Blue shoes

Marbles nails

2012-02-14T20:46:00.001Z

So I tried out marbled nails last night. What do you think?

I won't even begin to try to explain it l'll just send you to the video that I watched. It is very instructional.

I have to say this is a time consuming activity but I did enjoy it and I'm sure I'll get better after a few more attempts.

My first play with Models Own Nail Art Pen

2012-02-12T16:24:00.001Z

I went to Boots yesterday and there was an offer on Models Own products: buy two products and get a free nail art pen.

As I have complete obsession with nail art I couldn't resist. I've never bought any Models Own products so I bought a pale blue nail varnish to go with the nail art pen. The pen has a pointy tip for dots, details and the like plus a paint brush for stripes and the like.

Today I had a play and I was surprised at how easy the nail art pen was to use. Here are the results:

My right hand was a little less successful but still a lot better than I expected.

My favourite is the leopard print on my little finger, much easier to achieve than expected. Any suggestions for different designs for me to play with?

I have to say in general I was very impressed with the Models Own nail varnish as well, a really nice product.

My only question now is when will they bring out even more colours of the pen??

How to: 6 rings in 6 minutes

2011-12-29T11:14:00.001Z

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:

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!

See the full gallery on Posterous

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

Another blog post about Marilyn Monroe

2011-12-28T19:49:00.001Z

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!

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

Bargains

2011-12-28T19:33:00.001Z

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.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Festive nails

2011-12-18T15:20:00.001Z

See the full gallery on Posterous

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?

New Hair!

2011-12-12T19:08:00.001Z

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!

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.

See the full gallery on Posterous

What do you think? Liking the red?

DIY: Button ring

2011-12-04T15:47:00.001Z

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:

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!

Katy Perry: The Pink Princess

2011-12-03T15:22:00.001Z

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Orange to blonde to....

2011-12-02T19:08:00.001Z

....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...

...next up was blonde....

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

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

What do you think?

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

My Versace for H&M dresses

2011-12-01T15:06:00.001Z

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.

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...

Untitled

2011-09-25T12:04:00.001+01:00

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.

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.

Cover up: Beyonce addition

2011-09-18T22:39:00.001+01:00

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.

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...

Ring Finger Manicure: Do or Don't?

2011-09-14T19:17:00.001+01:00

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.

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?

My new mantra...

2011-09-12T23:40:00.001+01:00

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

Best Dressed of the Week

2011-09-11T19:10:00.001+01:00

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.

Matchy match

2011-09-04T18:12:00.001+01:00

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

Best Dressed of the Week

2011-08-29T19:11:00.001+01:00

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.

The most awesome invention: Heel Condoms

2011-08-24T19:02:00.001+01:00

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:

See the full gallery on Posterous

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!!

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!

Feather Hair Extensions

2011-08-23T20:28:00.001+01:00

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.

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.

What do you think? Silly fad or fashion brilliance?

Lady Gaga in Versace

2011-08-22T19:07:00.001+01:00

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.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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.

Colourful sunglasses

2011-08-06T22:01:00.001+01:00

I got some new sunglasses yesterday from Bluewater. I had seen an awesome pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarer's which had multi coloured frames but had a pretty hefty price tag that I couldn't afford. A quick look in a few more shops pointed me towards these awesome replicas from ALDO which were just brilliant and a fraction of the price.

What do you think? Ignore the unattractive shots, my boyfriend was being "arty".

I love colour so of course these are right up my street. Let me know what you think.

Best Dressed of the Week

2011-08-06T21:45:00.001+01:00

This week goes to the beautiful Rachel Bilson in Erdem at CBS, The CW and Showtime TCA Party. I love this look for the bright colour and brilliant floral blouse but I particularly love how she paired this with leopard print shoes. Who would've thought to do that? Absolutely genius. Kudos to whoever styled here, pretty awesome.

She's looks awesome here and this is easy to recreate at home, I always love that in a red carpet look.

