March Musings

This month I've been:
1. Listening to Green Day's new live album Awesome as Fuck
2. Reading The Coma by Alex Garland
3. Wearing H&M suede patch leggings
4. Going to the South Bank almost every week
5. Obsessing over the Lola bow collar by LouLouLovesYou
6. Loving Wear Are My Knees blog and all their healthy tips
7. Plus I'm also having a super giveaway that you can enter here

How was your March x

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Jodhpuring

I'm on my way to Leamington Spa right now to visit friend T for a couple of days which is going to be really fun. I haven't had a girls weekend for ages and even though it's only Wednesday I wont be back in London till Friday so it's like a premature weekend. We're going to get up to lots of fun things no doubt and explore the delights of Warwickshire.

You're probably getting sick of me wearing the same jackets all the time but I really love this quilted one a lot. The top underneath is actually light pink and not white as the photos would suggest but I failed with the lighting so oh well.

Tee and jodhpurs from ASOS
Quilted jacket from Urban Outfitters
Pumps from Topshop
Necklace from Stolen Thunder

This top was another one of my Groupon purchases, basic tshirts are perfect for summer as they can pretty much be worn with everything. I love these jodhpurs lots, I bought them last year and they are my favourite trousers shape; tapered at the end. I'm really loving simple basics at the minute as their freshness seems perfect for the beginning of the new season. I imagine I'll be back onto the bright colour and crazy patterns soon enough though. Actually, I really want something with a bright Aztec print now I mention it =)

Pub quiz tonight, wish us luck x

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Cleanse & Tone

So far I've covered some of my favourite hair products and make up brands so this week I though I'd focus on my skin care i.e. getting rid of London dirt and grim. I have some products I use daily and some that I use know and then when the fancy takes me. I like my bottles to look pretty and once again I like sticking to similar brands.

On a daily basis I use Lush Ultra Bland to cleanse, Eva Roma Water to tone and Celestial to moisturise. All these products are designed for dry, sensitive skin and they leave my face feeling refreshed, invigorated and soft. Unlike some products that don't leave my skin feeling tight and fragile which really isn't very comfortable. I recently had to replace my favourite Benefit pineapple facial scrub with the facial polish from Amie as it is no longer manufactured. This brand is a new one for me but I'm glad I discovered it as sensitive skin is its target audience. Again, this product does a great job of scrubbing without being harsh plus it smells lovely.

When I'm feeling a little luxurious I like to splurge on these next couple of products. The first two being Benefit's You Clean Up Nice face wash and See... That Was Quick make up remover. These have probably been discontinued now because Benefit have a brand new skin care range coming out which I'm sure will be lovely if not a little on the pricey side.

My final three products include this Evian water spray and Boots Cold Cream and Skin Tonic. The cold cream is the perfect multi purpose face cream and the skin tonic is a lovely fresh toner. Along with the water spray they make my face feel really hydrated and happy. Plus, I love the vintage feel of the Boots bottle, they look perfect on your dressing table.

I used to be terrible for trying out lots of different skin care products and never finishing the bottles but after all these years I've pretty much settled on my favourite brands. I do like trying out new things now and then but because my skin is so sensetive it can be difficult to find the perfect product. Lush use natural ingredients which is why I continually use their products time and time again.

Do you stick to the same skin regime x

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Thai style

When I was travelling around South East Asia last year I bought a few items of clothing from all the different countries I visited. This included 2 tailor made dresses in Vietnam, trousers in Cambodia, a vest in Laos and lots of different items in Thailand. My favourite piece from the entire trip is this hand made, embroidered skirt from the Sunday market in Chaing Mai, Thailand. It cost a couple of quid and I just love all the detailing and colours on it.

Skirt from Thailand
Tee and clogs from ASOS
Denim jacket from Uniqulo
Necklace from Zara Taylor

I bought this top using one of my Groupons and even though it isn't very exciting I wanted the perfect which tshirt and I'm happy to say I found it. I painted me nails blue and silver last week before changing to the leopard print yesterday. I never used to do anything to them so I'm trying to make a little more of an effort these days.

I used to have a big bow brooch on this jacket but when I wore it to Brighton the other weekend it some how managed to fall off without me realising. I had a few too many ciders by this point so it's no surprise but I'm on the look out for a replacement.

