Tory the tiger

It's official, autumn is here. To celebrate I went for a sweater, boots and jeans combo in an effort to be warm, comfy and work-appropriate.

Jumper - Topshop// Jeans - Topshop// Boots - Steve Madden
You will probably be seeing a lot of these boots. They cost me quite a pretty penny last Autumn and therefore must last at least two winters. I still love them though - it took me a long time to find my perfect pair of slouchy biker boots; they're comfy, they go with everything and they're therefore here to stay.

Apologies for the crappy photos - with no non-busy work colleagues I had to go DIY in the ladies loos.

Come buy with me...

I've made a few purchases recently that I just haven't had chance to reveal on the blog. I suppose I was waiting until I wore them, and then ended up not having time to take outfit pics. I hate that! So I thought I'd reveal my new finds in one fell swoop, then hopefully they'll crop up in some outfit posts in coming weeks...

Dress - Topshop - £40// Shorts - Topshop - £35// Boots - ASOS - £85// Jeans - Topshop (High waisted 70s) - £40// Shirt - Topshop - £40

The dress is Kate Moss (shocker) and I love it. The shorts are really soft and yet to be worn - Saturday night on the tiles, I hope you're ready. The boots were a total mistake. I love them, they go with everything, but in a 7 they are just too high for me. I do this about once a year - buy completely impractical shoes that just sit in my room.

The jeans arrived and said 'Jamie' on them, but are exactly the same serial number as my order and fit like a glove, so who knows what's going on in Toppers' labelling dept. And the shirt is possibly a little fitted, but I'm going to tuck it in to the shorts so didn't want it to be too diaphanous! Booby ladies take heed - go a size up!

And that's my autumn update in a nutshell!

Greasy dreadlocks be gone...

I've spoken before of my love for Batiste - seriously, it's an addiction - so I was excited to receive a sample of Batiste Nude.

It's a more eco-friendly option from the dry shampoo experts: 100% natural, fragrance free and without a spray application. I was keen to see if it lived up to the rest of the range.

My first thought was that it's a little tricky to apply. The spray gives a pretty even coverage, whereas the nozzle on this makes it a bit more difficult to target the roots without a stubborn white scalp effect... until I tried the palm technique. This natural powder's pretty silky, so you can rub some into your hands and then rub it into your hair, and it works really well.

It also feels like you get more in the bottle with this baby. It's a 50g powder compared to 150ml in the can, but I reckon you spray half in the air with the canister, so this should last much longer (I currently average a can every two weeks on the spray formula).

Some dry shampoos I've used only last about 4 hours before the grease returns, but this different formula was still long-lasting, and there's the added bonus of knowing you're using a chemical-free formula.

Overall I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5. If you have the time to apply more strategically, the benefits of Nude outweigh the pitfalls of its nozzle. But, unfortunately for Nude I'm a girl on the go.

That said, it's great to have a more environmentally concious option on the market.

Eco-warriers, go forth and dryify! 

Feelin' blue

Party people, you are going to love me. I've discovered an amazingly pigmented, easy-to-apply, glossy A/W nail polish for a fiver - Rimmel Lycra Pro in Blue Vogue.

I actually borrowed this from a colleague this afternoon as many late nights in the office meant I hardly had time to wash my hair this week, nevermind paint my nails, and tonight I'm off for cocktails - Soho, you will never see me without a manicure.

This is 2 coats, and I could have left it at one! The first glided on neatly with not a streak in sight, thanks to an incredibly creamy formula that isn't sticky or gloopy like some thicker varnishes (Nails Inc, I'm talking to you). And check out that shine, without a topcoat! It's a little bluer than this photo, and has a hint of sparkle which is pretty invisible to the naked eye but must serve to enhance that awesome gleam.

Another boon of this brand is their new brush - it's wider and flat than your usual brush, and curved at the sides to fit around the nail bed. Seriously, this is an innovation in polish.

This line is marketed as offering a 'professional finish', and I have to agree that this is the neatest, glossiest, most even coverage I've ever achieved by myself.

If I wasn't in the middle of yet another spending embargo until payday, I would be straight to Boots to stock up on every colour of this miracle find, OPI Lincoln Park After Dark, you are no longer my favourite navy blue!

