New York Update Saturday + Sunday

On our second day full day, I went to meet with a designer for Buffalo Jeans with a few other people from my course, it was nice to talk to someone who has made it big in New York, from just going over there for a week 14 years ago, where she got a job with Donna Karen and has grown from there. 

We then made our way to the 9/11 memorial site, where we spent a long time in the museum, which was so sad and thought provoking. It was just incredible, the stories from people and the videos explaining how they managed to clear up the sight afterwards. 

When it was starting to get dark we had a guided tour around the memorial site, our tour guide was a survivor from this terrible event, his office was on the 83rd floor of the first tower. He told us his amazing story of how he and two other people from his office survived. It was so moving and upsetting, it sounds cheesy but I really was blessed to meet him. 

We then got to see the memorials at night, which is so beautiful, the waterfall looked as if it was strands of silver flowing into the darkness, here's some photo's.

We also saw the new towers that are being built, including the beautiful freedom tower.

After this humbling and emotional experience we met up with the other girls we were with to go on the Staten Island Ferry, to see the Statue of Liberty. It was difficult to see her, because some of the flood lights, which light her up were damaged when the hurricane hit New York last month. But it was still a nice little trip, and to see the New York skyline at night was amazing. 

Afterwards a few of us decided to go to the Hard Rock Cafe for our final Dinner in New York, you can't go to New York without going to Hard Rock! It was the best night, there was a guy using cutlery as drum sticks on the bar which got more and more impressive as the songs went on. Our waitress was a babe and the food was delicious, I had chicken and beef fajita's.

Sunday: 

Our last half a day, it was the first day that was bad weather, the sun had disappeared and the rain clouds were out, I'm glad I packed my umbrella! New York was obviously upset we were leaving so soon.

The girls and I went ice skating in Central Park where I watched them by the side - last time I went ice stating I twisted my wrist badly and I didn't want that to happen again, and be in pain throughout my flight home. Maybe when I go next time I'll finally buck up the courage. 

We did so much in the time we had, I was shattered by the time I got home and it all caught up with me.
I felt bad as when I returned home my boyfriend came round, however within a few hours I was sound asleep, I was physically not able to keep my eyes open! He went home after I woke up, and then I went straight back to sleep not waking up until 5pm the next day and I had work at 6pm! 

But it was worth all the tiredness because I was able to make some great friends and spend a good few days in New York City, my new favourite city.
Has anyone else been to New York? What was your favourite bit?

x

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New York Update Friday

Friday was our first full day in New York, so we had to make the most of it, we left the hostel at 8.30 am, and headed off to a diner we had seen on our way back yesterday...

We had breakfast in Ellen's Stardust Diner - best place ever, the staff sing to you (Broadway style) and they serve the nicest pancakes, complete with bacon and maple syrup! All the singers/servers were all aspiring Broadway stars, and this was their 'half way house'. 

One of the ladies was talking over the microphone explaining that the next time any of us visit the Diner there will probably be a whole new set of faces and voices, as the ones there now would hopefully be staring in a Broadway show!

After being full up on bacon, pancakes and coffee, we walked around 5th Avenue, where we found The Rockerfella Center, where we had a look at the gorgeous ice rink and huge Christmas Tree! I couldn't believe how huge this Christmas tree was, like everything in New York it was larger than life. 

Afterwards we went into Sak's Fifth Avenue department store, which was incredible. Ten floors (I think) of gorgeous-ness! There was a sale on the shoe floor, from Louboutin's to Jimmy Choo, none of which were anywhere near the amount of money I took. Even with 30% off they were still $1000's!

It was incredible just to see so many shoes by designers along with the other sections of the shop including the 'Bridal Suite' complete with a wedding dress show, however it was inside glass doors and we could only but look through to see the gorgeous dresses.

(One of the window displays for Sak's)

We then went shopping on fifth avenue for a while, we then stumbled across the New York Public Library  It was the most beautiful library I have ever seen, marble everywhere and a huge Christmas Tree inside. I can see why Carrie Bradshaw got married there!

When it started to get dark, we decided to take a trip up the Empire State Building, after asking a local to point us in the right direction; he simply pointed up to the building on the opposite side of the street. We all felt really silly as the local laughed as he walked away! 

