Christmassy Nail of the Day

The Christmas season is around the corner,  only 8 weeks away!! Yikes!

Soon we will all be panic buying last minute gifts and squeezing ourselves into our party dresses after one too many Quality Street!

Tonight, a bit by accident I created a 'Christmassy' nail effect.  I had been gifted this gorgeous classic red 'Enchanted Garnet' by Estee Lauder a while ago and this is my first time trying it out.  It just so happened to be sitting next to Nails Inc Westminster Abbey so I thought I would mix them up together.

Rather shoddily applied I admit but you get the general effect.  In fact on reflection, I've recreated the Estee lauder bottle design on my nails!!

This is the first time I have painted my nails in months after a succession of gel nails.  It felt good to delve back into the collection.  I do love the ease, glossiness and polished finish of gel nails but as hard as I try I always end up biting them off around the 2 week mark! (I don't advise this as a safe, hygienic or comfortable method of removing gel nails).

I'm sure I will resort back to gels in a matter of weeks, especially in the run up to the party season. Watch this space!

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Hotel Maison Moschino, Milan

I was having a quick browse for weekend breaks, pricing flights, accommodation and what not when I came across the Hotel Maison Moschino in Milan.

I have to be honest, I am a big fan of themed hotels.  I love the quirkiness, the fun and the downright tackiness that gives this hotel a whole lot of personality.

Inspired by fairytales, they say it is like falling down the rabbit's hole where the norm is to expect the unexpected.

'Alice's Room'

'Sleeping in a Ballgown'

'Sweet Room'

'Little Red Riding Hood'

Needless to say, I was enjoying the entertainment value of the Hotel Maison Moschino so much that I was too busy to book my weekend away so that will have to wait for another day.

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Happy Halloween!

It's the spooking season again and unfortunately this year there will be no dress up for me :(

A busy schedule has called for a well needed/earned rest this weekend - can't say i'm not extremely jealous of everyone getting to dress up though ... love indulging in a bit of creative alter ego madness!

This is what I wore for the ITCOW event on Wednesday night.  There was a tedious link to Horror B Movies in there with the cat mask (Catpeople, Eye of the Cat) but it was mostly  just because I liked it!

I tried to make my lips look blood drenched by wearing MAC Russian Red with Nars Amazon lip pencil roughly penciled on the middle of my lips.  I went for full graphic eyeliner to add to the horror chic! Lace dress is the one that everyone and their mother is wearing at the moment, from trusty H&M.

Whatever you are dressing up as tonight, have fun and stay safe! Looking forward to seeing lots of blog updates of halloween outfits so hope you have all been creative :)

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ITCOW Highlights (picture heavy)

I thought I would show you some photos from the recent In The Company of Wolves (ITCOW) event I mentioned I would be attending on Wednesday.

You can hear more about it from Claire who along with her friend Ally is the genius behind ITCOW.

A 70's B Movie horrorfest inspired evening of fashion, music and art did not fail to impress.  It packed a real punch in it's overall aesthetic, mental stobe lighting not to mention music by Dirty Larry that nearly had us all raving by the side of the catwalk!  I also have to make a special mention to Kaeleigh Wallace who was the make-up sensation of the evening, a super talented artist, the girls diva like make up looked amazing!

Highlights for me where Isolated Heroes (psychadelic navajo-esque with a show stopping sequinned skeleton dress), Sweet Danger (printed floaty maxi's), Fair Feathered Friend (Bespoke feather headwear - right up my street), Jeniveve Berlin Millinery (more bespoke headwear) and not to forget Athif Dean's horsehair dress and the delights from Bonnie Bling.

In summary, the whole show was a veritable feast for the senses.

Venue: Sub Club, Glasgow

Sweet Danger

LilyLoveLock

Jeniveve Berlin Millinery

Jeniveve Berlin Millinery

Athif Dean

Athif Dean

Isolated Heroes

Isolated Heroes

Fair Feathered Friend

Fair Feathered Friend

Fair Feathered Friend

Fair Feathered Friend

Fair Feathered Friend

Bonnie Bling

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IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES

Showcasing the best of Scottish talent in Fashion, Music and Art, the award winning multimedia event buffs, In the Company of Wolves are set to present yet another remarkable event this evening at their 'spiritual home' and my dancefloor of choice, Sub Club in Glasgow.

