Long White Blazer

Blazer* - Celeb Look

Striped Crop Tee* - Glamorous

Coral Shorts - Topshop

Rings - Fashionology

I've been looking for the perfect white blazer for such a long time. I wanted something lightweight that I could wear during the day, but everything I came across was far too dressy or structured. This long textured blazer, kindly sent from Celeb Look, is just what I've been looking for - it's casual enough to wear during the day and its large square pockets and 3/4 length sleeves add something extra. It falls just under my bum which is a flattering boy-fit length and can be worn with both short dresses or skinny jeans.

I'm pairing it today with these bright coral shorts and a breton stripe cropped tee. I've finally had my hair chopped again, it feels much healthier and I really like it at this length for the summer. It probably suits my face shape more than the long hair ever did. I just ask for a straight cut these days to keep the ends really blunt and choppy.

I've been working hard at the photography studio this week and seeing my sister who came home for a short visit. I just haven't had the time to write up and blog posts or even keep up on Twitter. Things will be getting back to normal soon - hope everyone's enjoying the weather!

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Nude Nails - Essie Fiji

Fiji is one of my all time favourite shades. It's a very-pale pink, which sometimes looks almost white. I wore this last week for my graduation as it's the perfect nail polish to wear for a memorable occasion. I imagine many brides wear this on their wedding day and it's the kind of polish that goes with any outfit. As with all Essie polishes it has a thick creamy formula which becomes opaque after two coats. It glides on easily and dries fairly quickly (10 minutes) I've been wearing this for 4 days and its chipped only once. I also love wearing Fiji on my toes especially in the summer, it compliments both pale and tanned skin. Fiji is becoming a go-to product for me and I will be re-purchasing when this bottle runs low. With a nude polish I tend to wear simple silver jewellery like these rings from Fashionology.

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Dissertation Photography

Being on a art course such as Photography means your degree does not centre around exams and essays. As part of our final year dissertation we were able to choose from various options - whether to write the full 8,000 word essay or split it in half and submit some visuals alongside the text. I wanted to discuss modern self portraiture and my exact discussion was titled 'The Purpose of the Contemporary Photographic Self-Portrait'. So submitting photographs seemed like a good fit.

I thought I'd share some of the final square crops with you guys. They're all self portraits. I feel like I have a good grasp on this subject after writing this blog for a few years, taking many many self-portraits and being a social media addict! I actually even set up an Instagram account and created a small book via Blurb to go alongside my submission. Who says dissertations can't be fun!

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Print Your Memories with a Selphy

The printed photograph is quite different from one seen on a screen. I posted about polaroids and photo strips and how being able to hold a photograph in your hands is a special feeling. So today I'm sharing my new gadget with you guys, it's a Canon Selphy Printer - which prints 4x6 prints using thermal printing techniques. At home we have a shared printer that's very expensive to maintain so we use it mainly to print Word documents and letters. This little printer is designed purely to print photographs on a semi-glossy paper, quickly and efficiently. You can print from your laptop, or straight from your camera. With some of the newer Selphy models you can even print straight from your phone using WiFi/Bluetooth.

I found the Canon Selphy CP760 on eBay for a bargain price of £30. There are always lots being auctioned off for low prices so if you're happy to buy a older model you can save yourself some money. I also purchased a refill pack from Amazon for around £25 which comes with 100 photo cards and enough ink (3 refills) for 100 photos. You can only use this Canon specific ink and paper in this printer but it works out that each photo will cost about 25p so I think that's a fair price.

The thermal printer works by coating the paper three times in primary colours. Once you send your image to print, it goes through the printer with the yellow ink coating first, then a coat of magenta (looks red mixed with the yellow) and then a coat of cyan blue. The printer will take the image through one last time to coat your photograph with a protective top coat. This top coat dries super quickly (10 seconds) and prevents finger marks or smudging. You'll see your image whizz backwards and forwards, the paper comes out at the back too and the whole process takes about a minute.

I was really impressed with the colours achieved (especially skintones) and the magical moment when the three primary colours come together to form your photo! I'd say it prints slightly on the cool-skin tone side which is very flattering and means no red faces! You can print in black and white but I find they look more sepia toned as the ink cartridges are colour only so it has to make up black/white with the 3 colours it has.
The first couple of prints came out with small imperfections which looked like dust spots but the more photos I print the less of a problem that is so I'm guessing it's just because it's been unused for some time. Each 4x6 print has two break-off tabs at each end. These snap off very easily without leaving a rough edge.

Now I have this mini printer I have no excuse not to print off photographs. Yesterday was my Graduation and I was very eager to get some of the images printed! I've currently got them pinned to a cork board whilst I find some frames. How do you guys feel about printed photographs vs digital?

*This was not a sponsored post, I just wanted to share my new favourite purchase!

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