We went up the the main observation deck on the 86th floor. It was a short journey in the elevators, then all of a sudden we were there, walking outside, it was freezing cold, however it didn't matter because the view was breath taking. It was like something out of a movie, somewhat unreal! It didn't feel like we were as high up as we were, it just felt like a dream. 

You could see the city beneath but it was completely silent, which is a complete contrast to when you are walking through New York city. You could see everything up there, from the people on the ice rink at the Rockefeller Center, to the Statue of Liberty shining in the distance. 

After this we were all starving, so we went to a lovely restaurant where we had a gorgeous dinner, I had pasta with breaded chicken, a tomato sauce and cheese. Which was delicious! We all sat there chatting away and being merry it was a really nice evening. 

We then went back onto the streets, to find Victoria's secret; which was amazing, 3 floors of the softest bra's you've ever felt, (like marshmallow I'm serious!) and the most gorgeous nightwear. I didn't buy anything but there was a lot of stuff I wanted to get, but that can be for next time. After spending a good hour in there we went to Macy's - The Worlds Biggest Department Store....however it wasn't the best. It was shabby and very disappointing. Nothing could compare to Sak's that we saw earlier in the day. The sign was pretty though...

This was the end of our second evening in New York City, but we still had so much to do! Click here for the first night of my adventures in New York City.

x

How do you feel? - 21st Birthday

Is a question that you hear every year when your birthday rolls around, and this year has been no different; for me anyway. I am one of the people who's birthday falls within the holiday season, mine being Boxing day. This year I turned 21, and whilst at a meal with friends one said "How do you feel now you're 21?" I don't think it's your birthday until someone says that, but I had nothing to say, except that I can now officially drink in every country in the world! 

I'm really hoping my 21st year is my best yet, I haven't had much luck being 20 so hopefully 21 will bring me a bit of luck. For my birthday I was lucky enough to receive an amazing gift from my parents; a Michael Kors watch!

I also received some amazing presents, from my sister, boyfriend and boyfriends mum. Including a canvas with a moustache print over it, in different patterns (boyfriends mum) a moustache silver ring from Craig (Boyfriend)

 My sister bought me some awesome magnetic nail varnish, a fan necklace and some new earphones with buger and fries on them.
Yesterday I also went for a meal with a few of my friends and boyfriend, at Bella Italia my favourite Italian restaurant. It was such a lovely evening, my friends bought me a cake which the waiter bought out at the end of our meal, which was a complete surprise. It was so sweet of them to do that, they also bought me a bottle of wine and a bottle of Southern Comfort, along with a badge :)
It was a fun evening, even though a few of my friends couldn't come along seeing as it was after Christmas when no one really has any money.

All in all, I'm a very lucky 21 year old! 

x

New York Update - First evening

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a brilliant Christmas, I know I haven't posted anything since I went to New York, so I'm very sorry about that. I've just had such a busy 2 and a half weeks since being back. (Like everyone I suppose) I've decided to split my New York Updates up into a few posts because I have so much to tell you about, enjoy.

New York was amazing I loved every single second of it, from the moment we walked into Time Square on our first evening, to the feeling of awe when standing at the top of the Empire State Building. We stayed at the YMCA hotel on the west side of New York, which wasn't the nicest place, but it was clean and we were hardly there anyway; just to sleep and wash really. I would recommend staying there if you were on a tight budget and just wanted somewhere to sleep, however the next time I go I would like to stay somewhere, where there wasn't shared showers and toilets - it wasn't the nicest experience.

Anyway I have no idea why I'm talking about the accommodation when I was in the Big Apple! It was the best experience I have every had. On our first evening, we dropped our bags and headed straight out for Time Square; where bright lights really did inspire me, it was incredible. The brightest lights you've ever seen, people everywhere and a general explosive vibe all around. There were so many people walking around dressed as everything from Elmo to Batman, it was so cool. We had our photo taken with Elmo and the Cookie Monster and then set off around the shops.

