Because Wearing Black Looks Mysterious...

Review: Benefit facial skincare range.

2012-01-31T11:34:00.000Z

When I attended the Benefit Bloggers Breakfast around Christmas time (which you can read all about here.) I was given an amazing goodie bag full of so many lovely products!

One of the things I was most intrigued to try out, were the samples of their skincare range that we were kindly gifted. Traditionally, i'm strictly a Liz Earle skincare kind of girl. I've used their products since I was a lot younger, my Mum introduced me to them, and I know they're all really natural, and they've always been pretty good to my skin, so i've never thought of trying anything else.

We were kindly given the following:

- Foamingly Clean, facial cleanser.

- It's Potent! eye cream.

- Triple Performing Facial Emulsion, moisturiser.

As with all Benefit products, I absolutely adore the packaging! It fits in with the colour of my room perfectly too! I couldn't wait to try them out, and see if they were as amazing as the makeup products that I love so much.

Foamingly Clean

The first thing that struck me about the cleanser was the smell, it's very traditionally 'soap' scented, but with a slight citrusy tang to it - so nice! The texture is very light, and it foams really nicely as you massage it into damp skin. I don't know if it's psychological, but when things foam, it feels as if they're actually really cleansing.

Afterwards, it left my skin feeling very fresh and clean. However, it did feel a little bit tight. Not dissimilar to how soap leaves your skin feeling really.

Overall, I did really like this product as my skin felt as though it had been really deeply cleansed. However, i'm lazy and am used to using a cleanser that also removes eye makeup... I can definitely say now, from experience, that you don't want to get this cleanser anywhere near your eyes. Stung, quiiite a bit. This still hasn't put me off the product though.

It's potent!

It's probably difficult for me to give this product a proper review, as i've only used it twice, and I think with products like eye creams the effects aren't instant.

The consistency of the eye cream is quite rich, but not in a way that leaves skin looking oily or shiny. I also found, that it did brighten my eyes a little bit.. even just on my first use of it!

The smell of the product is gorgeous too.

Triple performing facial emulsion

I really love this product! It smells absolutely amazing, and it instantly hydrates skin leaving it feeling really soft and smooth.

At first, I found the packaging adorable. It looks a little like a jar you might find being used in some kind of experiment in a science lab, but strangely that appealed to me. However, it wasn't until I tried to get the product out that I realised how annoying the packaging was. As it was a narrow top glass bottle, I had to bang the bottle on the top to try and encourage the cream out (much alike trying to get tomato ketchup out - there's a reason they invented squeezy bottles.). On retrospect I think this might actually be a clever trick, to prevent you from using too much, as a little goes a long way with this moisturiser.

Overall I'm really impressed by what Benefit have to offer for skincare. I'd like to try a few more of their other products, and I'll definitely consider buying the facial wash and eye cream once my samples have run out.

NOTD: Henry Holland inspired nail art.

2012-01-27T12:55:00.000Z

Today's nail art is inspired by one of my favourite designers - Henry Holland!

I was, and still am, a huge fan of his spring/summer 2012 collection, 'Pastel Punks', especially all the bold leopard prints mixed with pastels, it's just the kind of thing i've been doing on my nails for a little while.

The section of the range that inspired me the most was the leopard print over the lilac/mint-green pastel colours, that beautifully blended together. Naturally, I was dying to try this out on my nails!

picture courtesy of houseofholland

I'd already popped Models Own 'pink fizz' onto my nails, and seeing as glitter takes a good half hour/hour to remove properly, I decided to be a bit lazy, and blend the other colour with that.
I have to admit, I kind of like the glitter with it, it makes them look a bit mermaid like.. (just me then? ...okay.)

colours used: Pink Fizz Models Own, Mint Green Barry M, Black WAH! for Models Own nail art pen.

To get the nice blending effect, I just dabbed the green on the ends, and used my top coat to blend it upwards a little bit - such an easy technique. I'm now dying to take off this glitter and get blending all my colours!

OOTD: Button up

2012-01-26T10:16:00.000Z

Tiny little bit obsessed with the coat I got for Christmas. I spotted it ages ago, and it took me a while to hunt it down in my size, but I eventually found one, and my Mum offered to get it as part of my Christmas present.

It was a painful wait, waiting until Christmas day until I could wear it, though!

coat: Miss Selfridge.

