OOTD: Parisian

Summer is unfortunately coming to a close and I think it's fair to say it's been a ride. I have been fortunate enough to travel to Budapest, Valencia, Barcelona and finally Paris - one of my favourite cities in the world - with family and friends, getting drunk on sun, sightseeing and sangria. Of all my summer excursions, Paris was definitely my most sartorial of them all, so here is an outfit post (unintentionally adhering very much to the French fashion cliché) and I will be sure to post more details of my trip on here later!

Top - BAPE

Jeans - H and M

Trainers - Sketchers

Beret - Vintage

Sunglasses - BLANK

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Thanks for reading and make sure to follow me on Bloglovin', Instagram (@ariiobi) and Tumblr 

Arianne, looklovewear

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2018 Summer Favourites

This summer I’ve tried to be particularly careful when it comes to spending. Having enjoyed my first year of university, I think it is safe to say that my bank account is looking less than jolly. Luckily, I have still had a few summer favourite which I have come to acquire and love this season through interning/being an absolute fiend during the summer sales.

STATEMENT EARRINGS (Weekday London)

Having lost many of my smaller pairs of earrings and being hesitant to spend 50 quid on a new pair of trousers to update my summer wardrobe, I have now taken a keen interest to statement jewellery, particularly earrings. These two pairs are especially my favourites, as I could still (potentially) walk of the house in a plain tee and lounge pants but look half decent!

CLOTHING (Accessorize)

Again, there have been few new additions to my wardrobe apart from these bralettes I have been loving this season, I normally despise wearing bras anyway so this is a way to keep stylish and comfortable under strappy or overly skimpy tops this summer.

COLOURFUL BAGS (Accessorize and DKNY)

Although summer fashion is brighter and much more fun, my wardrobe doesn't tend to be the most diverse in terms of colour. Because of this, these two bags have been my go-to accessories for brightening up an outfit, The perk tis that they're also a perfect size and can be carried both in the daytime and during nights out.

 BEAUTY (Body Shop and Lush)

My makeup routine has been more or less the same but this summer I have been trying out some new skincare products. It's bikini and crop top season so trying to keep my skin as clear smooth as possible has been a top priority. Two products I am loving at the moment are exfoliative products from Body Shop and Lush, which both smell incredible and have ben incredibly helpful skincare products.

SOUNDS: MUSIC AND PODCASTS

 Lolo Zouai - I have been obsessing over this French-American singer's work as of late. It's not hard to fall in love with her music; she has the voice of angel and her vivid lyrics only compliment her sound...listen to IDR and Desert Rose and you will see what I'm talking about!

Drake (Scorpion) - Never in my life did I think I would listen to Drake every day for a solid month. Some of the songs - for me at least- are misses - but the majority of his new sounds have been on repeat on my phone, most notably the notorious song of the 'Kiki' challenge, In My Feelings, and trap-inspired rap song, Blue Tint.

About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge - I have yet to read Eddo-Lodge's 'Why I Am No Longer Talking to White People about Race', which has gotten fiercely good reviews from critics as she approaches the issue of race in the modern age, especially within contemporary British society, However, I have been loving her small segments which are free to download via the Apple podcast app which explores some of these issues further and in which she interviews a number of people on the topic.

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Thanks for reading and make sure to follow me on Bloglovin', Instagram (@ariiobi) and Tumblr 

Arianne, looklovewear

x

OOTD + First Year Musings...

Oh how I'll miss campus life over summer - the casual caching up with friends, the comfortable proximity of club nights, restaurants and supermarkets and, admittedly, the level pre's before nights out .First year has certainly had its highs and lows for me both in terms of work, health ad social life and I think it is fair to say that I have learnt a fair bit about living more independently. I think the intensity particularly of workload is reflected in my lack of posting but I have a good 3-4 months to get back on the grind with this blog as well as my other creative outlets (THANK GOD!). Anyway, here is an outfit post (thanks to Izzy Manuel for the photos) as well as my notes on what I have taken away from fresher's...

 Shirt - Vintage

Trousers - Topshop

Sunglasses - Blank Sunglasses

1 - You might find and lose friendship in the least expected places - You may not be everyone's cup of tea and it's important to be yourself. On that note, you might find yourself in relationships which feel unnatural or as if they do not have longevity. Treat everyone with respect but don't expect to be best friends forever with each person you come across, whether that is during fresher's week itself or over the course off the year.

2- Take care of your health - It's natural to want to go out and have the best time possible, but it's also key to take care of your health both mentally and physically. For me personally this has especially had its highs and lows so I have come to understand how important it is to be conscious of how you are feeling and how it impacts your every day life. Oh yes, and probably best to not go too heavy on the booze, no matter how cheap Lambrini is and how funny the Snapchat stories will be the next day.

3- Budget, Budget, Budget (but don't be miserly) - This is actually something I have been very good with, if I do say so myself. You don't have to spreadsheet every penny you're spending, but just try to be conscious of how much things will and should  cost you in advance as well as responsibly splitting up your finances for work and fun. You don't want to be known as the party girl who survives on baked beans and dirty laundry, but also the recluse who gets their regular dose of foie gras and glistening whites...

