Sunday

29th April 2012

This is what I wore yesterday for my monthly spend-all-my-money-then-live-on-noodles-all-month trip.

I bought a lot. Again. I must stop spending so much money!

Bow. Accessorize.
Leopard print top. Primark.
Skinny jeans. New Look.
White bag. Vintage.
Velvet ballet pumps. Topshop.


I can't wait to show you what I bought!

Saturday

28th April 2012

Ok, so this outfit is actually from last week, not today. I'll post today's outfit tomorrow.

It's raining here in little ol' England. A lot. But that doesn't bother me because I have my super awesome see-through umbrella. Wahey!

Umbrella. Boots.
Hat. Accessorize.
Coat. Primark.
Dress. Topshop.
Boots. Boohoo.com.

Thursday

Unlikely Style Icon: PJ & Duncan

I am totally on a 90s kick right now. Following the fun I had with my Mr Motivator post last time, I'm sticking in 1994 with the legends that are PJ & Duncan. More commonly known as Ant & Dec, those of a certain age will remember the classic track that is Let's Get Ready to Rhumble.


Fun fact: It is really difficult to find decent photos of PJ & Duncan. There's a conspiracy theory in there somewhere. Also, there seems to be a cult Tumblr-centred fan base. Tumblr has all the crazy fan bases.

This outfit was inspired by the Let's Get Ready to Rhumble video- dark jeans, old school trainers, layering and a visor. What's not to love?


White blouse. £59.99. Zara.
Straw visor. £13. River Island.
Blue shirt. £10. Miss Selfridge.
Skinny jeans. £15. Boohoo.
White trainers. £9.99. Trainers.


All together now: Watch us wreck the mic, watch us wreck the mic, watch us wreck the mic. PSYCHE!

Tuesday

Wishlist: River Island Yellow Macrame Tassel Pineapple Bag

Ok, how amazing is this? This would look so great on summer day trips. The perfect tropical touch to my wardrobe. I want a pineapple hanging from my shoulder!

Pineapple Macrame Bag. £30. River Island.

Monday

Treasures: Marc by Marc Jacobs Sunglasses... and others

Ok, I have a problem. I am absolutely obsessed with sunglasses. You see, I was prescribed my first pair of glasses aged 8. Since then, I have worn glasses every single day of my life until October, when I finally bit the bullet and got fitted for contacts. Having never been able to wear sunglasses, and always being insanely jealous of all my friends with their lovely shady eyewear, I have gone a little bit overboard. This year, for the first time in 15 years, I have been able to wear sunglasses.

I've bought another two pairs this week. First, these purple Marc by Marc Jacobs beauties:


Secondly, these adorable little Moschino shades. They haven't turned up on my doormat yet so this stock image will have to do.

Aren't they cute? They're so much fun and I can't wait until they arrive! They just have Becky written all over them.

They are both going to join my growing collection. I'm currently on 14, although that will go up to 17 come payday... seriously! Here's the rest, the cheaper part, of my collection (bar 4 cheapy pairs that I lost in the move. I'm sure they'll turn up somewhere. It's just a matter of finding them!).

The white Prada-esque pair at the top are from Ebay. The pink Prada-esque pair in the bottom left are from Asos. All others are Primark's finest!

Then, of course, there's my favourite Vogue pair that we've seen a billion times before:

Come summer- when the sun might finally make an appearance- I'll have a pair to go with any outfit. Bring it on!

Sunday

Catwalk Copycat: Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton is the darling of the season. Marc Jacobs has created a sugary sweet concoction of Broderie Anglaise, pastel shades and ultra feminine silhouettes. Perfect for summer picnics!

Yellow blouse. £29.99. H&M.
Yellow skirt. £39.99. Zara.
Metallic hairband trio. £4. Accessorize.
Perspex bag. £25. Kurt Geiger.
Silver tipped shoes. £78. Topshop.

Tuesday

Wishlist: Jeans, Jeans, Jeans

I know I don't wear jeans often but I am still having serious lusty pangs over the new season pastel-and-print varieties.

I do own one pair of black skinny jeans which are my go-to for gigs and other more physical events. I pulled them on last week to pop down the Co-op and discovered a massive hole in the upper inner leg. I need to replace these sharpish!

Then there's the Motel Jordan jeans that I am totally buying on payday. I desperately want a pair of pastel jeans. I'm steering towards pink or lavender. I really want mint but since everything I own is mint already, I'd end up looking like a massive size 14 Tic Tac.



