How to wear: Statement Jewellery

Statement jewellery came into play a few years ago, and it's certainly not going anywhere. A big chunky necklace, piles of bracelets or gorgeous dangly earrings can add complete chic to a simple outfit. Here is my collection and my top tips for how to pull it off.

Necklaces:

How to wear

- Pair a statement necklace with other minimalistic jewellery, some pretty stud earrings or very simple little hoops.
- Pick out the colours in the necklace and try to match them in your outfit where possible.
- Wear a simple upper half piece, whether a top or jacket. Try and keep it on the simpler side to let the gorgeousness of the necklace show.
- The bigger, the better - don't be afraid.
- Don't just go high street.. little boutique stores are perfect for jewellery and they always have something different to what's in Topshop and River Island. Also, no one else will have them - win, win.

Rings:

How to wear 

- Wear as many rings as you want, the more, the merrier.
- Buy a pack of stacker rings. There are so many in the Miss Selfridge sale at the moment for as little as £2.50 - stack them all on one finger, or spread them out.
- Don't forget to experiment with midi rings too.
- Invest, if your looking for an everyday ring i'd recommend investing in a good quality one. I'm a Pandora girl at heart, there jewellery is stunning.
- You don't have to match the colours, experiment - have some fun.

Earrings:

How to wear 

- Go all out, be brave.
- Do not pair with a statement necklace, too much!
- Put your hair up or back, let them take centre stage.
- Don't be afraid of colour, match with your outfit for extra points.

Bracelets:

How to wear

 - Don't wear at the same time as statement rings, unless of course they're a matching set.
 - If you have smaller, simpler bracelets wear those too, stack to make more of an impact.
 - You have two arms, you might as well use them.
 - Match the colours with a colour featuring in your outfit, or your nail varnish colour too!

OOTD // Wedding

Yesterday we celebrated my Aunty and Uncle's 20th wedding anniversary. For the occasion they renewed their vows in a very traditional wedding day style and therefore gave all the family an excuse to dress up. 

I decided upon culottes after looking all summer for an outfit. Culottes are a huge trend this season so I decided to make these the statement of my outfit. I paired them with a cream blouse with lace detail underneath and a cut out at the back to let the lace be seen. My gorgeous shoes went perfectly as the pink matched the pink in the culottes and in my necklace - which was a huge statement necklace. And my bag was simple but matched the outfit with the gold chain matching the necklace and the white and blue, both colours in the culottes. My nails were painted pink and I used 'Burnout', 'Limit' and 'Nooner' from Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette on my eyes, and then wore my every day jewellery including my Pandora rings and bracelet and Jersey Pearl earrings. 

Luckily, the day started off beautifully sunny and therefore I managed to get some good pictures: 

Culottes - Topshop 

Top - Miss Selfridge

Shoes - Miss Selfridge

Necklace - River Island

Bag - New Look 

Friday Favourites | 21st August 2015

Taking inspo from one of my favourite bloggers Hannah Gale, I have decided to do a 'Friday Favourites' post as these are one of my fave posts to read.

1) Flowers

This week my boyfriend bought me some flowers after I'd had a rough few days, he's thoughtful like that, bless. I love love love having flowers in my bedroom as they brighten up the place and they just add something different for the couple of weeks they last. The bouquet was so big that I had to split it between three vases, two of which are in my room on my desk and one downstairs in the lounge.

2) Primark homeware

A couple of weeks ago my sister and I went up to Primark to have a look at their homeware after I'd stalked their Instagram for some inspiration to spruce up my new room. Whilst in their I couldn't believe some of the gorgeous stuff they had stocked. My faves that I picked up were two candles which smell amazing, I bought a 'Pineapple & Ginger' candle along with a 'Red Berry & Jasmine' - both just £2 each! However, as they're so cheap I can't see them lasting that long, I'm already half way through them both after burning them every day since I got them (move over, Yankee candle).

Another fave of my buys was my new pillow which you may have seen if you are an Instagram follower it says 'Today is going to be a good day' and i think it's so cute! Looking forward to going in soon to check out Gabi's from VelvetGh0st new homeware collection which launched in Primark on Tuesday, as the preview online made everything look so beautiful!

3) Water

I know this is a weird favourite to have but I am absolutely obsessed with drinking water at the moment. Yesterday I opted for a glass of water over a cup of tea - if you know me, this is a big thing. I'm not sure how my obsession with water has come about, but if I don't drink enough it I start feeling dehydrated and thirsty really quickly. Therefore I always have one in my bag and drink about 2/3 bottles a day. I'm loving the fact that I'm loving it right now because it's so good for your skin and your body.

4) Good friends

Over the few months I've definitely discovered who are my most treasured friends, and who I love spending time with. I am definitely loving my friends these past few weeks mainly because most of them are home from Uni and we have loved seeing each other more often. It's so important to have good, loyal friends who stand by you and make you a better person and who you actually enjoy spending time with.

 

5) Maybelline New York Super Stay, 7 Day Nail Varnish. 

These nail varnish's are my new favourites! The colour is so full and bright that you only need two coats and it looks perfect, and it lasts ages without chipping. I have the Red Hot Getaway (872) colour and Sea Sky (874) both bright and summery colours - definitely recommend. I'm already eyeing up their Autumn colours readying myself for the reds, purples and berry colours that will soon be gracing my nails.

