SPRING TRENDS

Hello!

 I've noticed quite a few trends approaching this Spring season, and I am loving them all. These are a few things I have noticed coming into trend, and are being worn a lot by the public.

Trend No.1:

When people hear the words 'Hoop Earrings' they mostly think of chav, tacky, or over the top. However, after seeing a lot of people who aren't chavvy, or tacky wearing hoop earrings this immediately struck me that hoop earrings are a new trend. I recently purchased some myself, and I'm loving them a lot. The simplicity of a simple gold circle looks so beautiful with any outfit-whether that be plain, or extravagant, a hoop earring goes with anything.

 

 Nicole Scherzinger pulls off the classic hoop earring very well at the IHeartRadio Music Festival with her dazzling sequined blazer, and white top. Like I said, hoop earrings can be worn with anything because of how simple they are, but add an elegant touch when paired with the right clothing.

I'm unsure as to how these became more popular, but I've seen many shops stocking them as a staple rather then a general on-sale item which shows how popular these are gradually becoming.







Trend No.2:

Every year pastels make an appearance, whether they appear in; clothing, accessories, shoes, or make-up, they're everywhere! Pastels are usually worn all year round, but make a debut during Spring time as that's when the weather starts to get not only brighter, but warmer too, so more subtle colours are needed to match the blossoming of flowers rather then deep colours attracting the heat rays, and being too bold for such sights.

Pastels are being worn in recent runway shows so it's definitely making a big appearance once again, but I feel this year it's going to be bigger than ever.

I love how pastels are so simple and easy to pull off, and also flatter everyone due to the amount of varieties pastel clothing is styled in. Also, you can pick your-most flattering style, and wear it with whatever silhouette flatters you.





Trend No.3:

Another accessory that's coming into season are 'Scrunchies.' Scrunchies were first worn in the 1980's to the mid 1990's, and after 24 years they've made an appearance into fashion once again. I used to wear scrunchies when I was in Lower School as it came with my uniform, but I never thought that at the age of 15 I'd be wearing one again as a fashion statement-rather then a utensil to tie my hair up with.

American Apparel were one of the shops that re-introduced scrunchies, then Topshop started selling them, and from there on they became back as a trend.

Not only do they look extremely cute and edgy, but they also don't feel uncomfortable and don't pull on the hair strands tightly because of the fabric layer outside the elastic.

Scrunchies are sold in so

many different colours and varieties that they can be worn with any outfit, and styled in so many different ways which is why they're so fabulous and popular.

Trend No.4:

I never thought I'd see skorts become a trend, I've only ever seen them as a sporting essential, however I was wrong as skorts are now making their way to catwalks. Tartan was a main staple for Autumn/Winter, and it appears that an element of Scotland is going to remain throughout Spring with skorts mainly being sold in tartan which isn't very Spring like at all, however they still look adorable and look lovely on a night out when the atmosphere is more dark to suit the dark tartan print.

 As you can see, skorts are usually paired with something plain depending on whether the skort is made out of a patterned fabric or not. As the one in the picture is tartan, I would expect it to be worn with something plain because the skort should be the main focus of the outfit as it's so unique.

The way skorts have been transformed from a sporting clothes item to a fashion item is very clever, and Vogue have also recently advertised that sportswear is the new everyday clothing, so I expect to see a lot more sport style trends.

There are more trends about at the moment, but these are the main ones that have caught my eye.

 

SPRING WISHLIST

Hello!

As Spring is approaching it's time for that 'Spring wardrobe clean out' which I am definitely in need of, so I thought I'd do a Spring wishlist and show what I want for the approaching season!

1. Mesh Satin Playsuit

The first item is this satin pink playsuit from Topshop. Playsuits are great for an evening out in Spring season because they still look dressy and look as if you've made an effort, and also work well in the not hot-not cold type weather which Spring consists of. I love the colour of this playsuit too. Light colours will always be a Spring trend, but I particularly love light pink which is why I'm drawn to this playsuit.

2. Chelsea Canvas Boots

These shoes would also mostly be a Spring evening out item as they're quite high, and make a big statement with the chunky sole, and bright white exterior. Even though white is worn all year round, I love to wear it more in Spring/Summer as it detracts the sun, but also looks so pretty and dainty compared to a heavy black, so these shoes would look gorgeous in the season.

