Spring In My Step

 New Look roll neck | Levis 501's | Daniel Footwear pumps (similar) | Aigner bag (similar) | Vintage belt, similar by Asos here

Right on queue, with the first day of spring last week came a fresh lot of spring blossoms and magnolias, finally decorating winter's bare branches and brightening up the streets of London. Forget Easter bunnies and chocolate eggs, these pink pretties are my favourite thing about this time of year. So, when scouting shooting locations, Gemma and I couldn't resist this pretty corner in Notting Hill.

Perhaps a bit too optimistically, I braved short sleeves for the first time this year with this stripe roll-neck from New Look, though the knit version would probably have been far more suitable. Though burgundy is often regarded as one of the autumnal hues, I think paired with something like these light wash distressed jeans it's a great transitional colour. Of course, any excuse to wear my favourite burgundy snake effect pumps is an added bonus too. They're no longer available on Daniel but I've found an amazing similar pair on sale at Office for just £23 here.

Hope you enjoyed this spring outfit, how lovely it is to feature an outfit without a coat! I hope you all had a lovely easter break and would love to hear your thoughts below. Thanks for reading x

Going Blonde with Jo Hansford

You’ll have probably noticed a difference in my mane over the passed month - healthier, brighter and blonder all thanks to my favourite hair people at Jo Hansford salon. After leaving it a little too long after my last, my hair was in need of a pick me up and as the new season was upon us, i decided I wanted to go a little blonder this time - just in time for fashion month too!

I was excited to have colourist Dominique doing my colour again as I was so happy with the job she did last time, that and the fact she's super lovely. I explained I wanted to go as ashy and light as possible without causing any damage, so we opted for foils in 3-4 different colours over all. As you can see, it came out exactly as I'd hoped. From the brighter bits I'd asked for at the front to a gorgeous selection of blonde tones throughout I was again so impressed with how spot on Dominique was with the colour. 

Chop wise, I wanted to be rid of split ends but keep as much of the length as possible. My wonderful stylist, Scarlett suggested we take a 'nibble' off the ends whilst creating some shape around my face. I hadn't realise quite how long my hair had gotten and after having some long layers cut in around my face loved the difference it's made. Just a few shorter bits have really given my hair more body when it's styled and I love the healthy look of the blunt finish on the ends. 

Since my appointment a little over a month ago, my hair has been in such a good condition and an absolute breeze to style myself. I've included a few images above of how I've been wearing it over the passed month and I'm so happy with how it looks whichever way I style it. Of course, none of which are quite so perfect as the job Scarlett did in the salon (if only she could do my hair every morning), so whether you're looking for a full re-style or just a blow dry for and upcoming special events Jo Hansford will have you covered. I'm not ashamed to admit I didn't have to wash my hair for few days after my appointment because the curls lasted so brilliantly!

For appointments you can visit their website here. Thanks again to Jo Hansford, Dominique and Scarlett for having me in your wonderful salon and for doing such a perfect job on my locks once again. 

www.johansford.com 

Style Heroes

Dorothy Perkins cold shoulder top, navy sunglasses, navy shoe boots, wide leg crop trouser, mini bag

In today's post I've teamed up with one of my all-time-faves Dorothy Perkins as part of their Style Heroes campaign. DP's Style Heroes are essentially 10 pieces that will see you right through the SS16 season, pieces that incorporate some of this seasons best trends yet are still super wearable and can easily find a place in your existing wardrobe. You may have seen some behind the scenes action of the shoot we did a few weeks back on my Snapchat (lucia_grace). I had so much fun on set testing out the new hero pieces alongside blogger huns Nada and Chloe, you can see our first feature in their magazine here. Of course, I had to share with you some of my favourites here on SC too.

In this look I'm styling the ankle grazer in a wide-leg fit, which is actually super flattering for my curvy shape. I'm also obsessing over these cropped kick-flares that I spied on the shoot too, worth a look if you're into more tapered silhouettes. Up top I'm wearing one of their cold shoulder tops in the most gorgeous red and navy stripe print. I love the retro vibes from this piece, for a total 70's look I think it'd look so cute with a button down skirt too. Shoes-wise it's all about the shoe boot, another of the SS16 style heroes. For this look I opted for navy to pick up the tones in my top but also thought these black zip detail ones I wore for the shoot were really cool.

You can check out all of the DP Style Hero pieces yourself here - I'd love to hear which is your favourite. Thanks for reading folks, hope you enjoyed this look!

