the one with the house party

It's that time of the year again, the time that in a moment of madness, I decide to hold another house party. 

If I've learnt anything from many-a-house party over the years, less is definitely more. The house-parties I go to seem to get wild very quickly, so in my opinion, I think it's best to ditch the heels and LBD and opt for something a tad less snazzy with a much cooler vibe. 

Oh look, it's a plaid shirt tied around my waist; what a surprise...not[!]

To me, this is the perfect house party look. It's something a little bit different from my day to day wardrobe [yes, that is a skirt you see] but at the heart it's still my style. VANS are my go-to party shoe, they're so comfy, so you can get white-girl-wasted and not worry about breaking your ankles + they work with almost every outfit. 

Black is always a colour I turn to, regardless of day or night, but the plaid shirt and flash of tummy break it up. 

Let's pray for my house!

Have a good weekend everyone 

xxx

THE BREAKDOWN

croptop // H&M // size S

skirt // H&M // size 10 

shoes // VANS // size 5

plaid shirt // URBAN OUTFITTERS // mens size M

UPDATE // the happiest [& most hectic] i've ever been

At the mo, life is hectic.
It's kind of crazy to think that we're almost half way through the year.

2014 has been a really strange year for me. It started with me feeling really lost, last autumn I'd applied to do Clinical Psychology at University, I'd fallen in love with the course and Loughborough University but at the start of this year reality settled in. I've never been academic, so the idea of doing a course at University just because it interested me rather than being something I needed for a future career just seemed stupid to me! BUT I was in a really shit place so I felt as if there was nothing else for me. April-May were really awful months for me, as some of you may know when I was younger I had an eating disorder and ever since I've suffered from depression [extremely light compared to a lot of other people] but in April time I had the lowest time of my entire life. I refused to get out of bed or go to Sixth Form, I turned my phone off and barely spoke to my friends - I was in a horrible place.

BUT everything is falling into place a couple of months later; I am the happiest I've been for a very long time. That's the thing, you may be in a really shit place, but things will get better, you just have to hold on. 

Ditching the idea of University, I decided on finding a job and as if fate was on my side, I'm now employed!!! In fact, I started my new contract this week, so it's rather hectic juggling my last 4 exams and full-time employment but it means that I can be financially independent and this is where life starts really. I am so lucky that I work with an amazing bunch of people, my boss is lovely and I get along with all the other girls so well, it's a real family-vibe. Working in retail means that there are some down sides, eg: being in work at 6:45AM for stock check, but there are so many positives. I feel as if I'm really thriving in the work place and it's such a weight off my shoulders knowing I don't have to ever do anything 'education'y' again. I

I've never been 100% certain what 'I want to do when I grow up' but I feel as if I'm slowly finding it. I definitely don't want to be a sales assistant for the rest of my life, but now I'm becoming more financially stable, visiting places I've always wanted to and experiencing different opportunities I feel like I'm getting that little bit closer to knowing what I want to do. My advice is, it's your life, so do what YOU want and be who YOU want to be, work hard and everything will fall into place. It won't happen over night and it may be a bumpy road, but you'll get there and it's the best feeling. I'm not anywhere near where I want to be but I know I'm finally on the right road and I've just got to keep going to see where it takes me.

ME-wise, I'm not only happy about what the future holds but I'm feeling happiest in ME as a person for first time...ever!! I've managed to loose some weight and tone up [a little bit] but I'm super happy with my body, cellulite, stretch marks, flabby-thighs and all! I've found a style that I feel super comfortable in and I think that radiates a new found confidence. I've evened out as a person a lot more, I used to be incredibly up-tight, as well as switching moods in seconds. I just think I'm becoming the person I'm going to be for the rest of my life and I quite like her, compared to the miserable up-tight bitch I've been for far too many years. I have the most incredible Dad, amazing friends and people in my life. I am single, but it doesn't bother me in the slightest - it's just another piece of the puzzle that'll fall into place at some point, I've never been bothered about having a boyfriend but what's meant to be will be! I just feel like I'm starting to appreciate the things we're all so lucky to have and usually take for granted, as BLINK-182 once said "all the small things" and that's all that matters in the end.