Why don't you enter my giveaway whilst you're here x

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Boat Race 2011

I've had a quite good weekend in London with trips all over the place, hanging out with friends and celebrating the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race in good old Putney. On Friday I spent the day exploring the many delights of the South Bank including several galleries and 10 seconds of Saturday afternoon was spent observing the Boat Race and having a BBQ afterwards. Today I headed back to the South Bank to visit the Pick Me Up contemporary graphic art fair at Somerset House before it closed for the year. Over the weekend I also took a couple of secret street style photos including Boat Race day snobbery.

Working the colour popping trend down to a tee






Boat Race day in Putney




Fashion forward of plain pretentious? You decide!

A while back I mentioned how I was after a high waisted black A line skirt and yesterday I found just that in my local Topshop Sale. I didn't have leather in mind when I was dreaming my perfect choice but this one ticks all the boxes and at only £20 how could I say no, plus it is real leather.

Leather skirt from Topshop
Floral top from River Island
Quilted jacket from Urban Outfitters
Ankle boots from Schuh
Necklace from Stolen Thunder
Ring from a random shop in Derby

Amongst a sea of Barbour jackets during Boat Race weekend this quilted one makes me look a bit like one of the rah girls but I assure you I'm not. My leopard print nails inspired by Gem probably make me look less Sloane and more Shoreditch. I love them and will be trying them out again with different colours and also some dalmatian print once I score some white varnish.

Nails - Barry M yellow & 17 tropical island

Anyway, must dash now and start week 2 of my couch to 5K programme. The running is going well but some times I get that too lazy feeling so I really have to push myself. While I'm running why don't you enter my 200 followers giveaway over here.

Losing an hour this morning sucks FYI x

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200 Followers Giveaway

NOW CLOSED

So this is my first ever giveaway and I'm really excited about it because the prize is so great and pretty that I want to keep it for myself! I was meant to do a giveaway when I reached 100 followers but time went by and now I'm celebrating 200. So this is really to thank all of you guys who have stuck by me and continue to read all my rambles, I really appreciate it. I wanted to find a prize that was inspired by my blog and I think I did a pretty good job.

So here is what I'm offering the lucky winner...

A pair of white Bebaroque tights with gold BOWS on the ankles! Awesome aren't they? Imagine wearing these over the summer with pretty dresses and pumps. Due to my love of all things bow related as well as funky tights I thought this was the perfect prize. Bebaroque make luxury tights, I have a few pairs and they are extremely good quality and fit sizes 6-18.

To enter the giveaway this is what you have to do:
1. You must be a follower of my blog via gooogle connect and leave a comment on this post with your email address
2. For an extra entry feel free to tweet @hansyhobs is having an awesome giveaway with a pair of Bebaroque tights up for grabs over at http://tinyurl.com/62wnsu3 and write that you tweeted in the comment

I will be checking so no cheating please. The giveaway is open for all readers until Sunday 17th April and I will choose a winner with radom.org.

Good luck everyone x

NOW CLOSED

Yohji yo!

Last Monday I bus hopped it to the V&A to check out their new Yohji Yamamoto exhibition. Yamamoto is a Japanese fashion designer who became famous in the eighties after creating innovative designs by using unusual pattern cutting techniques and channelling his personality. The retrospective showcases many of his womenswear and menswear designs from over the last few decades. His clothes, whilst unusual and striking are beautiful, intricately made and inspiring. Many of the designs would only seem at place in a fantasy land and his use of bold colours in a sea of black is exciting. Of course photography is prohibited as it always is in the best exhibitions but there are plenty of satellite displays across the museum's six floors where you can take photos. You have to pay around a fiver to see the 'main' exhibition so these satellite displays are perfect for the cash strapped. It took me a while to find the few on the upper floors but the trek was worth it because the clothes are heavenly.

What I love most about the clothes is the attention to detail whether is be in the form of luxury pleats, big pockets, angular collars or textile knits. The clothes inside the main room were incredible and I really wish I could have taken photos to show you. Susie has some over on her blog so I advise you to go take a look. There is a beautiful yellow dress, green coat, revolving dress, caged corset and a white silk dress with visible stitching to name but a few. Videos around the room showcase his previous collections and the walls are full of sketches, it really is a fantastically interesting exhibition.

I bought his biography 'My Dear Bomb' which I've been reading snippets from and finding extremely interesting. I took this image from Susie because no matter how hard I tried to photography my own book I couldn't get it right.

There are a few other Yohji exhibitions happening over London including Yohji's Women at the Wapping Project Bankside which I might check out on Friday. The only downside to this exhibition is the sheer volume of fluorescent light used in the main room. I seriously wanted to put on a pair of sunglasses it was so bright!

