List Mondays- Top 10 Fashion Blogs

I am currently off school revising for my 13 mocks and 1 real GCSE exams over the next week (wish me luck!) so excuse this quick and easy List Monday post on my top 10 blogs.

Obviously I have loads of favourites but these are the big must read ones of mine which I try to check out daily and were the ones that inspired me to start blogging in the first place.
You have probably heard of all of them (I think of them as the big shots in the fashion blogging world haha)

Needless to say they are extremely popular and unique fashion blogs:

1. The Sartorialist
2. The Cherry Blossom Girl
3. Stockholm Street Style
4. Sea of Shoes
5. Le Blog De Betty
6. Style Rookie
7. Garance Dore 8. Jak and Jil 9. Igor and Andre
10. Karlas Closet

I will probably come back to this and add a bit of information about why they are my favourite but I have to get back to some physics revision so ta ta for now.

Beth Ruby xoxo

List Mondays- Top 10 Watches

Was your New Years Resolution something along the lines of “this year I will be more organised” or “to be more punctual”?

Well if it was (or you are looking for a reason to splurge or y'know you just need a new watch) then here are some watch ideas for all budgets to help you keep fashionably track of time.
Just click on the links for more information on the watches:

(Clockwise from top left)

1. Toy Watch- This Skelton Watch has to be my favourite, you can see all the mechanisms for the watch through the clear casing. Pretty amazing hmm?

2. Ice Watch- This awesome chunky purple watch is from the new Winter collection.

3. Michael Kors- This watch is called "Sparkle and Glitz" for a reason, check out the pretty crystals.

4. Topman- Yes this is technically a mans watch but this cool red watch is only £49 and would look amazing on my wrist if I do say so myself.

5.Chanel- I couldnt resist adding one of these luze designer watches to the list, even though obviously they are out of my budget.

6. Swatch- This fabulous white watch is called "Sign in the Sky" and I can guarantee it will add some bling to your wrist haha.

(Clockwise from top left)

7. Ice Watch- Definitely a very pretty and pink watch (one of my best friends has it actually which shows what a good choice it is as she has amazing style)

8. River Island- The cheapest one on the list at £19.99 this one is definitely value for money as it looks pretty similar to the other designer ones.

9. French Connection- A sleek black bracelet style watch from FCUK.

10. Rotary- Its a pocket watch. Yes I know. A pocket watch. Forgive me I couldnt resist.

Beth Ruby xoxo

List Mondays- Top 10 RTW Collections From Autumn Winter 2009

A post on my favourite collections from Spring Summer 2009 here (and also my roundup here) were very popular- and also very fun to compile- so I thought I would do another similar one here. But this time I am looking back at the best (or my personal favourites) from Autumn Winter 2009, with brand new contenders:

1. It was all Parisian gorgeousness including stunning LBD's and pretty draping at Lanvin complete with perfect shape and fit.

2. How could I possibly leave out the Louis Vuitton bunny ears that sparked their own unlikely trend.

3. Lust worthy sequins and silver sparkle at Balmain which proved that the shoulder pad trend was still going strong. (This was back when I still loved Balmain)

4. Pure and simple monochrome looks at Bottega Veneta with plenty of wardrobe staples to last you a life time.

5. Clinched in waists with a sprinkle of sequins were all the rage at Balenciaga.

6. Gorgeous prints and exquisite detailing at Jason Wu.

7. Donna Karen was all about the large statement necklaces, ankle boots and belted coats.

8. More beautiful floral prints from Erdem with quirky bubble hem shapes.

9. Christopher Kane just gets better and better. Here he went for strong structure and muted tones and let the detailing do the talking.

10. Full on elegance and glamour at Dolce and Gabbana with hyper coloured shaggy coats, huge ball gowns and lady like bags. Bows, frills and pearls were the icing on the cake.