Best Dressed of the Week

2011-08-01T19:43:00.001+01:00

Sorry for the delay and quiet week, been super busy but I have lots to blog about now. First up best dressed from last week, my win went to the same as Red Carpet Fashion Awards, the beautiful Dannii Minogue in J'Aton Couture. This dress is simply breath taking, the beautiful detail and stunning colour makes it a complete stand out piece last week. Plus that girl really knows how to bring something new to the table when it comes to hairstyles, she is never dull.

This does make me question, with all the old Cheryl v Dannii X Factor fashion off, will we ever see Cheryl return to the top of a best dressed list?

New York v London Fashion Face Off

2011-07-25T12:02:00.001+01:00

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 look up to as a typical New Yorker, a very kooky sense of style and fiercly independent streak which means she does whatever she wants. This is definitely edgy, her looks are now pretty standard but when she was first stomping down the street in them they were completely different. 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 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 the sense of brand loyalty of 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.

Best Dressed of the Week

2011-07-22T10:56:00.001+01:00

This week was pretty unspectacular, well it was until I saw Hailee Steinfeld yesterday at Miu Miu presents Lucrecia Martel's "Muta". The current face of Miu Miu had to look amazing for the night and she most definitely did.

Miu Miu has never particularly been on my radar, I don't usually find their pieces very interesting but this has definitely won me over. This look is beautiful, simple and stunning. I love the jewelled Peter Pan collar and matchy-but-not-too-matchy Prada clutch and Miu Miu peep-toes. I love that she still looks like a 14 year old, granted a very well dressed one but it doesn't scream "I'm trying to be a grown up!", the minimal make up and simple hair help with this. I think it also helps that I have a lot of love for Hailee, she's adorable and she charmed with her Oscar's frock.

Well done again, Hailee. By the time she's my age she'll be a seasoned pro on the red carpet and I'm sure she'll never get it wrong.

How To: Nailease

2011-07-21T09:08:00.001+01:00

Yep, I'm afraid it's another nail post. I do love updating my nails and I've been meaning to do this post for ages so here it finally is.

First up, check out these nails... how awesome are they??

See the full gallery on Posterous

Well this is another one of my little tricks, no need to be a nail artist, you just need a cheat and this one is Nailease.

These are super quick and easy, the step by step really is as easy as it says on the website:

Select the size that fits your nail and pull away gently from the full strip
Gently remove clear film from top of nail sticker then gently remove clear from bottom of nail sticker holding the silver strip
Hold nail sticker by the silver strip and place the rounded side at nail base sticky side down.Note: you can gently pull off and reposition without damaging the strip
Firmly smooth the nail surface until wrinkle free. Note: you can gently stretch vertically and horizontally for a wrinkle free surface
Fold the excess of the nail strip under the nail. Then gently file off the excess in a downward motion.

That really is it, in fact it is even easier that it seems. I love these and I will be stocking up as soon as their new collection is out I will be taking advantage of the free delivery when you buy 3 pack.

Newspaper nails

2011-07-20T21:59:00.001+01:00

How cool are these nails??

Not the golf information that is plastered across them but the newspaper print. I'll let you in on a little secret...they are REALLY easy to do. It only took about 10 minutes to do and although they are a little hit and miss, I still think they look awesome and a tiny bit of practice and they will be perfect. Here's the step-by-step.

First paint your nails, choose a light colour. You could of course use white or neutral but I love colours so I used this lovely light green Spring Mews from Nails Inc.

Next up, dip your nail in some surgical spirits.

Then lay some newspaper over your nail and press down to transfer the print.

Paint over a layer of clear nail varnish to seal, et voila. I told you it was easy!

You can do this with pretty much any prints so I'm excited to get going with that but for now I'll stick with these for a few days. For a lover of expeimenting with nails this is a perfect quick way to add a bit of fun!

Barry M Touch of Magic Lip Paint

2011-07-17T17:32:00.001+01:00

Would anyone use a green lipstick? Of course not. Well look at but the amazing Barry M Touch of Magic Lip Paint.

Green, very green. Scarily green. But check out what it looks like when you put it on.

