LFW OOTD FYI

Us bloggers are a fan of acronyms especially when it comes to events like London Fashion Week.  I guess it does make tweeting a heck of a lot easier but nonetheless confusing when I haven't a clue what it means.

LOL, BRB, OMG, FML, anyone?!  Anyway I am getting there with twitter speak ...

While in London I had grand plans of doing an outfit post everyday.  I ended up only fitting one in with the lovely Ann as my photographer extraordinaire.  I will recreate the other outfits I wore (seeing as these days I like to get as much use out of my clothes as I can) and post them in the near future.

Here is what I wore on the day we went to see Christopher Kane and another billion people.

This outfit turned out a lot different to how I expected and it's a shame I only have a photo with my jacket on as I loved the dress I had underneath.

I have many smug faces ... here are a couple.

My dress is from Cos and is a little like a wrap dress come waistcoat.  I belted it with a brown pleated belt from urban outfitters, opaque black tights and my comfy black dune wedge boots.  My plan was to wear my new Nicole Farhi orange platforms but they just didn't feel right that morning and I knew my wedges would be a lot easier to dash around in.  

London was so cold last weekend I teamed with my trust H&M fur stole and leather jacket from Mango.  My oversized clutch was also a mango purchase.  I can't say I was best pleased with this outfit but it was fairly simple and understated ... in other words, a tad boring.  

I went for a simple make up look and strong lip although I look a litte too tan.  My lip colour was a mix of The Body Shops cherry sparkle and MAC's Vegas Volt.  

Now I really didn't mean to look so smug in these photos, I think the false lash extensions I had on made my eyes look heavy and lazy adding to the pompous expression ... promise!  Even though I was feeling a little self righteous about bagging some seats to one of the best shows in town! :)

More OOTD to come soon, time has been of the essence lately but I can assure you I will be boring you with outfit posts shortly.

x

Goodbye Ombre!

Okay, I have finally had enough.  It's time to say cheerio to my ombre'd hair.

It was lovely while it lasted and I loved the texture it gave my hair but my barnet has started to look a little flat of late.  That combined with me playing Bridesmaid for a day in a few weeks and the fact that EVERY girl I bumped into in London had ombre hair ... it prompted me that it's time for a change.

When I say a change, it will probably be nothing too exciting ... I don't want to get carried away with myself ;) It will most likely be a return to an all over shade of red to help gain back the shine and life my hair is lacking at the moment.

As for cut, well we will see... it depends how much damage the ombre has done.

I leave you with a pic of my hair where the ombre can be seen quite clearly and is probably the whitest blonde my hair has ever had on it.

Farewell Ombre, it was nice while it lasted.

x

Getting lashed at The Powder Lounge

As well as getting Wah!ed down in London we also used the opportunity while being in the wonder emporium that is Topshop Oxford Street to also have our lashes extended to flirtatious extremes at The Powder Lounge.

Holiday lashes were offered and without really knowing what this entailed I decided to jump in at the deep end anyway.  Without being shown any lashes my therapist - who was extremely lovely - made sure I was comfortable in my seat (which is the equivalent to a dentists chair) and asked me to remove my eye make up - Something I detest doing in public!! Baldy eyes watch out!

removing my make up and hiding my eyes simultaneously

My eyes were then taped up - yes that's right ... a little bit of eye bondage goes a long way at The Powder Lounge.  As I lay there wondering what was happening I asked if I would be choosing my own lashes.  The therapist replied yes then asked a series of questions regarding length, thickness and what kind of impact I was looking for i.e, porno lashes (obviously false) or natural.  I asked for natural, slightly longer than my own.

Before I knew it I could feel individual lashes being applied one by one to each eye.  At this point I started wondering what on earth I was doing sitting there.  I had hardly asked any questions and hadn't even seen the lashes before application but I trusted the therapist and rolled with it.

About 45minutes later, I was untaped and my new eyes revealed.

