The Sun Cuts Like A Knife To Shine

It's been a while since I've written anything style related here, I seem to have skipped most of the Summer and gone straight to Autumn which is fine by me. The basic bitch that I am, I look forward to Autumn every year. I love the weather, the darker makeup, layering my clothes again etc. I've bought a few things over the past few weeks that I'm looking forward to wearing once the weather gets a bit colder and it seems to be going that way faster than I had anticipated. 

We went for a wander around town at the weekend and stopped off at one of my favourite locations, Dublin Castle to enjoy a coffee in the sun and we took some photos while we were there. The weather was quite mild that day so it busy in the park and having not taken outfit photos in a while I was a bit anxious at first and the staring tourists didn't help things. I suppose you can't blame people for wondering what you're doing taking your coat off and posing on the steps when they're trying to get past you, but thankfully everyone was friendly and thought it was funny and even joked about being in the photos with me. It's something that even after seven years of blogging, still makes me uncomfortable. No matter how many times I take outfit photos, if there's people around I freeze up and panic and have to stop which probably seems like the weirdest contradiction because I post said photos online for anyone to see. I still feel weird when someone I know tells me they read my blog, even if they say they like it, it's just a confirmation that I'm not in fact sending this off out into cyberspace and no one sees it which is what happens in my head. I don't know where that tangent came from but suffice to say, things are not always as they seem in the world of social media, who'd have thought!? 

Coat- Marks and Spencer (similar here, here and here)
Shirt- New Look (similar here and here)
Trousers- New Look (similar here, here and here)
Boots- Penneys/ Primark (similar here, here and here)
Scarf- Vintage (similar here, here and here)
Earrings- Marks and Spencer
Ring- Vintage (it was my grandmother's)
Makeup- Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette and Clinique Nude Pop lipstick

I've been having a bit of a seventies inspired moment lately. An era I thought just wasn't for me (style wise) now seems to be giving me lots of inspiration. It could be all the seventies music and film I've been listening to and watching lately or just an unconscious absorption of all of the trends that have been prevalent on social media over the past few months. There's definitely some strong David Bowie Ziggy Stardust era inspiration happening with the gold hoops and neck scarf. I also kind of felt like a seventies newscaster but with a disco twist in the form of the silver lurex sock boots.

These boots were everywhere last year, Zara and Topshop had them and you can find very similar ones from River Island and & Other Stories as well as a few others I have linked above. I loved the Zara ones last year but I didn't buy them so when I saw these ones in Penneys for only €15 I bought them straight away.

I saw this trench on Lily Pebbles a few months ago and I had to have it. It's cotton but still heavy so it's perfect for Autumn and I love that it's a different colour to the usual trench coat. It's sadly unavailable now, but again I've linked some similar items above in case anyone likes it.

As you can see, I'm still loving the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette, you can read more of my thoughts on it and see it in action in this post.

I'm hoping I won't leave it so long between style posts in future as I love putting them together despite my anxiety over posing in public. I'll have a What I've Been Loving Recently post next, it's been a while since the last one and I have lots of film, Tv and music recommendations to share with you all.

Until then, leave me a comment and tell me how you're doing!

Emma x

You're Lost In A Shadow There

I haven't written a style post since we came back from New York, to be honest I just haven't had the opportunity to take photos with Simon because we've both been so busy but we went out to get lunch in K Chido Mexico today and managed to take some outfit photos on the way. This is pretty much what I've been wearing for most of the Summer: t-shirt, denim jacket, wide leg trousers and runners. I've been keeping my Summer style very casual and comfortable. 

Jacket- New Look
T-shirt- Uniqlo x André Saraiva
Trousers- New Look (similar here, here and here)
Shoes- Nike Cortez via Schuh
Bag- Penneys/ Primark (similar here, here and here)
Sunglasses- Forever 21 (similar here, here and here)
Necklaces- Stella and Dot Celestial Choker and Luna Pendant
Bracelet- Stella and Dot Simple Knot Cuff
Lipstick- MAC Lady Danger

These Nike Cortez are the latest addition to my wardrobe. I bought them in the the Metallic Bronze colour about two years ago and I've worn them so much. I wanted the white, red and blue version for the longest time (they are after all, Forrest Gump's shoes). I finally saw them on sale on the Schuh website a couple of weeks ago and ordered them straight away. I just love the retro shape of these and it helps that they're the most comfortable shoes I own.

