Oh look, Shiny!

Waistcoat Cardigan - Republic

Sleeveless Shirt - River Island

Leggings - American Apparel

Boots - New Look

Bracelet - Asos

Necklace - River Island

Today was a good day, you know why? I finally managed to wear my American Apparel high waisted leggings! Yaaaay!! I bought them over four months ago from Ebay  in error thinking they were the infamous Disco Pants but they turned out to be just the regular lyrca leggings. I can't say I'm complaining though, they're so comfortable and perfect to wear instead of tights (my usual leg wear) in this dull and dreary weather we have at the moment and today was perfect as the sun was hiding behind the clouds. I absolutely love them & I can say I'll be getting my fair share of wears out of these little beauts - I just love how they add a little glam to your outfit.

Believe it or not, but everything barring my super awesome AA leggings & Asos bracelet, the rest of my outfit was complied together with items from my wardrobe that I had bought over two years ago! I was slightly surprised myself when I realised that I've managed to keep things that have come back in style again (I love when that happens). Do you have any trusty items of clothing that you don't dare to throw out?

Behind The Scenes..

Coming home with nothing to do after spending majority of my summer abroad, topping up my tan and generally having the time of my life, really was a downer to the end of an amazing summer. I was determined to keep myself busy up until I started back at University again, so I began applying for lots of retail and voluntary jobs in and around the Leeds/Manchester area. I wasn't having any luck and I thought the last month of my summer was going to consist of me being a couch potato, until my sister informed me about a Fashion Show in Leeds that was looking for volunteers to help out backstage. Within an hour of applying I heard back that I was accepted and as expected I was over the moon  - jumping up and down whilst telling my mum the good news. (Jumping up and down is always allowed no matter how old you are haha!). 

It was The End of Summer Fashion Show in Leeds 4th successful year running, bringing together new and exciting Fashion Designers to showcase their amazing work to the public and all the proceeds of the ticket sales went to the charity Barnardos! The Show was held at Tiger Tiger in Leeds and held a range of stalls from cupcakes to jewellery (the cupcakes were amazing!). There was a very welcoming response for the show and it opened with an amazing violin performance by Kate Chruscicka, as the models were still preparing backstage. 

As I arrived backstage, I was slightly apprehensive as to what to expect as naturally I was nervous about being in an environment I had never been in before with people I had never met. I know what you're thinking... after 2months of being half way around the world and being thrown into situations like this all the time I should be used to it by now shouldn't I? But nope, still a shy little kid at heart! Luckily, everyone was super nice and I felt at ease straight away and I dived in head first into the tasks at hand. I had various jobs to do backstage, and began by fitting the models with the designers clothing as well as allocating each model with their own rail of clothing for a much easier and smooth process backstage once the show began. I can safely say this still didn't stop the expected rush and panic during the show haha! 

The day pleasantly flew by and to my surprise it was a relatively calm process in comparison to backstage fashion shows I've seen in the past! Once it was systems go, you could feel the nerves and excitement buzzing around the room and once the first model had done her round on the catwalk the mayhem kicked in! Clothes were being flung off their hangers from all directions! The show ran exceptionally smooth and all the designers showcased their amazing work to a very impressed audience. 

Photographer Safina Sher (yes, she's my sister) managed to gain access backstage at the show and caught some pretty cool snaps!

Let the Show begin!

It was such an amazing experience and I was so glad to be a part of it! As a Fashion student I've always wanted to gain some hands on experience working in a fast paced environment and from doing this show I've actually managed to get onboard with two more Fashion Shows in the coming months! Eeeek, how exciting! 

Designers: Claire Baxter, Laced with Love, Katrina Rose, Scarlet Stewart, Gwen Reid, Victoria Rosso, Mary James, Cross Culture Fashion, Sarah Todd, Eleanor Sleeper & Bethany Claire.

(click their names for more info)

All images are copyright and courtesy of Safina Sher: you can like her page to view all images from the show HERE! 

The show was sponsored by Excite clothing & Nya Lingerie

Nail Art #11 - Zebra Stripes

This is a really easy and cute nail tutorial and it literally takes about 15 minutes! Animal prints for nail designs have been around for a while now, looks like people just can't get enough! I'm going to be telling you how to achieve this design using just a nail striper!

1.  Use a basecoat to protect your nails from the polish

2. Use a Matte polish as a base and apply two coats, if you can buy a matte topcoat and apply it over the top of any varnish to dull the shine if you don't have any matte polishes. (You don't have to use a matte polish, but the shine and contrast off the silver looks more dramatic)

3. To create the Zebra stripes I pulled up an image off Google to get the pattern correct. It's mainly just triangular patterns with lines inbetween.

4. Clean up around your nails using a cotton bud dipped in polish remover.

5. If you've used a Matte polish, don't add a topcoat or it will add a shine and detract away from the contrasting colours.

Experiment with all sorts of colours and animal prints! Using a Matte black polish and a black striper has a really cute and subtle effect!

INSTAGRAM: SABINASHER

'Cause We Are Family

Dress - Miss Selfridge

Jacket - Vero Moda

Studded Lofas - Topshop

Since coming back from Cyprus I've been a busy little bee applying for jobs for once I start back at university in September, catching up with all my friends and family and applying for some voluntary work to help out backstage at fashion shows. So, inbetween my social catch up I've managed to squeeze in some outfit posts! Yaaay! 

Whilst I was in Leeds this past week me & my family arranged to meet up with some of my cousins for a family meal! Everyone has been so busy recently, and with me being out of the country for majority of summer, it was really nice to spend some good quality time with my family and catch up on life - you really do realise how much you miss the little things whilst being away!

I've always struggled to pair leopard print items of clothing within an outfit without it looking totally ridiculous, but I think I've finally started to pull it off! This jacket is now a staple item within my closet as it literally just adds instant style to any outfit, not to mention it is super comfy! The material has a little stretch in it too which  doesn't make it restricting. The neckline on the jacket however, can be a little tricky to style alongside with though, as the circle neckline can look odd against what your wearing underneath! I also love the colour of this dress. I tend to shy away from bright colours in such a mass amount as I am borderline goth with the amount of black clothing I own - I just can't get enough! The only problem with this dress is that the material creases so easily that after only wearing it for 10 minutes it needed ironing again. shame!

I have an exciting post I'm working on about helping out backstage at The End of Summer Fashion Show Leeds, but I'm having massive writers block whenever I take time to write about it. Don't you just hate that? Wish me luck!

Back to Reality!

Sooo... I'm back from Cyprus! I bet you're thinking 'why so soon?' - well my original plan was to stay out there for two months and work, but a few things came up with University that meant I had to fly back to the UK early. Boohoo! 

I was working for the Linekers Bar in Paphos and had the most amazing time! It was a surreal experience and I met some incredible people, it really makes me want to do an entire season somewhere like Ibiza next summer! I can truly say I've had the best summer of my life, with travelling Thailand then working abroad! But reality had to hit me hard at some point and its time to knuckle down with starting my research for my dissertation and searching for a job before I enter the world of Final Year at uni! 

So, until my next post - I'll leave you a picture of the Harbour in Paphos! Enjoy x