Christmas Sparkle

A very Happy Christmas to all These Girls Turn Heads readers. (How long are we allowed to wish people a Happy Christmas once the big day is over?) Did you all have a lovely day? I spent mine at home with my lovely Mum and Santa spoilt us both rotten. I got a new SLR Canon Camera which I cannot wait to start using, a flat screen TV, some Mulberry gloves, the Grace Coddington autobiography and lots of bits and pieces including some lovely dresses from ASOS. I certainly must have been a good girl this year!

I thought I'd share my Christmas Eve outfit with you all. I can't resist a bit of sparkle as you know and every year my friends and I gather together for lots of wine before heading to our local pub. It's been a tradition for the past 8 years and is a chance for us all to get dressed up and see in Christmas Day together. The sequin dress I wore was from ASOS Curve, a little steep at £150 but definitely one of the nicest dresses I own. With a dipped ribbon tie back and sheer beaded front it was just the right amount of sparkle to see in Christmas Day. Sorry for the quality of the photos - my Mum took these quickly before I left and she was already on the champagne!

Dress: ASOS

Pointed metallic shoes: Topshop

Necklace: c/o Accessorize

Rings: ASOS

I hope you all have a very Happy New Year. I am off to Lisbon, Portugal on Friday to see in 2013 with my 4 best friends. Apparently it's a lot warmer there than in the UK at the moment so I am pretty excited. I may even start packing now!

See you next year.

My Westfield Christmas Wish List

Westfield London - The mecca of London shoppers recently got in touch to ask me to put together my Christmas wishlist. With every major high street brand under one roof it was going to be a tough job (I know, shopping with a £100 gift card. Someone's got to it!) deciding on what to put on my wish list. This year I haven't asked for anything. Ok, a tiny lie. The only thing I mentioned to my family was the Grace Coddington autobiography which I am dying to read. Now I'm starting to see some pieces I like but Santa aka Mum has told me "it's too late. You're all done". Oh, okay then. Thankfully the wonderful team at Westfield have solved my problems.

Westfield is literally on my door step and houses 388 shops! It's probably worth mentioning that tonight and tomorrow they are opening their doors until MIDNIGHT for those of us who like to leave our Christmas shopping until the last minute (like myself). On Saturday opening hours are until 11pm so sharpen those elbows and be ready to get your shop-on. I for one will definitely be there Saturday afternoon picking up my last remaining Christmas presents for my Secret Santa, my Dad and Stepdad. 

Below is my Christmas list all of which is available at Westfield London and with a Westfield gift card I'm free to roam around and choose some of my pieces below. The gift card is ideal if you're stuck for present ideas, as it allows your loved ones the freedom to shop for something they really want.

The gift cards are available in any value, in a range of designs (including seasonal sleeves for Christmas) and are redeemable against all purchases, including sale goods at participating Westfield stores.*

*Sponsored post

Christmas from Umberto Giannini

With Christmas coming up, why not take part in some Umberto Giannini festive advent calendar fun. Go online everyday between now and Christmas Day to find out instantly if there's a prize waiting for you behind each door.

Prizes range from Gothic Chic Hair Decorations to a Luxury Makeover Session for you and a friend at the Umberto Giannini flagship salon in Selfridges.

Good Luck!

Baroque and Roll

Sorry for the cringe-tastic title of this post but I figured it was quite relevant. I picked up these gorgeous gold baroque slippers from Topshop last weekend and they are so comfortable. Sure, I'm getting a few "why aren't you wearing socks/tights it's freezing" on the train in the morning but that's okay. I love the gold foil effect and lace overlay. I paired these my burgundy New Look jeans, ASOS Raccoon print shirt and vintage studded denim jacket. My handbag is one that most girls on the high street seem to be carrying at the moment - the Accessorize Mari Tote. There are so many colour options available and it's such a gorgeous bag. You can check out the full range here.

Gold slippers: Topshop

Jeans: New Look

Shirt: ASOS

Jacket: East End Thrift Store

Faux Fur: Dune (now in sale!)

