Tolly Dolly Posh

My second Fashionista of February, is going to answer some questions for you today. The stunning Sarah from Friday Is Forever, will be talking about her blog and a few things about Fashion! Here we go…!

1.    What inspired you to start your Blog?: I’ve been blogging in one way or another since I was 13 – But over on LiveJournal! I joined a community years later where members used to share what we’d bought recently, and loved it! Then I started coming across blogs outside of LiveJournal and had a whole load bookmarked. Then one boring christmas eve, I just started one up on a whim, and I haven’t looked back since!

2.    Why did you choose fashion?: I guess it came naturally to me – I only really became interested in fashion around the ages of 18-19 and I’ve been finding myself since then. I’m 24 in a couple of months and I still don’t really think of myself as having a particular style – I just wear what I like, and I like to document it and see the changes!

3.    What are you top tips on starting a Blog?: I’m not sure there are any tips that I can give! I like blogs with personality though, where I can really feel like I’m getting to know the writer and can associate with them. I tend to avoid blogs that are so far out of my depth and reality , with the exception of a few.

4.    What are your Blogging Targets for this year?: I don’t really set targets. I’m a full time student so the blog is not my main focus, though you’d sometimes think it with the amount of time I spend on my blog in relation to my studies (oops)! Perhaps reaching 2,000 followers would be a good target, that’d be awesome.

5.    Who are your favourite fellow bloggers?: There are LOADS, but a few are: Sparkly Vodka, Nubby Twiglet, Jemima & Ted, Dainty Dresses, Belles Boutique & Stephanie Dreams.

6.    What trend are you most looking forward to working, this S/S 13?: Monochrome and stripes, definitely. Two of my favourite styles anyway, always have been!

7.    Where’s your favourite place to grab a bargain and why?: I have to say, Primark! Their stuff might not last forever, but every now and then theres a gem that looks like it could’ve been bought for four times the price.

8.    What’s your favourite piece of clothing, accessory etc that you have ever bought?: Probably my old yellow Karen Millen coat. I’d never previously, or since, bought anything from there but I’ll always love the bright colour and structure of this jacket. I also have an amazing military jacket from Zara with huge angled shoulder pads that seriously wouldn’t look out of place in a music video. (Image from Friday is Forever)

9.    Who is your favourite designer and why?: I don’t really have many designers who’s work I follow, but I’ll always be a lover of borderline gothic Ann Demeulemeester who really pushes the boundaries of aesthetics.

10.   What’s your personal style and what do you do to work it?: As aforementioned, I’m still not sure I really have a style! I suppose its girly, with a little bit of grunge. I’ll always be a ska kid at heart!

Thank you for those great answers Sarah! Just so you can get a feel for Sarah’s blog, here is a screenshot:

Are you a reader of Sarah’s Blog? Did you find this useful? Make sure to leave a comment!

(If you’re a blogger (Fashion/Beauty/Lifestyle) and you would like to answer some questions like this, make sure you Contact me. Or, click here to book your space and to advertise your blog at the same time!)

NOTE: APPLY TO ADVERTISE BEFORE MIDNIGHT UK TIME (21st February 2013), YOU CAN GET A MINI DOLLY PACKAGE FOR JUST 50p!

Halo! I thought I would start a new series (Yup, another one, which will probably never be finished!), and this one is going to be about Nail Polishes and the ones which look like the most beautiful ever creations on this earth. The first lot of polishes I am going to start with on ‘The Nail Polish Rack’, are the Mavala ones. I have used Mavala mainly for Nail Care, but have never used their polishes, so I took a look, and found some of the most delicious looking colours, ever. You’re going to love this…

The Pastel Shades: Osaka £3.61, Blue Mint £3.61, The Perfect Shades: Cyclades Blue £3.61, Honolulu £3.61, Blue Curacao £3.61 & The Sparkle: Sparkling Blue £3.61 (Mavala at Beauty Bay).

