Warung Bebas

Friday, April 30, 2010

Gleek Chic!


Good evening :)
I'm in what feels like a carb-induced trance after a lovely Chinese takeaway with Alex. I had Duck & Pork noodles, crispy lemon Chicken, and we shared some ribs. I only ate half of it, but am stuffed! Will be saving the rest for lunch tomorrow!
Here's what I wore the other day (no outfit picture for today). I'm wearing my Gross Tooth Necklace by Dusky Ledoux which I have been wearing constantly lately! It's the perfect thing to 'liven up' the baggy h&m jersey tops I am currently addicted to!



I must tell you about a lovely treat that We Are Social sent me... The Glee DVD! It features all the episodes from the first half of the season, and loads of extra features. I've always had a little obsession about behind-the-scenes videos (I think it started with the Spice Girls documentary video way back when!) and this DVD is full of them. You get to check out Rachel's audition tape, see them at Dance Bootcamp and watch all the video diaries which are cool (as well as 'meeting Jane Lynch'!). It really seems like they all get along in real life which is really sweet! Glee is most of the cast's big break, and you can see how much fun they're having now they're stars! This DVD is perfect for educating friends and family that haven't been watching the series on e4, which I plan to do. It's also great for my new hobby, watching Sue's one-liners over and over (SUCH a lack of Sue on Youtube, it's a joke!) Quote of the day: 'Me? I never wanted kids. Don't have the time, don't have the uterus'!

Please can someone design a 'Sue Sylvester is my homegirl' shirt? It would make my life!



Anyway, off to watch Facejacker now! Anyone else watching that crazy show?

Love! x

Thursday, April 29, 2010

The fashion farm!



Today was my little sister's birthday and we spent the day at this adorable farm (Blackberry Farm near Lewes) we found randomly whilst looking for a different one! It was amazing. It seems to be something hereditary, because I love places like farms and zoos, I spend my birthday at them every year! I'm 23 in June, and this year will be no different! Anyone else refusing to get 'old'?

I bought Shannon the little floral espadrilles from Topshop, because she was so jelly of mine. I also got her the whole series of the Georgia Nicolson books by Louise Rennison. A bit of a Homer-Simpson-buying-Marge-a-bowling-ball decision there, as I fully intend to enjoy that gift for myself. (Shannon, if you're reading this, hurry up and GET READING!)

The farm had an animal handling area where we got to bottle feed baby animals and hang out with bunnies and baby pigs! It was amazing! We were basically sitting in a little pit of hay, hence me looking a bit grubby below!





I think Blackberry Farm may well be where Topshop Unique's trend-hunters found their inspiration for next season's collection... The resemblance is uncanny. Harnesses, shaggy furs, frizzy hair... What a fashion-forward farm this is!



Haha! I hope you've had a lovely day and enjoyed the last of the sun (for those in the UK). What a depressing note to end on... Erm.. Oh, one day until the weekend! Woo!

xx

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Jumpsuited and booted!


Hey hey!

I went to London this afternoon for the My-Wardrobe AW/10 preview. It was a good time, lots of amazing clothes and amazing-er shoes... I might get round to posting pictures up but this is a fleeting visit because it's very late! I won't be posting tomorrow because I'm nipping home to visit my little sister for her birthday.

I didn't get an outfit picture but it basically involved baggy h&m jersey and a bodycon skirt, AKA. my new favourite outfit combo! I got a picture of my shoes and little grey socks from Dorothy Perkins, which I love.



(shoes - topshop)

I had an exchange to get sorted at Topshop so I bought this dreamy jumpsuit! I've never had a jumpsuit before but I am loving the floatiness of this one. I think it makes me look a couple of sizes bigger but I actually quite like that. I couldn't find my little grey cardigan for an outfit picture, but in an ideal scenario I'd wear this jumpsuit with the cardi and some brogues and ankle socks. But for easiness' sake, I've stuck it with my new sandals. Probably the most 'high street' I've ever looked! I feel like I'm in disguise or something... It is nice to keep it simple sometimes. God, sorry, Babble-fest 2010, I'll shut up now.