Lilac jeans. £25. Dorothy Perkins.

Pink jeans. £38. Topshop.

Then there's the florals. Oh my, the florals. I just can't decide which I want more. However, since these seem to be selling out at an alarming rate, maybe I'll just let the stockrooms decide and buy whichever pairs are still available.

Tropical print jeans. £40. River Island.

Monday

Treasures pt II: Vintage goodies!

My trip to Brighton last week was eventful. And by eventful, I mean expensive. So many lovely vintage goodies! I could barely cart them all home but I managed. I know, I know, my bravery is immense!

I picked up this lovely from my favourite shop in the world: Snooper's Paradise. I usually like to keep my secrets, well, secret but this place is seriously massive. Nobody could ever go in there and buy out all the best stuff. It's just not possible with the volume of stuff in there.


It's essentially a huge shop made up of loads of little independently owned areas. Like a massive, physical vintage section of Etsy. It's just filled to the brim with amazing vintage knick knacks. I always manage to find something amazing in there- From 1960s Ladybird books to the 1950s typewriter that my best friend bought for my 22nd birthday (then she had to drive me home because it was too heavy to carry on the train. We didn't know the way to mine from Brighton but she knew the way to Winchester and I knew the way to mine from there. It took us 3 hours to get back instead of the usual 90 minutes).


This lot is all from Beyond Retro. I love Beyind Retro and, of the 3 UK stores I've visited (Dalston is the one I still need to check out), Brighton has to be my favourite. The shop has a gigantic sky light of a ceiling so it's nowhere near as claustrophobic as the other two. The rails are more spaciously arranged than the London branches and are more clearly labelled. The staff are always really lovely too.

Then I discovered a cute little boutique called Velvet. I picked up these little bits for my house but I could have bought a whole lot more!

Then, to round off the post, here are some things I've got in the past week that aren't vintage or from Brighton: Some pink Asos sunglasses and MAC cremeblend blush in Something Special.

Saturday

13th April 2012

Yesterday, I headed into London for a nice little visit to the Tate Modern. I am such an art geek. In fact, I very nearly went to art school but the pressure and workload of 2 art A-levels was so great that I changed my mind at the very last moment. It was turning me against art and I didn't want that to happen.

I wore an entirely new outfit. With the exception of the shoes, which I had worn once before, everything else was on its first outing.

Earrings. Vintage.

Top. Vintage.
Skirt. Marc by Marc Jacobs.
Shoes. New Look.


I'm rocking vintage gypsy chic. I really love these earrings. They're vintage 80s deadstock. I actually have a post lined up that features them a bit more heavily so I won't go on about them now.

Of course, I was chuffed to bits at being able to wear my skirt. I love it so much. The pleats are just sensational and the fabric feels wonderful. It has such a great weight to it.

Now, if you follow me on Instagram (and if you don't, why not? @Beckybedbug. Hit me up!), you will know I'm a little obsessed. I pretty much documented my entire day. Here are my favourites.

What I wore.


Travelling on the train. Choo choo!

Artwork.
1. White Field by Gunther Uecker
2. Blue Purple Tilt by Jenny Holzer
3. Untitled (Living Sculpture) by Marisa Merz

Blue Purple Tilt was my absolute favourite piece of the day. These strips have rolling messages on. I sat there for about 50 minutes just watching it. It was so hypnotic and I had no idea how long I was in there for until I looked at my phone as I left. I was trying to watch the whole thing but I didn't know how long it was going to last. The messages were so relevant to me, past and present. I just fell in love.


I love this middle photo. The sun was blinding. I couldn't see what I was taking a photo of so I just pointed, clicked and wished for the best. Then when I got into the dimmer light of the station, I saw that I had perfectly framed this couple hand-in-hand. The way they are silhouetted with the shadows on the ground behind them like that is beautiful. I lucked out!

Is it just me or do these artists' dummies look a little macabre? They look like they've been frozen in some sort of eerie ritualistic dance.

Friday

Beauty Friday: Benefit They're Real! Mascara Review

My mascara go-to is Benefit Bad Gal Lash. I have worn it day in, day out for years. Ever since I got a free sample with Glamour magazine, in fact. Thanks Glamour!

