Ombre Style for A/W16 with Dylon

Hi beauts,

I've been challenged by Dylon to create my own take on winter fashion using their easy-peasy kits. 

Dylon – ‘Dyes of London’ – was founded by two young entrepreneurs who began selling colourful dyes from a garage in central London. True British entrepreneurial spirit at it's best! 

My mum's used Dylon a fair few times but, although I knew the brand I'd never actually used them myself. Yet, I'm always up for a good challenge and so rose to the occasion.

Revamping Ombre for A/W16

I always think of Summer when I think tie dye, and ombre. Bright colours, sunnies and a festival vibe. However, Mint Velvet gave me the perfect inspo for this challenge with their gorgeous A/W16 range. Their ombre jersey and batwing knit use the soft muted autumnal colours that are synonymous with Mint Velvet. But retailing at £59.00 & £69.00 their also lavish on the Christmas credit card.

This was where Dylon came in for me. I wanted to create my own Mint Velvet dupe but without the price tag.

You'll need: 

1 Dylon hand wash fabric dye in Pewter Grey

Salt (you'll need 10 table spoons) 

A stainless steel sink or a bucket

A £4.00 white cotton Primark polo neck (bargain!) 

Rubber gloves

Gorgeous muted tones

I filled my sink with warm water (roughly 6 litres) and poured in the salt. Then I submerged the polo neck fully before scrunching it out and leaving it damp on the side. Damp clothing takes more evenly and salt helps the colour take better.

Next I added the pebble grey dye. Making sure the dye had dissolved evenly in the water I then took the top and submerged it again in the water letting the dye wash over all of it. Totally satisfying thing to do for some odd reason! 

Once the colour had taken to the entire top I then pulled it out 3/4 of the way and left the rest to soak for a full 45 minutes. Once time was up I drained the sink, washed out the top and sealed it with cold water before allowing it to dry. 

Dylon Ombre Dye Outcome

Before         After

I'm really impressed with the result of my first attempt at dying clothes - especially ombre dying. I think the top looks brilliant with my winter outfit and is a real steal at £4.00 for the top and Dylon Pewter Grey dye retailing at £3.39. The dye could have easily be used to dye at least 4 more top too.

The actual dying process wasn't hard at all - it did get a little messy at times but was easily wiped clean. One thing I would learn for the future though is that the dye on the fabric looks a great deal darker when wet and, as you'll see from my top, creates a much lighter colour when dry. I think perhaps leaving the colour to take for longer may have created a deeper ombre contrast. 

Win with Dylon!

For the chance to test out your own ombre hand dye and machine wash dyes to revamp your winter look enter the below rafflecopter giveaway now. Just follow and tweet to @LauraClaireUK on Twitter and follow @laura_claire88 on Instagram for an extra bonus entry. 

What you'll win: 

• Dylon Toffee Brown Fabric Dye Machine Wash 
• Dylon Terracotta Brown Fabric Dye Machine Wash 
• Dylon Pewter Grey Fabric Dye Hand Wash

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Note: Competition open to UK residents only. 

Love 

LauraClaire

HAUL: River Island, Primani, Debenhams, Warehouse

Shopping, shopping, shopping

and a sneaky doughnut.. oops!

River Island heels SALE

Warehouse dress and skirt

Primark bits and pieces

Love the studs

One pound each accessories are too cute

Love the detail on this dress

Hi lovelies,

Above are my latest Haul buys. My favourite purchase is the Warehouse Spotlight dress with jewel detail on each shoulder. Simply my fav because it was a stunning £12.00 in the sale... incredible price don't you think?

There seems to be a running theme with this Haul though. It's all about embellishment. From the jewels on my dress to the studs on heels and hair grips. I'm also loving rose-gold as a colour at the moment and haven't taken off the pretty rose-gold charm hair ties off my wrists since I bought them.

Everything that seemed to catch my eye on this trip was black, grey or rose-gold. I'm loving muted smokey colours at the moment... we just haven't had enough British sun to move into pastels just yet I think. However, the Elmo trainer socks were just too cute not to buy! They are the pop of colour my bleak haul needed hehe.

What have you been buying lately?

Love

LauraClaire

Ear cuff and ring bling and a fun night out!

 

Ear Cuff: Miss Selfridge

Double ring: Accessorize

Nails: BarryM

 My boys

 Grins all round

 Thumbs up

 Few too many shots!

Hi Chickies,

Few snaps of a much needed night out with my bests. Matching bling? Check!

Love

LauraClaire

Aztec Nail Wraps

Hi sweetpeas,

If you're a regular to my little blog you'll know I can't help picking up nail wraps every once and a while.

These lovelies I found at good old Primani so no expense spared at a fab one pound! Bright, Fun and funky.. happy nails <3

Have you tried nail wraps before?

Love

LC

STYLE LOOK: Partay Time!

