Shopping: J Brand Agnes Jeans now at Net-a-Porter

J Brand Agnes Low-Rise Cropped Twill Pants in Shark, £245 at Net-a-Porter

I can clearly remember the first pair of skinny jeans I ever bought. It was 2004 and my first year of university. At the time no student worth her fashion salt was wearing anything but boot-cut Diesel blue jeans, then Kate Moss shook things up with those dark grey skinnies and I never looked back. Skinny jeans suit my skinny legs better than any other style of denim, and I feel frumpy in anything looser than tight. Since these Agnes Jeans from J Brand landed at Net-a-Porter I have been obsessed. At £245 they are a little pricier than my usual Topshop Baxters, but that fierce zip detailing and perfect shade of dark shark grey meant love-at-first-sight for me. Santa, are you reading this....?!

A Digital Age: Ralph Lauren 4D Fashion Light Show, Bond Street, London

Ralph Lauren stunned crowds earlier this month with an amazing 4D light show, projected directly onto the London flagship store. Using advanced visual mapping technology the seven minute piece took onlookers on a breathtaking visual journey through the world of the label.  A decade of digital innovation has totally changed the way brands talk to us - and when I think how far we've come already, watching something like this just makes me very excited for everything the next decade is yet to bring.

[Ok, so I'm a little late posting this but after my umpteenth veiwing tonight and still finding myself blown away I couldn't leave from the blog!]

Musical Interlude: Crystal Castles - Not in Love (ft Robert Smith)

I saw your picture hanging on the back of my door

Won't give you my heart

No one lives there anymore

And we were lovers

Now we can't be friends

Fascination ends

Here we go again.

Beauty: Perfect Nude Lips and MAC Lipglass in Feeling Dreamy

My red hair and fair skin is a combination I love, but a combination that needs the help of a little make-up. Barefaced and I am pale and non-descript with fair brows and invisible lashes. I have a heart shaped face, and while I love the bold-lip look on others, it does nothing for my petite little mouth. So when it comes to make-up, my rule of thumb has always been to keep my eyes defined and my lips nude.

I seem to be on a constant quest to find the perfect nudey pink or peach lip gloss to discreetly compliment the dramatic eye. I shy away from sparkles, but like a high gloss finish. I want my gloss to taste nice, but stay put. I want my gloss to be moisturising, but not sticky. And I don’t want to pay the earth for it. A lot to ask, you might say - but I feel it always helps to be clear on what you want when you start looking.

The best I’ve found so far has been Glam Shine in Juicy Rose Glow from L'Oreal, which ticks all the above boxes, looks great and feels more like a balm than a gloss. However I can never seem to find it on the high street, and I've been known to resort to eBay in naked lip desperation.

So when my lovely friend S presented me with a big bag of make-up goodies for my birthday last week, I was very happy to see a gorgeous MAC Lipglass nestling in there. S is a make-up artist and has a very skillful habit of always picking the perfect shades for us. And she didn’t let me down with this lipgloss.

Feeling Dreamy is the perfect nudey peach gloss, and as an added bonus smells of chocolate. Had I picked a tube up from a counter myself, I may have been off-put by the subtle pink sparkles – but these actually make the lips look glossier, rather than sparkly. It has a great tone and stays put most of the day.  Less so when drinking wine of course. My only complaint about the product is it’s a little sticky – but the high gloss and fabulous shade more than make up for this. This gloss will certainly be seen on my pout for some time to come now.

MAC Lipglass in Feeling Dreamy is from a 2010 limited edition collection. You can find details of your nearest MAC counter on their website.

So what do you like to wear on your lips? What's your perfect shade?

Shopping: Winter Wedge Boots

It’s no cliché when they say the British talk about the weather constantly. But I can’t think of a better topic for mindless small talk when our weather is so ghastly and changeable. This week London has been treated to gale force winds, torrential rain, fog, freezing temperatures and biting morning frosts. In Cornwall they’ve had flash floods and landslides, while the papers yesterday announced the imminent early arrival of snow. It’s not been a lot of fun trudging through the streets of London battling all these winter elements, and I've become fixated upon sturdy-yet-warm shearling wedge boots. Here are a few of the styles I’m currently craving, in delicious autumnal neutral hues. If you prefer a boot in timeless black, there are plenty of alternatives around, in many of the same styles.

1. Reiss Suede Fur Trim Wedge Thandi Boot in Thistle, £195
2. ASOS Suede Crepe Wedges with Shearling Effect in Rust, £55
3. Dorothy Perkins Suede Fur Cuff Wedge Boot in Taupe, £43.20

4. L K Bennett Suede Maine Boot in Mink, £225 

Fashion News: Forever 21 to open new flagship store on Oxford Street

It’s official. Forever 21 has confirmed it has signed the lease for a flagship Oxford Street store, on the site currently occupied by HMV.

The 35,000 sq ft site, at 360 Oxford Street, is located on the west side of the street, next door to the shop which Spanish fashion house Desigual has secured from Disney.

The move forms part of the US retail giant’s plans to open 100 stores in the UK, following on from its debut in Birmingham’s Bullring shopping centre, last week.

As a brand often spotted on many of my favourite bloggers from across the pond, I’ve been eagerly awaiting Forever 21’s arrival to our shores.

With price-points translating to £9.50 for a cardigan, £20 for a jacket and £10 for a pair of jeans the store is going to be fighting for a share of the affordable fast fashion market from H&M and Primark. I’ll be dropping in for end-of-the-month treats, budget saving basics and maybe some one-season-wonders. Me thinks my lunchtime Oxford Street options are about to get a whole lot more interesting...

Bad Fashion: Blake Lively at Realm Boutique Launch in Manhattan

Blake Lively usually can't put a foot wrong in my style book.  She got me hooked on nude shoes when she paired satin open toed Louboutins with that gorgeous aqua Adam Lippes jumpsuit, and over all the other Gossip Girl girls I immensly prefer her style. But today Blake has let me down.  Here she is pictured at the opening of Realm Boutique in Manhattan with a look that just feels chaotic. She clearly intended to have her shirt poking out from beneath her skirt, but it just makes her skirt look too short and the shirt look too long. I hate the belt, and the shoes just don't feel right.  Not good Friday afternoon eye candy.  I was so compelled to blog about this it is delaying my departure from the office for home. And I'm having a party tonight that I really need to get ready for. Damn you Blake!