Bed time! Which means almost breakfast time. Which means Cheese & Marmite crumpets! Favourite meal of the day!

xxx

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Tuesday Tip: a bra for your tights!


Yeah I'm not gonna lie, this tip is ridiculous. But it's one I have found useful many times!

I would like to respectfully request that you don't send me pictures if you try this tip, as you did with the leopard nails DIY. Lolz!

Don't you just hate it when your tights go saggy and you have to keep hoiking them up? Kinda kills a glamorous outfit doesn't it? I get this quite a lot because I have quite long legs, so I buy my tights in larger sizes which means they don't stay up too well.

Anyway, one day, I had a brainwave. I put the baggy tights on, and then took a pair of old tights which did fit really well but were now laddered (Or you could buy a small pair from Primark for a quid I guess), and chopped the legs off so they looked like cycling shorts. I put them on over the baggy tights, pulled them up, and hey presto! No sagging. It was like a bra for my tights!



No more frustratedly hoisting my tights up to my armpits only for them to droop within the hour... I was good to go!

So there you go, a short but sweet tip from the bizarre corners of my brain that is as handy as it is ridiculous! There is a totally disastrous tale of a time this tip went wrong, if you can handle the cringe factor, check it out below!



God, it was horrible reliving that! Learn from my mistakes, people!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Various babble


Today has been what I describe as a 'doing day'. I got lots of stuff that needed doing done. If that makes sense!

I did a little bit of both uni projects, lots of laundry, hoovering, tidied the study, did an exchange that's been bugging me for ages, and fed my h&m jersey addiction just a bit more. I'm addicted to their baggy tees. I seem to buy them on a weekly basis these days! I like to get my shoulders out but hate getting my arms out, so the baggy tops are great because you flash a bit of shoulder if you wish! And the bagginess is just a plus in itself.




(top and skirt - h&m, boots - charity shop, socks - dorothy perkins, necklace - urban outfitters)

I cut my hair today. Well, I shaved it actually! I did the sides and the back. It looks a little weird, but all in all I'm proud of my first attempt! I also trimmed my ridiculous emo fringe so it's not in my eyes 24/7 anymore!

No Uni again tomorrow, so it'll be another day of working on my projects. And divulging the latest Tuesday tip!! Also, it'll be a small milestone in mine and
Alex's co-habitation... We've always shopped at Asda and I've been trying to convince him that Morrisons is just... nicer (there's something so clinical about Asda... I don't know why), but he is stubborn about the silliest things. I've finally ground him down, and tomorrow we are hitting Morrisons. I may dress up for the occasion! I just hope they've got some good deals on so my struggle won't have been in vain. Haha!

Enough about my rock and roll lifestyle, I'm going to go to bed and read my new Nylon magazine (coolness redeemed?). I hope it's worth the £4.25... It can be a bit hit or miss. Does anyone else vomit in their mouth a bit at the price of fashion magazines? There have been times I've spent about £25 on a few magazines. Ha, what a generic thing to moan about! I really must be tired. Anyway, I've actually stopped buying i-D and Dazed for a while. They always make me realise I know absolutely diddly squat about fashion so I'd rather sit in my little bubble of blissful ignorance. And save my pennies! :)

Nighty night xx

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Tuesday tipped...


Just a quickie (and later than promised - very soz!) post to show all of the people that sent me pictures of their Wah-looking nails after my Tuesday Tip! I love how everyone did their own thing with it. Thanks for getting involved and sending me pictures, it's so cool to think anyone would listen to my barmy 'advice'!!

In no particular order, here are the leopard ladies...

The fabulous Dusky Ledoux:



Emma from Daisy Chain Adventures



Franki, The Little Curly Girl, who has done two different versions!




Tor, of Fabfrocks:



Sofi Donuts:



Shopgirl, from Sugar and Spice and all things nice:



Em from A Splendid Little Life:



Vicky from Ladybug Says:



And Lou from Rumble, awesome job!!



Did I miss anyone? Send me a pic if you'd like me to add it to this post!

