Monday 28 November 2011

Nails of the Day ~ Wicked


Today's nails are 17's High Gloss nails varnish in Wicked.
I really like how it looked to start with, it had this really subtle red/purple shimmer to it, but it sort of dulled over time, I'm not sure it that's because I didn't put a top coat on. On the plus side, it matches my hair now (which can be seen here).
My application is always so messy, I try and clean it up with cotton buds and varnish remover but it doesn't seem to make that much of a differnece. Do you have any tips for neat varnish application?

Thursday 24 November 2011

Outfit of the Day ~ Sea Dreaming


Do you want to go to the seaside?
I'm not trying to say that everybody wants to go
I fell in love at the seaside
She handled her charm with time and slight of hand
- The Kooks, Seaside

Last Saturday the boyfriend and I wandered through the lanes, grabbing a pastry breakfast on the way; I opted for a chocolate plait and some mince pies for later and he went for his usual croissants. It was such an unusually sunny but perfect November day. We hung about on the pier and spent some time sitting on the beach, enjoying the weather. At the end of the pier tucked behind the rides was a couple just chilling out on a pair of deck chairs just enjoying the sea, it was so sweet.

 Jacket: vintage (from this fair). I was so happy when I found this since I'd spotted one in a vintage shop a few weeks ago but it had been too small. When I saw this at the fair it look about 5 seconds for me to buy it, it fitted better and it was cheaper (£12!) than the one I had seen before (£25).
Dress: old ASOS. It's falling apart, much to my dismay but I just can't bring myself to throw it away, even though the elastic is degrading at a very fast rate.

 Necklace: super vintage (belonged to my great grandmother).
I've also decided to enter this into www.ethicalfashionblog.com's competition since I consider this outfit to be ethical due to the fact that the blazer is vintage, so no new materials were used to make it and the watch is a hand-me-down and I don't think it gets more ethical than that.

Belt: old ASOS
You might have noticed my hair is still blonde in these photos, this is because I dyed my hair that very evening, but I wanted to show you all my new color so I ignored the fact that there would be a bit of a continuity error.

Eye makeup: I used three shades (Blossom, Pink Lemonade and Blush) from my Frontcover Rainbow Eyes box which I use all the time.

 Shoes: old New Look. I always get compliments for these shoes and they go with pretty much everything. They deserve a bit of a polish really.
As always all photos are taken by the boyfriend, who's tumblr and deviantart exhibit more of his work, of which most does not involve me, so check him out.

Monday 21 November 2011

Stained Purple ~ freshly dyed hair.

 
{Purple washes over me  
Seeping through my open seams  
I'm stained all over.}
- Skin, Purple


Finally! I've redyed my hair. The roots were getting ridiculous and my previous colour was well and truely faded. After about 6 hours of re-bleaching and dying this is the glorious result. Obviously it wouldn't have turned out nearly as well as it has if it hadn't been for the aid of Nic, one of my super best friends. I am so pleased with the result! It's such a gorgeous rich colour and varies in shade in different lights. So far I've noticed under artifical light it looks bluer and in the sun some reddy-purple tones comes out, and just generally there are loads of subtle differences in colour. 


 To get this colour we used a mixture of mainly Directions in Plum and added a bit of Rusk Scream in Purple Burst that I had left over from a previous partially purple look I had. I've never used Directions before but I've heard good things so I thought I'd try it out.

I love the contrast of the green of the grass and my hair. 
The boyfriend did a good job of avoiding any photos where the skin on my ears or neck is very clear since they're currently both tinted purple. I'm never very careful when I dye my hair so I generally end up with odd coloured skin for a few days as well. My pillows are slowly going purple as well, since not all the dye washes out after the first wash.
 
When we went outside to do some photos one of my cats, Nuage (snow in french) decided she wanted to be involved as well. I think she completely steals this shot. So unfair!


 And on the super plus side, my nails match my hair at the moment! 
Also, I thought I'd mention that if you're looking for a good, cheap supplier for Directions (as well as Manic Panic and Crazy Color I would highly recommend this website.

Saturday 19 November 2011

Purple Rain ~ Hair Inspiration

 
Hello.
So, if you hadn't already noticed from earlier posted I have unnautrally coloured hair. Unfortunately my roots awere getting extreme(ly bad!) and the colours had faded into rather unattractive colours so today I redyed my hair (with the aid of the Wife, a.k.a Nic).
I've finished the proccess just this minute and will definitely upload some photos of it soon but until then here are some photos I used as inspiration.
(Unless otherwise stated, the source is this.)



Aren't they all so beautiful!?

