Vanity Claire | Birmingham Fashion and Beauty Blog

ClaireSeptember 14, 2014

Outfit of the Day: Fluffy Bums

Coat: New Look | Crop Top: Missguided (similar) | Skirt: Primark | Boots: eBay | Bag: Primark

Aloha bitches! So in case you think this OOTD looks a bit familiar, I suppose it is a bit, er, exactly the same as Lauren’s from the other day (which you can see here). What can I say, all-black outfits jazzed up with a duster coat is just our thing now, okay? My new duster also comes from New Look, though mine is a a light crepe material, making it the perfect transitional piece. I’ve worn it nearly every day since I bought it, and like the way it updates any outfit.

Another difference between this outfit and Lauren’s is that my bum is made of fur. Oh yes, Primark have ventured into the world of fluffy skirts this year and I had to grab one as soon as I saw it (despite it still being a pretty sweaty August day at the time and getting a very weird look from the cashier). On the receipt it was listed as part of a 2-piece so I am PRAYING to the gods of ridiculous outfits that there is a matching fluffy jumper, preferably slightly cropped with cropped sleeves. If you’ve seen something resembling that in your local Primark then PLEASE let me know in the comments below because I won’t be happy until I can be head-to-toe fluffball.

The bag is also new, and also of course from Primark. With three different compartments it’s a pretty decent alternative to the Zara city bag, and at only £11 is much more purse friendly. Can I get a BOOYA?

What do you all think of this outfit?

ClaireSeptember 12, 2014

The 8-Piece Winter Wardrobe: Missguided A/W Wishlist

Today I’m sporting a vampy purple lip, the view from my office window is dismal at best, and my only plans for the weekend involve watching X Factor… oh yes, autumn is truly here. Which is actually a good thing, because it means that I get to force another batch of A/W14 goodies on you (go back and read my River Island collection review NOW) (…please). Today it’s the turn of Missguided, who, if you’ve read our blog for a while, you’ll know we love a ridiculous amount. Their latest drop is nothing short of amazing, and I’ve picked my favourite pieces from the collection. With a mix of monochrome knitwear, winter florals and versatile co-ords, there’s plenty of room for mixing and matching. I therefore think picking up just these 8 pieces could create a complete wardrobe re-vamp for the new season. A bold claim I know. But just LOOK…

Fluffy Cropped Jumper and Fluffy Skirt : £14.99 each / Grid Jumper: £17.99

Print Playsuit: £24.99 / Maxi Overlay Playsuit: £34.99

Cropped Ribbed Turtleneck: £17.99 / Floral Cigarette Trousers: £19.99

Aztec Trousers: £19.99 and Aztec Crop: £14.99 / Camel Coat: £39.99

What do you all think of the AW14 collection? Are you convinced my capsule wardrobe claims? Let us know in the comments below!

ClaireSeptember 9, 2014

Outfit of the Day: New Look Duster Coat & ASOS Platforms

Big up to my homegirl Claire for this outfit of the day post, because she has basically influenced it. I’m not sure if I mentioned in my last post where I was wearing these shoes, but Claire and my dear Coventry friends got me these beautiful ASOS dreamboat shoes for my birthday just gone. I have literally not removed them from my feet since then, I love them SO much and they are perfect in every way.

As well as having my back on the shoe front, Claire also introduced me to the wonderful autumn/winter trend that is the duster coat. I’ve well and truly fallen in love, and I invested in my first one this season last weekend. It was actually quite awkward when we both turned up to work on Monday wearing duster coats from New Look, because she had the same idea and got one in dusty pale pink from New Look too! Which, as you may have guessed, is where mine is from. CAN I RAVE ABOUT THIS COAT ANY MORE? No. I absolutely love it, with the fiery passion of a girl who loves duster coats. I really really recommend you go and check their frankly brilliant coat selection out, because you will not be disappointed in any way, shape or form.

I bought this checked wonder for £29.99, which is the biggest bargain of the century. It’s not too thick, so a perfect transitional piece for these weirdly chilly late summer days. I’m enjoying my darker hair with darker colours, so I feel like I can swan about like a bit of a goth in this and feel fabulous. HUZZAH.

I paired it with a leather look tee from F&F, a REALLY old faux-denim skirt from H&M, some faaaaabulous tights sent to me by Luxury Legs (I cannot rave enough about them, they are absolutely brilliant) and my beautiful River Island tote bag (they’re not retailing this badboy online yet as far as I can see).

Will you be donning the duster coat this A/W?