Dress: Miss Selfridge

Rings and bangles: New Look and Dorothy Perkins

Tights: Primark

Lips: MAC

Love 

LC

STYLE LOOK: off to the shops

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Tights: Primark

Dress: Republic

Leather Jacket: Allsaints

Collar Necklace: Dorothy Perkins

Ring: Warehouse

Love
LauraClaire

Style SnapShot

Lipstick: MAC Diva

Jeggings, clutch and rings: Dorothy Perkins

Heels: TKMaxx

Peplum top: River Island

Hazy pre-drinking eyes: Mine!

Love

LC 

New Look Haul

Hi Girlies <3

Last weekend I got a bit excited in New Look and ended up buying not one, not even two but four tops :) Three of which are peplums. Did I mention I LOVE peplums?

I hadn't been in New Look for a while but I really like their current season. They have a great range of evening and party wear looks this year and reasonably priced. These tops were between £16-20 each and when I went to the till I recieved 25% off as they decided to give me a voucher (very kind of them I know!).

That brings my peplum top count up to 6 now. A little too excessive perhaps! What do you think? <3

Love

LC

What does your jewellery says about you?

Last weekend my lovely boyfriend treated me to some Miss Selfridge goodies. The love heart ring and the wish bracelet are both from him. And because they are both from him I haven’t taken them off once. I also have a silver heart bracelet, also from him, which I never take off either.

Despite wishing I was more of a stylish jewellery wearer my style is most definitely vintage, quirky and sentimental. The jewellery I wear most often is nearly always something that means a lot to me. So it raised the question as to what that really meant?

I immediately Googled my little thought and came up with some fun ideas on the subject. (P.S. The following ideas are a mixture of my own and others ideas)

Circles and circular jewellery: The open circle insinuates that you are open to new things since a circle itself is open by its very design. You are perhaps flirtation by nature and have a keen eye for detail.

Pearls: Conveys a message of elegance and style. Like the jewellery that you wear, you are letting others know that you believe in honouring the classics. Choosing a pearl necklace, earrings, or bracelet lets people know that you are classic, elegant, and just a little bit old fashioned. Pearls have a timeless beauty about them, and they reflect an inner purity.

Bling: A bold, shiny piece says that you are a bold person who doesn’t lack in confidence. If you have a strong will and are not afraid to be noticed, a knuckle-to-knuckle design or a ring with a lot of sparkle would be an awesome choice for you.

Vintage pieces: Shows your feminine side, and you may also tend to be sentimental. You enjoy history and find beauty all around you.

Fabric jewellery: You’re probably funky and modern- a person who also appreciate handmade crafts.

Diamonds: Diamond wearers like to feel elegant and sophisticated. They are usually old romantics at heart. There are many convincing diamond replicas, and people that buy the real thing see truthfulness as an important quality in others.

Gold – Gold has been used to symbolise wealth and prosperity for thousands of years. Whether you have a small and subtle piece or layers and layers of bling, underneath it all you value tradition.

Big and bold – Statement jewellery is loud and expressive. Those who wear it rarely shy away from attention. They’re usually confident, outgoing, fun loving, and very sociable. Wearing a bold statement item is the best way to ensure all eyes will be on you when you enter a room.

Functional or Sporty – Sporty jewellery is simple, practical and of course beautiful. Anyone who loves their athletic pursuits, but also likes to feel attractive, knows that their jewellery has to keep up with their fast paced lifestyle. Sporty jewellery is worn most often by people with a modern, independent, and energetic nature.  The thing about sports jewellery is that it needs to be functional-stainless steel or sliver, small and no bling. Stainless steel watches are a perfect example.

Small and understated – A small set of pearls, a fine gold chain, or pretty diamond studs are subtle, classic pieces. Wearers pride themselves self on their good taste and timeless style. They also have respect for the importance of traditional values.

Natural – Eco friendly jewellery like wooden beads, woven bracelets, and anything made from recycled materials are usually worn by people who are smart, outdoorsy, and connected with nature. They look for accessories that are as unique as their personality rather than something mass  produced.

What does your jewellery say about you? What do you always wear?

I’d love to hear from you, so please comment below <3

Have a look at what other jewellery I have in my jewellery box...

 

Love

LC

Style SnapShot

 

Scarf: Jane Norman

Leather Jacket: All Saints

Boots: BearPaw

Tights: Primark

Dress: Republic

Love 

Laura Claire 

 

AW12 Wine Hues Trend Look Book

Plum and wine hued trends are another key trend for this year Autumn and Winter. If head to toe Plum, as sported on the catwalk, is a little OTT for you perhaps try investing in one key item like a scarf or purse. All items above are taken from Miss Selfridge.

Style Review: The Ear Cuff

 

In my 'Super Sunday Haul' post I did a little while back I mentioned that I'd bought an ear cuff from Miss Selfridge and that I would do a post explaining it a little more. 

I've seen these around and really love them but didn't buy one as I was a bit hesitant as to how to wear or what to wear it with! I'm always drawn to anything odd or different to the usual same ol' stuff you see on the highstreet. 

So, I thought I would ask the most stylish girlies I know what to wear it with.... you! 

How would you wear it? Do you have one? What do you think would work well with it? Any tips appreciated! 

