How To Timelessly Style Amber With Baltic Beauty Jewellery

*The products mentioned in this post, were gifted to me by Baltic Beauty Jewellery. All opinions are my own*

Baltic Beauty Jewellery; curated none other by partners in crime Sally-Ann Dunn and Bartosz Wozniak in 2014, aim to make amber - a fossilized tree resin, appreciated for its bold colour and natural beauty since Neolithic times; a stylish option for the modern woman of today. 

The business - Baltic Beauty are renowned for their ability to creatively combine unique designs with modern trends, to promote what can only be described as contemporary, stylish jewellery through an array of pieces such as; rings, necklaces, earrings and more. For me - Sally-Ann and Bartosz are now able to provide jewellery with a bit of a back-story, jewellery that holds no expiration date and jewellery that I, as a modern woman can wear time and time again.

Amber is a gemstone in which I can envision being passed down from generation to generation and has been for many years in our family. It's luxurious and tasteful, so much so that I don't think it will ever truly go out of style - if my granny could wear it in all its simplicity, then I certainly will as well and that's exactly why I'm discussing;

How To Timelessly Style Amber With Baltic Beauty Jewellery

1. Select A Piece That Is Versatile:

I think it goes without saying; you should try to select a piece that is versatile. I opted for the Amber Pastille Pendant - a stunningly round, amber pendant adorned with a sterling silver chain; it really brings natural and man-made together and this is just another reason why it is a versatile and easy piece to wear. To me - the pastille pendant is minimal enough that I can either dress it up when I'm being whisked away for dinner, or fashionably dress down as an everyday accessory. In particular, I like to pair this piece with a white slogan tee and black ripped jeans.

2. Learn How To Style Your Piece:

When shopping with Baltic Beauty Jewellery; don't be afraid to get in contact with owner Sally-Ann and ask for her advice. Learn how to style your piece, do some research on it - whether it's with your new green dress or a pair of Levis, knowing how to style your amber jewellery with your modern wardrobe, could essentially be the twist you were waiting for. It's quite fascinating how something as simple as a pendant can pull an entire outfit together - this was something I picked up during my Topshop experience, but it's also something I have found whilst wearing my Dainty Floral Amber Ring; another minimal piece that can be so easily dressed up or dressed down. 

3. Make A Statement:

Choosing to wear amber jewellery is a personal decision and to me; shows that you are ready to make a statement through the use of classic, contemporary pieces. I thoroughly enjoy wearing my pastille pendant and floral ring, because they show personality. They show a little narrative, a little sassiness if you will. It's quite intriguing how a piece of jewellery can make you feel, especially when you're being complimented for wearing it. In-fact... since colouring my hair blonde, I have found people noticing the fiery gemstones even more.

Overall I think amber pretty much styles and speaks for itself. I do prefer to wear it as an everyday piece, although I am not totally against the idea of dressing it up on a night out. 

Our Stay At The Hotel Cornelisz | Amsterdam

At the beginning of September; the 10th to be exact - Matthew and I had the opportunity to spend three nights and four days in central Amsterdam, wherein we openly celebrated my twenty-second birthday. Our stop in Amsterdam was ideal, especially as it was my first time overseas. In-fact I can now safely say the city is up there in my top five places to visit/revisit and it's also why I quite unashamedly admit that I am itching to return, if not for the Anne-Frank House that was fully booked the entire week, but for the people, food and architecture - not to mention our stay at the Hotel Cornelisz. 

I strongly believe that the location of your hotel makes the trip and in our case it certainly did. We were very fortunate to find an available room via Expedia on short notice and booked our getaway almost immediately. The hotel was in a prime location; we were a stone throw away from the Rijksmuesum and the notorious 'I Am Amsterdam' sign, as well as the Moco Museum, Vondelpark and the Leidseplein - including all the major theatres and music halls the city had on offer. I personally don't think we could have picked a better spot; it was an idyllic setting, surrounded by culture, shopping and endless entertainment. 

We selected Hotel Cornelisz; a three star hotel boasting a total of 51 rooms spread out across different levels and categories/sizes, all of which were fully equipped for comfort and with an atmosphere of an authentic and nostalgic 60's / 70's Amsterdam, combined with the obvious modern design of today. We selected the hotels superior room, overlooking the P.C Hooftstraat - a street of well established and renowned designers such as Lacoste and Emporio Armani.

Upon our arrival we were greeted with smiles at the front desk, it was here that we were given our room keys, a map of Amsterdam and vouchers for an array of tourist locations and boat tours - this allowed us time to sit down, suss out our location and really hone in on the areas that we wanted to see whilst vising the city such as; the Xtra-cold Icebar, the Redlight District and the Van Gogh Museum. 