The evening is inspired by the creepiest of 70's B movie horrors, with a nod to Dario Argento, Will Castle, John Carpenter and Cannibal Girls.  With visuals from Florence To, art from Claudia Nova & Rachel Sharpe, music by Dirty Larry not to mention the plethora of exclusive never seen before collections from some of the freshest talent, tonights event is set to be a unique blend of fashion, art and music in only a way ITCOW know how!

If you are looking for something to do tonight and you haven't already heard about what's going down at the subbie, why don't you tumble on down.  It's £10 a ticket (all profits raised will be donated to Rape Crisis Scotland) and it all kicks off at 8pm.

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ROX hosts an evening with Shaun Leane

Last week I had a great time at an evening with the ever so talented designer Shaun Leane at Glasgow's most prestigious and glamorous of fine jewellery boutiques, ROX.

With bubbles and bling surrounding us, we were treated to displays of Shaun's work along with the main man there himself being interviewed by Michelle Haswell from the amazing Kingdom of Style.

We learned how Shaun worked closely with Alexander McQueen throughout his career and how he continues to influence a lot of his work.  We also got to ogle at some of his bespoke designs including this brooch for Sarah Jessica Parker and Shaun also talked of one of his latest collaborations with Daphne Guinness - the Diamond Glove.  It's stunning!

From his collection available online and at ROX, there are a few things I have pending on the 'ole Chrimbo list.

Gold Vermeil & Ivory Resin Bangle

Silver Blackthorn Ring with Black Pearls

A girl can wish can't she?  Let's hope someone (wink, wink) takes the hint ... :)

There were a number of other bloggers also at the event, too many to name all of them here but it was brilliant to catch up with them all and hope to see them again soon!  Obviously in true 'schleb' style, ROX were papping everyone as we entered the soiree ... here's Amanda and I doing our best awkward posing (we really need to get some practise in ;p)!

Has anyone else been admiring Shaun Leane and his incredible designs?

If you haven't, I urge you to check out his work here.  You won't be disappointed!

x

Manicures and Bubbles

I have been back and forth to Edinburgh loads recently, a trip I always love to make as Edinburgh is so gorgeous so it's never feels like chore despite the 50 minute journey.

My last trip was especially good as it involved a bit of pampering at Nails Inc's Champagne Bar at Harvey Nichols.  Based on the ground floor beauty hall, the nail bar has been there for quite some time but has had bit of a makeover in recent months.

Sask enjoying some bubbly! Photo courtesy of Christina - The Daydreamer

The only Nails Inc Champagne bar in Scotland (there is a Nails Inc bar in Glasgow albeit sans the bubbly) ... it now boasts 10 nail stations where the fizz comes as standard.  The manicurists are friendly and informative and you can tell they are passionate about their products which makes a visit all the more enjoyable.

I went for the gel 3-week manicure in a lush purple shade (sorry, I can't for the life of me remember the actual shade!) and on my index finger I tried out the latest Gossip Girl glitter collection.  It wasn't just the Gossip Girl collection that caught my eye, I am now obsessed with their magnetic range which I HAVE to get my hands on!  It's just so simple, easy and effective, the results look wicked so I do urge you to check it out.

Image from Nailsinc.com - Metallic Collection

I also found out the bar is available for parties and hen do's which I love the sound of.  What's better than to have a bit of pampering and bubbly with your 10 favourite girlies before painting the town red?!

And talking of favourite girlies, it was brilliant to finally meet Christina from The Daydreamer blog who I have been twitter chatting with for a while now.  Check out her take on the Nails Inc Champagne Bar and the amazing crystal pedicure she had done - it is stunning!!  It was also a pleasure to meet up with another Scottish blogger and fellow redhead Merle from Beauty Bombshells who I have met a couple of times now and always fun to catch up with.

Who Invented Heels?

From my Tumblr site

Jeffrey Campbell Glitter Lita at Doll Boutique

Topshop

Topshop

Want!

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Japonesque Lip Palette

... Painstakingly decanting my kit lippies into my new Japonesque 36 lip palette.

