7 Ways To Spring Clean Your Actual Life

A little while ago I wrote about detoxing your wardrobe with a spring clean. Who really needs 3 pairs of last years Topshop Joni jeans? They've probably gone saggy around the bum anyway... But whilst your sartorial space might now be in shape for the spring-summer seasons, your life might just be as cluttered as ever. From toxic relationships that are getting you down, to bills that you've hidden in your drawer and 'forgotten' about, everything in life can get a bit stale if it hasn't been dealt with in a while. So whilst it's the weekend, there really is no better time to get a grip of everything and spring clean your actual life. It's a practice that is great for emotional wellbeing. Yes, I'm aware that I sound like an utter lifestyle hippy, but trust me that it feels good. So hey, why don't you go get yourself vile tasting kale and spirulina juice and put a 'rainforest sounds' playlist on your Spotify whilst you're at it. 

Clear out your living space 

Yes, this is technically just spring cleaning. But get it done. Tidy room, tidy mind, as they say. Throw out anything you don't need. Be brutal and get rid.

Learn to say No

People tell us that being a yes person is the way forward. I'm calling bullshit on this entirely by telling you there's nothing more liberating than saying no sometimes. There's been an endless amount of times I've ended up on a night out or in a bar wishing I was doing something else, but went along just because I felt obligated to say yes or thought I would have fun. Don't feel guilty for saying no. You can be selfish and put yourself first.

Struggling for ways to say no without sounding completely blunt? Check out 25 ways to say no, a definitive list that includes excuses like "I would like to say yes to everything, but I'm not that stupid" and "It would cause the slow withering death of my soul." It's fine, you can thank me next time your mates get stranded at a crap house party and you're at home chilling out catching up on Poldark.

Sort Your Paperwork

There's a drawer in my bedroom called the drawer of doom. Anything and everything that has no real place goes into that drawer, including all of my bills, receipts and letters. Go through all of your bills and order them in date and put them in a folder. Section your letters out too into themes like hospital appointments, university letters, etc. At least this way when you get a letter from the debt collectors about your overdue store-card payments you wont spent half an hour of extra stress looking for your statements... Have a look at The Pretty Blog's free printable organising headers.

Review your finances

Now you've sorted your bills, bank statements, wage slips, make a spreadsheet of all of your money coming in and going out. This is especially necessary for freelancers like myself. Plus, it's easier to identify how and where you can save money and cut costs. Do you really need that Venti Starbucks Latte? I'm pretty sure you'll only drink half of it anyway... 

Stop letting yourself feel sorry for yourself

It's easy to wallow in self pity when things go wrong or we aren't where we want to be. So stop with the pity parties. It's a completely counterproductive way of spending your time. But if you really are feeling that crappy, then spend the day doing things for you. Whether it's having a bath, getting a massage, or binge watching Gossip Girl on Netflix, spend the time doing things to make you feel good instead of doing absolutely nothing, then freaking out about doing nothing.

Make you-time

Be a basic bitch and have that bubble bath complete with yankee candles. Zero judgement.

Re-evaluate your friends

Harsh but true. Have that one friend that keeps bailing on you? That one friend that only wants to see you when something is going on in their life? Or that one friend that just makes you feel like crap? Eliminate them from your life. You'll feel so much better without that negativity. Toxic relationships are draining and stressful so increase the time you spend with the people that appreciate you and make you feel good. When saying "see ya" to bad friends, sassy hair flicks and bitch faces are encouraged.

Now go out into the world, do some yoga, and drink that soy latte like there's no tomorrow... 

Your Spring Layering Essentials Sorted

Miss Selfridge Jacket* | Miss Selfridge Jeans* | Miss Selfridge Top* | Topshop Shoes | Forever 21 Bag | ASOS Sunglasses

The sun shines brightly, blossom litters the street, beer gardens are filling up, and my mind is going into complete and utter overdrive because I can't work out if it's still too cold and windy to wear a shirt dress without tights. Is the risk of flashing my underwear to many unsuspecting commuters too much?. Yes, springtime in Britain is here, and it's brought with it a multitude of fashion dilemmas.
Am I hot? Am I cold? Do I need a jacket? What jacket? What do I wear under the jacket? But what about knitwear? All of my clothes are black and I feel like a goth rebelling against the blue skies. Spring weather is totally unpredictable. Last weeks mini heatwave saw a swarm of men getting out their pasty chests at a local park near you, this week I've retired back to mu trusty knits. You need to be equipped with some smart pieces that are adaptable in any wardrobe to layer up and down when the time calls. So here's the 401 on the things you need to get you through through spring.

