31 December 2008

Happy New Years Eve!

Oh yes, it has come down to one of the staple days in the calender when you get to show off. I thought I'd share with you what I would be wearing if I had the green. I can picture myself strolling through the streets of London with the fireworks lighting the way. Fantasies aren't meant to be believable. Hence the fantasy part.

New Years Eve

And now my explanation -
This Sass & Bide dress just jumped out at me. It's so OTT: ruffles, bows, sequins... which is perfect for this kind of occasion. The Bustier is figure-hugging and the full skirt balances out proportions. I just think it's fantastic. But then again, I'm a sucker for a good LBD. The Fur Coat is vintage from Rokit, my favourite online vintage store. It just looks so massive and comfortable that it glams up any outfit; plus it keeps you snug as a bug. The python clutch is Anya Hindmarch, it's sexy and works well with the coat and the dress. Louboutin Sandals are standard: Not too high, a bit of toe cleavage and that gold embellishment which instantly draws attention. I cannot think of any other shoes that would do the job. The nail polish is a dark red, a colour I've yearned for since stealing my mother's 'rouge noir' Chanel lacquer. It's classy, subtle and looks so expensive! Makeup-wise I was thinking a light rose blush (that Laura Mercier powder crushes like silk) on a glowing pale face with only thick lashes to contrast (the YSL mascara has a chunky brush with a creamy formula, perfect!). And now I'm ready to hit the streets!
Ok, so it's a little out of my price range, but my outfit still looks awesome: Black French Connection velvet pin-tuck dress, my £9 mkone peep-toe snakeskin heels (they were half price. And I subsided the pain by reshaping them with foam and double-sided. I'll have to put up a picture...) and my tux jacket. There was no point in buying anything special; after all I'm just going to a school-scale party in bath. Next year I'll fill out my fantasy. Bring it on London.
Anyway I hope you all have great New Year's bashes. Any Resolutions?

30 December 2008

Josh Goot

A little slow on the uptake, but I love this!
The Australian designer Josh Goot explains that he created his full-spectrum pieces by using watercolour on a scanner and then distorting it on computer to make it look like water. The effects are stunning:

The rest of the collection isn't disappointing either; block colours and simple shapes on jersey make up the most of it. It's just luxe lounging clothes really. I want some!

New Layout!

Finalmente! New Layout! This is a problem I've had since I started to make websites. I'm interested more in the look of the site than the content; and as soon as I'm comfortable with a layout I see somebody else's and mine becomes inferior, so I have to redo it. But at the moment I am the superior. I love it. It took two hours to make the header alone, and another two hours to configure all the html (yes, I'm slow). I promised myself that I wouldn't show off my board until 2009, but I couldn't help it.
'My Board' is a great big pin board that I created, where I pin up all my inspirations and goals and so far it has been going excellently. I borrowed my brother's SLR (my laptop cam wasn't up for the challenge) and took around 50 pics. And it was really fun messing around with them. My real board looks nothing like that, because it's all mixed up as you can see from the varied pins, but it's exhilarating doing that sort of thing. From when I was 9 up to about 12 I wanted to be a graphic designer. But fashion comes first.
So here is the new year's resolution:
Only make a new layout for the blog twice... maybe three times...
there's not much to be scared of, I'm pretty positive it won't last that long.
Oh so the upsides of this layout are that I can finally have descent-sized pictures and it's just more fun and arty. And the pretty new signature :D

29 December 2008

Fleur Van Maarsch...

The Name is Fleur van Maarschalkerwaart, I thought it was a bit too long for a title. Anyway she is based in Amsterdam as a graphic designer. She does some lovely ink and watercolour mixed-media paintings, but I was immediately drawn to these layers that create a high-impact emotional image.

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26 December 2008

Who Gets The Boot?



This seems like a meaningless topic, but which would you pick? The instant answer is ' The Sergio Rossi Patchwork boots. who would choose wellies over them?' But you'd be wrong. Firstly price: the rainbow stilettos are almost £700 while the Hunters are only £75. Secondly colour: only if you were having an all-black day and then decided you needed a burst of colour (and I mean a burst) would you wear the Sergio Rossi's; but the Special Edition Fortnum & Mason 'eau de nil' wellies would compliment most other colours. Thirdly durability and practicality: Hunters are specifically made to be practical and durable; while the boots are only for shopping.
I hope but now you are starting to see my point. Wellingtons arn't that ugly, and they're from Fortnum & Mason, nice colour, practical. Stiletto Boots are expensive, unpractical, uncomfortable, go with nothing and so are utterly useless.
But they're still nice boots :D

25 December 2008

Christmas Presents!

