The Carrie series - Floral

You can't go wrong with floral print for spring/summer. It never goes out of fashion and most of us have a few floral pieces in our wardrobes. I always wear blouses with a long necklace featuring a pretty charm or in this case, a tassel, on the end (nothing overpowering).

Although the Carrie skirt is really bright and is easily a statement piece, I think it looks gorgeous and spring-like teamed with florals and a lovely pair of tan wedges - these Zara wedges are on my current wish list as they are an essential wardrobe item (and my vintage pair are awfully uncomfortable).

And that concludes the last of my 'Carrie skirt' series...phew! NHG x (Unofficial Carrie Skirt Ambassador).

Outfit details: Tassle gold necklace, Topshop, £14; Floral pink blouse, Topshop, £36; Tan wedges, Zara, £49.99; Carrie skirt, Whistles, £95.

The Carrie series - Holiday

Can you believe I only discovered the real joy of stripes this year? I know, ridiculous. My COS breton style top has fast become a staple in my wardrobe of late and I think this J Crew pink vest is the perfect summer alternative to the traditional blue/white or black/white combinations.

I love the nautical rope detailing on both the panoma hat and wedges...it reminds me of summer holidays spent in the south of France. You can never go wrong with the nautical trend as let's face it, it comes around every single summer! I've been wearing a striped blue Marc by Marc Jacobs dress every summer for the past three years so it's definitely worth investing in.  NHG x

Outfit details: Rope Panoma hat, Eugenia Kim at net-a-porter, £220; Pink striped vest, J Crew at net-a-porter, £30; Rope leather wedges, Diane von Furtenberg at net-a-porter, £260.

The Carrie series - Colour blocking

Colour blocking was by far the key trend that got everyone talking at the start of the season. I have experimented a couple of times with this look and every time I get a 'Woooaaah' when I walk in the office. Woooaaah as in 'too bright'.

I've decided to not colour block again until high summer as it definitely needs some confidence (plus sunshine) to pull off! If you catch public transport to work, look around tomorrow and take note of what everyone is wearing...I bet it's mainly black, white and navy.

Oh well, it's nice to be different and I love pink and yellow, it's probably one of my favourite colour combinations for summer. Chictopia featured a great article on colour blocking and said the following about pink:

PINK + NUDES = Chic, stylish, and simple. Keeping the focus on one bold color and accenting it with a similar but paler cousin allows for a put together look that still retains some playfulness.

PINK + YELLOW + BLUE = Adventurous and fun. Not afraid to stand out in a crowd, pairing a bold color like pink with equally bright hues creates a joyful mood, and most definitely shows off your candy-sweet personality. It’s the neon take on primary colors.

PINK + RED = Daring and sweet. The dichotomy of innocence and fearlessness is one that has interested fashion lovers for ages and this color combination definitely plays on that idea. The colors are infamous for “not matching” but for fashion forward risk takers, it’s all the rage. 

NHG x

P.S See it worn with blue by blogger IsabelleOC here

Outfit details: Yellow silk top, Reiss, £95; Pink leather pouch, American Apparel, £48; Yellow espadrilles, Topshop, £50; Carrie skirt, Whistles; £95.

Credit: See full Chictopia article here

The Carrie series - Work

The Whistles Carrie skirt is perfect for work and I always receive compliments when I wear mine (I think bright colours just make people happy!). I think one of the chicest ways to wear it is with a simple boyfriend shirt and a pair of gorgeous heels - it's simple and comfortable for a day in the office.

This look could be worn with nude or tan heels for spring/summer (or a really bright pair if you work in a creative environment). NHG x

Outfit details: Gold heels, Miss KG at ASOS, £65; White boyfriend shirt, ASOS, £25; Gold flower ring, Topshop, £8.50; Carrie skirt, Whistles, £95.

The Carrie series: T-shirt

While I think that 'Carrie' skirt fever has died down a little, I still have a lot of traffic to my blog from ladies searching 'How to wear Whistles Carrie skirt'. It seems that while everyone loves this gorgeous skirt, they're not quite sure how to wear it...