The Belted Duster Jacket

My number one essential item for layering in SS15 is the belted duster coat. Part kimono, part dressing gown, part duster coat, it has the versatility to work with any outfit. It works layered over knits and t-shirts on those winter-reminiscent colder days, and then thrown over a cami dress to cover up when the sun disappears on warmer days. The utility silhouette and khaki shade of this duster from Miss Selfridge keeps the look loose and casual, so you'll definitely be catching me wearing this open with a bralette and some tailored trousers on a night out for a bit of boudoir-meets-utility style dressing. 

The Sleeveless Roll Neck 

Spring's answer to everyones favourite Autumn/Winter piece, the Roll Neck. There's still the same old retro appeal you get from wearing a long-sleeved one, just you won't be sweating so much if the sun decides to rear its shiny head. Girls with big boobs rejoice, the figure-hugging shape is a totally flattering silhouette.

Jeans

We all know by now that denim everything is one of the biggest trends for SS15. So it's only natural that the humble jean earns its rightful place in spring layering essentials. Be they classic skinny or this seasons favourite silhouette, the flare, jeans are the easiest and most durable way to work springtime layering. Miss Selfridge have really upped the ante with their Denim Lounge.  Introducing four new signature fits, there's plenty of styles to choose from to start as the foundation for your layered look.

5 Things To Do When You Feel Like A Massive Failure

Do you ever go through those phases - be it just a few hours or even a few weeks - where you think you're a complete and utter failure? I'm not talking #epicfail putting Savlon on your toothbrush or spilling your Honest Burger down your new Cos shirt. I'm talking about that "oh my god what am I even doing here I'm failing at life I just cant even anymore!" panic that floods all over you like a giant salty wave, knocking off your sunglasses and taking your bikini top with it. It leaves you feeling panicky, confused, and well, just a bit exposed. 

To be truthful, I have these phases a lot. It comes as part of the parcel of being a twenty-something graduate working in a creative industry, living in London and trying to build a life/career that's as glossy as my instagram makes it out to be. Sometimes I can't ignore the voice in the back of my head that's saying "You can't do this" because ultimately, it's hard to argue with a voice that's your own. 

Don't Blow It Out Of Proportion

Are you guilty of this? I certainly am. When something doesn't work out, like you don't get the job you interviewed for, it's easy to be counterproductive and doubt your capabilities. But this doesn't mean there was something wrong with you, it just means that there was someone else they saw as a better fit. You don't know the other side of the story, so don't make it up in your head. 

Instead, think about everything else that you have accomplished- I bet that it's more than you think. Whenever something goes a little tits up for me this is the first thing that I do. So I didn't get that job, but I did get a distinction in my Masters degree, and I have some exciting freelance work coming up. Plus, the interview was really great experience and I'll be much better prepared for the next one. Suddenly, you feel less like a failure when you weigh up exactly how far you've already come.

Acknowledge it and Learn from it 

It's so easy when you're failing at something to gloss over and pretend like it's not happening. That's just a simple coping mechanism. Ignore it and it'll go away, right? Just bury your head in the sand until it all blows over. Wrong. If you know you're failing then just admit it and deal with it. Everyone makes mistakes and messes up sometimes, it's natural. How else do we learn? There's a lot to be learnt from past failures, so work out what went wrong and how you can be better in the future. 

Stop Comparing Your Life To Others

Soooo my best friend just got a promotion at work and is being paid a shit tonne of money and has an amazing title as fancy-pants executive of whatever. LinkedIn keeps emailing me telling me to congratulate her, and although I'm happy for her, all I want to do is feel sorry for myself that I'm not as fabulous as she is. Stop comparing your life to your friends. People work differently and cope differently in certain scenarios. Just remember that everyone's life journey is completely different and there is not one straight route to success. 

Don't be Afraid To Ask for Help

People who feel like failures quite often also tend to be pretty stubborn. Why's that? Because the people who feel as if they are failing are the ones who are too stubborn to ask for help. Pride has a lot to do with this. I have a lot of pride, so asking for someones help sometimes makes me feel like I'm compromising my pride. This is entirely counterproductive, so drop the ego, and just ask for help. 