Which was your favourite collection from Autumn Winter 2oo9?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Beth xoxo

List Mondays- Top 10 Personal Makeup Buys

I love those “In my bag” posts that people do (it appeals to my nosey side I think haha) so I thought for this Monday’s Top 10 I would twist it a little bit and lay out my best cosmetic buys from my makeup bag.

1.Chanel Noir Eye Liner- Its nice and dense and best of all stays on all day.
2.Maybelline Colossal Lashes- Perfect thick party lashes.
3.No. 7 Foundation- I got this in my stocking from Santa this year and it is amazing. It has “Intelligent Colour” so it will adjust to each person’s skin tone.
4.Mac Shadestick- Gorgeous by itself or with another eye shadow on top.
5.Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat- The ultimate product for getting rid of bags under your eyes and other blemishes.
6.MAC Eye Shadow Palette- Lovely jewel colours.
7.Yves Saint Laurent Lipstick- A pretty glittery pink colour.
8.Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation- Has nice even coverage and lasts for 12 hours.
9.Natural Collection Clear Mascara- I apply this over my Colossal one for added length and it locks in the dark colour.
10.Stila Lipgloss- A subtle sheen and I love the twisty end you turn to get the lipgloss out!

Photos taken on my brand new Canon 1000D SLR Camera!
(post coming soon...;D)

What are your best makeup buys?

Beth xx

List Mondays- Top 10 Gorgeous (and affordable) Party Dresses

Still stuck for what to wear at your Christmas party or on New Years Eve but spent all your money on Christmas presents?
Well here is my list of Top Ten fabulous party frocks under £1oo and all of which guarantee that you will be the sparkliest girl in the room...

Clockwise from top left: Topshop Knitted Sequin Dress £85, Lipsy Jewelled Plunge Necked Dress £60, Lipsy One Shoulder Triangular Sequined Dress £65, Lipsy Strapless Jewelled Pocket Dress £65, MissGuided Gold Sequined Mini Dress £19.60, French Connection Night Dress £47, New Look Metallic Lace Dress £28, Topshop Sequin Lace Dress £55, Warehouse Long Sleeve Sequin Dress £80, Asos Long Sleeved Sequin Shoulder Pad Body Con Dress £35.

What are you wearing on New Years Eve?

Beth xx

List Monday- Top 10 Trends of the Decade

Seeing as we are fast approaching 2010 I thought I would sum up the biggest crazes we have seen in the noughties, including the good, the bad and the ugly.

1. Internet and Technology. Where would be be without our Blogger/Google/Facebook/Ipods/Wikipedia/Twitter? It's hard to imagine life without any of them now.

2.The Bob- Made popular this year by Posh Spice putting off her WAGish extensions and now everyone is at it from Katie Holmes to Rihanna. So as far as hair is concerned shorter is definitely better, not to mention chicer.
(Haha I am such a hypocrite I have long hair but don't have the guts to chop it off...)

3. Fake tan- Bleh. Need I say more?

4. 'Thinspiration'- Each decade has a new perception of woman; in the fifties it was the hourglass figure, in the sixties it was waifs like Twiggy, then big hair and hippy flares for healthy looking woman in the seventies, athletic leg warmers and neon for females in the eighties and amazonian glamorous supermodels (including the greats: Linda, Naomi, Christy and Cindy) in the nineties but this decade it will be known for the way-too-thin models. Dare I even say anorexic?
Make no mistake I am a big fan of Kate Moss, Jourdan Dunn, Sasha Pivovarova, Agyness Deyn, Karlie Kloss, Alexa Chung, Coco Rocha, Sophie Dahl Daisy Lowe and Chanel Iman (I could go on) but do you not think that it is time for something different?

5.The Rise of the Vampires- Is it any wonder we love vampires? Even just the word "vampire" has associations with lust, passion, blood, gore and now thanks to Stephanie Meyers, Edward Cullen, the ultimate fictional heart throb. Thanks to the books which have sold millions and now have a cult following and the new adult TV series True Blood which just shows that vampires are not just for tweens. So its no surprise that Vampires are here to stay.