Pink, lovely pink. This thing is brilliant, everybody has a different colour as it reacts differently to your lips. Not only that, it last AGES! At the point of this picture I had been drinking lots of lovely Prosecco and eating a mountain of food (lots of lick lipping) and it was still very much on. A good wash gets it off but not much else, and smudging is pretty non-existent. Not only that but it feels like Vaseline, so soft on your lips, it doesn't dry them out.

If that all doesn't persuade you maybe the nifty price tag of only £4.49 will!

Being beautiful

2011-07-16T11:52:00.001+01:00

When I was a teenager there were always conversations about body image and being skinny and having a certain body type and I always thought that the times would change and people wouldn't be as obsessed about it when I grew up. You know how they say the media perception of the perfect body shape changes? Well I kind of assumed that a healthier body shape would be normal now, instead we still have the size 0 debate and I struggle with it more and more every day.

I love fashion and I feel I have kind of become desensitised to images of models looking gaunt and ill and being able to see their bones jutting out. My dad will often sit down with me to watch fashion programs or the latest sitcom I love and his comment about how skinny the girls are brings me back to reality, especially when I realise most of these girls are big compared to the accepted size 0 of today. It seems no matter how many people talk about how disgraceful this, or how many models die through eating disorders, or many little girls develop body issues from thinking they are 'fat', we are still being told that super skinny = beautiful.

As much as the size 0 and skinny debate riles me. What riles me more is watching a show by the beautiful Katie Piper, this girl is brave, courageous and amazing and she deserves so much praise. But why can people not see her as a normal human being as well? Why are the Beautiful Friends she introduced us to in her TV show seen as being less than any of 'us' because they have a disfigurement? Why can we not look at them and accept them as human beings who have the same feelings and emotions as us. I feel that it shocked some people to see these people and discover they were not stupid, or self loathing or vengeful but in fact just trying to deal with something handed to them that made them stronger and more amazing than most of us 'normal' could be.

The older I get, the more I struggle with this idea of beauty. I still find it shocking that a black girl isn't as likely to be on a runway in Paris fashion week as a white girl. Or that a redhead has to accept being called 'Ginge' in a derogatory term because people consider it 'ugly'. Or that someone who has one arm causes such a stir when they start presenting children's TV. It sickens me that there is a set look that you can have to be considered beautiful and if someone from outside of those rules miraculously breaks through, they are considered shocking and different. There is no two ways about it, it is a pretty disgusting message to be sending young people.

We are told from a young age that our differences are what make us unique yet somehow we are losing this as we grow up... I have no problem with someone wanting to be healthy, in fact I think it is great, but I really do not think that most of the size 0 women are healthy. I do believe that some people are naturally skinny and that is fine, but it's clear the trend is not for skinny healthy models but for extra skinny models who survive on very little. I especially do not think that women who are desperate to lose baby weight, or drop lots of weight for a certain event are very healthy. Do something you can maintain, Kelly Osbourne has lost a lot of weight and good on her she looks awesome but she's not shrinking to the point where I see all her bones stick out or she looks gaunt, she looks slim and healthy. And to be honest, did she really look awful when she was bigger? She, and everyone, should do what makes them happy and healthy and I truly believe it would be better to be 5 pounds overweight than 5 pounds underweight.

I worry that my nieces and nephews are going to grow up in tougher times where having the beautiful crazy curls of my 4 year old niece will cause her to feel ugly, or my 3 year old nephews gorgeous strawberry blonde locks will get him bullied, or my 2 year old nephews permanently spiky hair will make him insecure, or my 6 year old nieces enthusiasm for all things in life will get her called 'weird' and stifle her creativity.

Life is not about conforming, it is about finding out what makes you unique from everyone else and showing it off to it's fullest. I never wear matching colours or conventional clothing but why should I? I don't dress provocatively or outlandishly, I just dress colourfully and it makes my world a little bit brighter. I have strawberry blonde hair and recently dyed it bright ginger as I wish that was my natural colour, is it offensive or upsetting to anyone? No, so why do people still think I'm mad to dye my hair that colour, it is beautiful and frankly so am I with it. My nearest and dearest are all so different and that's why I love them.