Thanks again to you girls for getting involved. And thanks to those who left lovely comments on the tutorial itself and the video blog. I'll be doing a short video for the next Tuesday tip to tell a really cringe story that accompanies this tip. It just wouldn't seem funny in writing!

I hope you've had a lovely day. I had work til 3 and then went for Pizza Hut with friends in the evening. Tomorrow I am going to get on with all this uni rubbish. And watch my new Glee DVD! Can't wait to watch the Sue Sylvester extra features!

Love! x

Saturday, April 24, 2010

How Bazaar!



Hey all!

It was my vintage/secondhand sale today at the Courtyard Bazaar in Canterbury! I am knackered. It's surprising how tiring it is sitting on your bum in the sun all day (well actually, I managed to pick the spot which only got about 5 minutes of sun all day! I was the only person sat in a fur coat, whilst everyone else was tanning it up)!

It was a really fun day, and lovely to feel like a part of something new. Canterbury never has any cool markets or craft/vintage stalls so it was cool to be a part of the first Bazaar in town! It's happening for the next 2 Saturdays in Canterbury so do try and check it out if you're a local.

I didn't get an outfit piccy (I wore my Miss Selfridge playsuit with polka dot tights, leopard flats and a bumbag, of course!) but just to fill the outfit void, here is a picture of what I wore to uni the other day. I found the Ray Bans in town last week! Finder keepers! They've sparked many a row between the boyf and I about who should have custody of them!



(Top and skirt, both £7.99 from h&m, Fur - h&m, boots - charity shop, necklace - Dusky Ledoux. )

Anywho, here's some pictures of the stalls in the courtyard. The first stall is Becky and Jenny's. I used to work with Becky at Topshop and she now has a vintage business called Mods 'n' Bods. Their stall was abuzz all day because they had heaps and heaps of wicked stuff. They put my vintage dregs to shame! I fell in love with some boots on their stall but as ever, they were size 5. Every vintage shoe I've ever loved has been a bloody size 5. I hate my 6.5's sometimes. The second stall is Kate's, she was the one who organised the event. I loved her red frame to display the fabric totes.



This is a lovely lady called Liz (all the L's there!) She was sat next to me and kept me highly amused all day with her northern wit! She has a jewellery company called Broken Needle Jewellery and makes this awesome plywood jewellery. There's so many jewellery craft websites out there these days it's easy to forget how much effort goes into it, especially with Liz's creations as she has sawn the shapes and painted them too. I've checked out her Myspace (her bigcartel site is under maintenance atm) and she also offers a bespoke service so it's got my cogs whirring about possible creations...



Last and probably least, here's my shonky (word credit to Susie Bubble on that one!) stall. My rail got blown over twice! Yes not only was I the only one without any sunshine, I was also the one with a 1 metre square hurricane going on most of the day. Fml! Alex stopped by with some of my favourite chocolate bars to perk me up throughout the day :) I made about £150 which is amazing considering it's just crap that's been in the loft for ages! I've got heaps more where that came from!




It was such a fun day. I really recommend finding out if there's something like this in your area (or starting one up?) if you have stuff to sell. It's much better than ebay. No 99p start prices, no agonising 10 day wait... You can get the price your items deserve, and meet some lovely folks in the process!

I'll be back tomorrow morning (or if I oversleep, tomorrow afternoon after work!) with all the leopard nail pictures people have sent me after trying out my liquid eyeliner DIY! It's so touching to know people have been trying it out :) If you've had a go, don't be shy, send me a picture!!

Much love xx

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Tuesday Tips! DIY Wah-inspired leopard print nails!



Hello guys :)

Here's this week's Tuesday Tip! As you can tell from the title, this is a Wah-inspired nails tutorial. Obviously I'd recommend you try and go to Wah nails because they are literally nail wizards and my ramshackle little tips can't compare! I check their Tumblr almost every day. Amazing! But if you don't live near London or are a poor student like me, it's good fun trying to replicate their signature leopard nails on the cheap. (You'll see just how cheap when you see how I created the leopard print!)