ClaireSeptember 4, 2014

Brand Spotlight: Scent City

A new bottle of perfume is a welcome gift to any fine lady of class -or, you know, either of us – so we were very happy when newly-launched site Scent City got in touch with us about reviewing one of their perfumes. Scent City is a niche online perfume retailer that stocks both men and women’s fragrances from around the world. What I love about the site is the unusual layout; first you choose which category to browse based on which persona – or ‘Urbanite’ – you identify with. Are you Mr Classic, Ms Romance, Mr Tough or Ms High Maintenance? Whichever Urbanite you think represents your attitude and personality, there’ll be a selection of fragrances to choose from, including scents from brands such as Ramon Molvizar and Etat Libre d’Orange.

After careful consideration of the scents available, I opted for Early Roses by Teo Cabanel* which falls under the Ms Romance category (don’t laugh; they needn’t know that I’m an ice queen who once signed a Valentine’s Day card with simply Safe x as a ‘laugh’).

I admit that usually I probably have a natural aroma of Batiste dry shampoo mixed with Cool Original Doritos, but when it comes to artificial smells then I’m a big fan of floral scents. Early Roses, as the name kind of suggests, is therefore perfect for me. With head notes of rose and jasmine, this is a delicate, feminine smell that is light enough to be worn every day.

Early Roses is available from Scent City for £77 for a 50ml bottle, or £98 for 100ml (so you need the 100ml really, THAT’S JUST GOOD ECONOMICS).

Overall I was really pleased with the service by Scent City, and I’m sure the site will become a lot of people’s first port of call for a new fragrance. I think categorising the perfumes as they do is a great idea, and is particularly good if you’re buying a gift for someone else and have a vague idea what they like. Finally, what I think is a really nice touch is the option to request samples by emailing samples@thescentcity.com – this is perfect if you’re not too sure about buying perfumes online (which, admittedly, is a bit like shoe shopping with your eyes closed).

A huge thank you to Scent City for our bottle of Early Roses!

Have any of you tried Scent City yet? Would you buy perfume online?

ClaireSeptember 3, 2014

A Week in Instagram #11

Hi there kids. We’ve been super super busy as of late working on various projects and plotting world domination (we’re close, don’t worry), but when we haven’t been doing that we’ve also been finding the time to take photos of our faces. If you follow us on Instagram then you may have seen all of these snaps already and so you have permission to shout “BOR-ING! One way ticket to Snoozeville, losers” at your screen. If not though, then enjoy this little update post and GET FOLLOWING US at @StylingoUK.

1. Her hair may have gone a more natural colour, but Lauren is still enjoying a salsa to the fake side now and then with her Dirty Looks hair extensions (you can read our Dirty Looks review here)
2. I got my arm pierced recently, and yes, almost everyone hates it. A stranger even stopped me in Morrisons, with a look of horror on his face, to ask me about it – which I thought was rude considering I wouldn’t stop to ask him why he thought his ugly trousers were a good idea.
3. This kimono, courtesy of Celeb Look, has barely left my body since I was sent it. Expect to see this baby in an OOTD soon!
4. Lauren had a birthday recently (doesn’t she look good for 46?) and got treated to these Lush bits. She smells a bit less like a stinky old badger now, so thanks Lush.

5. Nothing makes me happier than a fresh weave.
6. I have the world’s worst sweet tooth, which is a bit of a mare when I’m trying to keep an eye on my eating, so I was verry happy when we were recently sent some of these Slim Fruits sweets to try out. I can confirm they’re actually pretty delicious considering they’re both sugar- and fat-free, though I might have got carried away and ate 2 packs in one go… Still good for me though, right?
7. Following on from our recent post on the A/W trend of duster coats, we’ve both fell in love with them and bought one each. This checked beauty belongs to Lauren and is from New Look.
8. Finally, it was August… and I was wearing a fur collar. That is the tragedy of our British summer, ladies and gents.

Are any of you on Instagram? Leave your usernames in the comments below and we’ll check you out!

ClaireSeptember 1, 2014

Beauty Lab: Skin Perfecting Moisture Cream Review

AHOY HOY,

Hands up if you’re a beauty blogger who is slightly terrible at the whole skincare thang. It’s always tragic to admit it, particularly for fear that the blogging community will run you out of town with makeup brushes in place of pitchforks, but I am very lax when it comes to taking care of my skin properly. It’s something that has come to bite me in my slightly large bottom area, because the other day I discovered my first wrinkle. It’s on my forehead, and I have been furiously researching botox since then.

So, when I was sent some very fancy and posh moisturiser by Beauty Lab, I may have fallen to my knees and screamed ‘ZUT ALORS, THANK YOU TO ALL THAT IS GOOD AND GREAT IN THIS WORLD, PARTICULARLY HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II’. The point of this jazzy bottle of cream is to fight premature signs of ageing (i.e. Granny Lauren’s wrinkly head) and my conclusions are that it is brilliant.