Dark, long, thick and sultry lashes without looking unnatural and cheap.  It took me a while to get used to them especially as I initially had no liner on which is one of my make up staples.  I was told to avoid mascara and oily make up remover so that I could get maximum wear from them which is about 2 weeks.

Unfortunately it's nearly a week later and I have become a little bored of them already.  They feel a little heavy, they are long enough to cause a shadow under my eye which doesn't help me look any more awake in my already exhausted state and they seem quite hard and plastic.  I have tried baby oil and other eye make up removers but they will not budge.

I think theses lashes are fantabulous for a girly night out or even just a couple of days worth but any longer than that just annoys my eyes.  It's made me realise I do love my own lashes whether they are pale, thin and sparse at times, I can play on them to my own advantage and with the help of falsies I can change how I look as often as I want.  With extensions it is difficult to create more impact or change the look or shape of your eye as the lashes are harder to work with.  Don't even get me started on curling them ... I ended up with square lashes this morning!!

Maybe in the future I would consider lash extensions for a beach holiday but I would prefer to view and choose my own eyelashes for a nicer finish that is more suited to my eye shape.

Who else has tried lash extensions? What was your experience and do you have any tips for removal?

x

London photo diary

There seems to be a distinct lack of photos from my recent trip to London.  I didn't take half as many photos as I would have liked to and a lot of what was taken were really bad quality but this is probably the jist of any excitement, food, fashion and famous faces!!

Minimal packing. Yes, that is a hello kitty eye mask!

Prosecco cocktails & dim sum at Ping Pong

Wah-ed!

schleb spotting - Anna Wintour

Daphne Guinness

Janice Dickinson and Jo Woods

Brix Smith-Start admiring Kane's collection

The views of a smoggy grey LDN from our hotel room

I got Wah-ed!

I have been banging on about Wah! nails to all and sundry for long enough and in spite of my own leopard print alternative it was about time I had the Wah! experience for myself.

On our first day in London, Ann and I headed to Wah! at Topshop Oxford Street.  Here are the results of my very first Wah!ing.

I went for the Marc Jacobs polka dot on matte black and an orange, black and gold stripe to go with my platforms that I would be wearing the next day (in the end I didn't wear them but that's another story).

with flash

without flash

And Scottish ladies did you know, Wah! has arrived at Harvey Nichols, Edinburgh?!  I had no clue either until the London Wah girls informed me... i think an imminent trip through is on the cards.

What are you waiting for?


EDIT:  It seems the Wah! girl got her celtic connections mixed up.  It's actually Harvey Nichols Dublin that is lucky enough to be host to Wah! Nails ... so Irish ladies, get in there!! Scottish lassies ... we will have to wait this one out a bit longer.
x

Christopher Kane Autumn Winter 2011 #LFW

You might have seen tweets from myself or Ann from Girl in the City this past week about our imminent trip to London Fashion Week ...

We ventured down to the 'Big Smoke' specifically for the Christopher Kane show.  Having just won the British Fashion Council/Vogue award and Elle's Best Designer award my fellow Scot is really riding high on a wave of success.  It was such an honour to have the opportunity to attend such a show never mind find that we were seated with his friends and family ...awww!

Smug ;) 

 After a buzz of excitement over spotting the likes of Alexa Chung, Anna Wintour, Daphne Guinness and Hilary Alexander we suddenly remembered we were there to view Kane's Autumn Winter collection and pulled ourselves together. Waiting for the collection to make it's way down the runway,  colour and embellishment was what I had in mind given past collections of neon and lace.

I photographed our place names! excited, much?!

I was surprised to find a muted and minimal collection in appearance but fascinating and intriguing in it's detail.  Bestowed before our zealous and fashion hungry eyes were grandma crochet and printed leather in hues of black and navy before a zingier arrangement of sequins and cashmere dresses embellished with plastic pouch material filled with squishy coloured fluid.

As soon as I spotted these little plastic adornments which decorated pocket detail as well as bodices and necklines I immediately thought of my old school pencil case.  I was thrilled then to find out Christopher's inspiration had indeed been his very own school pencil case.  Boy has good taste!