I meant to take step by step pictures to accompany the video (for those of you that find video blogs awkward and/or time-consuming) but got engrossed and forgot. So here's an after picture, and if you want to find out how it's done, you'll have to watch the video!


EDIT: Just remembered I took a much better picture when I did my little sister Shannon's nails (aka. bitten stumps) Just goes to show you can do it on any length nail!





Btw, I made the video after a long day and a late shift at work so am kinda exhausted and have made no effort to conceal that... Expect expletives and clumsiness!

Hope you like my secret tip for leopard nails!! Let me know what you think :)

xxx

My precious Primark polka-dot playsuit!



Hey chaps and chapettes! Hope you enjoyed the title alliteration there! Try saying it quickly!

Am in a hurry to go to work (working 6-10 preparing for the Topshop sale which starts tomorrow - there's an exclusive for you!!). My day got sucked up by trying to organise all the clothes I want to sell on Saturday at this vintage fair I'm a part of. It's in Canterbury opposite Benji's sweetshop, for any locals reading!

So just quickly, here's my new polka dot playsuit, it was in the nightwear section for £4.50! Totally wearing it outside of the bedroom though. Nightwear as daywear is the new underwear as outerwear!



I tried to do my Tuesday tips tutorial today (this alliteration is not intentional!) but my camera ran out of juice whilst I was filming it, I was so pissed off because it's such a good one. So if you're up at about 11/12 tonight, check back because I am going to have a re-shoot when I get in from work! It is not one to be missed!

Hope you've had a lovely day xxx

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Life's a bitch



Yo!

Sorry for the hiatus, I had a big deadline so have been working my butt off! Went out for my friend's birthday last night so was up bright and early to finish project! Despite now being free of my essay, I had a mega mega stressful day at uni. I have basically been given a 3 week deadline to complete a 10 week project due to total miscommunication. To conclude: don't study fashion promotion at UCA Rochester. It is actually run by chimps. That's a probably compliment.

Anyway, due to life getting in the way, Tuesday tips is delayed again but I promise to post an absolute blinder tomorrow! It's my first day with no work or major deadlines in ages so can't wait to have a total blogfest. I have so much catching up to do on everyone's posts!

Today hasn't been all doom and gloom, me and my uni pals went into town and I found some great bargains in Primark, will share some pics when I don't look like a puffy eyed tramp on the brink of a mental breakdown! Also, Alex took me for dinner tonight to cheer me up which was lovely. I had calamari and spaghetti carbonara... far too much of it!

I'm going to try and chill out and catch Come Dine With Me on demand now. I will be back tomorrow bearing outfits and tips! I may even throw in a smile!

Oh, on a brighter note, I had a really amazing Sub last night. 6-inch Tuna with extra cheese (obvz) and red onion. It was such a dream! Accidentally got some on my Topshop heeled trainers, which was an embarrassing (and slightly stinky) discovery when I went to put them on this morning! Maybe it was an omen of the stinky day that was about to befall me at uni... If only I'd dropped some lovely cake on my shoes instead!

Until tomorrow! x

Friday, April 16, 2010

Home sweet home!



Hey! Long time no blog!

I'm back from my little trip away. I had a nice time back at mum's. It was a bit stressful, what with uneducated, gobby pikeys on every train journey & some light family feuding but I still had a good time. My friend was ill on Wednesday and couldn't go to the sheep farm I was telling you about, so I hopped on the train to Brighton to catch up with my friend Danielle.

Besides general lolz, highlights of the day included the Pizza Hut buffet, getting lots of fudge from Roly's Fudge Pantry (I recommend the Chocolate fudge, it is out of this world!) and checking out Beyond Retro on Vine Street. I have to say, it's the best vintage shop I've been to in a long, long time. Heaps of amazing stock (a HUGE playsuit selection!) and the prices were really reasonable for the quality. All the dresses and playsuits I was eyeing were £15-25.(Also, one of the assistants said 'cute shoes' about my leopard platforms below!) And they're just a few of the reasons I bloody love Brighton!