It’s a deeply hydrating cream, which really suits my skin at the moment. I’ve been battling with some pretty horrific eczema over the past 6 months, some of which has been, SO unfortunately, on my forehead, eyelids and mouth (I KNOW IT IS HORRIBLE). I’ve found that it’s really helped with this in particular, and my face eczema has virtually gone after a few weeks of using this bad boy.

While being very hydrating and great (also, it’s not oily in the slightest), it also contains – and I will make a list – some very fancy stuff. Namely:

Liquid diamond
Ruby
Zinc oxide sunscreen
Antioxidants
Vitamins
Collagen tripeptide (what?)
Hyaluron (what again?)

I’m pretty sure that my face is now worth about £1 million after slathering on diamonds and rubies for a week, so I wouldn’t be too surprised if we get some burglaries soon. I’m not really sure what the point of all these things is, apart from the obvious like vitamins, but whatever they’re doing is bloody fantastic.

My head wrinkle has been SERIOUSLY reduced, my skin generally looks brighter, more healthy and somehow more luminous too (must be all of those sparkly gemstones).

While I’m not usually one to comment on packaging (I’m only going to throw it away, who cares), I love the gold of both the bottle and the box it came in. I also appreciate that the bottle is made out of metal and feels weighty – because if I was going to buy this for myself, I would want a bottle that makes me feel as fancy as the product is.

Which brings me nicely onto price. The Beauty Lab skin perfecting moisture cream retails for £40 for a 30ml bottle – i.e not cheap. But, and I’m usually not the one to say this about a pricey product, it really is worth it. When it comes to skincare, it’s so important to find a product that works for you and suits your skin, which this one more than does for me. If you’d like to purchase it, which I thoroughly recommend you do, you can do so here. I’m very excited to explore more of Beauty Lab’s products, I love the look of their Overnight Repair Beauty Cream!

Have any of your fantastic people tried Beauty Lab products? What are your thoughts?

ClaireAugust 27, 2014

River Island AW14 Collection: Best Of

It’s terrifying to think it’s been almost 6 months since we shared our favourite pieces from River Island’s SS14 collection; but believe it or not the seasons have changed, the sales have been and gone, and we’re all just one step closer to old age and death…

On that cheery note, there is a BRAND. SPANKING. NEW. collection of River Island clothes to lust after for the coming season, and of course I feel the need to show you all my favey bits. I really feel like RI have upped their game over the last couple of years, going from being – dare I say it? Yes, I dare – a bit trashy (remember when they used to put unnecessary zips on everything?) to now nailing it pretty much every season. The trends page on the RI website has outlined their key collections for AW14, but there are 3 that stand out for me. Without further ado, here is they:

Preppy Crew
I remember when preppy fashion used to send me to the brink of nausea (evidently I’m just too street), but then the whole 90s Clueless revival thing happened and suddenly I want to be ‘ugh, as if‘-ing all over the place.This collection is mainly made up of classic basics featuring a lot of neutrals, but materials like leather and the odd bit of fur give it a bit of an edge. Tartan also seems to be sticking around again this winter, though the checks are more oversized.

Fades of Grey
I don’t know if a colour counts as trend as such, but I’m still loving the amount of grey and silver that River Island are stocking. As a huge monochrome fan who could quite happily exist only in black and white, this at least will break my wardrobe up a bit and stop me looking too much like Beetlejuice. To take full advantage of the colour’s clean, chic vibe, RI are recommending wearing fully grey outfits with only varieties in shade. When I was a young child (okay, I was 14) I one day decided it would be funny to dress fully in grey and jump in front of my mum while she was hoovering and shout “I AM DUST, HOOVER ME!.. so I’m pretty happy about that idea. I might try to same ‘joke’ 10 years on and see if she finds it as unfunny as she did back then..

Zenista
Peculiar trend name aside, this is basically all about continuing with our love affair with pastel. This season there seems to be a strong lean towards cool lilacs and blues over the minty shades we saw everywhere last year, and again it’s all about textures. Fluff, fur and leather ahoy.

What do you all think about River Island’s Autumn/Winter collection? Let us know in the comments below!

ClaireAugust 22, 2014

Outfit of the Day: Celeb Look Pom Pom Playsuit

Celeb Look Pom Pom Playsuit* | Cow Vintage Denim Jacket | Asos Platform Heels

HI GUYS

It’s Friday, I have had a couple of pints and about 1 tonne of biscuits. Life is good.

Another reason why life is good, is this absolutely GORGEY playsuit that the friendly folk at Celeb Look sent over to us. They also sent Claire a beautiful pink kimono, but I will let her fill you in on that beaut once she’s taken a few outfit snaps.