Necklace: New Look

Handbag: Accessorize Mari Tote (gifted)

A few weeks back I was gifted some amazing Sony headphones to review. I'm so used to using earphones as oppose to headphones and had been thinking of purchasing some Beats but they're a little out of my price range. I wouldn't say I'm massively into music so investing that much on headphones seems a waste. These Sony ones however are ideal. Retailing for around £22 with a sleek burgundy metallic outset they are perfect for my morning commute. The sound quality is much better than the iPhone earphones and I can block out other noise and still have my music relatively loud without disturbing anyone around me. The only problem I had was there was no volume control so you have to reach for your iPhone every time.

Headphones: Sony (gifted)

Rings: ASOS

Bracelets: Mulberry, Accessorize and Mel's Boutique

Massive thank you to Three mobile for sending me these to review.

The AW collection from Bonmarche.

Bonmarche might not be a regular destination for plus size ladies, but recently I was asked to have a look at the AW range on their website and I was really impressed. Not at the very fore-front of plus size fashion, but certainly a very worthy competitor, Bonmarche offer some fabulous pieces for the season including an exclusive collection with David Emanuel.

As a designer, David Emanuel understands the struggle that plus size women often face when shopping for winter essentials and finding wardrobe staples that will flatter their shapes. I've chosen my top pick’s from his Bonmarche collection – all of which are available on the website.

Maxi Dress with Pearl Trim £39.50

This elegant Maxi dress with pearl trim is ideal for Christmas parties. I love the detailed neck line with a pearl trim and also a silk ribbon belt to give waist definition. Bonmarche evening dresses like this one certainly do not disappoint. Also available in black.

Ponte Print Dress £28

If you’re more of a classic LBD kinda gal why not go for this lace detail Ponte dress.  I love the lace overlay on this and the short sleeves.

Rose Print Kimono Jacket £38

This Rose Print Kimono jacket is an ideal cover-up if you’re afraid to show off your arms. I love the bright rose detail and would be tempted to wear this with some tailored trousers when I’m out for cocktails with the girls.

One of the things that shocked me most about Bonmarche were the great prices. I tracked down a beautiful knotted lace dress for only £35 and a Chanel-esque tweed jacket for £22. I've actually been trying to find a smart tweed jacket for a while and I think this may just be the one. My favourite item from the site has to be this AMAZING glitter/velour dress. I like to think of this as Grandma - chic. It looks as though it’s stepped right out of an 80’s TV show, which I think is why I love it. Huge shoulder pads AND glitter – bang on.

L: Rose Glitter Velour Dress £29

R: Lace Knot Dress £35

Textured Classic Jacket £22

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post however my review of the website and product is completely honest.  

I have NOT reviewed these products in person.

Partywear at Simply Be

So, a couple of weeks ago I was swooning over this on Simply Be. A perfect choice for New Year’s Eve celebrations (which FYI I’ll be spending in Lisbon, Portugal so if anyone has any recommendations – hook a sister up). Anyway, for some reason something was telling me to hold back on making a purchase and thank goodness I did as I was contacted by the team at Simply Be to ask if I wanted to take part in a blogger feature. I was asked to choose a dress from the website and write a partywear review. Er, YES and I knew exactly what I was choosing. The fashion gods were obviously looking down on me that day. A couple of days later, the dress arrived and I couldn't have been more thrilled.

I am head over heels for Simply Be. Along with ASOS Curve they are my go-to guys for fashion forward pieces and Simply Be’s party wear section has so many choices for bigger girls this season. You know me, I love a bead, jewel, sequin anything that stands out. I try and avoid black most of the time because I like having fun with colours, detailing and prints. 

The dress is a perfect fit. I went up a size as I don’t like things clinging onto me and I’m glad I did. There is a silk under-dress to avoid any “oh my bum is on display” moments and the quality is amazing.  The hand sewn embellishment made up of pearls and cylinder sequins give the dress that extra bit of sparkle and the flapper details create a 1920s feel. The only problem I had was with the length (and this is a body conscious problem). Personally, I’m not keen on anything that comes above my knees so I felt it was a bit short. I’m 5”8 and it fell at the back just below my bum but teamed with a pair of chunky wedges I felt this made my legs look slightly longer so problem solved.