All I bought in Brighton was a stripey top in h&m for £7.99. I have worn it almost non-stop (except today when I didn't get out of my pyjamas until tea time due to essay writing in bed! My bad!)


(shoes - ebay, necklace - h&m)

I found a couple of cute bits in the legendary Bexhill charity shops. These suede desert boots were only £1! I'm not sure they suit me... I have no idea how to wear them... Any ideas? But for £1, I couldn't say no!

(skirt, Topshop via ebay, top - h&m, necklace - urban outfitters)

I'd best be off now. Work tomorrow 12-4, then essaying it up all night. Loving life!! :)

I was going to do a Tuesday Tip, but I figured its ridiculously late in the week, so I might just save it for this Tuesday when I've got the time to make it a vaguely coherent post and am not freaking out about uni shizzle!

So how the hell are you?? Have my fellow brits been enjoying the sunshine and/or Ash Cloud? I haven't seen it yet!



PS - Roxy is thinking of entering us into Chictopia's The Chic & The Fuzzy contest!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Tueday Tips... TBC



Tip of the day...

Definitely don't break your Mac charger like me. I have 25% battery left, so probably not enough power to do a proper post :(

We're buying a new one, so posting will resume very soon. I'm going home to visit my family for a couple of days (my train is in about half an hour), so I'll be back to posting on Friday. And frantically trying to get my uni work done for Monday!

So expect some stressed out blogging when I get home, and a belated Tuesday Tips that comes with a very funny story to make you all cringe at my expense. It's BAD!!! In a funny way. :)

Can't wait to get home. I'm hanging out with my little sister tonight and painting mine and her nails and and going to this sheep farm with my friend Katie tomorrow (at this time of year there's basically a 100% chance of seeing a lamb be born! EEE!). Then dinner with family tomorrow night and inevitably a charity shop romp on Thursday! Baby animals and bargains... My idea of heaven!

This will be the longest I haven't blogged in weeks so don't desert me! Will be Twittering from my mobile so feel free to follow me!

Missing you already!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Happy Monday



Good morning! I am finally facing up to my uni work today (3000 word essay due in 1 week with a jam-packed research scrapbook I haven't even started yet). So for my final procrastination, I will share some things that are making me happy today.

Topshop's new makeup collection is just around the corner! This pic from their blog is annoyingly small... I wanna see the details!



These frigging amazing dripping Chanel nails by the lovely Sophie at Wah Nails, who did my nails at the Tesco event. If you enlarge, you can see the matte black/gloss black leopard print! I'd totally get the drippy C's in red. Halloween-tastic. From Wah Nails' Tumblr.



Boots 3 for 2 on skincare deal. I went to buy makeup wipes yesterday but they didn't have any specific deals on, so I decided that seeing as it was 3 for 2 I'd treat myself to some pricier ones I wouldn't usually try. I will report back if I find that any of them are particularly great (or crap for that matter!)



My hunky boyfriend in his lovely new jacket from Blue Inc. We went out with friends to the all-you-can-eat Chinese/Indian restaurant last night. I managed to retain my dignity rather well and didn't overdo it at the buffet! My outfit was nothing to write home about hence no pic.



And here's my favourite ball of fluff, Roxy. She hasn't been on here in a while so here she is at her favourite snuggle destination - my lap! She sits there every morning while I have a coffee and every night when I'm watching TV... But today the laptop sits pride of place while I try and get on with my essay!



And on that note... I'm going to crack on :(

Maybe you can tell me something that's making you happy today, that way I'll have something to read if (when) I need an essay break (in 20 minutes)! :)

GO!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Cutey fruity!



Seeing as it's the weekend, I'm going to give your retinas a break from my usual ranting. This is a direct result of this playsuit entering my life today, rendering me almost speechless. Phase 1 of project Become-Katy-Perry: complete. Phase 2, lose the pot belly: incomplete!



x

Friday, April 9, 2010

Groundhog Day



(BTW, the lovely Rochelle from Tesco's fashion blog has featured my blog on there today!!)

Bonjour!

