How to get over ''I have nothing to wear'' syndrome

You're getting ready to go out, you open your wardrobe and utter the words ''I have nothing to wear''. How often does this happen to you? For me, and despite the fact I have twice as many clothing items than I actually have room for I used to say this at least once a week. Ludicrous when you take into account I could probably wear a different outfit every day for a year and still never wear the same thing twice. Well, I had an epiphany people. And that cycle ends now.
In an effort to save money, reduce clutter and stop ''collecting'' things I never wear I've put myself on a shopping ban. In an effort to create more space for clothes I plan to keep and wear I went through my wardrobe with a cut-throat mindset and donated to Oxfam all the items I either haven't worn in ages or realistically won't wear again. In the end I ended up with 2 bin bags full of stuff, most of which still had the label on and had never been worn. Yep. Oxfam's lucky day.

After my mini money/environment saving epiphany the real question that dawned on me is how do I break the cycle? Shopping endlessly is such an easy habit to fall into and there have been times when I've bought virtually the same thing twice - forgetting I own a jumper that looks almost identical to the new one. Shopping for the sake of shopping is my problem. And that's exactly what it is, a problem.

It's not particularly economical or practical to buy a new outfit every time you think you've got nothing to wear so I've taken action. I read a statistic once that said the average woman only wears 20% of her wardrobe and I can definitely relate to that. Working in an office environment means generally I wear variations of the same smart shirts, blazers & suit trousers over and over which is fine - but even on weekends and date nights I feel myself regurgitating the same outfits. So I've reorganised my entire wardrobe and brought items to the front that have been stuffed in the back for ages; creating the illusion in my mind that I have more options. Such a small change but has made such a difference so far.

A cringeworthingly sentimental person, I hold on to all sorts of crap I don't need (I still have the receipt of the hotel we stayed in in Paris last year) and the same can definitely be said for clothes. So as part of my wardrobe overhaul I've also donated anything I won't wear again that I was keeping purely for sentimental value (except my 18th birthday dress, long live pink leopard print)... and you'd be surprised how much space that's freed up.

I've also thought more about ''quality over quantity'' and perhaps having 35 white blouses from Primark (god I hate Primark) is not quite as economical as having one great white shark blouse that costs more but is better quality and will stand the test of time overall. And surely you're more likely to wear something you love over something you picked up on a whim? My advice is donate anything that doesn't fit or could be a perfect item for someone else to pick up in a charity shop. H&M's new ad campaign about their clothing recycling service is nothing short of amazing and something I will definitely bear in mind in the future. Keeping a dress you've only worn once that doesn't fit any more is such a waste when it could be recycled and turned into something else. Plus you'll have more space for when it's time to invest in something new that you will wear and is worth having.

Reducing my wardrobe to staple pieces that can be worn over and over regardless of how much my style changes seems far better than having piles of stuff I've forgotten I even own. I can't believe I'm saying this but - less is more? (anyone that's ever lived with me would definitely say YES). Skinny jeans in a couple of colours, a couple of blazers, tops and skirts and 350 pairs of pyjamas is enough for me. Rearranging my clothes and having a really thorough clear out has reintroduced me to items I forgot I had, and even some items I have no idea why I bought in the first place. But nevertheless it has helped conqueror my shopping problem and kept ''nothing to wear syndrome'' at bay.

What do you think? Are you a clothes hoarder or just the bare necessities type of girl? Have you held on to anything purely for sentimental value that if anyone else knew would think you're mental?

Trends I can't wait to see the back of

There are so many trends at the moment that make me shudder. Everyone’s style is different and I appreciate that, but there are some current trends if I never see again it'll be too soon. Here are my least favourite of the trends doing the rounds at the moment...

The end of summer also means the temporary end of fad diets yay! I have done a few juice detoxes recently and I consider those beneficial for actual health (so don't lecture me, thanks) but all these ‘’detox teas’’ and Juice Plus capsules have me exhausted. My weight fluctuates a lot and I can tell you honestly as someone who has been on one diet or another since I was 16 (how sad) the only thing that really works is diet and doing more exercise. Boring but true. I find the detox teas are probably exciting if you don’t drink herbal teas normally, but as someone who drinks about 8 cups of green or peppermint tea a day its not hugely different. Don’t believe the skinny Instagram models posing with the tea packets it’s all a conspiracy. I look forward to the end of Juice Plus and the return of broccoli.