Printed leather and crochet. Black with 'pencil case' detailing

Known as the liquid collection and set to a backdrop of fluid inspired sound effects Kane gave insight to his vision "It was inspired by the pencil cases I had at school and lollipops. But we didn’t want it to be over elaborate – we wanted it to be about really wearable, sophisticated clothes." 


Models make up was minimal and hair was slicked back in low pony tails by Paul Hanlon and the TIGI creative team to create a modern, sleek look inspired by the collection itself. 


See my quick video snippet on the runway ...



So watch out kids, printed leather and fluid filled bags are hopefully going to pop up on the high street in a nod to Christopher Kane's genius.  I will be after both ... especially a squishy clutch please :)


x

Beauty Feet Fish Spa

This week I eventually ventured into the realms of the fish pedicure.  I have been dying to try this ever since I seen it on Eurotrash at least 10 years ago when some women in Japan had been filmed having their feet nibbled by little fishies.

Yeah, I know I should be embarrassed about watching Eurotrash ... guilty pleasures an' all that. Don't judge. ;) 

I opted to not head to my local shopping centre with their unhygienic and non fish friendly approach.  Instead I went to the newly revamped Virginia Galleries (a much loved old haunt of mine) to the very comfortable, chic and private Beauty Feet Fish Spa. 

The origin of the fish pedicure is in the Middle East and Turkey where there are plenty of naturally occuring hot springs.  The garra rufa fish that inhabit the waters are renowned for their ability to feed on dead surface skin resulting in baby soft tootsies, improved circulation and relaxation.

At Beauty Feet Fish Spa you are vetted before you go anywhere near the tanks by filling in some medical forms in advance of a therapist massaging and washing your feet in the generous sinks throughout the spa.  

Comfortable sink area at Beauty Feet Fish Spa

The owner of the salon has a background in Environmental Health so she knows healthy, safety and hygiene inside out and is very strict in her practise of this in her salon.  Verucca's are simply not allowed and you will be refused if the therapist discovers any, likewise any cuts would deter any further treatment as you would be at risk of causing or catching an infection.  Everything is done to ensure both you and the fish are not exposed to harm.  

Tanks seat 4 at a time, go with your girlies!

After your feet are all cleaned up you are escorted to your tank and this is where it does get pretty scary.  There are 200 fish per tank and the thought of sticking your feet into an abyss of hungry, squirming fish is daunting.  It took me a bit of psyching up to eventually plunge my feet in and after much internal screaming I removed my feet after about a minute.  At this point I was told there was no dipping in and out of the tanks... I was either in ... or I was out.  After some deliberation - I was in!  

Lorraines feet being mauled, green tea to relax and my feet being eaten alive! 

I squirmed and writhed around intensely on my seat for about 5 minutes before I eventually relaxed into it and in the end it felt extremely soothing.   The sensation is that of bubbles much like jacuzzi bubbles vibrating under your feet.  If you can imagine that instead of fish then you will stay sane until your 20 minutes are up.

Some tips if you want to try this for yourself ...

• Don't look down.  Try not to watch the fish nibbling away, I guarantee it will make you feel a bit squeamish and send a shiver down your spine. 
• Stick your feet in and keep them in.  The tickling sensation or squeamishness you might feel at first will subside to a pleasurable refreshment of the senses.  
• Just think of the bubbles 
• Paint your toe nails ... if 200 fish are gonna nibble your feet, you might as well make them look pretty
• Take a friend to keep you occupied ... fish don't replace the good gossip you can have with a therapist

I would totally recommend this treatment even if it is just for the experience alone but I would strongly advise you go to a reputable salon who will look after you and the fish.  

Who else has tried out this treatment?  How did you find it? 

x

Bravissimo fitting

I often feel I have been cursed with curves ... being a big busted girl isn't nearly as glamorous or sexy as you might think it should be.