Put a ring on it

Just two days until Pamela Love's popup launches at Brown's Focus.

Time out says: "Love's Americana-themed pop-up at Browns Focus, curated with the help of Alexa Chung and Style.com's Maya Singer, will feature an extensive collection of Love's jewellery, including reworked vintage pieces and exclusive items never before stocked in London."

I'm there, with bells on.

Apologies for my absence this week - work is winning.

These are my confessions...

Turns out my 'buy it now, regret it later' style of shopping has backfired. I've dropped £170 notes in the last week and none of it's going back. Oops. Say hello to my new top, flats and armour ring.


Top, Shoes, Jeans - Topshop// Rings (l-r) - ASOS and gift// Necklace - Bangkok weekend market// Bangles (l-r) - Accessorize and Primark

Never 21

After ogling these fab boots on Fade to Black, I realised they weren't, in fact, the mega expensive Chloe version, but a bargain pair from Forever 21. Too good to miss right? So I headed over to their site, filled my basket, then realised the shipping to the UK is $45! Are you freaking kidding me?
I strongly declined taking that exorbitant hit. But, for my yankee friends, here's a small sample of what else I would have bought from their New In section alone...

Hair envy...

 Pic courtesy of Studded Hearts

Since I went into the hairdresser to lose my split ends, and left without half the weight thanks to some incredibly over-zealous use of thinning scissors, I have major hair envy for anyone with more than a bob. Drew is currently ticking even more boxes with her perfect beachy waves, incredible volume and fabulous ombre highlights... swoon.

[[Apologies to anyone waiting to see which boots I bought last week - I promised an outfit post, then my camera batteries died and I haven't got round to buying new ones... but it's coming. Bet you can't wait! (Note to self - never promise a post, it will inevitably not happen.)]]

Sexual shearling

I'm kind of obsessed with shearling. I needed a piece of the action. So as my jacket experience was a full-on fail, I've gone for some fabulous boots. As a little teaser to which ones I've bought, I thought I'd play a game - guess which furry fellas I've gone for... the answer's coming, with an outfit post, tomorrow!
1. Kurt Geiger via ASOS - £180// 2. ASOS - £85// 3.New Look - £34.99  4. River Island - £75//

Polishing up the rumours

It's been noted that sometimes I'm a little slapdash. I'm not a great washer-upper, I bump into things and just this week I've lost my phone and cashcard. And when it comes to warnings, rules and sell-by dates, I tend to fly by the seat of my pants rather than throw away a yoghurt because it's one minute into the best-before date.

That being said, this week I got a bit of a shock from the back of a bottle. It turns out my beloved Seche Vite topcoat bears the warning: 'This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.'

Hmmm.This was a bit of a frightener. I've been slapping it on a few times a week for months, and only found out after a pregnant friend I'd recommended it to, who thankfully does do things by the book, alerted me to it.

The thought of not being able to use said topcoat (the one I've proclaimed changed my life) filled me with sadness, so I set about finding out more.

The chemical in question is toluene, which in large doses can be pretty nasty stuff. It's what gives Seche Vite that slightly scary chemical smell, and if injested or inhaled in large doses, can cause all kinds of problems. However, the amount in a nail polish should be harmless.

The warning in question is there thanks to strict Californian laws regarding certain chemicals, which cover the manufacturer's back should anyone ever, in litiginous American society, suspect they have fallen foul of after-effects. From my limited research, the same warning can be found on some hairsprays and even artificial sweetner produced in California. Basically, if the product was made in the UK, rest of US or, in fact, the world, we would have no idea the chemical was there.

Now I know the facts it's not something that will put me off using it. I will, however, try some alternatives, such as the highly recommended Sally Henson version, which doesn't contain toluene.

That said, I think it's important everyone makes their own informed decision about the products they use, and what's in them, and as I've been plugging this wonder product pretty heavily over recent months, I wanted to let everyone know what's in it!

I hope this sheds a bit of light on the subject, and I'd lve to know if my readers are careful about the chemicals they use, or are more interested in the after effects?