Let's be honest, on the Gabi-scale [it's an official thing yanno] I've been on a blogging-role. Ever since I started this new blog earlier on this year, I've felt like I've made a lot of progress blogging wise. Looking back at my old blog [thelifeofgabriella, now deleted *sobs*] GBLNIHN is a world away, I am much happier with my photos, content and layout...although I'll never be a 'clean-cut' blogger, I like my little quirks and odd spelling mistake, I feel this blog is more 'me' and really reflective of where I am in my life.

I am uber hectic at the moment [up until the 12th June] what with exams and work, but I promise once those are out the way there'll be plenty more blog posts on the way. I plan to continue posting Outfit of the Days, hauls etc but a lot more lifestyle as well - like this chatty post, or snaps of where I've been and what I've been up too. I take my camera everywhere with me nowadays so I hope you guys will like that.

In the grand scale of things, my blog is super teeny-tiny, but if you're reading this and you choose to follow me that means so much to me, like it always has and it always will. I have made so many friends through Tumblr, blogging, YouTube and I adore this not-so-little community.

I'm not really sure what the point of this post was, but I just wanted to write a little update to explain why I've been so distant-blogging wise and when I'll be back for good!
I hope you're all having an incredible week, that you have an amazing weekend.

Lots of love,
Gabs xxxx

BLEACH LONDON Split Fix Serum

BLEACH LONDON are the coolest of cool brands.

I got hooked at Swamp Spritz [post here] & now it's the turn of BLEACH's Split Fix Serum.

In all honesty, I expected the Swamp Spritz to be a one off wonder product. There's very few brands that consistently deliver, so I was a little hesitant to try another product incase it burst my BLEACH bubble. 

Naturally my hair is super curly and crazy-frizzy, Frizz-Ease 'till now has been my go-to frizz-taming product. So when I saw that BLEACH had a serum that 'tames and controls hair without weighing it down', there was no way I was going to walk away without it. 

Genuinely, I have never used a product that has left my hair feeling as ah-maz-ing as it does now. I used two pumps, concentrating it on the ends of my hair after washing, blow-drying and straightening I couldn't believe how silky smooth and frizz-free it left my hair. 

The BLEACH serum makes it look/feel as if I've never dyed or applied heat to my hair, my dead ends are reduced in appearance and all the frizz is banished. I know I sound like I'm trying to kiss-major-BLEACH-ass but I've never found a product that has given these kind of results to my hair. It's a light-weight product and it hasn't weighed down my hair in the slightest, I have a lot hair so that surprised me! Unlike Frizz-Ease it's not got a really oily consistency that lingers around leaving that horrible greasy feeling on both hands and hair. 

It not only makes styling 10x easier, but the general appearance of my hair is on another level. 

If you have dry, damaged, frizzy hair I cannot recommend this product enough. It gives your hair a whole new lease of life.

I could rave about BLEACH and their products all day, but this product in particular has really blown me away. If you want that messy-grunge-look, like I love, but with soft, healthy hair start with the Split Fix Serum and finish with the Swamp Spritz. 

Massive thumbs up to BLEACH LONDON for another incredible product. 

American Apparel disco dupes // & 2 outfits

Ever since American Apparel Disco Pants became 'the thing' to have, I've avoided them like the plague. 

In theory, they seem like something I'd like, high wasted is always a bonus in my book; BUT I'm one of those fortunate girls [sarcasm] that is blessed with chunky thighs. I've always been a bit self conscious about the whole spandex meets thunder thighs scenario. 

Just as I was about to splash the cash on Topshop Joni jeans [that I don't really rate, but are the highest-waist thing you can seem to get other than AA Disco Pants] I stumbled across these bad boys in H&M, that are the more realistic version of Disco Pants. 

