Friday 21 December 2012

2013... a year for friendship




Only 3 sleeps to go until Christmas day we are extremely excited to open our presents and stuff our faces with Turkey! However when Christmas is over, what next? It’s the time of year to get our party dresses out, hair done and get our pampering on ready to bring in the New Year! With this, it means one thing, the spring/summer 2012 trends will be making their way from the catwalks to the high street and a trend we hope to be seeing again this spring summer is that of the friendship bracelets

Whether they’re layered up or worn alone as a statement piece, it’s safe to say this trend has been a favourite amongst the celebrity crème da la crème this year as well as a firm favourite on the high street. I’m a big fan of bold pieces of jewellery and these simple bracelets in paint box bright colour pops add statement style, worn solo or mixed and matched, built up the wrist, each making it’s own individual declaration of friendship.

2012 has seen the rise in the celebrity trend of the Shamballa bracelet, with many an A-lister adopting this look as the perfect accessory to their outfits. With this, the launch of our new jewellery brand Shimla is the perfect way to combine this ever popular look into your own style, to see in the New Year. 

Shimla captures the magical and spiritual feeling of the wearer and with every piece being handmade they really to capture something special. These bracelets are the perfect way to accessorise and if you’re wondering which colour to go for, then don’t as they have a great interchangeable concept, which means you can chop and change your style to suit your mood as well as the latest trends. 




Guess is also a firm favourite in the style stakes and their friendship bracelets are a favourite of mine. I love this rose gold plated and tan rope bracelet. The neutral palette combined with the rose gold and crystal detailing gives it that extra bit of sparkle. I’d layer up with this gold plated button black bracelet. These two bracelets worn together ooze laid back chic and would look great teamed with the common spring/summer trends, whether it be girly prints or the relaxed boho festival look.




We can’t wait to see what 2013 brings and are looking forward to indulging in all of those new and exciting trends which are now just round the corner. Now for that New Year’s resolution… 

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Thursday 20 December 2012

20 gifts for under £20


With only five sleeps left until Christmas, it’s safe to say that here at HS HQ we are extremely excited! However, the panic has now started to set in as I still have some presents to buy! I mean obviously I planned to start back in October but low and behold those pesky stores distracted me and my debit card, and *poof* a new dress (or four) ended up in my wardrobe… Ok, so that might be a slight exaggeration but I still have some extremely late presents to buy!! So if like me you are guilty of leaving your Christmas shopping until the last minute then I’ve rustled up a few gift ideas all for under £20 to ensure those smiles on Christmas morning are kept firmly upon our loved one’s faces. Whether you’re buying for friends, a partner or family, I’ve put some of my favourite gift ideas together for you and your perfect present needs. 

Collectibles are a great gift, whether they’re already a collector or if you just want something that sends a loving message. The Willow Tree figurines are one of my personal favourites and I have purchased a couple for my mum, who proudly displays them in the living room. Their neutral palette, are sure to compliment any décor and I love their contemporary twist on a traditional angel figure. Each one comes with their own message and this Surrounded by Love figurine is the ideal gift to share with a loved one. 

Brooches have been a must with any fashion conscious woman this year, with their presence being felt all over the A/W12 catwalks. This owl brooch is perfect with gold plating and glittering stones. This little guy is a real cutie with a little diva edge after featuring in Grazia. Teamed with a chunky knit or your winter coat, this brooch transforms drab to fab in an instant. 

These silver and 9ct gold crystal drop earrings ooze elegance, and with the crystal dipped detail these earrings would make any girl stand out from the crowd. If you’re buying for more of a stud kind of girl, then these Pilgrim studs are perfect. With enough sparkle to catch people’s eye, yet subtle enough to not distract from their beautiful festive outfit. 

We have a great selection of gift ideas at H.Samuel this Christmas, but to ensure these wonderful gifts are wrapped and ready to go in time for Christmas, act fast as our last delivery dates for Christmas are Friday 21st December before 3pm for next day and Thursday 20th December by 2pm for standard delivery. 

Here are some other great finds, I think you’ll love this Christmas.