Buying clothes isn't always as fun as i'd like it to be.  The styles and shapes I covet usually turn my silhouette into the atrocity that is a big boobed oompa loompa leaving me feeling frumpy and less than fashionable.  I have to pick my garments carefully ensuring my puppies are well secured indoors and flattering on the eye.

Of course, the best helping hand in this situation is well fitting underwear.  Something I know the importance of only too well.  At 17, my sister got a little bit happy with the measuring tape and declared my bust an ample 36C.  Six years later at an impromptu trip to an underwear store, the lady assistant simply eyed me up and guffawed at my ill fitting boulder holder ... a 32F she announced and bounced off to fetch me some bras.  I didn't believe her and her beady eyes so off I went to another 5 shops that day who all confirmed that yes, I was a 32F.  Quelle Horreur!

So it seems that the measuring tape is no longer the apparatus of accuracy it once was when it comes to getting your funbags fitted.  It's not only important to make sure you are properly fitted but also to keep a check on it regularly as our bodies and shapes can change as I was about to find out.

Bravissimo offered me a shot of their free fitting service this week so there was no time like the present to check my sizing.  Now all this eyeing up and boob watching might sound a bit daunting but really it couldn't be further from the truth.

At Bravissimo they have a separate fitting area where the girls there measure up mammaries all day long.  I was introduced to Zoe my 'fitter' who instantly made me feel at ease.  Zoe was warm, chatty and very respectful of my needs making sure to ask if I needed help in and out of bras or if I preferred her to leave while I changed.  In the end I was jingle jangling in front of Zoe with gay abandon (not literally).  I didn't feel the need to shy away and believe me I do not bare my bewbs for anyone!

So Zoe had a good look at the bra I was wearing (no need to bare all), she had a feel around the back of my bra and made sure to check both bosoms were securely in their cups.  There was a slight bulging so in the end it was decided I must go up another cup size.  G for Ginormous!! ooofft!  Zoe asked me what styles of bra I was interested in trying so I asked to try some strapless.  I was brought some fantastically fitting strapless bras but none to my liking so I sent Zoe on another trip for some colourful bras ... she toddled back with a huge selection ... still undecided I asked to try some basques and again Zoe cheerfully picked me a few options to try from.

I certainly gave Zoe the runaround but she made sure she listened to everything I asked for and nothing was a problem.  In the end I chose a beautiful burlesque style balcony bra courtesy of Bravissimo as a thank you for trying out the service.

Zoe told me about the extensive training the Bravissimo girls go through before they are let loose on their own with customers.  They are also trained to fit different styles of bras from sports to maternity as these usually size a little differently to our normal everyday bras.

I would recommend Bravissimo for fittings for any size lady, their dedicated staff and so well versed in fitting and it's clear they go through a strict training regime before they qualify for the role.  In the store itself, it not only stocks bras but there is a wide selection of swimwear and now clothing which is featured in abundance in store.  For D cups and up, Bravissimo is a good choice for bra shopping but may not carry the ranges desired for the petite ladies.

I was fitted at Bravissimo in Ingram Street, Glasgow.  You can contact them by phone on 0845 408 1909 to arrange a fitting or on the day appointments instore.


x

Style Crush: Kate Lanphear

Kate Lanphear first came to my attention a few months ago when I was catching up with fashion week coverage online.  I was captivated by images of her at various fashion weeks usually looking a little moody and rebellious, utterly compelling and super stylish.

I wasn't surprised then to find out she is the Style Director for Elle US.  With her platinum blonde crop and tall lean figure, Kate strikes a powerful and intimidating figure, usually dressed in her trademark elegantly masculine style.

Part androgynous part glamorous, Kate's style is very specific with a mixture of fine tailoring and a monochromatic colour palette.   Accessorising with chains and studs there is more than a hint of punk to her style.

Unfortunately for me, Kate's style is something that I just can't pull off but her simple and effective style choices can inspire my own wardrobe preferences.  I think her effortless chic image is a reminder that sometimes less is more.

x

When I grow up ...