I got this Uniqlo X André Saraiva t-shirt in New York. I wanted some item of clothing that would remind me of New York so I went with this 'New York Love' t-shirt instead of the typical I Heart NY kind. I love the high neck and that it's so comfortable and soft.

I got some new necklaces recently from one of my favourite brands Stella and Dot. I love wearing these two together, it's my much less expensive and (I think) much nicer alternative to the Lucy Williams Missoma collection which every blogger seems to have. I love the mixture of metals and I actually was given the bangle at a recent Stella and Dot press event so I've been wearing the silver and gold mixture a lot lately.

You may have also noticed that I got my hair cut. I went a little bit shorter than the last time because it had gotten so thick and heavy over the past eight months since I last had it cut and I just wanted a change. It feels so much lighter which is exactly what I wanted for the warmer Summer weather.

I hope you all had a great weekend! Let me know what you've been loving during the Summer whether it's makeup, clothes or accessories,

Emma x

*Stella and Dot necklaces bought using press discount.

Turn On The Bright Lights

We wandered down to Astoria Park on one of our last evenings in New York to catch the sunset over the East River. We went to the area of the park under the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, which was formerly known as the Triborough Bride as it connects Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx. From there you also get an amazing view of the Hell Gate Bridge which just turned 100 years old back in March and connects Astoria to Randalls and Wards Islands. According to this New York Times article, it got its name from the Dutch word "hellegat" which translates to "hell channel", because of how treacherous that stretch of river could be with the tides and rocks. 

I thought it would be the perfect spot to get some more outfit photos as the light was beautiful as was the view of the bridges and the river. We were kind of annoyed with ourselves for not going down there earlier in our trip because the park has amazing amenities, the views are beautiful and it was packed with people doing outdoor classes and playing sports. However we were lucky with how nice of an evening it was and that the sun came out from behind the clouds just in time for us to watch it disappear behind the buildings. 

Dress- H&M
Jacket- New Look
Scarf- ASOS
Boots- Clarks (similar here and here)
Sunglasses- eBay
Necklace- Stella and Dot Bespoke Disc Necklace
Lipstick- Bourjois Rouge Buzz

I bought this dress the week before we went away on sale in H&M for only €15. I had seen it on Amy from The Little Magpie back in March and loved it but didn't buy it at the time. I wasn't sure it would suit me with the high neck and ruffles (which is a trend I haven't really gotten into). But when I saw it on sale in my size, I bought it on a whim and it even ended up being €5 cheaper when I got to the till (don't you just love it when that happens). I actually really loved it when I tried it on at home and brought it with me to New York to wear out for dinner which I did a couple of the nights. I can see myself wearing it lots of different ways, with a leather jacket or heeled boots or runners for a more casual look. I love a good midi dress and I'm glad I took a chance on this one. For €15 you can't go too far wrong!

I'm aware that this is the second post in a row that I've worn this neck scarf but I just thought it was really nice paired with the dress, it's still available on ASOS if anyone is interested. I usually hate wearing my hair up when I'm not at home but it was very necessary with the heat in New York. We had spent the day walking around Prospect Park in Brooklyn and I needed to cool down.

I'm currently working through the hundreds of photos I took on the trip with the goal of writing a blog post about our New York experience. It'll be more personal than a travel guide, mostly because it was my first time there so I'm by no means qualified to be giving out advice. However I read lots of blog posts from other people as the trip approached and I found it helpful so hopefully I can do the same thing.

How much research do you like to do before you visit somewhere? Do you find reading about other peoples experiences helpful or do you prefer to do your own thing and not plan too much?

If you haven't seen it already, check out my first style post from New York here!

Emma x

I'm Crossing You In Style Some Day

Greetings from Queens, New York! I'm currently sitting in our Airbnb writing this with a view of the Manhattan skyline. I can't even begin to describe what an experience this trip has been so far so I'll wait until we get home to go through the hundreds of photos I've taken and write about it properly then. For now I wanted to share some photos we took in Brooklyn at the weekend. 