What a better way to spread Christmas spirit than to show you what presents I received and drool over them with envy? (little note on that - yours are probably better :P)

1. Chloe Perfume - this had been on my Christmas list for quite a while now. To most it captures the essence of youth, confidence and free spirit, but to me the fragrance has a manly undertone hidden under it's whispy shell. The box is exquisite: a ribbed glass cuboid with silver plating and a delicate hand-tied bow. AND the campaign was with Anja Rubik, Clémence Poésy, and Chloë Sevigny; what more could you want.


2. Ski Socks - This sounds a little lame, but trust me, it's ultra cool. I'm wearing them ruched, folded over the bottom of my jeans, and they are the paramount to preppy style. These ones are from Tabio, possibly the best hosiery shop in the world, excluding Jonathan Aston


3. Books - Over the past couple of months I have become somewhat of a bookworm. Firstly I received three of Stephanie Mayers books (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse) and The Twilight Movie Companion, to go with my minor obsession over Robert Pattinson. And also I had ordered six psycology books of Amazon (stuff about unconscious thinking, lie detecting and memory techniques, it's all fascinating) so I am looking forward to worming through all of them :D

4. Sneakers - On my formal list I actually had some Orange Croc-Print Flats with a deep plunge for some extra toe-cleavage. Mais malhereusement they don't exist. Although I did find some similar ones in French Sole that were blood red, and some from London Sole. In a feeble bid to receive as many pairs of shoes as possible, I emailed my dad about these Fred Perry lace-ups and somehow my mother got hold of it and bought me them. They are beautiful (AND they're boys shoes!), but the problem is that recently I have attempted to become more formal in my dressage, and this will be difficult with grey and pink sneakers. With Christmas money I also will attempt to purchase more casual shoes (these) so the formal idea will never work out.


5. The Old Terry's Chocolate Orange - Never fails to disappoint.

6. Bumble & Bumble Curling Creme - Firstly I have to say that Bumble and Bumble are the best thing to happen to hair since hairdryers. And I have managed to find the only salon in my town of Bath which uses it. People seem to think this product is now discontinued, so I'm glad I got it when I did. A luxuriously creamy product which defines and amplifies curls (for those of you with straight hair, you don't know how hard it is to keep our locks decent).


These are my faves. Of course in 5 days time I will be receiving my delayed gift from my father, the tailors mannequin. Dad has become more sensible with each Christmas that passes by and now lets me personally order the present. I chose the leg form model so I could make shorts as well. Only one day to fix up my New Years outfit.
I hope you all had fantastic Christmases. Feel free to comment/gloat on your favourite presents, be they things you have received, or things that you have given.

23 December 2008

Mariella Burani Shawl

Remember that company that i had a few days ago? Well they had a black pashmina scarf (well it was more like a shawl because it had no silly tassles and it was huge!), this was so comfy, useful and also stylish. So I set about finding something similar, and this is what I came across. It is a Mariella Burani SS09 boucled wool shawl with a fluffly wool fringing. Looks comfy doesn't it? And would look fantastic with a slate trench and a pencil skirt. Frankly, it would look great with anything.

Pianos

I have decided over the last few days that I should become more multi-skilled: and it starts with music. I had once played the flute, played the violin, played the guitar, played the piano; but I still sing! So, inspired by Robert Pattinson, I am composing some lovely guitar and vocal arrangements (his voice is stunning), and also learning to play the piano. In Twilight, there is a scene where Edward plays a piece on the piano to Bella, this inspiring piece was going to be in the film, but was regrettably replaced last minute.

Isn't it beautiful? Anyway I found the sheet music and so am in the process of learning it. Now I only have an old keyboard (well frankly it's very sexy, but is harshly underused) and so thought [why would anybody read this? It's just a teenager oogling over some hot actor and then making whimsical oaths. Unless... I add something they would consider worthy of respect]. So here it is, a couple of pretty pianos:

Summertime

This is the stunning 'Summertime' Grand Piano from Steinway & Sons; hand painted by acclaimed artist Timothy Martin.

