OOTD: Happy Halloween!

Coat: boohoo | Dress: Primark | Heels: New Look | Necklaces and Ring: Noviembre* 

Happy Halloween, everyone! It used to be one of my favourite days back when I was a kid, although Singapore doesn't actually recognise it as a holiday >:( But I lived in a neighbourhood that always pulled out all the stops with the decorations, and there was always trick-or-treating going on, so I have pretty fond memories of October 31st.

This year, I'm going to a friend's Halloween costume party, but here's something else more appropriate to wear out for the day itself. Of course, I went with all the tried-and-tested trends of all-black, lace and gothic jewellery, but don't you just love the overall effect? I especially love the accessories I paired with this outfit, they're so appropriately witchy (details below). 

I also invested in new make-up for the occasion, No. 7's matte lip crayon in Raspberry Wine. It's quite long-lasting and is basically a deeper shade of my natural lip colour, and only cost me £9! 

How are you all celebrating Halloween? Don't forget to look out for my Halloween costume soon! x

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OOTD: Town Hall

Coat: boohoo | Top: Asos | Pants: Asos | Shoes: Hidden Fashion | Necklaces and Ring: Noviembre*

I met up with the UoM BlogSoc the other day for the first time, where we had an OOTD Day over at the town hall! This involved a lot of us basically posing for our ootd shots, and I was actually the last to arrive and thus the last to finish... #awkward. Sorry for the hold-up, girls!

I tried to go for a bit of a darker, 'witchy' look just in time for Halloween, and wore my awesome boohoo coat once again for this shoot. It may be a duster but it kept me relatively warm in the drizzle on the way over! Plus it works so well with heels and trousers, the whole combination really lengthens my silhouette. 

I pulled the look together with some light accessories to match my pale bottoms, courtesy of Becca over at Noviembre. I only ordered the three-strand necklace from her store, which comes in custom lengths, but she also mailed me that amazing delmar shell ring I'm wearing, and which I would have honestly bought if it had been up on the site at the time. The package also included a lovely note to say thank you!

I've got an amazing Halloween costume planned which I'll post later this week, but what about you guys? x

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OOTD: Maxi Coat

Coat: Boohoo | Dress: Hidden Fashion * | Bag: Primark | Necklace: Topshop | Shoes: Nike

I went back to my new favourite restaurant, Montpellier's, the other day, which is also coincidentally the best place in Manchester to take my #ootds! I'm especially loving the way this shoot turned out - there's a bit of an image spam below. :s Kudos to my very patient friend, Tricia, for the awesome snaps!

I've tried to be more adventurous lately, wearing things I wouldn't have dared to, like this maxi coat. It's a far cry from Sherlock's Belstaff in Sherlock BBC, but it's got the same dramatic flair - check out the way it billows when I twirl! Despite the thin material, it kept me really warm on what was a pretty windy day.

My dress was a retro number from Hidden Fashion, only costing £5! Can you believe that value?

I'm off to start my Reading Week in Scarborough for a farm-stay - and bringing loads of clothes to shoot in the countryside! Keep your eyes peeled for posts of that x

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OOTD: So Normal

Top: Missguided | Jeans: Bershka | Belt: Asos | Heels: New Look 

I admit I'm guilty of following trends, but it's like a constant stream of theme parties! And I do love my theme parties. The 'Normal 90s' began to be a big hit early this year, with basic palettes, slouchy shapes and a whole load of 'I just rolled out of bed' vibes. I was more into pastels and 'girlier' outfits, so never really had the chance to try a more grungy look out, so here's my first attempt!

My mom jeans from Bershka's last season were the base for my whole look, which I paired with a new knit high-neck top from Missguided. I foresee myself taking the top into next year spring, maybe layered under a sleeveless shift dress for that mod look. To dress up this really simple outfit, I added my killer New Look black cut-out heels (which really did kill my feet - I walked for ages!). On a regular day, though, I think I'd opt for black and white sneakers to complete the outfit.

What do you guys think of the trend? Leave a comment below x

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OOTD: Animalistic

Jumper: Zara | Skirt: Missguided | Clutch: Asos | Boots: Asos 

I'm writing this right after I've slogged through a few assignments which are due and readings for a lecture today... Phew! Law school is tough but I have a nasty feeling that it's going to get much worse, so I really shouldn't be complaining.

Surprisingly, my weekends are usually study and stay-in days, while my weekdays are totally packed - for instance, I wore this outfit for a quick lunch in between running errands the other day. I couldn't resist my monochromatic tendencies, and even went with a bit of an animal theme - there are adorable dogs printed on my jumper, and I accessorised with a cute panda ring. I'm also really into A-line skirts paired with heels, such a wonderful 60s vibe! Obviously, I threw caution to the wind (no pun intended) and braved the breezy skies with just a single layer - I'm lucky it didn't rain. :s

Here's to another week ahead, have a good one everyone! :)

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OOTD: That Coat!

Coat: Missguided | Hat: H&M | Top: H&M | Skirt: Forever 21 | Boots: Asos

I've been needing a new winter coat for this year, and when I saw this Missguided piece, my heart (and money) was lost! It helped that loads of bloggers picked it up as well, so I could see for myself how the long silhouette could be worn in so many different ways.