I've been wearing mine quite a lot and Mr Porter (my bf) is not always on hand to take photos...so I decided to put together a series of 'looks' to hopefully inspire those who own the skirt.

I love pairing mine with t-shirts - from white, grey marl, coral pink, Sass & Bide ballerina and watercolour prints...a t-shirt is a really great way of wearing this skirt in a more casual way. It's perfect for a spring day whether you're going to brunch with friends or a picnic in the park. All links to the products are below. NHG x

Outfit details: 'I love Paris' t-shirt, Wildfox at ASOS, £55; Carrie skirt, Whistles, £95; Basket Messenger Bag, Zara, £39.99; Strappy mini wedge, Zara, £49.99.

The orange dress

I absolutely love wearing orange in summer, although I know it's not for everyone.  I have a dress is in this exact shade that I wear to the beach every year and people always ask me where it was from...as it's really low cut I can't wear it to work (or down the street for that matter!). So, when I saw this COS dress, I knew it was the perfect solution for everyday wear.

At only £35, it really was a fabulous buy, and it's also available in nude pink if you're interested (unfortunately it didn't suit me).

Who else is a fan of COS? You really can't go wrong with their classic, chic pieces in my opinion! NHG x

Outfit details: Orange dress, COS; woven bag, Vintage from a Charity Store; Tan wedges, Vintage from Ebay; Leopard necklace, Mulberry.

NHG's hair routine

I love knowing what other people are using on their hair (and skin), so I've decided to share my current hair product routine with you. I have medium thickness hair, no split ends (ever) and it's slightly oily. I've only had around three hair trims in the last 12 mths as I'm growing out my hair and I'm nearly there!

Shampoo/Conditioner: I've been using L'Oreal Elvive Nutri-Gloss Light since I arrived in the UK as it doesn't leave my hair greasy. Lately I've fancied a change, so I recently purchased Bumble and Bumble Tonic Shampoo and Seaweed Conditioner at the recommendation of my hairdresser. RRP around £18 - £20 at Space NK. Note: I would not purchase the Tonic Shampoo again as it's very drying and I don't feel like my hair is properly clean afterwards.

Dry Shampoo:  I recently decided that I had to give up my addiction to washing my hair every-single-day-of-my-life. It's tiresome just thinking about it. I've been using Batiste dry shampoo for brown hair lately, but decided to use an old favourite, Klorane, as they have just released a new sebum-controlling version of their original dry shampoo. RRP £7.50 at John Lewis.

Hairspray: Again, I've never been a huge hairspray fan as I prefer the feel of natural hair. Since giving up my hair washing addiction, hairspray has become my best friend for updos. I've always used L'Oreal Elnett hairspray - doesn't everyone? RRP £3 at Boots.

Protection: I was gifted Shu Uemura Absolue Essence oil last summer by TONI&GUY and absolutely love it! It smells divine, it makes my hair silky smooth and can be used on dry or wet hair. I apply a pea size amount to the ends of wet hair before blow drying. RRP £39.95 at TONI&GUY.

Volume: I love thicker hair when I go out, so I always use a tiny bit of Tibi Bedhead Superstar blow-dry lotion before drying. It really does work, but it's not for everyday use as it makes my hair slightly more greasy the next day. RRP £9.95.

Let me know if you have any recommendations as I've never been loyal to my products (I'm a marketer's nightmare). NHG x

These aren't just any heels...

I have a confession to make...I don't really like heels. I know, you're all probably thinking "WHAT?!" but seriously, the pain outweighs the height benefits (and god knows I need that).

Last week I attended the launch of Naomi Campbell's pop-up shop for work and decided to wear 4.5 inch heels. After running around organising an outfit for our presenter to wear, organising bloggers and escorting celebs, my feet were in a world of pain. I put them on at 4.30pm and by 8.30pm I had taken them off and walked barefoot to my office to change into flats. 

