Teaser Toni & Guy

#LFW2015 is in full swing - but with the abundance of content about to hit my blog, I thought I would give you a little teaser of my hair.

Think Sandy from Grease... Badass sex goddess gone modern!

So my chair awaits...

Fortnum and Mason's Supper Club

Having been invited to meet Tom Parker-Bowles at Fortnum and Mason's Supper Club, I went along and enjoyed the menu fresh from his new cookbook, 'Let's Eat Meat'.

So we started the evening with Bullshot Cocktails - I won't lie, they were STRONG to the extent that I couldn't have a mouthful without coughing (whoever made these put wayyyyy too much Lea and Perrins in!)

Then came the beautiful starter of buffalo wings with blue cheese sour cream, spiced venison tartare and sourdough bread - Tom is a notorious lover of chilli and spared none on these mouth-swellingly hot buffalo wings but the chilli was cooled by the creamy smoothness of the blue cheese sour cream. As for the tartare with egg yolk on top, when partnered with the sourdough bread made a delectable combination of flavours, textures and the richness of the venison really came through.

  

Next came the Peposo, a peppered, braised beef cheek with chianti and tomato, accompanied by horseradish mash and buttered sprout tops. Suffice to say that this dish was gone within minutes, and they even brought over second helpings! The beef had been marinated for 24 hours, so it practically fell apart in my mouth, along with the light yet flavoursome horseradish mash and the buttered sprouts (seasoned perfectly) I was in absolute meat heaven! It is also worth me mentioning here that Tom is a firm believer in supporting our local trade, and uses only British-bred meat and encourages others to do the same, along with using every single piece of meat possible so as to avoid waste - even the bones (which, when boiled, make fabulous soups!) 

Once the main had been taken away, and I had recovered from my food-induced pseudo-coma, dessert was laid; traditional British treacle tart with clotted cream. I have a sincere weakness for desserts and all things sweet, but even I had to eat this slowly as to avoid suffocating myself from the inside out due to food overload! 

Finally came the hot chocolate and truffles, which (shockingly) I demolished. Struggling to keep my eyes open, having been fed and wined (and even champagned!) to the limit, it was time to thank the host and retreat to the realms of pyjamas and bed!

What an absolutely sensational evening, the food was elegant, traditional, well-executed and truly special; I heard not one complaint and it seemed all the talk was focused around the chef, the menu and of course, our host Tom Parker-Bowles.

Obvs got to have a selfie with Tom Parker-Bowles!

Photo with Fortnum's executive chef, Sydney Aldridge

#OOTD Tartan Loving

Back to work after all the festive cheer and what better way burn off those Christmas calories than by doing a load of exercising... by walking around hundreds of shops :)

I wanted an outfit that was sophisticated and in-season that looked chic and expensive but I could afford it by using my mere pittance left over after all my Christmas shopping - so where better to head than Primark for an entire outfit!

I wanted to have tartan but needed to make sure the pattern and colour worked with my skin complexion, so I managed to find a dark blue tartan with very thin red and green tied in - the blue also goes with most of my wardrobe!

To pull out the blue and green in the trousers, I wore a chiffon long-sleeved collared blouse, done up to the top button and tucked it in for a smart-casual look.

I finished it off with a pair of powder blue frilly ankle socks, paired with black patent cut-out brogues and added a silver chain necklace to pick up my silver Michael Kors watch and midi-rings.

Ultimately, I love this look, and also mixed it with my dark blue and green tartan blanket scarf/cape so I was warm in the winter but also an apparent tartan worshipper.

                           Turquoise blouse - Primark, Silver chain necklace - eBay boutique

Tartan trousers - Primark, Silver Watch - Michael Kors, Midi rings - Primark

Powder blue frill socks - Primark, Black patent brogues - New Look

Tartan blanket scarf - Christmas gift (New Look)

Tartan trousers close up - Primark 

#OOTD Christmas Sparkle

So I had a Christmas do to attend and wanted to look fabulous but not OTT so I raided my wardrobe and decided it was definitely time for a new outfit... It is the festive season after all, time for giving (to myself!) so I did a bit of shopping.

I wanted something comfortable that didn't restrict my stomach (as we were attending a three-course meal, so I wanted room for my inevitable food baby) and I decided on a pair of sparkly, black and silver harem pants (elasticated waists should be on every item of clothing...).

Then to fit with this year's tomboy look, I went for a loose fitting, off the shoulder top from New Look in bright orange with an oriental pastel blue sequin print. This is the first orange top I have ever bought, usually I look horrible and blotchy in reds and fiery oranges but the pastel blue toned it down, and as I paired it with a blue statement necklace and matching pastel clutch (courtesy of Hemsley London), it still looked wonderfully vibrant but not too in-your-face.

Finally I finished off the look with a pair of Kim-Kardashianesque black stiletto sandals and my silver Michael Kors Chronograph watch that picked up the silver from my harem pants and the sequins from the top.

Everyone seemed to love this look, and the general consensus for my trousers were that not only did they look fabulous, but apparently also made me look slim - so a win-win on my part!

See below for the photos, and let me know about your Christmas outfits - go on and treat yourself to a new Christmas outfit, you deserve it!

Tweet your looks to @ellcakes and I will feature you on my blog!

