Fashion

Bonjour! So I was thinking of just missing the Awards Season, but, in the Fashion world, it’s kind of hard not to, so I decided to go with the flow and do a post on it! So, um, here it is! (Images of Celebs found via The Telegraph)

Wonderful White: This is a very hard decision! They both work the ‘Wonderful White’ look so well! I think on Megan Fox it looks slightly less flattering, but I guess you could disagree! I think the Winner of the Wonderful White Golden Globe goes too……. Anne Hathaway!

Chocolate Couture:I really again, am not sure. I think perhaps Lena Dunham would suit it with a better hair cut, and I think Taylor Swift could possiblly do with a better neckline, so it’s very hard! I am going to settle it with… A TIE!

Sleek & Sheer: I love both these dresses! I also love how they are both going for the Monochrome look… ooh! It’s so hard! I think on a personal note about how she is with Daniel Craig, and how I like her as an actress, I am going to have to say…. Rachel Weisz!

Black Beauty: This look is so effortless, and they both do it so effortlessly! I really like the gold detailing on both the dresses, but I don’t really like Kate Hudson’s neckline, so the Winner of the Black Beauty Golden Globe goes too…. Helen Mirren!

Lady In Lace: This is probably one of my favourite looks of this season, and loads of the celebrities were working it. I think these too looks are great, but the unique blue shade I think wins me over!… Nicole Richie!

Tell me in the comments what you think about these looks, or Tweet me! 🙂

So once again, another fellow blogger has let me ask them some questions on blogging, so you guys can get some inspiration, and perhaps start thinking about doing one yourself! This time it’s Sophie from Sophie Etc…

1. What inspired you to start your blog(s)?: I’ve always had a passion for writing, and I’d been following beauty and fashion blogs for a while so I decided I wanted a piece of the blogosphere! It started as a bit of a random blog, and its grown beyond my dreams now!

2.    Why did you choose Beauty & Fashion?: I had a bit of a growing fascination/obsession with make up and clothes. Once I got into blogging a bit more I focused on those two things as I was good at writing about them. Because I’m passionate about my interests, writing comes naturally. I also love to share my beauty finds with the rest of the world. It’s a great feeling when someone tells you that they’ve gone and bought something because you said good things about it.

3.    What are you top tips on starting a Blog?: Be yourself! I love blogs that show the bloggers personality, they are often the best ones. Also, write about what you love, not what you feel you have to write about. No one wants to see the same post on loads of blogs. If yours is different you’ll stand out!

4.    What are your Blogging Targets for this year?: Hit a big number of followers and add a bit of ‘me’ into my blog. With something as material as a beauty blog I feel like people forget there’s a human behind it!

5.    Who are your favourite fellow bloggers?: LLYMLRS because I LOVE her style!
The Sunday Girl as its my beauty bible and P0larmilk is a new favourite, it’s really simple and honest!

6.    What’s was your favourite trends of 2012?: Nail art. I love doing my nails and embraced it like it was a long lost sister!

7.    Where’s your favourite place to grab a bargain and why?: Topshop jewelry sales for sure! The jewelry is always so beautiful but so expensive. I raid it when the sale is on, accessories add so much to an outfit.

8.    What’s your favourite piece of Make-Up you’ve ever bought and why?: I didn’t buy it, it was a present but my YSL lipstick from my boyfriend… Its a beautiful beautiful item and I will definitely purchase another!

9.    What’s your favourite ever item of clothing/accessory you’ve ever bought and why?: My faux leather biker jacket from Topshop. A true style staple in anyone’s wardrobe, its so versatile!

10.   Who is your favourite designer and why?: Ted Baker. I adore the cute and colourful accessories, I own a few bags and pieces of jewelry! I also adore Alexander McQueen’s designs, they were pieces of art in themselves and absolutely beautiful.

11.   What is your favourite Make-Up Brand?: Hard to say because I like a lot of different ones. The one I trust the most is Rimmel for its purse friendly quality products. However Urban Decay is nearing my favourite ever now purely down to the amazing quality of their eyeshadows!

12.   What’s your personal style and what do you do to work it?: It’s quite simple and I like to wear versatile items. For example a white shirt and a biker jacket go with absolutely everything in my wardrobe!

So you can get a feel for Sophie’s blog, here are a few screenshots…

Sophie also has a Literature & Lifestyle blog…

Thank You very much Sophie for doing these questions! Watch out for Stephanie from Stephanie Dreams doing the same thing very soon!