I have to say, I was never a playsuit fan really. I find them a struggle, especially if there are buttons and zips involved (loo problems, you get me). However, I absolutely adore this one and its the perfect playsuit to just wear during the day, and I have literally spent about 67 hours sitting in a pub garden wearing this lacey number.

Unfortunately, the weather has been SO GRIM here in the Midlands and we have been slowly freezing to death in the big lie they call summer (Claire and I had to have the heating on the other day, what is the point I ask you?). So, I’ve had to wear this EXCELLENT pom pom lace thang with black tights, my favourite ASOS platform heel things and my huge denim jacket that I can seem to remove from my torso no matter how hard I try. I can tell you right now, I am the toastiest girl alive.

Don’t forget you can like Celeb Look on Facebook too girls, they’re a lovely brand and thanks to Rebecca for sending us a few bits and pieces!

What do you think of this beauty and what are your favourite Celeb Look pieces?

ClaireAugust 20, 2014

Brand Showcase | Shop Jeen

Hi folks and brilliant people,

Every now and then, Claire and I enjoy showcasing some of our favourite brands and new finds. I don’t know about you fabulous folks, but I love discovering new brands (and by new, I mean new to me. I’m usually lagging behind the bandwagon pretty spectacularly) and new places to shop. Last week, I was doing my usual ‘OH GOD, I can’t cope with work anymore let me waste 5 minutes pretending to do ‘research’ online’. And while I was doing “research”, I came across my new favourite brand in the whole entire world: Shop Jeen.

So, a little about Shop Jeen before I launch into my favourite products on the site. It was started by 20 year old Erin Yogasundram, who dreamed of starting her own boutique inspired by the internet. Yes gals, Shop Jeen is inspired by things like cats, Ryan Gosling and all of those memey type things that all the kids are getting involved in these days. I have to say, I am SUPER inspired by Erin, and I love that she’s created a startup like this from scratch – big up to the girl bosses am I right?!

Macaron Crop Top | Unicorn Backpack Tee

Fuck What You Heard Tee | Like Kanye Tee

I’ll let all of you fine mommas browse the clothes yourself, because if I included everything that I liked here then we would be here all night an Penguin will have offered me the chance to write my own book on Shop Jeen. While I do love the clothes, it’s the homeware and fankly random bits of nonsense that I absolutely love the most

Tyrion Lannister Necklace | I Woke Up Like This Beanie | Cat Backpack | Girls Best Friend Hip Flask |

Basic Pillow | Good Vibes Only Pillow | OMG No One Cares Pillow | Llama Del Rey Pillow

Of course, as a true Stylingo girl, this stuff appeals to me because it is a little bit tacky. But even so, please you scoundrels, if you do anything today PLEASE go and check out Shop Jeen. I will guarantee that you will be as blown away as I am.

What do you think of Shop Jeen?

ClaireAugust 19, 2014

Poundland Jewellery? Purple Ivy: Pictures & Review

Now, you all know that we’re not fussy in the slightest when it comes to where our stuff comes from, but we have to admit that even we raised our (perfectly drawn on) eyebrows when we heard that Poundland were launching their own jewellery line. Sure we love Poundland for shower gel, hair grips and wicked-sick deals on biscuits, but jewellery for a pound? Was this just a bit too Jezza K, even for us?

However, take a look at these snaps we found on the Poundland website and try to say that you’re not at least a little bit impressed…
The range, called Purple Ivy, features a whopping 82 pieces. These all belong to different trends, listed by Poundland as Lady, timeless elegant pieces; Girl Next Door which is cutesy and feminine; Vintage Colour featuring bold retro-inspired pieces; Mysterious (which we cannot talk about); Nature, containing simple silver and leafy inspired things; and finally, Rustic Animals – which is quite self-explanatory.

I popped into my local Poundland the other day and when I saw they were stocking the range, I decided to try one of the pieces out. I picked up a set of 4 rings which I think are from the ‘timeless’ Lady range. Considering by the time I got the bag home one of the stones had already fallen out, I have to say that I think these do have a time and that time is approximately 25 minutes. However, with that slight grievance aside, the rings that kept their stones are still super pretty:

One thing to note is that I got a Medium, yet they’re a little big even on my massive sausage fingers so the sizings may be a little off in the rings. Overall though I’m pretty pleased with them for a POUND and they’ll make a nice addition to my stacker ring collection (aka that assortment of silver rings that Lauren and the Bonus Jonas regularly find scattered around the house).

(Told you I had massive sausage fingers.)

So what do you all think of Poundland’s jewellery range? Would you buy it? Let us know in the comments below!