Instagram eyebrows. Everyone’s face is different and in most cases eyebrows totally frame a face. I know lots of girls personally who absolutely nail the high-arched perfect eyebrow look and it looks awesome.  I’ve also seen a lot of girls who don’t quite nail the perfect eyebrow look nor do they need to. If your face looks good with smaller eyebrows don't be worrying about not looking like Cara Devangeline! If she jumped off a cliff would you jump too? I'm guessing not. Step away from the brow palett and accept your brows as they are.

On the subject of OTT makeup I think contouring has had its day. Sorry girls. Adding colour and definition to the face after foundation is great but I’ve seen people get so carried away with it they just look dirty. Combine the overly done bronzer with overly done eyebrows and you’re a hot mess. I much prefer the newer ‘’strobing’’ trend which is what I’m all about – highlighting parts of the face to create a way more natural finish.

I don’t care if it’s Gucci and that Carrie Bradshaw wore one - bum bags are AWFUL. Are they even called bum bags? Fanny packs? Whatever, they’re terrible. I don’t even see unless you’re a looky looky man in Ibiza how they’re even practical. In case you were thinking of getting on the bumbag bandwagon my dad used to wear one on holiday along with his socks and sandals combo so yeah. Swerve on that…

Another trend I think we'll look back on and laugh/cringe in a few years is everyone's obsession with getting lips like Kylie Jenner. Sorry honey but sucking into a piece of plastic is not going to make you look like Kylie Jenner, and in fact they only thing that will is paying a load of money to borrow her surgeon for a day. Lip liner is great for achieving matte lips and even over-drawing slightly to give a slightly fuller-lip look is fine, but let's not get carried away. I would say with quite a bit of certainty looking like a toddler has drawn on your face is not a good look - for anyone. And why would you want to look like Kylie Jenner anyway? Literally the least inspiring ''A Lister'' of the moment. 

I don't have an issue with long hair on men - in fact I think it looks great on some guys but what is with men walking round with top knots. It's not even practical!!! The purpose of buns is to keep hair out the face, you don't need to wear your hair in bun if it's 3 inches long! I blame TOWIE for the total emasculation of men since 2009 and Nando's regulars feeling the need to copy everything they do. Stop it. I usually hold ASOS in pretty high regard given that 90% of my wardrobe is from there but even I had to laugh when they introduced their clip on man buns. Surely nobody thinks this looks good??? You can tell even the model is thinking wtf. 

What trends do you hate? Are there any 2015 trends you can't wait to see the back of?

The best things about Autumn

As mentioned in my previous post I absolutely adore autumn and winter. Summer is basically wasted on me as I spend the entire time inside counting down till Christmas and muttering to myself any time someone mentions the word ''heatwave''.  (I like to think of myself as the summer equivalent of Scrooge). Aside from the fact Autumn is generally beautiful outside I wanted to share a few of my other favourite things about this time of year...

Fall fashion. Boots, scarves and layering is BACK! Maxi dresses are fun but nothing beats bundling up in scarves and boots. Ah who am I kidding I'm just happy its socially acceptable to wear a onesie again.

It makes me sound like the most superficial person ever but I think autumn is the best time of year to be in a relationship. Boyfriends are indeed for life and not just for Christmas but I definitely appreciate sleeping next to a human hot water bottle in the colder months, and having someone to stay in and watch Netflix with while it hammers it down with rain outside. Boyfriend season is here!

Pumpkin Spice errrrrrything. Since converting to vegetarianism in January this year I no longer look forward to Gregg’s Festive Bakes or pigs in blankets but pumpkin spiced lattes. And living in a city means there's a coffee shop every 20 metres which is ideal if you're a white girl in Autumn...

Guaranteed crap weather. Ok, nobody really wants to be cold and wet for 6 months of the year but at least in Autumn you know it’s going to be crap and can therefore save yourself an hour in the morning not bothering to straighten your hair. Messy buns from September to March is pretty much standard for me. It's also nearly socially acceptable to put the heating on (although this is something I've been doing since mid-August). There's always an ongoing debate in every office I have ever worked in about the temperature and I'm so happy it's nearly our time to be comfortable! Heating on windows closed sorry guys. 

