Shearling Hoodie / Abercrombie & Fitch / Similar here or here

Jeans / Topshop / Joni Jeans £36

Top / Abercrombie & Fitch / Similar here

Choker / Primark / £3 set of 6

A&F has always been a fave brand, I've had this top several years so updated it by tying a knot in the side. It's best to size up if you're wanting to do this so you have enough  material to create the knot. Simiarly with the hoodie, I prefer an oversized look and actually wish I got a bigger size - I guess I'll have to get another!

Top / Missy Empire / here £24 (others here and here)

Bottoms / PLT / similar here £15

Choker / Primark / £3 set

If you follow my Instagram, you'll know I'm obsessed with sleeves and these from Missy Empire are just gorge. I'm such a pink gal, so loving the colour too, especially the contrast with the red. You don't have to wear the top off the shoulder, and I will probably wear the top more often with blue jeans.

Top / Glamourous at ASOS / here £36

Jeans / Hollister / similar here £44 (other colours ava)

Choker / Primark / £3 set of changable pendants (recent)

Bralet / Primark / £8 (recent)

I absolutely adore this top! My mum was like 'eh, thats a cover up', but I think that's the beauty of it. Here I've done it up by the tassles with one of those amazing bralets Primark are doing at the moment. I'd also wear it with a normal cami if I wanted to cover up a bit. I'm intending to take this on holiday and use it as a beach or pool cover up too, I love how versatile this top is. 

Not to mention how amazing the sleeves are?! You can't quite tell fom the pictures but the litte circles are filled with silver relective stuff, and I love that! The colours are also neon and bright in person - lush!

1. Nude Lace Embroidered Bodycon Dress / Missguided / £45

This is probably one of my favourite dresses that I ordered. I like it because it still shows your arms, without feeling the chill. The embroidery detail is gorgeous too and a really popular trend lately, it seems to be on everything. I'm not sure if the pictures fully pick up the colours, but the dress itself is a neutral cream colour with beautiful champagne thread - love this little touch.  I think the length is good with this one, I don't like dresses to come below or on the knee because I think it makes me look short - something I don't need since I already look about 14 years old!! The only downside is that the silky lining in the skirt doesn't stay in place very well, it could do with a few more stitches to stop it shifting around when you move. Overall, the dress is beautifully elegant and perfect for seasonal parties and occasions. 

Similar here or here

2. Pink Bandage Contrast Long Sleeve Bodycon / Missguided / £25

This dress is a really odd material, very thick and well structured so it is good for keeping you warm and its gonna hide any lumps and bumps, creating a beautiful silhouette. The striped panels are even more elongating and the blush pink and purples are hot colours at the moment. Something, I think is going to be sticking around for a while. Again, it is a nice length and think a ring necklace would make this outfit. Excuse my hair in these shots, slightly gross and needing a wash!  

3. Luxury Malina Grey Pleated Tie Back Top / Pink Boutique / £28
Luxury Taina Grey Pleated Wide Leg Trousers / Pink Boutique / £32

I love this two piece so much! Anything pleated, give me right now! This does stray from my no skin rule, and therefore I think this is more of a summer outfit, but I just love it. I really wish Pink Boutique did smaller sizes as this is an 8 and is too big for me in all honesty. The leg length is also very long, even with 6 inch heels you'd need to take the bottoms up. It is a very baggy look, so I think the size is okay, especially for feeling cooler in summer. The back of the top is exposed, a tie simply doing up at the back, so there really is a lot of skin bared with this piece. It also comes in blush pink which is what I really wanted but my size wasn't in stock and an electric blue.

4. Addiction Gold Sheer Embroidered Crop Top / Pink Boutique / £19
Flirtation Gold Embroidered Mini Skirt / Pink Boutique / £25

I love this little set! Very similar to the first dress with the champagne embroidery and netting but also has the same shifting around of the skirt lining which is a bit annoying. I think the lining could do with being a bit longer. I think this is a cute outfit for nights out all year round. It could even be separated to go with other pieces. Pink Boutique also do a halter neck top and also a black version, have a look at their 'two piece' section for all of the variations of this piece.



5. Versacia Nude Lace Bardot Mini Dress / Pink Boutique / £35

This is a really cute dress for a special occasion, I think like a wedding or something. As I said I don't really go much on longer dresses but I surprisingly like this one. I think the mesh below the min thigh makes the difference because it isn't solid material, you can still see my legs. The colour is a very pale pink/nude which is really soft and I think would look lush with a bit of tan. The lace detail all over it is very soft and can easily pull so I'm gonna have to be careful with that. I like the V neck line, I feel most dresses that have a V tend to fall so low down, it is just no good for my little boobs. This one is the perfect V that I can get away with, I can even choose between wearing a bra or not.




6. Lovefool Blush Bardot Frill 3/4 Sleeve Mini Dress / Pink Boutique / £25

I think this is a really good, simple dress for the odd night out or social gathering when you don't know what to wear. I love the blush pink colour and the material doesn't feel cheap and nasty. Frills are big this year and I love the exaggerated frill detail here. It's great that it is a bardot, a really flattering cut, but also allows you to cover up the top of your arms with the big frills - a good transition from winter to spring I feel. Again, PB don't do smaller sizes in this style so it is a little big for me, the sleeves are elastic but don't feel tight enough to hold them where I want them to sit. The bardot sleeves do tend to fall down with movement which is a shame. Overall, I think everyone needs a simple dress like this in their wardrobe, it is an easy way to get a bit of fashionable frill into your closet without going overboard.

