I'm always admiring designer handbags from independent designers to the well known high end designers such as Chanel, Coach and Valentino. With that being said the affordability of these exclusive items is ludicrous and I personally cannot see myself saving up to £3000 - £4000 for a Chanel handbag (even if they are the most beautiful bags ever!)

You may think differently if you had that much money to spend on a handbag but whenever this topic of conversation comes up I always play the same sentence back in my mind "would I spend thousands on a HANDBAG?!"

If your like me and your consistently changing your handbags and would rather something a lot more affordable but inspired by your favourite designer handbag, I recently purchased a Celine Palmelato inspired bag that was ALOT more affordable and will definitely not make you cry while you enter your PayPal or card details! (might make you cry with happiness depending on how fashionably emotional you are...)

I came across this lovely item when I was in need of a new everyday bag that you couldn't really buy on the hughstreet. With highstreet giant and bloggers first point of call store  Zara being one of my favourite places to get my handbags from (because they last ages and the quality is incredible for the price) I decided that  I wanted to find somewhere different to purchase my bags. (Doesn't mean I'm ruling out Zara, they will always be my number one!!)

iTrend @ eBay.co.uk £25

This bag was purchased online on eBay and yes I do have a slight obsession with eBay although I haven't experienced biding wars just yet as they seem highly dangerous to me. Anyways as you can see this bag as a Celine inspired or replica of the original Celine Palmelato.

One of the reasons I chose this style was because of the studded detail, I absolutely love it and feel it gives a slight edge rather than having a plain style. For the price, the quality of the studding and the leather imitation material is actually pretty amazing.

I'm usually very picky and I examine bags for about an hour before purchase so I was surprised I brought it online without having the option to even look at the bag before buying it, but adding the price to the look of the bag, it was hard not to click 'buy now!'.

I also love the fact that theres more than one way to wear this bag too. In my opinion versatility is the number one priority when buying a handbag.

So would you spend thousands on one handbag? or would you rather look for a nice quality bag for a quarter of the price? Everyone has their own opinion, I would probably change my mind if I had the money but right now I think id rather save up and spend that kind of money on nice little getaway!

Nicole x

All Images were taken by Nicole Parkes

New Obsession : Miista by Laura Villasenin

As an advocate of mind-blowing shoes I found myself extremely annoyed at the fact that I had never come across such a beautiful shoe brand before! My heart melted while I sat with my mom beside me staring at the ingenious prism style heels that gleamed out of my tablet screen, with the most bizarre look on her face she asked .."what the hell are you looking at?" as I turned my head (like jigsaw from the film 'SAW' ) with a jaw dropping expression, I turned the screen to show her these....

Miista AQUASCAPISIM 2014 Jayda black/bronze heel

Miista.com

Yes I'm probably over exaggerating about how excited I am about these but can you blame me?

Im always looking around for shoe brands that me and my shoe obsessed Aunt can ogle over and East London based shoe brand Miista kept me up way past the time I should have been sleeping! (I'm already having sleeping problems!)

Amazed by just one pair I had to look at the rest of their collection. Bold! Elegant! Fierce! and definitely designed for the women who demand attention and are UBER confident in their style.

'In a world that has become cluttered with similarities, carbon copies and conventional styles, Miista brings an uncommon beauty to the street.

Full-bodied – robust and bold features
Crafted – thoughtful and with unexpected details
Elegance – for headstrong women'  (Miista.com/about)

Founded in 2010 by Laura Villasenin and handmade in Spain, Miista shoes range from style conscious flats to incredibly crafted and innovative heels that will dazzle you (literally) and with Spring Summer just around the corner and hopefully changing these grey skies blue, Miista's new Aquascapisim collection is an incredibly aesthetically pleasing collection of shoes!

Inspired by the iridescence and magic of the sea, the Aquascapisim collection is alluring and captivating to the eyes. The mix of metallics, soft pastels and 3D cut lucite heels create a unique juxtaposition with the contrast of tough soles and delicate colour.

90's Vibes...

Playful, tough but pretty, the collection includes an assortment of materials such as clear plastics, lucite, leather and wood.

Not only is this label vastly becoming a new favourite, one of the best reasons I love them is.... They are based in LONDON! (Thank you jesus!)

This means I can get my pretty little hands on them a lot easier!

