TTIL (Ten Things I Love) Oct '10

 So as my second post, I thought it would be a good idea to do a super long post on ten things I am loving this month as the first in a series. Hopefully, this will give you an idea of my sense of style etc and help you get to know me better.

WARNING *PIC HEAVY* *EXTRA LONG POST*

1. Trousers – Wow.. I remember the days of the old flared black trouser look we all had going on in the ‘90’s with those chunky platform boots .. oh dear. I think those days put me off trousers for the next decade or so.. until this season when I have discovered a sudden love of the humble trouser. Specifically:

Peg Leg Trousers – These have been around for a couple of seasons now, but I think they have become more wearable in the fall/winter seasons as they have transformed from the slightly dodgy, unflattering chino style peg legs, to beautiful wool blends in neutral tones which in my humble opinion, are much more wearable. A perfect example are these gorgeous Ted Baker peg legs worn here with a grey suede pump. That soft charcoal wool looks so comfortable. If I were lucky enough to own these peg legs, I would pair them with a loose white silk vest tucked in and belted with a cropped blazer and statement necklace to finish off.. *LOVE* There are so many around, and I recently tried on and drooled over some fantastic and affordable peg legs over at Zara and H&M. May pick up a pair with my birthday vouchers woop woop!

Cigarette Pants – “Anything he can do she can do better..” or so it goes in the world of mannish tailoring. So classic, so YSL in the ‘60s.. Again, these have been around for a few seasons, but it was when I saw this pic of Stella McCartney’s take on the slim-fitting, tailored and slightly cropped trouser in soft grey, gorgeous pointed patent pumps and the loose “boyfriend” jumper, that I really wanted a pair for myself. That sounds like an odd thing to say – what I mean is that sometimes I can appreciate a trend for what it is, but know I would never buy or wear it myself. That used to be the case with the CP, but now.. what I would do for a pair of Stella McCartney CPs..!

Shorts – Previously another no-no for me, I mean come on, my chunky, stubby legs in SHORTS *gasp*! But with the whole tailored and luxe fabric thing going on, a pair of sky high platforms and opaque tights later and I am all for it! Check out the leather shorts here by Vanessa Bruno Athe (Zara have some leather ones too at the mo) and also, the slightly more toned down woollen pair by JCrew. So yummy!

2. Ash Italia – This is an Italian shoe brand that is available to purchase in Selfridges and online at My Wardrobe.com and ASOS. The brand combines high fashion with classic Italian shoe quality. We are talking soft soft leather and suede shoes which are beautifully crafted. Ash Italia shoes have been spotted on the likes of everyone from Madonna, Carmen Electra and perhaps most famously, Rihanna. I say most famously as you may recall Rihanna was spotted wearing a converse style trainer with a thick platform heel? Those were Ash shoes – although to be frank I am really not a fan of the trainers-with-a-heel  look myself! Check out the pair I bought recently – the suede is so so soft and smooth I had to refrain from rubbing the shoes across my face! The brown leather detailing is really intricately laid into the shoe and I receive compliments every time I wear these babies.. *LOVE*

3. Leopard Print – A splash of leopard print can transform a plain outfit. Leopard print is soooo hot right now particularly in the world of accessories. Think the Mulberry Alexa small shoulder bag, or the Christian Louboutin ankle boots that various celebs have been rocking recently. I, on the other hand, have made do with my grey leopard printed scarf from Forever 21, or my leopard print cropped blazer from H & M. I am also planning on posting a leopard print NOTD (Nails Of The Day) tutorial fairly soon so look out for that if you want to go really incognito with the leopard print.

4. Michael Kors Watches – I have been a bit slow on the uptake with the ceramic band Michael Kors watch as it has been around for ages now but I still love it and was lucky enough to receive one as a 30^th birthday present from my parents. I like to wear it slightly loose on my wrist the way men wear their watches. Talking of which, I am still in the habit of borrowing Mr Angel5ace’s Seikos and Breitling from time to time..

5. Gosh lip gloss – I have found myself hovering around the Gosh cosmetics stand at Superdrug quite a bit recently, but couldn’t really justify buying anything as the prices aren’t that great for what is supposed to be a "drugstore" brand and I couldn’t see anything that really appealed to me.. until I saw the Gosh Intense Lip Colour which I bought in a fuchsia colour. Err it has a built in light and mirror!! How useful is that?? I will post a full review and also an FOTD (Face Of The Day) very soon so also look out for that.

6. Kourtney Kardashian – I am a Kim Kardashian fan. I’m not ashamed of that, even though her initial claim to fame is a sex tape with Brandy’s less famous younger brother. I just love her style, her makeup is just the best and I kind of like her honesty too having watched Keeping Up with the Kardashians for the last few seasons *my guilty pleasure* HOWEVER, although I love her style, her big sister Kourtney has really been edging it up fashion-wise at the mo. I have started following her blog just to check out what she is up to and more importantly what she is wearing.

7. MAC 168 brush – I recently left my last job and my colleagues were kind enough to give me some House of Fraser vouchers as a going away gift. I spent them wisely on a couple of MAC brushes. I got the 224 and the 168. The 168 is a fluffy angled blush brush. I will be doing a post on make up brushes in general soon, but in the meantime I just want to proclaim my love for this soft yet precise blush brush – perfect for contouring cheeks and applying just the right amount of blush.

8. Urban Decay Naked Palette – OMG!! This is my favourite of all the favourites in this long long post.. I don’t know what I did before I got this palette. You will be hearing lots and lots more about this in future posts, however, I would strongly urge anyone who is looking for a fantastic quality (better than MAC quality) eyeshadow palette in the most gorgeous, suits-anyone shades to go out and buy this. As an added bonus, you also get 2 colours in the famous 24/7 liners and a miniature primer potion. My remaining makeup collection has never felt more neglected since I got this.

9. Stila No. 15 brush – Lucky enough to pick this up for a mere £6!! It is Mario Dedivanovic (make up artist to the stars) favourite brush and I can totally see why. You basically get a smudger brush/mini-blender/densely packed shader brush all in one!

10. Monica Rose's Blog – Monica Rose is a celebrity stylist who, amongst others, styles the Kardashians as I recently learnt. Her blog is purely fashion based, and as well as discussing what trends and designers she is loving, she also posts details of what her celebrity clients have been pictured wearing. She is particularly good at focusing on up and coming designers and collections.

http://monicarosestylist.blogspot.com/

*PLEASE NOTE: I am not receiving any incentives of any kind for talking about the above items. These are my personal opinions only.