[um please excuse the foundation type smears on ma bottom, takes a lot of effort to get these on]

These high waisted trousers are very similar to the American Apparel Disco Pants, but just a little less in ya face. They're not as harsh a spandex material, but still have that lycra/Sandy from Greece feel and appearance, but they're less shiny and thigh-attention-seeking. 

I love that they're high waisted, so the majority of your tummy is covered making these trousers so flattering on. They really make your legs look longer and pinch in at your waist. They're also super long so you can wear them tucked into boots or rolled up [as you'll see in my two outfits]. You can wear these either during the day or during the night which means you're getting a lot for your money [£12].

I tried having a lot on the H&M website for these but I couldn't find them, BUT I know that they're definitely in store. I've seen them in two stores that aren't anywhere near each other so just get snooping. 

Anyway, here's two ways I'd style these not so American Apparel Disco Pant-pants. 

If you're not a massive fan of having a little bit of tummy on show as well as skin tight trousers, then these trousers look great layered. The texture of the material is pretty unique, so even if you're not emphasising the Disco-Pant likeness or high waisted feature, they still look great. I wear this outfit all the time, it's one of those looks that you can loose the boots, whack on a pair of heels and you're transitioning from day to night. I am obsessed with this H&M scarf, it looks so much more expensive than it actually was, it also helps to detract attention from thighs if you're slowly getting used to the Disco-Pant vibe.

This outfit is very similar to my latest OOTD [here] but just a little bit different. The plaid shirt tied around the waist against helps to emphasise that area rather than drawing all the attention to my thighs. Heeled boots are also a big tip when rocking trousers like these as they make your legs appear longer and slimmer. This look is probably my go-to look for house-parties, it's super cool but a little bit more exciting than jeans and a T-shirt. 

Let me know if you've found any other Disco Pant dupes & your thoughts on how to style them! 

STYLE INSPO // DAISY LOWE

STYLE is experimenting. 

Style is Monday taking your inspiration from Kanye West and Friday channelling Audrey Hepburn.

In the past couple of years I've experimented with lots of different styles, from boho-chic inspired by Vanessa Hudgens to A$AP Rocky's street style. I'm constantly evolving as a person and that has a huge impact on my fashion - but - there is one 'style' I seem to naturally gravitate too & that's a mixture of indie/grunge/rock. It's quite hard to categorise my style, so I decided I'd do a series here on my blog entitled 'STYLE INSPO', looking at designers + people that influence and inspire my personal style.



I draw a lot of inspiration from males, but there's one female that doubles as my biggest style inspo & ultimate girl crush, Daisy Lowe.

D A I S Y    L O W E
British model [aged 25], Daisy has modelled for Urban Outfitters, been used by Burberry, was hand picked by Karl Largerfeld to appear on the Chanel runway...& that's just a few of the massive names that've snapped her up. Featured in VOGUE, ELLE, GQ and Interview Magazine as well as being best buds with the likes of Nick Grimshaw and Alexa Chung, Daisy has that effortless-super-cool vibe. She's one of the people I consistently look to for style inspo. Daisy has a really unique eclectic style, she knows what she likes and what suits her. She can go from messy hair, jeans and a leather jacket to chic and put together in seconds...but when it comes to Daisy, there's no outfit that doesn't go with boots.

C A S U A L

So yanno when I mentioned Daisy's whole effortlessly-cool vibe, well these outfits are the evidence. I love that whenever she's papped out n about in Primrose Hill or other cool parts of London, she looks so normal. 

Daisy has an incredible figure, that's totally normal, she has boobs, a bum, hips and thighs like the rest of us gals. To me this is really refreshing and makes her even more of a style inspiration to me as her outfit choices are actually wearable in real life. 

