Thursday 29 December 2011

How to: 6 rings in 6 minutes

After making my first button ring a while back I've wanted to make a lot more and this morning I did. Here is the result:

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I made these in a matter of minutes, so simple and great results.

First you need the ring bases, I bought 20 from eBay for less than £3. Then you need some things to put on top. I had 2 rings, a pink one and a leopard print one, 2 matching blue plastic beads, a bead/button that fell off my Desigual bag and I made a bow from some green ribbon.

All you need to do is superglue the tops to the bases. That is it. Simples. I made sure that the 2 blue beads were glued on in different directions so I had 2 completely different rings. The most expensive ring I here is less than £3.50, not too shabby I don't think!

 

 

 

 

Which is your favourite? I'm currently rocking the ribbon as it matches my green jumper. I love matchy matchiness!

 

Wednesday 28 December 2011

Another blog post about Marilyn Monroe

Yes yes yes, there is lots out there about Marilyn Monroe's style but I'm going to add to it. For Christmas I received the book Dressing Marilyn, it's brilliant and I urge anyone who has the slightest interest in what Mailyn Monroe wore, to buy it.

Anyone, Marilyn Monroe has always been a style icon to me and here are some of her most iconic looks, which are also my favourite!

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My favourite thing about Marilyn Monroe's style is how it definied an era like no-one.

Bargains

I went shopping yesterday, it was absolutely mental but I got some great bits. I wore all new clothes today and I thought I'd share them with you.

The jeans and top/dress are from Primark and are £9 and £10 respectively, not in the sale but still a bargain I think.

The shoes, blazer and necklace were all in the New Look sale. The shoes are a mustard colour suede pair of heels and were only £7 (I also got them in a burnt orange colour), the burnt orange blazer was £12 and the necklace was £1.50. 

I've lost a bit of weight recently so pretty much none of my clothes fit me properly so it was nice to finally get some clothes that fit me! The whole outfit was a bargain of only £39.50.

Sunday 18 December 2011

Festive nails

I decided to create some festive with red & green nail varnish & some gold Barry M nail effects.

On my left hand I've painted all bar my ring finger green & my ring finger is red with the gold nail effects.

On my right hand I did the opposite

What do you think? Which is your fave?

Monday 12 December 2011

New Hair!

So two weeks ago I was asking for new hair colour suggestion and on Saturday my very talented sister helped me out and sent me cherry red!

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It's very bright and I very much love it. 

My boyfriend is a budding photographer who used the transformation to take some snaps and he got some great ones. It looked a bit violent, especially the hair dye washing out in the bath, but there was no blood involved! He also did a series of pictures where I flicked my hair back, I am a terrible model so though he was good, I looked shocking in all of them so I have included the only one where I'm not pulling a silly face.

What do you think? Liking the red?

Sunday 4 December 2011

DIY: Button ring

A few weeks ago I realised that most of the rings I lusted after were ridiculously expensive and I was sure I could do something cheaper. I bulk bought some ring bases from eBay and looked for inspiration. First up button rings. If you have a ring base, these are the easiest things to make, all you have to do is superglue buttons to the ring base. No joke, a 30 second job. 

I'm going to raid charity shops for some cheap buttons for some more exciting buttons but check out my first attempt:

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Not too bad I don't think. I'll be playing with more designs, also going to buy some cheap stud earrings for the same effect so I'll keep you updated!

Saturday 3 December 2011

Katy Perry: The Pink Princess

I've been a huge fan of Katy Perry's gimmicky style but it is really growing on me in recent months. She really doesn't care and will whatever and I love it. As well as the recent pink hair (which I love), the singer has also adopted the colour as a style staple for head to toe... And I love it!

Here are some of her best pink looks:

First up an "off-duty" look with this gorgeous Giambattista Valli cape dress which matched her hair and did all the talking for her.

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Next up is what I would call a signature Katy Perry look. A very quirky and retro Jeremy Scott pastel dress for the EMAs 2011. Only Katy Perry would do this.

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One of my favourite Katy Perry looks came from her red carpet appearance at the American Music Awards 2011. The Vivienne Westwood dress is stunning but what really sets it off is the accessories. An amazing headpiece which you can see properly on the Red Carpet Fashion Awards site and amazing blue Jimmy Choos make this look a stand out.