Everyone goes through this

As I've said before, no journey to success is ever straightforward, and everyone feels like they're failing something at some point. Talking to friends about it helps because it puts it into perspective that everyone's human and everyone has low points. Their stories of how they dealt with feeling like a complete failure will probably help to inspire you to pull yourself together and keep pushing.

What's so Awkward about "Awkward Length" Trousers?

Online retailers have a great way at selling things to us. They like to use pretty words to describe things and make us want to buy their stuff, like floaty, tailored, easy-to-wear, fit and flare, but awkward? That's just a bit, well, awkward, isn't it? It hardly seems the best selling point for a largely commercial online retailer. Yet after just a quick search on ASOS gives you at least 8 results of awkward length trousers. 

So what actually classifies as being an awkward length? Basically, it's a trouser length that's pretty difficult to wear in terms of other traditional trousers and jeans. It falls somewhere between your classic, easy-to-wear ankle length trousers (see what I did there?) and one of the style hero pieces for 2015: the culotte.

I'll admit that wearing these out and about did cause a bit of confusion. The facial expressions that met my face read a little bit like "Are you wearing cropped trousers that are too long for you? No, you're wearing trousers that are too short for you! But wait, you're pretty short, so that can't be possible, can it? I don't know. Your jeans are making my brain hurt." Then they would carry on into the day thinking that they might have to make a trip to Specsavers to clear up any concerns they might have about their vision.

If anything, culottes and midi-skirts are the most awkward length you're going to get (unless you regularly don underwear-skimming mini skirts or enjoy flared trousers that are so long they collect street waste as you walk). They cut off at the most awkward point of our lower leg: right at the widest part of our calves, completely accentuating it. I'd rather not bring attention to the largest part of any of my limbs, thank you. These *awkward* jeans, on the other hand, hit you just above the ankles and have a far more slimming and leg lengthening effect. Plus there's bonus fashion points for nailing the denim trend with the deep indigo hue and frayed edges.

So perhaps we should go about rebranding these length trousers as "surprisingly flattering trousers" instead.


Missguided Jacket* | Forever 21 Top* (similar here)| ASOS Jeans | Zara Mules | Forever 21 Bag* 

Antonio Berardi: Italian Glamour meets London Tailoring

It's always fascinating when people do 180 degree turns. Rejecting a career in medicine for a life as a fashion designer might just be the epitome of pulling a total 180. But that is exactly what Antonio Berardi did. The UK born, Scicilian bred designer combines his roots to create designs that have the ultra feminine essence of Italian design, yet tailored with that unclipped British attitude that can only be nurtured in London. 

For SS15 Antonio Berardi brought the sharp precision cuts from his previous collection forward by twisting them with more ethereal notes. The collection was laden with the designers speciality: dresses. There were plunging V-necks, gowns with thigh-high slashes, and origami-style skirts with razor sharp pleating. Everything crafted by Berardi is always red-carpet ready, so it's no surprise that his celebrity fan-base includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lawrence and Jennifer Anniston to name just a small few (and if you have a spare ��'s you can even buy Jen's red carpet dress here!)

The inspiration for all of the glamour that infuses every collection? His family, surprisingly. Berardi's mother's style was always impeccably ladylike in the way a stereotypical Italian woman's might be. For this reason, his designs have always celebrated the female form by enhancing natural curves.  Considering Berardi grew up in a  fashion conscious environment with family that often hand-stitched and embroidered their own clothes, his life 180 degree turn may not seem quite such a surprise after all. 

