And so we move towards 2011...

I know, I know, I still haven't posted the reviews and things I said I was going to. My excuse is that 2 x 1000 word essays got in my way. I should have time this week to sort things out - I'd quite like to get up to date before the beginning of the new year!

In sad news, I lost my skull ring in the snow last weekend. It was a little bit too big and my hands shrink when they are cold, and unfortunately the vast quantities of alcohol plus the cold meant I didn't notice when it slipped off my finger. I am a little sad because I loved that ring. However, if it is not found (there is still hope!) then I shall think about replacing it for a birthday treat for myself.

However, I did get some lovely Christmas presents, including some 'goth' kitchen jars from Santa (aka Mum and Dad) - Mum said she could have got cream or white, but because I like black, she thought that I'd appreciate black jars :) She was right, they are lovely - I have the usual coffee/tea/sugar set, and a garlic jar, which I have been after for ages.

My boyfriend bought me 2 enormous wine glasses, inspired by Cougartown's Big Joe and Big Carl.  I have decided to name my glasses TJ and Arthur after my late uncle and grandfather - I think they'd appreciate the sentiment!!

I also got some cute socks with tea cups on (and to think my boyfriend was doubting whether or not I'd get socks...), a gorgeous smelling candle and some vouchers. My sister bought me a miniature perfume set by Anna Sui and some hair care products, which I absolutely adore.

They are from the Tigi Love, Peace & the Planet range, which is their eco friendly, organic range of products. I love Tigi stuff anyway, it is truly some of the best shampoo and conditioner I have ever used. This stuff is no exception!!

I have the Walking on Sunshine shampoo and conditioner, and the Let it Be leave in conditioner.

The shampoo and conditioner have a lovely fruity smell, and make my hair feel so so soft and clean. I didn't think I'd use the leave in conditioner, it isn't something I'd normally go for, but it smells delicious (cherry bakewell anyone?) and I thought why not. Just a tiny smidge combed through damp hair, then a quick spray of heat defender spray and a blow dry and I have manageable, shiny hair that feels gorgeous and thick. Two days later and my hair doesn't feel greasy or weighed down, it still feels lovely. I will definitely be making use of this in future!

One thing I really liked about the shampoo is that unlike a lot of shampoos that are sulphate free, it lathers really well and didn't feel like I needed extra shampoos to get my hair clean. This is a massive bonus for me, as I have really thick hair and sulphate free shampoos seem to always struggle with getting it clean.

So that was my Christmas! I will be back later with some catch up posts!



Apologies for the lack of posting

I am really sorry. I know I promised I would come and tell you all about my MAC makeover and my fabulous purchases. I do have the photos, sitting waiting to be uploaded, I have even got as far as editing them for size etc!

However, with the kitchen and by extension the house being in total disarray still, and impending assignment dates, my capacity to think of anything other than processes of development management has been somewhat reduced.

I will endeavour to update before Christmas.

Brrrrrr!!!!

 It is very very cold!! (not quite as cold as the picture, that was taken way back in January when we had actual snow here)

We came back from a weekend away in beautiful Amsterdam last night to a freezing cold house. We're having the kitchen redone and part of that has been replacing and moving the boiler to knock a wall down. No heating all weekend and below zero temperatures equalled a freezing cold house last night. It required 3 duvets and 2 wheat bags, plus 3 tshirts, a jumper, socks and tracky bottoms to sleep comfortably last night. Thankfully, the new boiler is now up and running, we have heating and hot water again and the house is beginning to thaw out.

Unfortunately the weather also put a bit of a spanner in my plans to shoot some lovely pictures of my fabulous outfits over the weekend as -5 is not really conducive to fabulous so much as layered. Jeans and multiple jumpers were the order of the weekend!!

I did however manage to get my hands on some Chanel Base Beauté at the airport :) The Lancome Cils Booster XL is nice but not as good as the Base Beauté. I'll post a full comparison review shortly.

In other news, I'm going for a makeover at MAC next weekend with one of my best friends - it's always good to get new pointers and tips and to refresh your regime every once in a while. I shall be sure to take some pictures of the results at the very least!

Too much to do, too little time...

Apologies for the lack of posting recently, I've spent most of my non working time with my head buried in my books. I'm part way through a MSc in Development Management with the OU and its hard work. Still, it will all be very much worth it in the end!

