Autumn / Winter Nails with Topshop

At the risk of being unpopular here, I'll just say it: I'm enjoying this weather. I'm loving wrapping up warm and getting all cosy on the sofa with the boyfriend and watching movies.

I'm also really into this season's colour palette. When it comes to nail varnishes, I really prefer A/W colours, They have a depth to them that I love, and considering I'm a monochrome addict, they go with the majority of  my wardrobe. Some of my favourite additions to my nail varnish collection have been from Topshops latest A/W collection. I received these for my birthday, and have worn them non-stop. 

These three shades in particular work so well together, and individually. 

Glitter

(left)

I can never own enough black varnishes, and if there's glitter in it I want it even more. I love that there's an iridescence to the glitter in this which gives it another dimension. The only issue I have is that it requires multiple coats before you get a good, opaque coverage. However when you do, it's worth it.

 A good top-coat is needed for any glitter varnish, just to stop it being so rough to the touch (I use Models Own 5 in 1 Top & Base Coat). Once that's applied, you have a really sleek black nail with a feminine twist. 

Miss Dazzle 

(middle)

This is surprisingly my favourite of the bunch. It's so easy to use because it's so thick. One coat is enough to get a full coverage, and the colour is really striking. This is quite a chameleon colour in the sense that it changes depending what light you're in. It can range from a burn orange to a browny-red all of which have a cosy, warm glow. I wore this varnish for an entire week, doing baking and decorating my boyfriend's bedroom, and it barely chipped. This is the only varnish I've found that's lasted that wrong, so I'm going to cherish it with all my heart.

Magpie 

(right)

A varnish like this is a staple for any nail varnish collection I think. Personally, I'd use varnishes like this as a detailed coat on top of another varnish, but I took a picture of it on its own so you could see the size of the glitter. I actually didn't think it looked too bad on it's own. It's very subtle and dainty. However I like something with a bit more oomph. In fact, I actually used Magpie on top of Glitter for my nails at London Fashion Weekend. My nails looked like a Gothic disco ball. 

How many coats you need all depends on how much glitter coverage you want, but it dries so quickly that you wont be waiting around long.

*Nail Painting Tips*

- Ever been frustrated that the colour on your nails differs from that in the pot? Paint your nails white before using the colour you want. The pink of your nails adjusts the shade of the varnish, whereas white brings out it's true tone. 

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What I Wore: Floral Grunge at London Zoo

Two weeks ago today I was preparing to celebrate my 22nd birthday at ZSL London Zoo Lates, a festival for adults held at the zoo (you can read all about it here ). The day before, I still hadn't chosen my birthday outfit (I'm not the only one that has birthday outfits right?) I was in a bit of a panic. Yet again I'd left it to the last minute, so ordering online was out the window. My only option was Bedford Town Centre. I'm not complaining, but with only a handful of high street brands, I was worried I would end up grabbing any old thing for the sake of having something new, or come home empty handed. And to add to the stress, what the hell do you wear to a party at a zoo?!

I looked through Topshop, New Look, River Island, Oasis and Warehouse, but remained uninspired, which I was really surprised about considering I've been so obsessed with New Look lately.  My last stop was a Miss Selfridge concessionary department in Beales. I adore Miss Selfridge's style, but being a small concessionary shop with very small stock, I didn't get my hopes up.

I was pleasantly surprised though. I was desperate for a bit of colour , and Miss Selfridge was packed full of it. I had originally been looking for a nice summery dress but when I saw the range of vibrant crops Miss Selfridge had in store, I decided for the first time to try some on. Now crops are intimidating, especially if you don't have a flat stomach, and if you have a large chest like I do, but my advice to all of you out there like me is don't write crops off completely. Try some different styles and you will find ones that suit you. I would recommend crops that are square in shape - they don't cling and emphasise your chest, instead they make your waist look smaller. I would also recommend not wearing a padded bra - if you want to make your chest look smaller, they are your worst enemy.

Anyhoo, I saw this tropically floral crop, tried it and fell in love. It was a nice, loose fit, worked well with my hair and was perfect for day and evening looks. It had a skirt to match, which I was so tempted to get, but it was quite restricting. Unfortunately they're now sold out, but you can find a very similar style here.