So...when the nice people at M&S shoes asked "would you like to try our new comfortable heels?" I jumped at the chance! The secret to their 'comfortable' heels is a new technology called 'insolia' which aims to improve body alignment and balance, decrease forefoot pressure, enhance ankle stability and reduce leg and back fatigue.

As I like a bit of leopard print, I chose the 4.5 inch Black Suede T-Bar platforms below and kept a diary of my experience:

1.30pm: Put shoes on to walk down the street to get lunch. The shoes instantly feel more comfortable than normal heels, and I don't feel as wobbly as I normally do. Comfort =  4.5/5
3pm: After lunch on Westbourne Grove, I walk home and head out to Soho to meet a friend for drinks. Comfort = 4.5/5
3.30pm: Meet friend and realise restaurant we want to go to is shut on Sundays so walk around for 20mins looking for a replacement. Comfort = 4/5
6.30pm: After sitting in bar for 3 hours catching up, we head to another bar to meet her housemate which is about 10mins away. Comfort 4/5
9.30pm: Getting a little worse for wear so call boyfriend to pick me up. Comfort = 3.5/5
10pm: Arrive home and surprisingly aren't ripping off my heels as usual. After hours of wearing the heels I would rate them a 3.5/5 when I would rate my normal heels 0/5 after hours of wear!

I would definitely recommend trying them out. NHG x

Outfit details: Pink blazer, Zara; Black skinny jeans, Sportsgirl; Leopard T-Bar heels, M&S Shoes; Vest top, H&M; Bag, Alexander Wang. 

Purple peg leg trousers

I have never really been into pants/trousers (whatever you want to call them!) until last AW10 when I purchased about four pairs of peg leg style trousers, including my favourite leopard print pair from Topshop. When I saw River Island's SS11 look book a few months ago I knew I had to get my hands on these purple pair to add to my collection!

The reason I love this style of pant is because they are not too loose (like harem pants) but they do have a bit of room in the butt area, so they are perfect for ladies who have a bit of a booty (like me). At only £29.99 they were a bit of a steal and I know that I'll probably wear these to death this season. NHG x

Outfit details: Peg leg trousers, River Island; White t-shirt, Sportsgirl; Bayswater bag, Mulberry; Agate pink necklace; Ruby Rae Love; Scarf, Witchery; Tan gladiators, Nine West; Sunglasses, Chanel. 

NHG loves: Rachael Ruddick

After nearly 3.5 years in London I'm finally starting to feel like I'm completely out of touch with Australian fashion. Case in point: I've only just discovered bag designer Rachael Ruddick who launched her eponymous label after I left Melbourne in 2007.

Her online store is currently nominated for an Australian Grazia 'Best Online Store' award, which is where I discovered her lush handbags, clutches and jewellery.

Rachael set up her business in 2008 after she spotted a gap in the 'Australian' luxury goods market, and uses leathers such as saltwater crocodile, barramundi, snake, parrotfish, stingray, calfskin and lambskin. It's little wonder this label is going from strength to strength, considering Rachael's background includes working for LVMH group, managing Christian Dior in Australia. NHG x

You can visit Rachael Ruddick's website here (they ship internationally).

Images (clockwise): Mini Yorktown bag in Leopard Print Calf Hair, $490; Govett tote in tan, $415; RR Traveller in Carnation, $440; and New Opera Clutch in Leopard Print Calf Hair, $340. All prices are $AUS.

NHG loves: Diptyque candle jars

I absolutely love candles, especially by Diptyque. Most of my girlfriends have received a Baies candle from me at some stage in the last few years as they are the perfect fail-safe gift!

Lately I've started to accumulate the empty jars and they are just far too pretty to throw away. The best thing about Diptyque wax is that is comes right out! No scrubbing or soaking required. I simply take a teaspoon and scrap the remaining wax out, soak in hot water for a couple of minutes and then wipe out with a scrubbing brush. The wax washes straight off the spoon with hot water. It's as easy as that!