And now, I've barely taken it off since!

I love how it's quite vintage looking, with the beautiful gold buttons. I'm obsessed with collars at the moment too, so anything with a collar is a winner in my eyes.

KEY TREND: Scarf Prints.

2012-01-25T15:15:00.000Z

One of my favourite trends for S/S is scarf print. I do love a good vintage silk scarf, I went through a stage of wearing mine every single day. Riiight up until the fateful moment when a shop assistant asked me if it was from the Versace from H&M collection.

Yeah. Kind of killed it for me right then and there to be honest.

Here are some of my favourite scarf-print items from some of my favourite high street brands.

(please note, those with an asterisk next to them (*) aren't out in the shops quite yet!)

Scarf Print Blouse

£13

George*

Scarf print oversized crop

£12.99

Pilot*

Clairi Zip back top

£14.99

Missguided

Zoe Baroque print body

£25

Motel

Sleeveless print shirt

£30

River Island

Scarf print Shirtdress

£50

Topshop

The last dress is my absolute favourite take on the trend (they've done gorgeous matching print shorts too!) which I'm really physically having to hold myself back from buying - student loan is NOT for clothing, Louise.

What are your thoughts on the scarf print trend? How will you be wearing it this Spring?

Charlotte Olympia's Puuuuurfect Pumps.

2012-01-24T10:58:00.000Z

There are just no words for how completely perfect these shoes are. Ever since I spotted them on the quirky cool feet of Katy Perry, I fell in love. I'm a bit of a shoe obsessive, as well as a secret - or not-so-secret - cat lady. Therefore these are just a little bit amazing.

Charlotte Olympia

£485.

Yes, those three numbers were correct. Ouch. However, if you're a bit of a DIY queen, then I remember seeing a cheeky little DIY tip on GemFatale's blog about how you can make your own puurfect pumps.

Second option I spotted on the very stylish feet of What Olivia Did... THESE just as incredible heeled versions, at around a tenth of the cost.

If you love DIY fashion, then you'll probably love Handmade Fashion magazine. 'Like' the Facebook page HERE to find out all the latest news on it's upcoming release!

Giveaway! Anitas Vintage Fashion Fair tickets

2012-01-23T19:16:00.006Z

I have a bit of an unexpected giveaway to announce now!

Last week I won two complimentary tickets for free entry to Anita's Vintage Fashion Fair! I was so excited when I found out, as i've heard lots about AVFF. They recently had a stall at the Clothes Show live, and are one of the most talked about Vintage fairs around at the moment.

'Anita’s Vintage Fashion Fairs have been a permanent fixture on the London Vintage Scene for over 8 years, hosting successful fairs in both Battersea and Notting Hill. Anita’s Vintage Fairs have gained a prestigious reputation, attracting attendee’s from the fashion industry: Designers, Magazine Editors, Stylists, Models and Celebrities alike. Anita’s Fairs are not only located in exquisite and inspirational settings but are renowned for showcasing the very best in Vintage Clothing, Accessories, Jewellery & textiles dating from 1800 to 1980’s.'

Find out more here..

Unfortunately, due to work reasons I can't use the tickets!

Therefore I've decided to give them away to one of my lovely readers! I really want them to go to someone who absolutely loves all things vintage, and fashion.

Entry closes at midnight on Thursday 26th.

TO ENTER

1. Leave a comment below with the following:

- A reason why you'd love to go!

- Your contact email address

2. You must be a follower of my blog to enter!

3. For an extra entry, like my facebook page here!

T&Cs & info.

- Only one entry per person.

- Winner will be chosen at complete random.

- There will be ONE winner, who will receive the complimentary ticket admitting TWO people.

- The ticket is valid for THIS SUNDAY's fair, 29th January, in Notting Hill London.

- The ticket will be sent by email.

- Please make sure you can definitely attend before entering!

Good luck!

Music Monday.. Gabrielle Aplin - Home

2012-01-23T09:16:00.000Z

I can't quite remember how I discovered the very talented Gabrielle Aplin, I have a feeling it could have been a recommendation of Kate McGill. (who I was lucky enough to have nterviewed last year, which you can read HERE.)