3. Daisy Cigarette Pants

I don't usually go for cigarette style pants as they drown me out easily because of my petite frame, however these would look so cute and pretty in Spring; especially as they're covered in daisies and this season is all about blossoming. Talking about weather again, these trousers are great for the not hot-not cold weather because they're very light and let air flow around nicely, but still shields your legs from the odd rain showers.

4. Crochet Hem Kimono

I'm really drawn to the crochet hem's on this kimono, they add a sweet touch, but also keep up the classiness of this particular kimono. Once again, these are great for Spring because they're very open and light, but keep some protection around you from horrible weather we sometimes get. This can be paired with jeans and a plain top for a casual look, or with a playsuit/dress to add some class and warmth, and for only £17.99 this is an affordable piece of clothing.

5. Velvet Scrunchie

Scrunchies have recently come back into fashion after their trend in the 1980's, and I am loving the trend. I only own 2 scrunchies that are black & white-these are lovely as they can be worn with everything, but I want to try out new colours and try making them work with outfits. This one is from American Apparel which do an amazing range of scrunchies, but as a velvet and pink lover, I thought this one was perfect.

6. Casio Wristwatch

I've been after a watch for ages, and I have actually been wanting a Michael Kors watch, however they're out of my budget and are more a birthday/christmas present-not just something I can buy there and then. SO, I've seen these watches come into fashion recently and they're a love-hate style watch because they look quite masculine with the square frame, but I really really like them.

7. Leather Bar Tote Bag

The last item is something that I have a small chance of purchasing myself as it's £229, but is exceptionally gorgeous. This is a Ted Baker bag so obviously prices and quality is high, but I am so in love with this bag it's unreal. To some people this may seem pointless and too plain, but that's what I love so much about it, because it is plain it's easy to style with. Also, I love all the different colours the bag comes in, they're all so classy and easy to pair an outfit with!

MAYBELLINE GEL EYELINER REVIEW

Hello!

I recently purchased this gel eyeliner from Boots because I wanted to try one to see what the hype was about, but also because I wanted to see if I could have the patience of applying gel eyeliner as I've heard it's quite fiddly.

Many people have been raving about gel eyeliners for a while, but I've only just got one and opted for Maybelline's Lasting Drama gel eyeliner because I didn't want to spend loads on an eyeliner method that I may not like.

 This little pot of eyeliner cost £7.99 which may seem a lot for such a small thing, however it does come with a handy brush, and also a little bit of product goes a long way. Anyway, the packaging isn't all that special, but I wasn't expecting much considering the eyeliner would have to be stored in an airtight container so it doesn't dry out, but even then there's something really satisfying about holding a tiny china pot with a tiny brush.

As you can see, the eyeliner has a very shiny look to it in the pot, however when it's on the eyes it doesn't look shiny and creates a lovely looking matte line. Also, as the brush is very small and dense it makes applying the liner to your eyes quite uncomfortable because of the way the bristles are tightly packed which means it's harder to get a smooth line, but it is good if you want a very defined and sharp look.

The eyeliner definitely lives up to it's name with claims to last 24 hours, and also be waterproof following up with my recent experiment:

This is before I put water on, and this is after. As you can see nothing has leaked or smudged which proves it's waterproof, and even after scrubbing really hard no product came off of my hand. As you can see in the photos as well, you can create different thickness' of lines depending on the way you angle the brush which is good, but I still don't think it gives me the best look or makes using gel eyeliner any easier.

After trying this out for a few days, I prefer to use my L'Oreal Paris felt tip liner because it's less time consuming, and creates a nicer look-this is probably because I'm not skilled at gel eyeliner and haven't properly worked out a technique for me. However, as I love the formula of gel eyeliner so much, what I do is apply my L'Oreal felt liner as I'm used to that and can create a nice looking cat eye, then I apply the gel eyeliner on top and fill in where I put the previous line, so that I get the potential of a gel liner on my normal eyeliner.

 I'm still unsure as to whether replace using a felt liner for a gel eyeliner because I prefer the gel formula, but find it easier using a felt liner.