I currently use mine for eyeliners/mascara, hair elastics/bobby pins, nail files/clippers/cuticle trimmer and make-up brushes. Here are a few more suggestions that I've read:

Jewellery: rings, beads, brooches or hair-clips. Hang earrings off the lip of the jar.

Collectibles: use the candle glass to hold collections of anything small that you have a lot of - buttons, feathers or sequins. 

Planter: try making a miniature planter with flower seeds or herbs. This would look gorgeous on my kitchen window sill.

Sweets: fill it with bright coloured sweets like a mini candy buffet.

Work: use the empty glass to hold your business cards, coloured pencils, pens, paperclips, sticks of white chalk.

What do you use your empty candle jars for? I'd love to know! You can purchase Diptyque candles online at John Lewis here. NHG x

Images top to bottom: Full Frontal Fashion, my own collection, Jak & Jill and Into the Gloss via Capture the Castle

Style Inspiration: Camilla Freeman-Topper

It occurred to me last week that my optical glasses are about four years old, and it's time for a change! My current pair from Ralph Lauren have thick black frames, but I'm thinking of going even bolder with a pair of  new SS11 Tom Ford glasses.

My style inspiration for this look is Camilla Freeman-Topper from Australian designer duo Camilla & Marc, who manages to rock her thick framed glasses with her long brown hair while not looking too 'geek chic'.

Let me be clear, I'm not looking for 'geek chic' even though I do spend 90% of my life on the internets so perhaps I am a closet geek...hhhmmm, no comment.

What do you think? Should I dare to be bold with my eyewear? My appointment is this Saturday...NHG x

  Images: Australian Grazia, Zimbio, Tom Ford Eyewear 2011 campaign

Floppy grey hat

I absolutely love hats...ever since I was a little girl I've always had a collection (I wish I was back in Australia so I could pull some old photos from my childhood archives!).

This is the recent edition to my wool hat collection - a grey wool floppy hat from American Apparel that I plan to wear in summer and winter. I'm on the look out for a floral scarf to tie around it, I need to pop down to Portobello Market soon!

The sunshine has been glorious this week and has really lifted everyone's mood in London...if only it could be like this all spring! NHG x 

P.S My vintage blush pink shirt was purchased after The London Coffee Festival in Shoreditch yesterday. It was a steal at £9 and I love it! I'm planning to wear it with 'Carrie' soon.

Outfit details: Grey floppy hat, American Apparel; Blush pink shirt, Vintage; Jeans, Topshop; Jewelled ballet flats, Miu Miu; Watch, Guess; Necklace, Vintage.  

The London Coffee Festival

Today I ventured out of West London (OMG!) and over to East London where the inaugural London Coffee Festival was being held in the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned before, but coffee is a very important part of our everyday social lives in Melbourne, and in turn we are a little obsessed with it. I can often be found bleating obscenities about the poor quality of coffee in London (sorry, I know this doesn't apply to ALL London coffee).

The festival did not disappoint, with the best coffee in London on show (for free), and plenty of delicious cakes and teas to balance out all the caffeine. There was even a caffeine warning on the door which I found quite funny! And as if I didn't eat enough at the festival, walking past Poppies of Spitalfields on the way home I couldn't resist some of their vinegar coated chips in old fashioned newspaper wrapping. So bad, yet sooooo good.

I've gone a bit mad for Instagram on my iPhone as you can see below. If you use this app, you can find me on nottinghillgirl. NHG x

The festival is on until tomorrow, Sunday 10 April, so head down if you get the chance! You can visit their website here. 

Ruby Rae Love pink agate necklace

 I recently blogged about the fact that I'm loving gemstones at the moment. I bought this pink agate necklace from Blogger, Ella Masters, who runs who own online bespoke jewellery store Ruby Rae Love. It is part of her Festival Love Collection and was only £13.

I love it! You can visit her store here. NHG x

Outfit details: Maxi skirt, H&M; t-shirt, Sportsgirl, Necklace, Ruby Rae Love; Wedges, Zara; Sunglasses, Chanel.