It's just too much to carry around lots of individual lippies in my kit.  It's heavy and takes up far too much space so this is a perfect solution.  

The Japonesque palette is a handy and very lightweight item however it does feel a little bit flimsy for the price.  I paid about £23 for it and I can imagine it won't be long before it breaks on me which is a little disappointing.  BUT ... I could be wrong.

I have so many more lipsticks to decant and will probably need a few more palettes but I would like to see how I go with this one first before purchasing more.

I have tried to make this a multi choice palette ranging from reds, oranges, peaches, pinks and nudes.  The brands also range from MAC, Estee Lauder, Shu Uemura to Barry M and Rimmel.  Hopefully it works as a one stop shop until I can arrange all my other lipsticks.

Does anyone else use these palettes?

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Shine a Light on Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA) Month is well underway and while there are a sea of pink products are helping support the cause, Estee Lauder have introduced a social media program to help give a voice to the campaign.

'Shine a Light on Breast Cancer' is a social media program that invites individuals to share the all important message that early detection saves lives through a facebook application and the BCAcampaign.com website.  The theme of the campaign is "Together. Connect. Communicate. Conquer. For a future Free of Breast Cancer".

The Shine a Light on Breast Cancer campaign encourages people to take virtual action in lighting the world pink through a global online dialogue sharing messages of hope and inspiration.

You can find out more at the BCA Facebook page, the BCACampaign website and of course on twitter @BCACampaign.

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Hairspiration: The Top Sknot!

My lazy hair style of choice is the top knot.  I have become far too lazy to wash, style, straighten/curl my hair these days and find it easier to scrape up in a huge big bun on top of my head.

I have now stopped feeling normal unless my hair is sweeped up in some form of nonchalant bun.  However, it gets a bit boring when people see you looking the same all the time, so to mix it up I have started wearing my bun to the side in a look that I like to call - the top sknot!  A top knot to the side.

Hardly groundbreaking.

It adds a little variation to a style I love and gives it a bit of edge for nights out.  Here is my inspiration.

Sourced from Stockholm Street Style

I am not sure I could brave a full on bun to the top, side and front of my head like Thandie Newton but I like to give these other styles a go once in a while.

What do you think of the top sknot?

x

BearPaw - the Ugg-a-likes ...

Summer is over and the shopping for a winter wardrobe has officially begun.

A Scottish winter isn't just a cold one, we get pelted with extreme wind, rain and as we experienced last year, snow!  North of the border we take quite a pride in our appearance but the practicalities of winter can make it difficult and usually through the colder months, a sea of Ugg boots pound the streets as they battle their way through the weather.

This was the year I promised to ditch the wag-a-licious Ugg boot.  However, a shopping trip this week swayed me again.  You just can't beat a soft, cosy, comfortable boot when going about daily menial tasks (even if i do look like a TOWIE reject).

I was damned if I was paying nearly £180 for a new pair of Ugg boots and promised not to go fake after seeing this article.   When I stumbled across a pair of branded chocolate brown Ugg-a-likes in TK Maxx this week I chose to reconsider my decision to turn my back on uggly but practical footwear.

BearPaw are an American brand of Ugg-a-likes sold at a fraction of the price.  Roughly around £60-£90.  They are worn by the likes of Jennifer Anniston and J-Lo according to the press, not that this impacted my purchase at all.  They are made of the same materials as Ugg and apparently the only difference is the sole.  As far as i'm aware Ugg soles are made from a special kind of foam and BearPaw are made from rubber.  This makes sense after comparing my new BearPaw with an old and battered pair of Uggs.

The sole and support seem pretty sturdy so hopefully I won't get the dreaded sloppy heel which even my old Uggs gave me despite guarantees of extra support.  And the grips are, well, grippy!  All I need to do now is waterproof the boots so I can splash about in the slushy scottish streets which no doubt will hit us soon :(

And why am I raving about such a bland purchase?  Let me tell you... all I paid was £37!  Which saves me more money to spend on a luxe pair of boots for some winter posing ;)

So, if you see me out and about in my BearPaws, please don't judge, my tootsies just want to stay cosy.