 For more information on the new Miista Aquascapism collection and more of the brand check out the link below!

http://miista.com

Happy Shopping!

Nicole x

All images courtesy of Miista 

Images owned by Miista

Spring Bling.

Looking for some bright and dazzling jewels that are expensive on the eyes but completely purse friendly?

Here I have a couple of pieces that I have brought over the last month that will surely inspire you to shop around and decorate your wardrobe without splashing too much cash. Im a bit of a jewellery obsessive so I'm always looking for the best deals as I cannot justify paying a ridiculous amount on a piece that ill probably only wear once ( and I'm sure plenty of you can agree on that!)

I have been wearing this ALOT! since I found it hidden behind the masses of gleaming gems in Primark!

Im not sure if it is still available but the best thing about it is how expensive is actually looks compared to the price of £3. Yes £3, it should have really been £8 as there was a large price slapped on the front of the packaging but the guy serving me decided to give it to me for £3. So like anyone would, I kept my mouth shut, paid, smiled as he smiled back and walked away. 

Primark £3

Im still in love with this as I can actually wear it with just about anything and at the moment it seems that all my basic t-shirts are looking a lot more fun with this hanging around my neck!

These were also a steal at the price of £1, but thats if your willing to wait about 20-30 days for them as they came all the way from china!

But still they are beautiful for the price and I cannot get over the fact that I paid just £1 for them (shipping was free)

Ebay - £1

I'm starting to think that Ebay seems to be the best place to gather up some spring bling. I don't feel as guilty and because they take so long to get here I seem to forget what I've brought so its quite a nice surprise! Anyway I like the pastel colours trend that seem to be slapping me in my face every time I walk through the city centre. High-street stores seem to be candy coated in fresh pastels so this piece alone makes me feel a little more 'on trend' ( although I can't keep up, trends seem change like the british weather!)

Ebay-£2.85

The detail is beautiful and I'm not sure that the pictures do this any justice but again if your style is fairly simple this will add a nice pop of colour.

Although these are one of my favourite pieces I've hardly worn them but they can double up as collar tips for your shirt! So I guess I could wear them in more ways than one.

River Island @ ASOS - £4

The colours of the middle stone are amazing and change in every angle you turn and since I am a fan of rainbow quartz (even if these are not real) I had to have them!

Last Ebay purchase of the bunch is this amazing  multi pastel coloured necklace. I remember seeing something similar in River Island who seem to be selling a lot of pieces like this one but obviously a little more pricey.

Ebay £4.22

I still have a few more purchases to come through my letter box along with a few shocked looks from my mail man. He must know I'm a shopaholic by now!  Ill keep you posted...

Nicole x

All images taken by Nicole Parkes

As the fashion world decides that its time to hang up your six inch ankle twisters and trade them in for a lighter and brighter shoe it seems that everyone from top fashion bloggers to the high fashion runway shows are trotting along to their nearest sports store in the hunt for the new 'IT' shoe. The trainer. ( or plimsole or lace up pump... you get the idea) 
Chanel's recent runway shows have completely abandoned high heels and opted for a more sleeker and practical trainer! I can imagine the models would have been jumping for joy!

But don't be fooled, this 'trend' has been around for a very long time, to be honest it wasn't even a trend it was a way of thanking your feet for the endless amounts of pressure you have put on them to look perfectly squished in those tiny little stilettos you call 'the perfect heels'. Not so perfect when your left with bunions though right? (too much information?)

Anyway before I baffle on I am all for the trainers and I am happy that there are more of them around, it just goes to show that sports wear can be 'chic' and its not just for parading around the gym acting like your working out when really you just want everyone to check out your new custom made Nikes.

Here are my favourite picks and personal choices!

ASOS.com are known for their affordable wardrobe choices and is the perfect online shop to replicate current runway styles and trends.

ASOS DANDY £40

Tough but still cute, these ASOS DANDY trainers have the comfort x style x sports luxe x yourfeetwillfeelfabulousforhours factor!

ASOS DOCKLAND plimsoles £18

 If your not keen on trainers you can opt for the easy slip on plimsole which I am a huge fan of. Colourful enough to brighten up these random british weather conditions and comfortable enough for you to parade around the town in!

Pull&Bear printed plimsoles @ ASOS.com £ 29.99

Not feeling tropical? ASOS have plenty of bright patterns and prints to choose from including these electrifying beauties from Pull&Bear.