Sorry for the impending essay - lots to cover! I promise more short posts in the near future!

Anyway, I didn't get an outfit picture from my day o' fun yesterday so I got a belated slightly more dishevelled one today (late night!). I look particularly dead to the earth in this first picture!



The top is brand new from h&m (£12.99) and I like how you can tuck the straps in your bra for summertime Katy Perry homages. The seams are a little unfortunate in some lighting and make you look a bit like you have droopy nipples. But I love it anyway! The bodycon skirt is another fresh h&m bargain (£7.99!). Tights & Cardi are also h&m!


(Little Roxy wandered in while the timer was ticking, so I stopped posing to say hello but it ended up as quite a sweet piccy so have posted anyway!)

I had a great time with my pal, Jen. We went to the Holocaust Exhibition at the Imperial War museum which was just harrowing but really interesting. I learnt loads. Stuff you kinda wish you didn't know but is important to know about. After that we had a sunny stroll down Oxford St and went to Pizza Hut which was lovely.

Then went to the Chevrolet Party to get our nails did. The night was a bit of a disappointment because besides the band, the 'Wah-Car' they'd set up was one of the main attractions for a lot of the party-goers, but there were only 2 girls from Wah there. This meant there was a huge queue as well as a huge strain on the girls themselves. Jen & I queued for almost 3 hours (!), which was made worse when The Daily Mirror's style/gossip columnists (I think) queue-jumped the rest of us. That's fashion, I guess! By the time it was our turn, the girls were so tired and pressurised that they didn't do the best job, I can't lie. It's not surprising though, as it was 2 of them against the world (a 3rd did turn up eventually)! It was disappointing to say the least. But I try and take lolz with me wherever I go and Jen & I had a good laugh with the other girls in the queue. Ironically, I met more people than I would've in the crowd anyway!

In other news, to help me with my uni work which is going nowhere, I bought some Ginkgo drops from Holland & Barratts today which apparently help your memory and concentration. Hope they work! I love H&B, I always want to buy everything and become some kind of super efficient, healthy human.

I also lost my Advertginity, as you can see in my sidebar. I'm just trialling it for a month to see how it goes. I've not made a big decision to 'monetise' the blog or anything ridiculous like that. But when Shop Pulse enquired about advertising, I checked the site and it's bloody wicked and I thought it would be a happy addition to the blog. The site shows you everything that all the big stores like Topshop & ASOS etc stock, all in one go so you can find exactly what you want without going to a bunch of different sites. So have a click if you want to check it out! (Disclaimer: I will not be held responsible for bankruptcy that may occur with awesome clothes overload!)

I don't get the big beef with blog advertising. If it's something relevant to a blog's content and reader, what's the big deal? Please let me know if you think this is a wrong decision for the blog. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Hope you're all having a lovely Friday night. I'm going to tidy my bedroom now because Selina (Flying Saucer) has got me dreaming of a time where my side of the room isn't covered in clothes. Go and check out her adorable new room!

X

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Come dine with me...



(EDIT: How on earth did I forget to mention, I am featured on ASOS's blog today!! Clickety click!)
On the menu tonight... A cocktail of cold & flu drugs with some Mini Eggs you won't be able to taste for dessert!


Ha! Needless to say, my cold is still raging. And despite being super tired last night, for some reason I didn't get to sleep until 4am so I'm ridiculously run down today. Luckily it's the Easter Hols so I have nowhere to be and can wallow in misery all I like. And I have! Alex is away until Saturday in Scotland so I don't even have a hot doctor to look after me.

I don't normally rant about my life that much (I hope!) but thought I'd share my plans for tomorrow to see if it might be therapeutic and cheer me up.

My friend Jen & I are secret WW2 geeks and have been planning a war themed day out in London for months. Tomorrow is the day (I'm really hoping I feel better than I do now!) so we're going to the Imperial War Museum and then to the Britain at War experience, which has loads of cool war stuff to see and do (you can sit in air raid shelters and hear the sirens, etc... Eee!!) I remember because I went there with school when I was about 12, haha! If we have time we'll nip to the Science Museum just to mix things up a bit! I've always loved museums, so I'm super duper mega excited for our special day!