Aren’t they all gorgeous?! And look at the price! I am so tempted to buy one, but I must not! Let’s start with ‘The Pastel Shades‘. I am not much of a nude/light colour nail person, but just recently I have had the craving for them! I really like this Osaka shade, I haven’t got the Essie colour which is similar to this because it is like 2 times the price, so I may have to invest in this. As I said I have had a recent craving for light colours, like Blues & Mint Greens, I think this is probably because I know Spring is coming! (We’ve had 3 clear blue skies, 3 days running!) This Blue Mint shade is almost like Duck Egg, and I think it would look really nice with someone who has a tan, as it would compliment their skin tone. I received my £6 ASOS Midi Skirt  – post coming soon – in a similar shade to this today, so I think this would match perfectly!
Next are ‘The Perfect Shades’, by perfect I mean, literally perfect. If you look up at the sky, it is usually a perfect blue, and this first colour is exactly that. I think if you used a nice Matte Top Coat, it would look so nice, and you could wear really nice rings with it! Don’t get me started! This Honolulu shade is also perfect, and is just that sort of Pink, that anyone could wear! I also really like the name too! Again, Blue Curacao, is such a lovely shade, that I am sure anyone could wear, I love colours which are a mix between Blue & Green 🙂
The final colour is ‘The Sparkle’. This shade – Sparkling Blue – is so pretty! Unfortunately this is a top coat, but in some ways that is even better, because you could create a really nice Ombre effect with this. Just a gentle touch to glam up any nail colour!

I hope you liked the beginning of this series, and that I didn’t bore you too much! Make sure to remind me to do the 2nd post, because I am certain to forget! Also, watch out for some more Nail Art & Reviews because I have ordered a nice Practice Nail Ring off of eBay which should make the posts look a bit more crisp!

What’s your favourite shade from above? Have you got any of these colours? What polishes are you craving at the moment? Make sure to tell me in a comment below!

On Saturday night, quite a few of us bloggers (and millions of other people) went on Facebook, and watched the long awaited Rihanna for River Island show. I knew in the beginning that I would blog about it, but after watching (and waiting) for it, I knew that the blog post would be even more interesting than expected. I hope you enjoy this post, and I am very sorry for all the wordy posts, but I am actually beginning to get in the swing of things! (Images screenshotted by me)

The show was scheduled for 9pm UK time (I think), so I was tweeted the link and thought, well I guess I could wait a few minutes for it. The time came, and the videos of Rihanna in the RI design studios were still playing, and the people were still coming in, and anyone would expect it to be starting any minute. A few minutes passed and it was still the same. Someone then tweeted me saying ‘They got the times wrong, it starts at 10‘. By that time it was half 9, so it was already pretty late. Again, I said I could wait, and I did. I went back to the show’s feed, and the same videos were playing over and over, with the most horrible music over the top. I said that if it was on before 9 on the telly, it would have just been ‘Beep Beep Beepidy Beep‘. They apparently said at the beginning that there could be explicit language, but I didn’t know because I missed that part (fortunately, I could handle it). Another 30 minutes passed, and I was seriously getting annoyed. I sent out a tweet saying ‘All in favour of quitting, tweet #rihannaforriverislandQUIT or RT this‘. I had quite a few do it actually. Then just as the RTs came in, I heard a huge ‘Woooooooh! Rihanna! Wooooooh!’. The show started about 11.45 in France. I was hoping that it was going to be good. (Sorry for the bad quality images)
Before the show started, Rihanna quoted that ‘The british kids, they inspire me‘. By this I thought, bright, casual, simple, conservative, and fun. I was all wrong. This is my summary… ”Raunchy, Sexy, Short Skirts & No Bra Boobage‘. I’m sorry, but it was the complete opposite to what ‘kids’ or ‘teens’ means. Yes, if you go to the night clubs with all those kind of people, but not the sort of ‘kids’ and ‘teens’ I hang out with. Here is the proof of this fact:

The next thing that surprised me was  about how short the show was! I mean, it was like 3 seconds long, and we had waited for like an hour and a half! It was terrible! I don’t want to be waiting for that long to see a few lifeless and limp models strut these pointless designs, from a so say, ‘role model‘. She can’t be a role model if she just got back with her boyfriend, who apparently has abused her, and then do a show which says ‘Go out and wear these designs, you’ll get followed by creepy men!‘. I totally agree with everyone who said that they ARE NOT going to buy any of the collection. I like River Island, but I think this was a big mistake of theirs. Also, the fact that the designs were so bad, and that there was no actual evidence of her designing any thing, shows that she was just there to say ‘Yes, that’s good, just put my name on it please‘. I just don’t get any of it!
My final conclusion is: River Island made the wrong decision to go with Rihanna. ‘Her’ designs, were awful, and in no way did they give a good impression to the young girls of today. I’m not saying that she is a bad person, or I hate her, I am just giving an honest opinion. I do like some of her songs, and I have seen her in one or two things which I wish I could own myself, but I just thought that this whole ‘shin-an-agen’ was a waste of time.

