Guest post: Is it possible to become your own style icon?

While you are reading this, I am on holiday in Italy. I had a fantastic time there last year and have been looking forward to going back ever since I came home last year! However I haven't forgotten about my blog. While I am away I have lined up some lovely ladies to write some guest posts. First up is my fellow member of the Cardiff Blogs team, Sian.

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Having a style isn't easy. There are so many options to choose from as we are constantly bombarded with images of beautiful clothes for all pockets. We have programmes that help us decide what suits our shape, our colouring and even our age but we all buy the same things so how do we really develop our own style?

Customise! Accessorise!

I'm not a seamstress so making my own clothes is definitely out of the question but I like to embellish what I have and it's not expensive. Putting some clip-on earrings onto a pair of shoes, adding a bow to a plain t-shirt, or even something as simple as putting a kilt pin on the lapel of a jacket all help to make it your own.

I customised this by adding a clip-on earring

A top customised with a bow which was removed from a handbag

Kilt pin made by my Mum!

Accessorising your outfit can also make all the difference. The same black dress can be worn by a room full of women but different pieces of jewellery can make it look dramatically diverse! I'm very lucky in that my mother makes jewellery so I have a ready supply of accessories but having a custom piece made isn't pricey at all (depending on the materials you choose) and in my view is money well spent: you have a one-off piece that you helped design and that shows your style.

So I suppose what I'm trying to say is don't be afraid of finding something that you like and then quite easily turning it into something that you love. You'll end up with something unique and a style that is definitely you.

St David's South Wales Bloggers Event

Last Wednesday I was lucky enough to attend the first St David's South Wales Blogger Event. The event was part of their Autumn Winter Fashion Tour (in conjunction with the British Fashion Council) which has seen fashion shows throughout the shopping centre and 'Pamper Pods' dotted throughout the centre.

Before the main event, a number of the bloggers met up to get to know each other over a drink and a muffin in BB's in the centre. We also managed to fit in a bit of browsing and shopping in Urban Outfitters and Seren, in the Morgan Arcade.

Sarah from 'Falling Forward' and Eric The Panda accessorising

The main event took place in the management suite of the shopping centre. Hosting the event were the lovely Laura and Sarah from Golley Slater. There were also representatives from a number of the stores within the centre, from Reiss to G-Star to La Senza. They gave us an insight into their latest collections and highlighted some of their key pieces for this season.

John from Reiss explaining the influences behind this season's collection,

Emma from La Senza

We were also given a vintage-look hair demonstration by the staff from Kamigata, which is an Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa based in the centre.

After the presentations we were given the opportunity to browse the selection of clothes and accessories from a number of the stores in the centre, from Kurt Geiger to New Look. This was the fun part, where we could get our hands on the clothes and also get to chat to the other bloggers, including Emily from Sugar and Spice and Cami from 'Room on the Third Floor' . It was good to meet people that I'd previously only known from Twitter.

These Miu Miu-esque glittery shoes are from KG by Kurt Geiger

Clutch from Oasis

This being the party season, there were a lot of glamorous pieces on show, with plenty of sparkly and shiny pieces to see you through until the New Year. We were also treated to some Krispy Kreme doughnuts (my first ever!), which necessitated some careful handling of the clothes!

Love the cut and colour of this Reiss jacket

Love this Monsoon dress. It's definitely on my 'to-buy' list

There were some great pieces on show, including some gorgeous pieces from Reiss and Kurt Geiger. I'll be posting about the different brands in more detail over the next week or so.

A big thanks to Gemma and Chantelle who organised the event together with Golley Slater. I would also like to thank the lovely Liz from Cardiff Blogs, who kindly stepped in to take photos for me when my camera battery died. In case you're wondering, she is the one holding the Mango red dress in the picture above. If she isn't the owner of that dress by the end of the year she will not be happy!

Lou Lou Muses : Escentual Blog of the Week

I was really pleased over the moon to find out this morning that Escentual had chosen me as their Beauty Blog of the Week. I love this site as they have a great range of products, and their email newsletters are a daily dose of temptation in my inbox! When I first heard of them I didn't realise that they were a locally based company (only five minutes from my office in Cardiff), which of course means that my purchases with them are doing my bit for the local economy *cough* . Having met them on a few occasions to discuss Give and Make Up and Cardiff Blogs (the local bloggers meetup that I help organise), I can confirm that Louise and Emma (the resident blogger) are also lovely ladies to boot!

Escentual Beauty Blog of the Week

As the lovely Emma is on holiday, Escentual put a shout out on Twitter two weeks ago for guest bloggers, I jumped at the chance to write a post, so if you would like to read my answers to their Pick 'n' Mix Beauty Questions and discover my deepest, darkest beauty secrets (sort of!) then here's the link: Lou Lou Muses Pick 'n' Mix Beauty Questions

Give and Make Up

If you are an avid reader of beauty blogs, then I'm sure you will have come across this logo (or a variant of it) on a number of blogs.

Just in case you've never had time to click through to the webpage, then here's a quick post to let you know what it's all about.

Give and Make Up is a fantastic initiative which was set up by the lovely Caroline Hirons a.k.a Beauty Mouth. Caroline is, in her own words, a "3rd generation beauty industry lifer" (her mother and grandmother also worked in the beauty industry). In fact I wouldn't be surprised if there is lip gloss running through her veins.

'Give and Make Up' is a non-profit initiative whose sole purpose is to work with Refuge and Women's Aid, to get daily essentials into the hands of women and children who have had to flee to refuges to escape domestic violence. Each week two women in the United Kingdom are murdered by a partner or ex-partner. One woman in four experiences domestic violence in their lifetime.

'Give and Make Up' take your unwanted make up, toiletries and baby products and pass them on to the women and children who need them. The list of items needed can be found below:

Everyday Essentials

shampoo

conditioner

bath/shower gel

deodorant

toothbrushes

toothpaste

body lotion

feminine hygiene products

shaving products

at-home hair dye colouring kits

Skincare

cleanser

toner

moisturiser

MakeUp

foundation

concealer

powder

blusher

eye-shadow

eyeliner

mascara

Tools

makeup brushes

makeup bags

hairdryers

curling tongs

straighteners

Baby Products

all of them!

In Wales, 'Give and Make Up' are working with Welsh Women's Aid (WWA) and 'Escentual' (who are a Cardiff-based online beauty site). If you would like to help, then you can send your items to 'Escentual' either by post (*address below) or you can drop them off at 'Central Pharmacy', Wellfield Road. If you are planning on going to the next Cardiff Blogs meetup, which will be taking place in August (exact date to be confirmed), then we will also have a collection point, to make it even easier to donate your unwanted items.

When I read about this initiative I was really impressed. It's such a simple idea, which can make a big difference to women and children who need help. And on a personal level, it meant that I could clear out my cupboards without having to throw out perfectly good products which just weren't right for me. I also think that it's great that items that might be seen as frivolous, can make a real difference to people's lives. So if whilst you've been reading this post you've been making a mental note of all of the things that you've got in the cupboard but have never used then why not send it 'Give and Make Up's way. It could be that Christmas gift set from Boots that your aunty gave you, or maybe you were just a little over-zealous with the 3 for 2 purchases? Whatever it is, if it's on the list, then I am sure that 'Give and Make Up' will appreciate it.

If you don't live in Cardiff then check out the 'Give and Make Up' site for details of how you can donate items in your area.

*Escentual.com, Give and Make Up, 63-67 Wellfield Road, Cardiff, CF24 3PA