My boyfriend loves electronic music, rock climbing, sailing, Hunter S Thompson, wearing combats, hoodies and boots everywhere and they are some of the reasons I love him. I also love his non-perfect look, his constant update in his style and the fact he doesn't do anything for anyone else. Why would having completely ripped muscles, perfectly coiffed hair, fake tan and a love of football make him more acceptable? Everyone is who they are and they should be appreciated for it.

Why do people want to look like David Beckham or Angelina Jolie? These two are both beautiful and amazing because they are UNIQUE and do what they want to do, not because they follow a norm that everyone should follow. It's not about being deliberately different, it's about embracing you at your best. At the risk of sounding like a Lady Gaga song, if you are happy within yourself then who cares what other people say you should be, love your life and love yourself because it's who you are.

Matisse the Genius

2011-07-16T03:24:00.001+01:00

After watching the BBC documentry about Henri Matisse last year I have become a little bit obsessed by the man and his work. I have always been a fan but now I am a devout fan. My Twitter background is even dedicated to him.

This is the man who used colour like no-one before him, by today's standards his work could just been seen as a multi-coloured mess but at the time no-one was using colour like him. Matisse was daring, different, bright and impressively simple. Think of anything that has such bright colour and it wouldn't be here today without the help of Matisse, he created this love of colour that many people have. Yes, today you can't escape colour and artists use images like this all the time, but at the time it was revolutionary.

See the full gallery on Posterous

As many of you know I am a big lover of colour and this is why I love Matisse, colour shows emotion better than anything else and colour can impact on everything in the world. Matisse's influence can be seen everywhere. Look around the room you're in, see any bright colours near each other? Matisse made that possible. I'm not saying Matisse is the only reason these things are here, but he was definitely the biggest influence in starting the trend.

Yes, Matisse is an artist and as one his work is not to everyone's taste, but you have to admit that modern interpretations are pleasing to the eye...

Tie-dye hair

2011-07-15T19:29:00.001+01:00

I have become a little bit obsessed with Lauren Conrad's beauty blog The Beauty Compartment, it is downright brilliant, so many tips and ideas - I love it. One thing she recently did was experiment with tie-dye hair and how amazing does it look?

I have decided I am going to get this look as soon as possible, my lovely sister is training to become a hairdresser and she has kindly volunteered to try it out on me when she's free and I seriously cannot wait. I think it looks awesome and with colours that bright it'll wash out pretty quickly anyway so won't have to worry about it if I don't like it. Plus...no roots!! A big bonus in any hair dying adventure.

What do you think? Would you be brave enough to rock this look?

New skin please!

2011-07-14T21:12:00.001+01:00

I'm not one for blogging about random personal rubbish but I've been having a particularly bad batch of psoriasis recently (most likely brought on by my recent strep throat tonsillitis) and I wanted to offer any tips I had and ask for any from you.

This particular batch is covering my arms, face, legs, upper back and scalp at the moment and is the worst I've ever had it, I wake up with more and more everyday. I try to not let it affect me, I don't wear make up unless going out for an occasion, I try not to cover up unnecessarily and I try not to care about the itching. But I have to say it gets to me sometimes and below are a few of the things that help me cope.

I've always been blessed with my pale skin and lovely freckles, very few spots or general difficulties. However, a few months ago I started getting random red blotches on my face so I bought my first ever foundation - a daunting prospect for a 23 year old. I'm pleased I did this as I currently have lovely red itchy dots all over my lovely face and although my freckles can cover most of the damage, foundation really is a little necessary when I am wanting to make an effort. Luckily my friend helped me get over my foundation fear and recommended The Body Shop's moisture foundation. A great foundation, the pale is pale enough even for me and not only does it not irritate the dry patches, it also doesn't dry my skin out, it is definitely moisturising.

My must have since I first got psoriasis a few years ago is Aqueous cream. The stuff feels horrible but I'm telling you it is definitely worth it, I find it makes me a lot less itchy most of the time, plus it's usually less than £2 for a massive tub which lasts ages! A definite winner!