I adore the summery, hippy grunge look that's around at the moment, and really wanted to give it a go, so I paired the top with some high-waisted denim shorts which I'd roughed up with a cheesegrater (cheeky life hack) and my white flatform sandals. My hair is way to thick for full-on grunge buns, so I went for the half up, half down style, and teamed it with a delicate bindi, a pack of which I bought from Camden for £1, and my £5 circle mirror sunglasses (again from Camden).

I'm planning on doing a separate post on crops and the variety of styles for different body shapes, but until then, I hope you've enjoyed today's post, and have an awesome weekend!

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Outfit of the Day Featuring Miss Selfridge, Topshop and New Look

SUN! YES SUN! IT'S HERE! FINALLY!

I may dress every now and then like I'm more comfortable in a dark cave, but I really am a Summer person. 

For months I've been yearning for an opportunity to start creating my Summer wardrobe, and what a better opportunity than now. The items in this Outfit of the Day I've had for a while now, but they seldom get an opportunity to be seen, what with rain and clouds determined to be centre of attention. 

If you read my March Haul, you would have already seen these luminous yellow shorts from Miss Selfridge (which they've now sold out of, but there are some similar ones in peach here, or some shape flattering skorts in a very similar yellow here). These shorts are perfect for elongating the legs and emphasing your waist. 

I don't have much colour in my wardrobe, but when I do I like it to be something very eye-catching and dramatic. Something as simple as a boldly coloured pair of shorts bring a real essence of Summer to an otherwise all black outfit. 

Because I wanted the shorts to be the focal point of my outfit, I teamed it with a very simple loose black cami top from Topshop. These are essential. They're timeless, and can be worn with anything from jeans and skirts to dresses that have a deeper neckline than one might wish. If you're going on holiday and are trying to put together a capsule wardrobe, stock up on these. 

The kimono is one of my recent bargain buys from TKMaxx, for only £25. It's so delicate and airy that it's perfect for sunny days. If you're self-conscious about your arms or back its a gorgeous cover-up that doesn't leave you sweltering in the mid-day sun, and it's brilliant to just throw over a bikini whilst you're on the beach or at a festival. Kimono's are a definite must-have item for this Summer, so if you're looking for a bit of a bargain definitely check out TKMaxx before heading anywhere else. 

The bowler hat is from H&M, and although it's not really that appropriate for this weather, it goes perfectly with this outfit. Also I'm really prone to sunstroke and look silly in most Summer hats, so it was either this or an old beret. 

The chain necklace is from New Look, and is another way of breaking up the black of the top, kimono and hat with another source of colour. 

Finally, the shoes. They are from River Islands A/W collection, but if you wear them without socks and with shorts or a skirt, they're just as good for Summer, however they have a more updated version with an open toe that you can find here. You should know by now that I love my big black chunky shoes, and I never like to look too girly, so these are my way of adding a bit of a grungy edge to this outfit, but some delicate gladiator sandals or some nice block heels would work really well too. 

I'm really interested to hear how your Summer wardrobes are coming along, and if you've found any bargain buys on the way, and also what you're doing to make the most of this gorgeous weather. 

Steph x x x

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March Haul

Hello all : )

So another month down, and one more month closer to Summer. 

Now through March, with the odd day of incredible summer-style weather, I caught the shopping bug that means the majority of what I bought was only really suitable for those odd, yet glorious days, however, I remain hopeful that there will be a lot more of them. 

Unfortunately, due to the smoggy pollution situation, right now the sky in Bedfordshire is a grim grey, so in an attempt to bring back that carefree summer feeling, I decided to share with you my March purchases. 

I admit that for the beginning of my new Summer wardrobe, color is a bit sparse, however whenever Winter comes around, I get stuck in a monochrome phase (with the odd splash of green, my favorite color) so this is my wardrobes slow transformation into a colorful butterfly. 