And just to claw back a few of the cool points we'll have lost during the day, we're going to that Chevrolet Spark launch I mentioned in the evening. The Mystery Jets are playing which will be sweet and I'm hoping to get my nails done again because WAH are there. Can't decide what I want this time! Am thinking 'MEOW' on the fingers with a little cat on my thumbnail...

I actually do feel a lot happier now, so thanks for reading about my contrasting day!

So tell me... Do you have any uncool things that fascinate you?? I love hearing other people's geeky interests!

Lurgies and love ♥

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Tuesday Tips: How to apply false eyelashes!





(BTW - Do you have any cool tips you would like to submit for Tuesday Tips? I want to hear your DIY or beauty tips/tricks. I will try out the ones I like the sound of, and will post them on here each Tuesday! With full credit to the tip-giver of course! So please comment below or email me and get involved!)



Hey guys!



I write to you from beneath a pile of tissues. My cold is raging, but the show, and indeed Tuesday Tips must go on!



I've had a few requests to do a fake eyelash tutorial, so here's a bunch of tips and a video that will hopefully be of use!







(My falsies and the bits I used to get the look!)



- When buying fake lashes, do check that both lashes are symmetrical. Some are shaped differently to each other and it's annoying when you're trying to put them on and no matter what you do they won't match!



- Cut the lashes to size. If you find when you've tried to wear falsies in the past and they haven't stayed stuck or they are uncomfortable on the inner eye, chances are you haven't trimmed them to the right length.



- The lashes I use are called Demi Wispies and are made by Ardell from human hair (kinda ew, I know) and they're great because they're made to be a little shorter (hence 'Demi'), so no trimming required! They're available at larger Boots stores or here on eBay!



- Always apply a thin line of liquid eyeliner first. If you don't, you can usually see the little gap between the lashes and lashline, making them look obviously false. It doesn't matter if it's a bit wonky, liquid eyeliner is really easy to apply along the line of the fake eyelashes once they're on, so you can add an extra slick at the end.



- Use good glue. I swear by Eyelure glue, and you can buy bigger screw top bottles from larger Topshop stores at the moment (better than the stupid tiny bottles that go all goopy around the lid). Also, pound shops often sell really gross sets of Eyelure lashes (the fluorescent lashes are big news in Chatham's Poundland right now!) So if you're running low on glue (or, like me, bought a lash set that isn't Eyelure), just buy the cruddy £1 lashes for the glue that comes with them!



-Take your lash glue out with you just in case one comes a bit unstuck.



- Apply lash glue to one lash at a time. There's nothing more likely to make you muck up putting the first lash on than the intense pressure of the second lashes glue drying while you're doing it! Get the first lash perfecto, then move on!



- Here's how I put the lash on. I hold it by the outer end and keeping my eye open, work out where that outer edge sits nicest among my own feeble lashes. Then I apply a bit of pressure so the outer is in place. Then I close my eye and stretch it out so I can stick the rest of the lash on straight. I made a little video of this process in case it isn't clear (if I look a bit warped, it's because I used my fisheye lens):







- To remove the lashes, gently peel them off (I find this easiest pulling from the outer part of the lash). This is usually fine unless you've used loads of glue, then it can hurt a tiny bit. To reuse the lash, carefully peel off the glue from the strip (so satisfying!) and replace on the lash holder it came with. If you want to remove the mascara, just carefully use a makeup wipe (after you've removed the lashes). I don't use much mascara so I don't find that last step crucial. I usually get a get loads of use from one set of lashes. I only have to buy a new set if I lose one lash or if Roxy eats them (true story - if I accidentally leave lashes out on a surface, she thinks they're spiders. Buffoon!)



Can you think of anything I've missed? Please feel free to share any other lash tips you've got!



I'm off to bed now. I'm so tired because my boyfriend sets his alarm about 2 hours before he eventually obeys the snooze alarm and rolls out of bed and I just couldn't get back to sleep when it went off at about 8 this morning! Grrr!