... I want to be Julianne Moore.

Last night I watched the BAFTA's and was totally wowed by the gorgeous Julianne Moore in a floorlength blue velvet dress by Tom Ford, who was also her partner for the event.  She teamed the dress with stunning red lips (not unlike my favourite, MAC Lady Danger) and beautifully coiffed hair that harked back to old Hollywood Glamour.

Julianne and her good friend Tom Ford - oh hellooooo! 

As a fellow redhead I have always been fascinated by Julianne Moore.  It's not just red hair we have in common, as well as being half Scottish, Julianne too has pale celtic skin and a multitude of freckles.  Refreshingly, Julianne wears her freckles with pride against her porcelain skin ... something I just cant bring myself to do and so admire her for.

Odd as it may sound, I struggle to feel comfortable with my freckles.  There are so many of them covering my face, body, arms and legs.  I use fake tan as a platform to blend them with my skin.  I guess this struggle comes from the reaction of others over the years.  People do look at me sympathetically because of my 'infliction' or 'blemishes' and the fact my skin won't tan naturally.  It really is quite rude but something I have had to put up with for years and it has kicked my body confidence in many ways.  It is only now as an adult I am starting to accept and sometimes enjoy my peely wally speckled skin.

I love the mix of leopard print and blue in this image

Scenarios I have dealt with for instance, are being laughed at on the beach sunbathing, locals abroad taking photos of me, hysterically laughing and pointing at me or looks of disgust from passers by.  On the other hand there are the countries I have visited where they adore my ghostly tones ... 'White Chocolate' became a favourite nickname in Egypt where they couldn't get enough of my red hair and what is known in Scotland as my ginger skin!  You gotta have a sense of humour about these things ;)

Love the berry lips

Anyway, back to Julianne.  She is so beautiful and at over 50 (i think) she has aged so graceful and stylishly.  As an actress I have seen her in few movies but most notably are Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski and A Single Man.  Julianne carries herself with such poise and elegance and although appears to be completely comfortable in her skin, she has admitted that growing up she was nicknamed 'Frecklefaced Strawberry' because of her sun kisses ... quite a cute nickname, huh?  She even went on to write a children's book about a little girl who tries to get rid of her freckles.


'I still have mine and I still don't like them, but I have other things to worry about. I care about it less'

Freckled and gorgeous in Boogie Nights

And I guess that's where I'm at now.  I care about it less.

x

Tom Ford is in my sights

A while ago I posted about my £1 Primarni geek chic spectacles that I have grown so fond of.  I love wearing them and they really make a difference to an outfit, just one simple accessory and your look is completely altered.

Well, I'm hoping to invest in a pair that scream more chic than geek and whilst I initially toyed with buying a pair of rayban wayfarers it is true to say my heart really lies with Tom Ford.

Not only is this man a God in the looks department, schhwwwiinng!! He is a kickass designer and even produces the odd amazing fragrance but for me it's his specs that have got my blood pumping - I think his line in eyewear is just the bees knees.  I am also partial to the imagery that comes along with his collections, it's bold, sexual, simple and striking.  You could pretty much frame it and hang it on a wall in your home as a one of piece of contemporary fashion photography.

Anyway, here are the glasses I lust after, I'm not even sure what season they are from but if I can't hunt them down, I will sure as heck searching for a half decent copy.  Retro, glossy and chic ... I love 'em!

x

Revitalash update

A few months ago I posted about my journey with Revitalash and the increased length it had given my lashes.

More than 8 weeks after I first started using it, I thought I would report back on the progress.

 
My lashes did get slightly longer than what I reported previously but not by a huge amount.  Nevertheless, I have still been more than happy with the increased length of my lashes.  However, after a time, it seemed that one set of lashes was growing more than the other.

My right eyelashes had grown to a much longer, flirtier length with beautiful corner lashes all curly and alluring.  The left eye had grown to a nice length but stopped growing despite the continued use of revitalash and lacked the flirty curl of the right eye.

