I either have repurchased or will be repurchasing when they run out. Please bare in mind it is so hard to describe fragrances so bare with me, the words ‘smells really good’ may come up more than it should here.

So my first perfume favourite is Marc Jacobs Lola, this was my 6th form perfume I literally wore it every day and has been repurchased a good 5 or 6 times. I won’t lie I am a shallow creature and theres no denying the first thing that attracted me to the perfume was the bottle. To be honest I didn’t give a flying monkey what it smelt like that bottle needed to be on my dressing table. However luckily enough it smells as good as it looks... well almost. However after Justin Beiber released his perfume blatantly ripping off the bottle it somewhat killed it for me! But hey it still smells gorge, floral and girlie without being overly sweet or sickening.

The next perfume replaced my Marc Jacobs Lola as my favorite day fragrance is Dior’s Miss Dior. It was previously named Miss Dior Cherie however has recently changed to Miss Dior (this caused my mum great confusion when trying to find it for my birthday). This perfume is just gorgeous, its fairly sweet but not on the same level as say a Juicy Couture perfume. This may sound mad but if you own any Soap and Glory products such as the Righteous Butter that is what the smell is reminiscent of only much much much nicer. If I could only have one perfume for the rest of my life this would probabley be it!

My next perfume I’m on my third bottle of and it is my go to evening scent. I do think for me it’s a bit strong and rich smelling to whack out in the day but at night it’s perfect. As I have said it smells rich and almost luxurious. It is also a definite man pleaser as it is mostly men that stop me and ask me what perfume it is as they want to by it for their girlfriends/ sisters/ friends. 

Let’s be honest a Chanel carrier bag is guaranteed to put a smile on any girls face. So when I received Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle off the boyf for a birthday present I was one happy bunny. I have always been a bit scared of Chanel perfumes, my mum has Chanel No 5 and I know its a cardinal sin to say this but I’m not a massive fan! Maybe I’ll like it more when I’m older, it always strikes me as a really grown up perfume if that makes sense. Anyway I have previously owned Chanel Chance and that is a beaut of a perfume but it just doesn't last on me so never bothered buying it again. This is Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle and actually smells not unlike Miss Dior but there is almost a vanillary smell .... wow Kathryn brilliant description there. But anyway it lasts on the skin and is my absolute favorite at the minute so am wearing constantly. Unlike Armani Idol it isn't a definite day or night perfume, I think it can be worn when ever and I have got so many compliments on it already. 

Let me know any of your favourite perfumes I'd love to try them out! 

Kathryn x 

Oh! Whats Occurring?

I love a bit of leather. A leather jacket is obviously a must in every girls wardrobe and it's one of the items I own that I will always spend that little bit more on because I know how loved mine always are. However leather is generally expensive so when it comes to other pieces like shorts and trousers im not adverse to a bit of faux leather *ahem* pleather. 

These waxed trousers are from Zara, I would have killed for the real leather J Brand or All Saints beauties but I cannot justify spending hundreds of pounds on real leather trousers which realistically I will only wear a couple of times a year. I love the gold zip detailing and as they are only waxed rather than full on leather they are much less scary to wear as well as more day time appropriate!

These pleather shorts are from Topshop last year and have been seriously well loved. The look gorgeous with a chunky knit jumper for day or with heels for a night out. 

This leads me on to my hunt for a leather/ pleather skirt. The hunt has been on for quite a few years as I won't lie to you every time I found one I had hideous visions of Nessa from Gavin and Stacey and that is one comparison I can bloody well do without.

So anyway it was absolutely chucking it down in Manchester recently (shocking I know) so I decided to take refuge in the H and M on Market Street. I have a strange relationship with H and M, their advertising campaign and look books are always really impressive and quite a few people I know find some absolute gems in there, I on the other hand am usually left empty handed and disappointed. However it's been newly refurbished and looked bright, uncluttered and quite a few things in the window caught my eye: essentially the opposite to the store environment before. So I walked in and there it was, a leather, well pleather,skirt that ticked all my boxes. It’s barginous (£14.99), a simple design and although it’s faux leather it avoids that awful shine fake leather often has.

Paired with a simple shirt and a statement necklace or a neon knit (there are the PERFECT fine neon knit sweaters in Zara at the minute I will be running to buy tomorrow) the skirt makes the perfect dinner/drinks outfit when worn with wedges but styled with embellished sandals I can see myself wearing it come July when I start an internship. 

Kathryn x

P.S. I am sure some of you are thinking, leather?! In Summer?! That could lead to some sweaty situations. However as I write this I kid your not it is as if it is the apocalypse, I have never seen so much rain. So I feel I am very much justified in buying essentially winter clothes in June. 


P.P.S You will only understand the title if your a Gavin and Stacey fan! 

Statement Sandals.

I'm a total clothes buying keeno so I have no quarms about buying a bikini in January or a coat in July. In fact in my opinion when it comes to the high street you snooze you loose. We've all been there when you have a holiday booked for mid July ans start looking for a bikini at the end of June and there is NOTHING LITERALLY NOTHING left, que a hissy fit and a desperate search for last years bikinis. Anyway this leads me on top a pair of my all time favourite pairs of shoes I snapped up way back in January 2010, they have been turely loved and worn to death however I have come to accept that they are on their last legs and I need a new pair. They are currently in the bin *sob* as the feathers and jewles have fallen off and the zips have broken so were merely a shadow of their former glory! This pic in no way does them justice but you get the general idea.

My old River Island beauties RIP.