4- Get involved - Although I have had my fair share of involvement, I now heavily regret not getting involved in sports or campus editorials. For many universities, there is so much on offer from Anime Society, to Streetwear Society to Wine and Cheese club, not to talk of the various sports which people also get people involved physically and socially, so seize the opportunity and find something you are passionate about.

5- Don’t stress , it’s only first year - Pretty straight-forward really!

 Slug and Lettuce, Bath

 A cake I made for a friend's birthday

 Sunset from Bathwick Hill

 Life Drawing Classes

A visit from some old friends over my birthday

I'm Back : 2017 in Review

I'll admit that it is petrifying coming back to blogging after months of absence. Some of you may be thinking, is she alive? Did her computer crash? But I'm pretty sure 93% of you probably don't care all that much. Anyway, the AWOL-ness has been basically due to settling in to University etc. but 4 days after ringing in the new year I am keen to be a bit more consistent (despite having said that at least a billion times and rarely pulling through). As we're heading in to a year which is hopefully a bit more exciting  and less politically troubling than 2017, I wanted to share some highlights of last year from style, to travel, to general new experiences.

I hope you all have a fab 2018 and I'll be back soon (she says...)

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STYLE

Ironically, I love autumn/winter style but somehow my top outfits of this year have been from the warmer months (or rather when I just bit the bullet and wore something strappy).

TOP-BOTTOM : Yuki Haze Photoshoot, Ankara Jumpsuit, Photoshoto with Manjot Kaur, Leaver's Prom

MUSIC

Sound-wise, I feel as if I have gone backwards instead of forwards. Whilst my love for techno will never die (See Ben UFO and Avalon Emerson for more) and I have discovered newer artists like Tom Misch and Tommy Genesis, I have also been loving a lot of musicians before my time like Bowie, Joan Jett and Fleetwood Mac.

LOSING MY WAY - TOM MISCH

TOMMY - TOMMY GENESIS

FASHION - DAVID BOWIE

CRIMSON AND CLOVER - JOAN JETT

DREAMS - FLEETWOOD MAC

READS

Since going to Uni I have been a bit slow on the reading front but still managed to find a few favourites. Oddly enough, my top two concern questioning the 'meaning of life' and although Camus' L'Etranger is slightly more sombre and existentialist, Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie is enjoyable and I found that there was a lot to take away from it. Not only this, but I guard my copy of Sweet Thang Zine with my life now, a magazine serving as a platform for intersectional feminism and young artist.

SHOWS

I have no shame in admitting RuPaul's Drag Race has become a favourite of mine and I am now searching for drag shows around London on a daily basis, but I have also watched more captivating shows like Big Little Lies, The People vs. OJ Simpson and a French comedy-drama called Call My Agent (Dix Pour Cent)

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looklovewear

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OOTD : Notting Hill Carnival

Top - Vintage

Trousers - Vintage

Shoes - Vagabond

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If you live in London, you will know that the highlight of the summer is Notting Hill Carnival. Over two days, the streets of London's elite come together for (somewhat inappropriate) dancing, Caribbean music, jerk chicken and an all-round good time. Despite the sense of fear which seems to loom over us as we go about our daily lives regarding threats like terrorism and acid attacks, it was clear to see that this did not hinder the spirit of carnival and everyone went on whining  and dining as they have been for the past several decades. I went with a couple friends and wore a suede top with red trousers which, at first, seemed like a great idea, but I soon came to know that this + 27 degree heat + people moving and throwing drinks everywhere was not a good combination...

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Oh yes, and I now have Twitter : https://twitter.com/azzafromafrica

looklovewear (Arianne)

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Paris (+ OOTD)

To take some pressure off post-exam and pre-result stress and hysteria, I was able go travelling all around Europe with a bunch of close friends. Whilst train-hopping through central Europe, we encountered castles and monuments, bizarre local cuisines and equal amounts of both casual misogyny and fetishisation (think comments containing the terms 'Beyonce', 'Milk chocolate' and, my personal favourite, 'Nubian queen'. Other than the occurrences mentioned, along with missing trains and going way over budget in certain situations, it was a trip of a lifetime and, in the least Disney Channel way possible, taught me a lot about myself and others. To top the trip off however I went to Paris with one of my best friends, Maria, for a slightly less hectic and more metropolitan end to the trip. We were able to make the most of our trip, seeing almost every sight possible despite making very poor clothing and shoe choices day-in-day out. I only managed to photograph one OOTD on my iPhone so be warned of questionable image quality, but below are also photos of our adventures...

À la prochaine

Oh yes, and I now have Twitter : https://twitter.com/azzafromafrica

looklovewear (Arianne)

 x

Jacket - Vintage

Top - Vintage

Jeans - H&M

Shoes - Adidas (NEO)

Le Marais

Centre Pompidou

Jardin des Tuileries

L'exposition de 'Dalida'

Le Marais

Versailles

 Pigaille