Leave a comment (preferably a nice one) saying what you thought about the Rihanna for RI Show was like, or whether you liked this post!

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Unfortunately, I am not blogging from the FROW of the catwalk right now. I am sat at home, looking out the window at the blue skies, wishing for that one day when I will be there… *sigh*…. I then thought, ‘Suck it up. You have live coverage online, that means you can stay in your ‘jim jams’ and have as many cups of teas as you want whilst watching it. It also means you can mute the live play and listen to your own music – probably David Bowie or Katie Melua on repeat (I love them at the moment). Anyway, I may not be there now, but one day, I will be. I will make it happen. I will not take no, for an answer! But, I need to plan what I would take, right? I know it might be a long time, until I get to LFW, but I think there is no time better than the presence, to plan what you would take!

Girls Coral Contrast Hem Skater Skirt £10.00 (River Island), Teens Mint Green Roll Sleeve Tie Front T-Shirt £3.99 (New Look), B Store for Underground Leather Creepers £87.00 (ASOS), Round Sunglasses With Pearl Highbrow £18.00 (ASOS) & Spring Stone Necklace £25.00 (ASOS).

I love River Island for my style & aged clothes. They just have things which I really like! I fell in love with this skirt when I first saw it, and new I had to put it in this post! It’s very vintage, and I think it could work well with a lot of different colours. This £3.99 Tie Front Top, – yes, £3.99! – is a bargain! It’s Mint Green – favourite colour of the month – and again, it could go with anything! For spring, I would wear it on top of a stripey long sleeve top, and for summer, I would wear it on its own with a skirt, just like above. These creepers are to. die. for. I love them! The colour and the leather looks so good, and really works well with the pastelly colours in the top and skirt. The statement necklace & sunglasses sew the look together and get you ready to rock!

Canon DSLR 600D, Ruled Soft Notebook (Moleskine), Moo Business Cards, Boots Pharmaceutical Blister Plasters £3.60 (Boots), Britney Spears Circus Fantasy Eau de Parfum 30ml £22.00 (Boots) & Coca Cola.

Next up are my essentials… First is the Canon 600D, it looks like a miracle camera for any blogger. I will try and save up for this but, quite frankly I wish I could just buy it right now! Moleskin Notebooks are also key, they look good, feel good, and they do the job good, what could be bad about that? Next are Moo Business cards. No, I haven’t secretly started up a business, I use them for Street Style (Which I haven’t started yet!)! If you ask someone to stop and have a picture taken, you should always give them something so they know where to find where it’s going, otherwise they’ll be on a random strangers site, which could be to do with anything! I think Moo ones are best, as they feel so matte, and they are great quality. They also have a free thing, where you get 10 per household for a starter set. There will be a post on this, so watch out! Next are Blister Plasters! I know, not very glamourous, but if you’re at an event for a long time, in new shoes, you might well need these beauties! Finally, we come to the perfume! This is one my favourites, I don’t really care that the name ‘Britney Spears’ is on it, as long as it smells good, I love it! Oh, and you have to add on the best beverage in the world, right? Uh, yeah! Coca Cola! If I’m out and about, or at an event, I have to have one. I’m not an addict, but it does boost your energy, and refresh you!

What would you take to LFW? Would any of your essentials be the same? Have you ever been to LFW, or are you there now? Leave a comment below!