In collaboration with Dorothy Perkins

Ladylike in Paris

I'm wearing: Monsoon dress* | Topshop heels* | Wallis coat* | Aigner bag (similar) | sunglasses

Though it was still quite cold, we actually were lucky enough to have a few sunny days in Paris. It was mothering Sunday and I remember coming out of a show at the Westin Paris and face-timing my mum as I walked over to the Tuileries. It was the brightest bit of sunshine I think I’d seen in 2016 yet so I had to walk my mum around the gardens whilst we chatted - the joys of technology hey? I was so happy I got to see her open her Pandora present too.

The show I’d just come from was Valentin Yudashkin, it was my first time seeing this designer and I’d always marvelled at their decadent and ornate designs so was looking forward to seeing the autumn winter collection in person. In a grand room within the Westin Paris hotel, paintings and chandeliers a plenty, the setting couldn’t have been more appropriate. The collection itself was a rich mix of jewel tones and luxe fabrics, from blood red silks to emerald fur details it was all about the textures. So luxe and chic that the collection actually got me a little excited for the new winter season. Each show guest also left with a pair of Valentin Yudashkin mohair mittens which was a lovely little moments from the wonderful show.

Following a stroll around the Tuileries, it was time to head back to our apartment and pack up ready for the next part of our trip. But before heading over we had one more show and a spot of brunch was in order - it was a Sunday after all. We were kindly invited to the Buddha Bar hotel in Paris to experience their Sunday brunch where we got to taste some wonderful creations that I can’t wait to tell you all about in an upcoming post. 

With full bellies, we headed back to the 16th to Palais de Tokyo for the Marrimekko show. This collection was really cool. Androgynous silhouettes made their way down the catwalk across boldly printed tunics, colourful suits or padded jackets. The colour palette transitioned between smart reds to monochromes and blues to greens and khakis that were spotted with flashes of baby pink. Kind of like an impeccably dressed girl army, the models wore relaxed straight ponytails or sleek ‘dos that wonderfully juxtaposed some of the crazy beautiful prints they were wearing. A brilliantly solid collection that I was so impressed by. 

After that, we were pretty much done for the day, so picked up our cases and headed on over to Mon Hotel for the next part of our stay - see what we got up to in my previous post here. I can't believe I've been back for so long and still have so much from the trip to share with you (including a vlog!) so I'm glad to hear some of you are enjoying these Parisian stories! As always, thanks for reading and you can shop my look via the links above or widget below x

Staying at Mon Hotel Paris

During out time in Paris, Lizzy and I had the pleasure of spending a part of our stay at the wonderful Mon Hotel. Tucked away on a peaceful street this boutique hotel is just a stones throw from the Arc du Triomphe and the Champs Elysees, one of my absolute favourite areas to be in Paris so I was really excited about staying here. 

Upon arrival we entered the foyer, multiple bags in tow, and I instantly loved the atmosphere. Chandeliers, fresh flowers and monochrome details gave the place such a chic vibe. The wonderful receptionist couldn’t have been more helpful and we were upgraded to their executive room which was a lovely surprise. 

Located on the 4th floor, the executive room is right on the corner of the building so you get the prettiest panoramic view of Parisian streets through the three french windows. I actually spent quite a bit of time perched on the windowsill one morning, for early March, there was a beautifully sunny day and I happily sat soaking up the rays in the soft hotel robe, enjoying views of Parisian balconies and the rare bit of quiet in Paris. 

The room itself was gorgeous. Featured chic monochrome details that echoed the design from the foyer, it was all black, white and silver details. The bathroom and bedroom are divided by a black partition which makes the room really spacious, which is always a treat in Paris. The kingsize bed is the dominant bedroom feature and probably my favourite thing about the room - it was honestly like sleeping on a cloud. We took turns taking a swim in the enormous bath tub, another favourite feature. Taking a long relaxing soak was just what we needed amidst the chaos of Paris Fashion Week - bubbles and salts provided by Mon Hotel made it all the more heavenly too. 

Shortly after arriving we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in our lovely room, it was the perfect little sanctuary to have some downtime. So, after catching up on some editing and emails, we wandered down to the local delicatessen and picked up some fresh bread and olives, cheese and a bottle of Bordeaux for an in-room picnic that we enjoyed from the comfort of the king-sized bed before settling into our best nights sleep throughout the whole trip.

When morning came, we were far to content to move from the bed so instead of heading down to the breakfast buffet, we ordered a continental breakfast to our room which was more than enough to set us up for the day. With the morning Parisian sun streaming through the french windows and giving us a wonderful view of the streets, we were in a little paradise enjoying our croissants and sipping on fresh coffee.

Our stay was an absolute pleasure from start to finish and I couldn't recommend the boutique hotel more, brilliantly close to everything you need in Paris yet in such a peaceful location. Thanks so much to Mon Hotel for having us you can find out more and book your stay here.

Mon Hotel Lounge & Spa