Life Lately

Last week was filled with travel, sightseeing and cats. What could be more perfect! On the invite of a lovely new friend, we took ourselves to Berlin to explore the marvellous city, on which I will blog more later. 

Berlin's Victory Column

The Brandenburg Gate

While in Berlin we had to cat sit and since being home I've really missed the fur babies!

Jojo the cat, aka Jabba the Hutt

We then returned to London to play tourist for a few days, something I love to do as I tend to neglect this wonderful city I am fortunate to call home.

Dinosaur bones and little people at The Natural History Museum

We also went to see Gone Girl on the recommendation of many others. It's a good film but with a little too much artistic license at times. What did you think?

The villainous Rosamund Pike

I'm refusing to wear tights until the weather really gets cold, so am wearing socks, boots and cosy knits to compensate!

Jumper M&S, Skirt COS, Boots Topshop

I hope you have a lovely week.

Sx

What I Wore: Berlin

This week we hopped on a plane for a few days to play tourist in Berlin. The city is incredible and I will be writing a post shortly covering my top 10 things to do and see. But for now here is a little round up of what I wore.

I packed a wardrobe of comfy clothes, including only flat shoes, as I knew we would be spending hours walking around the city taking in the sights. The weather was unexpectedly dry and sunny so my new Cos cocoon coat in light grey wool came out to play.

COS coat, River Island sweater, Topshop trousers, Adidas trainers, Louis Vuitton bag, Miu Miu sunglasses

Acne Studios sweater, Topshop jeans, Miu Miu trainers

COS coat, Uniqlo jumper, Debenhams culottes, Adidas trainers, Louis Vuitton bag

Wardrobe Edit

A few weeks ago I finally got round to clearing out my wardrobes. I've been getting increasingly overwhelmed with the amount of clothes I have, so I was brutal. 

One of my chaotic wardrobes!

Here are my top tips for detoxing your wardrobe.

Remove everything from your wardrobe and section into piles; definitely keep, maybe keep, donate/sell, throw and nostalgia (these are the clothes that you probably won't wear again but you can't imagine parting with them - I have a sample sale Vivienne Westwood corset in my pile). 

If anything is beyond repair, faded or stained, be honest with yourself, are you going to wear it ever again? The answer is probably no so throw it!

If something hasn't fit for more than 12 months it probably isn't going to anymore (sorry!) so again donate.

If you're unsure about something or haven't worn it for a year, be strict and get rid of it. It's just taking up space and stopping you seeing all your other gorgeous clothes.

Clean the inside of your wardrobe with polish or bleach wipes, you'll be amazed how much dust builds up.

Linen storage boxes £19.95 Muji

Then divide all the clothes you are definitely keeping into what season they are for. The ones I'm not using I like to keep in storage boxes above my wardrobes. I use these grey cardboard ones from Habitat and these fabric ones (above) from Muji. I put in scented draw liners and moth balls to protect my clothes. 

Grey storage box £35 Habitat

Pack away all your nostalgia clothes as above.

Put back the things you are definitely keeping into your wardrobe. Make sure everything is clean and ironed if needs be. I like to arrange my wardrobe in sections such as skirts, shorts, dresses, shirts, jackets and then I arrange the clothes in colour preference going from light to dark and then pattern. This makes it easier to find things.

Bag up everything to be donated and drop it off as soon as possible to prevent you from rummaging through the pile and taking things. Do the same with the throw away pile.

When you've packed everything away again you'll be able to notice the gaps in your wardrobe and what you really don't need anymore of (breton tops and grey sweaters...oops!) This will help you on your next shopping trip.

A happy wardrobe is a clean and organised wardrobe

Here are a few things that will help make your wardrobe a happy place that works for you.

Cedar moth balls £6 John Lewis

Lavender water £22 Labour & Wait

Scented Draw Liners £8 John Lewis

Copper hangers £9 for 5 from Hay available at Selfridges

Images: Habitat, Labour & Wait, John Lewis, Selfridges

Sarah's Sweep - Topshop

On a day of prepping for a shoot recently I found myself with an spare 30 minute break and so dashed into Topshop to do a quick supermarket sweep style shop. Here are my finds.

Black dress £65

The perfect little LBD for the coming party season. The pleating detail and oversized sequins make this dress look more expensive than it's bargain £65 price tag.

Off white dress £46

A very versatile dress that will see you through to next summer. Wear now with bare legs and boots, in the winter with opaque tights and a leather jacket and next summer with a tan sandal. I went up a size in this dress as the arm holes are cut a little tight.