I have decided then for the time being to stop use of revitalash.   I hope to get both sets of lashes to the same length again.  Although I do have a sample of rapidlash that I am dying to test out, I think I will give my lashes a rest for a few weeks before I start use of either rapidlash or revitalash.

x

Let me entertain you ...

I promise to stop banging on about this soon but the novelty of the new laptop has still not worn off. 

I now have photobooth!  This meant that for about 40 minutes today I entertained myself by snapping pics of me making silly faces at the screen.  Simple things ...

In other news this weekend, my husband finally arrived back from his trip to the States, we spent a weekend of eating, drinking, going to the cinema and shopping.  It was lovely to just spend time with my Valentine after his trip away although sadly he is now off to South Africa :(  Just in time for Valentine's Day ... 1, 2, 3 ... aawwww.  Bah, Valentines Day is such a farce anyway! 

Movies viewed this weekend were Peter Mullen's NEDS and Black Swan.  NEDs is set in Glasgow, depicting the life of a young boy from a deprived background who gets involved in Glasgow's notorious gang culture.  Tongs ya bas, anyone?!  Good film but still think NEDS was the wrong title for it.  Anyone outside of Glasgow going to see it will really need subtitles and anyone going to watch in Glasgow, be prepared for hysterical laughing at the coarse language and and extreme violence... what can I say, we have some sense of humour up here!! ;) 

Black Swan was the ultimate anti climax.  I was promised an erotic violent thriller.  It was an interesting psychological drama but I was expecting to feel traumatised after hearing the reviews.  Not at all.  I wouldn't say it was a bad film at all but it was hyped up way beyond my expectations.

Anyway, weekend is almost over ... time to chill out and enjoy the last few hours of down time :) 

x

If I were a Bride ....

... again!

When I was getting married I bought a beautiful and modest pair of ivory peeptoe heels with floral diamante detailing from Dune which complemented my dress wonderfully.  However, even after only 3 short years I look back and know where I would style the whole look differently.

One thing I might have had my eye on at the time would have been these wonderful Alexander McQueen heart peep toe satin pumps. 

Beautifully simple in design with a glamorous, classic shape and romantic love heart peep toe. They are the perfect addition to bridal wear.  At £375 they are pricey but so charming and enchanting that you can't help but be swept away by them.

Heck, I want them now and my wedding planning days are far behind me.  They would look wonderful dyed a different colour against the backdrop of a pure and whistful wedding dress for further allure.

Exclusive to Net-a-Porter you might just find that they are not a common choice either making your bridal footwear stand out from the crowd.

x

New Look: Leona Lewis

It seems that Leona Lewis is looking to distance herself from her squeaky clean, pretty as a princess image and has been seen this week sporting Gaga-esque creations of her own and a Nicki Minaj inspired hairstyle.

I am not sure what to make of this or Leona's designs.  On one hand it is quite a quirky and fun look but i'm not sure it really fits her 'image' and we have never seen a personality to match this crazy exterior.

I wonder if she has just succumbed to the pressure of the Gaga's and the Rhianna's of todays music and is trying to market herself to a younger, cooler market.  In my opinion, she was beautiful as she was and with so many people vying for the 'quirky, i'm so different' title, she kinda stood out in her whimsical dresses, tumbling waves and soft make up.

What do you make of Leona's new look?

x

Hello Lover ...

Often I have shared a moan or three or four about my laptop woes and how badly I needed a new one.

After researching many laptops including the Dell Inspiron which was a front runner at one point, my heart still leapt everytime I wandered into the Apple store and had a play about on one of their many design led, super functional computers.

Well after many visits to the store and years of dealing with a chanky old laptop, my partner in life and crime came back from the US this week brandishing a spanking new, glossy white, delightfully intriguing and in full working order, Macbook.

