wales

Winter Outfit Inspiration – Casual Sock Boots

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Just before Christmas I had an email from JD Williams asking if I wanted to collaborate on a post and I was SO excited. Initially I was thinking of writing about party shoes (glittery heels included) and putting together some outfit inspo for you guys but then I stumbled onto the ankle boots section and completely forgot all about that. I’m a little bit obsessed when it comes to boots, in fact I already have way too many but there’s just something about a classic boot that’s so versatile, so they always seem like a good investment. These boots are from the Violeta range by Mango and are a casual nod to the sock boot trend that is very much hanging around. Just way more comfy than the stiletto kind! I love how chic they are too and really pull together this everyday outfit with very minimal effort.

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“I think this outfit is very reflective of that too. This is everyday me, not too dressy. It’s just comfort paired with great accessories.”

Just before the new year I felt like I was loosing my creative juice a little bit and I’ve also been struggling to find time (as always) to create new content for this blog. Sometimes getting caught up in comparing yourself to other people can really kill your vibe too but I’m finally learning to zone that out and remember why I started Style Rarebit in the first place. Because I love blogging!

I think this outfit is very reflective of that. This is everyday me, not too dressy. Just comfort paired with great accessories which is pretty much my go to philosophy when it comes to getting dressed. I think we would all agree that the number one goal is to look totally polished without having to make much effort at all. This look is essentially jeans and a jumper but tying a satin ribbon around my waist and dressing it up with a blazer is the perfect way to cheat looking like you’ve made loads of effort. I think that’s why the boots work so well too, being structured they are the perfect day boot if you want to look put together. They also look super expensive and the unusual heel (that metallic is everything!) means they add extra interest if you’re wearing plain clothes. They’re also on sale right now so even more of an incentive to pick them up… I love them with my mom jeans too as they’re tight on the ankle they sit really well underneath and give the illusion that my legs are slimmer.

If you take nothing else from this post just get to investing in some good boots this season that will totally dress up a zero effort look. Maybe even two pairs?

Shop boots here

Photographs by Sarah Barnes

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How to style a Beret

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“Championing small, creative businesses has always been really important to me”

In fact I’ve got a whole series of blog posts interviewing designers from my favourite fashion start-ups including Swag and Tassel and Xandra Jane. I think anyone who is creative and following their passion knows how important support is in keeping their art alive. As much as we would love to endlessly create, the reality is that we also need to pay our bills and put some food on the table. Before I get too deep though today’s post features a gorgeous beret from a new fashion start up right here in Wales. Andrea’s Closet only launched 3 months ago but they already have a RTW and bridal collection which they successfully showcased at Cardiff Fashion Week last month. Their gorgeous fascinators are the perfect wedding accessory but my favourite pieces are the knitted head bands and winter friendly berets. I think often hats are something you only think about when you have a special occasion or when it’s super cold but they’re such a good thing to invest in. This beret is timeless, it’s interesting but also really wearable and it’s something I’ll bring out year after year.

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fashion-blogger-cardiff-beretHere are some quick styling ideas to get you inspired to pick up a Beret…

1. Wear it back on your head and tilted to one side for a super casual look.

2. Wear it perfectly straight and back on your head if you want to channel classic Parisian chic.

3. Pair it with some sunglasses like the one in this post to instantly bring a beret up to date.

4. Pick one up in a contrasting or bright colour to add some interest to a boring outfit.

5. If you’re super edgy pop it straight on your head and puff out the shape for a very extra, runway inspired look.

6. Make sure you get one in the right size! If it’s too big you might still be able to work with it but too small and your head will be bulging out the sides. Not cool!

Once the new Andrea’s Closet website is live I will pop it here but until then please check out their social media pages to see their newest collection.

twitter // facebook // instagram

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Trying on party dresses at Coast Cardiff

coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-eventNia is wearing the Kadie sequin maxi dress £129

Me and a little group of Cardiff fashion bloggers took over the Coast store this week to try on some seriously beautiful dresses. This is the perfect time of year to be invited to an event at Coast because nobody does occasion wear quite like they do. They’ve also seriously upped their game this season with a collaboration with The Royal Ballet and some killer trend focused pieces that are totally gorgeous. So, if you’re looking for a special Christmas dress I snapped a few of my favourite ones and have linked them all below!

coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-event The coast store in Cardiff’s gorgeous accessories table including the AMANDA Heart Bag which is such a perfect Christmas gift.

coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-eventI absolutely fell in love with this one! It really pulled in my waist! Illy Ruffle Maxi Dress £169

coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-event My Cardiff blogger gals Claire, Nia (thecardiffcwtch.com) and Amy

coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-event coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-event coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-event coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-event Venus marble jacquard dress £159

coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-eventTamia cuff bracelet £25

coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-event coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-event coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-event Bell sleeve dress £139

coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-event Harni embellished bangle  £19

coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-eventFia knot bag  £45

coast-cardiff-party-dresses-blogger-event  Lileta Cubic Zirconia Bracelet  £25

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Trying out Kenra Haircare

kendra-haircare-review-style-rarebit It’s been just over a year that I had my big bleach disaster and lost a lot of my hair in an attempt to go grey. Even though this killed my confidence for the longest time, its actually forced me to get a lot more clued up on haircare. About a month after this disaster I also started working with Salon Success who send hair products out to bloggers to review on their blogs. It seemed like the best coincidence in the world and some of the products I’ve reviewed this year have seriously improved the condition and manageability of my hair. I owe them a lot!

This is 100% true of Kenra too and I’ve honestly found some holy grail products for me in their range. I thought that for today’s post I would work through each one and explain why I like them and how they’re fitting into my routine. I’m by no means a professional! But hopefully I can clue you up on some products that will work for you.kendra-haircare-review-style-rarebit kendra-haircare-review-style-rarebit The Kenra Moisturising Shampoo and Kenra Moisturising Conditioner are not like any other I’ve tried that are specific to dry hair. At first I thought it was strange that they weren’t as thick or oily as other shampoos and conditioners for dry hair which if i’m being honest made me a little bit sceptical. Once my hair was dry though it looked glossy and healthy and had way more volume. Rather than just weighing it down, the products had left my hair moisturised but also clean and light which I absolutely love. They are a holy grail product for thin hair for sure!

kendra-haircare-review-style-rarebit One of my favourite products is the Kenra Silkening Mist, a fine spray that adds instant hair advert worthy shine while making your locks smoother and more manageable too. I love using this after curling my hair as an end step to make it look really glossy and it also helps to disguise my frazzled ends (YASS).

The Kenra Volume Spray 25 is their most hyped product and has won the Stylist Choice Award for Best Hairspray 11 times in a row. It’s the perfect combination of giving a really strong hold to your hairstyle while also looking natural and allowing movement. Gone are the days of crunchy hairspray gurl!

The product I’ve used the least is the Kenra Root Lifting Spray even though that’s what I need the most. This is just a personal thing but I’m a little bit lost when it comes to using a moose. I’m not sure if I’m applying it right but when I worked this into my roots it did give me a lot of lift. It also dries in the same way a hairspray does to hold that lift all day and it kind of smells like watermelons too!

kendra-haircare-review-style-rarebit My most used of all these products has been the Kenra Blow-Dry Spray  mainly because it’s easy to use and it protects against heat up to 220°C which is perfect when I want to style my hair. It reduces blow-drying time too (amazing!), tames frizz and softens your hair making it easier to work with. It’s also very lightweight which makes it perfect for thin hair like mine as it doesn’t feel heavy or tacky like some other heat protectors I’ve tried.

Lastly the Kenra Revive Oil is amazing for smoothing over your strands and making them look shiner and feel softer. I love using this on the ends of my hair, especially in the morning as it keeps my hair from looking less dry throughout the day. I’ve also barely used any so far, so I feel like this would last you forever as one pump goes a really long way. The only weird thing about this one, is that it smells like mens cologne, which isn’t a bad thing and it’s not overwhelming but I was surprised at how different the scent was from the other products.

I’ve linked everything in this post but if you need any more info or want to ask some more questions leave them in the comments and I’ll get back to you asap. I’ve really loved using this range and I feel its made a big difference to my hair and has definitely helped me through the awkward growing out a bad haircut/dye stage.

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Get your Tassel Earrings On / Rhian Kate Contemporary Jewellery

style rarebit fashion blogIt’s so important to me to support small businesses. The crafters, artists and creatives that are going out on their own and building a business from nothing are the people who inspire me the most. I love being able to share them with you on here too, people like Xandra Jane, Swag and Tassel and today Rhian Kate Contemporary Jewellery. I’ve been following @RhianKateMakes on Instagram for ages now and her minimal, modern jewellery is as beautiful as it is wearable. She has a really strong design style and a great understanding of how women like to look and feel while wearing jewellery.