I'm currently trying out a couple of products as although my skins been bad, I'm really not coping this time round so want to try some new stuff. Tonight I am going to use Oilatum for the first time, to be honest I am not particularly excited as it is supposed to make for a very greasy and oily bath, but if it calms my skin I'm game for a few oily baths a week. I'm also trying some of those Simple products which so far are feeling pretty good. I think I struggle most with how quickly I need to reaplly products to feel good, a lot of them wear off after a few hours.

I personally find the itching the worst thing about psoriasis but I think a lot of people struggle with how it looks and try to cover themselves up. There is no need to flash your skin when you don't want to but also don't cover yourself head to toe in boiling temperatures just because of a bit of red skin. I cannot tell you to not feel uncomfortable for showing your skin but if you do, I can only reassure you that it doesn't look as bad as you think, people will not think you're a monster for having it. Most likely people will feel sorry for you, if so go with it and demand ice cream! Embrace the bad skin and let it go, stress is a big trigger for psoriasis and there is nothing more stressful than worrying what other people think of you.

I'm Back... and with a Best Dressed of the Week

2011-07-14T19:00:00.001+01:00

Yes, yes I've been awfully neglectful of blogging recently but I'm back with a vengence, instead of exaggerating talking about how busy I've been I'm getting into a new feature, drum roll please:

Best Dressed of the Week

Exciting eh? Ok it's not very original I know but I want to share with you all my opinion on who should be crowned best dressed every week.

This week was a great one for fashion and there were lots of lovely dresses out and about. My favourite was the beautiful Zooey Deschanel in Oscar de la Renta at the BAFTA Brits to Watch Gala. She looked GORGEOUS!

I have such a girl crush on Zooey anyway but I really do love how she looks here. This girl is truly stunning and I love how she always looks so effortless and comfortable in what she wears, you can put a gorgeous girl in a gorgeous dress but if she doesn't feel right...it shows! This Oscar de la Renta beauty really is stunning, it is so simple yet still has such an impact. I think Oscar de la Renta are the designer to use for simple but stunning, if I had the money I'd wear these dresses to do the washing up in. I'm really pleased Zooey didn't over-accessorise (a crime I am very guilty of) as she just looked flawless, anyway that smile is the only accessory this girl needs.

Definitely my winner this week, well done Zooey.

Want! Want! Want!

2011-07-14T16:28:00.001+01:00

OK, my big sister is a bit of a legend. For many reasons obviously but in particular to introducing me to the amazing Vivien of Holloway. I am very much late to the game with this awesome shop but I shall certainly be staying in the game...yeh that didn't really work but we'll move on.

There are a couple of things that make me absolutely love this shop:

The clothes...duh. Well more specifically the 50s dresses, I love everything else too but I have such a love for this style that I am very pleased someone has dedicated so much to it. Last year I had my University Summer Ball and I was desperate to wear a dress like this, I couldn't find anything in the shops so me and my mum made one. Now I love what I made and I am so proud of it but not being a professional dressmaker means it's pretty tough to do yourself, even finding the right fabric was difficult. I think you'll agree well made dresses like this in such a variey of fabrics is a big win.
The idea. I think you'll agree that reading about the shop is pretty great, there is real comfort in buying something that is made and sold by people who love the clothes and love what they are doing. It's special, it's unique and it's nice to support someone with passion and talent.

I'm saving my pennies to have a big blow out in their shop hopefully next month. The only problem is I can't decide between the polkadot, print or plain for my first dress, let alone the colour! Then there's petticoat's, bolero's, belts...

Any suggestions?

I'm oh so quiet....

2011-03-13T19:13:00.001Z

...I'm oh so still!

Sorry for the lack of blogging, I have been surprisingly busy but I promise you I will get back into it.

One reason for my quietness is my healthy kick; I have bought myself a Wii Fit, started a dance class and taken up training for a half marathon. You can follow my trials and tribulations of my training on my new blog BlackAndBlueShoes (do you get it??) but I thought I would share my only bit of fashion of the last few weeks. I bought some new trainers yesterday for this training and you read all about that here but for now you can see them... pretty eh? OK not beautiful (and not pink, much to my disappointment) but they're great and the service was brill.