From left to right:

1) Casio digital watch 
2) Little Princess exclusive jewellery box
3) Men’s rectangular stainless steel cufflinks
4) My Blue Nose Friends Goose
5) Butterfly diamante compact mirror
6) Silver and purple cubic zirconia pendant
7) Silver crystal quartz bracelet
8) Willow tree ‘Surrounded by Love’
9) Silver Peppa Pig expanding bangle
10) Oasis round link watch
11) Pilgrim silver plated crystal ball stud earrings
12) Men’s union jack cufflinks
13) Silver open flower earrings
14) Silver & 9ct gold crystal drop earrings
15) Fiorelli crystal beaded bracelet
16) Disney Britto – Mickey Mouse
17) Gold plated stone set Owl brooch
18) Silver cubic zirconia pendant and earring set
19) Sterling silver wing ring 
20) Men’s leather hiplask

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Tuesday 18 December 2012

Timed to perfection

Last week HSHQ went into festive over drive. First up was the annual turkey extravaganza Christmas lunch, quickly followed by an unusually tame and inoffensive Secret Santa and rounded off with the office Christmas party – all the things needed to make a very bunged up me feel marginally better albeit with some added support from those seasonal stalwarts Strepsils and Lemsip.


Now with just a week to go and a reluctance to leave the comfort of my flat, it’s panic stations because other than the aforementioned Secret Santa present, the items ticked off my Christmas shopping list, currently totals zero. Thank heavens for a well stocked H.Samuel website and a debit card desperate to see some action.

Last month my younger sister turned 23 and I treated her to a new Guess watch which satisfied her animal print instincts perfectly. I do not wear a watch, relying solely on my phone for the time, and even though it’s set 19 minutes fast, it still bears no positive impact on my ability to make any appointments on time. Needless to say, punctuality needs to feature near the top of my 2013 resolution list, and it has been noted that a watch might make the transition from tardy to timely, a little smoother.

A couple of weeks ago, I spent the afternoon at H.Samuel Oxford Circus, and along with Rachel took the opportunity to try on some of our timepieces. It’s easy to see how so many people, become watch collectors, because if you’re anything like me, you’re going to want a different watch for different times (terrible pun I know). Sadly my absolute favourite, this Casio Ladies' Gold Plated Bracelet Watch is now out of stock, but patience is a virtue so keep everything crossed that this makes a welcome appearance in my stocking.


If you like something a little daintier that still glitters in gold, Accurist has launched a beautiful range of 9ct gold watches that epitomise classic elegance. Downton Abbey has been responsible for a resurgence of all things vintage, and I think this Gold Ladies' 9ct Gold Cream Dial Bracelet Watch would suit my delicately Downton alter ego marvellously, while this slightly heavier bracelet diamond set watch ticks both the vintage and the oversized trend boxes.

Rachel was lucky enough to pick up a Christmas gift for herself while we were in store, and after toying between Armani Exchange and Fossil (see below), ended up taking home this smokey, gunmetal grey watch from DKNY. Androgynously oversized, the crystal embellishment lends sleek femininity.

For men, the guys in our office all experimented with their festive favourites a few weeks ago. And while I am enamoured by the supreme chunkiness of Diesel’s chronographs, I’d warrant my step dad, might prefer something a little more befitting of his, ahem, mature years, and slightly more discreet. Enter Boss Orange; who for handy gift sets, watches both analogue and digital, of varying face shapes and sporting classic and contemporary colours; fit the bill for fellas of all ages.

To ensure Santa and his reindeer arrive on time (excuse yet another time related pun), you’ll need more than just a watch, you’ll need our last order dates. And if you opt to use our gift wrapping service, there’ll be no fighting with the sellotape for you this year which means you can put your feet up, scoff a mince pie and take your pick from any number of my favourite mulled wine movie companions – Elf, Home Alone 2 and White Christmas, safe in the knowledge that your turkey is set to be timed to perfection.

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Wednesday 12 December 2012

Making time sparkle


This week I got to have a little try on of the fab Charmed by Accurist watches, with the help of Ellie and Amy of course, who kindly offered their wrists as models. 

These unique watches are a contemporary twist on the traditional charm bracelet. With the rise of beads and charms from the likes of Chamilia, Truth and Special Memories, these elegant watches allow the avid charm collector to not only wear their customised bracelets, but to also showcase individuality and add further intrigue to their timepieces with beautiful beads and eye catching charms with Charmed by Accurist watches.

Naturally Ellie, Amy and I all different favourites to suit our personal styles. Ellie was immediately drawn to the Glamorous Night edition, which features a black dial with crystal embellished bezel which compliments her new dark and glamorous hair! This stunning watch comes with four charms and 2 locks to keep them safely in place. The charms feature black and white crystals as well as studded crystal enamel making this the perfect bejewelled watch to dance away the night this party season.. 