“For me when I make jewellery and people decide to wear what I have made it’s exciting, it’s a connection you make with someone that you are not always aware of but what I have made becomes a choice in who they are or what they want to express.” 

rhian kate contemporary jewellerystyle rarebit fashion blogTassel earrings are a statement being made by lots of Instagrammers right now and I really love these red ones. They’re the perfect size, still dramatic but also dainty, feminine and sit at a good length. These and all of Rhian’s other pieces are handmade in Wales using pewter (lead free), acrylic and aluminium. The pretty, textured disc at the top of these earrings is a trademark of hers and runs throughout her collection in various different shapes and styles. It’s a really lovely effect that I haven’t seen anywhere else and makes her pieces a unique investment.

I’ll make sure to put all her links at the bottom of this post so you can see some examples of her work and show her some love. Also If you like these tassel earrings make sure to look at her Instagram for all the colour options too.

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RHIAN KATE // WEBSITE // INSTAGRAM // FACEBOOK // TWITTER // ETSY
TOP – ASOS
SKIRT – NEW LOOK
PHOTOGRAPHS – SARAH BARNES PHOTOGRAPHY

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jeans and a nice top

stylerarebit.comI’ve had to admit something to myself recently that I never, EVER, thought I would have to. However it’s very sad and so true that I’m a little bit of a ‘jeans and a nice top’ girl. I feel like this is the fashionably comfortable equivalent of wearing your pyjamas to Tesco. It’s just so good, the jeans are stretchy, it’s a well put together outfit but it’s so low maintenance. As if I had to iron a single thing, that’s the problem with pretty dresses. You don’t have to shave, tan, hold in the wind jeans and a nice top, it’s good as it is. I may be the worst Cardiff fashion blogger but at least I’m honest about it.

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sunglasses : mango

vest : primark

mesh top : wakiki vintage

jeans & shoes : marks and spencer

belt and bag : vintage

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Spectrum Collections Cardiff Blogger Event

stylerarebit.comEvery once in a while there’s a beauty blogger event that comes along that you just can’t quite believe you got an invite to. This was 100% one of them. Spectrum Collections is the brand that broke Instagram and has captured the hearts of every makeup and unicorn lover worldwide. Started in a garage in Barry by two sisters, Sophie and Hannah Pycroft, this night was a real celebration of female entrepreneurial and creative talent.

There were so many exciting things going on including a nail bar by Nails Inc, sweet treats from Candy Kittens and drinks from Dirty Martini. The decor was unbelievable cool too, I loved the neon sign and giant purple stag but the real beauties were the flowers from The Urban Flower Studio. I need some gold Monstera leaves in my life asap. Mid way through the night we watched a live makeup tutorial by their in-house makeup artist. She perfected a pink smoky eye quicker than I can make toast, while the founders answered all our burning beauty questions.

It’s also really impressive and important to mention that Spectrum are 100% cruelty free. They even make vegan brush soap so that you can care for your brushes in a safe way too. It’s lovely that such a new and cool brand is so aware of that and working to make cruelty free the norm. Running with this theme, Vegan restaurant Milgi was at the event serving up some insane plant based dishes. These included some yummy raw cocoa balls of which I ate most of (sorry) and some really amazing salads.

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Flowers by The Urban Flower Studio and the Pearly Queen and Glam Clam sets.stylerarebit.com

Here I am!

Sweet treats from Milgi and the amazing venue decor.

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beauty blogger

stylerarebit.com The live makeup tutorial in action.My gorgeous Must-Have Minis brush set that I received in my goody bag. This A-17 is amazing! a beauty blogger’s dream.

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The Netflix Apartment

stylerarebit.comIt’s taken me the longest time to write this post, which is bizarre considering how amazing it is that I was actually invited. Getting an invite to a Netflix party is up there as one of the best invites I’ve had since starting Style Rarebit. I guess I wanted to wait a while though so that I could catch up on some of the new shows and let you know what I’ve been enjoying too.