I downloaded her EP as soon as I discovered her, as her voice is just kind of captivating, and hauntingly beautiful. A lot of people have been describing her style as not too dissimilar to Birdy. But i'd describe her by saying that if Laura Marling & Ellie Goulding somehow managed to have a daughter, THIS is how she would sound...

Her current single 'Home' was also featured on Fearne Cotton's show on Radio1 last week, which is really exciting for Aplin, and I feel 2012 is going to be a big year for her!

Versace for H&M Cruise collection.

2012-01-21T11:24:00.009Z

I'll be completely honest, I wasn't a fan of the Versace for H&M collection. (I think i've voiced my opinion on this a bit too much.) It was a little too 'in your face', for want of a better phrase. I like leopard print as much as the next girl, but it just wasn't to my taste at all.

Therefore, their Cruise Collection for H&M, which launched instore yesterday, has completely impressed me!

I love all the quirky print, which as you can see upclose, feature adorable little butterfly, strawberry and raspberry motifs.

This seems so far from their other H&M collection, that it's quite refreshing to see that they've created something vastly different.

What are your thoughts on the Cruise Collection?

NOTD: Tuxedo Nail in the style of Zooey Deschanel

2012-01-20T21:32:00.008Z

So last night I stayed up very late, like the nail art dedicated loser that I am, to reinterpret the now infamous tuxedo nails debuted by Zooey Deschanel at the Golden Globes - Good enough for the Golden Globes, then it's good enough for me!

I have a slight girl crush on Zooey, ever since watching her on 500 Days of Summer - which just so happens to be my favourite film. ever. I love her quirky style, her vintage dresses, and her new found love of nail art.

Here's the picture she posted on Twitter, that prompted probably say, a million tuxedo nail art blog posts..

Not wanting to jump on the bandwagon or anything, I decided to have a go at doing them myself, with my trusty WAH! nail art pen. That pen is like a God-send, I swear.

I have to admit, I was pretty happy with how they came out, so took this quick dodgy webcam snap to show a friend (see, I really am a nail obsessed loser!)

But thought for once, i'd make the effort and take some prettier pictures for the blog in the morning.

However, to my nail related horror, I woke up this morning to squashed nail varnish, that had warped my pretty buttons & bows completely out of shape.

I'm no nail technician, but this was definitely due to my silly decision to paint these badboys at about 11pm, with about 4 layers of white varnish, a top coat, the black details, and then another two top coats, and to then go to sleep literally half an hour later... with my hands under the pillow. I'm such a weird sleeper.

So, unfortunately this is all I have to show of my sartorially dressed-up nails. I had to remove the dodgy evidence this morning, as I couldn't walk around all day dodgy nails. I've become such a nail snob!

Topshop Spring Summer collection..

2012-01-17T22:57:00.004Z

I've been a 'Topshop Girl' for as long as I can remember. My relationship with Topshop has gone through various stages, however.

There were my younger years, where I used to browse round all the pretty vintage-inspired dresses in Topshop wishing I could afford them, then I started buying the odd piece here & there with birthday and Christmas vouchers, but I reached full-blown obsessive mode when I started working for Outfit, and got 25% discount off all Arcadia brands...Life doesn't get much better than that!

(I remember one customer coming instore who I served, who was a full-time lawyer in London, but worked 4 hours a week in a Topshop store, just so she could have a discount card - LOVE HER.)

But you get the picture, I love Topshop forevz etc.

So it might be a surprise to hear that my opinion of their S/S'12 collection is completely LOVE/HATE. There are a few items that are absolutely amazing, but also quite a few that - in my opinion - are absolutely awful.

After looking at the images, I think the styling is a little OTT. I'm all for extravagance, creativeness, and just a pinch of craziness, but it's way too mix-matchy for my liking. THIS coming from a girl who has worn both zebra & butterfly prints in the same outfit.

Here's my low-down of the collection.

LOVE. . .

HATE . . .

(i'm sorry Topshop. I'll still always love you..just won't be liking any of the following)

I can see though, quite clearly, that some of those items in the 'hate' section, will probably look amazing on their own! But i'm just not a fan of the OTT styling.

I am a huge fan of prints though, and my 'love' section started looking a bit too pastel orientated, which is why I included that last image on the 'love' section. I can just tell that floral dress is beautiful, but again I personally don't really like it with the matching jacket.