Yes, cats hold each other’s hands in France. The French like to remind people of that… Oh & ‘Le Pech’ doesn’t mean anything, it’s just a name for a certain place 🙂

Loretta is a beautiful lady. She shines brighter than anyone else, and she keeps herself all tightly put together, and is friendly with everyone. She believes in finding new places to explore, just like you do when you wear clothes. Loretta is the most gorgeous bracelet, and she’s here to share her adventures.WHAT I WORE: Loretta Bracelet by Francesca Pina, Turquoise Cardigan with Sparkle Shoulders, Zara Monochrome Dress, White M&S School Shirt, White Jeans & Charity Shop Boots.

I love this bracelet. It’s so pretty, yet it can be worked in many different ways. When I first saw this bracelet though, I knew that Loretta, had to be worn with this outfit. The different tones in the dress, needed to be evened out with a bright sparkle of something, and it fit it’s space perfectly. The beads are very light, but feel very high quality, and a perfectly smooth. The small charms add a little bit more of a character to the bracelet, and I just love them! It comes in a small bag which showcases it’s beauty, without you even having to open it until it’s first use. I know I will wear this a lot. I love how the sun catches it so well, and it is just the perfect shade of blue. I have recently purchased a midi skirt, which I know is going to match with this, just right! Francesca Pina is a lovely brand and has been featured in things like Vogue & Tatler. Francesca is easy to deal with, and she will answer any questions you may have. She even altered the bracelet to a smaller size for me, which I thought was so sweet. So, if you have any questions, I am sure she’ll be more than happy to answer them. There are plenty more bracelets as beautiful as this on the site, and I am sure that once you start browsing, you will be adding them all to your baskets!

(This is a * marked product. I am very grateful that I received this bracelet, and I wish Francesca a great year! All the opinions above are 100% true, I wouldn’t lie to you, would I? If you want to see your product reviewed by me, please use the Contact Form here.)

Extra Note: Do you like my editing? I think it’s better than before. I think you can see the colours better, but it still makes it look crisp and tidy as well 🙂

Have you ordered from Francesca Pina before? Are you thinking about doing so, now? Do you like my new editing? Please feel free to leave a comment (and your links of course)!

Photography by Papa Posh

So, I don’t really use Google+ too much, but I saw that Topshop do live chats on certain days, so I thought, well why not watch it! I am not sure how you can get involved, but I enjoyed watching anyway! The people who were chatting involved Tanya Burr, some other fashion-y people, and some of the heads of Topshop (Not literally heads, from Topshop, like Head Directors etc). So, I thought, well if you missed it, you’re going to want to know what happened. Right? All questions were asked and answered by the people on the chat, and I hope they don’t mind me using them! The questions aren’t written exactly, but they are along the same lines… (Images from Topshop Tumblr)

What To Expect from a ‘Unique’ Girl & Fashion Weeks…

A ‘Unique’ Girl, is a model of the Unique Range from Topshop, and one of the fashionistas (who were chatting) asked ”What sort of Hair & Make-Up should we expect on a Unique Girl?”, Topshop said ”You can expect them to be… Ravishing?! Very beautiful, and ravishing.” That was it. They pretty much skipped the answer and said one word! I would of expected more of ”Young, youthful, unique but strong and playful.”, sort of answer, but no. Ravishing, will just have to do! The second question was pointed towards one of the Topshop ‘peeps’ that had recently been to NYFW, ”What’s the difference between the New York Fashion Week and the London Fashion Week, in the models and the people watching.” Topshop said, ”New York is a lot more business driven, and a lot more put together, in the catwalk, and with the street style. But, in London, it’s more about emerging talent, and experimenting. There’s a bit more of a style of this and that in the people you see visiting the shows.” This, from what I have seen, I totally agreed on. When I look at the pictures from NY, I see the same style in each of the people who visit the shows, and then when you look at London, you see a variety. As they said ‘a bit of this and that’ in the people you see there.