Top Right to Bottom Right (clothes) 

- H&M Ain't No Pug T-Shirt 

- Topshop Blue Black Moto Leigh Jeans

- Miss Selfridge Chartreuse Belted Short  

From Top to Bottom: 

-River Island Monochrome Cherub T-Shirt (bought in store, cannot find online, but will keep looking)

-Remington Pearl Pro Curl 

-River Island Bardot Top 

New Look Iridescent Chunky Chain Necklace 

Top to Bottom:

- Regal Rose Crystal Cluster Stacking Rings 

The Rogue and the Wolf The Queen of Hearts Crown Ring in Black

Left to Right: 

 - Barry M Classic Matte Nail Paint in Burgundy Crush

 - Seventeen Rock Hard Nail Effects in Grey 

- Barry M Classic Black Nail Paint 

I'm so happy with this haul, especially the curling wand. I've recently drastically changed my hair (all to be revealed, however if you follow me on Instagram @STEPHANIESOFOKLEOUS you'll get a preview) and really wanted to see what it looked like curled. It took me forever to actually find a curling wand that had good reviews, but I finally stumbled across this one on Amazon. Not a bad review insight, and only £22, I just had to get it. 

I guess this is more of a capsule start to my Summer wardrobe; a collection of things that I can mix and match, and are just really handy to have. The two t-shirts look really good with the jeans, or with a faux leather pencil skirt, whilst the bardot top adds a more formal look to the jeans, and contrasts really well with the bright yellow shorts, which are so cute, and I can't wait to style them. 

The rings I have already mentioned in previous post, but I am still so in love with them, and I think they work so well with everything I bought this month. 

In regards to the nail varnishes, they're not the summeriest of colors I know, but I've needed a black nail varnish for ages, an I will always go back to Barry M for my classic colors. I also love texture nail varnishes, so really wanted to try out one of Barry M's Matte Collection, and whilst I was looking around in Boots, I found Seventeen, and their Rock Hard collection, which I decided to give a go as well. I do plan on doing a post purely for these varnishes, so stay tuned for that. 

I will be doing posts styling all of these items, and as well as product reviews, and a reveal of my new hair. Eeeek. 

So what have you guys been splashing your money on?

Also, I'm getting used to using curling wands, so if you guys have any advice on using them and heat protection, I'd really appreciate it. 

Steph

x x x

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Leather and Lace

Oh my. 290 views already. I would have been over the moon with 10, so thank you to everyone who took the time to look around BS&H, it really means a lot. 

This is my first today-I'm-wearing post. I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture, but the sun is out, and I decided to embrace it and do some outside photography of what I was wearing, seeing as the lighting in my house is so poor. 

 I have a variety of different styles that I like to explore, but looks like this are definitely my favorite. I am a massive lover of black, in fact, until the last few years that's all you would find in my wardrobe. But I think if you are going to wear all black, you really need to play around with the textures.

Here I'm carrying through the Victoriana  trend of Autumn/Winter 2013/14 into Spring, with this lace high-neck top from Zara (it's now sold out, but you can find similar here.) This would look great just wearing a black bra underneath for an evening look, and a leather jacket, but being a size E, I really didn't think that was something I could get away with, so I've teamed it with a black cami top from Topshop instead. 

The faux leather skirt is a recent purchase from H&M that is becoming one of my favorite basic items. It works with so much, and the leather works really well to cut up the lace texture that is flowing from the top down to the tights. I do struggle sometimes to find a non-elasticated skirt that really flatters my curves, and I do worry that I' m going to have to pay ridiculous amounts of money for the privilege, but this skirt is a saving grace, and a massive money saver. I can't find the exact one on their website, but there's a similar one here. 

As for the tights, I'm not sure if you'll be seeing them again, because I love them so much I've worn them within an inch of their life. I wear them with absolutely everything, even just a simple skater dress, and they really add a whole new dynamic. I've had so many compliments and people asking where I got them from, that I'm pretty sure ASOS can thank me for their selling out. They're a unique twist on netted tights, and I think they actually make the outfit. 

Now, this blog is called Blood, Sweat and Heels for a reason, and I think the beasts enveloping my feet can give you a good reason as to why. They're my most recent purchase from Boohoo.com and they are my babies. Being only  5'2, they make me the tallest I think it's possible for me to be without looking like I'm on stilts. I wear chunky heels more than stilettos and I love the gothic feel they add to any outfit, yet not taking away from its femininity. 

Jewelry wise, I accessorized with my Alexander McQueen Ninfea Skull Pendant and my new The Rogue and The Wolf  Queen of Hearts ring.  (I've just discovered this brand on Etsy, they're jewelry is amazingly creative. Go check them out)

Sorry this one's so long, mega well done if you read it all. What's your opinion on wearing all black?If you love it like me, how do you wear it in the Spring/Summer?  I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions. 

Stephanie x x x

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