Nighty night!!



x

Monday, April 5, 2010

Wildfox good girls go bad



I've been a fan of Wildfox Couture's delightfully fun and aspirational lookbooks for a year or two. To me, they embody sisterhood... girl power... sleepovers... cheekiness and of course, effing cute clothes.



(Various pics from their lookbooks from Ilovewildfox.com)

Over the past year or so, these lookbooks have built up a strong identity of exactly who the 'Wildfox Girl' is (I especially adore the brand's recent offering, the delectably dreamy FW/10 lookbook). She's cute, she's hot (but not smutty) and loves a good time!

Which is why I just don't get the brand's latest collaboration with Mark, The Cobrasnake for Exit magazine. The Wildfox girl seems to have gone from the life and soul of the girly sleepover to just another vapid, vacant Cobraslut. Lipstick smiles replaced with sultry pouts (with cigarettes wedged in them, no less!) and more side-boob/soggy nipple than you can shake a stick at... I don't know where to look!



Don't get me wrong, I do actually like the editorial, but in the context of it being a collaboration with Wildfox, aka. an extension of the brand, it just seems odd to go from 'girl power' and personality to purely and object of lust... My boyfriend's intense interest in the editorial proves my point.

Do you know what I mean? Maybe I over think these things because I've studied brand identity. Maybe I'm more feminist than I thought. Or maybe I've just had it up to here with pervy photographers lately (have you heard about the kerfuffle with Terry Richardson? HIDEOUS! Never liked him anyway.)

Anywho I hope this is just a blip for the Wildfox Girl... She should remember her hoes come before bro's! And Wildfox themselves should remember it's hoes and not bro's that buy their stuff - and soggy breasts aint gonna sell me a t-shirt!

Whew! Sorry to be a negative Nancy. The Cold & Flu drugs have made me cranky! Let me diffuse the tension with this cute picture of a kitten.



Bon soir beauties ♥

Monki business



Hey! Hope you all had a lovely easter?

Mine was nice, but thwarted by a cold that has just come on. I feel really ill today and have to go to work soon until half 5. Not looking forward to it :(

I have to get ready for work now, but I shoddily put together a collage in Word (they don't have any items on Polyvore) of all my dream Monki items. When, oh when will they open one in the UK? It's so cheap! It breaks my heart.



Sorry for such shoddy image editing! That's the best I can do without Photoshop!

I'm going to get ready now. Please send me good vibes so I can get better soon, I HATE being ill. :(

x

Friday, April 2, 2010

No-sew Pillowcase DIY!



So, better late than never... Here's my Tuesday tip!

YOU WILL NEED:

- A pillowcase
- Scissors
- 3 minutes of your time

Pillowcases have such good DIY potential because all you have to do is cut a few holes in and you're good to go! Plus you can buy all kinds of crazy or cute printed ones for like 20p in most charity shops! Let's get started...

1. Lay your pillowcase out. 2. Fold in half. 3. Hold a sleeveless top or dress against the top of the pillowcase to work out how far down to cut the arm hole. 4. Do it. 5. Do the same to work out how far to cut the neckhole. 6. Do it!




Now you have a little shift dress shape. It does work as a dress if you're less than 5'6 and generally no bigger than a size 12 (depending on the size of your pillowcase of course. And your butt). If it is a little tight this way, as it is for me, fear not, there are even cooler options! Observe...




(The bow brooch is from Topshop £8 - best investment of the week!)

By folding and rolling the pillowcase, you can get really different effects. For more security, you could hem it, or use wonder-web iron-on stuff (which is super easy to apply with straighteners, btw!) but I'm lazy so I didn't bother. There's not a lot you can do about the raw hems on the neck and sleeve, but I really like the organic, freshly snipped look!

So there we are! It's such a fun rainy day DIY, because theres loads of different ways you can do it (you could try different necklines, add a lace trim round the arm holes, etc.) And if you muck it up, you've probably only spent a few pence, so just try again!

If you do try it, please let me know how you get on!

Hope you're all having a good Good Friday! :)

 

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