You can check out the full collection and read more of my review here!

Dress: Rise Annie Beaded Dress at Simply Be

Necklace: Accessorize

Wedges: New Look

Gold band rings: ASOS

Bracelets: Mulberry, Accessorize, Mel’s boutique

NEWS: Mawi coming soon to Amazon.co.uk

As we all know, I'm addicted to jewellery. The bigger the better and I can't leave the house in the mornings without adding an extra bit of bling to my outfits, so imagine my delight when these images of some gorgeous Mawi pieces landed in my inbox. I own one of her rings from the Disney collaboration but am seriously considering adding a necklace to my expanding jewellery collection.

Amazon.co.uk are delighted to announce they will be offering the new range of Mawi jewellery (at competitive prices!) from December. Just in time for the festive season - start adding these babies to your list to Santa!

My favourite piece is this pearlescent and diamante number with gold detailed spikes. The perfect update to your LBD.

Statement Heart Necklace £570

These droplet earrings are so beautiful. Loving the blue and pink ones below!

 Heart and Leaf earrings £215

Heart drop earrings £160

Shop the full collection from Amazon.co.uk from December.

ACS in Look Magazine.

One of my most treasured pieces from my trip to New York back in May was this floral bomber jacket. It was cheap as chips and I found it at Beacon's Closet in Brooklyn. It has a real varsity feel to it and brightens up an old pair of jeans and basic tee which is exactly how I wore it today! I was sent these amazing initial brooches from Accessorize on Friday and figured this jacket was the perfect piece to add these to.

Jacket: Beacon's Closet

T-shirt: Topshop

Jeans: New Look

Trainers: Converse

My necklaces are both from New Look who have some amazing statement pieces at the moment and the best part is, they were on a buy one get one free offer so I ended up buying 4 (because of course, a girl can never have to many statement necklaces!). I decided to layer them up and am loving the spikes and neon together.

Necklaces: New Look

Brooches: Accessorize

I was in Look magazine this week and featured on the 'Style File' page. It was such an amazing opportunity to be part of one of my favourite mags and share with Look readers on how I ended up with my job in Fashion PR. I've always advised that internships are the best way to get into a fashion career, especially if you don't have a degree in fashion. I completed a 10 week short course at LCF to learn some PR basics and it was the best decision I'd ever made. Don't get my wrong - I loved my degree in Drama but I'm so pleased I've ended up doing something I really love.

Peg Leg!

In my last post I gave a little glimpse of some of my recent outfits but I figured I should probably go into a bit more detail on the Lace Trousers from Very.co.uk. I'm still waiting for one of the plus size retailers to make a pajama suit but in the mean time I'll continue my obsession with printed peg-leg trousers. These lace ones are from the So Fabulous range at Very and are an amazing fit. The waist is elasticated (yep - score!) and the fit around the leg is perfect. I prefer a skinny leg as wider leg trousers tend to make people look bigger than they actually are whereas these show off your shape perfectly. I paired these with a beautiful new gem tee from Topshop, gold flats from Evans and my Issey Miyake blazer.

Oh hi Shiny face!

Blazer: Issey Miyake

T-shirt: Topshop

Trousers: Very.co.uk

Shoes: Evans

Bag: Louis Vuitton

Neon necklace: H'n'M

Pyramid necklace: Urban Outfitters

You can't really tell but I've had my hair highlighted a bit more too. It's a lot blonder in real life and I'm still getting used to it. Also, some very exciting news; I'll be in the Look magazine 'My Style File' feature on Tuesday (30th) so please do go out and grab a copy!

Statement Necklaces

Seems I've gained a few new followers so hello everyone! Sorry for the lack of blogging (again!).

I just wanted to bring to everyone's attention some of the statement pieces that have landed on Accessorize.com. I've been well and truly addicted to the beautiful statement necklaces that have been hitting the high street recently. First there was the diamante/neon number from H'n'M, then the green emerald beauty from Zara and now I'm predicting these gems to fly off the shelves too.