Wednesday 16 November 2011

GUCCI ♥ fur & jewels. {part 2}


Here is the second part to my hommage to Gucci's A/W 11 collection.
Part one can be found here where you can find more inspiration focusing on ochre and red and images from the actual show (not taken by me of course). All items featured there (and here) are under £60, apart from one (but sshhh,we'll just ignore that).

P U R P L E  H A Z E.
{1 - New Look fur coat, £31.49}
{2 - Awear fur collar, £16}
{3 - Fashion Union shirt, £25}
{4 - Next scarf, £9}
{5 - Topshop trousers, £40}
{6 - H&M nail varnish, £1.99}

T U R Q U O I S E  D R E A M.
{1 - Fashion Union skirt, £25}
{2 - Bank fur snood, £18}
{3 - H&M coat, £39.99}
{4 - New Look dress, £24.99}
I have #4 in red and I love it!
{5 - Asos fedora, £14}
{7 - Oasis jumpsuit, £75}
{8 - Topshop blazer, £55}


Taking On Gucci.
Now a little on actually pulling off a Gucci look. Here are a list of key things I think are essential when considering how to approach this. 
  • Aim for inspiration, not replication. When taking inspiration from this collection there should be less of an aim to replicate a look, after all they are so colourful that it might look too much out of the context of a fashion show. Instead take your favourite elements and work them into your usual style. For example, I personally adore the ochre colours and the floaty rich materials, so a satin shirt with a chiffon scarf or a long flowing skirt would fit in with the rest of my wardrobe a treat. Alternatively a bold fedora with a darker outfit makes a cool statement.

  • Own the fur, don't let the fur own you. As for fur, don’t go overboard, it can be quite hard to actually pull off a coat made entirely of fur, considering how even the slim models like bulky wearing them. Instead go for a fur collar on your coat (there are an abundance of these at the moment), or some cute cuffs (ASOS has some). 

  • Keep it feminine, but not too girly. If you want the sophistication offered by this collection make sure you don't make your outfit too girly, nothing too short and not too many accessories, let the simple elegance speak for itself. The same applies to the make-up, just a flick of mascara, a little eyeshadow and of course, those gorgeous deep red lips.
 

Later this week I’ll be showing you my take on the Gucci look which I really can’t wait to show you (along with that perfect lipstick I mentioned in part 1)!

Do you have any pieces in your wardrobe (or that you've seen) that you love and think fit in with this winter's Gucci look? Or even a whole outfit? I would love to see them.

Sunday 13 November 2011

Nails of the Day ~ Blueberry Ice Cream


Today's nail varnish is BarryM's Blueberry Ice Cream.
When buying this it was a toss up between this shade or Blue Moon, which looked a little too pale. I can't make my mind up about. I don't mind this shade but I find it a bit too bright, I think I would have preferred the other one in the end. This shade is fine though and it'll probably grow on me (like so many things I have do). It looks more or less pale in different lights which makes me change my mind about it constantly...which is kind of fun really. Normal Barry M is really good but this particular colour was a bit too thick when applying, although this might not be a Barry M fault but a "left in a hot place" fault, or something?

What's your favourite pale blue varnish?

Friday 11 November 2011

Outfit of the Day ~ autumn falling



"The falling leaves drift by my window
The falling leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sunburned hands I used to hold" - Eva Cassidy

Faux fur scarf: ASOS. So soft!

 Nails: details here.

 Make-up: the blue from a really good palette who's name I've forgotten (I will look it up and update accordingly) and the purple is Collection 2000's Dazzle Me in Fairy Dust.

 Jumper: vintage (from a boutique in Brighton - Juju).
I bought this jumper only the other day and wanted to include it in an outfit, and I had bought the scarf last month and just couldn't find anything to put it with, so it was quite serendipitous when I threw these two together and it worked! That jumper is so warm and comfy!

Necklace: Primark
 
 Trousers: New Look, I live in these trousers.

Boots: very old New Look, they are practically falling apart but I can't bring myself to throw them away.

I've also decided to make this an entry for the Ethical Fashion Blog's competition. 
Reasoning: I think this outfit is pretty ethical since the jumper is vintage, it's a simple reason but reason enough.
To see more photos from our Bonfire night play around go here
As usual all photos taken by my lovely boyfriend, more of his stuff can be found here or on his tumblr.

Thursday 10 November 2011

LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUNDUP

I am so thrilled to have been featured in this week's IFB Links a la Mode! As is expected here are all the links included. Please do check them out, my faves are "DIY: Elbow Patches" and "Trend: White for Spring is Groundbreaking"
 

Shorter Days of Winter

Edited by: Collette Osuna of Statements in Fashion
With shorter days of winter on their way, many of us will spend countless hours wrapped in a warm comfy robe, our hands nestled around a cup of hot cocoa, and stalking our favorite blogs and fashion sites. What could be better than online window shopping and thoughts of Santa’s arrival in our heads?
This weeks links showcase some awesome blog posts I’d love to read on a cold winter night.
Take some time to read about Eco friendly designers, tips for pursuing a career in fashion, jewelry tricks, DIY’s, fab bloggers over forty, and more.
Have a great weekend & stay warm!