The everyday battle we face with with beauty/body image

It's often said that we are our own harshest critic. The new Dove France campaign highlights exactly how brutal our inner critic can be. By now I'm sure you've heard of their #OneBeautifulThought campaign. If you haven't, here's the round up: in the ad, some women are asked to write down all of the crappy things they think about themselves on a daily basis, then they were then invited back to a coffee shop where they 'accidentally overheard' two women (who were actually actresses) having a conversation where they said to each other some of the horrible things these women had written down about themselves. Unsurprisingly, the women who overheard this were horrified to see these two actresses saying such bitchy things to each other so in such a blase manner over coffee. The advert ends by asking: �When was the last beautiful thought you had about yourself?�

https://www.youtube.com/embed/3tM2Z0-zFcw

Naturally, as a bit of a cynic, I find myself feeling slightly sceptical about this advert seeing as the women in the ad are so naturally beautiful in their individual ways. I can't help but think that Dove France might have taken a slightly patronising route once again in their advertising. But then perhaps another point this advert highlights is that no matter how beautiful we might see someone as, all women have insecurities and worry about their perceived imperfections? This new Dove campaign got me thinking about my own love/hate relationship with beauty and body image, so since waking up this morning I decided to write down every shitty thought I had about myself today and share it here on the internet with you guys. As a comparative balance, I also wrote down any "beautiful thought" that I had about myself today. 

So here goes.

"You look fat today"

"Your feet are so small they look like pigs trotters"

"I swear you've gained weight on your armpits. Didn't even know that was possible"

"You're so fat"

"Your forehead is so big it's like a tombstone. Think how pretty you'd look if it was smaller"

"Your hairline looks like a balding 50 year old man's"

"Your thighs are like big fleshy chicken drumsticks from KFC"

"When did your face get so fat around your mouth?"

"You're too ugly to do vlogs. Nobody would want to watch you"

"You'd be more successful if you were 10lbs lighter"

"You're not naturally pretty"

"Your head is the shape of a giant round egg"

"Your eyes are really set back in your head"

"One of your eyes is so much smaller than the other like it's been stuck mid-wink"

"Your wide arse looks like a squashed loaf of bread on the reduced aisle in Tesco"

Plus I thought "You're so fat/ugly" about four more times.

And here's the positive:

"Your boobs look good today"

"Your stomach looks flatter today"

"You have nice cheekbones"

"Good job on the eye makeup"

Ouch. So apparently today I wasn't feeling too great. There's definitely an imbalance here. 

Just like the women in the advert, when reading these personal insults back out loud I laughed in shock. Am I really that bad? It almost seems laughable that my brain criticises myself so strongly and frequently everyday. Would I actually expect anyone to say these things to me IRL? No. Would I ever say these things to anybody else? Never, because I'd never want to hurt someone with such cruel words. So why are we saying these things to ourselves on a daily basis? 

The truth is, we don't see the good in ourselves that others might. But when I'm with my friends I only ever focus on the things about them that I find beautiful, because they are the only things I can see. Their flaws are invisible to me (unless they are seriously hungover with last night's makeup on and kebab debris around their mouths). What's so shocking is how much we mentally bully ourselves over our appearances and that it's become so ingrained within our daily routine of doing our makeup, looking in the mirror, walking down the street that it's difficult to escape. Our perception of beauty is so warped by magazines and instagram and everything else that's around us that we are constantly internally criticising ourselves for not being perfect. 

Next time you mentally berate yourself, just think about what you're really saying. Remember that we all have these thoughts, but it's probably only you that sees such a deep level of imperfection. Cynicism aside, one of the last questions the Dove campaign poses is something you really should ask yourself next time you're mind is screaming "You're so fat!" at your reflection: �If it�s not acceptable to say to someone else, why say it to ourselves?�

Act Casual

As fun as it is getting dressed up and feeling as chic as Carrie Bradshaw walking down 5th Av., I always get some enjoyment from completely pared-back casual dressing. Maybe it's because I'm a little bit lazy? Nobody wants to make the effort all of the time. My off-duty uniform always involves black skinnies and an oversized shirt or t-shirt with loose bed-hair waves.
These shots were taken over in a dance studio in Woolwich by the wonderfully talented photographer Ella H. One of the things I find about being a fashion blogger is the importance in working with photographers that you have chemistry with and that make you feel comfortable. What I've learnt the hard way is that if you feel uncomfortable or like a dick whilst posing for someone then you're more than likely going to look like a dick in the pictures! Believe me, when I first started shooting my outfits I definitely had a severe case of Awks Face. Luckily I'd worked with Ella before, and although I'm clearly no model, I've posed in front of a camera so many times before now that I no longer feel like a complete self-obsessed wanker. Hope you enjoy these shots!