Oh yeah, and do you call all boots of this style Ugg regardless of their own brand?  It's a bit like cellotape, hoover and tippex in my eyes.  A name that will forever be associated with this style of boot.

Who else favours practical winter footwear?

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The Beauty Store - 10% Discount off treatments

The Beauty Store situated in the nooks and crannies of Glasgow's Royal Exchange Square is a tranquil haven in the middle of the city centre that has almost become Glasgow's best kept beauty secret until now.

I first visited the salon over 5 years ago and since then it has gone through an extensive and rather plus revamp.  Decorated in shades of white and peaceful greys, it's  a picture of elegant glamour. 

They offer an extensive list of treatments from tanning to waxing to manicures.  Last night I was invited to the salon to try out their Shellac. 

I am becoming slightly obsessed with a gel nail these days.  I went for a retro inspired deep red to match my go to Autumn/Winter lip colour - berry red! 

For the month of October, The Beauty Store are offering all you guys and gals who read Saskia the Style Fairy to come along and receive  your first treatment with a 10% discount code. 

     
A friend who is a regular client at The Beauty Store has informed me they do the best and most pain-free (is this possible) bikini waxing so I have already booked up for that using my discount voucher :)

Enjoy, and do let me know what treatement you go for! I'd love to know what kind of pampering you all love!

x

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: OPI

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month so in true style, the brands of the beauty community have 'pinked' up some of their products.  I thought I would try and show you some of these products throughout the month and see what takes your fancy.

Today it's all about nail polish, shatter nail polish.  OPI say 'let's shatter Breast Cancer' with their pink shatter topcoat.  All bottles cost £10.50 with £1 going to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

You can purchase online at Lena White.

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PIXIWOO Course August 2011

Most of you may know by now that back in August I took part in the 5 day intensive make up training with Samantha and Nicola Chapman.

I have long wanted to pursue a career in make up, it's something I have debated doing since my university days but had so many other time consuming interests that it always got pushed to the back.  However, over the years I have satiated the ambition with helping out friends, family and friends of friends with make up for events or simply the odd make up lesson here or there.   My blog also came as a breath of fresh air 3 years ago when I started it mainly as a make up blog but since then it has grown arms and legs.

My destiny is in my own hands and it's up to me to do something about it and my first steps on that mission was the Pixiwoo course.

It all started with a gruelling journey to Norwich, who'd have thought it was so hard to get to from Bonnie Scotland but I made it in the end.  I shouldn't forget to tell you what a beautiful and scenic place Norwich is ... it's absolutely lovely!

Meeting the Pixiwoo girls was a teeny bit of a starstruck moment, I was the first to arrive on day one and I'm not even sure I could find words to speak to them at first.  If you know me, you will know this is totally out of character.  I was struck instantly with how stunningly beautiful both Nic and Sam are in the flesh.  They don't need a scrap of make up - lucky devils!  Nic was also blooming in late pregnancy, giving us some R'n'B dance performances with her Harry bump, i've never seen such an agile preganant lady!

There were 9 girls on the course plus our gorgeous model Ashley and they were all a delight to learn with.  I feel I have made some great friends which is a delightful bonus you don't necessarily expect.

So back to the course, we started off the week learning about hygiene, natural make-up, contouring and a classic smokey eye before moving onto creative/drag make up, period make up and then a bit of freestyling toward the end of the course.   There wasn't a day that went by where we didn't leave the studio with a wild made up face as we experimented with products and looks on each other.

Examples of some of my coursework

The course definitely opened my eyes to areas I had previously ignored and helped me see where I needed extra coaching and practise.  It has definitely set me in good stead for starting as a freelance make-up artist and I now have a qualification to prove I know what I'm doing, something I wouldn't dare start a business without.

It was a fantastic week and the girls on the course as well as Sam and Nic really made it all the more enjoyable.  It was so sad to say goodbye to everyone but we are already in touch on a regular basis as we all pursue different routes in the world of make up artistry.

I have now set up as a freelance artist and I'm in the process of finalising my website and building my portfolio of work and already have a wedding and magazine shoot under my belt which I am over the moon about.  I am still pursuing other interests especially within the realms of social media but who knows maybe one day this could be a full time career, here's hoping! :)

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