I have even attempted to watermark my photo thanks to my new laptop
... miserable fail though.  Advice appreciated! :) 

Literally after minutes playing with my new macbook I knew this was it - my life had changed forever ;)

Sounds extreme but it's a wee bit true.

You see my old laptop would crash 3 or 4 times in an evening.  It took hours to upload photos, save images, check emails, write blogposts ... the list goes on.  Replying to emails was so difficult on the old laptop, many went ignored.  Don't even get me started on how hard it was to view other blogs or comment on them.  A simple blog comment could take up to half an hour to execute.  YouTube wasn't even an option.

Now if I want to blog on an evening, I can come home, fire up the Macbook and I could very easily be done in a half hour or so .... plenty time to pamper myself, read a book, meet friends, watch a movie or dare i say it, tidy my flat!

I am so stupidly excited about the delights of my new laptop I almost don't know what to do with myself or it.  Already I have taken to twitter for advice on the unconventional keyboard and tonight I think I will get my head into the instruction manual.

Geek out!

x

Bring Home Fashion

Bring Home Fashion is a collaboration between the British Heart Foundation and 3rd year Textiles and Fashion Design Management Students from Heriot-Watt University to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the charity.

The evolution of the BFH girl.  Illustrations by the wonderful Lana Steel

The theme running through the fashion show is upcycling.

Upcycling: "The practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value"

All the creations on the catwalk are made from second hand garments from British Heart Foundation stores and have been customised into unique and wonderful new wares.  Inspired by fashion through the decades, groups of talented Textiles and Fashion Design students have breathed life into the second hand materials with designs influenced by the military styling of the 1940's right up to the grunge movement of the 1990's.  The collections feature splashes of colour, modern military underwear as outerwerar and all garments are unique, one off pieces.

I was sent over some fashion illustrations of the designs you may see on the night.  They are truly wonderful, i do love fashion illustration so to see a sneak preview of the show in the form of pencil on paper is the ultimate tease taster for what lies ahead on the night.  Final designs are of course, a secret until the grand unveiling on February 24th.

LEFT: Sleeveless jacket dress by Eleisha Connon
RIGHT: Jacket with stay ups by Kirsty McKelvie and Alison McDougal 

With a philosophical approach of "one man's trash is another mans treasure" the students aim to show us that hidden gems and high fashion exist beyond the threshold of the charity shop door and can be easily achieved with a little imagination and a bit of style savvy.

Illustration and design by Tiina Kosonen

Tickets are priced at £12 for the BRING HOME FASHION show at Telford College, Edinburgh on Thursday 24th February.  Doors open at 7.30pm.   All proceeds go towards British Heart Foundation and their charity targets.

Tickets are available from British Heart Foundation on South Clerk Street, Edinburgh or from Edinburgh's Telford College Beauty Dept.

You can also find out more info at the Bring Home Fashion facebook page www.facebook.com/bringhomefashion2011

See you there!! :)

x

Saskia the Style Fairy

You may have noticed a few changes on this blog in recent weeks, one of which is a makeover of Gok proportions.  Ideally this should have coincided with my 2 year bloggiversary but that was at the end of January so I am a few weeks late.

I created a gorgeous header fit for my taste featuring a wonderful Garance Dore illustration.  A few people have asked how I created the header, I did it through Polyvore where you can literally make up scrapbook upon scrapbook of anything fashion or beauty related and store it all online in your own wee space.  I have used it a lot in the past for creating sets to show you different outfit combinations but it was great for creating a unique identity for my blog.

My inspiration?  Magazines.  I am an obsessed reader and avid collector of magazines, from interiors to fashion and sometimes the odd gossip mag.  Of course, blogs are now taking over my workld and my little space on the interweb is my own amateur attempt at conveying to you what I would like to read and also what I think might interest those who read the thoughts, opinions and ramblings of a real life enthusiast and consumer of some of the finer things in life.  Therefore, it is like my blogs own front cover.

I also created some little widget images for twitter, bloglovin' and my email.  If you want to copy any of these widgets, all I ask is that you credit me on your blog. 