I discovered yesterday that Chanel have discontinued their fabulous Base Beauté mascara base and have not replaced it with anything. I am gutted as this stuff makes mascara really pop and it was fibre free, a real must for me as a contact lens wearer. I have bought Lancome Cils Booster XL Mascara Enhancing Base as a replacement, but was a bit perturbed when I read the back of the box after getting it home to discover that it has 'microfibres', even though I had asked that specific question at the counter, and I had tested it on the back of my hand (you can usually see if a base is fibrous or not). Still, the MUA did say I could bring it back if it caused any irritation, even after I'd used it, so I shall road test it and see how I get on. 

I will be back later on in the week with a review, and I hope to have some outfit/make up pics for you next week!

Back to the books I go.....

The green (and teal) eyed monster strikes....

Make up looks of note from the last couple of weeks plus new colours for my nails...

 Lazy Sunday shopping:

All MAC unless otherwise stated:

Eyes:

Paint in Bare Canvas

Paint Pot in Delft (base)

Pigment in Teal (eyelid)

Pigment in Deep Blue Green (crease)

Fluidline in Blacktrack

Eyeshadow in Pincurl (highlight)

Chanel Base Beauté (mascara base)

Chanel Inimitable Mascara in Noir (waterproof)

Eyebrows in Stud

Brow Set in Clear

Face:

Prep and Prime Face Protect SPF50

Mineralize Foundation SPF 15 in NC15

Select Sheer Loose in NC15

Studio Finish SPF35 Concealer in NC15

Sheertone Blush in Pinch O Peach

Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

Fix+ spray

Lips:

Prep and Prime Lip

Lip Pencil in Subculture

Lipstick in Patisserie

Halloween Fairy:

All MAC unless otherwise stated:

Eyes:

Paint in Bare Canvas

Paint Pot in Blackground

Pigment in Kelly Green

Pigment in Black

Fluidline in Blacktrack

Chanel Base Beauté

Chanel Inimitable Mascara in Noir (waterproof)

Lip Pencil in Burgundy (on eyebrows)

Brow Set in Clear

Face:

Prep and Prime Face Protect SPF50

Mineralize Foundation SPF15 in NC15

Studio Finish SPF35 Concealer in NC15

Select Sheer Loose Powder in NC15

Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

Fix+ Spray

Lips:

Prep and Prime Lip

Lipstick in Myself

Eyeshadow in Humid

And finally, my new nail polish purchases...

Front: Ruby Pumps

Back: Lubu Heels (left) and Mummy May I (right)

All China Glaze

The quest for perfect skin

For me is a bit of a never ending battle. I had pretty much perfect skin as a teenager - the odd spot of excema thanks to my incredibly sensitive skin, but by and large it was smooth and blemish free. Of course there would the obligatory pre-menstrual spot or two, but never anything major. All that changed when I turned 20. I began a recurring battle with adult onset acne, that I have never been able to determine the cause of.


It appears now that my acne is very much stress related, something correlated by an article in this month's Marie Claire. I also have psoriasis which doesn't help, because the very process that psoriasis puts your skin through doesn't really help with acne.

I think I am finally starting to win the battle though, and even partially winning the battle with the scarring.
I've mentioned my routine briefly, but here it is in full:

Morning: 

Cleanse with Neals Yard Mahonia Clarifying Facial Wash
Use Lavender Water as toner all over face and use Witch Hazel Water on spots (both Neals Yard)
Moisturise with Neals Yard Soothing Starflower Daily Moisture Lotion
Apply Lush Enchanted Eye Cream around eyes
Finish with Neals Yard Hypericum and Calendula Cream on spots (it's an amazing healing cream)

Evening:

Remove make up with Boots Botanics Organic Olive Oil Eye Make Up Remover - this stuff rinses off so it's quick and easy.
Massage Neals Yard Soothing Starflower Cleansing Milk into face and remove with a clean flannel rinsed in hot water.
Rinse flannel in hot water and hold gently over face. Repeat.
Massage Neals Yard Wild Rose Beauty Balm into face well.
Apply Lush Enchanted Eye Cream and Neals Yard Hypericum and Calendula Cream where needed. 


Twice weekly:

Follow evening cleansing routine (if no make up worn then double cleanse with cleansing milk) and apply Boots Botanics Burdock and Clay Face Mask. Leave for 20-30 minutes and rinse off.
Follow up with Beauty Balm etc.