Make-Up and The A/W 13′ Shows…

The final questions came from Tanya Burr (one of my favourite YouTubers). She asked ”What sort of Make-Up can we see on Sunday?” (Sunday is the Topshop show). Topshop replied, ”I can’t really say, because I don’t really know myself yet. After this we will be going to take a look. I have a faint idea of certain colours, but I don’t know. It’s very exciting because everything is so last minute. But, I think this year it will be a lot more experimental than last season.” I was quite surprised by this answer. I would expect that they would know what they were going to do. I know they all have busy lives, but surely they would have planned it in advance? Interesting…
Tanya then asked, ”What would be your all time favourite Make-Up product from Topshop?” and in reply, ”I have been working with a few recently, which will be released in the next couple of days. It would have to be the new Face Quad, which has a highlighter, and a blusher, and all the things that make it easy to sculpt your face. It would also have to be the Eye Quad as well. They are all quite metallic shades, and creamy. They’re very beautiful.” I think this was the fullest answer I was there to hear. I know they can’t say everything, but I was very unimpressed by the answers. I have never (cannot actually believe) ordered from Topshop, which means every little detail, changes my mind on whether I should one day. I love their stuff, and I can’t believe that I haven’t ever purchased anything, but things like them not answering questions properly, just irritate me. I actually had a little chuckle with my mum, on how uninspiring their answers were. It must be a fun company to work with, because it’s all very young and ‘Unique’, but I don’t think I got the right impression on this chat. I am definitely going to be watching the next one, and I will try and find out how to get involved, but I thought I would just leave you to think about how much you really love Topshop.

Did you watch the chat? Did you like it? Did you like this post Make sure to leave a comment below!

I am a sucker for cool, geeky stuff, especially things like awesome GIFs, they are just so cool, and I love making cheesy ones on my webcam, so I thought I would share some in which I saw them on Poppy Disney’s blog, and I am sure you’re going to enjoy them!… (All GIFs found via Cinemagraphs)

So, there are my favourites! I think the Anna Wintour one is brilliant! Well, they all are!  Also the last three fit in with what has just started! LONDON FASHION WEEK! Hopefully, I will get to go to a show soon, but I have to wait and see… or possibly, be even doing my own! 😉

Tell me your favourite or have you seen any other fabulous ones? Leave a comment below!

This year I really want to dabble a bit more into the Skincare circle, because I have pretty much changed climates, so I think my skin might change a bit, and I thought maybe trying out some products might help. One of the things I haven’t tried out though, are things like Day Creams & Body Butters. I have seen many reviews on them, so here is mine!

The first products I have are the Ylang Ylang Day Cream (Normal to Combination Skin) and the Coconut & Comfrey Cleansing Milk (Combination Skin).

This is a Cleansing Milk, i.e a cleaning liquid for your face. It can remove make-up, and just general oils which build up during the day. It can also be used to refresh in the morning too. If you like scents which linger with you for a while, this is for you! The scent is a sweet coconut smell, which really did stay for a while. It is quite a watery liquid, so not much like a cream, which I am used to in cleansing products. I think there is a plus side to that, because it means it can soak into your skin more easily, but it also means that it can be harder to apply. After I wiped it off, my skin felt completely different! It had already made an impact on how my face felt. It was so much softer and lighter, and I think it would be good for people who maybe have oily skin, even though it’s for combination skin.

This is the Day Cream, i.e a moisturising cream for the day! The scent of this is quite a sweet, but floral tone, but more of a natural floral tone, like a flower is actually in the bottle! It’s like a normal cream, but I found the tiniest of bits went a very long way! For me, it was a little bit too heavy, and quite cloggy on my skin, but I think for someone with dry skin it would do just fine. Unfortunately, I found it a little sticky at first, which I don’t like, but I rubbed it in, and I found it became more of a velvety feel, which changed my mind on the product. So, I am not 10o% sure on this, for my personal liking, but for others it maybe perfect!

The other 2 products I have are the Avocado & Caramel Body Butter (All Skin) and the Lavender & Frangipani Hand Cream (Dry/Mature Skin).

This is the Body Butter, i.e a butter for the skin?! The scent of this product is like popcorn! I don’t generally like popcorn, but I actually, don’t mind this scent! The Avocado gives it a more of a fresh smell, and takes the sweetness away from it, but if you like popcorn, then you’ll love this! I used it after a shower, and my skin just felt amazing! It stayed amazing for at least another day. I would say that it works in making your skin feel a bit more luxurious rather than heeling it, or keeping it from drying up though. I tried around my face and neck, but unfortunately I didn’t like the scent when it was too close to my nose. I sometimes get headaches from scents like this, so I think I’ll keep using it on my legs and arms. Although, I didn’t like the smell on face & neck, I will try and re-purchase this when I run out.