With the news of the release of a new album, and the recent release of a new single, David Bowie is back. I actually got a request for this post, so I’m doing my job, but, I think it should be done anyway. It would be hard to say that David Bowie is trendsetter because he isn’t, he’s nowhere near a trendsetter. It would be hard to say that he is also ahead of all the other male stars, but again, he’s not at all. David Bowie is an icon of the icons. He is the person who makes the icons them. He moulds men’s fashion and women’s fashion, he is the core of the fashion world in many ways. (Images found via The Daily Beast & Pinterest)

The classic look is obviously the red hair, but not everyone can rock that. But that’s the point, Bowie can pretty much rock every look out there. No matter what it is, he’ll look good. Style Icons can work most things, but never this well. That’s why Bowie is such a star, he took unusual looks and said to everyone ‘Try this.’ They would try, look okay, but never as good as the king. So, to celebrate the return of the amazing style icon and singing sensation, I have created the ‘Bowie Capsule Wardrobe’, 1 for the guys, and 1 for us girls. But, first lets get some inspiration…
 

Sorry, I sort of had too…

Jacket £69.99 (H&M), Black Real Leather Gilet £100.00 (Topman), Round Sunglasses with Peaked Brow £12.00 (ASOS), Jeffrey West Lightning Bolt Chelsea Boots £225.00 (ASOS) & Teal Snake Print Skinny Chinos £36.00 (Topman).

I am sorry, but, OMG. Look at those boots! I don’t even care about the price, they are amazing. They literally say BOWIE all over them. So do these amazing chinos from Topman. Pretty cool, huh? You will definitely look Bowie-fied…

Colour Xtreme Hair Art Red Spray £3.99 (Colour Xtreme), Cat Eye Sunglasses with Wing Detail £12.00 (ASOS), Premium Deco Embellished Shirt £75.00 (Topshop), Metallic Latex Leggings £10.00 (Topshop) & Accent Stud Cut Out Boots £85.00 (Topshop).

I am also terribly sorry for adding this hair spray, but now you can have a female version of the red hair! Woop! Also, these latex leggings are like perfect, and so are these shoes, Topshop has really done it for Bowie fans!

So, the other day my mum came home with a Magazine, and when she opened it up, it was totally different to anything we had ever seen before! It was WAD or We Are Different Magazine. It was actually a special edition, but I think any edition of it would be cool! It is basically a Fashion & Lifestyle Magazine which has articles with French & English writing, so anyone can read it, and it has some interesting pictures, and it came with a poster from Eleven Paris. So, here’s just a little round up of it!

This poster is of Lenny Kravitz for Eleven Paris. He was Katniss’ Designer in the Hunger Games, if you don’t know him.

These are all the seperate booklets you get. ”Bottom, Tops, Accessoires, Shoes, Underwear, Motion, Lifestyle & Joker”. You also get a Magazine Holder, but we don’t know how to put it together, and it’s very small.

So, one of my relatives has a really sweet blog all about the Cotswold, so she has let me do a Guest Post series on Country Fashion. I did my first today, and I hope you go and visit her blog and read it!

This Cotswold Girl – Guest Post by Tolly Dolly Posh

Okay, so if you weren’t on Twitter last night, you probably won’t know what the #SpendingBan Challenge is, but it’s pretty much a 100 day Challenge to stop Spending. It’s mainly for Beauty & Fashion bloggers, along with Lifestyle bloggers too, but I guess anyone can join in, so I decided to post the first bunch of blogger who are doing the ban. It was actually thought up by Alice from Bright Town Girl who has a really sweet and simple blog, and it was actually trending, which is pretty cool! Um, so here is the list! Sorry, if I missed you off! Please tweet me or comment with your link!

Laura’s Haven

Some Sparkle & Shine – Read her 1st Update!

Beauty & The Biryani

The Make-Up Fairy Blog

Floral Danielle

Necessary Addiction

Lazy 2 Lovely

Jenna Suth

I Peachy Coral

Errin’s Beauty

Cosmetic-Charm – Read her 1st Update!

Midnight-Violets

Pandora’s Basket

Miss Stylicious

Fashion & Beauty Related

The Front Row UK

Ronnie Cannelo

Just Need My Coffee

Blog of Shadows – Read her 1st Update!

Bright Town Girl

Okay, so when we were chatting along, we came up with tips and things in which could help anyone on the #spendingban and there were some good ones! Here’s an example of what happened in the chat!…

Maria Sparkle asked: ”#spendingban I struggle with online the most, I have web access all day at work, it can be deadly! Any tips xxx”

TollyDollyPosh answered: ”If possible, block the sites that you want to visit, and then you won’t be tempted, and get someone to set a secret password!”

TollyDollyPosh said: #spendingban Top Tip!: Go to @MUAcosmetics and get a really cheap alternative rather than something which is 5 times more expensive!!

Please join even if your not a Fashion/Beauty Blogger or even if you’re not doing a full #spendingban! Just come along and help us save our pennies!

