A little late for Glasto..

Dress - Cow Vintage
Shoes & Flower Crown - New Look
Bag - Asos
Earrings - H&M
Watch & Necklace - Vintage

 It's the little moments of peace and enjoyment among the chaos that make life worth living. Most of us lead a very fast lifestyle, constantly flitting between work, study, friends, family, and social media, meaning there's barely enough time in the day and we never get to rest. Often everything feels quite rushed as we power on through life, racing from one day to the next, and it's a very tiring way to live. But every so often, once in a while, there's a softer moment - where everything slows a little and you find yourself inescapably glad to be alive, to be exactly there, and a little bit of calm creeps into your heart. Sometimes it's okay to live a little slower, if you're enjoying it..

I suppose these photos from today made me start thinking philosophically because I've been constantly on the move lately, and will be for the next 6 weeks or so (and I will be even less reliable with posting!). I'm up and down the country, and on Friday I'm going travelling, only to return and live in London to do the Vogue Intensive Summer Course! And today I've been packing like mad (having left it to the last minute a bit), but I went out for lunch with my mum in Glastonbury and I couldn't help but appreciate the serenity of it. Glastonbury as a town is incredibly zen and chilled, quite sleepy, and I love it. So I may not have gone to the festival, but I did pop in and indulge my inner Lana/flower child with this maxi dress and flower crown combination! I fell for this dress in Cow Vintage and couldn't help myself (wow, saying that feels like deja vu!), and I immediately pictured it worn just like this - with flowers in my hair for a hippie vibe that is tamed by the mint jelly sandals. What better place than Glastonbury to float around in this outfit?

Tara India xo

Colour clash.

 Dress, Shoes & Jacket - Topshop
Bag - Asos
Earrings - Vivienne Westwood
Watch - Vintage

There's that old adage that pink and green should never be seen, but sometimes I like to ignore the rules and try some unusual colour combinations. This dark, almost army green is actually lightened and lifted to being a more summery shade when combined with the (currently) hot pink of my hair and the almost holographic baby pink sandals. I'd almost resigned myself to only wearing this dress in winter, but it turns out to be good in summer too! I'm thinking a lot about wardrobe choices at the moment since I have to pack not only for my 9 days abroad, but for my time in London doing the Vogue course at the same time. How am I supposed to know which outfits I will want in a month's time?? And of course there is no relying on the English weather.. I suppose I will just have to pack my current favourites and resign myself to the fact I'll be shopping a bit! Honestly, living out of a bag/case again is going to be a challenge considering I'm going to want to look on point in London - this should really test my mixing and matching capabilities, and maybe force me to try out new combinations that I'm unsure of.. I'd say I'm up to the challenge! For now though, I'm going to enjoy my final day of relaxation before being on the go, and try not to be too jealous of all the people seeing Florence at Glastonbury tonight!

Tara India xo

Face your fears.

 Skirt & Sandals - Topshop
Top - Missguided

Necklace - Swarovski

For someone who routinely poses for photos in the most awkward of places and uploads way too many selfies on instagram, I'm not actually that comfortable in front of the camera! In some ways I'd rather be behind it (especially my vintage film camera), and that's another reason I'm sticking with blogging. As well as enjoying sharing my style, checking out other people's looks and keeping my own outfits fresh, I find that blogging is making me more and more comfortable in photographs - especially candids. It's incredibly easy to look at pictures and find a million flaws, or to only let people see the incredibly posed and edited shots, but we all look our best when we're not trying too hard! After a few months of taking photos and getting stared at by people I'm completely comfortable posing and marching around with friends snapping photos, as well as uploading the less than perfect ones for the world to see. We're all only human. I'd say now that if something scares you, try to do it! Especially things like taking photographs or speaking in public or wearing a certain item of clothing - often the longer you avoid something the worse it gets.

Okay, life lecture over! And now apologies for the wintery outfit - I don't even know what the weather is doing these days apart from making it near impossible to dress to be the right temperature! But I am definitely enjoying being able to go out without a jacket...

Tara India xo

High class.

 Dress, Heels & Sunglasses - Topshop
Earrings - New Look

I feel like my life has kicked back into overdrive now, and that's why these next few weeks may see my blog a little neglected. I'm still trying to take pictures and post but I'm super busy (and out of the country for over a week!), so forgive me if this gets a bit slow - for day to day updates etc go follow my instagram @babydolltara!

These pictures are from my belated 21st birthday present - afternoon tea in the Dorchester hotel in London with two of my best friends! Of course, me being me I had to dress up even more than usual... I'd actually bought these pieces from Topshop before even considering where/when I would wear them, but it seems like there was no better place to christen them! Once again I'll say it - I'm in love with lace. Literally anything lace catches my eye, and a dress like this raises my heart rate.. I love the vintage glamour of the off shoulder style, and white is one of my favourite summer hues (although I think I deserve a medal for managing not to spill any of my cake/champagne/tea on it!) - it's just so fresh and clean, reflecting the light while being universally flattering. An even more impractical purchase was the shoes - complete love at first sight, and an inevitability as soon as I saw them. I didn't walk around London all day in them though, they massacred my feet in the few hours we were in the Dorchester! Lesson learned for the Vogue course - comfy shoes are a must. 