Although I was a little apprehensive as to how good the quality would be, the coat really is warm all the way down to mid-calf. Speaking of the length, I love how it automatically makes me seem taller than I actually am - paired with some heeled boots and I feel like I'm ready to take on the world!

The work is starting to pile up at uni, so I'm not sure how often I can update this blog, but here's hoping x

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OOTD: Baroque Mini

Sweater: Uniqlo | Skirt: Hidden Fashion* | Necklace: Kollidea* | Ankle socks: Topshop | Boots: Asos

I spent my whole weekend in my bed of tissues, warming myself around mugs of hot tea and Chinese medicine to chase away the cold that's been plaguing me! :( Darn those changes in weather.

Before that, though, I wore this cute number out for a lunch at SoLita Bar and Restaurant here in Manchester. It was pretty windy (maybe that's why I got my cold?), but my Heattech Uniqlo turtleneck was perfect for the temperature and effortlessly stylish, too. I received the printed mini from Hidden Fashion some time ago, although it's spot-on for the A/W trend of baroque floral prints. I finished off the look with some delicate accessories from Kollidea, and a peek of frilly ankle socks!

Speaking of SoLita, I highly recommend the place for their special (available for a limited time only), the Breville Without a Cause! Instead of the regular buns you find on burgers, they use grilled cheese toast (brevilles) and cheekily note that it's "not for girls". Well, I shared it with my friend, so I managed to get away with it!

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OOTD: Check It Out

Dress: H&M | Coat: Miss Selfridge | Boots: Asos | Hat: H&M | Necklace: Forever 21 | Bag: Primark

I've been venturing out of the city centre lately to make the most of my last year in Manchester. It's been really boring visiting the same places over and over again, especially for a foodie like me - there's only so many times I can eat the same cakes and not get tired of them, no matter how good they taste.

I wore this cute combo on one such adventure to Withington (I'd never been there before, so I'm entitled to call it an adventure!), and funnily enough, my checkered dress matched the tabletop of our table at And The Dish Ran Away With the Spoon! :x They served up some really awesome scones, cake and brownie, and I'm secretly pleased my dress was loose-fitting - I had a food baby after all those treats!

Does anyone have any suggestions on places to visit here in Manchester? I'm thinking Heaton Park next!

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OOTD: Roll Neck Sweater

Hat: H&M | Sweater: Forever 21 | Jeans: Topshop | Shoes: New Look | Bag: Primark

It was a bit of a mistake wearing this outfit to lecture yesterday - it started raining cats and dogs, and my feet definitely got soaked! I feel so sorry for my hat and bag, which got most of the rain, but was so grateful for my roll-neck jumper - it's bang on trend and so cosy! Plus it gives any look a great injection of colour.

I snapped up the Topshop Leigh jeans at the most recent Student Lock-In event at Trafford Centre. Who can resist a hefty 20% discount? I'm a big fan of Topshop's jeans, which are super comfy and wear and tear-resistant. I'm also pretty happy with the way they look, paired with some heels like my new buys from New Look.

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OOTD: Carnaby Girl

Top: Missguided | Skirt: sheinside | Boots: ASOS | Hair Slides: Wifty UK

Decided to add a pop of colour in today's outfit - I've been really drab and dreary in monochrome lately. I wore this to a bake sale my school's Legal Advice Centre Society held (which I'll be blogging about later), which maybe wasn't such a good idea as it started becoming really cold about halfway through!

When I saw this top on Hannah from hannahlouisef, I had to have it. I took a leaf from her book and matched a skater skirt to the look, although I didn't want to draw too much attention away from the already busy print, and so went with a soft pastel instead.

I'm already thinking of all the ways this top can match with the various bottoms begging to be worn in my closet - I might forego tights if the weather's warm enough and rock some new boots! 

Did you spot my cute hair slides from Wifty UK? Don't forget to use the code 'LAURAN10', valid till 15 October, to get a a discount off your total bill!

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#ngiamybakes: Chocolate Frosting Cupcakes With Biscuit Base

So not a lot of you may know this, but I'm a pretty avid baker here in Manchester. Just the other day, I baked up a storm with my flatmate for a bake sale to raise funds for legal aid in England. The North West Legal Support Trust aims to provide legal representation to those who can't afford it, following the recent budget cuts to legal aid across the country.

Here are a few photos of the final products - chocolate frosted biscuit cupcakes with chocolate chip cookies as bases! I received generally good feedback, despite the fact that we used a sandwich bag to pipe on the icing. :X Oops.

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OOTD: Tartan Blanket

Hat: H&M | Top: Missguided | Skirt: Miss Selfridge | Boots: ASOS | Necklace: Topshop | Blanket: Primark

Found a new photo spot, i.e. the car park of my apartment building! Many thanks to my resourceful flatmate for the idea (her edgy outfit was perfect for this setting), it's great for the darker tones my wardrobe has recently been seeing, and I had a lot of fun shooting with my new blanket/scarf. 

There has been a lot of hype about the blanket trend, popularised by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in a cosy Burberry piece. I'm currently hunting for something in a similar shade of camel, but couldn't resist picking up this statement piece from my local Primark. The maroon and navy shades are so Autumn-ready, with a cute dogtooth print on the reverse - so worth it for only £6!

I do wish that the blanket was more jacket-like, with proper sleeves, but it makes for lovely outerwear or even a throw to snuggle up to at home!

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