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The American Music Awards also allowed the singer to show off this beautiful, elegant gown. Proving the pink hair works as more than just a gimmick. I love the matching pink guitar.
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And this week Mrs Brand topped it off at the Grammy Nominations Concert in a lovely lace Dolce and Gabanna dress which is the most understated and glamorous I think she's ever looked. Simple and beautiful but still PINK!

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Friday 2 December 2011

Orange to blonde to....

....RED!

I would change my hair more often than I have hot dinners if I could and since my sister started training to be a hairdresser I've taken full advantage and be changing it up more often than usual.

First I went ginger...

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...next up was blonde....

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...now onto something different. I'm thinking a bright red in the style of Rihanna...

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Or perhaps a bit more subtle like Cheryl Cole's brief change...

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What do you think?

Either way I'm leaving the blonde behind for winter and going warmer for the colder months!

Thursday 1 December 2011

My Versace for H&M dresses

I love Versace more than any other brand and I like to talk about their clothes. Of course I was ridiculously excited about their collaboration with H&M but even I was not willing to queue up overnight and get into territory wars with strangers to buy some a few dresses. 

Instead I tried my luck online and after numerous page refreshes and many hours I managed to get through and buy a dress, I checked back a few days later and they still had some bits available so I bought a second dress. 

Luckily my parents are paying for one and it is being wrapped up and placed under the christmas tree so I haven't had to fork out a small fortune in one go. 

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Obviously once I tried these dresses on I realised I had no accessories that matched (well that's what I'm telling myself) so I think I'll need to go shopping and buy a pair of gorgeous shoe boots and perhaps and gold clutch. 

I love shopping...

Sunday 25 September 2011

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A good friend of mine suggested I talk about the difference between New York and London fashion for this blog and I have to say I loved the idea. Her inspiration came from a recent quote by Emma Watson where she said she felt that New York fashion was edgier than the classic style of London. Hence her 'classic' look at the London premiere of Harry Potter and her 'edgier' look at the New York premiere. You can't deny her London look was much more classic but does that rule apply across the board?

I have yet to visit New York so I think the best way of judging this is on the style stars of New York and London, past and present, real and fictional.

When I think of New York and fashion there are two women I think of: Carrie Bradshaw and Audrey Hepburn.

Carrie Bradshaw is what a lot of women think of as a typical New Yorker, a very kooky sense of style and fiercly independent streak meanind she answers to no-one. This is definitely edgy, her looks are now pretty standard but when she was first stomping down the street in them they were completely unique.

Audrey Hepburn on the other hand although not a New Yorker set the tone for New York fashion in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's, standing outside the famous store in the, now infamous, black cocktail dress is the epitome of class and elegance, no edginess needed just straight up classic style. These two women are worlds apart yet I think they tell you what New York is: diverse. 

When I think of London and fashion I immediately think of punk. The Sex Pistols and The Clash with safety pins, tartan, leather and ripped denim. I think if there was a defining moment in London fashion, punk was it. This brings me onto Vivienne Westwood and Zandra Rhodes, if these two women aren't edgy then I don't know what it is.

However, you cannot neglect the Royal family and their influence on fashion. You just have to look at our modern day princess Catherine Middleton and the coverage over her classic style. Catherine is never seen with a hair out of place or a less than perfect smile and 20 years ago she would have been the Queen of the twin set I'm sure, quintessentially British by anyone's standards I'm sure.

Then we move onto to Topshop, a high street brand which manages to do what most others fail at - create a sense of brand loyalty equal to a designer. Women queue for hours for their special collections, they save up for the must have pieces and they buy anything that Topshop says is in fashion. I think the typical Topshop girl is very modern British: layering, pastels, matching while maintaining a slight edge through accessories; ankle socks and sandals, oversized hairbands, sky high heels, very short shorts. 

I think London fashion is summed up in the mix, classic but with an edge. Boundary pushing but conforming enough to be relatable. 

 

Sunday 18 September 2011

Cover up: Beyonce addition

I'm not a prude but I feel that too much flesh on show is a little trashy, especially when looking sexy can be done while looking a bit more elegant.

And at the risk of pushing back the work of multiple feminists over the last century, I don't thing that being pregnant is the best time to need tit-tape to guarantee there's nothing on display that shouldn't be.

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I love Beyonce and she is all about sexy and flesh-flashing but I do feel this look would have been so much more awesome without her midsection on display. I'm not saying you need to dress like a nun when you get pregnant but I just think sexiness is a little different when you're with child.