I’m partial to a bit of bling, but when it comes to watches, I often opt for a little more subtlety. I’m a lover for all things embellished with gold,  therefore this two tone style was the right choice. This watch has the perfect amount of sparkle for me with a delicately encrusted stone set bezel, gold markers and six gold dusted charms with two locks. The added dusting of sparkle would definitely encourage me to wear this of an evening, but a little flash of sparkle from beneath a cosy knit is never a bad thing for a chic daytime look.




Amy, ever fickle, opted for a slightly more unusual look an layered up the purple and blue edition. Cocktail colours and jewel tones have been a must for any fashion conscience girl this season, with bold and brights looking set to continue to be a favourite trend next season as prominent on the S/S13 catwalks. These two watches complement each other well, and for any one (ahem Amy) that’s a little slack at time keeping, two watches are sure to do the job. 




These stunning watches are available to buy from H.Samuel online and instore, and hurry, from now (Wednesday 12th Dec 2012) until of end of day tomorrow, receive a sparkling silver cubic zirconia pendant and earring set free when you spend £49 online only. This set that normally retails at £19.99, would be the perfect accompaniment to your Charmed by Accurist watch to add even more dazzle to your festive outfit. Terms and conditions apply



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Tuesday 11 December 2012

Star style with McFly & Sekonda


Last week myself and Ellie were lucky enough to be part of the audience for The McFly Show, which some of you may have seen on Saturday night before The XFactor on ITV.

Safe to say we were rather excited about this, as both had been avid McFly fans in our early teen years and were looking forward to reliving some of their old tunes as well as hearing some new material.

The set looked great, and was designed to look like their apartment. We had a great view of the stage and were seated right in front of where the boys would be singing. Perfect!

The McFly boys finally came out on stage and were absolutely lovely, very down to earth and excited to be filming their very own show! The humour was also great and with guests such as Michelle Keegan, Al Murray, Chelsee Healey and Olympic gold medallist champion, boxer, Luke Campbell, the show was a great success, filled with jokes and of course those catchy McFly songs. 

The show on ITV was sponsored by Sekonda and as we were their guests, it seemed only right to pair the McFly boys up with what we think would be their favourite watch. Obviously after we had finished swooning over them and each deciding who we would like to marry. Ahem. 

So, as the show went on each of the boys’ individual characters came out, with each one speaking about their solo ventures whilst the band was on a break. Dougie was famously crowned King of the Jungle in the 2011 series  of ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get me out of here’, whilst Harry went on to win Strictly Come Dancing last year. Tom kept a lower profile keeping his focus on writing new material for the guys, not forgetting that stint on The Only Way is Essex of course! Danny’s solo ventures remained a joke of the show as each guest failed to remember him on Popstar to Operastar, which prompted him to demonstrate his new found operatic skills.

With each of their personalities portrayed, from their humour, quirky VT’s to their fashion sense, choosing the watches we’d like to see the boys in came easier than we first thought. We split the boys 50/50 and whilst I took Danny and Tom, Ellie pieced together her ideas of Sekonda fashion, McFly style.

Danny, who is one of the lead singers of the band is definitely a cheeky chappy with an indie edge. This bold  Men's Chronograph watch is every bit on trend with added detailing of black and red on the bracelet and on the dial. This watch could easily be transferred from day to night and would not look out of place with both a suit and a casual outfit.   




With Tom, geek-chic was definitely the trend that sprung to mind when pairing him up with this watch. With bold black framed glasses, a vintage inspired haircut and not to forget that incredibly cute ukulele, we thought a classic watch would suit his laid back retro style. This stainless steel and yellow gold-plated round dial Sekonda watch oozes vintage elegance, as well as keeping up with contemporary demands of the fashionable two-tone trend. 



Personally, I’m also a big fan of the two tone trend and you’ll often find me obsessing over which jewellery to wear whether it be silver or gold to accessorise my outfits, therefore the Sekonda Twilight Pearl is perfect for me. This watch looks every bit the fashion star which the sleek shaping and of course that added bit of bling. This stylish watch ensures my inner fashionista is kept happy whilst also leaving my bank balance in peace!