We went to many stores including a huge Toy's R Us complete with a full size Ferris wheel; I know I couldn't believe it either. This Toy's R Us also contained a Barbie house that you could walk around in, it was full of all the Barbie's you could ever imagine, including the original and special edition ones for sale for thousands of Dollars. Along with a huge sweet section, with massive Jelly Bears and huge box's of Nerds. This was the best Toy's R Us I'd ever been to, I couldn't imagine walking into the store in Southampton and seeing the same thing!

We asked the store assistant what time they close where she replied with 3AM! It really is the city that never sleeps!
We had dinner that evening in an authentic American Ribshack restaurant, where I had a pulled chicken and pork burger, it was so filling! After I'd eaten all I could I looked back at the plate and it didn't look like I had touched it at all!

We then all went back to the YMCA, where we sorted out what we were going to do over the coming days; seeing as we didn't have long there we wanted to make the most of it. The next two posts will be coming up in the next two days.
x

Santa! Oh my god! Santa's coming! I know him!

If you didn't get my reference, I am going to the big apple just like Buddy the Elf did, however it is not for me to find my farther or to help Santa when he gets in trouble. I already have a dad, and if Santa was in trouble I'm sure I wouldn't be much help...way to clumsy! I will be there to enjoy the city that never sleeps.

So yeah I'm off to New York in the morning, we have a really early start; I have to be up before 7am! I know I'm not going to enjoy that part. Then sit on a coach for a few hours, hop onto a plane for another few hours then touch down at JFK airport! 

I'm the type of person that it takes ages for me to get excited for things, and I only often get to the excited part just before it happens. So tomorrow morning I'm going to be bouncing off the walls I'm sure! 

But I won't be posting anything on here until Monday when I come home and hopefully I'll have lots to talk to you about and show you. 

If you want to see what I'm planning on taking with me, you can watch the video I made (the post before this one). I still haven't started packing yet though! Also if anyone has any suggestions about what I should wear on the plane, please let me know! (All I can think of is leggings)

Anyway it's goodbye for now, enjoy the rest of the week and weekends!

x

The future's bright the furture's TMRW

TMRW is a brand new independent quarterly magazine, aimed at the modern professional, it's packed full of new music and the latest fashion. The first issue looks amazing, with it's modern, minimalistic and fresh look and it feels great too, so what more could you want?

Oh that's it; some great content, including interviews that aren't written in Q&A format, which is a breath of fresh air! Seeing as a lot of the magazines out on the shelves are mostly question and answer based.

TMRW magazine, issue 1

Being an independent magazine, they really have helped support other independent companies throughout the pages of the zine. Including UK clothing company hype and premium head wear brand jelly and cream.

Beatrice Eli in TMRW magazine

The magazine seems to have a great community involved with it, from Joe Brine (@joebrine) the creator of TMRW to the people who write articles for them. Mainly written by aspiring journalists which is great as it gives them a new platform in the difficult journalism world. 

I love the feel of the magazine (I'm all about the haptics!) it has great print quality and the photography looks amazing, and fits in with the look of the magazine. 

Please ignore my weird hand...

This zine has something for everyone, from Caggie Dunlop from Made In Chelsea talking about her new singing career and Oliver Proudlock also from MIC but instead talking about his T-shirt brand Serge De Nimes. This is great because they could have easily gone down the television route, however they decided to take a different angle. This is all in their debut issue, along with some interesting content and no 'horoscope section' in sight! 

(don't get my wrong, I love a good horoscope, but that's what I have company for)

 The second issue includes many things including the indie pop London based band; Bastille along with new clothing brand 'Friend or Faux' and singer from The Voice - Tyler James on the cover.

You can buy it now (HERE) where you can purchase it for £3 which is a great price for a quarterly magazine. 

I really hope TMRW carry on giving a breath of fresh air to the magazine community and have many issues in their repertoire. I can't wait to get my paws on the second issue! 

x

Oh John Lewis you do Christmas so well

It was my work's Christmas do last night and it was such a great evening, it was held at the Grande Cafe in Southampton and it's such a nice venue. We had it in the same place last year and this year did not let us down on quality and fun. When we arrived we were given two free drink vouchers each, which were well used ;) and we were entered into a raffle to win one of 8 prizes including a holiday to Corfu! Which unfortunately I didn't win. But you never know maybe next year I might be lucky enough!

