August Wallpaper: Mila Kunis

Pinch punch first of the month!

August has finally decided to arrive, fingers crossed with a Summer heatwave to go along with it, and it's time for another monthly wallpaper!

First off apologies for not getting round to doing the July version of this, the last one I did was back in June and I've been rather embarrassingly been sitting with a June calendar as my desktop for the past month. Oh well!

For August the new campaign for Miss Dior featuring Mila Kunis really caught my eye. There are some gorgeous pictures in there and they are shot and staged perfectly. I'd never usually put an advertising campaign as my wallpaper, usually opting for an editorial shoot, but the branding is minimal with these and I think she looks fab.

As usual a few different size options are below for you:

1920 x 1080

1680 x 1080

1440 x 900

1366 x 768

1280 x 800

1024 x 768

NOTD: Peach Gradient

I haven't done one of these in a little while, but today I attempted a gradient effect on my nails:

As you can see whilst the results aren't perfect, I think it's far better than the purple one I tried earlier this year, and I also much prefer the colours of this one!

The colours used were Ciate My Fair Lady as the base, Models' Own Peachy Fuzz in the middle, and then Rimmel Coralicious (one of my ultimate favourite colours that I own) on the ends.

I then finished it off with a coat of Seche Vite.

Have you attempted a gradient nail yet and what method are you going for?

Saturday Steal 014: Feather Hem

Now this one might be delving into the archives a little bit, but back in 2010 Emma Watson really wow-ed at the London premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

She wore a vintage Rafael Lopez and I personally think it was one of my favourite looks EVER! Open backed, lace, feather hem, and dangerously short, it really was a show stopper.

But now, a year and a half later, Lipsy have managed to pull it out of the bag with a near identical version. Whilst their take isn't quite as sheer, other than that the shape and design are very much pay homage to the original dress that Emma wore.

At £150 it's hardly in my price range, but in comparison to the money-can't-buy original, it's still a steal in my book!

Dinner and Dessert 005: Morrocan Special

I've lined up a Morrocan special Dinner and Dessert for today!

Following my recent adventures to Morroco, and the food and drink I spent the majority of my time consuming, I thought it would be good to enlighten you on some of the cuisine you're likely to find in this part of the world.

First up is Morrocan Chicken set over apricot and cranberry cous cous. Cous cous is a basic staple than comes with everything, but pairing it with a apricots and cranberries really sets off the flavours and spices unique to Morrocan culinary. The list of herbs and spices makes it a bit too long for me to attempt doing myself, but this sort of thing went down a treat when I tried it!

And for desert is a traditional Morrocan desert, serpent cake. Or as it's really called M'hanncha. I'm sure you don't need telling why it's called serpent cake, but the basic premise is a sort of filo pastry based cake, set off with some nuts, rose water and orange and lemon zest.

I didn't actually get to try this whilst in Morroco, but damn I wish I had!

Have you ever tried any Morrocan food?

Saturday Steal 013: Disco Pants

Now Disco Pants never really got my attention. That was UNTIL... I saw Jessica Wright of TOWIE fame (yes, hardly the most iconic style icon I know, but still) rock up to her single launch party in them.

I think her outfit looked great; and not half as trashy as the gear you'll see other TOWIE cast members rock up in. And she really proved to me that you don't have to be the size 4 model you might think you need to be to wear a pair of skin tight shiny leggings!

I accept the description I just gave makes them sound atrocious, but if you search through a few blogs of girls wearing these trousers I guarantee your initial reaction will be changed.

Anyway, at £70 they were just a bit too steep for me to really be able to justify. *sob* but following a browsing session in River Island today I discovered what appear to be a near identical pair, for just £30.

Admittedly I haven't tried them on but River Island is a brand I do trust, so fingers crossed for finding the next best thing!

What are your thoughts on Disco Pants?

Best dressed of the Week: Blake Lively

Blake Lively has been on a promotional whirl wind recently, talking about her new film Savages, and boy has she put on a show!

Having attended a couple of premieres, a few TV appearances as well as a handful of events dotted all over the globe, the running total for her wardrobe allowance must be into the hundreds of thousands by now!

First she wow-ed us all with her Zuhair Murhad gown, worn to the LA premiere. She paired it with red lips and nails recently in a very retro glamour inspired look and is something she pulls off perfectly.

The following morning she was up early for Good Morning America, wearing a red Michael Kors suit, something a bit more grown up than we're used to seeing her in, but the red really made her stand out.

Next was a white Jenny Packham number worn to The Late Show with David Letterman. A lot more understated than her previous days attire, but glamorous, classy and understated none the less. I think this was my favourite look of the week.

Following this was the bright pink Lanvin dress; a fairly simple shape which was quite 50s in feel. She wore it with some spiked Louboutins (top right) and let the colour stand out, as a neon pink should do!

Next another premiere, and a buttercup yellow Gucci gown. The turquoise earrings, fish tail plait and bronze eye make up made it another show stopper,

And finally for one more TV appearance we saw Blake in a Marios Schwab bottle green and lace pencil dress. The Giuseppe Zanotti bejewelled heels were another winner, making for a sophisticated look for the evening.

Was is your favourite look from Blake when promoting Savages so far?

Morocco: check!

Hello!