Harem pants - Next (just £26!), Top - New Look, Necklace - River Island, Clutch - Hemsley London (part of the Hemsley Slice Lunchbox Range), Shoes - Forever 21 (NY store), Watch - Michael Kors  

The Hemsley Lunchbox - perfect as a fashion statement lunch box and as a clutch bag!

Michael Kors Chronograph - pearlescent face and Swarovski crystal numerics 

Someday My Prince Will Come* - Book Review

With the first few chapters of Fine’s memoirs relating to her somewhat traumatic childhood (whereby she endures parental nakedness, back garden tepees and inedible quinoa) it is safe to say that a strong rapport is built between reader and protagonist at an early stage. Regardless whether you empathise or sympathise, or perhaps a bit of each, Fine recreates a comical representation of her childhood and teenage experiences that  on more than one occasion create positively toe-curling-face-reddening moments that begs the question; how  can one teenager have endured such a plethora of humiliation and embarrassment in one lifetime?

These extraordinary why-is-this-happening-to-me occurrences do not cease in the realm of the teenager though, rest assured. Throughout the entire book, Fine has managed to hand-pick some of the most cringe-worthy tales of her life and put them to print, causing many a public outburst of laughter and open-mouthed disbelief.

Nevertheless, this book is not all about Fine’s inability to hold down a man, or ability to rack up an impressive tally of most-kissed British countryside rugby players in one evening though: instead it shares an underlying beautiful concept of self-belief and the importance of following your dream, irrespective of the obstacles you may encounter. Granted, this may be a message portrayed throughout the world of literature, however Fine emanates this effortlessly whilst maintaining a resilient yet endearing lead protagonist and a modern plot equipped with traditional values. It is her repeated heartbreak and insecurities that tug at the heartstrings, but her raw spirit and fierce determination in the face of hopelessness turns this unconventional love story into an uplifting, fortitudinous journey of self-discovery.

This collection of memoirs reinstalls the childhood fantasy that dreams can come true: Fine’s portrayal of this fairy-tale notion of following one’s dreams merges with reality, allowing her memoirs to resonate in an unorthodox yet heart-warming way.

Bouton Bracelets Review*

Bouton Bracelets are built on a true concept of versatility and bespoke designs for each

customer. The detachable jewels, inclusive of bohemian shades of green, sparkly diamanté

and a patriotic British flag design, were wonderfully easy to pair with any outfit and received an

inundation of compliments from all ages.

 

If you are looking for a product that portrays a laid-back, relaxed attitude that can also be

changed to eveningwear with the click of a button (literally, these buttons click on an off the

bracelet!) this is ideal.

 

The thick brown leather base bracelet is chunky and has a surfer-girl vibe but once paired with

the many button and jewel combinations, this bracelet allows comfortability with any outfit

creation; something that cannot be said about the rest of the jewellery industry.

 

See below for my styling ideas and send your pictures of how you styled yourself using Bouton

Bracelets to my Twitter @ellcakes and tag @BoutonBracelets.

 

All in all, a fabulous product that will certainly thrive in the current market where unique style is crucial.

 

Buy them here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BoutonBracelets

 

Top - New Look, Jeans - Ragged Priest, Necklace - Press sample, Bangles - River Island

 

Chiffon blouse - F&F, Jeans - Ragged Priest, Kimono - Primark, Earrings - Aldo, Collar studs - Asos

 

 

 

 

 

A Month Later...

It has been a month since undergoing the Toni & Guy chop, and I have been attempting all different types of hairstyles to see which ones work, and which ones fail dismally.

I have since discovered, that although cute, my stubby ponytail must only be used if aggressively sprayed with dry shampoo and has a massive quiff, due to the fact it is a measly and pathetic sight.

My favourite though by far is big ringlets, which I created using label.m products that Toni & Guy kindly donated at London Fashion Week (shout out to Carolyn - thanks darl!)

So firstly I washed it with the Orange Blossom Shampoo and Conditioner (which smells incredible - it has a light scent of sweet orange but not so overpowering that it instigates a violent coughing fit every time you swish your hair)

Once combed through with a wide-toothed comb, I rubbed the ends with the label.m Soufflé to give texture and used label.m Smoothing Cream for my roots (to avoid unwanted frizz and flyaway baby hair!)  

I left it to dry until it was only just damp and rubbed some Age-Defying Radiance Oil on the tips to prevent split ends and maximise shine then dried my hair.

I then separated my hair into sections (there were an awful lot as my hair is so thick) and heated my curling tongs to the highest heat. Using sections of hair approximately 3/4 inch thick, I wrapped the hair around the curling tongs, from end to tip, and (whilst failing miserably at attempting to not burn myself) held it there for 30 seconds.

Once I released the hair, ensuring to pull the tongs downwards from the ringlet, rather than unravelling, I used hairspray on each individual curl to maintain volume and body.

I kept repeating this method on each layer of my hair, starting with the bottom layer, closest to my neck, and finished on top, ensuring to position my parting before curling (otherwise my hair did not sit properly and I had crazy Medusa-like curls)

Once each section had been curled, I sprayed more hairspray over the whole of my head and flipped my head over and ruffled the curls to help them drop (to avoid looking like a Victorian doll) and to give it the curls a bit of a relaxed, almost messy appearance, as I love natural-looking, big, voluptuous curls as opposed to rigid, uniform curls.

I absolutely love this look, as it balances my vivid personality with a slightly more mature look - seeing as everyone has commented on how much older my short hair makes me look, I still want people to remember I am in my twenties!