This is the Hand Cream i.e, do I really need to say?! (haha). This smells of Lavender, just like it says on the tin! It really is a Lavender smell! We have Lavender in our garden, so I know how to compare it with the real thing, and it is spot on! It has the same consistency of the Clarins Hand Cream which, I love, but it smells so much better! I would say the strength of the smell was the same as the L’Occitane Hand Creams, which again is a bonus! After using my hands for a while, they actually started to begin to smell, just like the L’Occitane Date Hand Cream?! Which is awesome! My hands felt soft, and in no way sticky! YAY! I will be getting this again!

Overall, I think that these products are great. I don’t know whether they are for me as my skin is just normal, but I think they would be great for anyone with dry/oily skin. My favourite products out of the above, are the Lavender Hand Cream and the Body Butter. I think that the others were a little bit too heavy on my skin, but again, they could work for someone else. I really like the packaging of the products, as it is very simple and plain. Unfortunately the lids of the small pots were broken, which I think could have been due to delivery, but over all that didn’t effect me. The products above are all the Travel Size products, so they aren’t as big as the full size ones. I think everyone should give these products ago, because they work well for different people. You never know, you might find your new favourite product!

(These products are * marked. I am very grateful to receive these products from Beauty Bootique. All the opinions in this review, are 100% true, I wouldn’t lie to you, would I? I hope that Beauty Bootique, have a great year, and they continue to be successful in what they do. If you would like your product to be reviewed by me, please fill in the Contact form, here.)

Have you tried Beauty Bootique? Are you thinking of now? What are your favourite Skincare products? Make sure to click the ‘Leave A Comment’ button, to tell me!

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE A FREE VALENTINE’S GIFT

One of my favourite YouTube subscriptions is FleurDeForce, i.e Fleur! She does Beauty & Fashion posts, including Hauls, Reviews and Tutorials! Recently, I watched her tutorial on a cute nail art look using tiny little hearts, and I just knew I had to try it out! As you will know from my very recent post (Nail Art Brush DIY), I am beginning to love the craze! So, I decided to try it out, and it took me ages! I still haven’t mastered it, but I think for a first try, it’s pretty good…?

As you can see I didn’t really let the different colours dry, so some of them are blended to gether, but as I said, this is my first attempt! Fleur said to use a toothpick/BBQ Skewer to create 2 little dots, then bring them together with another small bit of paint. I did it quite well on my left hand, but I just couldn’t do it good enough on my right! I did manage to do the thumb, but I had to leave it at that, because, seriously, my arm was going to fall off! I really like the finish of my right hand though. Especially the ring finger, which I added a few small dots too 🙂 Find the full tutorial on Fleur’s Channel here.

 Have you done any tutorials which I might like? Or have you tried this? Make sure to leave a comment!

 QUICK NOTE: If you see a difference in editing of the pictures, it is because I am starting to use Photoshop to use them, as I have just found out how to use ‘Curves & Levels’. Please don’t think I’m just switching & changing! I know some of you don’t like that! (This picture has not been edited differently though.)

As it’s Valentine’s Day coming up (only 3 days!) I thought I would try and give you something. Unfortunately, with the amount of new followers I am getting recently, I can’t send you out a present each, and I don’t want to do a Give-Away because that would mean only giving a present to one of you. So, I thought about it, and thought, we all like music right? Well, I know a special person, who would like to give you a present as well! My big sister Saskia, is a singer/songwriter and she has a band called ‘Saskia Says’. One of my favourite songs is actually named perfectly for what I am giving you. A ‘Thank You’ for being so amazing, and keeping me motivated to reaching my dream.

If you click on the above, all you have to do is fill in your name and your email, and you’ll receive a free MP3 of Saskia Says’ gorgeous song. If you do so, you’ll be helping her band grow, but also you’ll be receiving a bit of love from me 🙂 Here is the music video to what you will receive. Enjoy!…

I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week, and you have a lovely day with that special person! I will be posting a few things this week, including a Nail Art post, and a Skincare Review 🙂 I know I have been doing a lot of beauty posts, but I think they’re nice to do! March will be a fashion-y month (even though my Ads aren’t), so keep reading!