Then came the sad day when my week-old mascara went AWOL. I still haven't found it. I presume it's off having a party somewhere under the wardrobe along with the last nose ring I had and a fair few cotton buds.

Instead of replacing it though, I thought I would try out They're Real! There is so much hype over this mascara, it is insane. Apparently it is now the UK's best selling mascara. Not bad considering it was only released 8 months ago.

It claims to lengthen, curl, volumise, lift and seperate. Phew! Quite the multi-tasker. The advice is to wiggle the wand horizontally for volume and length, then use the end to curl and seperate.

Ok, so my opinion. The bottle, as with all Benefit products, is gorgeous. It's a really interesting shape with great ergonomics (oh yeah, I said it!) and a stainless steel effect. The wand is fantastic. Instead of the usual bristly brush, this appears to be made out of a rubbery-plastic material and reminds me of those earrings that everyone wore in the early 2000s. The spiky effect carries right around the wand, even on the tip so you can use the very end of the wand. The material also allows for greater flexibility than the more sturdy brush type.


The mascara itself certainly lengthens, lifts, curls and everything else it claims. Well, everything except seperates. Especially if you use the supposedly seperating end of the wand. I've heard this described as false eyelashes in a bottle. If that means TOWIE in a bottle (which, let's face it, it would), then this is right on track. Seriously, just one coat of this and I look like I'm rolling up at Sugar Hut.

Before mascara

After mascara

It is a very black shade and I'm all for that. The problem is that I end up with about five eyelashes. I look like I've stuck Aragog to my eyelids. The upshot of this? This stuff is like B&Q emulsion. Seriously, it does not come off. I pretty much have to crack out the Cillit Bang to scrub it off. Which is no bad thing, of course.

All in all, I do wear this mascara. However, I save it for those events where I really dress up. Definitely not one for daily use. Unless I move to Brentwood, in which case I will consider it.

Thursday

Unlikely Style Icon: Mr Motivator

The younger, or international, readership of my blog might not know of Mr Motivator. In case this applies to you, I suggest you check out this video (complete with authentic incredible 1994 video recorded quality!) of the absolute legend of a man. Yes, that is Tommy aka the green power ranger that he is with. Man, this is taking me right back to my childhood!

Anyway, venturing off memory lane for a little, I cannot help but see Mr Motivator's influence in fashion everywhere right now. Maybe with the Olympics coming up, the British high street is hankering back to a time where everybody would wake up at 7:30am for a little morning workout in front of the telly. Perhaps we need a little motivation in our lives right now and, when we have a celebrity hidden in the depths of our cultural identity called Mr Motivator, who could be a better inspiration?

Just check that out: The print trousers, the so-bright-it-burns colour palette, the retro (well, retro for us now) trainers. Could we find a richer source of inspiration right now? I'm guessing no.


Vest. £3.99. H&M.
Print trousers. £30. River Island.
Headscarf. £8. Topshop.
Necklace. £8. Boohoo.
Hi tops. £12.99. New Look.

Sometimes, I put together an outfit that is just so eye-wateringly amazing, I have to own it now. This is one of them. It's completely different from my usual style but I just love it. Every element is here, right down to the coloured laces and matchy-matchy head scarf. I don't care if every fashion rule ever screams against perfect matching- If Mr Motivator can get away with it, so can I!

Wednesday

Inspiration: Carousels



Lace bralet. £18. River Island.
Bangle set. £6.25. Topshop.
Ice cream necklace. £20. Topshop.
Pony earrings. £7.50. Topshop.
Pink skater skirt. £28. Miss Selfridge.
Yellow heels. £39.99. Zara.
Pastel rings. £7.50. Topshop.
Lilac knee high socks. £4. Asos.

Tuesday

Wishlist: H! by Henry Holland Crocheted Cardigan

You know that mint Primark cardigan that I wear again and again and again? Yeah, the one that always prompts me to say "I must buy more cardigans" and then never get round to it. I actually have a fair few but this one is so light and airy that it's perfect for spring. The lightweight knit, the crocheted design, the pastel shade. It is spring on a knitting needle.

Well, guess what? I think I found the perfect addition to my knitwear wardrobe! Look how cute these are!

Cardigans. £30 each. H! by Henry Holland.

My favourite is the white one though the blue one would make a nice late summer outfit. I want them both. Bring them to me!

Monday

Treasures Pt I: Marc by Marc Jacobs Flavin Skirt

Ok, so this is pretty much the most exciting thing that I have ever done. Ever.