I am completely in love with what they have to offer on the pastel and metallic trends though. Some really beautiful pieces right there! And of course I'm obsessed with the whole socks & sandals trend, which i'm pretty glad is back for 2012. (mostly because we recently styled that look in our shoot for Handmade Fashion magazine...)

What do you guys think of Topshop's S/S'12 offerings?

Music Monday: Lana Del Rey - Born To Die.

2012-01-16T08:45:00.002Z

Lana Del Rey, the name that seems to be on everybody's lips right now! She topped many 'Sound of 2012' polls, and is set to be THE one to watch this year. Backed by even the Prime Minister himself, it seems that no-one is immune to the old-Hollywood charm of Lana Del Rey.

To be perfectly honest, I am a fan. I did find her recent performance on the Jonathan Ross show a little bit disappointing, though. However, I'm quite happy to put that down to nerves and her hectic schedule. At the end of the day, she sounds AMAZING on record, and right now that's all that really matters as I don't have plans to see her live quite yet. Another of my favourite artists, Marina & the Diamonds always had quite a raw live vocal, which at the beginning of her career could be quite hit & miss, which I think is the trouble when you have distinctive unique vocals. It's like marmite.. you either love it or hate it! However, her voice has since developed and her live performances have been perfected.

So, I guess (hope!) it's just a case of time.

All this aside, I will definitely be first in the queue for Lana's album 'Born To Die', the release date for which is the 30th January... so not far away at all! As always you can pre-order on iTunes or Amazon.

The full Deluxe edition track listing is as follows...

BORN TO DIE / DELUXE VERSION TRACKLISTING
1. Born To Die
2. Off To The Races
3. Blue Jeans
4. Video Games
5. Diet Mountain Dew
6. National Anthem
7. Dark Paradise
8. Radio
9. Carmen

10.Million Dollar Man
11. Summertime Sadness
12. This Is What Makes Us Girls
13. Without You
14. Lolita
15. Lucky Ones
16. Video Games (Joy Orbison Remix)

I can't wait to hear more from this album, as everything i've heard off of it so far has been amazing. And as for live performances, I think everyone needs to give Lana time to develop her own stage style, it's still very early on in her career, and I think it's clear that she's very talented.

What are your opinions on Lana... as someone asked on Facebook earlier this week Lana Del Yay or Lana Del Nay? (Love a good play on words, even if it is a little bit cheesey!)

NOTD: Pastel Polka dots & a touch of glitter!

2012-01-13T22:29:00.003Z

I haven't done a nail of the day post in what feels like forever! I've been slacking a bit with my nail art, and have just been sticking to pretty colours mostly.. nothing really blog worthy!

However, I was dying to try out some pretty pastel nail varnishes I got for Christmas. They were practically crying out to be 'polka-dotted'!

colours used from top nail to bottom: Models Own Pink Fizz, H&M Strawberry Lollipop, H&M Pear Icecream, H&M Pale Violet, and H&M Summer Sunrise. & as always, my trusty WAH! Nails for Models Own nail art pen in white.

As for the glitter, I'm still not quite ready to let go of all the glitz & glam of Christmas & New Year. Who needs an excuse to wear glitter, anyway?!

Jessie J - Domino

2012-01-05T18:35:00.003Z

Tiny bit in love with Jessie J's new video. I just absolutely love her style, just like me it seems she is completely obsessed with the Henry Holland for Pretty Polly tights.. but unlike me, she's been chosen to front the campaign for them. Similarities end there then.

In this video she sports my current favourite HoH tights, the 'I'm Laddered' tights. Fashion and clever wordplay = Loving life. I'd like to copyright some that say 'sheer genius'. But unfortunately, i'm not Henry Holland.. so they probably wouldn't sell as well.

Here they are in all their witty pretty-ness...

I managed to get some for £7 in the River Island sale.. happy days. Just need to find an occasion suitable for them!

Handmade Fashion Magazine

2012-01-04T14:29:00.004Z

If you read my blog from the other day, you will have noticed that I mentioned a new magazine that i've been doing work experience for recently!

I can now reveal that the magazine is called 'Handmade Fashion'. You can find out more information leading up to the launch, on the magazine's official blog HERE and you can 'like' the Facebook page over HERE for all the latest details!

Handmade Fashion Magazine will be available to buy in all WH Smiths from March 2012. So keep your eyes peeled!

