Punky Penguins in Love

A few weeks ago I treated myself to the most adorable necklace I think I've ever seen in my life.

I doubt that's the first time I've ever claimed that here or elsewhere, but trust me, this time I mean it without a shadow of a doubt.

See? I wasn't exaggerating! What could be cuter than two penguins holding hands?

Nothing.

These two little guys are adorable. I love the Care Bear like pastel hearts on their stomachs and their sweet bashful cheeks. And the hand holding is too cute. 

The only thing that could possibly be cuter would be two real penguins holding hands, but it would be so much harder to wear them around your neck. 

The necklace is from a company called Punky Pins, who have been making kitsch handmade accessories for the independent fashion scene since 2005. Being a big fan of kitsch accessories, I had shopped with the brand before, but it had been years since I last thought to pay their website a visit. I'm so glad I did!

I discovered this Penguins in Love necklace almost instantly and knew I couldn't leave without adopting one. The problem was leaving without buying one of everything else! I wanted it all. I had to restrain myself and just bought the penguin necklace, which retailed at a reasonable £9.

The penguin charm is made from white printed acrylic and it's quite a statement piece at 6cm wide x 4cm high! The chain is silver plated and it's on the short size at 46cm long, sitting an inch or two below my collar bones. It has an extender chain, though, which helps to provide a little extra length. I like my necklaces long.

It has a lobster clasp fastening and the Punky Pins logo on a charm on the end of the extender chain.

And, it came packaged in its own little black box with foam inside to protect it. I think it gave the purchase a little extra touch; it's always nice when costume jewellery is packaged and presented with a little care and devotion.

Overall, I'm in love with my new necklace, and I was really happy with the service. The delivery charge was reasonable, and it arrived within a week, which isn't bad at all. I can't wait to start wearing it with my favourite outfits. You can find the beautiful Penguins in Love necklace here.

I've still got my eye on a variety of other gorgeous Punky Pins accessories including the Swan and Heart Necklace; the Strawberry Plant Collar Necklace; the Gumball Machine Necklace; the Strawberry Plant Bracelet and so many others. Now I know that the quality of their accessories is great, I'm sure I'll be collecting some of these in the future. 

Have you shopped with Punky Pins yet? Are you a fan of kitsch accessories like me?

How to Wear Colour: Accessorize! (Part One)

Hey folks!

I'm back with another instalment of my How to Wear Colour series, and today I'm going to talk about accessorising with colour.

We've established in previous posts that wearing colour can be extremely daunting when you're not used to it. The thought of wearing colour in public can make even the most confident person shake in her Louboutins, and putting those thoughts in to practise is enough to make stomachs flip with fear- I speak from experience; as someone who is very shy and self-conscious, I used to find it terrifying!

I've learnt that gradually easing colour in to your outfits is the best way to proceed if wearing colour makes you nervous. I personally recommend experimenting with colourful accessories, before trying colourful clothes, mainly because wearing a small accent of colour isn't as terrifying as dressing in it from head to toe. 

Today I have some tips about how and where to start accessorising with colour...

How to Wear Colour: Accessorize! (Part One)

1. Take advantage of the inexpensive accessories when you first begin experimenting with colour. Not only will this give you a little more freedom to dip your toes in to different trends and styles while you find out what works for you, but if you decide a particular colour, style, or trend isn't for you, you won't have wasted a small fortune finding out. If you decide colour is for you, you can invest a little more in pieces later.

2. Accessorizing doesn't have to break the bank; there are pieces to suit all tastes and budgets out there. There are so many inexpensive, fashionable accessories on our high streets, and even in some of the well known supermarkets. Check out Primark, New Look, Accessorize, ASOS, and Forever 21 for some fabulous bargain buys. And why not check out eBay and Etsy, too!

3. Better still, ask a colour-loving friend if you can raid her accessory collection for accessories to try on, and borrow for free.

4. If you have a friend who wears colour well, why not invite her shopping to help you pick out some colourful accessories? She may be able to suggest some great places to shop, and pick out accessories for you that you may never have thought of trying.

5. Experiment with as many different colours and colour groups as you feel you can. Accessories come in almost every colour; depending on the time of the year. Pastels, brights, neons, warm-toned, cool-toned... try them all! It's the best way to learn what suits you and what you like from what doesn't and what you don't.

6. See your neutral clothes as a blank canvas; a place to decorate, and express your creative side. Use these blank canvases to show off your personality.

7. Look for versatile accessories that could be worn in multiple ways with the existing clothing in your wardrobe. What colours are in your regular rotation? Black? Navy? White? Go for accessories in colours that compliment these shades so you get as much out of them as possible!

8. Do you wear a lot of black? Why not try accessorising with pops of bright colours such as cobalt blue, tomato red, apple green, and purple.

9. Do you dress in a lot of white and cream? At this time of year, white works with so many colour groups. Try pastels, brights, and/or neons. I particularly love pairing white with orange and fuchsia in the Summer, but I equally love wearing white with navy and red for a nautical look. Almost any colour can be worn with white.

10. Why do I recommend starting with colourful accessories before trying colourful clothing? Most accessories are easy to remove/conceal in public if you feel self-conscious. You can easily take off a piece of jewellery, a scarf, a hat et cetera, and hide them in your hand bag if you lose your nerve- unlike most clothing which you're stuck wearing until you get home.

11. Another reason I love accessorising is that the majority of accessories can be worn no matter your size! It doesn't matter if you're a size zero or a size thirty-two+, accessories such as bags, brooches, scarves, and earrings will fit almost everybody.

12. Colourful accessories can make a statement or be subtle; it's really up to you, your personal taste, and how confident you are wearing it. As you wear colour over time and start to build up your colour confidence, you'll probably find you're drawn to bolder and bigger accessories!

I hope you've found this post helpful. You can see other posts in my How to Wear Colour series here. I shall be back with my second post on accessorizing with colour soon, to give you more tips and ideas.