I was very, very naughty and bought something that was more expensive than anything I have ever bought before. Pretend you haven't read the title of this post and let's guess what it is!

It's something that has been delivered by courier in a big cardboard box. Ooh, and look! When you open it, there is a layer of black tissue on top. What is underneath this tissue?

A matte black box with a black and white ribbon. Wait, there's something written on this box. What does it say?

Does that say net-a-porter.com? I think it does! As does the ribbon, for that matter! But what could be inside? Let's turn on the flash, because the natural daylight is rapidly deteriorating and my hands are shaking too much for a slow exposure, and find out!

A net-a-porter.com drawstring bag! How cute and unexpected too! What could be hidden inside it?

A net-a-porter.com tape measure! It comes with a little note thanking me for my first order and explaining that they have included this little free gift so I can measure myself in order to buy more pretty things. Oh, net-a-porter, you tease!

Time to lift this next layer of tissue paper and take a glimpse at the blue and red thing peeking out from below.

Well, this is certainly pretty. Look, it's in my favourite colours. It's striped. It's nautical. Looks pretty perfect if you ask me. Could this get any better?

Yes, actually, yes it could. It is Marc by Marc Jacobs and it is in my size. Let's take a proper look at it.

Eek! It's the Marc by Marc Jacobs Flavin skirt! What a lovely surprise! (Although, not actually a surprise, seeing as I spent a quarter of this month's wages buying it last week).

Look at the little birds. Aren't they so adorable!

I'm so happy with this. It's the first designer item I have ever bought. I've lusted after it ever since I saw this page in Elle magazine. Now I can actually wear it with my Versace for H&M blouse just like that. I am super duper excited about it!

No photos of me wearing it yet because I have the perfect opportunity to do so on Friday. I can't tell you why yet though. Let me just say that it is something very exciting!

Sunday

Catwalk Copycat: Jill Stuart

It's no secret that I am completely, totally, hopelessly in love with ice cream shades this spring. With that in mind, Jill Stuart's spring summer 2012 collection has almost made my eyes pop out of my head with delight. The sorbet colour palette, teamed with ultra-feminine silhouettes and floating chiffon, is pretty much my dream collection.

One of my favourite looks in the collection is this short suit. Smart enough for work (if we forget that my work is hardly the smart suit variety!) yet oh-so-chic and, super bonus points, cool in the rising temperatures. Perfecto!
Pink blazer. £60. Topshop.
Pink shorts. £35. Topshop.
Bird print blouse. £28. Dorothy Perkins.
Red patent peep toes. £20. New Look.

I've recreated this look with a pale pink Topshop short suit and a turquoise printed chiffon blouse from Dorothy Perkins. Finish the look with red patent peeptoe slingbacks, glossy nude nail varnish and a subtle sweep of perfectly pretty make up. The office won't know what hit them!

8th April 2012

Happy Easter!

I hope you're all scoffing your face with as much chocolate as you can eat until you end up resembling a hamster stuck in Cadbury World... That's not just me, right?

Unfortunately, despite being the springiest of spring days, the weather is positively autumnal in this part of England. I'm reflecting this in my outfit, I think. I'm struggling to feel particularly springlike when it is this overcast so I'm embracing the warmer shades.

Dress: Vintage.
Jumper: Vintage.
Basket: Vintage.
Shoes: Primark.

It's nice to have a little deviation away from my signature head-to-toe Primark look for once!

Friday

Fun Times in Brighton

I've been pretty quiet over the past week due to the fact that I visited my best friend, who lives near Brighton. I had a lovely few days and, of course, I couldn't resist a bit of shopping! (Ok, maybe more than a bit).

I won't bore you with the entirety of my photo album so here are just a few highlights.

Yeehaw!

Sunglasses: Vogue
Cardigan: Primark
Top: Peacocks
Skirt: Cath Kidston
Shoes: Primark
Bag: Primark

Hair band: New Look
Blouse: Primark
Cardigan: Primark
Basket: Snooper's Paradise


Sunglasses: Vogue
Cardigan: Primark
Dress: Beyond Retro
Bag: Primark
Shoes: Primark


How cute is this vintage Hawaiian dress? Perfect for a day on the beach!

I tried to find a new cardigan. I didn't find one but I did end up with a pretty pink jumper instead.

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