Have any of you been yet x

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Red nose

A few days behind with this one but on Friday I decked myself out in Red Nose Day apparel. I had bought this tshirt and bag from TK Maxx a while back but wanted to save the tshirt for the big day. I didn't even get to watch the show because I was at the cinema watching Chalet Girl, which FYI is amazing!!

Tshirt and bag from TK Maxx
Skirt from Topshop

I choose the Louis XVI Lady top because I thought it was the most amusing with the placement of the red noses!! I also bought the Liberty print bag which is fantastic, not only is it huge enough to keep EVERYTHING in it's also extremely pretty and fun. I really wanted to big up the red which is why I wore my pleated skirt. Everyone at works calls it my granny skirt but at least I give them a good laugh!

What do you guys think about buying clothes and donating money to charity at the same time?

You can still donate here x

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Topshop Makeup

Even though I don't wear it everyday, I'm a big makeup fan. In the mornings I can't be bothered to spend an extra 15minutes or however long it takes to put 'my face' on but when I go out for the night and have more time to get ready I do like to slap it on a bit. My favourite items have to be eyeliner and lipstick. I like dark eyes and bright lips, maybe not all at once but I definitely like to accentuate these areas. This has meant I have quite a collection now but today I though I'd share with you some the bits I've bought from Topshop. I personally think that Topshop makeup is great! It's a reasonable price, good quality and the colours are really vibrant.

As you can see I have quiet a few bits. There nail varnishes are from the new Sandstorm collection and come in a pack of two, Wilderness and Zealous. I've been wearing zealous on my nails for the past week in alternating pink and gold so next time I'm going to try Wilderness and alternate the blue and silver.

There are some of my lip glosses and sticks. From left to right is Vamp, Bitten Berry lip and cheek stain, Daze, Sorbet, Ablaze and Brighton Rock. I'm a big fan of very pink lip colours and these are just wonderful products. Vamp is a heavy wine coloured lipstick so I can only put a little bit on at a time as the colour is so intense.

I also have a ton of different coloured eye and lip crayons.

I can't resist a bright coloured eye pencil full of glitter. I love the range NARS do but they are quite expensive so these Topshop pencils are a wonderful alternative. From left to right is Zephyr, Equinox, Moonshine, Cosmic, Midnight, Sea and Tundra mousse. The colour of all these pencils is really intense and goes on really well so the products go a really long way. I really like to have a lot of liner on in dark colour with little pops of colour too. The mousse is really nice and creamy so goes on well and varies in intensity depending how much you put on.

These are just the last few products I have, a couple of liners and lip pencils. From left to right is Granite liner, Jet felt pen, Vintage lip pencil and Rosa lip pencil.

Pretty extensive collection isn't it? But I do love these products dearly and because I don't wear them on a regular basis they last for a really long time. I really like to layer the different colours over each other and try and create something brand new. Makeup is a lot of fun and when I go out I ended packing so many lip sticks with me my lip colour changes every few hours.

I have my eye on a few other items but probably won't be buying any of them soon. I pretty much LOVE all the different eye crayons, this blush and this lipstick, polish and glaze. You can probably tell I'm not a massive fan of skin products such as foundation and concealer. Well, I do have my preferred products that I'll be saving for another day but as far as Topshop makeup goes it's all about the glitter crayons and bright lipstick.

Enjoy painting your face x

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Farming

Yesterday I wore an outfit that could easily be described as farmer chic. Think green jacket, denim and knit jumper. I love a good texture and this outfit is packed with quilt and bobbles, what's not to love?

Quilted jacket from River Island
Bobble jumper from ASOS
Denim shorts from Topshops
Trainers from Converse

A jumping shot saved from yesterday's fun

Sometime I have massive shoe dilemma hence the Converse. These shoes (with their pink, skull and cross bone laces) remind me of my grungy youth and even thought they're totally a mess I still love the regardless. I personally think it's great fun to add a grungy mashed up shoe to an outfit to make it all that more casual.

Shoe wise my eternal search continues for the perfect biker boot, moccasin and flatform haha I hate that word. I don't really do 'nice shoes', I like them clumpy and funny. Pumps are pretty but I get really cold feet so prefer something with a bit more material on it. Socks and wedge sandals are a love of mine but when I'm working I can't be dealing with heels, hence the flatform seach!!

I'm actually thinking of selling some barely worn size 7 shoes, would you guys be interested in them?

Swedish Hasbeens x H&M come out sooooon x

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