I'm hoping one day I'll go back for tea because it was absolutely delicious, and an amazing birthday present. I adore London as a city so any excuse to go down for a visit.. I'm sorry this is so scattered, but I'll try and post again soon - for now I'll leave you with a candid shot of me when presented with an individual birthday cake!!

 Tara India xo

My makeup essentials!

Since I've basically sacrificed my time to watching OITNB now that season 3 has dropped, and it's a rather gross day outside for June, I decided to do something different and post about my makeup essentials. I'm so not a beauty blogger - I don't really test new things and tend to stick with my favourites for years, but I think I've got a pretty good routine worked out and I've definitely found some superhero products for my tricky skin! So here are my favourites - the things I use every day to create my look.

 Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Gentle Hydrating Cream
This is probably my lifesaver product. I have such difficult combination skin that while I've tried other moisturizing creams none has worked like this. It keeps the dryness away without leaving me oily in other areas, and makes my skin so soft. I use it every morning and I can see the difference if I go without it.

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Primer
 I discovered this last summer, and previously I had never even bothered with a primer, but after trying it once I was hooked. This is a touch extravagant, but I can see how much better it makes my skin and my foundation coverage. Smashbox do lots of other types of primers, I just went for the hydrating one to help my skin out!

Garnier BB Cream - Light, for sensitive skin

Foundation is the base for everything, and if yours isn't doing you justice then no matter how good the rest of your makeup the overall effect will be ruined. I tried so many foundations before BB cream came out and I found them too heavy and too cakey for my skin. I love the light, moisturizing coverage of BB cream, and the way it blends to my skin tone so that even if I get a tan I don't have to buy a new foundation.

 Naked 2 & 3
I tried to choose one or the other, but I own both Naked 2 & 3 and they are both fantastic. Any combination of colours from these looks good once you have the basic light to dark idea - I often mix and match between the two. I love the rose gold shades of the Naked 3 for a very natural look during the day, but for the evening the darker shades of the Naked 2 are perfect. Honestly, it's no wonder that everyone raves about these - since buying them I haven't used any other eyeshadow and I don't need to! They have also lasted an incredibly long time.

Benefit Brow-zings

My eyebrows are one of my defining features - I don't know why they have become such hot property over the last few years but they define everything. I'm very glad the overplucking era is done, because properly defined brows open up your face and make you look "done" even when you haven't got much other makeup on. This kit is perfect, the wax goes on first to hold the shape and then the colour makes sure your brows are perfectly defined.
Collection 2000 Extreme 24-Hour Felt Tip Liner
I also pride myself on my winged eyeliner - it's taken years of practice but I've finally perfected my eyeliner flicks thanks to this felt tip liner. It's so much easier than gel or liquid, and much smoother than pencil. I literally recommend it to everyone because it lasts so long and is so cheap!
Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara
This is a recent discovery and honestly my favourite mascara! It keeps my lashes defined and adds length without getting spidery. It also lasts all day with minimal smudging.
Rimmel Scandal-eyes

This was my top mascara before the Revlon came along, and I still keep it because it really makes my eyes make an impact. I often use this over the top of the Revlon for extra effect and extra thick lashes.

MAC Prep+Prime Translucent Finishing Powder
I didn't try powder for years because I was scared it would dry out my skin even more, and look too caked on. However this powder is perfect because it's translucent, but it sets my foundation to help stop it wearing off over the day and makes my skin smooth. My makeup doesn't feel right without it.
Nars Blusher - Amour
I'd been hearing about Nars blusher for years and I finally got this one for my birthday. I tried out all the shades since I'd seen amazing reviews for Orgasm, but Amour turned out to be better for my skin tone. It's quite highly pigmented so I have to be careful with it, but that also means that a quick sweep wakes up my face and it will last longer!

Obviously, I know many people who don't really wear makeup and I don't think everyone has to - I just love being able to create a look and enhance it with the right makeup. Besides, most of these products actually keep my skin in better condition. And finally, I don't quite feel like myself without at least basic makeup on! Chances are you'll never see me without my lipstick and brows. It's one way I can make myself feel ready to face the day - while I'm getting ready I'm also mentally prepping myself for what I have to do, and knowing I look good helps me feel more confident and better about myself. Maybe it would be nice to go out sometimes without taking so long to get ready, but I like knowing I look my best, and I love being able to create different looks to match outfits and moods.

Tara India xo

How to shop vintage.

