Thank you ASOS!!

After a rather hectic incident involving running around with no pants on and a few days of waiting, I have finally received my Access All ASOS package!

It almost arrived on Friday, but having just woke up in a t-shirt and undies I had to frantically run around trying to find some pants to slip in to. I finally managed to find some hidden under the mounds of clothes on my floordrobe, put them on (backwards) and ran downstairs only to find one of those pesky red notes telling me I had to wait until Monday to pick it up. But I got it in the end!!

(please excuse the grainy picture that has been blown up from my phone)

I thought that the hand written note was really sweet and it showed that the ASOS team actually took notice of what was on everyone's applications. I'm currently testing out the nail polish - I love the colour but it's taking ageeees to dry and although I'm not really a jewellery person, I think this 'LOVE' necklace will be the perfect start to my collection! 

I can't wait for all the invitations to start rolling in. So far we'd had three, two of which I've shown an interest in, but I don't know if I'll get picked. Fingers crossed!!

xxx

I'm an ASOS Insider!!!

A short while ago (I've been rather busy recently so I've completely lost track of time) I applied online at ASOS to join their Access All ASOS team. Obviously I never thought I'd actually become one and I totally forgot about it, but then yesterday I received an email to tell me that I'd been successful!

For those of you that don't know, Access All ASOS is the opportunity for a selection of their most loyal fans to gain access to the latest news and information from ASOS. This includes their new collections, chances to visit ASOS HQ and supposedly the odd freebie or discounts. Sounds appealing, right?

I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of this and I really hope I get the opportunity to take part in some of the stuff they have on offer. It's only just kicked off, but I hope to let you know if I get to participate in any of these amazing events. Applications for 2013 have now closed, but they'll be taking on more applications next year so keep your eyes peeled!

Step Up New Look

New Look has slipped under my radar for quite some time now, but after browsing around on their website and nipping in to store a few weeks ago, my system is blinking and telling me that this is going to become my new go-to shop for affordable but on trend pieces!

Many of my shopping hours have been spent frustrated over how expensive the likes of Topshop and Urban Outfitters are, but never satisfied with the replicas that the likes of Primark offer. Enter New Look. I'm a fan of the prices, the quality and the clothes! Should I feel bad that I've always underestimated this brand? Well, here's how I'm making up for it. I've pulled together a tonne of style surprises from their website, which I wouldn't be surprised to find in the more expensive, edgy high street shops.  

1. Chunky Black Heels

2. Chiffon Cami

3. Asymmetric Wrap Skirt

4. Black Embroidered Dress

5. Biker Coat

6. Geometric A-Line Skirt

7. Jacquard High Neck Cami

8. Chunky Gladiator Sandals

I already own the two cami's. I thought that £18 for the one's in Topshop were a bit too expensive for just a simple vest, but the £5 one's in Primark were a really odd fit. So I was met in the middle by New Look who offered me this chiffon cami for just £10. I've also been a bit of a jacquard fan recently, so the other vest was perfect for me!!

I'm in love with both pairs of shoes, and they look like something you'd spot in Topshop!! The dress featured is also the spit of this Urban Outfitters dress that I was lusting over for months but refused to part with £52 for.

How do you feel about New Look? Are there any other stores that you underestimated for some time?

Kimono Krazy!

Fabulously flowy, delightfully delicate and beautifully bohemian! I'm in love with this oriental inspired trend. To be honest, I love anything that's going to add a bit of a boho vibe to an outfit, and with the glorious weather we're having at the moment, minus the terrestrial rain, the next-to-nothing material and loose fit is perfect to avoid any unattractive sweating, whilst still looking like the cool kids at Coachella. 

Kimonos are available practically everywhere at the moment, and you'll find them in all sorts of styles, from the traditional oriental florals to bang-on-trend modern neons! Here's a round up of my favourite kimonos to suit all occasions, as well as how I styled up my own knitted version!

Formal

1. Black Lace Kimono - New Look, £19.99

2. Blazer Kimono - ASOS, £40

3. Mono Kimono Jacket - Urban Outfitters, £50

 Modern

1. Lime Embroidered Kimono - Topshop, £65

2. Blue Mandala Print Kimono - Motel or ASOS, £45

3. Vintage Floral Kimono - ASOS, £65

4. Textured Stripe Kimono - ASOS, £50

Traditional 

1. Bird Print Kimono - Topshop, £55

2. Oriental Kimono - Miss Selfridge, was £55 now £30

3. Canton Kimono - Motel, £48

And here's how I styled my Topshop knitted kimono. I love the burnt orange colour!!

What's your opinion on kimono's? Love the oriental look, or think they're best left for fancy dress?

Intern Diaries: Week 2

The tasks for my second week as an intern were similar from the first week. The whole internship has involved a lot of social media. I'm happy I get such a big role when it comes to this and I am completely trusted to update all the social networking websites with whatever I want! I even set the brand up with a Lookbook account. 

Here's how my week went:

Day 1 - The first day of the week saw us photographing all the shoes we didn't get the chance to shoot at the weekend. We also made a fun little video of us dancing around in the shoes. There was some seriously funky footwork going on! Only a few of the shoes were my size so I don't think I can quite call myself a foot model just yet.

Day 2 - I had to upload pictures of all the sale items to our Facebook and Pinterest pages. This was a pretty tedious task but I guess it's the interns job to do all the nitty gritty stuff. I was also given the task of creating a few mood boards for the new collection whilst looking after the shop. We finally received the shots from the photo shoot at the weekend, so another tedious job was lined up - uploading all the items to ASOS Marketplace. Hurrah!