Above image is from Ella Masters' blog

Naomi Campbell's pop-up shop launch

Last night was the launch of Naomi Campbell's pop-up shop at Westfield London shopping centre. I was lucky enough to attend and to get a sneak peak of the shop as it was being set up yesterday (you can probably guess who I work for now...).

I am in love with the leopard print Charlotte Olympia shoes below...they are £250 if anyone is interested, and I think they are a size EUR 40 (far too big for me unfortunately!).

The shop is also selling dresses from Sex and the City 2 including Carrie's white Halston dress and Samantha's red spiked shoulder dress by The Blonds. The store is open in The Village until 13th April. If you'd like to find out more watch Hilary Alexander's fab interview below. NHG x

Outfit details: Biker jacket, Whistles; Silk dress, Camilla & Marc.

The $2 vintage camel shirt

I've mentioned before how I used to run my own vintage Ebay store and love thrifting in charity stores back in Melbourne. I've never had any luck in London and gave up too soon...I wish I could get back into it but the charity stores in my area seriously full of 'newish' rubbish and/or ridiculously expensive. 

When I was back home in February I didn't really have time to go thrifting apart from when I was down on the Bass Coast of Victoria visiting my grandparents in their country town. I was running up to the local supermarket and thought I'd pop in to the local charity shop, as I'd found some gems in there before.

I found this 80's camel shirt (and promptly removed the mahoosive shoulder pads) which I plan to DIY soon. The best thing about this shirt was that is was only $2! That's only around £1.20! I'm thinking of cutting out the sleeves like Geneva from A Pair and a Spare has done with many of her vintage shirts. Her blog is full of fabulous DIY inspiration so be sure to check it out! NHG x

P.S I'm pretty sure everytime I wear these leopard print pants one of the legs rides up like the below. Perhaps I walk lopsided?! 

Outfit details: Thifted vintage tan shirt, charity store; Leopard print pants, Topshop; Bangles, Florence; Bayswater bag, Mulberry; Black cut-out wedges, Zara. 

Whistles Carrie Skirt v2

Firstly, I'd like to seriously apologise for my GHOST white legs. Honestly...one of my colleagues could have told me to put them away today. But clearly they were being polite!

I was at work today for a Spring/Summer fashion event so I thought I'd rock my Carrie and get a tick on Ashley's 'Carrie' board. If you haven't heard about my Carrie Skirt Challenge you can read about it here. For those who are all 'Carried' out on my blog, that's my second apology. I'm starting to sound like some kind of ambassador. Which I'm not. Although I did get stopped everywhere I went today with enquires about my skirt, so perhaps I should nominate myself "Unofficial Carrie Skirt Ambassador".

Thirdly, if you follow me on Twitter you will know that I'm super-angry at Mulberry right now. I've thrown a right strop over the death (perhaps overdramatic, but true) of my Mulberry Bayswater bag in oak print, and you'll see below I now own it in the normal oak colour. I've emailed my concerns to Mulberry over their outrageously bad customer service a number of customer service mishaps so I'll wait for their reply before I say anymore...NHG x

P.S Today my Carrie skirt got stuck in my erm, knickers. A lovely lady ran behind me (to cover it up) and whispered in my ear to tell me. At first I thought she was a mad woman but really she was an absolute gem! Thank you kind lady whoever you are!

Outfit details: Watercolour print t-shirt, Sass & Bide, Pink Carrie skirt, Whistles; Jewelled pink flats, Miu Miu; Grey marl blazer, Zara; Bayswater bag, Mulberry.

What I'm wearing today...

I've discovered Instagram...yes, I know I'm a little behind the times. It makes blogging so easy considering I can just take a snap on my iPhone and voilà! NHG x

Outfit details: Colbalt blue/black striped top, Zara; Black Leather skirt, Topshop; Bag, Alexander Wang; Ring, Topshop; Black patent leather flats (not shown), Marc by Marc Jacobs.