Miista Shoes.. Tweet 'em Cheaper!

2012-01-03T16:28:00.004Z

Can't quite believe what i'm just discovered.. oh the power of Twitter! This one is for all you Twitter addicts & shoe obsessives.

Miista are today launching there 'Make it cheaper with a Tweet' campaign! By tweeting a link to their shoes direct from their website here, you reduce the price of a pair of shoes! This is all dependant on the amount of followers you have, so the more followers the more discount you'll get! Sounds too good to be true, right?

Hurry though, the campaign is on till the 13th January, and some of the shoes are sold out already!

I managed to get 12% off of this pair:

and am now watching them obsessively, as a lot of pairs on the site have gone down to £1!!!

I've just bought another pair from the website for only £1.. and UK delivery is free!

It'd practically be rude not to.

This is my favourite ever Twitter related promotion i've seen. Such an innovative idea, I wonder if any other brands will take on this technique! I really, really hope so!

Music Monday - Nina Nesbitt

2012-01-02T19:39:00.003Z

I've struggled picking somebody today to write about for my first music post of the year. I haven't listened to anything recently that's particularly stood out to me, other than the normal stuff that I like to write about.

However, my friend Anna reminded me of the beautiful Nina Nesbitt, who we saw on stage with Ed Sheeran at Shepherds Bush, doing the most beautiful cover of Hallelujah. As soon as I youtube'd her tonight, I knew that I had to post about her.

(You can see Nina & Ed's cover of Hallelujah here. it's seriously goosebump inducing!)

So today, I want to share with you Nina Nesbitt. Her voice is absolutely beautiful, and I'm sure she is going to go very far this 2012. You can say you heard her here first!... courtesy of Anna.

Here is Nina's cover of Silent Night, half in English half in Swedish...

Such a beautiful voice, I can't get over it!

2011.. what a year!

2012-01-01T10:46:00.008Z

Happy New Year!

As you may have noticed, I've had a little (well, actually rather big) blogging break recently, as i've been so busy recently that I decided to spend Christmas just catching up with all my friends & family. It's always hard getting back into the swing of things after not writing on here in a while though. But what better day to come back, than New Years Day?

I've set myself a New Years Blogging resolution this year, which is to pre-schedule as many blog posts as possible..so no more silly excuses for not posting regularly! Every year i'm always so determined to make myself more organised, which is tricky for someone who is naturally really scatty! But I try my best.

I wanted my first post of 2012 (ah, that feels scary writing it down for the first time!) to be a little bit nostalgic, and just to reflect on some of my highlights of 2011. I've heard a lot of people talking about how bad a year it was for them, and as with any year it's had it's ups & downs, but overall I had an amazing year, and i'm really thankful for all the positive things that happened!

Some of my favourite moments/experiences/memories of 2011...

Going to New York!

This has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl! I'm obsessed with rom-com movies (i'm sorry, so stereotypical & girly of me!) and I think it's safe to say that 99% of the films I own are all set in NY.. therefore, i've always dreamt of going!

I got to go as part of my University course, so unfortunately due to our small student budgets we only got to spend 3 full days there. However, it was incredible, and the best thing i've ever done in my whole life. I just am dying to go back there one day!

Florence & the Machine in Hackney.

Thinking back to this, i'm not even sure how the hell I managed to get tickets.. I must have extremely fast fingers, and an excellent internet connection.. thankyou God.. and Virgin Media!...because there were literally 300 tickets available, THREE HUNDRED.

Agh. If i'd have known that before trying to get them, I think i'd have been a nervous sweaty anxious wreck. Ignorance was bliss, thankfully.

This was possibly the best gig i've ever been to in my whole life. Not even being over-dramatic. My only regret, was that I was so so ill that day that I had to sit down right at the back of the venue, to stop myself from fainting haha. Even though I didn't get to soak up the atmosphere properly, right down the front, it was still incredible!

(read my proper review here!)

Latitude Festival

My first proper Festival experience! By proper I mean actually camping, and actually getting a wristband. Which I'd like to note that I have had the decency to take off.

It was the best festival i've ever been to (okay, i've only been to three..but still.) and I'm dying to go back this year! It's just the loveliest atmosphere, the nicest people, a lovely mix of bands and cabaret acts, and there was even a fashion show on a floating catwalk over the lake. See! AMAZING.