As my very wise friend Liz said to me, these will with me for a long time and they are likely to become my best friend...and worst remedy!

I'll be updating my other blog lots, but I promise I'll update this lots as well.

Pink nails!

2011-03-03T21:54:00.001Z

My obsession continues... This new baby pink nail varnish was a bargain, £1 from George at ASDA!

2010-12-30T22:07:00.000Z

2010-12-29T21:48:00.000Z

2010-12-26T23:01:00.000Z

2010-12-25T18:20:00.000Z

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Much love

2010-12-24T22:47:00.000Z

2010-12-23T23:10:00.000Z

2010-12-21T21:59:00.000Z

2010-12-20T21:28:00.000Z

2010-12-19T22:01:00.000Z

2010-12-18T23:12:00.000Z

2010-12-17T22:07:00.000Z

2010-12-16T22:38:00.000Z

2010-12-15T22:48:00.001Z

2010-12-14T23:17:00.000Z

2010-12-14T23:00:00.000Z

Project 365 - Day 304 (12/12/10)

2010-12-12T22:56:00.001Z

Day 304: Moody face sorry! Zebra dress, need to do washing! Lucky I didn't have to go out, would have been chilly!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 303 (11/12/10)

2010-12-11T19:08:00.001Z

Day 303: I can't believe a week ago the place was still covered in snow and now I am at a beach... weird!

DMs, socks, leggings, a lovely new blue coat from Matalan for a bargainous £14, leather gloves, Fiorelli bag, Mums pashmina and United Colours of Benetton hat.

This hat is like a tea cosy but I love it, it had a peak but I cut it off as it bugged me.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 302 (10/12/10)

2010-12-10T23:14:00.002Z

Day 302: PJs ad t-shirt, comfy :)

Much love

Project 365 - Day 301 (09/12/10)

2010-12-09T23:03:00.001Z

Day 201: Much happier today (but a disgustingly messy room!!). Jeans and blue jumper!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 300 (08/12/10)

2010-12-08T23:16:00.001Z

Day 300: Wow day 300 :) Sorry I look so moody! T-shirt dress, leggings and cardi.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 299 (07/12/10)

2010-12-07T22:36:00.001Z

Day 299: Ummm I apologise I appear to have forgotten Day 298! But yay I remembered today!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 297 (05/12/10)

2010-12-05T22:26:00.002Z

Day 296: Catching up on my favourite blog (it was another PJ day and pleased my internet worked briefly!)

Much love

Project 365 - Day 296 (04/12/10)

2010-12-04T21:58:00.001Z

Day 296: PJ day!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 295 (03/12/10)

2010-12-03T21:42:00.001Z

Day 295: In bed ridiculously early!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 294 (02/12/10)

2010-12-02T22:06:00.002Z

Day 294: My excuse is the snow! I need to wear these durable trousers (over leggings!)

Much love

Project 365 - Day 293 (01/12/10)

2010-12-01T23:37:00.002Z

Day 293: Comfy again, purple vest top and zebra trousers!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 292 (30/11/10)

2010-12-01T22:37:00.001Z

Day 292: Comfy; zebra trousers and ASDA lace insert top!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 291 (29/11/10)

2010-11-29T21:39:00.002Z

Day 291: PJS!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 290 (28/11/10)

2010-11-28T21:33:00.001Z

Day 290: New hair cut!!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 289 (27/11/10)

2010-11-27T23:17:00.001Z

Day 289: So sleepy so just a pic of my companion truffles!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 288 (26/11/10)

2010-11-26T22:39:00.004Z

Day 288: My amazing new New Look jumpsuit, had my eye on it for a while and it went into the sale so snapped it up for £10! I'm chuffed. Teamed with DMs, leather jacket, scarf, Fiorelli bag, leather gloves and New Look hat.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 287 (25/11/10)

2010-11-25T23:14:00.002Z

Day 287: My favourite maxi and new Primark ring!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 286 (24/11/10)

2010-11-24T22:23:00.002Z

Day 286: Leggings, grey skirt and blue jumper!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 285 (23/11/10)

2010-11-23T21:48:00.002Z

Day 285: Pink jumper, grey skirt and leggings!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 284 (22/11/10)

2010-11-22T20:33:00.003Z

Day 284: New pink jumper and jeans (Sponsored by Primark)!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 283 (21/11/10)

2010-11-21T21:29:00.002Z

Day 283: Blue sparkly nails to match my toes!
Much love

Project 365 - Day 282 (20/11/10)

2010-11-20T22:46:00.002Z

Day 282: I am a big fan of hats, a bit like Matt Cardle. I bought this one today from New Look for a bargian £6.99.