I also take care of myself from the inside, although sometimes it feels like I have a meal of supplements in their own right!! Every morning I take:
Echinacea
Olive Leaf complex
Milk Thistle
A multi vitamin and mineral supplement
Complete Essential Fatty Acids
Evening Primrose Oil
Aloe Vera tablets

One day, my skin will be awesome. And I will celebrate from the rooftops!!

Want!!


 

(via Fashion Hedonism and Bertie)



This perfect bag. I am going to go to House of Fraser tomorrow to see if they have it.

Chunks of silver

I love rings - there is something nice about the weight of them on my fingers. And because I have big hands and fingers, I suit chunky rings, the kind that would do some damage in a fight (not that I've ever tried!).

These are my latest pieces (clockwise from top left):

Rennie Mackintosh Carrick Collection: This was an 18th birthday present from my aunt, and matches a couple of other pieces that I was given that birthday, a bangle from my grandma and some earrings from a friend.

Large square ring: This was a purchase from last week from a shop in Taunton called SilverScene. I spotted it in the window, wandered in to have a look and fell in love. Thankfully the price tag wasn't too hideous!! 

Four skull ring: This ring has a not so interesting tale of how I came to have it but I am not going to repeat it here! It comes from Crazy Pig Designs, a very rock and roll jewellery store in Covent Garden that sells amazing hand made skull jewellery. You can purchase pieces from their website.

Wide banded ring: This was a Christmas present from my parents just before my 18th birthday. I spotted it when I was in Cambridge for my university interview (I didn't get in). My dad bought it for me then and there, but obviously I didn't have it until Christmas. Unfortunately my fingers aren't quite as slim as they were 10 years ago, but it does still fit and hopefully will continue to do so! 

I'd take a picture of them on but I have seriously unphotogenic hands and the picture just would not do them justice!

Its a lovely sunny day here, so I am hopefully going to get into gear and go to the beach this afternoon to take some pictures. I probably should go and get dressed at some point! 

October Wishlist

China Glaze Lubu Heels (black base with red glitter)

 

MAC 217 brush

MAC 224 brush

 

MAC 219 brush

MAC Pro Travel Brush Roll

A new jumper

The perfect winter coat

Black tights

A holiday!

What are you longing for?

My top tips for great hair Part 1

I'm quite chuffed with my hair at the moment. I've had a lot of compliments about it, both for the cut and colour. My hairdresser also comments on the excellent condition that my hair is in, despite the things I do to it!! So I thought I'd share with you how I do it.

Let's start with the cut. A good hair cut is everything, and I am very very lucky to have found someone who not only understands my hair but cuts it to fit my lifestyle. Too often you find a good hairdresser but they just don't seem to get you and your style/life/interests and how your hair fits into that. Ian @ Buff in Taunton cuts my hair (http://www.buffdayspa.co.uk/) and he gets it. He is particularly good with shorter hair, and is an expert in all things colour.

Colour... I bleach my roots (or my friend does it for me, because I can't quite manage that one!), running it through the lengths for 5 mins at the end, then cover the whole lot in Special Effects (SFX) dye. To get my perfect colour I mix in approximately equal quantities Burgundy Wine and Blood Red, to give a really good pinky red colour. The photo does not do it justice! It glows in the sun :) I order the dye from www.beeunique.co.uk who are fantastic and have very speedy delivery. They sell all forms of brightly coloured vegetable hair dye and have galleries of people's hair.

Finally condition. Bleaching obviously isn't that good for hair. It takes quite a while to get bleach onto my hair as it is so thick, so I use a lower strength bleach which takes longer, but that is ok. I have dark blonde/mousey brown hair naturally, so I don't need much to bleach it. The vegetable dyes are good because they are full of moisturising ingredients and put a lot back into the hair, which really helps the condition.
Shampoo and conditioner are important, especially for colour treated hair. I am currently using Tigi Catwalk Collection Fashionista Colour Safe Shampoo and Conditioner, which is absolutely fabulous. Sadly I think it has been discontinued, but you can still pick up large bottle twin packs for around £20 (Click here). You don't need much of either to really cleanse and nourish your hair, so a big bottle will last a long time. I've had my bottles for about 6 months and I've only got through about 1/3 of each one!!
Styling products are important for the condition of your hair. I don't like to use anything that contains silicone, as I find that it a) reacts with my skin, and b) makes my hair feel odd.
My favourite products are the Naked Styling range from Boots, particularly the More Volume mousse, Frizz Fighter serum and the Heat Defender spray. Used in combination I get amazing results, and my hair is really manageable and soft.