Day 3 - As well as becoming a foot model this week, I also gave hand bag and scarf modelling a try. All these pictures were also uploaded to ASOS Marketplace. More social media work was done, and it was today I set up the Lookbook account! I also started using their Chictopia account again which had been lying dormant for quite some time. 

Day 4 - My final day! Myself and some of the other interns spent the day in the shop whilst working on the brand's social media. We even got cake because it was on of the interns' birthdays over the weekend! It was a nice final day to have despite the weather welding my bottom to my seat! 

I really enjoyed my time and I feel like I learnt so much in such a short space of time. Of course I'd love to intern at bigger companies, but it's true that you get a real hands on experience on smaller brands because the team is so much smaller! Everyone was so friendly and I intend on going back for another two weeks later on in the holidays, but I need to time to relax and catch up on my college work first!

Please leave any questions, I'd love to hear from you!!

Intern Diaries: The Photo-shoot

Don't get your hopes up thinking that this was some high end, glamorous photo shoot. It wasn't. All the prep was done in the tiny office, the shots were done just outside our building using only a camera, and we had about sixty different outfits with three different make-up looks on two different models to shoot in the space of about six hours. Talk about hectic!

My job was primarily just to carry the masses of clothes around with me to allow for super fast changing, with a few opinions on the styling and direction of the shoot thrown in. I found myself peering over the photographers shoulder to get a peep of the photos - and they looked fab! It's amazing what a bit of make-up, some natural light and a decent camera can do! They're gonna be the coolest shots on ASOS Marketplace - watch out!

It was great to be able to get so involved with the photo shoot, even though the brand is only small, and the team even tinier. I'd love to be able to experience a full on glam editorial for Vogue, but that's setting my hopes a little to high, don't ya think? Regardless, the whole day was so much fun and the lovely weather made it even better!

The shoot just consisted of product shots for ASOS Marketplace, so it was quite technical in that we had to show off the clothes accurately, with views from all angles, and we had to apply the no flash and no editing rules that ASOS enforce. We gathered quite a crowd! The professionals on the shoot such as the make-up artist and male model were confused as to why people found this interesting but it isn't something you see everyday! At least I haven't seen a shoot take place before. If I was one of them I'd be stopping and staring too! Heck, I'd put my jacket on the ground and sit and watch!!

It was a loooong day. I arrived at 10am, and didn't leave till 8pm. We weren't expecting it to take so long but it was well worth it. The shots look great, it was a fun day and I can now say I've assisted on a photoshoot. Win win all round!

Intern Diaries: Week 1

So I managed to land myself an internship (which are pretty damn hard to find up here in Manchester) with a small start up brand based in the city centre. I was really happy when I found out I'd got it, because I had no experience what so ever, and they always say the first internship is the hardest to get, probably for that reason. 

I'm only there for two weeks, but hopefully I can go back later on in the holidays for another two weeks (as I'm pretty sure my best friend and my boyfriend are on holiday at the same time which is going to be mega torture for me, I need to keep myself occupied). 

So here's what I did in the first week:

Day one: A nervous me walked in to the studio, but was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone there was very nice and friendly, and I wasn't given too big a task on my first day. Myself and the other interns (who had already been there for a a week or two before me) were given plain t-shirts to customise and let our creative juices flow. It was a nice relaxed first day.

Day two: We started off the day by sketching some designs for the new collection, and then we were sent out to snap some street style shots (wow, talk about alliteration!) which we were very unsuccessful with because it was really early and no one was about. :( I had to do little errands throughout the day like nipping to the bank, and putting stickers on a huge pile of lookbooks. Then I was given the task to create a print for the upcoming collection which I was really excited about, although the speed of the computer that I was working on made the experience rather frustrating, and the fact I was using macs which I've hardly used before. I was also sent to work in the shop they have in Affleck's for a couple of hours.

Day three: I spent the first half of the day working on the different social media websites the brand has which included making a Pinterest board, and a sort of 'steal her style' celebrity look sheet using pieces from the brand, which I then uploaded to their Facebook page. When I came back after my lunch break, a photo shoot for ASOS Marketplace was being organised which I helped with, then we all spent the rest of the day styling for the shoot which was so much fun!! I can't wait to actually attend the shoot and assist with everything! :D

Day four: Today was a very tiring day. I write this having just woken up from a nap. The morning was spent locating all the items that we needed for the shoot which was a huge task considering the amount of clothes that are crammed in to such a tiny office space. After this I was sent to work in the shop, where I spent my day on the laptop checking the social media sites, and I also got to create my 'pick of the week' from the items in store, as well as an outfit post on ASOS Fashion Finder and I also did some more designs for the upcoming collection. 

I think working for a small brand is really great because you get much more of a hands-on experience. I wasn't expecting to be given so much responsibility. I was half expecting to be stuck in a little corner with a list as long as my arm of mundane little tasks to do, but so far I feel like I've really contributed to the brand and learnt a lot. The hours are quite long, but I only work 4 days a week, and the experience is definitely worth it!

I hope you've enjoyed reading about the first week on my internship, and that this post wasn't too lengthy. I will have another post up by Monday talking about my experience on the photo shoot, and then another post up next Friday covering my second week as an intern! So please check back if you'd like to hear more!! :)

Please leave any questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you! xx

Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model: Devastated!!

This is post is well overdue! I started it and then saved it in my drafts to return to another day, but never did. Oops! 

Bascially, I was just going to rant about how jealous I was of the girls for being able to work with those hot male models (and topless may I add!). And also that I'm devastated that Jess went home. She was probably my favourite, on par with Naomi, and to see her go home to my least favourite (Abigail) was just too heartbreaking. I don't like Abigail's look; I don't think she looks like a model and she should have gone home. I definitely think they made the wrong decision, and I'm going to miss Jess in tonight's episode.

What do you think? Are you happy that Jess went home?