Accessorize is one of my fav jewellery haunts and you're bound to find a stunning piece to brighten up any autumnal outfit - just take a look below.

My favourite piece has to be the Elizabeth Regal necklace as I just love the tone of green on the stones. All the above are available from accessorize.com now.

And finally for any one who wants to see what I've been wearing recently, here you go :)

Shirt: Ellos (gifted from One Stop Plus)

Trousers: Simply Be

Loafers: Primark

Necklace: Zara

Rings: Kenneth Lane, Alexander McQueen, Forever21, Primark

Jacket: Monsoon

Top: Simply Be

Ribbon: Chanel (from a carrier bag! - bit of DIY)

Clutch: Gift

Lace Trousers: Very.co.uk

Shoes: Vintage

'A' earrings: Anna Dello Russo at H'n'M

Jacket: Monsoon

T-shirt: Topshop

Skirt: Topshop

Boots: Topshop

Bag: Mulberry Alexa

The necklace in the above shot is this beaut from Primark - how amazing is it? It was only £8! Bargain.

Feelin' Fresh

Okay, this blog post is being dedicated to the wonderful Gabi Fresh who I had the pleasure of spending some time with on Tuesday evening whilst she was in the UK for London Fashion Week. Gabi's blog was the very first one I discovered and who inspired me to start my own. She's as amazing and bubbly in person as she comes across on her blog and her style is just incredible. We went to the Rani Fashion Week presentation at 5 Cavendish Square to see the new collection and have a few drinks. I also got to meet the gorgeous Callie and see the total babes that are Bethany, Lauren, Amy and Hanna.

This is what I wore - the skirt you'll notice was on my birthday wish list and delivered to me in a big bag of pressies on Saturday morning (including some stunning Miu Miu sunglasses). Feels slightly weird being 26 now I have to say. (Sorry for the poor i-photo quality - I really need to invest in a good camera)

T-Shirt: Topshop

Skirt - Topshop

Trainers - Converse

Jacket - Vintage: East End Thrift Store

Handbag - Prada

Necklace - Tatty Devine

The new Spice Girls?

Birthday Wishlist

I thought I'd give you all a little insight into what I've put on my birthday list this year as it's my birthday on Saturday. I AM SO EXCITED. I'm like a kid in a sweet shop when it comes to birthdays. They are always a pretty big deal in my house. Although last year I was in Las Vegas and I'm not sure anything is going to be able to top that this year but I'm looking forward to lunching in Notting Hill with my Mum and seeing my friends for drinks in the evening. I can't believe I'm going to be 26 - where on earth does time go?

I also share my birthday with Prince Harry, so H, if you're reading this, HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Saturday.

Neon Lace

I've had this skirt for ages and I can't believe it's taken me so long to do an outfit post in it. I've had SO many people stop me to ask where it's from. It was a huge bargain in the ASOS sale a while back and I ended up paying around £14 for it. It's the perfect length and I love the fact it's so bright. The stretch underskirt is almost the same length as the lace too (I hate it when the under layer is so much shorter than everything else). I've kept it simple with a plain black t-shirt and another slight pop of neon with my necklace.

You've obviously been living under a rock if you haven't noticed the camouflage trend cropping up on the streets of London. I purchased mine from ebay but the high street have got some cool versions (complete with studding - obviously). I'd recommend ebay though if you're trying to save the pennies.

I just have point out how amazing my crocodile ring is from Butler & Wilson. We all know how much of a ring fanatic I am! The snake print clutch with studs was a bargain from H'n'M too and is a recent purchase. 

Jacket: Ebay

T-Shirt: Gap

Skirt: ASOS

Trainers: Converse

Ring: Butler and Wilson

Clutch: H'n'M

Necklace: H'n'M.

The Louise Gray for Topshop collection launched today - sequin overload, just how I like it. I managed to snap up the smiley face t-shirt and am eagerly waiting for it's arrival! It's coming to Bestival with me fo'sho!