Halloween and Christmas are just around the corner. As an avid Halloween supporter I’ve been going out in my underwear on the 31st of October since I was at an age that my dad had no choice but to let me out the door. It’s ironic that I enjoy Halloween when I can’t even sit through a scary film or an episode of American Horror Story on my own but I enjoy the fancy dress element and chocolate at least. I'm a Christmas freak. I started Christmas shopping two weeks ago need I go on.

The weather is an excuse to cancel plans once again. I love my friends more than life but sometimes you want to sit on your own in your warm flat and stare at your pores in a magnified mirror - and that's ok. The best thing about Autumn is the cold weather is now a legit excuse to cancel and the truth is your friend is probably secretly wanting to cancel too. 

Here are a few other honourable mentions of things I love about Autumn:Cosy socks – An extra hour in bed – Downton Abbey – I’m the only person in the room with a tan because I fake it - Christmas shopping -  No more ''hotdogs or legs?'' Instagram posts - candles 

What are your favourite things about this time of year?

  

Autumn/Winter wishlist

The weather's crap, but your outfit doesn't have to be. Winter is by far my favourite season. Unpopular opinion or not, there's no denying the fashion is more exciting, evenings are cosier and of course - Christmas! The shops have just started to roll out their Autumn & Winter lines and there is so much I've got my eye on!
 Here are a few of my favourite bits that I've either ordered already (shock) or will be saving for ready for when it gets a little colder and the clocks go back...(extra hour in bed anyone?)

Starting at the top left - from River Island this lush leather dress. Perfect for the office (paired with black tights, might be a little too risqué without..)
What is winter without boots? I always feel a little bit like a Santa impersonator but I love winter boots. I especially love when they're real leather so I'm definitely saving myself for these beauties from Office.

For someone who spends hours on their hair and makeup I really don't take care of my skin. Because my skin tends to get dryer in the winter I've invested in this Active Cell Night Serum from bareMinerals. Slightly biased because I used to work for them but also because I know first hand how great it is and how so many women wouldn't be without it! I really hope applying this every other night during the colder months will keep my skin hydrated. Watch this space...

New Look have great shoes that are rarely more than £40 so these pointed leather courts are going to be perfect for work or even evenings out! Black courts are pretty classic and realistically can be worn all year round.

These pointed boots from ASOS.com will look great with almost any jeans and are a great way to dress up an outfit. A firm believer in the idea you can never have too many pairs of shoes anyway I think these Boots would go really well with so many different outfits. I really don't need persuading.

Realistically not every day in autumn and winter is so cold it requires boots, so these Kurt Geiger leopard print pumps will be ideal for the slightly warmer autumnal days. And they're on sale on ASOS. Decent

Last but not least THIS.BAG. It's by an Italian Designer called Luisa Vannini and I think its perfect for winter! Made from real leather and big enough you can fit pretty much everything in I think this will definitely be hanging off my arm for the next 6 months. I got this off secretsales.com for £70 reduced from £225, need I say more.

What are your winter must-haves? Am I alone in preferring winter to summer?

My Moroccan Adventure. The good the bad and the henna

Firstly, I had an incredible time and hope that recent events in North Africa do not put others off from exploring what this continent has to offer (while putting their safety first of course). Everything from the local people to the sights were pretty incredible and I hope more people get experience it for themselves. Our hotel was 4* and beautiful with incredibly friendly staff who speak good English. (Despite the name of this blog insinuating I speak French I actually can't, so pretentious I know). Our hotel was called Blue Sea Ryads Parc & Spa and I would 100% stay there again. The hotel itself is huuuuuuuge and maintained to a very high standard, the only let down perhaps were the rooms weren't quite as glam as the public areas. The cleaners came every single day however and fresh towels were always provided. The hotel is located about 20 minutes from the centre of Marrakesh, which for me as a paranoid traveller gave me added peace of mind I was safe. (Plus there are fit armed guards at the gate...)

