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The Parla Pop-up is a Minimalist’s Dream

parla pop-upParla Pop-up | Nearest tube: Notting Hill Gate | Map

I get a little bit giddy anytime a favourite brand of mine expands. Especially when that brand is an independent one, with a strong emphasis on talented females. Enter Pärla, an East London store based in Boxpark Shoreditch, whom you may remember from some of my previous posts. I’ve been chatting about the brand online – and off – for a while now, which makes their new pop-up even sweeter for me.

Being the fangirl that I am, I decided to go check out the Parla pop-up as soon as it opened. And I don’t think I’m going to be the only one falling in love with it.

The Summer Parla Pop-Up

Pärla may have started with an East London store, but some of you will be glad to hear that they’re now expanding West. Yep, their special Summer pop-up is based in none other than the famous Portobello Road, Notting Hill. The new pop-up is airy, bright, and filled with contemporary jewellery and gorgeous lifestyle items (including lingerie and candles). The usual jewellery design players are all there: V Jewellery, Jessie Harris, Clarice Price Thomas, Smith/Grey, and more. And this time they’ve been joined by a few fashion designers too, such as Danielle Foster, Jody Shafton and others.

I personally can’t stop by Pärla without adding a hundred things to my wish-list, and buying several of the ones already on it. This time I added a piece of V Jewellery to my collection; a little bling to perk up the numerous ear piercings I’m stacking up. And naturally I added everything from Clarice Price Thomas and Jessie Harris’s new collections to my wish-list. It’s safe to say that the new Parla Pop-up is everything I had hoped for, and I can honestly say it’s a minimalists lifestyle dream.

You can visit the Parla Pop-up yourself at 201 Portobello Road, until Sept 3rd.

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bloomzy /

Seeing The New Year in with Style…and Lots of Makeup

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Make-up – courtesy of Fragrance Direct*
Having the leisure to spend over fifteen minutes on my make-up is something I treasure. It doesn’t happen very often, so when I am given the chance I like to go all out. Most people won’t spot the minor differences, but then I’m not looking for someone to compliment me on a job well done. Some people think make-up is shallow, but I think it’s empowering. I wear make-up for myself, because I enjoy the ‘art’ of applying it, and experimenting on my features. If something makes you feel good about yourself then you should never be ashamed of indulging in it, right?
I took my basic make-up items (from this post) and one eyebrow palette to create a dewy, fresh faced look. You’re probably wondering why I had an eyebrow palette when there has never actually been any photographic evidence of me having eyebrows. Well that’s because it just so happens to be the perfect shade (for my pale face) to contour with. Dab on some concealer, apply a little ‘contour powder’ on the nose and under the cheekbones, pair it with some highlighter and blush, and voila! Not forgetting the pièce de résistance – Chanel’s rouge allure lipstick…or in lamens terms, a red lip.
It may sound a bit odd, but I love seeing how much make-up I can us to create a natural look.
Maybe I secretly long for the bygone days of manba/ganguro?
bloomzy /

Minimalist Chic: A Resolution

Matt and Nat Wallet* – The Keep @ Street Hub
Mascara* – Maybelline | Eyeliner* – Collection | Highlighter* – BC | Lipstick* – W7
Early Grey & Cucumber Cologne – Jo Malone

Manicure Kit – Essie

Anthumbra necklace* – Clarice Price Thomas @ Parla
Ending 2014 with a big party was great, but it got me thinking about the reality of going back to work and having to eat regular food again – the horror! Seriously though, it’s no wonder people end up feeling down once the holidays end. Therefore I decided that I would fill January with exciting experiences, with friends and family. Of course that means getting dressed up, which is one of my favourite things to do. I ended 2014 with a strong, minimalist approach to style, which was reflected perfectly in my choice of accessories for my NYE party (see above photos). I plan to continue on the same path in 2015, with a few key accessories and a small, yet thorough beauty routine.
bloomzy /

OOTD: It’s Beginning To Look Alot Like…

Cardigan *- Mantaray at Debenhams | T-shirt* – Missguided | Trousers – Topshop
 
To say I’m beginning to get excited for Christmas would be an understatement. I love this time of year. Not because of the gift giving – although I do love to give gifts – but because of the feeling that comes with the season. December is probably the best month of the year. It’s difficult to explain, but things feel different. People are generally happier and act kinder, which is always noticeable when you’re living in London. Even the weather doesn’t seem so bad. I love to layer up, and my new cardigan from Debenhams offers a Nordic-inspired take on the usual Christmas sweater. Sure, it may be bitterly cold outside, but it’s ok because I can snuggle up in my blanket scarf with a big mug of tea and binge on chocolate and Netflix. It’s a special time of year, and I love it.
bloomzy /

OOTD: Autumnal Bliss

Scarf – Primark | Sweater* – Oasap | Jeans – Topshop | Necklace* – Parla | Ring – Tatty Devine | Shoes* – ASH
 
Like most bloggers (and just people in general), Autumn is my favourite time of the year. It’s that perfect balance between too hot and too cold. The jumpers come out again, alongside light jackets and scarves – oh scarves, let me count the ways I love you. I enjoy layering clothes, but every Winter I tackle with big coats and waterproof shoes. That’s why Autumn is not only my favourite season for food and weather, it’s also the time of year when I can enjoy playing around with the items in my wardrobe.
Last weekend I made a quick stop in Norwich for my dad’s birthday, so naturally that meant taking my dog out for a walk in the woods next door to our house. I grabbed my new cosy knit from Oasap, alongside my Primark blanket scarf and a light coat. It turned out I didn’t even need the coat 5mins into our walk, which was quite lovely. It was also time to break in my new pony skin slip-ons from Repertoire Fashion, which paired incredibly well with the blanket of leaves that greeted us. As I planned to do a little shopping with my mum after our walk I wore my Antumbra necklace from Clarice Price Thomas with my Tatty Devine x Rob Ryan ring, just to look like I’d made some kind of effort. I may have been wearing a thick sweater and the biggest scarf known to man, but I still managed to feel pretty fashionable.
bloomzy /

East London Jewels at Parla, Boxpark

Jessie Harris
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EABurns
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Clarice Price Thomas
Jenny Sweetnam
Smith/Grey
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Cooee
 
If you’ve been reading my blog since my move to London then you will know my background is in jewellery. Well that love goes back a long time. As a child I would buy jewellery making kits with my pocket money; creating necklaces and bracelets for myself and my friends. I wish I had continued with my jewellery making during my teenage years, but instead photoshop and html took over. Naturally I have a lot of respect for those who design and create their own jewellery.
Parla is one of the latest additions to Boxpark in Shoreditch. A jewellery boutique offering sustainable Scandinavian styled creations by British, Swedish and Norwegian designers. Put Scandinavian in front of anything and I’m sold. Minimalistic yet distinctive, that’s my kind of style. I headed to the store last week for a press night where I was able to meet my favourite designers (of those stocked at Parla) – Jenny Sweetnam and Clarice Price Thomas. Both were incredibly lovely and talked me through their collections and the inspiration behind their work. Their pieces are minimalistic and modern. Both work in sterling silver and gold, meaning the pieces are of the highest quality. I could go on and on, but instead I plan to talk more about both of them in my ‘Designer Spotlight‘ series.

If you like what you see, you can browse all of the designers and pieces at Parla.