This led me to these bad boys, also from River Island, that I was given as a birthday present. Still embellished, still colourful: in essence the perfect statement sandel. Worn with denim shorts or leather skirt they really make an outfit that bit more striking. 

They also make me feel extremely summery which is handy in the non existant summer we are having as they make me imagine jetting off somewhere hot and exotic rather than being stuck in grey Milton Keynes!


Kathryn x

I'm baaaacckkkk and THANK YOU.

I have been a massive slacker with the ol' blogging malarchy so apologies for that. However I have been very busy as it has been exam time/ my birthday/ the end of my first year at uni. So for the past few weeks I've been finishing exams/ coming home to celebrate the birthday with the fam, boyf and home friends then to London then back to Manchester for Parklife, a festival in a park right next to my halls. 

These are just a few pics from Parklife, it was ammaazinnnggg, it's got me buzzing for global! I had SUCH a good time and was a brilliant end to the best year of my life. It was only about 70 quid for a ticket and saw people like Nero, Noah and Whale, Dizzee Rascal, Justice, Labrinth, Delilah ... amaze. 


Anyway I will be back on the blogging now I'm officially freeee for summer and just wanted to say a massive massive THANK YOU as I have currently reached over 100 followers which is so lovely and I know not impressive for a lot but for me the fact any of you follow is a massive mystery/ achievement. So thank you!!!


Kathryn x

Festival Time - Global Gathering.

Last week my lovely friend Amy and I booked our Global Gathering tickets and I AM SO EXCITED. I have been to Glastonbury, Reading and V so I'm  no festival virgin however I have never been to Global. Glasto was my first festival back in 2009, it was the best few days of my life and no festival has ever come close to bettering it. That being said the line up for Global is amaze and I can see it being a weekend full of dancing, drinking and generally loving life so it could possibly beat it! 

Glastonbury 2009 

We went for VIP tickets which basically give us showers, nicer loos and a few other comforts. Alright alright I know it's cheating, feel free to judge away! But I have spent the last 3 years slumming it at festivals making my poor friends help me wash my hair at those freezing water taps dotted around the campsite or blasting my hair with so much Batiste it has a slight grey tinge... not a good look. So I just thought enough is enough, I'm going to attempt to look attractive this year and actually be in some photos as I usually hide my grimness by running away from all photographic evidence. 

So anyway this has naturally got me thinking of my festival wardrobe. Staples include:

• Barbour jacket
• Hunter Wellies
• Denim shorts
• Big Sunnnies
• Floral Headband
• Plain crop tops
• Leotards
• Floral blouses
• Graphic tees
• Jumper/Sweater

My Festival Staples - bare in mind it has rained A LOT at every festival I've ever been too!

Classic Barbour

Selection of tops

Floral Blouse - Urban Outfitters

Graphie tee - Topshop

Crop top - Blue Rinse

Leotard/ Body - American Apparel

Candy Stripe shorts - Topshop, DIY studded Vintage Levi's

Burgundy Jumper - Urban Outfitters, Tie-Dye Sweater - Zara

Hunters

Sunglasses - Dior, Headband - Topshop

Those are basics I have taken pretty much every year however to add to my basics I plan on purchasing:

• Tie dye tees - I'm loving the ones in Urban Outfitters at the min but I'm skint so will be recreating my own in the near future
• A rucksack - I hate bags at festival they always get in the way of me boogying so I think a small rucksack may be the answer to my prayers
• Something feather related, I am in LOVE with Regal Rose's feather hair accessories
• Something fringed... its a festival I'm allowed to pretend I'm a hippy.

Are any of you going to any festivals this summer? I'm in two minds about Creamfields, I am very tempted I won't lie.

Kathryn x

Oh Gatsby.

One of my all time favourite books is F Scott Fitzgerald's ‘The Great Gastsby’, I love everything about it: the decadence and frivolity of the time, the characters, the desciption of Gatsby’s house and of course the fashion. I’m also mildly obsessed with the 1974 film so when I heard Baz Luhrmann was re-making it staring, victim of one hell of a girl-crush, Carey Mulligan and, my four year old self’s ideal man, Leonardo Dicaprio I got far too excited. The trailor has just been released and I won’t lie I’m watching it over and over again... I’m that sad. 

Any how I have obviously been loving the costumes and this got me thinking to last September to the Ralph Lauren and Gucci shows who provided us with an abundance of 20’s style pieces with drop waists, heavy embellishment, cloche hats, palazzo pants and art deco patterns. Ralph Lauren’s collection in particular could have literally been the costumes for the movie and coincidentally he designed the costumes for the original film.

This got me thinking to my own wardrobe, I new I had some 20’s style pieces to wear in homage to my Gatsby loving. And after looking through a few boxes I found them.

The first top is from Topshop and I bought it around a year and a half ago in Bristol and rather shamefully it still has the tag on! It’s a beautiful deep mint green colour and what I love so much about it is the neckline which hints at an art deco pattern. I will definitely start wearing it now!

The second top was actually a birthday present from an ex boyf when I was 17. It was from River Island and I have literally worn it to death.

The final 20’s style piece is actually my Year 11 prom dress so that was back in 2009. I’m not really the sort of girl to wear a diamanteed up My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding style prom dress and I yearned for an All Saints 20’s style dress but I couldn't afford the hefty £250 price tag as an unemployed 15 year old so this Oasis number had to do. And actually I love it and I still wear it nearly 3 years later!

Three years on and All Saints are still selling the 20’s style dresses I love, however they are now offering slightly more affordable skirt versions which I definatley intend to treat myself to when I get some birthday money.

I am aware the film isn't released until christmas time, what can I say I'm massively keen!

Kathryn x