Black skinny jeans are an essential, if you don't have 'that' pair of black skinny jeans that you wear anywhere and everywhere...you need to find a pair ASAP! Daisy incorporates a masculine vibe with strong boots and a leather jacket but adds her own feminine twist with a red lip or a crop top. 

These two looks contrast the same outfit from day to night. In the first pic, the tied crop-top and minimal [if no] make-up look are super laid back, whereas in the second snap, she's vamped up the make-up look with some red lipstick and gone for an all-black combination flashing a little bit of tummy. 

 I think there's something so cool about rocking up to a party in jeans, people often go so OTT that that no one gives them a second look, but sometimes it's much more eye catching to go for a good pair of jeans n boots. 

G I R L Y    B U T     R O C K 

One of the best things about Daisy's style is that she can do girly. However, there's always an element of tomboyish-ness [yes, that's a word] about the outfit. Here we have two different styles, lilac patterned dungarees and a lilac skater dress, but in both outfits she's wearing tatty, chunky boots. On the rare occasion you catch me in a dress or skirt, it's usually always teamed with my leather jacket and boots.

I draw a lot of inspiration from masculine designers as well as guys fashion in general, so I love the idea of contrasting girly and guyish together. I think the great thing about having a boyish style is that when you do dress up either at night or wear something a little girlier/fresher it's always got the 'wow factor'. 

D R E S S I N G    U P

If there's ever a red carpet or a celebrity event, I always keep my eyes pealed for what Daisy's wearing. I think that's definitely one of the areas she's most experimental & I'm the same [well minus the celebrity bashes n red carpets]. On nights out, house-parties or evenings in general I [reluctantly] put down the skinny jeans + plaid shirts and go for something completely different [eg: a jazzy shirt HERE].

 Daisy's outfit at the Elle Awards earlier on this year made me do a little excited dance. I think there's nothing cooler [cool is the word of this post appaz] than a girl in a suit, think Angelina Jolie @ the Oscars. The blazer and trousers combo Daisy went for looked so unique with the sheer//cutout shirt oh and lets not over look the bowtie. Then we contrast again to the pic on the left where Daisy takes a more feminine route. Just google 'Daisy Lowe red carpet' and you'll be blown away by how chic and sophisticated she can look whilst wearing something completely out there. It sets her apart from the crowd in a classy way. That's another thing to love about Daisy, you won't see her doing a Miley Cyrus. 

All in all, I could probably ramble on about Daisy's insane style forever. I take a lot of inspiration from her eclectic sense, pairing things that the laws of fashion wouldn't usually agree with and making them look really effortless. Messy hair and boots are always a good idea in my opinion. I love that Daisy knows what suits her and she always looks so confident and comfortable within her own skin, which I think makes someone 100000x more attractive than they already are. I think it's always great to have the contrast between jeans and a leather jacket during the daytime, with messy hair and minimal make-up to night time where you can look as put together and vamp up your outfit, creating the shock factor. 

Daisy inspires me to be totally confident with my own style choices, to wear that frilly pink dress with my Doc Martins and to wear a suit while everyone else has gone for another dress. She manages to take a tomboyish look, add a feminine twist and rock it.

sometimes your words just hypnotise me

If there's one benefit to a ripped skinny jeans & t-shirt attitude to life, it's that when it comes to nights out and house parties, you'll always have the shock factor. There's nothing I love more than experimenting with night style. I don't steer far from my indie/grunge vibes but always try to put an edgier twist on it.

This missguided over-sized shirt had me at 'paisley'. Coachella and Kylie Jenner have got me hooked on paisley print, so while I'm obsessing over this shirt, I'm keeping my eyes pealed for that perfect paisley playsuit [try saying that when you're drunk]. 