 Biker Jacket, Top & Sandals - Topshop
Skirt -Cow Vintage
Necklace & Watch - Vintage
Lipstick - MUA

Vintage shopping is one of my favourite things to do - if there's a vintage fair or kilo sale you'll always find me there, and if I go shopping I'm pretty much guaranteed to want to go to a vintage store. I love the way each item has a sense of history, that everything is unique and I won't be caught in the same outfit as anyone, and the way all the jewellery was made to last. I'm currently obsessed with Cow Vintage (which, if you're in Birmingham, is in Digbeth near the Custard Factory - another great vintage haunt) and last week I picked up this gorgeous skirt! I've never worn a midi length before out of fear of looking short, but I fell in love with the print and found that with my sandals it looks pretty good! So I thought I'd share a few of my tips for vintage shopping..

Always, always, always try it on!

If you're heading to a vintage store in search of clothes always make sure you have time to try them on. Not only can the sizing be a bit tricky, but the cuts are often different to today's clothing, and something that looks good on the hanger can easily be a bit dodgy on. The reverse is also true, that something a bit dodgy looking on the hanger could look perfect when you put it on!

Go through the racks thoroughly.

In a vintage store every item is different, so make sure you look through everything properly, or you could miss out on a hidden gem.

Be prepared to make alterations.

Sizing and length can be problematic with vintage clothes (especially when you're tiny like me) so be prepared to bust out the sewing machine! Often it is as simple as putting in a few darts at the side to take something in, or cutting the length off a skirt to make it mini. If you fall for a print or a detail then use your imagination and you might be able to give it a new lease of life. If you're not fab at sewing or haven't tried before then ask your mum for help - that's what I do!

Always check the clasps and zips.

This doesn't only apply to clothes - when buying jewellery or bags always look over them closely and make sure the clasps work. Sometimes they are just different to modern fixings and might need figuring out, sometimes they just might not work, and it's worth knowing before you buy!

Step out of your comfort zone!

Lately I've been really big on trying new styles, and vintage is a good way to do that. Everything is unique, often bright and printed, and different styles to the high street shops - plus it's usually pretty cheap! Summer is the perfect time to try some new things, and there is nothing better than a good vintage maxi!

Tara India xo

Trying something new.

 Outfit - Topshop
Bag - Asos
Necklace & Watch - Vintage

For someone who is completely enamoured with fifties glamour, the fit and flare silhouette, and being perfectly polished at all times, this really is a step outside of my comfort zone. But I fell in love with this long kimono at first sight and finally let myself buy it because now that summer is coming around I want to float around in a slightly more relaxed fashion. I also enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone style-wise, which is why I'm trying out a more hippie-ish, seventies look with this chilled-out dress and light kimono. Sometimes we can get caught up in one look - when you find something that works for you the temptation is to stick with it and not experiment! But I don't want to become predictable, which is why I've been trying out some new styles lately: I kept my hair natural and classic for years, so I switched it up with some bright colour; I usually go for 40s-50s glamour so I tried a 70s influence; I mostly wear skirts and dresses so I've dug out my trousers, bought some jeans and am going to try braving shorts again soon. I would honestly recommend it to anyone. If you're a bit of a tomboy then try a dress, if you always go girlie then try some sports luxe, or if you usually dress incredibly boldly try something a little more relaxed.. you might surprise yourself and find a new look to keep people on their toes. One of the reasons I enjoy blogging my outfits is because I can see when I'm getting in a style rut (either with the same silhouette, the same colour palette, or wearing the same few items over and over) and I can try something different, or dig out an old item and give it a new lease of life!

Also, I can't even go into how excited I was to go out without having to wear my biker jacket - I love it, but I've been wearing it consistently for so long that I'm ready to hang it up for summer! Here's to hoping it stays gorgeous and warm for a while now....

Tara India xo

Casual monochrome.

 Outfit - Topshop

This is another one of those days when I'm a walking advertisement for Topshop - all of these pieces are mixed and matched from 2014/15 collections - and when I'm appreciating how cohesive all of the Topshop pieces are, mixing and matching perfectly especially when in monochrome colour palettes. My favourite part of this outfit though is my new sandals! I'm a real girlie girl and these scream summer - I can't wait to wear them with bare legs and finally break out the shorts. Speaking of summer, I've been finalising my plans and I can't wait. In a month I fly off for 9 days of adventures in Europe, then I'll be jetting back to London to start the Vogue Intensive Summer Course!! And in the mean time I'm up and down the country a bit, but I'm especially excited to go to London for the day in a few weeks and get a belated birthday present... This does mean blogging might be a bit all over the place, but since this is mostly just for me and to keep my style fresh I'm sure I'll be okay. So roll on summer, and let's hope for some sunshine so my summer wardrobe can finally be unleashed....

Tara India xo