Khaki trousers £36

I love these trousers, I'm even wearing them as I type. In a light cotton, relaxed fit with patch pockets and cheeky knee rips they are the perfect daytime trousers. Go down a size when buying though, even if it feels uncomfortably tight, as they stretch out quite a bit.

Navy top £55

Smarter than a jersey sweater, this funnel neck navy top is slightly oversized. I'll be wearing mine with a crisp white shirt underneath.

Khaki Shacket £48

A shirt jacket is a shacket apparently! You learn something new every day. This Isabel Marant-esque item makes a great cover up for when it's too warm for a full on coat, but will look equally good when worn as a shirt, worn open over a breton, with the sleeves rolled up...just a suggestion!

Images: Topshop

The Beauty Review

Here are some new beauty buys I've been trying out recently.

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara £22.50

I'm a bit slutty when it comes to mascaras, never loyal and always using a few at a time. This one is rather good though. For a start the Christmas tree shaped brush allows easy application to my sparse lower lashes and gets right into the edges, plus it doesn't transfer onto my face after a few hours like some other brands. I like to apply 2 coats in a zig zag motion for even and thick but natural looking coverage. 

Laura Mercier Mineral Pressed Powder SPF15 £31

I suffer from a greasy T-zone so applying a powder after my foundation is a must. I like the matt coverage this mineral powder gives, although I don't apply to my cheeks as I still want my skin to have a healthy, dewy glow. It contains 'pure pearl powders' comprised of amino acids, calcium and magnesium which help to give a smooth even coverage to the skin, great for a little extra coverage for my melasma. It's oil free, water resistant and has the added bonus of SPF 15. A little on the pricey side, but definitely worth it, plus it comes in a huge range of colours so you'll find the exact one for your skin tone. 

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil £9.99

This hair oil lives up to it's name, extraordinary results and extraordinary value for money. I have long fine hair that's prone to frizziness, so I never let it dry naturally (I would scare children if I took my hair out in its natural state!) Before abusing my hair with the hairdryer and straightening irons I apply about 3 pumps of this wonderfully scented oil. I find it speeds up the drying/styling process as my hair becomes smoother and needs less force. I also took this product on holiday and would comb through my tresses after swimming to help nourish it and prevent it becoming parched and straw-like. Don't be scared of using a hair oil, it certainly won't make your hair greasy, instead you'll have healthy, glossy, smooth hair that smells divine.

Life Lately

Last week was a blur of work and this week looks set to be the same. Never a bad thing when you're freelance but it leaves little time for anything not work related!

Fashion Chaos!

Packing for an exciting menswear shoot in Cannes this week...more to come.

Relaxing with a favourite film The Darjeeling Limited by the incredible director Wes Anderson.

Ummm...what colour to choose?

Now that summer is almost over I'm trying out moodier nail colours such as burgundy, navy and khaki or nudes and neutrals.

Sunday morning running

Running attire, top Nike, leggings Karrimor, Trainers Saucony

The weather was so good in London on Sunday that we ventured to Epping Forest for a run.

Have a great week!

Sx

These Boots Were Made For Walking

As we are now in the month of October and the weather should be getting colder soon, it's time to invest in some boots. I like an ankle boot that will work with a skirt or some trousers. Being on my feet a lot for work means I can't have the heel too high.

Topshop £72

I recently purchased these little beauties from Topshop and feel they meet all my requirements, super comfy and they work with a range of outfits.

Here is a selection of some other booties I would like to see in my shoe cupboard.

Russell & Bromley £235

I love the brogue detailing and oversized golfing tassels on these day boots. Also available in tan leather they are a good investment if you favour a boyfriend style boot.

Saint Laurent £520 from Selfridges

I adore these metallic booties from Saint Laurent, especially the Victorian style lace up detail. The soft silver leather would turn heads while the low heel gives a little elevation without crippling your feet. They'd work perfectly with a loose boyfriend jean and a breton for day, but also with a leather pencil skirt and a blazer come evening. 

Zara £69.99

Zara's take on the biker boot comes with tough buckle and zip details making these boots appear more expensive than they are. They are cut just above the ankle making them leg lengthening and super flattering.

Isabel Marant £565 from Net-A-Porter

What's not to love about these boots? The khaki green suede combined with chocolate brown leather, the triangular heel, the perfect slouchy effect, the pointed toe. They are simply divine.

Kurt Geiger £295

Animal print boots are surprising easy to wear and shouldn't just be confined to the evening. This pull on style in pony leather are actually a touch lighter in person. The low heel makes them great for stomping around and the pointed toe keeps them modern. I'd wear mine with a simple skinny indigo jean and dark oversized knit.

Images: Kurt Geiger, Net-A-Porter, Zara, Selfridges, Russell & Bromley