Of course this outfit comes teamed with messy hair, a smoky eye [post coming soon] thanks to Maybelline Colour Tattoo shadows and my extremely tatty heeled Chelsea boots. The twist comes in the form of my incredible vintage Versace clutch - isn't it just *dribbles*. Controversial, but when I got given this, I did rough the leather up a little because I'm all about the 'tatty, well worn look'. Adding a pop of colour through my Maybelline NY Colour Show Bleached Neon in Chic Chartreuse [mouthful, I know] nails. 

I will admit, I was a little disappointed that this shirt wasn't a tiny bit longer as advertised on the model so that I could get away with it as a dress [HERE] but as you guys can see, I definitely have to wear a LBD or bum-shorts underneath. The shirt itself is a gorgeous silky material and fits really well, baggy in the right places, tight at the collar and cuffs. The colourway is super unique, I love the purple, greeny tones and monochrome base. Missguided did good. 

THE BREAKDOWN

OVERSIZED PAISLEY SHIRT - missguided.co.uk

LITTLE BLACK DRESS - asos.co.uk

CHELSEA BOOTS - new look

FRILLY BLACK SOCKS - dorothy perkins 

CLUTCH BAG - vintage versace 

NAIL VARNISH - maybelline bleached neons in chic chartreuse 

FASHION // MET BALL 2014

The Met Ball is probably my favourite fashion event of the year. Although award shows are heavily centred on fashion and of course there are the fashion weeks themselves, there's something so exclusive and snazzy about the Met Ball. 

Held at the Metropolitan Mueseum of Arts in New York, this years tickets rose to $25,000, this years theme was 'White Tie and Decoration' in tribute to Charles James. 

Kendall Jenner in my opinion looked absolutely incredible. Wearing a Topshop gown that accentuated her insane figure, I love that she kept accessories simplistic and went for a natural rosy make-up look. As well as that, I really liked that her hair was a little bit messy and wavy, adding a cooler vibe to the extremely sophisticated look. Kendall always manages to look super on-trend but keeps her own vibe throughout.

It's not a Met Ball without power couples right? Of course Beyonce and Jay-Z looked ever the King and Queen of everything, both in Givenchy Couture, B opted for an embellished sheer number whilst Jay looked extremely dapper in a white and black tuxedo. Not 100% how I feel about the head piece, rather Cruella deVille? 

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian stole the show. Compared to that shocking dress last year, Kim looked as if she'd never set a foot wrong in the fashion world. Channelling old school glamour with loose waves, Kim's Lanvin dress worked perfectly with her figure and skintone. I am loving the mixture of electric blue and black, with the risqué split. I think this is one of Kim's best red carpet looks. Obviously, Kanye looked handsome and sophisticated as ever - also wearing Lanvin, the duo just looked super cool and everything the Met Ball should be. 

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively looked in-cred-ible. 

I have an enormous girl-crush on Blake, she always looks so fresh-faced and happy, wearing Gucci Premiere, her golden/nude dress looked so gorgeous. Ryan didn't look bad either, right? Also wearing Gucci the duo are definitely on Beyonce and Jay's tail when it comes to power couples?!

British models Rosie Huntingdon-Whitely and Suki Waterhouse represented the UK to a tea! Rosie opted for a fierce Balmain look, mixing gold and black which is always a 'yes', she looked like a Roman warrior and insanely gorgeous. Meanwhile, Suki chose the a more feminine look in a layered Burberry gown. I prefer Rosie's nude lip, but Suki's plum lip works so well with the light pink of the Burberry dress. 

Two surprise faves were Leighton Meester and Rihanna. I absolutely adore Rihanna's look, I think white looks so chic and is never utilised enough on red carpets. This gown shows off Rihanna's incredible figure but is super sophisticated at the same time - the open back is also something I was naturally drawn to. Leighton also looked beautiful and I love her dewy make-up look and the gold gown she teamed with it, sometimes a thigh high split and plunging neck line can be quite risqué but I think she does it in a really classy way.

So, another Met Ball done and dusted. Who were your faves, who did you hate? 

photo credit: VOGUE.com & dailymail.co.uk