Skulls and Daisies with the Balagan Group 2013/14 Collection

So the lovely people at the Balagan Group were kind enough to send me a selection of pieces from their 2013/14 collection. 

One thing I love about the Balagan group is that all of their jewellery is hand made. It's so refreshing to hear about a brand like this, in among a sea of products made by machines or made abroad. 

If that wasn't enough, the Balagan group's philosophy is 'Jewellery for self-expression.' 

I couldn't agree more. 

With statement jewellery being the trend of the season right now, more than ever we're looking at how necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings and even head pieces can express our own unique identity, whether it's your mood, your passions or your style. 

Balagan means 'chaos', and even though there's such a huge selection of jewellery to choose from in this collection, there was no chaos involved in choosing the pieces that I thought would help express me and my style. 

As you can see, the collection varies dramatically from one piece to the next. 

My ultimate favorite is the Silver Holly Leaf necklace from the Blowing in the Wind collection. The leaf pendant itself is gorgeous, but I also love the delicate silver chain with tiny rings placed along it. 

I've also had many complements on the interlocking ring, just because it's so different. Usually I like to wear a lot of rings on one hand, but I think this ring looks perfect by itself. 

The skull pieces I chose because I thought they were incredible cute, with just enough grungy essence to suit my own personal style. The earrings are tiny, but look really good mixed with a selection of other earrings on the ear where I have multiple piercings, and the droop earrings are perfect for a night out, adding just a touch of glamour. They're the kind of earrings that annoyingly leave people starring for ages at your ear as they try and figure out what they are. 

With daisies being SO on trend at the moment,  I felt like I had no choice but to request the earrings and necklace. They're so delicate and simple, but add a little bit of kitsch to an outfit.You can also never go wrong with floral earrings really. 

Lastly, but certainly not least are the Opal earrings. I chose these simple because of the colour. Pastels and brights are massively on trend at the moment, and I couldn't help but feel that these were the best of both worlds. I adore how the colours change in the light, and considering I have a very monochrome based wardrobe (a habit I'm trying very hard to break) these are a perfect addition of colour. 

At the moment, the Balagan group is just a wholesale jewellery supplier, BUT as we speak they are in the process of setting up an online retail store called the Karma Cafe, so as of yet, these products aren't available for purchase, but watch this space. 

Let me know what you think of the products, and if you've come across any amazing jewellery brands lately. 

Steph x x x

READ MORE

Jewellery Lust

Hello lovelies. For today’s post, I've decided to share with you beautiful people two amazing jewellery brands that I've discovered in the last few weeks or so.

 For me, when it comes to jewellery, I love anything really unique and different. Sometimes I think an epic piece of statement jewellery can make an outfit, and some of my favorite outfits are ones where I dress quite simplistically, but team it with a really unusual necklace or ring.

 These two brands definitely fit into that category. 

I fell in love with them the moment I saw them. They're the kind of brands where you just want to own absolutely EVERYTHING. So far, I have a piece from each brand, and am slowly working on building up my collection. 

 So the first brand is The Rogue and the Wolf on Etsy. Set up by Eloise H.R and Michael W, these creative geniuses seem to take a lot of inspiration from fairy tales and their love of wild things. From antlers and cat skulls to silver daggers and brambles, their pieces wouldn't look out of place on Maleficent (who by the way is the most badass Disney villain. CANNOT WAIT for the film.) 

 The second brand is Regal Rose. Run by twin sisters Rebecca and Louisa, I feel this brand is part of an emerging fashion trend that consists of the celestial, the mysterious and the romantic. Think crystals, moons, stars and precious stones. Those four elements on their own sound very ‘peace and love’, but Regal Rose adds a slightly grungy element with their use of hard metal that gives their pieces an edge. 

 From The Rogue and the Wolf I bought the Queen of Hearts Crown Ring (as an Alice in Wonderland obsessive, this was a must) and from Regal Rose, their Crystal Cluster Stacking Rings in white acrylic.

So seriously, if you're looking to add a bit of excitement to your jewellery collection, go check out these brands, I guarantee you'll want it all. 

Steph x x 

READ MORE