Printed trousers AGAIN.

As I've mentioned before, I'm having a bit of a love-in with printed trousers at the moment. God knows what I'm going to do when maxi skirts and printed trousers are no longer on trend!

If you haven't checked out Simply Be at the moment then you simply must (nice pun there). They have created a collection of catwalk inspired pieces for us plus size ladies and I have to say they are truly waving the flag for plus size retailers at the moment. I find myself clicking on their website along with ASOS Curve everyday for new pieces.

These floral trousers do come up quite small, although they do have an elasticated waist but I would still definitely size up. The floral print is beautiful and the longer length is just what I wanted in a pair of slim leg trousers as my ASOS ones are slightly too short in length. My only wish is that there was a matching blazer. Simply Be, if you're reading this then please make this happen!

Blazer: Forever 21

T-Shirt: Topshop

Trousers: Simply Be

Trainers: Converse

Necklace: Zara

Bag: Mulberry Alexa

Ear Cuff: House of Harlow by Nicole Richie available at www.amazon.co.uk

Rings: Ottoman Hands, Butler & Wilson, Accessorize.

House of Harlow from Nicole Richie

I have quite a few style icons. Ranging from The Olsens (who doesn't love them?), Olivia Palermo (yeah, an obvious one), Hilary Banks from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air (those pant suits - enough said), Rita Ora (a recent one), a random girl who works on South Molton Street next to my work whose style I really admire (without sounding like a stalker) and Nicole Richie. I was absolutely obsessed with The Simple Life and would rather enjoy seeing her and Paris' antics as they made their way across the States staying with different families. Fast forward to 2012 and Nicole has truly made her mark in the fashion industry. Cowboy boots and varsity hot pants aside (see below) her Boho Chic style has been admired in the world of fashion and celebrity.

Nicole's line House of Harlow made it's debut in Spring 2010 and now consists of jewellery, eyewear, handbags and footwear all with a touch of NR's bohemian vibes. Nicole says; "I've always loved the possibility of being able to transform yourself through the way of dress". This forms the basis of her House of Harlow line which allows women to dress for their frame of mind and play 'dress up' everyday.

"Nicole's love and influence of costume dressing are apparent in the collections, whether incorporated in a print or manifested through a unique addition to a fabric or style, they are the essence of the House of Harlow identity".

You can view the whole collection at www.amazon.co.uk/jewellery I've chosen my top picks from the collection below. Look out for some of these beautiful gems in upcoming outfit posts!

 Bangle: £70.20 

 Ear Cuff: £58

 Pendant: £78

Ring: £57

A bite of the Apple. Part 2

So with my visit to New York over 2 months ago now and part 2 well over due, here is my next installment from our trip to the Big Apple. (You can find part 1 here incase you missed it).

After an eventful night in the Meatpacking District we were up once again bright and early on the Thursday for another day in NY. We started off with breakfast at the TickTock diner which is just before you get to Times Square. This was recommended to me by Amanda and was so good we actually ate here twice during our trip. After a breakfast of pancakes and bacon we headed towards the Gray Line bus tour which took us through Soho, the financial district, The Seaport and the East Village. It was absolutely FREEZING as we sat on the top deck to get the best views! We got off to take a little look at Lady Liberty but we were so pushed for time that we didn't get the boat over (I've done this before, so definitely worth doing).

Shirley Temples at Tick Tock Diner

Lady Liberty

Rockefeller Centre

Wearing all H'n'M here except for the studded denim jacket.

 One for you Gossip Girl fans.

We ate at an amazing restaurant that evening called Caliente Cab which is in the West Village on 7th Avenue. The frozen cocktails are the best I've ever had and you get to take home a souvenir glass too! 