When we decided to leave the hotel and go into Marrakesh we realised just how manic it is. There is absolutely no traffic system here so rent a car at your own peril. Other than the odd traffic light people do whatever they want in whatever lane they want, which was a huge culture shock and meant having an anxiety attack in every taxi I went in.
There are hundreds of people in the main square selling something or other, which, is something to be aware of. (If like me you struggle to say no to people I'd possibly avoid this place or you'll return with 320 fake Louis Vuitton bags and 45 rugs). We ended up getting so tired of saying ''no thank you'' to every single person trying to flog us something that we ended up just wearing sunglasses constantly and not engaging with anyone.
We ate in the square twice during our 6 day stay and I had pizza both times, neither restaurant served alcohol for obvious reasons (if you don't know what the obvious reason is you need to stick to Ibiza honey) but I am aware there are restaurants in the square that do.

If you are an animal lover you will be quite shocked at the appalling amount of animals used for entertainment in Morocco. Once I got over the sheer amount of stray cats running around starving (my heart still bleeds for them) I then had to deal with monkeys chained at the neck, horses that looked absolutely exhausted and snakes treated very poorly. I don't even like snakes but no living creature should be chucked about like a yo-yo. If you do ever go to Morocco - I urge you not to engage with the men with the monkeys, they will a) demand payment for taking a photo of you with a poor little monkey and b) you will indirectly be encouraging these people to continue to use animals in this way. It might seem cool to have a photo with a monkey on your shoulder but my understanding is these animals are treated very poorly, by boycotting these money making schemes the locals are less likely to continue to do it.

Due to my moral issue with the animal welfare in this country I purposely didn't take any photos of them...so here's a photo with some camels which again, we purposely didn't ride for ethical reasons

I was unbelievably original in Morocco and decided to get a henna tattoo....now I realise these are very controversial and actually, in hindsight I'm not sure I would get one again. The ''henna ladies'' of Morocco are pretty much the biggest scam artists in the entire country. So much so we still laugh about our experience 2 weeks later. Before I sat down to have mine done I, and the overly polite lady doing the henna agreed to ''pay whatever you think is necessary''. So, as you can imagine I was pretty horrified at the end of my tattoo for the lady to demand 800MAD (that's like, £70!!!)  Luckily for me my boyfriend has bigger balls than me and was happy to tell them to get lost, but was happy to pay 50MAD (about £3.50). That's what the ''art'' is actually worth according to the hotel staff so don't get roped into paying more than that!!! We then were told to ''go fuck your mothers motherfuckers'' by what had originally been nice old ladies telling me how my henna tattoo design would bring me good luck and lots of babies so yeah...be warned. There are also horror stories circulating about the potentially harmful ingredients used in black henna tattoos so probably best to avoid.

As for the souks and what Morocco is renowned for...they are crazy shit. A pretty cool experience but so claustrophobic and a nightmare for blokes trying to sell you stuff you've already said no to 17 times. I really wanted to be all Carrie circa Sex and the City 2 and get some cool shoes but settled for a pashmina instead. Haggling for a decent price however took about 20 minutes. Generally speaking the merchant is happy to take 40%-50% of their original offer, and it's polite not to take the piss too much and demand something for really really cheap. These people need to make a living too remember and these people are not paid well to begin with.

 It is quite easy to get the impression in Morocco that everything is a tourist trap in one way or another, and you do feel obliged to tip every local you come into contact with. As a rule of thumb I'd recommend tipping the locals you are actually impressed by, otherwise it gets hella expensive... Other than that I felt safe, had a great time and met incredible people both locals and fellow tourists. I did get a fair amount of unwanted male attention, and men would regularly blow kisses even when I was with my boyfriend but I never felt unsafe. I think it's important that as visitor in an Islamic country regardless of how liberal they are that you respect their culture and values, which does include covering up as a female. (A maxi dress that covers your shoulders is fine). If you don't you may attract extra unwanted attention and I actually think its disrespectful to the women there more than anything else.

Oh yeah...we also went quad biking but I bloody hated it so didn't think it warranted a whole paragraph. If you do however enjoy fearing for your life and getting covered in sand it's right up your alley.

High school memories

The entire time I was in high school I couldn't wait to leave. But it's only when you're an adult paying rent and paying for your own food you realise how good you had it back in the day. I mean have you seen how expensive toilet roll is? For real? Being an adult sucks. I miss everything about high school from the canteen politics of who sits where to the joy of finding out you have a substitute teacher. The only thing I don't miss is maths. I hate maths maths can die. I didn't do particularly well in any of my exams largely due to spending most lessons seeing how much makeup I could apply in an hour. Turns out it was a lot. A science teacher once said  ''Natassia you cannot physically get any  more makeup on your face will you put that mirror away''. I think I probably chuckled for a second then carried on applying mascara. I failed science.