As I mentioned we selected the hotels superior room overlooking the PC. Hooftstraat. The superior room came with; coffee and tea making facilities, shower, desk, flat screen TV, safe and telephone. Breakfast was a self-service buffet from seven a.m to eleven a.m including cereal, pastries, scrambled egg, toast, sausages and yoghurts/puddings. I personally chose the scrambled egg, toast and sausage. There is also a roof terrace (primarily for smokers), a lounge with a vending machine and coffee/tea making facilities, bicycle rental, wireless internet, 24 hour reception and a wake up service along with dry cleaning services. 

Something the Cornelisz prides itself on is being able to twist old meets new and it is certainly a location I can envision Matthew and I booking again, especially since there is such a vast selection of restaurants on their doorstep i.e. Wagamama's and the Castell: Bar-beque Restaurant. If you're a bit of a shopaholic and a food fanatic like us; you will love your stay here.

Finding My Personal Style With Topshop, Belfast

Finding or refining your personal style can be quite the predicament. I can't tell you how many times I have peered into my wardrobe brimming with clothes and thought why do I have nothing to wear today?, whilst frustratingly flinging my hands above my head in distaste, because despite my recent shopping trip... I still have nothing to wear to my interview or to Matthew's graduation, let alone dinner this evening.

In April 2018 I enlisted in the help of Joanne Lyttle, Belfast's very own - Topshop Personal Stylist. The Topshop Personal Shopping experience is a premium, complimentary service available at an array of stores across the United Kingdom (Belfast being one of them). Here they cover appointments such as; The Essentials, The Big Event or in this instance The Wardrobe Overhaul. I would be lying if I said I wasn't absolutely bricking it about my appointment, but I was. I think the thing that worried me the most, was that I wasn't sure what to expect from the shopping experience, would Joanne really be able to help me? Would she be able to suggest outfits I would actually like?

I arrived at my appointment early, met Joanne and then spent some time walking around the store. This allowed me to suss out what was on offer before my appointment and if you're aware of the Belfast store in Victoria Square, then you'll know that there's quite a bit to choose from.

Joanne guided me into the personal shopping room, sat me down and made sure I was at ease. Here there were an array of buns and drinks, with several magazines. Joanne and I then had a 10 minute chat about what I was expecting from the day, which styles I liked and what my favourite colours were before she disappeared. It wasn't long however before Joanne returned with a clothing rail full of eye-catching outfits for me to try on, all based on the information I had provided while booking, but also through our short discussion on arrival.

Joanne focused on outfits she knew I would get wear from, but would also be able to mix and match. For instance; we picked out two pairs of jeans, paired these with t-shirts (both slogan and dressy), as well as jackets and coats, before accessorizing these with belts and shoes. It honestly really opened my eyes and I discovered styles that I hadn't tried before, as well as colours far from what I would say is my comfort zone.

Upon reflection; I'm pleased that I persuaded myself to ask a personal stylist for help. I felt as though I genuinely needed the boost I received from my appointment and am now confident I can invest in clothing that I will wear time and time again - this is just another reason why I was keen to share my experience in finding my personal style with Topshop, Belfast.

What Is The Future Of She In The Know?

Blogging is one of my favourite ways to share content online, besides Instagram - there's just something gratifying about taking photographs, compiling a list of ideas and then being able to freely publish them online. It's an industry with a story to tell and one that I did not anticipate would propel in such a way. It's actually hard to fathom at times that I am the owner of a blog, on a self-hosted domain.

I curated She In The Know back in 2015, primarily as a lifestyle blog. But it's been here that I have struggled; struggled patently for years to find my vision and my voice in what we can only assess as quite a profoundly over-saturated market. This is why I habitually find myself clicking ctrl, alt, delete, taking time out to not only digest my content but to evaluate it and my blog goals because sometimes you just need to step back and appreciate the bigger picture for what it is.

There is no denying it, I have asked myself what is the future of She In The Know is time and time again and although I want to answer that as honestly and openly as I can, I simply don't know. I do know that I thoroughly enjoy creative writing, it's something I have always enjoyed, between studying English Literature and Journalism as GCSE's it just felt like I had a real knack for it. However... much like the times, my style and interests have changed over the years and generally so has the direction of my blog.

Something I have in a way become renowned for on Instagram; is my ability to share REAL life experiences via Insta stories. I like to cut through the crap and get straight to the point. I'm certainly open to the idea of discussing my experiences, including my trials and tribulations as a twenty-two year old woman. In-fact it was through a recent incident that occurred, where I really started to hone in on the idea of the future of She In The Know. I've been writing blog posts to fill this space for what feels like an eternity, but none of these posts have resonated with me, so why should I expect it to resonate or make an impact on anyone else?

Going forward I want to utilize She In The Know as well as the social media accounts connected, to simply engage with people. I want to speak openly about the nitty gritty and I want to do so in my own way and my own time. I don't want to feel as though I am constantly tiptoeing around everyone else in this industry. I want to ramble on about my favourite products from Lush, what I have picked up from Topshop and which playlist I've been loving lately because these are all a part of me.

She In The Know will be an extension of who I am; inside and out. I am done with conformity, I'm ready to just be undeniably and unashamedly me.