My Autumn/Winter basics: Major high street shopping haul!

It's officially Autumn with Southampton parks now covered in leaves and never ending rain, but the change in temperature/end of summer does mean one good thing: WINTER SHOPPING!

Back to uni shopping has pretty much been my mission for the past week - Surely that's the best thing about the change of seasons? Reinventing yourself? Aaannyway, with my new dark hair (which is even darker now since blonde patches appeared earlier this week) I needed some new looks. 

First of all, I fell in love with this Dorothy Perkins scarf with an over sized crown print - and at only £12 its an affordable way to give a royal spin to any outfit while being chunky enough to provide some warmth in the cold - I've been rocking it over plain dresses and t-shirts. 

Next, a lovely thick burgundy coloured fine-knit cardigan from H&M. Priced at £24.99 and comes in a range of colours, the cardigan is what H&M does best: lovely affordable basics. A knit cardigan is an absolute must for this colder weather! 

Yesterday I picked up this black blazer pictured bottom left from River Island that I have completely fallen in love with. A slouchy fabric with cable pattern on it, this comfy blazer is an essential for smartening up an outfit. I'm actually wearing it today with a t-shirt dress, leggings and my new DP scarf! The blazer is slightly more expensive at £35, but its one of those pieces that can go with everything, so is definitely worth it. 

And finally - I know I do A LOT of shopping, I'm a fashion student! - I fell in love with this city bag from Zara that I had to have. With long and short straps, a zip and flap to seal the bag it's the perfect black chic handbag - something I was in desperate need of. Zara are amazing for doing beautiful but affordable handbags and this is no exception at only £29.99. I've been rocking this to uni every day the past two weeks and I'm completely in love (although the flap can get annoying if you don't like fiddly things or are clumsy like I am.)

Brand of the week: River Island!

Seeing as I seem to spend 80% of my free time checking out brands "new in" pages. Constantly falling in love with a new brand every week while trying to find high street adaptations of rather expensive pieces - this feature seemed like an obvious idea. Each week, the brand that really grabs my attention and my favourite pieces from there. Seems easy enough, right?

This week it has to be River Island - I completely fell in love with their Autumn Preview, with such lovely pieces at affordable prices it's pretty hard not to adore their latest collection. As soon as pay day comes, some of their latest pieces are definitely going to be a part of my going-back-to-uni wardrobe! Versatile pieces easily changed up to suit anyone's individual style, and my ever evolving style it would seem. River Island has become one of my favourite high street chains in the past year!

Any suggestions for brands you're really into would be amazing and let me know what you think of my top picks!

So without any further delay, my top five pieces from River Island this week!

Collarless leopard print blazer - £50

Studded flatforms - £25

Compleeeetely obsessed with this dress! Lace Babydoll dress - £55

Dogtooth print jacquard leggings - £22

Grey 2 in 1 dress (also available in pink/black) - £30

All things studded...

My latest trend obsession (which I'm being serious, is becoming an actual problem):

  all things studded! 

Whether it's customised on Etsy or readily available on the high street, I want need it. 

Of course my ultimate studded accessory has to be the Alexander Wang Rocco -which, if anyone was willing to treat me to one for my birthday in a few weeks, I would very much appreciate, thanks! 

But anyway, back to some of my favourite high street studded pieces I've found! 

Someone needs to stop me before everything I own becomes studded...

Studded Shoulder Paisley T-Shirt - Topshop £26 (back view)

Black Blazer with Spiked Shoulders - Zara £70 

"Hellraisers" - Unif - $165 (about £105)

The rise of the crop top, Wireless sets it high in fashion stakes

The weather may have been awful this weekend for the Wireless festival but the outfits some of the acts were rocking were hot hot hot. And of course, two of the biggest female names in music were embracing the mini summer trend: the crop top/bralet. Rihanna and Jessie J looking amazing in their cropped and mini shorts/tights combo. 

Now the bralet trend is a bit tricky to pull off if you've been blessed (or cursed) with big boobs. A rather depressing moment when the cup from a New Look bra let covered half of my boob - I'm not even kidding, half! But here is some of my favourite high street crops. What do you think of the pieces?

Aztec Stripe embroidered crop top - Topshop, £10

 Black embellished bralet - New Look, was £16.99, now £6 (absolute bargain!)

 Zip front floral bralet - Newlook, was £16.99, now £6 (again, a total steal)

And lastly for my favourite... Truly Madly Deeply Bastass Tee - Urban Outfitters, was £28, now £14 

I actually am Disney mad: the best of the ASOS sale!

If it wasn't already obvious, I'm a bit of a Disney fan (that's really putting it lightly). I am also a bit of a fan of online store ASOS.com (ASOS Premier was one of the best inventions for me, ever). The ASOS sale is the best way to experience a sale - none of the rails and rails of clothes that nobody actually wants at cheap prices - with easy online browsing, no wonder I seem addicted to it.

Endless trawling of their site then brought me to a jewellery range to make any Princess happy, the Disney Couture range. So here's my best picks of the Disney Couture range that ASOS stocks, all of which happens to be in their sale! So perfect, definitely some pieces for my birthday list here!

First off, the Disney Couture Cinderella Ring, was £12, now £6

Disney Couture Perfume Bottle Pendant Necklace, was £75, now £31.50

Disney Couture Tink and Stars Bracelet was £48, now £28.50

And last but definitely not least, Disney Couture 3D Castle Ring was £59, now £29.50

That new bag feeling...

Grown up shopping. I don't mean home shopping or even sexy shopping, I mean the time when your mum stops shopping for you and you get to do it on your own. Not to go all Confessions of a Shopaholic on you, but shopping gives me a massive buzz. The exciting feeling in my stomach, like a first kiss, but better. Finding a piece that you simply adore, whether it's Primark or Prada is an unmistakeable feeling to a fashion girl. 

I don't get this feeling often; I think the best case of it was finding some Vivienne Westwood Melissa silver heels in the Selfridges sale for under £30 - I do remember there being actual squealing. And again with my Urban Outfitters flatforms and now my latest purchase - the oversized tote. 

The pale Zara tote I blogged about recently unfortunately was not meant to be on my last trip to West Quay, but after a terrifying - I'm not even kidding, I nearly kissed the ground when I got off that thing-  bus ride to the next town in Tenerife I found myself hunting the bag down once again. Not available in the original colour I had fallen in love with, but in black (too grown up) or a nude with orange colour blocking and red handles there, I found myself drawn to the nude version with, yep, that excited schoolgirl feeling. 

Hence why I've been strutting around like the cat that caught the cream the past few days with my lovely new bag in tow. I. love. shopping.