THE IFB WEEKLY ROUNDUP: LINKS À LA MODE: NOVEMBER 10th

SPONSOR:
Newly Arrived at Shopbop: Herve Leger, Nanette Lepore, Dion Lee, Twenty8Twelve, LeSportsac, Soft Joie, Gorjana, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Sonia Rykiel, Robert Rodriguez, Tory Burch, Ugg, & Halston Heritage.


Wednesday 9 November 2011

Vintage Bonfire Weekend.

I had a very busy but very awesome weekend last weekend.
Just the most amazing teacup stall at Brighton's Frock Me.
As always, all photos are taken by my super talented boyfriend, more of his stuff can be found here and on his tumblr.
Friday
I went to see the film "In Time". Unfortunately I did not enjoy it. I really liked the concepts about time it put forward but the actual storyline, plot and characters were all lacking. It was like a cheap, wannabe Chris Nolan film (I'm sorry I even have to mention his name next to this film). Honestly would not recommend seeing it. I mean, it wasn't shocking, it was just very disappointing and slightly frustrating. The only highlight was Cillian Murphy who did what could with a potentially interesting character. Mini review over! Have you seen it? Did you like it? I'm happy to hear a positive opinion about the film!
On a brighter note I also did some firework inspired nails which involved a lot of glitter! You can see the end result here.

Saturday 
Some mushrooms we saw on the way to the woods.
Me and the boyfriend went for another walk in the woods to take some photos for the outfit of the day (which can be found here). Unfortunately the spot we initally wanted to use didn't look great so we ended up making it up as we went along. It was still an enjoyable walk, the leaves are finally starting to change colour which is always beautiful.
After that we (along with my mum) went to see a woman about some kittens. I am SO excited to be getting two more in Decemeber (we already have two, but we just want more!). They were just so sweet, but that's to be expected really. There was a really beautiful tabby but it had already been vouched for. We're torn between 2 gingers ones and the runt of the litter which was ginger and white. The lady was amazing, quite old but so full of life!

Later we went to the local firework display. I really love the little village display, it's always full of so many different people and age groups. Fireworks will never get old! Naturally I bought some candy floss which was delicious.
When we got home me and the boyfriend decided to play around with some sparklers in the garden like we did last year. You'll be able to see more of those once I've uploaded the outfit of the day post (which like I mentioned earlier can now be found here). We also did 2 sky lanterns, one of which got stuck in a tree. Typical. We got the hose out but it burnt out before we have to take any drastic action.
My dad and I trying to unfold the lantern without ripping it too much.
What did you do for bonfire night?

Sunday
The outfit I wore, skirt was my mum's, shirt and brogues are New Look, pendant is vintage (great-grandmother's).
On Sunday me, the boyfriend and one of my close friend Nic (a.k.a Wife) went to Frock Me in Brighton. It's a vintage clothing fair (more info here) that goes around the country and I was lucky enough to stumble across it one day whilst looking for Brighton fashion blogs (there is a lacking of them). It was actually a really good event!
Only £2 entry and there was such a variety of stuff and in a great range of prices. Even though most of it was vintage there were also a few carfter stalls with handmade stuff, I loved in particular Humdrum hats, I'm pretty sure at some point in the future I am getting one of their cloche hats. Nic bought 2 amazing silky headscarves (£3 each) and a really nice white and navy dress (£10!). I wish we'd taken a photo of it so I could show you all.
Whilst wandering around we came across the most amazingly elegant woman who looked liked she'd fallen right out of the 1940s. She was kind enough to let us take a photo. Just look at how perfect she looks, even her pose is so authentic!
There were so many amazing things and loads of accessories that I wanted to buy. In the end I bought 2 things, a dark green velvet jacket (£12!!) and a mohair cloak. Yep, a cloak. Sometimes I buy things on a whim, but it's so comfy and amazing! A nice alternative to the highstreet options. Plus I got it for £40 even though the original price was £60!
There was so much to look at that even now as I look at these photos there are things I didn't notice before. There were so many gorgeous broaches, I wish I had bought one, luckily Frock Me will be back next year at some point! When it returns my aims will be to buy a nice broach, a pair of gloves and maybe a hat. Garanteed I'll come back with something completely different, but that's all part of the fun of it really, isn't it?
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