Strutting Into Spring | Female SS18 Fashion Trends

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I thought that today, I would talk to you all about the female fashion trends that are at the centre of the fashion world right now.

Gelato Shades 

Why are we using the term, gelato shades, and what does it mean, you ask? Well gelato shades is simply just another term for pastel shades of clothing. So, shades like pastel yellow, or Lemon Sorbet, oastel pink, or Strawberry Ice Cream and so forth. We've seen them all over the runway within 2018 alreadt, via brands such as Victoria Beckham, Tom Ford and Michael Kors, featuring them on the catwalk at Fashion Week. The best way to pull this trend off, is to wear anything with a pastel colour to it. I think that it is best to, attempt to wear items of clothing with a matching or similar pastel shade, but you could just, pile the pastel colours on, and imagine that you are a triple scoop ice cream.

Tailored Denim 

Remember when dark, tailored denim ruled the world, around 2000? Well, its back with a bang! 2018 is all about tailored denim, instead of the punk inspired ripped style of denim jeans, thanks to designers such as, Kenzo and Nina Ricci. Team them with a smart structed blazer to keep it smart, or, olay it down with a tank top and an oversized jumper.

Trench Coats 

Spring is all about, taking a staple wardrobe item and updating ti slightly, so this year is all about, pimping up the trench coat. This has been done via, embroidery and flashy colours. Brands such as Alexander McQueen have done this in their own quirky way. I think that, the best way to style this is to wear simple items underneath so that the trench coat takes centre stage.

Bright Colours 

Bright colours are still here for SS18. Primary colours have decided to take focus during Fashion Week this year, and designers such as Aalto and Versace have been been including them into their collections. I think the best way to style this, is to either wear a full outfit using one colour or, maybe have one statement piece that speaks for the full outfit.

What fashion trends are you loving at the moment? Tell me down below! 

I hope that you have enjoyed this fashion based blog post and I hope that you come back next time for another blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Diary Of A Meowing Lushie: Lush Christmas Gift Guide

Meow!

So welcome to another episode of DOAML or Diary Of A Meowing Lushie. As Christmas is coming up soon, I thought that it would be good to do a Christmas Gift Guide/What to buy someone for Christmas from Lush. (All except the logo and Snow Fairy bottles are from Lush's website. The logo is from the US website.)

The first sort of gift that I am going to suggest is for the fans who are addicted to Snow Fairy. Honestly, it makes me feel nauseous when I smell it but that's just my personal opinion. I would get someone who are obsessed with the Candy Floss inspired scent a Magic Wand to begin with for the strongness and design of the product, I would also get them a Candy Mountain just in case because I know from experience that the wand sometimes leaks a lot after being in the water. I would also suggest purchasing a Father Christmas which has a more subtle scent of Snow Fairy compared to the rest of the products. There's also the main star which is a massive 1kg bottle of Snow Fairy and a Snow Angel knot wrap to wrap these amazing products up. If you want to go more out there then I'd suggest adding a cheeky 100g slab of Rockstar for all the year hand washing.

Borrowed from Lush Plymouths Twitter @lushplymouth
1kg is £21.50 but prices start from £3.95

£5.25

If your family are more of a The Comforter fan like I am then I suggest you buy a The Comforter bubble bar, a 100g slab of Reindeer Rock which shares the same fragrance as The Comforter bubble bar. I would also buy a big 500g bottle of The Comforter Shower Cream which is nourishing and conditioning due to the oils within the product. I would also buy either a voucher of The Comforter treatment from the Lush Spa or if you don't have that much money then I'd suggest buying The Comforter Treatment CD.

£3.25 per 100g

£4.95

What I suppose I'm saying is if you're buying for someone who loves Lush and loves a particular product then base a little gift set around it and give it to them in a nice box with a ribbon or get a nice knot wrap and see if the staff at your local Lush would teach you how to wrap.

If you're wanting to buy a selection of Christmas limited edition products then I shall suggest the ones that I would buy. Obviously you don't have to go for these but if you're a bit stuck on what to buy a indecisive Lushie then this may help. I would get a mixture of bath ballistics, maybe a lip scrub and a soap if you're not wanting to go too far into your wallet. It gives a good selection of products, scents and textures. If you know the person that you're buying for only prefers bath ballistics etc then solely buy them,

The first bath ballistic I would suggest for the Christmas set is Luxury Lush Pud due to the sweetness of the product from the Lavender and Tonka Absolute and the spices which make it oh so festive then maybe a Golden Wonder as it gives a citrus feel to the whole cold season. I would also add a So White to give a fresh feel to December. I would also maybe add a Father Christmas if you want to add a hint of Snow Fairy to the whole gift set. If you want to go fully festive then I suggest indulging into a Yog Nog Bath Ballistic because the scent instantly makes you think of Christmas with the spices and creaminess of the ballistic. There is more to the Christmas range so if you want to add anything moneywise then you obviously can.