This event was at the St.Davids Hotel which is gorgeous and the few times I’ve had dinner there it’s been amazing too. They fed us the nicest canopaes, macaroons and  champagne to keep us chatting and me and Zoe did our best job to taste test every single one. The night was all about sharing our favourite Netflix shows and discussing the things that we can’t wait to see more episodes of. We also got a sneak preview of some of the new ones that were coming out including 13 Reasons Why (which hadn’t been released yet) and my favourite Mind Hunter which is out later this year. You can watch the trailer here and if you like crime dramas you will love this.

stylerarebit.com So lets talk about the things I’ve been watching.  I’ve managed to narrow it down to four shows which are all good for different reasons. The first being American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson. This real life crime was one of the most awful, bizarre and gripping cases in history and has been an amazing show to watch.  This show really told the story and had the most incredible performances from Sarah Paulson and Cuba Gooding Jr. which will keep you watching for hours. The second is the Marvel series DareDevilI’ll be honest I didn’t think I would get into it but I’m currently on season 2 and loving it. I watched all of Jessica Jones (because Krysten Ritter is my absolute favourite) and this is equally dark and more gory taking out the cringe factor of it being a comic book hero show.

The third is Girlboss the adaption of the book by Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso. To be honest I watched half of the first episode and had to turn it off and it was only because all my friends loved it so much that I persevered. Trust me though it does actually pick up by episode 2/3 and you’ll start to fall in love with the self destructing, narsisitic and annoyingly cool Sophia before you know it. Lastly and this might not be for everyone but Schitt’s Creek is a new comedy offering from Eugene Levy. It’s about a rich family who loose everything and have to live in Shitt’s Creek, the only thing that wasn’t worth taking by the debt collectors. It’s silly, easy watching and it’s been entertaining me in the mornings for a week now. If you’ve watched any of these or have any good shows for me to start let me know, I’m always up for a good binge.

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Emma Hardie Protect and Prime SPF 30 Review

stylerarebit.comEmma Hardie’s Moringa Cleansing balm is one of those cult blogger favourites that has stood the test of time. It’s ability to remove every scrap of makeup without drying or irritating is phenomenal. Couple this with a gorgeous scent and a dewy finish it’s no wonder it’s everybody’s favourite. However the funny thing about cult products is that you don’t often hear about the rest of the brand range, which is why I wanted to branch out with this post today.

Being part of the Moringa Balm tribe I knew that Emma Hardie’s product ethos suited my skin type. Simple, gentle and nourishing products that deliver results. So when I went hunting for a day cream I didn’t have much reservation in trying this out. The Protect and Prime promises to protect the skin with SPF 30 while providing a soft focused, dewy and luminous complexion.

The consistency is gorgeous, it feels luxurious and is very much a spa like product. This is the stuff dream facials are made of. It has the most lovely scent but it’s not too heavy on the skin and absorbs quickly, leaving a gorgeous glowy sheen and a more wide awake look. An important factor for me is how it sits under foundation, which I wear everyday but I found it worked really well. It definitely gives a soft focused finish as promised and helped in the longevity of my makeup. I also noticed that my skin was less red and dry towards the end of the day, which is normal for me but a marked improvement in this made it all the more impressive.

The only downside would be the price tag at £46. It is a very expensive cream so I would recommend waiting for a special offer and keeping an eye out for deals, like I did. 100% worth that price point though if you have the budget!

Shop here

 

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Flower Shopping

stylerarebit.comstylerarebit.com My mum is a photographer (incase you didn’t know already, she takes all my outfit pictures) and has been working with the Flower Lodge for a while now. Just last week she brought home a huge bunch of Ranunculus (google them THEY ARE GORGEOUS) and it’s what gave me the idea to take some pictures there today. It’s the most beautiful shop in Rhiwbina and if your visiting I recommend having a look at their new gift range of candles and diffusers which are so lovely. A quick scroll through these pictures should inspire you enough to take a trip, so many amazing colours!

My look today is pretty much my go to outfit as of late. These gingham trousers, in terms of cost per wear, are probably about 1p. Too comfy to take off. I know that this is the season where I should be breaking out the colours but I like wearing monochrome and great basics and it’s nice to be comfy. Sometimes you just want to throw on what makes you feel good.

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SUNGLASSES // VALENTINO

TOP // H&M

TROUSER // ZARA

SHOES // H&M

BAG // MARKS & SPENCER

PHOTOGRAPHY // SARAH BARNES