Shirt- Uniqlo
Trousers- Uniqlo
Shoes- Adidas via Schuh
Scarf- ASOS (similar here and here)
Earrings- c/o Lulu and Belle
Sunglasses- ASOS (similar here)
Lipstick- No7 Brick Red

We walked the Brooklyn bridge from Manhattan and after lunch, visited DUMBO and I figured it was too picturesque to not make the most of it and take some outfit photos. It was almost 30 degrees that day and luckily on our first day here we went to Uniqlo (which is amazing and I wish we had it in Ireland) and I picked up a couple of things that were a bit more weather appropriate. I got this cotton and linen mix shirt and the wide leg pleated pants that look more like a maxi skirt. It was a great outfit for walking around in because we forgot sunscreen so I was covered up without feeling too hot. I've been living in these Adidas Stan Smiths since I got them on sale after Christmas. They're so comfortable and they go with everything so I've been wearing them all over New York.

My earrings were another gift from Irish jewellery brand Lulu and Belle who you may remember from this post back in February. Every other pair of earrings I wear irritates my ears except for the ones I have from Lulu and Belle so I've been wearing them lots over the past few months. I love how delicate they are and you can actually wear them the other way around too. You can find them on Etsy and Not on the High Street as well as on Facebook and Instagram. There's lots of gorgeous personalised items too if you're looking for a gift.

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more of my New York adventures!

Emma x

*This post was not sponsored, the earrings were a gift but all thoughts, opinions and words are my own

** This outfit was completely inspired by Marisa Tomei in Only You.

Wishing I Could Fly To Fantasy Island

It's been a while since my last style post and I'm completely blaming the Irish weather. Every time I had a free day to do it, the weather was rainy, windy or horribly cold. Which is why I wanted my first outfit post of Spring to be a colourful one.

I bought these earrings in H&M last week and I immediately pictured myself wearing them with clashing bright pink. You may remember I have the white ones too which I wore in this post last Summer. This is the fourth time I've styled tassel earrings in outfit photos over the past year (seen in this post and this one) all of which happen to be from H&M. I just love how much of a statement they make, I can see myself wearing these with dresses in the Summer too like I did with my white ones when I was in France last year. 

Coat- Dunnes Savida (the red version is still available in stores but there are some similar styles here and here)
Shirt- Penneys/ Primark (similar here)
Jeans- Next (similar here)
Boots- ASOS (similar here and here)
Sunglasses- ASOS (similar here)
Earrings- H&M (black version, similar here)
Bag- Penneys/ Primark (similar here)
Lipstick- Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge Rose Lancôme

The clashing colours trend, particularly with pink and red is one of my favourites this year and I was excited to try it myself. Between the earrings, coat and lipstick there is a lot going on here which I love, but it meant I wanted to keep the rest of my outfit very pared back with a white shirt and jeans. These sunglasses are my favourite purchase of last Summer, if they were still available on ASOS I'd probably have bought a back up pair. I saw them on Erica from The Edited last year and ordered them straight away. My friend saw them on me and bought them too. I just think they're so unusual with the colourblock acetate frames and such a flattering shape on my face. I have my eye on these amazing colourblock ones from & Other Stories for this Summer.

I've featured the bag and boots here already, I love finding new ways to wear the items in my wardrobe. For me, it's not possible to wear completely new outfits all the time. The average person doesn't have the means to keep up with that kind of lifestyle either and it promotes fast fashion which I'm trying to steer away from (new H&M earrings aside). I've been cutting down my wardrobe significantly over the past few months, donating A LOT to charity and it doesn't mean the I have less to wear. I love seeing the creative outfits of people who have a capsule wardrobe, I'm not quite there yet but I'd love to have something along those lines myself.

I'm so happy Spring is finally here and the sun is out again! At the moment I'm gearing up for my trip to New York which is is just over three weeks time. If you have any suggestions of things to do or places to eat please let me know, I still have so much planning to do!

I hope you're all having a lovely Sunday and enjoying the nice weather.

Emma x