This post is especially for you bargain hunters. Those of us who are holding onto our pursestrings this credit crunch. It’s all about, how you can find better things, in the shops which smell of moth balls, and are full of the t-shirts in size 26 in the powder blue colour, you never thought you would even think of touching. Yes, you thought it right. The Second Hand Shop. The shop of dreams. The shop which is summed up in one phrase, ‘Don’t judge a book by it’s cover’.

(Image from Pinterest, this is not Bath Frock Exchange)

 Second hand shops or Charity shops are so over looked. These shops are usually placed at the end of the high street, or the ‘dodgy’ end as we used to say in Cheltenham, next to the old cinema which has been closed down for over 30 years, or the public toilets, I don’t even need to explain them! But, sometimes, your trip to the worst bathrooms in the world, might just be your ticket to your most treasured item of all time. Also, most of the time, they are Charity Shops, so your doing a lot more than going to a M&S (who have recently lost their designer, who worked for only 5 months!) to get the same jumper. To be honest, I reckon I have more Charity Shop clothes than I do high street. Recently, I came across my first French 2nd Hand Shop, and my mum found me one of the most amazing coats ever, and I also found a classic hand bag, which I have actually been wanting for ages. Okay, it may not be a Chanel handbag at the dirt cheapest price, but it’s still a bargain, €8 to be precise. But, it’s not just basic 2nd Hand Shops which are amazing, it’s the Premium Pre-Owned ones, which may be more expensive, but I think you may just come out with something…

Bath Frock Exchange is obviously in Bath and has been running for over 25 years, it was previously known as ‘Mrs Simpsons’, but was taken over in October, and is now even better. Their ambition was to brighten it all up, and put in things that they never thought they’d be able to afford. They are still trying to source specific items, and premium brands, so if you have an old Chanel handbag not in use, pass a message over to them! Bath Frock Exchange is great, because they also have Beauty Rooms, so not only can you go and see what they have, but you can relax and take some time out. Also, it’s not just for us girls, it also for you boys! Yep, they do pretty much everything. From day to evening wear, massages to menswear, you are sure to have come out with something. So, I got the lovely people there to message me across some pictures, and now I am going to do a couple of outfits with their amazing pieces…

Gold Metallic Dip Hem Skirt £17.00 (River Island), VILLAGE Flatform Creepers £35.00 (ASOS) & Gold Studded Clean Biker Jacket £30.00 (Topshop).

This Aquascutum blouse from Bath Frock Exchange is perfect, because it works so well with the Dip Hem skirt. Add some creepers, and a nice biker jacket (which goes with anything), and you will look amazing! Metallic Madame!

Gold Jacquard Trousers £50.00 (Topshop), Cape Pussybow Blouse £36.00 (Topshop) & PRIOR Pointed High Heels £45.00 (ASOS).

This look is really sophisticated, and simple. These trousers will look effortless and adding the pointed heels will make it look even better. The Jaeger Mac is great, because it is printed, and this S/S, Prints are Perfect!

So, as you can see there are some nice things which you can buy from Bath Frock Exchange, and they are much cheaper! Make sure you take a look at their site!…

Another of my favourite 2nd Hand Stores…

Lovely’s Vintage Emporium

Watch out for more outfits using Bath Frock Exchange clothing…

One of my favourite blogs is Who Is Hanna, so I got in contact, and asked whether Hanna would do a Q&A for you guys, so as you probably guessed, she said yes… so, here you go!

1. What inspired you to start your Blog?: I’ve always liked to express myself through texts, and always felt a need to kind of “document my life” – so I decided to start a blog. 
2. Why did you choose fashion?: I started my first blog in 2008, and kept on blogging for a couple of years without my blog really being a “fashion blog”. It was just a blog where I shared pictures from my everyday life, sometimes pictures of what I was wearing – but mostly a lot of text. It was first in 2011 that I really decided to write a “fashion blog” – and that after having several blogs on different blog-platforms and kind of realizing that fashion was my passion, and that it was what I wanted to focus on. 
3. What are you top tips on starting a Blog?: Just start one! Choose a blog-platform, pick a name, start blogging… Blogging should be fun, so keep it casual in the beginning. 
4. What are your Blogging Targets for this year?: This year I want to, like every year, get more readers. I also want to make my blog better, and maybe start posting better – but fewer blog-posts. 
5. Who are your favourite fellow bloggers?: I follow a lot of blogs, but my absolute favorites are: Fashion Vibe, Tuvamalmo, Jueniffer, Shopping & Fashion, Sincerely Jules and The Hurting Hearts. 
6. What’s been your favourite in 2012: My favorite trend in 2012 was the “sporty” trend. I love sneakers, caps, baseball tees and anything Nike – so it’s been a really good trend for me. 
7. Where’s your favourite place to grab a bargain and why?: H&M, for sure. You can find anything there, for such cheap prices that it’s ridiculous. H&M is also very trendy and “up-to-date” and I like that. 
8. What’s your favourite piece of clothing, accessory etc that you have ever bought?: Probably my black H&M jeans. They’re in the model “super skinny, super low waist” – and seriously are the best jeans I’ve ever owned or tried on. They’re probably also one of the cheapest pairs of jeans I ever bought – which makes them ever more awesome. 
9. Who is your favourite designer and why?: Alexander Wang. Oh, everything he designs is just perfect… I also like Balmain, Acne, Helmut Lang, Tibi, Elie Saab and Isabel Marant. 
10. What’s your personal style, and what do you do to work it?: My personal style is very simple. I like wearing denim, black, white and leather. A typical “me-outfit” would be: blue or black skinny jeans, black boots/booties, a white or grey loose tee, a simple necklace, a simple bracelet and a leather jacket. 