Well I'm back from my adventures in Morocco and am on a gigantic holiday come down. :(

Overall I had a great time, and it was great to explore the too different places (they were completely different to one another), as well as getting some well earned R&R.

How long is left until you're jetting off on holiday and where are you going?

Saturday Steal 012: Victoria Beckham Scallop Dress

It's that time again!

Today I've gone for some Victoria Beckham. If I'm honest I think the way she's worn this dress in the picture about is a bit horrific, those boots don't make her legs look nearly as long as if she were wearing a court shoe, but never the less I love the bright colour.

I tend to shy around from bright pinks, but it's edging closer and closer to Summer and salmon and coral colours are starting to seem a lot more appealing, even more so since this the Dorothy Perkins version is currently on sale for £25!

5 of the best: Summer Sandals

1 // The Neon One // The toes don't come out too often, so when they do, and they're tanned, why not throw on some neon to really set them off! The bright the better!


2 // The Blingy One // A golden strap given this one a bit of a Grecian feel, perfect for Summer. But not half as much as...


3 // The Grecian One // These are too cute to resist! They may be a bit on the pricey side, but they're too adorable to ignore! Although be careful if wearing during the Olympics, or in Greece, as people might think you've gone a bit overboard on the theme and mistake you for a torch bearer or something...


4 // The Animals One // Everyone needs a bit of an animal trim, and this subtle bow is great for a more neutral pair of sandals.


5 // The Tribal One // The orange and turquoise on these are perfect for a more tribal look. They're a bit chunkier than the others and make a bit of a statement, but are cute none the less.

What sandals will you be wearing this summer?

En Vacances

Yep, after a solid year of the daily rise and grind, I'm finally able remove the shackles binding me and my desk and *shock horror* go on holiday for a little while. And boy do I feel like I need it!

I'm off to sunny Morocco, to spend a few days in Marrakech followed by a few more in Agadir, so I'll see you on the other side, hopefully with a few stories to tell and a tan to make you sick with envy!

Laters 'gators!

Ebay Wishlist

After some inspiration from VIPXO as well as Sophie Isobel, I've been doing a bit more rummaging on Ebay than I usual would of late, and to my surprise I've found some really nice bits and pieces!

I'm a bit obsessed with studs at the moment, I think if I actually brought some everything I own would be studded, I have my sights set on a bag, some shorts and a couple of T-shirts already, so it's no surprise that studs feature a few times on my list!

I particularly like number 7 courtesy of Fansy Nails. Studded nails, how amazing is that! I'm desperate to give it a go! And number 5 is more than similar to a few t shirts I've seen in Zara recently.

There's the obvious false eye lashes, I'd be a bit dubious about quality but for a few quid it's hard to say no.

The hair chain is very Kim Kardashian, but hair jewellery is meant to be the next big thing, so I think it'd look cute with a pony tail to spice it up a bit.

And a bourbon biscuit phone case is absolutely perfect for me given my penchant for them!

Do you have any ebay finds you'd like to share? Link me your posts and I'll check them out!

Get the Look: Britney Spears

Topshop Dress // Boohoo Shoes // Forever21 Ring // Miss Selfridge necklace

Dinner, Dessert & Drinks 004

Some more amazing looking recipes for you!

The idea of putting peach on a pizza seems weird, but looks absolutely delicious, and I think would work in the same way pineapple would, but the combination of brie and french bread is enough to get my attention! Nom.

White chocolate and raspberries must be a combination put together by the lord himself.

And strawberry margaritas? I'm in!

NOTD: OPI Miami Beet

A new nails of the week for you all today.

This week I've pulled out an old favourite, OPI Miami Beet.

It's a dark raspberry colour and I've kept it simple with just a block colour. I think this one goes perfectly with gold, so I've done coloured tips and a half moon in the past, but for today I've gone with a basic colour.

What's on your nails at the moment?

Five of the best: Denim Cut Offs

Seeing as I got a few nice comments on my "Five of the Best..." post last week on Maxi Dresses, I though I'd give it another go with denim cut offs.

The perfect addition to a summer wardrobe, I think we all own at least one pair (or in my case more like 5...) pairs of denim cut offs.

I think they're great for that festival feel, wearing on holiday, or just for when it's too hot for skinnies and you want to show off them legs!


1 // The Ombre One // Ombre is everywhere at the minute, from your hair to your bag to your shoes, it's all ombre! I think with shorts it gives them a brighter edge, and the effect it has is really cute, I think it'd look nice in a purple or pink-ish colour to make it a bit more girlie!


2 // The Sparkly One // Who can resist a bit of a sparkle? These are perfect for a summer festival and although a bit pricier than the rest, I like how they seem a bit dressier with the sequins. (Diamonds are a girls best friend after all!)


3 // The Leopard One // Leopard print is great for turning a pair of boring shorts into something a bit nicer. It's a little bit trashy yes, but that's exactly what I love!


4 // The Floral One // These are floral as well as being high waisted, giving them a bit more of a vintage feel. The print is very sweet, and I think they'd look great paired with some brogues or a blouse. Very cute!


5 // The Studded One // I am obsessed with studs at the moment, if I had a stud gun, every piece of clothing I own would be studded (quite lucky I don't then really!) I am desperate to get my hands on this pair but want to make sure they're not too short first, after trying on another pair from River Island and them almost revealing what I had for tea...

What's your favourite pair of denim cuts offs in your wardrobe?