Whilst there we were offered a food buffet of Thai green curry and other bits which I didn't have as I had already eaten, but I did manage to fit in a bit of cheesecake, which was delicious.

My friend and colleague Becky and I also got to sit on Santa's lap! We had our photo taken and then received a bag of sweeties!

As I work on the fashion department at John Lewis, you can bet your whole months wages on everyone wearing at least one thing from the department. I was no exception, I bought this beautiful dress from Warehouse, it was originally £75 but with the price match and my discount I bought it for £42! 

Unfortunately this is the best photo I have of my dress, but I will definitely be wearing it again, because I love it!

Back to the party...there was also a photo booth, which was so much fun, Here are the photos from it.

Love love props...

I'm seriously thinking of getting glasses like these...

It was such a great evening, as there was also a club downstairs so we literally danced the night away

until we could stand no longer in our heels! Can't wait for other parties they will hold next year, they just get better and better.

Has anyone else had their work Christmas do yet?

x

Under construction

Hi guys, just a little post to say my blog is going through some maintenance work at the moment. I'm currently designing a new blog header and other exciting little things.

I also have a new URL - somethingtosay-fashion. So don't get confused I'm still me! :)

Hope to get the blog up to scratch soon! 

Xx

VO5 Hot Oil Review

Another of my purchases the other day in hope to get my hair in good condition was Hot Oil by VO5. I bought it in the self heating in-shower treatment, as it looked better value at £2.86 for 75ml in Boots than the separate tubes of hair oil. 

I didn't really understand how an oil could be 'self heating' however I think it works with the steam to open your pores so the oil can work it's magic. However it was very difficult to apply, there are indicators on the side of the pack that shows you how much to use in one go. But when you pour it into your hand, because it's oil it spreads really quickly and I found that a lot of it ended up in the bath not on my head!

The amount I did use however seemed to work nicely, it also made my hair soft, just like the Pantene colour treatment masque. I don't think I will know straight away with this product if it works or not, I'm going to continue using it to see what happens when I've finished the tube. Maybe even giving a hair dye a go, to see if the colour stays put!

x

Pantene 2 Minute Colour Damage Rescue Treatment Masque

Whilst in Boots the other day, I decided to buy some hair dye, however my hair is so dry and non-absorbent that whenever I dye it, it just comes out really quickly. So I decided to buy some hair products to put moisture back into my hair instead. 

The first product I bought is this 2 minute hair masque by Pantene, seeing as I've dyed my hair since I was 14 my hair and not had it cut in ages, is in the worst condition. So I washed my hair as usual, and then chucked a load of this masque on, it smells really great which is always a plus. I then left it on my hair for around 2 minutes and washed it off. 

I was instantly impressed with how soft my hair already felt, and once I dried it, it felt even softer. I really like this product and will continue to use it until my hair is in good enough condition, to be able to dye it successfully. 

Does anyone have any products they recommend for helping with super damaged hair? 

x

The forest of talking trees, they used to sing about the birds and the bees

I finally bought some new jeans! I have been looking for a pair of high waisted jeans for a while now, I love love love anything high waisted as it keeps everything in! 

So when I found these beauties in Topshop I tried them on. They fit amazingly, they are the high waisted Jamie ankle grazer jeans, which I believe are quite new as I have never seen them before; I could be wrong.  I decided to go for a size down as they have 3% stretch in them so I don't want them going baggy. It's the first time I've fit into a size 8 in a long long time - trust me. Even though they are a smaller size than usual they still fit like a glove - a slightly tight one at that. 

They feel like leggings but still have the structure of jeans, without becoming jeggings. 

I love the colour too, I already have my pair of black jeans so I thought I would go for something different, plus they go with my brown boots I got for Christmas last year - result.

I wore these jeans with my new flecked oversized top also from Topshop. I bought it also in a size 8 because I knew it was already oversize but I didn't want to go overboard on the hugeness of it. I love the texture of this top it's really comfy and I can wear it with most of my wardrobe. So not bad for £18.

I wore my trusty grey and silver necklace from Mint Velvet, which is a great brand, as you get quality for less money than you would assume. I think this top needs a bit of jewellery to add a bit of individuality to the outfit. 