University

University overall has been pretty amazing. I still sometimes can't believe that i'm lucky enough to be studying Fashion, and I get to come home and sit on Style.com as 'research', and I get to go to New York to see the Alexander McQueen exhibition as 'research', and I get to go shopping in the West End to look at Selfridges window displays again, as 'research'. It's literally insane. I also can't believe i'm studying at one of the best arts Universitys in the country. I feel very lucky! But obviously, it doesn't come without a hell of a lot of hard work and a few sleepless nights along the way. But it's more than worth it!

Getting my first 'first' on my journalism project was a huge highlight for me, and made all the hard work and stress seem worth it.

More! Bloggers Boudoir.

Being chosen as one of the bloggers for the Blog Boudoir by More magazine has been a really great opportunity! I couldn't believe it when I was emailed as one of the winners. The panel choosing the blogs consisted of some inspiring people, so to be chosen by them is such an honour! Writing is my favourite thing, and to see that people actually enjoy reading it is crazy.

Live Music

In my eyes, there is no better feeling than going to see your favourite band live! I'm music obsessed, and can't get enough of going to gigs. It's another addiction, an expensive one unfortunately..

I've been lucky enough to see my three favourite acts this year; Florence, Marina & the Diamonds and Laura Marling. All very different artists, all performed in very different venues, but each an amazing memory.

Being in Company magazine.. twice!

Okay, technically one of these was in 2010. However, for two years running I have been in the November issue of Company magazine. Miss November ;)

But joking aside, Company is my favourite magazine, and so many people I admire have been in and worked for this magazine, so it's such an honour to actually be in there! Still can't believe it.

Work Experience

I haven't been able to say a lot about this as it's all very new and exciting! But i've been working at a brand new Fashion magazine that's launching in February! This is one of the reasons i'm so excited for 2012! I'm going to actually have my work printed in a magazine.. crazy! I can't wait to write more on here all about it, as and when I can. It's literally been the best work experience I could have asked for, working with the loveliest people and I feel so lucky as i've literally wanted to work at a magazine forever. Since I was really really young. I remember me and my best friend used to sit in her room before school making our own magazine out of Smash Hits cut outs, too cool...

But rest assured, I haven't been doing that for this magazine. ;)

Lastly, and most importantly, this year wouldn't have been anything without all my amazing friends and family who I got to share all these experiences with.

Here's to 2012! Hope it's a good one for all of you..

Benefit Bloggers Breakfast..

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000Z

A few weeks ago now, (i've been so busy, just haven't had a chance to type this up!) I was invited to Benefit Cosmetics Bloggers Breakfast! It was a very Christmassy affair, a chance for all us Essex-based bloggers to meet up, eat lots of yummy pastries & fruit, and find out all about the exciting brand new products that Benefit have in store for us!

As you can see, the Benefit offices are beautiful! As promised, they were very pink, and fitted in with the typical Benefit style perfectly! It seemed like such a lovely place to work!

After we were shown around the offices, and introduced to all of the lovely Benefit head office team, we were then told there was going to be a little competition amongst us Bloggers!

We were given 10 minutes to write a Christmas Benefit themed poem, which we then had to read out to the managing directors of Benefit UK!! Possibly the most surreal thing i've ever had to do in my life!

Overall, it was such a fun morning! It seemed to go far too quickly! But it was so lovely to meet all the other bloggers, and to get a chance to hear some very exclusive Benefit news.. which hopefully i'll be able to write more about in the future!

To top it off, we were all given a beautiful gift bag, full of some lovely products! Some of which I'll be reviewing soon :)

Thanks to all the lovely Benefit girls for such a great morning!

Miss Selfridge Leopard Print satchel..

2011-12-15T17:19:00.006Z

As if I couldn't love More magazine ANY MORE after being chosen to feature in their Blog Boudoir, on Tuesday I won their 'Twitter Treasure Hunt' competition that they've been running all this week.

They post a small clue to a product, & a link to the website that the product is from. The fastest person to tweet back the link to the correct product, wins it!

Considering I only won on Tuesday, I was a bit surprised this evening when the postie came to my door with this beautiful parcel from Miss Selfridge!

I'm absolutely in love with my new Limited edition satchel. It's beautiful, and I know i'm going to be using it everywhere from now on!