I personally hated our school uniform as there was no way of making a polo shirt look girly, so I over compensated by wearing trousers so tight I'm amazed I could even walk. I wasn't alone though - shoutbout to all the Solo models! I remember my dad weeping while looking at me with my jet black hair, 4 layers of eyeliner and orange foundation that was 6 shades darker than my neck in my stripper trousers. ''where did I go wrong''.

Then there was the gossip. All my school reports since Primary school said I was a ''chatterbox'' and high school was no different. Gossip was what made high school worth while. Any morsel of gossip considered worthy of sharing went round the entire year like wildfire. If someone came to school with a love bite you'd never hear the end of it. And that person is automatically considered a slag if female/sexually advanced if male. Sexist system from the get-go isn't it. Breakups were a topic of public interest too and would be discussed by everyone it's just the way it was. You want to recover from your breakup in private? That's a shame 32 people in Art are discussing it right now ''who dumped who?''

Riddle me this; who still uses their high school email address? Who actually made an appropriate enough worded email address that it's still usable as an adult? My dad bribed me to change mine when I was in year 11. He couldn't handle receiving emails from his 15 year old daughter ''sugarlips_9000'' any longer. I die inside when I think about the MSN days.

Then there was Bebo. I remember spending 45 minutes of an ICT lesson trying to find a proxy site to go on Bebo for 10 minutes. Bebo caused more drama and breakups than anything I have ever known in my life but in hindsight was absolutely hysterical. If I could've done a GCSE exam in Bebo I'd have got an A* I loved that shit. Nothing was more time consuming than trying to find an appropriate flashbox video. Christ alive.

What do you miss about high school? I could talk about the ''getting drunk in a park every Friday night'' memories but my dad grounded me for 3 months when he found out so I'm not gonna remind him here....ahem.

7 things I couldn't live without

I know full well if stranded on a desert island I would live approximately 10 minutes. A vegetarian and incredibly fussy eater I just wouldn't be able to hack it. It makes me think of all the creature comforts I use on a daily basis that without, I would probably have a mental breakdown and cry.

 I am a creature of habit and I could probably write a list of 450 things I wouldn't be able to live without but for the time being here are the 7 main things I am obsessed with...

1 - Chewing gum. A couple of years ago I forgot to take some with me to work so went home sick to get some. Pathetic right? That's addiction people. Anyone that's good friends with me knows I carry a fully stocked pot with me everywhere I go and get nervous when I start to run out. No idea where this addiction started but at least it's not crystal meth.

2 - Hand sanitizer. A self-confessed OCD freak and germaphobe I always have hand wipes and anti-bac on hand...better to be safe than sorry. I sometimes carry mouthwash too...hygiene is a priority. 

3 - Fake tan. I'm all about that fake tan life and prefer getting my tan out of a bottle than from the actual sun. I've been fake tanning since I was 17 and wouldn't change a thing. Although sometimes a chore it's much less damaging to skin and overall health than sunbeds. I'm a die hard fake tan fan for life. 

4 - My iPhone. My second boyfriend and friend I turn to in any awkward situation my phone is an extension of my arm and never far away. I recently upgraded to the gold iPhone 6 and am obsessed. 

5 - Green tea is life. This stuff is so yummy and (supposedly) has so many health benefits! I've never been a big coffee drinker and I drink about 7 cups of green tea a day. Don't even waste your time telling me that's too much caffeine blah blah blah it won't change anything. 

6 - ASOS. The first place I go when looking to buy clothes, shoes and makeup. Even when the site is down temporarily I feel a bit lost. Even when I don't have money to shop (which is often) I spend about 2 hours a day browsing and seeing what's new anyway.

7 - Sunglasses. I don't care what the weather's doing as long as it's light outside sunglasses are fair game. Sunglasses hide a multitude of sins and I wouldn't leave the house without them. I recently was very spoiled and bought my first ever pair of designer shades - Chanel no less. Needless to say I'm getting my money's worth by wearing them constantly. 

If you had to pick 7 things what would be your ride or die items?