CAMEL PINSTRIPES.

How are we liking the new shooting location? This little bridge was recommended to me by a friend because she thought it would be cool for my outfit snaps and it definitely is. Its nothing outstanding but it looks cute as a backdrop and makes a change from my garden fence or brick wall which I am trying to ease away from. 

I’m trying to mix up my wardrobe a little at the moment and incorporate pieces slightly more out of my comfort zone like these camel trousers. The pinstripe is gorgeous and the small pleats in the front make them really flattering/slimming. The trousers are really affordable and I’ve got my eye on the black pair too - perfect workwear if you’re in an office or even just for a night out. To style them, I’ve added my classic shirt from Jack Wills and my Valentino dupes so the whole outfit is a little more formal. A simple switch up of the shoes or adding a jumper would easily tone the entire outfit into being quite casual.

My life is starting to become much more hectic recently with work, uni and my Copper to keep on top of but I think I’m doing okay. I’ve somehow managed to plan my time right the last couple of weeks and I’m just about into a routine. Oh! I’m thinking of vlogging my way through third year, if any of you would be interested? I’ve not seen it done on YouTube and its definitely something I would have loved to see before starting my degree - even if you just see me crying, ripping up work or pulling my hair out for most of the vlog..

Coat // Marks and Spencer, Vintage (similar here)

Shirt // Jack Wills (here)

Camel Wide Leg Trousers // Pretty Little Thing (here)+

Heels // Primark (similar here)

Have you caught my most recent styling video? I show you how simple it is to wear the seasons must have ‘button front’ skirt in different ways. If you’ve got any ideas for other ‘ways to style’ videos then let me know in the comments because I’m looking for inspiration for future ones!

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48 HOURS IN MILAN WITH HUAWEI.

When I started my blog, I never dreamed I would ever be in a position to be taken abroad for business trips. I still think of Copper Garden as a way of me expressing myself through words and pictures for whoever wishes to read. However about two weeks ago, I was approached by Huawei and asked if I would like to attend their Smart Watch launch and the Vogue China 10th Anniversary party (which was the official closing party of Milan fashion week). Initially, I panicked as I’ve never been to another country without my family or boyfriend but the opportunity was far too good to pass.

Monday 28th September, Brogan and I headed to Gatwick airport in the early hours to set off on our mini adventure. We boarded the plane in an excited daze and landed in Milan quicker than expected with high hopes for the few hours we would be there. Initially, we headed for breakfast at Ristorante Skyline before getting ready for the conference and party in the evening. Admittedly, I had a couple of coffee’s because being awake since 3am can take its toll but I was determined to power through and enjoy every minute!

The conference was really interesting, we learnt more about the designer collaboration for the limited edition watch design and heard from Angelica Chung - the editor of Vogue China. The space was beautiful, almost like being suspended in a glass box overlooking the Cathederal. Luckily, the evening event was just around the corner in the Royal Palace of Milan, with a long red carpet taking us into the traditional and elaborate space. I’ve never been into such a gorgeous building and I’m a complete sucker for architecture. It was very well decorated with huge displays and lots of industry professionals chatting away over glasses of wine. I did, of course, get pictures with Karlie Kloss, Sean O’Pry and Mario Testino but who wouldn’t!?

Tuesday we had a relaxing morning, popping into Sephora for a browse and picking up a couple of items and having a small continental breakfast with a much needed coffee. My vlog does give much more insight into the trip, but I thought I would share some pictures with you and a little written explanation! Thank you to H+K, Huawei and Vogue China for allowing me to have my first business trip and allowing me to have a crazy 48 hours in Milan. I will be doing a few more posts reviewing different parts of the trip over time but this one just couldn’t wait.

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DAY TO NIGHT DENIM JACKET.

Finally my beloved Jaggers have made it onto my blog. I'd be lying if I said that these weren't my most worn jeans of the moment. They are so comfortable and slimming, whilst going with pretty much any outfit which is perfect. For this particular outfit, I thought I would do a bit of a 'day to night' because by just taking off the jacket it becomes a versatile look.

I've been wearing my denim jacket a lot recently as the weather has cooled down, finding it to be much better than a 'fully winter' coat where I'd overheat a bit. Styling it with a crop and some high waisted jeans give it an instant 'day to evening' look with a simple change of footwear.

OH! I haven't mentioned on here yet but I'm shortlisted in Cosmo Blog Awards under BEST VLOG which is amazing! I can't believe how far my small space on YouTube has grown since it started properly. You can vote for me (here)

lipstick // show orchid, mac (here)

denim jacket // bellfields via asos (here - on sale!)+

crop // missguided (here)

bag // missguided (here)+

jagger jeans // jack wills (here)

court shoes // missguided (here)+

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JOURNEY TO PLANT-BASED.

There is one question that I get asked more than any other, and thats about my diet. 