What do you all think? To be honest, I love it. I think I particularly love the leopard print trim, I do love me some leopard print!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 281 (19/11/10)

2010-11-19T22:47:00.003Z

Day 281: My blue sparkly toe nails!
Much love

Project 365 - Day 280 (18/11/10)

2010-11-18T22:30:00.002Z

Day 280: Super relaxed. Jeans, t-shirt , cardi and pendant necklace. My beloved Versace cardigan which has been featured a few times, so warm and cosy, it is LOVE!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 279 (17/11/10)

2010-11-17T21:17:00.001Z

Day 279: My ASDA dress! Not much else to say except apologize for my messy room again!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 278 (16/11/10)

2010-11-16T22:15:00.002Z

Day 278: I swear I have not woken up today! Just wore my skinny jeans with this Primark t-shirt. Attempted to do a Dannii Minogue-esque hairband but didn't quite work. Ah well.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 277 (15/11/10)

2010-11-15T23:10:00.001Z

Day 277: I was laughing a LOT at my mum taking this picture! Wore my ASDA Maxi again with a cardi. Also wore my long pendant but I took it off before I took the pic. Woops.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 276 (14/11/10)

2010-11-14T21:53:00.001Z

Day 276: A proper lazy Sunday with a proper messy room!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 275 (13/11/10)

2010-11-14T00:41:00.002Z

Day 275: Shhhh...this isn't up late! Wearing my ASDA maxi dress, New Look blazer and ASOS necklace. I like it :)

Much love

Project 365 - Day 274 (12/11/10)

2010-11-12T22:17:00.002Z

Day 274: My ever faithful Matalan Maxi.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 273 (11/11/10)

2010-11-11T21:49:00.002Z

Day 272: Brrrrrrr so cold!!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 272 (10/11/10)

2010-11-10T22:17:00.002Z

Day 272: Apologies for my face, I was talking when the picture was taken! Anyway outfit: boots (of course), leggings & tights (long story!), my skirt made from a dress, black belt & t-shirt, brown cardi and ASOS long pendant necklace.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 271 (09/11/10)

2010-11-09T22:00:00.001Z

Day 271: Well last night I was hoping a good nights sleep would make me feel better, it didn't! I have spent today in PJ's, while taking up residence on the sofa & in bed. Truffles kept me company & looks a lot less gross than me so you get a picture of him. Enjoy!
Much love

Project 365 - Day 270 (08/11/10)

2010-11-08T22:08:00.002Z

Day 270: A fail of a day, was wearing a pretty awesome outfit I think today, but felt so sick that the minute I got home I changed into these. I did not want to ruin my 60s dress and denim shirt. I'll wear the outfit again soon so you can believe me when I say it is brilliant. Also I haven't done a PJ day in a little while so enjoy!! Anyway, off to bed now to feel better.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 269 (07/11/10)

2010-11-07T21:22:00.001Z

Day 269: My faithful matalan maxi.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 268 (06/11/10)

2010-11-06T22:19:00.002Z

Day 268: I thought it would be boring to post another post just with jeans & my hoody so me holding a glass of champers is far more interesting. The champagne is from my big brother as I was having a kind of graduation party so I think I did quite well.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 267 (05/11/10)

2010-11-05T22:32:00.002Z

I wore the shirt from my graduation with my jeans today. Very comfy I have to say & I thunk, rather stylish!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 266 (04/22/10)

2010-11-04T21:51:00.002Z

Day 266: I got this hoody yesterday at my graduation. It has a list of everyone's name who graduated so I promise you my name is on it. I think it's kinda fun but I mainly think its the comfiest thing I have EVER worn! Definitely worth getting!
Much love

