Style Icons: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West

Kim and Kanye are arguably one of the world's most famous and culturally relevant couples, and I am personally a massive fan.  What I admire the most about them though, is their recent interest in high fashion and their changing styles.  Kanye has long since been a style icon of mine, and I think his influence on Kimberley's stylistic choices has made the duo effortlessly chic, elegant and understated. The recently married pair have made themselves into a brand, and their ensembles (which often co-ordinate) represent them as an attractive couple of substance and relevance.  

Their fashion choices are always sophisticated and glam- an idea and style I'd love to replicate in my day to day wardrobe.  If there is one word to describe their style it's 'minimalist'- a huge trend for 2014/15 and an assured way of achieving an effortlessly understated look.

Minimalism: The concept of minimalist architecture is to strip everything down to its essential quality and achieve simplicity.The idea is not completely without ornamentation, but that all parts, details and joinery are considered as reduced to a stage where no one can remove anything further to improve the design. [source]

Below I have gathered a collection of some of my favourite 'paired down' looks that Kim and Kanye have worn. If this doesn't give you 'stylespiration' I don't know what will. 

Don't forget to find me of twitter, instagram and to follow my blog on bloglovin (all the links are at the top of the page). Comment below who your fashion crushes are, I love gaining inspiration from celebrity style and current designers. Thankyou for reading. 

What's In My Shower

I know that some of you would be interested in a tour (snoop around) of my new uni flat, and I thought the best and most interesting place to start would be in my little en-suite. Often, I am asked what products I use- and if I am honest I haven't altered my morning/night-time routine for a long time. For those who are interested, here's a sneak peak into my shower, and a review of some of my current faves.

Original Source shower gels really are your best bet if like me, you need a burst of energy and zest on those cold, early mornings. I've been obsessed with both the lemon and lime products which really pack a punch when it comes to scent and freshness.  Amazingly, forty real limes are crammed into this citrus shower gel, and the zesty scent stays with you even after you've rinsed the product away. The miniature lemon shower gel I own came free as part of a 'starter kit' when I arrived at the uni. After giving it a go I was not disappointed. The products are vegan and friendly to the environment- another bonus to the shower gels which are currently unrivalled in terms of scent and quality. I've been reserving my coconut scented bottle for the evening time, as this particular body wash is creamier and more luxurious than its fruitier counterparts. I've found it to be very relaxing after stressful days running from lecture to lecture, maybe it could do the same for you! The products are available to view here, and are widely available in most high-street drugstores and supermarkets.

When focussing on skincare, I am still using my 'holy grail' combination of St. Ives Apricot Scrub and Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Wash.  If you're interested in knowing further details and a more in-depth review of these products, check out this blogpost from earlier in the year. For me, this facial scrub and daily wash seem to work together well, and keep my skin feeling fresh and noticeably clearer with regular use. Until I hear about something that works just as well, I'm planning to re-purchase these particular brands time and time again. What kind of products are you enjoying?

The priciest items in my shower are hair lightening shampoos by John Frieda (available here). These 'Go Blonder' treatments have been very effective in gently brightening the lighter parts of my hair, and have given me a naturally, visibly blonder look. I use the shampoo in isolation, as I feel my hair is soft and fine enough without need for additional conditioning. In my experience, the John Frieda products work fantastically well alone, and don't necessarily require their sister product (shampoo + conditioner combo) to have a dramatic lightning effect on your hair. I would certainly recommend these products, and believe them to be well worth their price. If you're feeling thrifty, wait for the range to be on offer, or explore shops such as Body Care to try and grab a bargain with your toiletries. 

If you'd like me to write a full post about my hair lightening experience, let me know in the comments or on Twitter. I've used three different products in order to achieve a sun kissed look, and avoiding the use of bleach had enabled me to maintain soft and healthy hair. 

As always, thankyou for reading and continuing to tweet about and support my blog. I've been tremendously busy at university, settling in and getting to grips with my course. Freshers week really took its tole on my body and skin, and I think a full detox is definitely required to get back to feeling healthy, active and well! Studying English as I do, I'm very determined to keep up to date with my blog, and keep you informed about what I'm up to! Thankyou for reading.