With Danny, Tom and Myself mentally kitted out with a dream Sekonda watch wish list, it was now the turn of our fab online copywriter Ellie to adorn us with some sleek and stylish picks of her own… 

Drummer Harry’s cool and fresh look undoubtedly suits a sleek stainless steel bracelet watch, such as this chic Sekonda timepiece, finished with a mix of polished and brushed metal. Featuring a white dial with bold black multi dials and chronograph function, this watch affords a simple, contemporary edge, with just a dash of the bold style we saw in Harry’s flamboyant dancing attire!




Meanwhile, mischievous bassist Dougie Poynter is renowned for rocking an Indie edge, which goes perfectly with this black dial chronograph watch. Set with a brown leather croc effect strap with stitch detail, this watch offers the perfect touch of granddad chic to match Dougie’s endearing (and a little cheeky!) coyness.




Having picked out all these handsome watches for the guys, we couldn’t resist having a peak at the ladies’ Sekonda watches and picking out our own favourites. As a self-confessed magpie and fan of rose gold’s warm and unique edge, this gorgeous bracelet watch from Sekonda’s Seksy range was a no-brainer for me. Made with sparkling Swarovski elements and finished with an elegant mother of pearl dial (with a little more crystal glitter!) this is a glamorous watch which combines timepiece with jewellery fashion piece. 




All of these watches are available to buy online and in store at H.Samuel.

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Thursday 6 December 2012

More ways to shop at H.Samuel


With the announcement of our iPad catalogue app only a few weeks ago, there are now more ways than ever to shop with us at H.Samuel.

Not only can you browse our selection of jewellery, watches and gifts on our website, you can now also download our great apps for both your iPhone and iPad.

Our brand new iPad app also allows you to browse our catalogues online and purchase directly from them.
Click here to download the app.




With these apps you can create your very own wishlist that can be easily shared with others or use our handy gift finder to find the perfect present. Search by recipient, occasion and category to see our great list of suggestions to ensure you find the ideal gift for everyone. Maybe you fancy seeing it in all its glory before you buy? Then use the handy store locator to find your nearest H.Samuel store.



With a great range of jewellery, watches and gifts on offer at H.Samuel, you can now shop easily anytime, anywhere. 

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A Christmas Gift Guide

With payday now a distant memory after this weekend, the 1st of December came and went meaning only one thing, my Christmas shopping had officially started.

Safe to say I’m not a great shopper under these stressful conditions and normally resort to the comfort of my own home, laptop and a nice cup of tea. However, I was forced out of my normal habitat this weekend by my Christmas obsessed friend who absolutely loves delving into the deepest, darkest and busiest areas of the high street ready to pick up some gifts ready for the 25th!

After giving in we headed into town and safe to say I was quickly sucked into the Christmas spirit and choosing gifts suddenly became a lot easier.

My mum is a huge fan of the Soap and Glory range available at Boots and likes to indulge in their luxurious bath and beauty products; therefore I opted for this great gift set complete with foaming shower gel, body butter, exfolitator, shower puff and even a handy hair towel. These products smell lush and make shower time that little bit more exciting!

As well as this, she is also impartial to a bit of bling, and these Evoke earrings seemed perfect! These studs are created with crystallized Swarvoski elements and are the ideal balance of sparkle and elegance. So if you’re going all out with glitter and sequins on the dress, these earrings will ensure no human bauble type fashion tragedies! 




Next was the turn of my 18 year old brother, who has requested a onesie, yes a oneise. I didn’t stick around too long to ask many questions! 

As much as the onesie was hilarious, I also wanted to spoil him. He’s gone off to university this year and with all those late nights and early lectures to keep tabs on, there seemed only one gift appropriate for him this year; a watch.

This Citizen Eco Drive watch is perfect for him. The stainless steel bracelet and black dial provides a classic look and can easily be worn from day to night and although classic, this watch easily has a contemporary twist with its sleek yet simple design. 





The girls love the ultimate beauty accessory of fake tan and Lauren’s Way have a great £10.00 gift set with mini bottles of fake tan and tan accelerator. Perfect if you’re looking to try the tan without buying a whole bottle! What better way to accentuate a fresh tan than with a shimmering Sekonda Crystalla watch? These fab watches are a must on any style conscious Christmas list, as this style of bracelet has certainly gained a huge celebrity following over the last year. They are available in different colours so perfect if you want to bestow upon more than one person!  





Safe to say i'm definitely feeling in the Christmas spirit now and with my tinsel decorated desk there’s only one thing left to do; what to get my office secret santa…Amy wants a Ryan Gosling colouring book. . .

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