Along with the aesthetic change, I have also ... (at long last) ... purchased my own domain name.  In fact, I purchased 2 ... a dot com and a dot co dot uk.  Unfortunately the dot com was a bit of a nightmare to deal with (as some twitter friends will know) so from now on you can access this blog using http://www.saskiathestylefairy.co.uk.  Of course if you enter via the blogspot address, it will redirect you.

I have removed the 'salsa' from my blog name.  It was the title of a childrens book so that can get confusing when trying to google this blog nevermind the fact I don't know how to salsa ... but i do quite like to eat it ... with doritos preferably. all class!!  My posts are beauty, fashion, interior and in general ... lifestyle related ... put them all in a pot and I am really discussing my style, who I am, what I like and what I would recommend and rate ... therefore saskia the style fairy seemed more fitting. 

I have also added some tabs/pages at the top of my blog which are subject to change but most importantly I will be adding a blog roll/page very soon to credit and give you insight into the blogs that interest, intrigue and inspire me on a daily basis.

So I hope you all like the changes, I hope it makes reading/viewing the blog easier and a more pleasant experience :) 

x

A bewitching new lippie

I have been dying to blog about my new lipstick since I bought it a couple of weeks ago and had hoped I could get some good photos for you to drool over.  Alas, time has been precious these past few weeks and with a busy work schedule it's been difficult to capture the beauty of this wondrous new shade in my collection.

Max Factor Colour Collections lipstick aim to target their colour range at specific skintones, fair, medium or dark.  I chose a medium collection lipstick ... Bewitching Coral.   I have been whipping out the summer brights already in an attempt to bring a bit of sunshine into my dreary, wet and cold days and this is definitely going to be one of my summer staples.

It is a gorgeous bright pinky coral that really illuminates skin.  It definitely suits better with a tan and is very longwearing.  The texture feels wonderfully moist on the lips and glides across my smackers giving a smooth colour blocked finish.

It was so hard to pick up this shade in photos and admittedly these are very bad quality (quick iphone pics).  This 'face of the night' was taken before a night out .... where I teamed Max Factor bewitching coral with a gorgeous The Body Shop sparkle liner in gold.  I applied it on my lower lashline and winged it out under my regular liner.  I think this eyeliner may be a seasonal item only as I can no longer find it on their website.  I hastily applied my make up so it is a bit messy but I really love this look and hope to recreate it again with a little more finesse.

This was one of my first Max Factor purchases in a longtime, the last time I purchased I think it was their Lasting Performance foundation when i was 15!!  I would definitely re-purchase these lippies and for around £7-8 they are quite good value ... plus they are currently on a 3 for 2 offer at Boots :)

Has anyone tried the Max Factor Colour Collection lipsticks?  What's your favourite?

How to: Fishtail Plait

This is quite a pitiful post in the sense that my fishtail plait is slightly pathetic.

I've been longing for my hair to grow long enough to do a fishtail braid.  I think they are whimsical, gorgeous and the messier the better.

Yet for something that appears so effortless ... well, it's blimmin difficult!  I swear I built up a bit of a sweat trying to achieve this and my arms are aching from holding onto my hair for so long.

Now that's a fishtail plait!

However, practise makes perfect and this was only my first real go at it.  The more I do it and the longer my locks grow, hopefully I will achieve the stunningly plaited tresses a la Leona Lewis, Lauren Conrad and so on.

So here's what I did.

• I pulled my hair to one side and split into 2 sections so I have section 1 and section 2
• I took a thin piece of hair (this can be as thick or thin as you desire depending on what result you want) from the back of section 2 and pulled it across to meet and join with section 1. 
• I then took a thin piece of hair from section 1 and pulled it across to meet and join with section 2.
• Repeat these steps until you have finished your plait
• ... and voila!

pitiful, right?!

Sounds easy huh?

That's what I thought ...

Would love to know your tips for making this a little easier or is it just me who's all fingers and thumbs?

x