I wore this outfit with my trusty classic Vans, you could wear this outfit with heels as well if you were going out for an evening, I love extra uses for outfits. 

x

I now have a Facebook page

If you click on the tab saying 'Facebook' at the top of the page it will take you straight to my new Facebook page. You can then click the 'like' button if you want to, which will show whenever I have a new post. 

x

'They're real' Benefit mascara review

'Lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts and separates'. Our jet black, long-wearing formula won't smudge or dry out!' - according to Benefit.
This mascara is apparently the fastest selling mascara in the world - selling one every 15 seconds. I came across it yesterday when I attended a Beauty evening at John Lewis, it was a employee's only evening, which is always great because you get free gifts whenever you buy anything, as well as discount.

I bought the Benefit mascara, I have previously used their 'Bad Gal Lash' mascara, which I wasn't all impressed with, but it has a nice soft brush and is quick and simply to apply. But I thought I would give the 'best selling' one a go. It's RRP is £18.50 so I figured it must be really good, seeing the price was similar to other high brands such as Bobbi Brown.

The brush: 

Benefit have used a hard plastic brush, which is really great for picking up the tiny lashes, however I find these kinds of brushes too hard, so it's uncomfortable to apply. Even though it does pick up quite a few extra lashes, otherwise missed by other mascara's. 

The brush is a good size, it's not too large, so you don't have the risk of accidentally poking yourself in the eye! (Maybe that's just me)

Before:

Before trying the mascara; no make up on at all. My eyelashes are very straight and also not very long, so finding a mascara that really does lengthen AND curl is difficult. 

After: 

This is after one coat, which went on really nicely, added a small amount of curl, picked up a few extra lashes, all in all it was a nice subtle day time look. 

I then added a second coat, too see how much length and curl I would get, however it did not end well at all! I don't know if it's because I don't have an eyelash comb or what, but my eyelashes clumped up like there was no tomorrow. 

They look messy and horrible, which I was very disappointed about, seeing as on the packaging for this mascara, it says 'lifts & separates' and it clearly does not separate, however there was a bit more lift in the second coat. The mascara stays wet and tacky for too long, making it impossible to add another coat successfully. 

When I use this again; because I don't have enough money to buy another mascara, I will only put one coat of it on, because it looked quite nice and subtle before adding the second coat. 

Have you ever tried this mascara, what do you think about it? 

x

Get my paws on Michael Kors

Four words : This watch is beautiful. 

Need I say anymore? 

I'm not a huge fan of watches in general because I've never found one that I liked. I'm not a fan of bright gold or silver so when I stumbled across this watch I fell head over heels! 

It is the perfect rose gold, making it no where near garish to look at. The simple and elegant design is my favourite thing about this watch. I don't like too much - can't think of a better word -'bling', so the simple brown face with rose gold markings is perfect. 

Seeing as I am turning 21 at the end of this year, it seems very fitting that I managed to find a watch that I actually adore.

x

My £9 dress!

This Saturday my family and I traveled all the way up to Manchester, which was a long 6 hour drive from my home in Southampton. But it was worth it as I got to see my Auntie get married, it was a lovely day and I was so happy to see my Auntie ecstatically happy as well. Her husband's family were lovely and free wine was a plenty. 

We all got dolled up and my boyfriend wore his one and only suit, the same one he wore for my parents vowel renew earlier this year. But it didn't matter because he looked smart and handsome. (Even if his shirt was un-tucked!)

This is Craig and I outside the church, this is a horrible photograph of me however this is the only one I have of my outfit! So it will have to do.

I wore an amazing sale find, which was bought last week in Topshop for a measly £9! I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked to my right to see it hanging on the sale rail, it was gorgeous, then to see the price was even better. 

I tried it on and it felt and looked great, except the slight issue with my tummy..basically I had to buy some 'suck me in' tights. It traveled so well, as the fabric doesn't crease, which is the best thing when you're travelling for so long. I decided to wear this dress with this blue blazer I bought in Zara about two or three years ago now (roughly £40). So it's pretty old, but it's comfortable and such an amazing colour. 