Oto no Kawa

Another Steinway & Sons grand, 'Oto no Kawa' meaning 'River of Sound' created by Japanese artist Chiharu Nishizawa.


And finally the classic. This is the Bluthner Model 1 Concert Grand measuring 9'2". It produces an incredible sound, but more importantly looks immaculate. I would be infinitely proud to own one of these and be able to play it. I should probably get to sleep now, it's 3:30AM, but now I feel I should write a post on Beds or something!

21 December 2008

Robert Pattinson in Twilight

Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days, but I'm entertaining. Anyway my company is in the shower so I thought I'd dictate our happenings of yesterday. My 'friend' and I went to see Twilight, a heavenly movie which came out on the 19th. Apart from it being an excellent plot, we were rather more exited about the talent. Oh yes, Robert Pattinson. You may know him from playing Cedric in Harry Potter. The point is he is gargantuanly hansom. Here's some eye candy:


OMG HE IS SO HOT! Aside from his looks, he is just incredibly lovable. His vampire character Edward Cullen is in love with a human; and he has to fight off his instincts to feed on her. Just everything one wants in a boyfriend (and by one I mean me). He (well his character) is sweet, and protective, and sentimental, and crazy in love. I can't wait until the next movie comes out. But that is November next year. For now I'm thinking of reading the books that they're based on by Stephenie Meyer; first is Twilight, then New Moon, Eclipse, and finally Breaking Dawn: and every minute I will be picturing Rob Patts.

17 December 2008

How the Other Half Lives

Recently I have been loving Just Fashion.Art.Design, another blog about style, but it is far more superior than the rest. All of these pictures are what my life would have been like in 1953 if I was born in 1929 and became exceedingly rich in 1949. And it is that precise. In a recent article they had some photos by Phil Poynter; so I googled him and found an excuisite set of photographs. Feast your eyes:

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Just a ponder question:
How much do you think each of these outfits costs? Including accessories (including the pack of cards) and the lamps, and the tablecloths, and the nail polish. My answer - 'a fortune, but who cares? it looks fantastic!'

The Search Box

This may sound rather pathetic: I'm so exited!! I had this on the old tacit beauty site, and now it's back! Basically it is a custom search located in the sidebar; and when you type something into it and click 'search' it will filter through all my fave blogs and style sites and find you want you're looking for. Custom search is amazing, and as far as I know this is the only cross-site fashion search. Have fun playing with it. There's also a funky new signature.

Is it a Clutch? Is it a Purse? Who Cares!

Scanning through one of THE BEST SHOPS IN THE WORLD yesterday, House of Fraser, I passed Mulberry, passed Burberry, and then picked up a purse in DKNY; a black patent zip-around wallet (held up to my hobo-cross-carpet zara coat I reminded myself of the Champs-Élysées) it truly was stunning, and at only £45! I was in shock. But the silly holidays had me skint. And then moving onto D&G I saw another: This time it was an orgasmic burgundy croc-print (held up again, I was in Venice) but it was £119. Don't you think they should just give them out to the needy? Well two was enough, it deserved to have an article. Here are an array of my favourites:

large purses

I picked the Jane Shilton because it looks similar to the D&G one that I saw. Croc print goes with pretty much everything (patterns, block colours...) and it will never go out of style, a great way to update any outfit. The Mimco has a beautiful diagonal stripe, which slims and elongates fingers if you use it as a clutch; I'm not sure about the weird bubble things but it definitely shouts luxe, and has that croc print again! Malhereusement je n'ai pu pas trouver une photo of the DKNY purse [apparently on the Internet only the pink one exists] but you can instantly see why I fell in love with it, just so ... mmmm. If a gold chain sprouted from the miu miu, one can picture Coco sporting it, it could even trump the 2.55! If I had this I would have trouble keeping the buttery leather in my handbag. It is simply superior to any casing.

At this point my migit pink leather purse seemed pathetic, I simply had to get a bigger one. I settled on a very grown up brown leather flap-over with a gazilion credit card pouches and a gold-framed coin purse. It was £20 on the 40% off table, but apparently it was only 20% off, and I was 5p short so the lovely counter guy gave me a student discount. I would've been so bummed if it was a girl. Anyway once again I have failed to find a picture of it, so I've taken one myself; be warned because my laptop's camera isn't exactly a digital SLR. If you want one it's by branded by Golunski at House Of Fraser.