6) Little Mix

I am absolutely loving 'Black Magic' by Little Mix right now and have found myself fan girling over them. I listen to their music pretty much every time I listen to any music and sing 'Black Magic' with out realising I am! I have been following the Zayn/Perrie split since it was announced and I can definitely say I am team Perrie! It broke my heart when she started crying on stage after she'd been so contained and careful in interviews, bless her. I am also loving the girls friendship towards Perrie and each other, they are such good advocates for girl power and sisterhood which I am totally an advocate for and love all that jazz!

7) 'One Line A Day' book 

I have bought the infamous 'One Line A Day' diary from Urban Outfitters after attempting to justify myself that it was worth £12. It's such a cute little keep-sake, you have a short space to write in what you've done that day and on the page their is five more little spaces which are for the next five years of that day. I'm looking forward to having completed a year and being able to look back on what I did this time last year, next year (does that make sense, no)! Haha, it will be a bit like time-hop, but more personal. I like the time that I've started to do it as it means I have two years left of Uni that I can write in and then three years out in the 'real world' which I think will be good to compare and document!

What are you loving this week? 

Fashion icon Erin O'Conner set to receive honorary doctorate

This article was originally written for my University' student magazine, see the published version here

Supermodel and fashion icon Erin O’ Conner is set to return to Birmingham later this year to receive an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University for her outstanding achievements within the fashion industry.

The Walsall born fashion icon has a career spanning more than 15 years and has worked with many famous designers including Alexander McQueen and Ralph Lauren. Erin has also graced many covers of influential magazines such as Vogue and has fronted major advertising campaigns such as Chanel and Armani.

She is one of the most successful models within the industry and therefore I consider her as an inspiration to young women everywhere. We can learn so much from her style-wise and beauty-wise so here are a few of our top picks from her looks.

Enhance your features: Here, Erin has really bought out the shape of her face by using contouring around on her cheekbones and nose. This makes her face appear slimmer and more defined.

Don’t be afraid of a bright lip: Be bold, be brave. Bright lips really are a statement and can make any outfit that bit more glam. Bright purples, coral, red and even fuchsia are perfect for making heads turn- and  for all of the right reasons too!

Have fun: Make-up is creative, it’s art and you should experiment with different looks to step out of your comfort zone once in a while. The best thing about make-up is you can always take it off if it doesn’t work out.

Glam it up at night: Wear those darker lipsticks, master that smokey eye for a more daring look once night has fallen.

Match your colours: Pick a colour out of your outfit and co-ordinate your shoes, handbag and accessories to tie it all together for an ultimate chic look! Double fash points for matching nails too!

Wearing your summer clothes on a not so sunny day

This post was written for my University's student magazine. View the published article here

June arrived and you realised it’s nearly summer: tanning sessions, BBQ’s, freckles, sandals, sunglasses, festivals and all other lovely things you associate with the scorching hot days. So you headed out to kit your summer wardrobe out, only to find that July happened in a flash and now we’re into August and it’s raining most days (Mother Nature is a little confused, poor love!) So now you find yourself settling back into wearing your skinny jeans, trainers and coats again…. sound familiar? All those lovely summer pieces are sitting unworn in your wardrobe *insert sad emoji*.

However, The Scratch are here to change that. Here are some ways to wear your summer clothes on those rainy, depressing days!

Tights: Tights can be your best friend if you let them. Tanned tights, patterned tights even opaque black tights could do the trick depending on the outfit you’re pairing them with. Wearing tights means that your legs won’t feel the cold as much and you can still wear those shorts, skirts and dresses that you love so much, even when the wind is so strong and cold you feel it could knock you over any second.

Layering: Oh, layers, how we love you! Throw on a tiny top, a shirt and a jacket and you’re good to go. If the sun does make an appearance you can slip off the shirt and roll it into your bag or tie it round your waist for extra chicness. Win, win.

Cardigans: Worn correctly, a cardigan can add a new dimension to your outfit. Oversized/boyfriend cardigans go great with little denim shorts or denim skirts and tiny little cropped cardigans go great with dresses or skinny jeans and camis.

Umbrellas: An umbrella is a must-have hand bag piece for any girl living in the UK, so it’s important to have a nice one that you love and don’t mind wacking out when it rains.

Trench coat: If the weather is forcing you into wearing a coat then please choose a trench coat. The trench coats can be disguised as a summer piece, as they are lighter, brighter and a more ‘summery’ winters coat. They can go with dresses and make you look that classy business woman that you know is deep inside.

Trainers/Boots: Girls, protect your feet. If it’s raining, don’t wear your gorgeous new sandals with your freshly painted toenails, they will not thank you when you accidentally ruin them by walking through a hidden puddle. Summer’s dress will go with trainers or boots, but better still Toms or pumps will look even more summery whilst still keeping your feet happy.

Quotes I like to live by

If you follow me on Instagram or Pinterest you'll know I love a good quote, i've compiled a few of my favourites below. These quotes I like to apply to everyday situations, every day feelings and emotions, they are such a good way of motivating you and picking you up during a crappy day. If you love quotes as much as I do don't forget to follow me on Pinterest where I have a 'words' board full of quotes!!

For success: 

 

 

For life: 

 

For love: 

For friendship:

For happiness:

For beauty:

What are your favourite quotes?