So that's my roundup of 6 pieces I would wear to a party of occasion this side of Christmas. Some of these picks can even take you into spring/summer too which I think is a great investment and money saver. I'm especially loving two piece sets as you can really mix them up to create different looks. I'd not heard of Pink Boutique until quite recently, they have some really lovely pieces on there at reasonable prices so I urge anyone to take a look there if you're stuck for inspo. Hot looks for the coming months are definitely frills and blush tones and I think pleats are gonna carry on through as well.

Over the past few months, I've slowly (finally) transformed my Instagram into a theme that I feel is working well for me. I've had many compliments and lots of questions asking me how I get it to look how it does. So I thought I'd write a short how-to guide explaining how to create a consistent, professional looking Insta. 

Pick a filter and stick to it

This is probably the most important step I like to follow. I think something that instantly makes an Insta look better and more professional is if all the photos have the same filter applied to them. So whether you choose a filter with a lot of blue tones, black and white, whatever, your account will instantly flow better and be more pleasing to the eye if the content is matching in this way. 

How to pick a filter

I wouldn't pick a filter that requires you to apply something like 5 colour filters from 3 different apps and then adjust 10 different photo editing options - it's just gonna take far too long every time and you're gonna get fed up with it very quickly. I use one colour filter and then use FaceTune to turn any backgrounds in my pictures black and white. I've gone for this look because I think it mades the central object really pop out and also makes my instagram look really clean and comfortable to look at. Then I simply use the features in the Instagram photo edit to add a bit of structure, sharpen etc. It is effective and easy to do, so I recommend choosing something simplistic like that.

I find it best to apply a fairly neural filter too. You can really over do the editing with too much contrast or brightness etc and the image will end up looking really unnatural and over edited.  

Backgrounds
By this I mean the backdrop of your photos. Since I edit my photos to look nice and white, I tend to only picture things that have bright backdrops to help with the editing process. For example, I probably wouldn't post a night time shot because it would be too much of a contrast to my other images. 

Angles
I think it is nice to experiment with different angles with your camera. Even though I want my Insta to look consistent, I also want it to look natural. Instead of taking all of your pictures from above with the feature object dead on centre all the time, try experimenting with different angles so viewers don't get bored of your account. Even by just crouching down and positioning your object to the far left will help you mix up the angle of your images.

Image content
If you're a blogger and your sole focus is makeup or shoes or whatever, it is best to fill 80% of your Instagram with images relating to your chosen topic. This helps to build an audience as they will begin to recognise your account and style with your chosen focus. If you don't have a particular content focus, I think it is even more crucial that you get a consistent theme going.

Camera choice
To keep my Instagram looking as professional as possible, I only use the camera on my iPhone 6S+ or Lumix Camera(s). So I wouldn't really post an image using SnapChat as I think it makes my account look less blogger and more 'personal account' - I've got @BethChx for that! These camera choices also keep images of a nice quality.

These are just some of the tips I like to think about when updating my Insta. I'm not saying it is wrong to have a 'non consistent' account, this is just some simple tips for those who are looking to improve theirs! The main thing is to be unique and create an account that is a true reflection of you. If that means using a different filter every day, taking pictures of your holidays one minute to daft photos of your dog the next, then go for it!! I think it is often too easy to ask how someone edits their pictures and just apply it to yours, have a mess around with some editing apps and try to create your own look. Here are some apps I love:

- VSCO: some lush filters, lots of editing tools
- Snapseed: nitty gritty editing e.g white backgrounds
- Facetune: nitty gritty editing e.g white backgrounds, removing blemishes
- Afterlight: good filters, lots of editing tools
-  PhotoWonder/MakeupPlus: for sorting out any makeup mistakes (careful not to overdo this one)
- Phonto: Adding text like watermarks, announcements etc
- Layout: adds frames or multiple picture collages

I kindly received a surprise package of bits and pieces from House of Wonderland's brand new Jewellery Club. The Jewellery Club is a subscription service that you can sign up to to receive a box jam packed with adorable pieces once a month.  House of Wonderland provide a vast range of the cutest of cute stuff from temporary tattoos, stickers, note books, bags, cards, pins and more. Each piece is designed with the company's signature cute and fun characters which is a trend that is super hot right now with other brands like Kawaii. 

The Jewellery Club box includes a handcrafted necklace such as the adorable mountain top one I have, two sets of earrings and 1-2 mystery items which is what makes this monthly treat that extra bit special! 

I think this would make a wonderful gift for someone, retailing at just £12 it would make a really lovely surprise for a friend to receive at their door. I love the fact that the contents is a complete surprise as you won't spend endless time trying to decide what to give your friend! If they like adorable things, they are bound to love this box of goodies! 

Jewellery Club is also great for all ages. Customers around my age I think could totally work these pieces, either as a subtly addition to a simple outfit or by going all out and decorating yourself in these gorgeous items for a festival or gig. Kids would adore the cute little animals and designs, I'd definitely check out the stationary section for some back to school must haves too! 

Plus, the jewellery come in some gorgeous packaging! Loving the bright colour tissue paper and square jewellery boxes - definitely brings a smile to your face when you open your monthly package! 

c/o Jewellery Club / Monthly Subscription Box / £12 

Avalon Multi Structured Bikini £22

Layla Cheeky Pant Bikini £20

 Leliza Enchantment Neoprene Bikini £35

Sunrise and Midnight Neoprene Bikinis £30 each

Rue Cut Out One Piece £15