What I Wore: featuring Christopher Kane

Sorry for the mini hiatus - I took a much needed break from all things internet related for the festive season. I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas and got everything you hoped for. Some of the fashion related presents will be making their debut on here very soon - I am hoping to hit the sales too, so I will share any goodies from sale shopping too. 

I took this picture last week before I went to do my last minute Christmas shopping. I have to find different ways to wear this Christopher Kane vest as it is pretty much see through which doesn't go down well in this weather. Here I wore a plain black vest top and layered my American Apparel mesh dress over that - lastly I wore my leather skirt from Topshop to make the dress a top. It isn't entirely clear in this picture but I am wearing my Spine Wrap earring from Regal Rose. I think it is an interesting addition when wearing your hair up and it certainly turned a few heads. 

I have just bought myself an official email for the blog - so if you are wanting to reach me, you can now get me on: laura@aforteforfashion.co.uk 

What I Wore: featuring Evil Twin

TA DAH! Look what I got this week - the Black Arts Shirt from Evil Twin. I really love the print - it makes me feel like I'm in The Craft. I teamed them up today with my black American Apparel Disco Pants which surprisingly seem to go with everything at the moment. I am going to pair it with my purple velvet leggings too - for an outfit over the Christmas period. It is maybe not the most festive of outfits (my boyfriend said I looked 'satanic' hah) but I like it. 

I've bought a few things from ASOS this week which includes another Evil Twin dress - the 'Heavens Above' dress. I'm slowly expanding on my collection. I find it funny that you can see so much rubbish sat on my dresser - I really should tidy it up before taking pictures but I was just about to go out here so you get the unedited version I'm afraid. 

Lust List featuring Ark

The lust list this time has another theme - I have gone for spikes and studs. I saw these heels on the Topshop website and thought they were amazing. I have my eye on a few pairs from Topshop but like everyone else out there, I am waiting out for the sales after Christmas before I buy anything. I saw this shirt by Reverse on ASOS - my previous one came courtesy of Zalando. Anyone who knows me will know I am a sucker for anything with studs - I thought this was an unusual design and the shirt also features a cool cut out design on the back. I always remember as a child people saying you shouldn't wear blue and black together for fear of looking like a bruise. But I actually love the way the two colours go together. These lace shorts from ARK would make a welcome change to the standard Christmas dress this festive season. I am in love with all the jewellery from Regal Rose at the moment - my order from them came last week so I'm sure you'll see my own pieces popping up on here soon enough. This simple silver bracelet  complete with spikes would complete any outfit. 
What are you lusting after this festive season? 

Label Focus: Evil Twin

Evil Twin are one of my favourite labels of the moment; they kind of embody everything that I love. I absolutely adore the faux fur coat above - I think the red and black compliment each other perfectly. If you want to get your hands on this coat you can find it at Urban Outfitters. I will be treating myself to the Black Arts shirt - I have a cheeky discount code so I thought it would be rude not to - I plan to team it with my new purple velvet leggings from Topshop.  
 Looking at the new collection for Spring/Summer 'By the way of fallen idols' has got me even more excited for the next installments from Evil Twin. Long flowing maxi dresses, leopard print, tie-dye and sheer fabrics make up the majority of their collection. I love the way they manage to mix street style influences with a glam rock edge. I only have one piece from them at the moment which you can see here - but I intend to expand on my collection. I headed over to the blog to see if I could find where the boots are from. Alas they are a one off pair - so I won't be able to find them anywhere. If anyone sees a similar pair please leave me a comment!

What I Wore: featuring Goddiva

I was kindly sent this dress from the people at Goddiva - I was asked to pick a dress from their £15 promotion and I picked this Dog Tooth print dress. I think this dress best suits my style of all the ones that are on offer - the others were a little too girly for me. The good thing about this dress is the ability
to wear things underneath it. I paired it up with my sheer shirt from New Look - the leather effect cuffs and collar give it a harder edge. I wore this today with my creepers but I will be able to wear it with heels too.
I found their sizes to be a little on the small size which means the dress I'm wearing is actually a Large. Just keep that in mind if you are going to order anything from them. I really like the fit of the dress - it is actually fairly fitted without being too tight. It hits just above the knee which is a perfect length for everyday wear. It came with a belt but I much prefer it without; I may pair it with a skinny belt for future wears.


I have really been getting into nail art lately - although I'm not brilliant at it. I guess it is all about practice and watching endless Youtube tutorials.  I used Barry M in white and my Models Own nail art pen. 

Christmas Gift Guide: Essential Stocking Fillers

If like me you end up leaving your Christmas shopping till the last minute and rush around like a person possessed trying to check everything off your list - you may need a helping hand. This helping hand comes from me in the form of a Christmas gift guide. I've split it into three sections £10 and under, £20 and under and £30 and under. So if you are looking for some stocking fillers look no further... 

Hope this little guide gave you all some help on your christmas present buying quest. I really love the neon laptop case - I'd use this as an oversized clutch. The skull print cape from River Island would make a great cover up for the Winter months - and will fit under your coat for some added warmth. There may even be some gifts in here I have already bought for some of my friends - but that would be telling wouldn't it. I'd like to wish all my lovely readers a very merry christmas and I hope you all get everything you want this year. 

Laying the foundation(s): Illamasqua

I have been holding out for a while on a buying a new foundation, simply because I have being waiting what seems like forever for the Illamasqua store in Leeds to open. It is actually due to open next Saturday 10th December. I was in Manchester for the weekend celebrating my anniversary and I decided to pop into Selfridges and bite the bullet.
I have not had a happy relationship with foundation - I haven't found one that I've been completely happy with yet. Although I explain my skin type and what works for me I never seem to come out with a product that I'm happy with. I spoke to the lovely lady on the counter and she recommended the Skin Base foundation for me - she applied it with this highlighter brush in a stippling motion. All of the makeup artists on the counter used this for the foundation to get the best effect - she also said it a quick and easy way to apply your foundation, so you don't have to be an expert. 
I'm going to give it a go over the next couple of weeks and see if I notice a difference. My skin hasn't been looking great since the change in weather so this might give it the lift it needs. 
What foundation do you all use? 

Get the Look: Edgy Jewellery

You cannot fail to notice the influx of edgy jewellery in fashion lately. It really is all the rage. I am a massive lover of statement costume jewellery - so this trend is perfect for me. If I was going to pick one designer to buy my statement piece from, it would have to be Alexander McQueen. I love the skull pieces they  designed - especially the rings. Some of the jewellery above is a tad pricey but they are a great investment. But if you simply can't afford to splurge like that; don't fret you can find plenty of equivalents on the high-street.



My favourite place to buy my costume jewellery from is Topshop. They seem to have a really quick turn around when it comes to trends - and they always keep things fresh. Chelsea Doll have some great pieces on their site and the prices are really reasonable. ASOS is another favourite for the sheer amount of brands they stock, you really are spoilt for choice. This means you do have to spend a bit of time navigating around everything - although you can use their metrics at the side if you want to narrow the search. 
What are your favourite costume pieces?