Thankyou so much More! & Miss Selfridge.

(if you love the bag too, here's where you can find it!)

Christmas Hooga Boutique...

2011-12-10T18:10:00.004Z

You may remember my post from just a couple of months ago, all about the fabulousness (i'm not sure if that's even an actual word. but it is now.) that was the Hooga Boutique!

if not then click here for a cheeky read..

Well, I'm pleased to announce that it's only going to be happening again this weekend! If you're based anywhere near Essex then I would encourage you to come along to Hooga, in Chelmsford, this Saturday!

Last time was a great day, with lots of beautiful vintage fashion & fun! This time it's set to be even bigger and better, as there'll be lots of Christmassy twists.

As like last time there'll be two vintage catwalks, styled with clothing from Truly Madly Vintage, the talented Hetty Rose shoes will be there, Charming Grace will be selling their gorgeous jewellery again, there'll be a Make Do & Mend workshop, there'll be a fabulous clothes swishing stall from Off The Rails, a retro jazz performance from Nicole Peach, and lots lots more!

I'm really excited to be a part of it again!

Hope to see you there....

H&M.. even real models aren't good enough anymore.

2011-12-07T12:01:00.003Z

Today I want to write about something a bit more serious.

It's something that I really think people need to know about, as it's quite shocking really.

Below, are two images from H&M's website, from their Lingerie section...

At first glance, you probably wouldn't notice anything particularly shocking or unusual about this image. But did you notice how eerily similar the models bodies looked?!

Well, that would be down to the fact that they're not actually models. In fact, they are computer generated images.

It seems, for H&M, even real model's bodies aren't perfect enough for selling lingerie anymore. How depressing is that? In an age where we're all trying to promote body confidence, and banish the dreaded size 0, this just seems like a horrible step backwards.

H&M insist that the models have nothing to do with what they're trying to sell, which at the end of the day is true, to a certain extent. Fair enough, if they want the focus to be just on the clothing - then why not just do still life shots of the underwear?

It may not be their intent for people to be influenced by these images of 'perfect' bodies. But subliminally, they do affect people. The worst thing about this, is that clearly this is an unattainable body shape & figure - because if it was attainable, then they would have been able to use a model. It just makes me really angry how brands are still getting away with this type of thing. They don't realise how it can affect people.

..Rant over.

Music Monday: City and Colour.

2011-12-05T21:42:00.003Z

Today's song choice is something absolutely beautiful, and perfect to listen to at the end of a Monday! If you haven't heard of City and Colour before, I'd highly recommend them if you like acoustic-guitary stuff.

I wish I could just write out every single lyric.. because it's just so beautifully written. But you can listen to them instead...

(Okay, i'm a loser. don't judge me.)

You're my number one-sie.

2011-12-05T20:45:00.007Z

I got a tiny little bit excited today when I received an email with the word 'Onesie' in the opening sentence. Needless to say, like every single other person who has ever once tried on a onesie, I'm a complete convert. I'd argue that even the most cynical of you all would be completely converted after just half an hour of lounging around in a onesie. It just doesn't get much better than that.

(and bonus points if your onesie makes you look like a black cat. like mine does. winning!)

My email was to inform me of an exciting new shop that has literally JUST opened in Shoreditch, London...

"OnePiece™ now opening their first UK Store in Boxpark, Shoreditch on Monday 28th of November, spreading the joy of comfort, style and fun even further. Get down to their store in Boxpark and say: ‘I’m spontaneous, not too serious, not too cool. Confident with no worries, so I would like to jump in and join you!’ – and they’ll give you a £20 gift-card - If you want to get it online, type code 85237 upon checkout on www.onepiece.com and you’ll get free shipping."

I genuinely wish I was a sales assistant at One Piece now... just so I could hear people telling me 'I'm spontaneous, not too serious, not too cool. Confident with no worries, so I would like to jump in and join you!'.

How, I'm sure you're wondering, did someone come up with the ingenious idea of the onesie. Well, wonder no more...