6. Chick Lit- Ever since Helen Fielding wrote Bridget Jones, the best selling author has spawned a whole load of copy cats and even started her own genre. Without Chick Lit we wouldn't have Sex and The City, based on the column by Candance Bushnell and a ton of other films and books.

7. Reality TV- Earlier this year Big Brother said that they were stopping the programme after one more series because the viewing figures were plummeting. We have seen it all in that George Orwell 1984 inspired house and they have had every single type of person imaginable in there. We have seen the "dumb blonde bimbo" (see point 8 haha) the angry middle aged woman, the gay dancer, the '"intellectual student" who says he is going into the house "because it is an interesting social experiment." They cannot shock us anymore.

But of course we can't forget Simon Cowell who seems to be single handedly carrying on the Reality TV rein (whilst infiltrating the music charts) with the phenomenal X-Factor (19.1 people watched the final last night!) and of course the series which brought us Susan Boyle, Britain's Got Talent.

8. The WAG and the 'Dumb' Blonde- Thanks to Jessica Simpson, Jordan, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie (who interestingly enough tweeted "P.S. I went brunette. I feel smarter already" earlier this week) and films like "Legally Blonde" we have a new stereotype of the girl who wants nothing more than to marry a rich man, own a chihuahua, have big boobs and dress in head to toe pink.

9. Indie Music- The past decade has brought us The Strokes, Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines and Deathcab for Cutie to name a few. For me it is definitely the defining music of the era.

10. Big Franchises- Good 'ol J.K.Rowling didn't know what she had started when she released Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. She went from scribbling chapters on the back of napkins at her local cafe in Edinburgh to being worth more money than the Queen. Soon to follow suit and jump on the merchandise bandwagon was Spiderman, Lord of the Rings, Batman, A series of Unfortunate Events, Narnia etc etc etc. Nice one Harry, Ron and Hermione.

What do you think are the best and the worst trends of the decade? It doesn't have to be one on my list either, just let me know in a comment, I would love to hear what you think...

Beth xx

List Mondays- Top 10 Vogue Covers

1. Vogue Cover May 1963, modelled by Jean Shrimpton
2. Vogue Cover August 1949
3. Vogue Cover May 1966
4. Vogue Cover February 1995
5. Vogue Cover June 1934
6. Vogue Cover April 1952

7. Vogue Cover June 1962, modelled again by the gorgeous Jean Shrimpton

8. Vogue Cover August 1957

9. Vogue Cover June 1998

10. Vogue Cover June 1941

Which one is your favourite Vogue Cover?
Do you prefer the classic older ones from the archives or the newer ones?

(all photos found on vogue’s website in the archives section)

Beth xx

List Mondays- Top 10 Christmas Gifts

So I am going to start a series where every Monday I list my "top 10" something, basically because I love lists and it will hopefully guarantee I post something on here at least once a week (I am sure that my Blog Lovin' stats are going way downhill haha)

Starting us off here is "Top 10 Christmas Gifts"-I love the gift guides which pop up in magazines and online at this time of year- which will suit every friend that you have ;)

Which one are you?
I think I am the "Schizophrenic One" who wants them all:

1. The Creative One- Lomography Diana camera

2. The Fashionable One- Danny Roberts “Girls in Glasses” T-shirt

3. The Cool One- The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman

4. The Romantic One- Giles and Brother heart chained necklace from net a porter

5. The Organised One- Erdem and Smythson diary and notepads
6. The Quirky One- Lulu Guinness special Christmas edition iconic lips clutch
7. The Cute One- Fifi Lapin and Topshop charity birthday cards

8. The Funny One- Ugly Dolls
9. The Musical One- Tiny violin necklace from modcloth.com

10. The Special One- Bestie necklaces also from fredflare.com

Hope you all have a great week!
Beth xx