I also wore some plain black court shoes from New Look, which you can not see in this photograph, they were uncomfortable for the simple reason and they were too big when worn with very thin tights. 

All in all we all had a brilliant day and way too much wine, but that's what weddings are for right? 

x

Survey

Hi guys, I was hoping you could all do my survey please? 

It's for a uni project and I would really appreciate it

Click here :)

Thanks, I'll give you all metaphorical marshmallows and hugs

x

Beautiful Reiss Coats

I have wanted a winter coat from Reiss ever since I started working at John Lewis (2 and a half years ago) and fell in love with the brand. I could never ever afford one but I love trying them on and feeling the warmth wash over me. 

I have a few favourites this season - like usual. Here they are:

Fenella in Aubergine - £295

I tried this coat on today and I love it even more now, oops! It is a rich purple, and you have to be rich to buy it! But I still think it is absolutely amazing, the shape is gorgeous, the double collar adds volume to this simple design. 

I love the button fastening on the side of the waist, making this design very simplistic.

Selina fitted coat - £375

I found this coat on the Reiss website and oh my gosh, it's beautiful. I love how Reiss make amazing clothes that are just so simplistic. This one is another really expensive one, so it is out of my reach. Sometimes it is worth buying a more expensive coat though, as it will last few a lot of seasons and always be a classic. The only thing I worry about with these longer coats is the fact I'm only 5'2'', don't want them dragging on the floor!

Leo Dark Green Fit and Flare coat - £295

I think this is my favourite coat from Reiss. I love love love everything about it! 

The racing green colour, the fit and flare style and the medium collar, it's just the right size. I would love to try this on, I hope they get it in at work, because every time I go in I will hug it until some kind person buys it for me...you never know what might happen!

It's doubtful but there could be a really nice person passing by who happens to like buying coats for random people. 

Has anyone else bought their winter coat yet? 

x

Pleathery. Furry. Goodness.

Three words to describe my new coat. 

I've been looking for a coat for a while now, seeing as in December I'm lucky enough to be going to New York with my uni course. So I need a really good warm coat, seeing as it will probably be freeeeeeezing!

I already have my faux fur coat, but it's not actually as warm as you would think it is, it lets in all the cold wind, which is already too cold in England winter let alone New York.

I looked in so many shops, from New Look to Zara and Topshop, to find only one coat which was nice but wasn't very 'me'. Even though it was about £20 less I know I wouldn't love to wear it. 

When Thursday came around I knew it had to be the day I purchased a coat, seeing as West Quay Southampton, had a student shop in, where you could get up to 30% off of brands and shops! 

This included River Island, thankfully the 20% was on all day so I wouldn't need to que in the evening! I found a coat which was really nice, but I wasn't 100% sure. I bought it anyway, so I knew I had a coat. 

£85 River Island

It was the tartan version of this one, which I wasn't too sure on, but when I returned home I found they did a similar version in grey, for the same price, which was right up my street! 

I then found they had it in the right size in the Winchester branch which is only a short car journey away, I knew I had to have it so I jumped in my car and bumbled off to Winchester. After seeing it in real life, not on a website I knew it was the perfect coat. So I quickly ran over to the counter and swapped it over! 

I love this coat, it has a thick lining, which will be great in the winter, it has pleather sleeves so it is bang on trend and makes this coat look very smart. The low V on the front covered in faux fur looks so glamorous, and I can wear a nice scarf with it if my chest gets cold. 

Here's me in the coat, I think it fits me well seeing as I am on the short side. It stops just under my bum making my legs look like a usual size, not stumpy! 

Has anyone else been trying to look for their winter coat? 

x

Cat Tee

I saw this in Topshop on Thursday and ran straight over to it, to get a closer look. I had to try it on, I've wanted a t-shirt with a cat on it for a while, not sure why but they are great. Topshop also had 20% off the other day for students, where I got this top for only £12.60! 

I wore it yesterday, with a pair of thick HM leggings, and my vans (standard combination for me). 

It looks great, and the cats eyes are a beautiful green, which would look great with a pair of dark green jeans. If I can find a pair that actually fit me!

Any suggestions on some dark green high waisted jeans available in petite would be welcomed! 

x