Here is how it all started:
In 2007 three hung-over Norwegians had the idea to sew together a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants, connecting the two with a giant zipper to create the ORIGINAL OnePiece™. An instant success amongst Scandinavians, OnePiece became a huge hit in Norway in 2008 and later in Sweden despite only being fueled by blogs & social media. Now, with more than 330,000 fans on www.facebook.com/onepiece, no other Scandinavian company has a stronger social media following than OnePiece. OnePiece was introduced to the British market in November 2010 and what followed was a massive, indescribable press frenzy has been adopted by a broad range of celebrities who have all been spotted in their unmissable suits such as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Rhianna, Usher, Jayden Smith, Westlife, Kate Moss, Paris & Perez Hilton, Whitney Port, Paramore, Pink, Henry Holland, Agyness Deyn, Pixie Geldof, Nick Grimshaw, Jude Law and Sadie Frost.

So, what are you waiting for? Go get a onesie!

I promise you, you will not regret it.

Candyfloss hair..

2011-11-30T15:35:00.001Z

I have a bit of an obsession at the moment with pastel coloured hair, specifically pink!

After doing my University project around the theme of pastels (click here to see the pictures!) i've had a serious case of hair envy, and am determined to have pastel pink hair!

There's so much of it around at the moment. My favourite hair crushes are as follows:

Amelia Lily:

Her candyfloss pink hair is just absolutely perfect! I want it.

(image courtesy of the metro.co.uk.)

Marina Diamandis:

You can't see it very well here, but she has the most beautiful grey/lilac/blonde shade, and in short.. I want it.

And then of course there's Charlotte Free:

Whose, after the Topshop Unique SS'12 show, hair has really inspired me recently.

I'd definitely have to get rid of everything red I own in my wardrobe, however. But I kind of don't actually care. I just want pink hair!

Marina and the Diamonds - Little Noise Review

2011-11-29T15:50:00.000Z

Last Wednesday, in between panicking and stressing about University work, I was lucky enough to go and see the very talented Marina and the Diamonds at the incredible Little Noise Sessions. It was her first UK gig since a year ago, so it was very exciting to see her back on stage!

For those of you who don't know of the Little Noise Sessions, then I'd ask you where on earth you have been for the past six years?! If you're a big fan of music, then these are the gigs for you.

Hosted by Jo Whiley, and in support of the Mencap charity, Little Noise hosts an array of talented artists across a week in November. The thing that makes Little Noise extra special and intimate, is that fact that it's set in a church. Before now, the session were set in Islington Chapel, but this year they've moved to St Johns Church at Hackney, and if anything this move in location as only enhanced how special Little Noise is.

(the beautiful St Johns Church venue on the night.)

Supporting Marina, on the night, was the wonderful Spark, and Icona Pop. I'll be honest, I'd never heard of Icona Pop before, and I wasn't entirely sure to expect. Spark, however, I'd seen supporting Marina a year ago, and I'd also street teamed for her a couple of times, so you could say i'm a bit of a fan.

Spark's acoustic performance did not disappoint, she even did an acoustic version of Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' with just her voice and a string section! It shouldn't work.. but somehow, it really really did!

(the talented Spark! definitely one to watch our for.)

Icona Pop turned out to be a lively, quirky, pop act from Europe. I'll be completely honest, and say that they weren't really my cup of tea. But you can't knock their enthusiasm, and good styling!

By the time Marina finally come on stage, the Church had really packed out. The smell of mulled wine was in the air, and everything felt very festive and quite special.

As soon Diamandis stepped on stage, wearing the most beautiful dress reminscent of 50s Hollywood glamour, styled with a quirky Moschino belt, the audience grew even more excited!

The last time I saw Marina on stage she was wearing Topshop American flag hotpants, her own merchandise T-shirt, and a pair of quirky sunglasses. She also had dark brown hair.

Seeing her transformation style-wise, complete with her new beautiful grey/lilac/blonde hair-do, is very exciting.

Marina has always been known for having a voice that's said to be a bit like Marmite, you either love it or you hate it. It's a very unique style, but one thing's for sure, and that is that her voice has developed and grown so much stronger since the last album, the Family Jewels.

The setlist combined a mix of old favourites, and three new songs from the upcoming album. This gig just left me growing even more impatient for the release of Marina's new album, a date for which still hasn't yet been announced!

(image courtesy of weheartit.com)

The full set list was as follows:

Radioactive

Obsessions

I Am Not A Robot

Living Dead

Numb

Starring Role

Are You Satisfied

Mowgli's Road

Jealousy

Hollywood

Fear & Loathing

.............................

Encore: Shampain.