£3.95

£3.95

£3.95

The last sort of gift set I would do is mainly for the body which I know is a different but I know that some people love to pamper their body so I thought why not? I'd suggest a Celebrate Body Lotion to begin with which is £12 but it is massive. The scent reminds me of Golden Wonder but has nourishing butters in to nourish and help the body during the cold months. I would also add one of the solid scrubs which are Rub Rub Rub which has sea salt in, Rough With The Smooth which is half scrub half moisturiser or the new festive Sea Salt and Peppermint Bark which is meant to remind you of a Candy Cane. I would also add a massage bar when you want to have a little bit of me time without getting the massive body lotion out. The ones that I would suggest are Wiccy Magic Muscles for when you've shopped too much, Each Peach which is very citrus to brighten your day or Shades Of Earl Grey which is quite soothing and a relaxing scent. If you want to go all out then maybe add either a face mask/scrub eg Cup Of Coffee which contains Coffee Beans and Cocoa which will wak you up when you're too tired to get out of that warm bed.

£5.95

Priced the same as the item above

I hope that this has helped you decide on what you want for Christmas and if you love Lush then I hope that this has helped you. I hope that this hasn't came too early Christmas wise and I hope to see you next time for another blog post.

Check out here for Lush's Christmas Range.

Meow!
Jamie x

What To Do In Leeds For People Who Don't Know Leeds

Meow!

http://www.cityofleeds.co.uk/leeds-shopping02052005/source/leeds-shopping-8400.html

So if you read this blog then you will know that I am in Leeds on a regular basis to a point where it is ridiculous but I know that some people still get lost within Leeds and I fully understand due to the grand train station for a start so I thought that it would be nice if I did a sort of guide to Leeds blog post just in case some of you want to look at it or need it at any point.

So first of all, shopping. Leeds is the third largest city within the UK therefore shopping can be a busy affair especially if you have no clue where you're going. The first place to shop is Trinity Leeds which you can't miss even if it's your first time in Leeds. This shopping centre is a couple of minutes walk away from the train station and has a massive T on the side of it so even if you're coming from somewhere on the other side of the UK you'll instantly recognise it. The centre contains many shops such as H&M, Burton, Moss Bros, Apple and many other places. You can spend a good few hours just window shopping here!

The second place that I would recommend shopping wise is Victoria Quarter. I didn't know about here until this year to be absolutely honest. I had past it and been in it a couple of times to get out of Harvey Nicbols but otherwise I stayed away from it. With a glass doors and a feature fountain the middle of the building, VQ is an absolute masterpiece to shop in especially with shops such as Vivienne Westwood, Jo Malone London, L'Occitane, Reiss, Oliver Sweeney and much more. It is a high end sort of mall but its an absolute wonder to wander through and to have a look at some of the products within certain stores.

There's also the quirky markets throughout Leeds but there is also Corn Exchange which is the more quirkier place within Leeds. This is a Grade I listed building from what I remember which gives you the feeling of history as you're learning just via looking at the building. This boasts quirky stores which includes a Tattoo & Piercing Store, a few clothing stores and an American candy store (Culture Vulture.)

If you're going for something to just eat then Trinity Kitchen with Trinity Leeds is an amazing place to go as there is so many different pop up vendors every month that you'll find something that you love instantly. Trinity Kitchen has a few stay there vendors which includes noodle based Pho and rib based Chicago Rib Shack. The street food vibe adds to the whole shopping centre to give it a fashionable yet amazing edge.

If you're fancying more mainstream but still with a twist then Five Guys might be for you with their well known burgers, fries and shakes which is a few minutes walk from the train station. Five Guys also boasts a Coca Cola Freestyle service which has over 100 different drinks from what I remember and as it's unlimited you can have as much as you want and create whatever drink you want.

If you're wanting somewhere more drinks and maybe a meal with some friends sort of places then I shall suggest some to you whicb may tickle your fancy. The first one is The Alchemist. They are most well known for their scientific/alchemy based cocktails where they conjure up magical things such as a Mad Hatters Tea Party to share or a cocktail which changes colours or one that even changes flavours. They also do some amazing food to soak up all that alcohol too. The atmosphere of the restaurant is phenomenal and it just makes an amazing place for a night out with your friends especially as there is now one in Trinity Leeds and one coming on Greek Street.

 The next place that I would recommend is the Blackhouse which I have done a post about which I'll link at the bottom. The view from the restaurant is stunning. They are more known as a steakhouse which means that their Steak and Ribs are exceptional. They also do some amazing drinks if you want something to drink whilst chatting with your friends such as Spiced Passion Fruit Mojito. They are only a couple of minutes walk away from Trinity Leeds.

The last place that I would suggest food and drink wise is Black Swan. They're based next to Corn Exchange and do some amazing food and cocktails. I've also done a blog post about them as well. Their burgers are fab and they have two floors so if you want to chat and drink then theres a floor for that and if you want food then theres a floor for that too. It's an amazing place to have a drink and maybe some food with friends and then move onto the other bars that are on the same street which include the wonder Jake's Bar, Oporto and The Maven and other great places.

So I hope that you have enjoyed this little guide of Leeds. Have you been to any of the above? Would you add anything different? Let me know down below. I hope that you have enjoyed this and I hope to see you next time for another blog post.

I was asked to mention the Leeds Guide that Daniel Footwear did as a gesture. No money or products were given in exchange for this. I just thought it would be a good thing to do. I'll leave Daniel Footwear's website down below as they do some amazing products and also have a student discount and are based in Leeds!

Read The Blog Post With The Leeds Guide here:

Check out their website here: 

Read the blog Post About The Blackhouse here: 

Read the blog Post About Black Swan here:

Meow!
Jamie x