My initial thoughts are restricted to nights-out part wear. I imagine I'd pair this with a black plain body con dress, high wedges also in black and focus all the attention on the ear cuff and matching sparkly statement jewellery.

You wear it by attaching it to your ear by your lobe piercing and a clip (from a clip-on earing) that clips to the top of your ear. It holds very well and isn't uncomfortable which I was nicely suprised about.

So I've worked out how to put it on now I just need to be brave enough to wear it out! <3

Love LC

Pastels and Floral LookBook

Flower Garlands: Topshop

Dresses: Missguided

Shoes: BooHoo

Jewellery: Forever21

Clutches and Purses: River Island

Heya Girlies, last month I had a poll up on the right hand column of my blog asking what everyone's favourite look was for this Spring. Well, we are now well into Summer so I thought I'd reveal the results. The winner was... Pastels and Florals. Bright Prints and Patterns came in second with not one pretty choosing Leather and Monochrome. This tells me that what's hot on the high street right now is COLOUR! Brilliant! I love it :) 

Above are a few pieces to inspire you to keep the Spring trend shining on through into Summer. Even if the sun isn't shining much, atleast our dresses will be! 

Check out my new poll on the right hand column, please let me know your opinion and get clicking <3

Love LauraClaire

Cut out and Cage trend

 From left to right: MissGuided, Topshop, Miss Selfridge, BooHoo, BooHoo, River Island, Forever 21, Forever 21

Happy Wednesday fellow trend setters! :) 

If like me you're back to work today. The long weekend went way too fast so here's a little trend post to cheer you up.  Only three days to go <3

 The Cut out, cage and multi-strap trend is big news on the high street at the moment. It's not new of course but, unlike some trends, it's staying put. Above our my favs from some our most loved highstreet brands.

This trend is brilliant as you can go all out in a sexy cut out midrift number or style it up with a cage/lattice top cut shirt. You don't have to have the body of a goddess which always helps ;) 

I don't as yet have any cut outs of my own but I'm considering investing in the Misguided black lattice shirt, it's just too pretty <3

Happy Hump Day my pretties

Love LauraClaire 

Dixi's Vintage Short Shorts

Hi girlies! Hope you're having a fab long weekend and watching the Jubilee on TV or even better LIVE... I watched half an hours worth around my nana's with her. I've spent the morning baking and making my nana's secret indian curry recipe so went around the suprise her :)

A couple of days ago Dixi put out a little tweet in tweetworld about their new vintage and festival inspired range and me being nosy wanted a sneak peak. They sent a mix of lovely goodies including a selection of rings from today's launch "Treasures" with 50+ unique rings, necklaces and bracelets, but what caught my eye were short shorts! Sadly the sun has gone away today and we've got drizzle but all this week it's been glorious so I NEEDED to do a shorts post!

Shorts pretty much rock I think and are perfect for festivals. I'm going down to Bournemouth Summer Ball next Saturday (anyone else going?!?!!) and I can't wait, It'll be shorts on the road trip down for sure. In particular, I'm loving their Finola Soft Leather Festival shorts which look pretty high waisted to me. You can't got wrong with a pair of high waisted shorts, a baggy print top and flowers in your hair at a fesitval.

Bournemouth Summer Ball.... Here I come! <3

www.shopdixi.com

Love LC

Colour Co-ordinate Darlings

I'm in love with the co-ords trend at the moment. In a post I did earlier this week I talked about my favourite clothing items but for this post I thought I'd take it one step further with something I love doing... co-ordinating accessories with makeup. To show this I've taken the beautiful bags from TopShop and their gorgeous colour lipsticks.

I think it's something that often gets forgotten about but can look amazing! A bright pop of colour on your lips to match a bright clutch is uber cute on a night out.

 P.S. <3 the Coral Lady Stud Bow Bag!

Love LC

The Beauts from the AllSaints Collection

Above from Allsaints

Trend: tan, warm, faded, embellishment, coral, pastel pinks, beige, washed out, worn.

 

Love LC

French Manicure Glitter Tips!

With all the amazing nail art that's been coming about recently like the Ciate Caviar Manicures I was inspired to have a go myself. I got out my Sally Hansen french manicure kit and a pot of glitter and had a go at glitter tips! Not quite the professional Caviar Manicure I no, but fun to do!

Have a look at my Pinterest for some truely inspiring nail art

A thumbs up for Effort Anyway!

 

Love LC

Pretty in Pink Party Outfit

Dress: Republic

Shoes: TKMax

Belt: Dorothy Perkins

Bag: Thrift

Rings and Bangles: Primark and Warehouse

Love LC

Going to Lunch outfit LookBook

WHITE CHIFFON FLOWER TSHIRT

LIGHT YELLOW COLOUR BLOCK LEATHER CLUTCH

LIGHT BEIGE PLATFORM COURT SHOES

DARK DENIM SUPER SKINNY JEANS

SILVER AND GOLD TONE SKINNY HEART RINGS

PINK MULTI CHAIN RING

PINK ROSE STUD EARRINGS

GOLD TONE POLKA DOT BOW RING 

ALL RIVER ISLAND

Love LauraClaire