Friday was the day we spent mostly in the East Village. You can't go to NY and not spend some time here. It's so quirky and reminded me slightly of Shoreditch. It's full of vintage boutiques and some cool places to get eat too. After a really quick journey up and down the Empire State Building we hopped on a bus to the East Village. We had been recommended a pulled pork sandwich shop called Porchetta (110 East 7th Street) which was possibly one of the best sandwiches bars ever and located opposite the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop - normal Mr Whippy ice creams are served but dipped into melted chocolate and covered in different toppings. I had rock salt and caramel - LUSH. Whilst walking down East 7th Street be sure to pop into the shops as there's some amazing finds. We stumbled across a boutique called Rena Reborn which had some beautiful garments and jewellery (including a $10 and under rail - what's not to love?). The girl working behind the till actually invited us to a clothing sale her friend was having the following weekend but of course we'd be back in London by then. She was SO friendly and was giving us some tips on some more vintage places to go. You can follow them on twitter here.

Image from www.renareborn.com

After filling ourselves up with pork sandwiches, ice cream and amazing vintage shopping it was only fair to wash it all down with a cocktail. The weather was so nice this day so we walked through a park and watched a group of guys playing basketball (pervs!) and then headed to The Blind Barber. If you haven't heard of the Blind Barber a brief overview is that this is (said to be) one of THE places to be seen during Fashion Week because as well as being a Barber shop there's actually a bar out the back (which you'd never know as it's hidden so well). We got talking to a really lovely couple at the bar (another example of Americans being the most friendly people ON EARTH). We told them we were going to check out Brooklyn's nightlife and where should we go. They recommended a place called The Meatball Shop and gave us some directions. After dropping yet more shopping bags back at the apartment we put our glad rags on and headed to Brooklyn on the subway (just throwing in my American lingo there). Brooklyn was really buzzing and the bars were rammed and flowing onto the streets and the restaurant was full so we had a drink at the bar before being seated a while later. The barman made Rachel a special cocktail which mainly seemed to consist of fire and grass! The Meatball Shop is located on Bedford Avenue and if you're in Brooklyn looking for a reasonably cheap but tasty meal then I'd definitely recommend this. Obviously meatballs (of different variety) are the only thing on the menu but can be served with pasta, mash, beans or salad. The best part is it's open until 4am on Friday's and Saturday's so if you find yourself drunk and hungry in the early hours head here!

Our evening ended with yet more cocktails on the roof of Juliette's wine bar and then some beers at a Tiki bar. It was Cinco De Mayo so everywhere was so busy and full of people drinking frozen margheritas - always a good thing in my mind!

Our final day in New York was once again spent in Brooklyn. It was so lovely to see it in the daylight and there was so much to do. We enjoyed a late brunch at Allswell on Bedford avenue and headed towards the mecca that is Beacon's Closest. I cannot even begin to explain how massive this warehouse is and full to the brim of vintage. I think we were in here for an hour and a half scouting through rail upon rail of clothing. I picked up a sequin t-shirt, a floral bomber jacket and a cross necklace whilst Pomps managed to pick up a pair of Marc Jacobs shoes and Rach managed to buy half the store. We had heard that there was also another Artists and Fleas market on where we spent some time spending our remaining dollas (I came back from NY with SO much stuff which you'll see popping up in outfit posts). A quick dash to Brooklyn Flea food market (again, I've never seen anything like this - food served from around the globe and full of locals) before we knew it, it was time to head back and get ready for Rach's birthday meal at Pastis (no celeb sightings unfortunately) in the Meatpacking District and cocktails on the roof at the Gansevoort hotel.

Dress: ASOS Curve

Jacket: East End Thrift Store

Converse: Journey's

Necklace: Costume Chanel

Belt: ASOS

Bag: Mulberry Alexa

Photos by Teddy Telles at Artists and Fleas

The Gansevoort Hotel

Blazer: Issey Miyake

Dress: Very

Clutch: Dune

Ring: Love, Hearts and Crosses

Our last day: the view from our apartment rooftop.

There is still so much more to cover from our trip but I don't want to bore everyone so these are the main bits. If you are planning on a trip to NY any time soon do feel free to ask for any recommendations (I'm not an expert but can definitely recommend some things to do from this trip). There is just something incredibly amazing and endearing about this city - who knows, maybe one day I'll become a New York resident.