Project 365 - Day 265 (03/11/10)

2010-11-03T20:13:00.000Z

Day 265: This is the explanation of the forgotten picture and subsequent hotel picture from yesterday; I graduated today!! It was a great day and I loved. I bought a special pair of shoes...you may notice they are blue, to go with my blog name and my university colours. I also wore a high waisted skirt and a brown and black blouse. Of course I wore my graduation gown and mortar board. The most formal you will probably ever see me so enjoy.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 264 (02/11/10)

2010-11-02T21:52:00.001Z

Day 264: Been a very busy day so can only apologize for my lack of picture. This is my view from my hotel room in Worcester. My outfit tomorrow will explain the busyness & hotel room!
Much love

Project 365 - Day 263 (01/1/10)

2010-11-01T23:08:00.002Z

Day 263: Pinch Punch first of the month! I look at this and I think it looks like I got dressed in the dark, which is ironic considering it was the first morning I have got ready for work when it wasn't pitch black. Anyway, fairly basic outfit with my BNTM Live necklace for fun. I also wore the boots I always wear.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 262 (31/10/10)

2010-10-31T21:34:00.000Z

Day 262: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! I had a party with my nieces and nephews, then went trick or treating. Unusual outfit...pink trainers, animal print PJ onesie and a halo. My face is also painted 'like a leopard' by my 6 year old niece. Got some great looks while out trick or treating.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 261 (30/10/10)

2010-10-31T21:31:00.000Z

Day 261: Sorry this is late, I had a late night and have only just got to my computer. A very touristy picture but I was on an amazing boat-bar on the Thames and the view was pretty awesome (though you can't really see it). I had a lovely day in the Capital, not working but eating, watching a musical and drinking. I wore my beloved brown boots, jeans, New Look t-shirt and flowery blazer and my mum's pashmina. I personally love this look, very easy to wear but quite cool.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 260 (29/10/10)

2010-10-30T00:05:00.004+01:00

Day 260: I am definitely in the Halloween mood so my nails are orange and black in accordingly. I love love love. Of course.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 259 (28/10/10)

2010-10-28T22:35:00.003+01:00

Day 259: I was very blue, black & white today. Very co-ordinated for me (except my pink watch). Leggings, zbra print dress, blue little hoody and blue necklace I got from BNTM live. I also had my blue and black awesome nails from yesterday.

Much love

Project 365 - Day 258 (27/10/10)

2010-10-27T22:03:00.002+01:00

Day 258: This dress is awesome, very summery but perfect for winter with boots, cardi & jacket. Very good :) I have to say my nails steal the look for me though:

I put a post up yesterday about a new nail varnish coming out from OPI in January called Black Shatter that created a shattered look on your nails. Well I discovered Barry M already doing pretty much the exact same product called Nail Effects, it is only £3.95 so I bought it in my lunch break. I have to say I am amazed by how it looks. It such a brilliant effect and is so easy to do, my only complaint is that it dries very matt so I sealed it with clear nail varnish, which I don't usually bother doing. Totally worth it though, I love the shiny look. Ahhh I seriously love this and cannot wait to try lots of different undercoat colours!!

Much love

Project 365 - Day 257 (26/10/10)

2010-10-26T21:46:00.002+01:00

Day 257: This is the smartest thing I have worn in a very long time. As far as I know it is an old dress of my sister-in-laws, which my sister wore last year for an interview. It has been in my wardrobe ever since and seeing as I have yet to do my washing so have run out of clothes, I thought it was a great opportunity to try it on. It fitted which is pretty funny as me, my sister and my sister-in-law are all very different shapes and sizes. A sign of a good dress I feel.

Much love

My Favourite - Month 8

2010-10-26T20:27:00.000+01:00

I forgot to do this earlier in the month sorry, but my month 8 favourite came between the 11th September and 11th October and this was the winner from Day 221 (20/09/10). I absolutely love this outfit, I just think it is really well put together (if I do say so myself) and all the pieces work together really well. I love George at ASDA and this £16 dress!!