Beauty Confessions of a Fashion Blogger

There's a few myths that surround fashion bloggers. One that I'm always facing is the automatic assumption that we are also obsessed with beauty products and are dying to get our hands on the latest facial serums that probably contain the placenta of a rare and exotic sheep that can only be born via miraculous conception like the baby Jesus. And who can blame people for thinking this? When the fashion industry is based so heavily on appearance it seems only natural to think that I'd indulge in the latest beauty trends too. But whilst for many fashion bloggers the world of fashion and beauty go hand in hand, I'm in no rush to go all Harry Styles on you and put some sheep guts on my face. In fact, far from it. I can categorically state that I fall somewhere far beyond the realms of beauty expertise. I might love the power of makeup, but don't let this glossy exterior fool you: I'm a secret beauty slob. So without further ado, here are all of the dirty beauty confessions of this particular fashion blogger.

• I nearly always forget to take my makeup off at night. I can hear the gasp of a thousand disgusted beauty bloggers. You know that 6 step night time skincare routine?  Never heard of it. I usually just crawl into bed only to realise my makeup is still on when I'm all wrapped up in my duvet like pulled pork in a toasted burrito. There's no retrieving me from that state. I know, I'm lazy and gross. This leads me to the next one... 
• But I do sometimes use face wipes. When I'm feeling extra special. But I keep being told this is a complete cardinal sin of the beauty world? So perhaps I'll just stick to falling asleep with my mascara on. 
• Okay fine I sometimes use Clinique too. But only when I have night-time showers... 
• I take great delight in squeezing any spots or blackheads that I might get. It's brilliant. Whoever doesn't enjoy this is a liar.
• I let other people squeeze my spots or blackheads. Because some other people like to get in on the gooey action too. After all, sharing is caring.
• Then I don't really ever cleanse afterwards. What can I say? Maybe I like clogged pores.
• When money is a bit tight and I need new makeup, I'll just head to the department stores to 'try samples'. Over and over. Until the woman at Selfridges eventually recognises me and the fact she's given me 10 sample bottles of their latest release foundation... 
• I'll wear makeup to the gym. Not a full face with lipstick too, but I'd happily slap some BB cream and mascara on. My gym is 4 whole tube stops away, and that's 4 whole stops I don't want to be caught out feeling ugly and gross. 
• I basically wear the same makeup everyday/night. It's just a slight variation of the smokey eye and cat flick, dependent on how sexy and adventurous I'm feeling. So don't be expecting any makeup tutorials on my youtube channel because it'll most likely be pretty limited! 
• I bite my nails. It's a habit I've kicked three times, but always sunk back into. Of course I'm completely aware that it's meant to be as germy as licking a toilet seat, but apparently so are men's beards, and that's never stopped me from kissing a bearded man before. 

Are you a self confessed beauty slob like me? Go on, tell me your secrets... 

Slouchy Tailoring & Trainers

Missguided Pinstripe Blazer* & Trousers* | Zara Bag | Topshop Top | Lacoste Trainers*

 

Suits can be so formal sometimes they err into the territory of the banal and boring. Especially pinstripe ones. And who can blame us in think this? You only need to talk a walk around the financial district in London to see a severe overspill of balding city bankers overspilling from the waistbands of their pinstripe suit trousers after one too many expensive client dinners at Duck & Waffle. Of course they can also be totally sexed up red-carpet style (Yves Saint Laurent Le Smoking anyone?) but when you go for slouchy tailoring and pair it with a pair of clean white Lacoste trainers, you get an almost entirely different look. It's what pared-back scandi-chic styling is all about.
Lacoste's classic Carnaby silhouette is reintroduced into the women's collection this season as part of the heritage court trend. The court-inspired style comes in a classic monochrome palette with croc-embossed leathers contrasted against the subtle nude lining and retro gum outsole. But it wouldn't be a classic Lacoste shoe without the crocodile embroidered on the side, of course.

For those of you youtube lovers out there, I've finally got round to creating a Youtube Channel. I'm a complete newbie and it's currently in the first stages, so no judgement for the lack of knowledge around the whole Youtube phenomenon. There will be loads of exciting new things coming up on my channel, from fashion how-to's, some lifestyle bits and bobs and maybe even a bit of beauty (although it's a well known fact I only ever wear the same hair and same makeup so that's probably going to be pretty limited...)

You can subscribe to my Youtube channel now to make sure you're the first to see the newest collabs and projects!

photos by Carl Thompson