Just so you can get a feel of Hanna’s blog here are some screenshots, and also the link to get you to her fabulous site!…

VISIT Who Is Hanna? HERE. FOLLOW Who Is Hanna? HERE.

 Thank you very much Hanna for the answers, because I know it will inspire all the people thinking of starting a blog! Merci!

So, I know most of you probably watched the first episode of the new series of ‘Mr Selfridge’ and as you know, red leather gloves played a part in it. So, I’m doing my part, and finding the top 3 red leather gloves in High Street, Mid-Range & Designer brands…

Gloves Zip by Soaked In Luxury €22.48 (We Like Fashion), Red Leather Gathered Cuff Gloves £12.50 (Debenhams) & Dents Leather Gloves £27.00 (ASOS).

All these gloves are really well priced, especially the Debenham ones. I think if you want a modern pair then definitely go for the Soaked in Luxury ones, otherwise for the classic look go for the Dents ones from ASOS.

Tommy Hilfiger Gloves £65.00 (Zalando), Dents Silk Lined Leather Gloves £65.00 (Harvey Nichols) & Leather Button Glove £29.00 (Ted Baker).

If I could, right now, I would definitely get the Ted Baker pair. The price is amazing! The reason I put them in Mid-Range is because they used to £59.00 and also they are pretty much designer, so I thought they deserved there rightful place!

Ladies Classic Mid Length Leather Gloves in Red £11.00 (Aspinal of London), Moschino Cheap & Chic Red Leather Gloves £156.20 (Forzieri), Castiglione Long Calf Hair and Leather Gloves £255.00 (Browns).

I really love the Moschino ones (in the center)! They are so nice! They have little peace sign and heart on them, and they are so amazing! Well, if you have £255.00….

I was reading an article recently on a journalist’ daughter who received a Vogue Magazine Subscription for Christmas. It was really interesting because it went over how it could cause the young reader to believe they need to grow up and look like the super thin, amazing faced models on the front page. Being an avid fashion magazine reader, I understand all of that, but I’m not sure whether there should be a worry? (Images from Vogue)

Many children now are quite mature with things like this, and I don’t want to sound vain or big headed, but I do understand quite a lot about things like this more than most. I have read Teen Vogue Handbook & In Fashion which both cover things like air brushing, modelling, magazine editing etc and I have learnt quite a lot, so to be honest, I understand that I don’t have to look like the person on the front cover. But, some girls will, and it’s not just girls. Many boys will look at GQ magazine which has been left around from when their dad was reading it, and think, ‘I need to have guns like that!’ (Um, yeah, sorry about the cheesy-ness) But, it’s true! If you have been reading my blog some time now, you may have read my post on Airbrushing in Teen Vogue. I also found that interesting because, why should teens need airbrushing!? It’s a teen magazine! Okay, if they’re well known celebrities then fine, but teenage life is one of the most important times, you don’t want to have to have the pressure of looking like something.

As, I love fashion, I would die to have a subscription of my favourite magazine (preferably Elle or Company Magazine), and I totally agree with it. But, for 9 years of age, and having it in your hands every month, for a year, and perhaps even more, could influence things. Even if they stopped reading it after the first year, it could have some impact. When I, hopefully, have children, I don’t want them to avidly read magazines with stunning models on (unless, it’s an article on me… then, I may change my mind, but that’s thinking a bit too far ahead…), because, how many imperfections they think they may have, they should believe they’re beautiful, they should have confidence & courage in what they look like. Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t let young children and teens read magazines, but at least make something out of it. Discuss things, make collages, don’t just have them stare at an air-brushed ‘angel’ of beauty.

If you have anything to say about this, make sure you click the comment link below!