My New Wallet!


14 December 2008

Nude Natural Lips

All season we've seen these natural lips proping up. Here are some of my favourites:

natural lips

So as you can see loads of major lables have been enticed by this trend; honestly the only other lip trend is bright red. To recreat this look by yourself - use some concealer, for example the Creamy Concealer in Porcelain by Bobbi Brown, and dap it gently onto the lips with the tip of your finger. To give it that slight sheen most people use gloss, but I prefer to use a natural lip balm, like the Luxe Lip Balm by Very Sexy (a Victoria Secret brand). This makes it look fantastic whilst staying moisturized and healthy.

11 December 2008

Elsie Belle

Extra-ordinarily cute vintage-looking jewels, get them here. And here are some of my very favourites:

I ♥ tea necklaceparty ring!brass ribbon necklace If anybody feels the need to buy me a christmas pressie, this is the site. Love it. It's a vintage Alex&Chloe: all perspex stuff, click here, I have the feather!

07 December 2008

British Comedy Awards '08

Kelly Brook at British Comedy Awards 2008Kelly Brook arrives wearing fail-safe Hervé Léger dress, a (well... what i presume to be) miu miu clutch and black Christian Loubotins. I like the dress, but it's just getting a bit boring. Who doesn't have one now?

But the real smash of the night was Dita Von Teese:

Dita Von Teese wearing Marchesa at British Comedy Awards Dita wore a sculptural Marchesa cocktail dress with very interesting feather filled pockets. She paired this her signature red lipstick and gargantuan nails.
Here is some more Marchesa to settle your stomach:

05 December 2008

Louis Vuitton SS09

Louis Vuitton SS09

Louis Vuitton SS09

Just browsing through the books and fell in love with Louis Vuitton again. Ethnic influences, strong structure and block colour give this layered look some hot edge. As you can see all of these are very high up the thigh - great for the exotics - but the rest of the collection is full of wide-leg high-waisted flowy trousers. The best bit about this look is you get to stockpile the accessories: bangles, necklaces, belts, bags...

04 December 2008

Ligia 'to' Dias 'for'

Ligia Dias worked for Lavin for 3 years and has finally produced her debut collection. Ribbons, braces, pearls, glass, velvet, chains; it's all in these luxe jewels. *Most* are under £200 so get to http://www.matchesfashion.com/ now and get them before they're all sold out!

The World

This was a fantastic idea

A residential cruise ship. Wow. You can live as a resident on this fully-suited nauta, and the owners of the rooms get to decide the itinerary so it's basically your own comfortable yacht. One can also rent studios which start at basic rooms and end in huge apartments with three bedrooms, a kitchen, two verandas, two living rooms and a study [complete with walk-in wardrobes of course], and also with full facilities, which means restaurants and beauty centres. This truly is heaven floating on water. Visit http://www.aboardtheworld.com/

03 December 2008

Felix Rey - The Golden Years

If this isn't enough to get you wriggling in your seat, it also comes in a large clutch and a coin purse AND black AND silver. Felix Rey also do some lovely totes in patent black and leopard print

Rag & Bone [mmm]

If you didn't instantly fall in love with this you may want to go and see a doctor. Neville and Wainwright have done it again; aside from betraying us by moving to the big apple, they have put an english (very neat) punk-inspired look on the runway. just something to oogle over:


02 December 2008

Derren Brown - The Man Behind The Mask

Very confused. I have had a minor obsession with Derren Brown for the last couple of months and only now do I find out about his sexuality.

On the 21st of April Derren published a very public article in the Sun where he came out, explaining that he's 'been with [his] partner for a year – and it’s perfect'. It could be the saddest news I have heard all year: Until I came across this:



This image (courtesy of whatsinstage.com) reads 'Derren Brown and partner Vicky' was released on the 12th Feb. And being a mathematical genius I can tell you that this would rather heavily overlap with his relationship with that other partner (well, unless that's him. gohd hope not)

So unless this is just a little media misapprehension, my view of him has been ruined in two ways -
1) I could NEVER pull him now [there was always a slither of possibility]
2) He's adulterous which just discards his really cute charm

However through this entire emotional experience, I have actually grown to love Derren even more. The idea of a bisexual partner is somewhat intriguing... yet not really what I'm looking for right now. especially since I'm 15 and he's 37.