This is my regular hair care routine - I'll write again soon about the things I do for my hair on a less regular basis, when it needs a boost or I want to style it differently.

And relax....

Its been a bit of a mental week. Firstly work decided to get off the wall busy this week, then I had my abseil on Thursday, then my exam yesterday. This was all on top of being at the tail end of a cold that I got at the end of last week and still have the remnants of today.

All this has meant I've been neglecting myself and my skin, and the stress has done its usual trick of making my skin erupt in horrible horrible spots on my chin. I suffer from horrific cystic acne sometimes, and it is painful. I have found the only way to deal with it when it happens is to be kind and gentle with my skin, apply hot towel compresses and plenty of witch hazel and Neals Yard Hypericum and Calendula cream to the area which is magic healing cream (I used it after I had my tattoo done and it healed up within 10 days). Hopefully my skin will be back to at least a better state fairly soon!

I have invested in some different moisturiser from Neals Yard, and some new cleanser, both from their new Starflower range for sensitive skin. I love the cleanser, its gorgeous and rich and lovely. The moisturiser is nice, but I am a little concerned that the cocoa butter in it will react badly with my skin, but we shall see!!

Terrified!

Is what I was today as I abseiled down the side of the old Debenhams building in Exeter. It's 140ft from the roof to the ground. 140ft of terrifying descent to the ground. I was absolutely fine until I went over, even when I was up on the roof looking out over the whole of Exeter. Getting roped up and standing on the ledge was the point where I bricked it. I think I screamed all the way down but it was kinda fun I guess... maybe if I had more practice I'd be ok with it!! Something to consider!

Speaking of terrified, I'm DJing again on October 28th at Hole in the Wall in Exeter. It will be my 2nd time doing it, and this time I have a 90 minute set to plan and play. Its a pre Halloween bash so my set will be Halloween themed, and of course there is the crucial debate about what to wear!!

Any suggestions?

My current favourite things

Right now I am completely in love with:

• Autumn tv :)
• Crispy, cool mornings with warm afternoons
• MAC Rain of Flowers nail polish
• Freshly dyed hair (SFX ftw)
• Vegan thanksgiving dinner
• Koko Kanu rum
• Plymouth gin
• MAC Dark Side lipstick and Vino lip pencil
• Grey leopard print
• Ace of Cakes and LA Ink!

I've got a Crush...

A Victorian Crush to be precise! Yes ladies and gents, the Jessica nail polish is mine. I went to the hairdressers this week (new hair cut, photos to follow) and there is was, calling to me.

Now I LOVE Jessica polishes - they go on so smoothly, are densely pigmented, don't streak and last well - perfect for someone who doesn't have the time to spend ages doing her nails.
This colour is perfect - its a proper military khaki colour, the most beautiful perfect green :)

 

My other crush is on Kat von D. I have an insane love of tattooos and I love LA Ink (which I've just started watching again). I think Kat is awesome, and I have just pre-ordered her second book, Tattoo Chronicles. Tattooing has traditionally been a male dominated industry, and tattoos are still very much regarded in society as a very masculine thing to have. Very often women with lots of visible tattoos are looked down on (especially by the Daily Fail crew) and are deemed somewhat less than feminine. One of the things I love about Kat von D is that she has taken on the industry, and to a certain extent she has won. 

I can't wait until Oct 26th when I will have my hands on the book!

Gorgeous new things!

I've been a little busy over the last couple of weeks but I have lots of new things to tell you about so I hope you'll forgive me!

Sadly there was no Jessica Victorian Crush to be had at the salon, but I am back there next week for a haircut so I will try again - that polish WILL be mine!

Since my last post, I am the proud owner of the following new things:

MAC Nail Polish in Jade Dragon and Rain of Flowers

Yumi Uttam Boutique Delacie Dress in black and Yumi 3/4 length black leggings with lace panel in the side



Jewellery roll

Black and white make up bag from Sainsbury's

I am also awaiting delivery of attempt 3 at a new winter coat which I can't find a picture of but you can see if you click here.

I have a busy weekend coming up, but there will be lots of things to post about when I get home! Must go and charge the camera in preparation....