I’ve struggled with my weight from a young age, not necessarily being overweight or eating lots of junk but I have just always felt the need to slim down and watch my food intake. I can still remember being 15 and only eating no breakfast, a cookie for lunch followed by a small dinner and thinking it was too much. My teenage mind was overwhelmed with the thought that ‘low calories would make me skinny’ and that 100 calories in a chocolate bar meant it was the same as eating 100 calories in an avocado. To cut a long story short, there was no knowledge behind my decision other than wanting to be smaller.  As I have grown up and started to understand food, my tastes have changed and I’ve realised how important good food is along with a healthy exercise routine. 

My entire diet overhaul happened around the time when I was most unhappy with my weight and realising that pot noodles and curries were not giving my body what it needed. I was a typical student and I desperately wanted change. After lots of researching and looking into various diets, I attempted Veganism. I soon realised that whilst entirely possible for me to do so, I couldn’t opt for the lifestyle which fitted with it so it wasn’t fair to consider myself as Vegan when I was still using a couple of products tested on animals and owning leather shoes. Blogs like Deliciously Ella and The Minimalist Chef have helped me a lot along the way and I couldn’t thank them enough for showing me a way to finally enjoy food.

So, the burning questions - why don’t I eat meat or dairy?

This question bugs me a lot, purely because its normally followed by ‘what on earth do you eat then?’ with many people considering meat and dairy to be the main (if not only) things we can eat. I can essentially eat exactly the same as any other person but I remove these two factors so that my food is wholesome and nutritious.

I have never enjoyed the taste of red meats, my parents will remember the constant battles with lamb, pork and beef being left on my plate because I really didn’t like them. I soon resorted to only eating chicken and fish to realising that Quorn and meat alternatives are much tastier and give me similar nutrients (with the missing ones being replaced in veg or supplements). My diet has been considered ‘vegetarian’ for years so cutting out the remaining meat wasn’t much of an issue to me and the idea of animals being ill-treated to feed man kind angers me - but thats a debate for another time. I now only eat ‘meat’ in the form of Tofu or Quorn products.

Dairy is another tricky one for me to explain. At a young age, cheese gave me a strange reaction so I have avoided it ever since and continued to indulge in eggs and milk. However with my brief time as a Vegan, I realised that I was lactose intolerant. For years I’ve become bloated after eating and finally realised it was dairy causing the problem. I will admit to still having the occasional egg because my body needs the protein with my workouts, but I only buy free range. For milk, I only drink nut or soy milk and both taste much better than cows milk!

Sorry if this post wasn’t completely your cup of tea, I just felt that it should be addressed as I post a lot of food on social media with questions. I think diet is a personal preference so it shouldn’t concern others, but I also wanted to explain why I made the decision to be much healthier in my diet and explain what it is I actually eat. If you want me to post recipes in the future then I would be more than happy, as I do have various posts coming up based around food. IE; what I buy from the supermarket, various green/detox teas, etc. I’m sorry if this post went on a bit, I just wrote it as I thought and kept it natural to my way of thinking and explaining.

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LAYERED DENIM PINAFORE.

Its starting to become the sunny-but-chilly weather that requires tights even though the sun is shining AKA my least favourite time to wear anything leg baring. Either that or I just go out with my jeans on, because we all know that I love to wear jeans everywhere!

I've got a bit of a love affair with dungarees and pinafores recently. I like how versatile they are and how simple to style with jumpers or tshirts underneath. They're a more chic and comfy alternative to basic jeans. This particular pinafore is more fitted than my other and the a-line shape is flattering. Its slightly harder to wear loose jumpers underneath but it looks cute with a simple turtleneck or tee.

fedora // missguided (similar here)

roll neck // american apparel (here)

denim pinafore // asos (here)

converse (here)

I've got about 3-5 posts each about Milan and Naxos, would you enjoy if I posted them?

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THE GLAMOUR BEAUTY POWER LIST 2015.

When it comes to beauty, I'm all about buying products that work and have a good reputation (although new releases also draw me in frequently), so when Glamour approached me to review their 'Beauty Power List', I couldn't say no. All of the products featured are holy-grail products amongst hundreds of women and hundreds of women can't be wrong when it comes to beauty.

Inside the box there is 8 products, some full sized and others are samples so its fairly similar to monthly beauty subscription boxes although the brands inside are all known and loved. I have to admit to silently squealing at the addition of the Garnier sleeping cream as its full sized and I wanted to buy some. I was also fairly excited about the Revlon lipstick. Its part of the Ultra HD collection and feels like a beautiful mix of lipstick and lipgloss. The other products include Kiko creamy blush stick which I am yet to play with but it looks exciting, Nails Inc 'nailkale' base coat, eyes mascara and a couple more. 

I'm really impressed with this beauty box. I think it definitely pays to have the known products and mostly full sizes, as its much more appealing. The box retails at £18.99 and the contents are worth £92.87, which is a great saving on some beautiful products that are worth owning. 

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FAVOURITE JUMPERS FOR AUTUMN.

There is a new style of video on my channel in a 'lets go through my clothes rail' kind of set up. I decided to show you my favourite six jumpers for the season, all from the high street and really affordable. I'm loving this type of video and definitely think I will be doing more like it in the future - maybe with some of my trend must-haves or similar. Let me know what you think!

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