Take a leaf from the classic Kate Hudson or the glamazon Gwen Stefani or the pregnancy queen Heidi Klum

When pregnant I think that less is not always more...

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Ring Finger Manicure: Do or Don't?

A lot of celebrities have been sporting ring finger manicures so I decided to give it a go. I used Barry M 'Blueberry' on all my fingers and put a few layers of OPI 'Absolutely Alice' on my ring finger. 

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I'm a bit unsure about it but I think I'll try it out in a few different combinations. What do you think? WIll you be rocking the ring finger manicure?

Monday 12 September 2011

My new mantra...

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...if I could afford to own a pair of Louboutins. The time will come.

Sunday 11 September 2011

Best Dressed of the Week

This girl is not on my radar but she will be from now on... Sarah Gadon in Jason Wu at the premiere of "A Dangerous Method" at the Toronto Film Festival. I just love the mix of the old school glamour and modern style. Classy, elegant and just beautiful. The lace, the gold belt, the red lips and the chic up do. I will definitely be looking out for her more. 

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Sunday 4 September 2011

Matchy match

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Matching my nails to my jeans - bright red and loving it.

Monday 29 August 2011

Best Dressed of the Week

BEYONCE! BEYONCE! BEYONCE!

BEYONCE PREGNANT! BEYONCE PREGNANT! BEYONCE PREGNANT!

This woman looks beautiful and (such a cliche) she is glowing! The colour, the shape, the bump. All beautiful!

Talking like a sensible woman, this woman is stunning and dressed in an orange Lanvin gown, she looks even more amazing. I love it when Beyonce pulls it out of the bag like this. That is all I have to say.

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Wednesday 24 August 2011

The most awesome invention: Heel Condoms

Yes, you did read that righ: Heel Condoms. These things are just plain awesome!

Basically you slip these over your heels to transform your shoes for a completely unique look. Check out what you can do:

These make your shoes unique and transform them in a matter of minutes. You simply place them over the heel and secure them with an elastic. My personal favourite is of course... leopard print!!

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The best thing is these cost £17.99 and £25.99 which is a lot cheaper than buying a pair of shoes this beautiful. Hooray for Heel Condoms!

Tuesday 23 August 2011

Feather Hair Extensions

I discovered something I have not seen before the other day: Feather Hair Extensions. These can also be called my new obsession!

To be fair, they've been around ages and I'm just slow on the uptake. People like Kesha and Steven Tyler have been wearing them for a while but their hair always looks a mess so I probably ignored it.

Anyway, worn properly I think these give a pretty awesome look.

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I think they can look really simple but add a bit of life to your hair and I love that they don't have to look like a bird flew into your head. I think this look releases my inner hippy, it is definitely a look that could be seen in the 70s but the colour options give it a real modern twist.

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What do you think? Silly fad or fashion brilliance?

Monday 22 August 2011

Lady Gaga in Versace

When Lady Gaga announced a few months ago she would only be wearing Vintage Versace (meaning Gianni) for 2 months I became more than a little excited. These are the clothes, more specially prints, that made me love fashion. Of course, these looks are obviously old fashioned now but at the time, amazingness. Fresh, new, bright, colourful and bold. I think Lady Gaga was extravagent as always but remained true to Gianni's vision.

Recently though she has been spotted in some Donatella creations that are just flawless. I never thought I'd feature Gaga on my blog as I find her fashion stunts irritating but I have to say when she stepped out in these Versace pieces she did the only shocking thing left: look simple and gorgeous.

These three pieces were pure perfection for me and show how amazing Versace is. Simplicity is the key to Donatella's designs, they are not overly complicated but they are still beautiful. Simple accessories are all that are needed and Gaga's relaxed hair and make up are perfect. I even love the diva night-time sunglasses with these looks, Versace is high class so whoever wears it should embrace that to it's fullest. 

My favourite look had to be the beautiful black dress with yellow and purple flower design, just so effortlessly stunning. She even pulls off black pumps to perfection (black are becoming a something of pet peeve when you see all the beautiful shoes on offer) but I suppose you can't go wrong with a Versace/Louboutin combination.

To quote Rachel Zoe... I die!

I know this is just as much a stunt as her meat dress was and caused just as many headlines but I still love it. If she continued dressing like this I'd be a much bigger fan.