Landing on your feet is the best thing ever

Its been a mixed week for me. I got my new tattoo last Monday, which for me was a celebration of my life as it is now, and by the end of the week things were all change. Pesky elections!! Still awaiting a final set of decisions that will affect the next 8 months for me, but, after some initial worry (and a lot of tears), things are looking better than ever and I feel incredibly positive about the future.

To continue the leopard print theme in my life, yesterday I bought a new carry on case for my travels. My other one is lovely, but weighs 5kg, and when carry on limits are 10kg, that's not entirely practical. So I have bought this:

Which weighs a teeny tiny 1.75kg and is nice and spacious. The material feels quite sturdy as well. I felt quite chic carrying it down the High Street yesteday, even if it is a little bit Bet Lynch!!

Today's shopping will involve a trip to the spa where I have my hair cut, in the hope that they have the new Jessica A/W nail colours in. I am loving all the green polishes around - Illamasqua's Hectic is a lovely snot green colour, but Jessica have a colour called Victorian Crush:

I love Jessica polishes, they are so pigmented and apply like a dream, so I am looking forward to getting my hands on this little beauty!! I am slightly obssessed with nail colours right now, and have put in an order with my USA bound Mother for MAC's Jade Dragon and Rain of Flowers from the new Jin Soon nail collection - hopefully she'll get to a MAC while she's there and hopefully they won't have sold out!!

It's all about the leopards...

I'm slightly in love with leopard print at the moment. Surprisingly for me, who is normally all about the greys and whites and neutrals to accompany the black. It all stems from a pair of leggings I purchased in the TU sale at Sainsbury's earlier at the beginning of the summer, which were grey leopard print, and a bargain at £6.
I've now purchased some leopard print undies from Knickerbox at Ann Summers. Fear not though, Bet Lynch is a million miles away!!

In other news, I have discovered this morning that Lush are discontinuing the only product I really continue to buy from them: Enchanted Eye Cream. Let me tell you why I love this product. Ever since I was a child I have suffered from excema on my eyelids, a condition that has never ever gone away. I struggled for years to find an eye cream that kept this at bay without being too greasy or oily. Add to this a slight propensity for dark circles under my eyes and that called for something of a firming tightening nature. Where could I find a product that combined all these features into one formula?
Enchanted Eye Cream does this job. And now it will be gone. Whether or not they will replace it with something worthy remains to be seen.

I will go and buy a bottle to keep in stock (almost run out of the bottle I have at the moment) and when that is gone I shall mourn the last drop of precious precious eye cream.

If anyone has a suggestion for something equally as good, then please, tell me!!

Ink!

Today I have been inked for the 3rd time, by the lovely Fleur at Cover'd in Exeter. I am now the proud owner of some song lyrics that I love on my inner biceps :)
I'm really pleased with how its come out - I spent a long time last night looking for the perfect font, which I wanted to be as close to the font used in sheet music as possible.

Here you go...

Right arm....

Left arm....

It wasn't that painful, but its a little ouchy right now!!

Nails and stuff and things

I am going shopping today. I have decluttered my overflowing wardrobe, and readied it for the challenge of filling it with lovely things for Autumn/Winter.
I have painted my nails in Baby Goth Girl (see left) and know what I want. So that will be an interesting expedition but I am not too concerned, its still early on in the season yet, and the weather is still too warm for much in the way of A/W wear.

However, I am going to try to go to Cardiff next week because I am looking at the new Illamasqua collection and positively wanting to get in the car and go NOW!! (Cardiff being the nearest place that stocks it, in Debenhams).
If you haven't heard of Illamasqua, and you are a make up junkie like me, then you should really visit their website and weep with joy: www.illamasqua.com
Not only are the colours fab looking, but the inspirations are to die for (Metropolis, 1920's Berlin and film noir to name a few). The overriding principles of Illamasqua seem to be to celebrate individual expression, and encouraging creativity through make up.
I've been a MAC fan since about 2005 and have remained loyal to the brand all this time. All my make up apart from mascara and some of my nail polishes is from them and I love love love it. Coveting Illamasqua feels like I'm cheating on my faithful partner.
Unfortunately MAC seem to be moving away from offering things like foundation and concealer in lighter colours and some of the colours aren't running as true as they used to in those products. Which makes it really difficult for a pale skinned person like me. Although I have yet to check out Illamasqua's foundation range in the flesh, if the website is to be believed, they cater for the lightest of skin tones.
Hopefully next weekend I can arrange that clandestine visit to the Illamasqua counter, and at least leave with the beautiful olive green nail varnish called Hectic.

Hot Lips.... Not quite.

Houlihans. 'Created' by JBrand, inspired by Major Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan from M*A*S*H (left). 'Sexy army gear' as someone I know described them. Basically fitted cargo pants.

Celebs have been spotted left right and centre sporting these trousers. Which are quite fetching if you are indeed Major Houlihan, or a twig of a celebrity. Or have the £234 for a pair of JBrand ones. Now they are cropping up everywhere, including Primark. Apparently this makes them over, but that remains to be seen.

If however, you are a mere mortal woman, who does not posess legs like Cheryl Cole or Rachel Bilson, then please, please, please, steer clear of this trend. I have larger legs than the high street will cater for, but still in proportion to my size. I thought I'd try some on, see what they look like, you know, because its rude to say no without trying.

No. Just No. I have never coated my legs in something so unflattering as the Houlihan pant. And that includes the brightly coloured turquoise and white with a yellow shot check capri pants I sported whilst at sixth form. It was proper chicken drumstick territory. Pure comedy gold.

I think I'll stick to leggings and jeans thank you very much.

Tall and Proud

I stumbled across an article on the Daily Fail website today, written by a tall woman offering 'support' to Malia Obama, who has recently shot up and is almost as tall as her 5'11" mother Michelle. The article is supposed to offer words of wisdom to her to guide her through her teenage years but somehow the author confused the words 'support' and 'discourage'.

I was a tall teen. I pretty much stopped growing when I was 14 - I think I maybe grew an inch between then and turning 18/19. I'm now 5'11" and proud of it.

Being a teenager in the 90s at my height was tricky... shops like Long Tall Sally were virtually non existent back then (I remember being given my first Long Tall Sally catalogue by a similarly tall friend in 1998 and almost crying with relief!), and trying to find shoes for my proportionally large feet (size 9) was a nightmare.
But somehow I never let it get me down. I was a head and shoulders over practically everyone in my school at one point! I will never forget being lined up in height order for our whole school photo aged 14... guess what? I'm in the MIDDLE of the photo.

I have never slouched, never been ashamed of my height. Frustrated yes. Ashamed, never. When I went to see an orthopedic consultant about my hypermobility (yay, tall and super bendy!) and he was very impressed by my posture, which, thanks to years of my mother telling me to "stand up straight, shoulders back" is apparently very good for someone my height.

If I experience problems because of my height, like banging my head on the ceiling of a pub, or not fitting in an airline seat comfortably because my legs are too long - then its because the world is wrong, not because I am.
The boys at school used to call me bean pole. I told them to be more original. A friend starting calling me Elon (as in elongated) which I thought was cool, at least it was different.

I personally don't think it matters whether you are tall, short, fat, thin, clever, whatever, when you're a teenager there is always something that someone else will pick out and try to make fun of. The trick is to hold your head up high and be proud of who you are.

Like father like daughter: height runs in the family

Festivals are bad for your wallet...

My 2 recent purchases, both related to my trip to Rock Im Park in Nürnberg, Germany. 

I've debated Converse All Stars for a while, thinking that they would make my feet look like clown feet. A combination of factors (mainly heat and New Rocks that need repairing more than I thought) led me to buy these exact beauties at the festival. They are very comfy and look cool. I can see them becoming a bit of an obsession. 

The watch is my new wrist candy - unfortunately the festival claimed my previous one. I don't know where it went, so I went out when I got home to buy a new one. The cool thing is that the seconds are on a digital display, which has a button which changes the way that the seconds tick over :)

 Its from Fossil, and cost £75.

Where to next?

I think I am stuck in a rut. Or maybe its just that annoying in between season bit of the year where the weather can't decide whether to be warm or cold. Either way, I am stuck in a rut it seems. Maybe its just, shock horror, that I don't actually want any new clothes. That can't be right, I always want more clothes!! I just can't seem to find anything that I like enough to buy. Nothing making me go "I must have that".

I'm going to attempt shopping again next week, see what happens. But unfortunately at the moment my primary objective is to find something to wear for my friend's fancy dress birthday thing next weekend - the theme is 80s cartoons and I am going as Jem from Jem and the Holograms. If you need a memory jog, try this:


I think it will leave little time for worrying about adding to my already considerable wardrobe!!

Its all about the leather :)

Despite the spring coming, I am not ready to shed my outer layers just yet. Especially as in the South West the weather tends to be somewhat unpredictable and at times damp, so a coat is a must have item in the spring months.

Having quested long and hard, I finally managed at the beginning of March to find the perfect leather jacket. And at £50 in TKMaxx it was an absolute bargain. Leather jackets are still big news for Spring and Summer and that means they are everywhere.

On the mainstream fashion front, military and post apocalyptic fashion is big news. Alt. peeps will undoubtedly have polarising views on this: either it'll be considered a BAD THING because that means the 'fashionistas' will have the look but none of the soul behind it, or its a good thing, because suddenly buying clothes became a whole lot easier.

Having had a browse around the alt. fashion blogs that Google gives me on the first page of my search results, there seems to be a distinct snobbery going on about the adoption of more alt. fashion by the mainstream. Personally, I don't think that anyone has the monopoly on fashion - just because a certain fashion type was adopted by a particular 'scene' doesn't mean it is their's and their's alone.

I have to say I do have a certain dislike for the way in which clothing is badged against music, and I think this is particularly prevalent in the alt. world. If you want to wear military fashion, you should like EBM/Industrial. If you want to wear corsets and Victoriana, you should like another type of music. Why do we have to be so rigid? Why, as an alternative community, which prides itself on its supposed individuality, do we have to categorise and box up?

Clothes, like music, are subjective and as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I hope people can remember that before becoming too closed mind about things.

Except Nazi uniforms. They should never ever be worn by any self respecting person. There is just something so so wrong about wearing the uniforms of a mass murdering regime for fun. Unless of course you are a neo nazi, in which case I don't want to talk to you.

Here is a photo of me sporting my recent skirt creation (ably assisted by the wind!) and my new leather jacket. Shirt from Topshop Tall and waistcoat from H&M. Tights by M&S. Boots by New Rock. Sunglasses by Dolce and Gabbanna.

New year, new wants....

So now its 2010, I foolishly promised myself I wouldn't do too much shopping.

Well I broke that rule pretty much straight away by spending a small sum buying MAC online and by stocking up in Neals Yard at the weekend. Essentials don't count though, do they?

Yesterday I bought a new purse from TKMaxx. Its by Cynthia Rowley and only cost me £15. I think it should have been a lot more, judging by the prices on her website. TKMaxx had a lot of her bags in as well, for around £50-60 each. Given that they are around £180 on her website there are some bargains to be had!!
The purse is lovely, dark green leather, with a strap to hold it together as well as the poppers on the inside, with room for all my cards, photos and things I carry in my wallet, which I am very pleased with!














This morning I made the mistake of looking on the Pia Jewellery website (www.piajewellery.com) to see what they had in the sale, and spotted this:



















I was actually in TKMaxx yesterday to buy a bag, and this is just what I am after. I don't much care for black leather bags, or anything that looks too structured - I like soft and squishy, and that applies to the colour as well. I already own a fabulous squishy leather handbag from Pia that my mum bought me last Feb in the Cambridge store, which is a gorgeous pinky beige colour, but I like bags (I own quite a few). And its in the sale. Umming and ahhing about it didn't help, but then in a stroke of genius remembered that it is my birthday in 3 weeks and have used the website's hint service to send a note to my mum (seeing as she asked what I wanted for my birthday). I've also sent her some hints about a set of stacking rings from Pia that I like too, but the bag is the important bit!!
The rings are these:
















Again, I've been after a new ring/set of rings for a while and I think these might be the thing I'm after. But we shall see what the birthday gods grant me!!

Finally, some new sunglasses!

Possibly an odd thing to be buying in winter, but my eyes are quite sensitive to light and squinting into the sun gives me headaches. I bought some new shades in the summer, but by the end of the summer I wasn't quite feeling their style, so I have been on the look out for some new ones for a little while.

A quick trip into House of Fraser whilst the bf was at the barbers before Christmas found me these little beauties. Not my first pair of designer sunglasses (I had a pair of D&G ones before) but certainly the most beautiful pair I have ever owned. I am seriously pleased that the weather both in Vienna and here has been nice enough to warrant some shades wearing!!

Dolce and Gabanna shades, from House of Fraser, £108 (reduced from £155).