Nike sky high dunk @ ASOS.com £90

Need a lift? These Nike wedges will certainly do that! with a concealed wedged heel you can still pull off that sporty look with a little feminine touch (and added height)...

Nike Airmax Thea @ ASOS.COM £80

I have been seeing a lot of these lately and they are starting to grow on me, with the wide range of colour choices you'll never get bored of creating your own personal styles.

All Images are ASOS.com ltd

My personal favourites? I am loving the plimsoles. Practical, comfortable and versatile and with so many shops including ZARA, H&M and Topshop flaunting their own styles its hard not to find the perfect plimsole.

ZARA  £6.99

These were a recent purchase as I wanted an unusual print. Im not sure if that is a cat design on the front but I love the colours and the stained glass print along with the leather trim to finish it off. The best part? They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn! best sale buy so far! 

H&M £25

At first I thought that these seemed a little expensive for a standard plimsole compared to other stores who were selling them for £15 - £18 but the picture doesn't really do them any justice. The material of the shoes and the structure make up for the price and they are not flimsy or loose at all which is great as they are hardwearing and will last! 

Hopefully I have converted some of you heel addicts, give your feet a rest and enjoy! 

If your not a fan of giant cocktail rings and extravagantly blinding 'look at me' bling then there is always something smaller and more understated to make your hands look extra fancy.

Im a huge fan of nail varnish so you will probably NEVER see me without my nails looking perfectly polished! (yes they are my real nails) but if your not as nail obsessed as I am here are some affordably sweet purchases that are completely versatile and can be mixed and matched to suit your style.

These come in a pack of 3 (gold or silver) from eBay. The great thing about these ring is that they are adjustable because I hate buying rings especially when they are online as you may not know your size and might not want to risk buying them. 

Ebay rings - £1.54 pack of 3 

These were a great find as they can be worn with multiple rings due to the simplicity of the design. For a pack of 12 gold and silver rings your really cannot go wrong and they are perfect for every day use. The choices on how to wear them are endless!

H&M simple rings pack - £2.99

These are my favourite of the bunch. I wouldn't  really wear them all together like this but I think they would look great with the previous rings. 

H&M ring pack - £2.99

I love the midi style rings as they have a slight texture to them and the shapes make them a little more interesting without being too loud and obnoxious like a giant rhinestone ring on your finger.

H&M and eBay are great places to find small and simple rings at an affordable price and are perfect for dressing up your hands without looking like Mr T (unless thats the look your going for...)

Happy ring shopping!

All images have been taken by Nicole Parkes

So I have recently become OBSESSED with metallic and holographic items and seeing as the weather here in Britain is absolutely vile! I wanted to spice things up and brighten my outfits up with some bold accessories which easily paints a big giant smile on my face in the rainy month of feb! Today I woke up with a huge grin on my face to be presented with these beauties that I CANNOT wait to wear! Only problem is id rather wear them when its dry so I guess ill have to wait for this rain to bugger off!

I was very skeptical when looking for these as I was not sure about the quality and how they would look in real life, here are the images from the Ebay link of what the shoes look like...

As you can see not only do they come in some spectacular holographic colours for the risk takers, there are some neutral colours to choose from too including plain black and a dusty grey.

So from this I instantly thought ' I need them!' and in 5.6 seconds they were bought for the amazing price of £27.99... free postage and packaging!

YES FREE POSTAGE AND PACKAGING

Holographic boots link 

Before you become disappointed that they may be out of stock have no fear! I would suggest you look around on Ebay as more and more online shops are stocking these beauties ALSO I first found these on www.lamodauk.com and they will soon be restocking them after they sold out online so you still have a chance!!

So here are my images I took of the boots I received today 

I personally don't think the pictures do them any justice as they are a lot more holographic looking than seen here.

As you can see they are absolutely amazing just as they look in the picture. I was surprised how heavy they were but the soles are quite thick and the actual material feels very solid so they are very well made for the price. The front part is a little stiff when walking in them but this will soon loosen up when worn a few times.

So I give these a 10/10 for the quality, speedy delivery time, style and the fact that they are holographic and perfect for SS14 90's trend. My favourite trend ever!

Whats your favourite trend for SS14?

Images found via Ebay.co.uk unless stated otherwise.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin