Twinkle toes

How perfect are these for the festive season? Sam Edelman Torins available at ASOS

You've got to hand it to her

3D nail art, american typewriter finger tattoo, managing to work those funny shape bracelet things... this waitress, captured by Karen Blanchard at wheredidyougetthat, is pretty damn fly.

Riva Fever!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, Chanel Le Vernis Riva. This beautiful baby blue is part of the up-coming Cote D'Azure Cruise Collection. Get your names on the waiting list, it's limited edition and will launch on 1 December - just in time for my Christmas stocking!

Pics courtesy of the incredibly awesome lacquerized.

Oh Lord won't you buy me...

Janis Joplin by curveinthemode featuring a purple cardigan

Halloween is almost upon us, and in a welcome change to the somewhat tedious British Halloween options (horny devil, slutty witch, slaggy cat) I may be off to a Death by Misadventure party.

This involves dressing as your favourite deceased musician - a little morbid, I know, and rather more difficult for ladies that men... there's not a lot to choose from; we must be a more responsible bunch.

In a bid to cobble an outfit from my existing wardrobe, I'm thinking Janis Joplin, and anyone will a few grand in the bank could do the same by following my very first Polyvore set.

It would have been hard to put this together without a number of obvious additions from House of Harlow, Winter Kate and Pamela Love, but I love the hippy vibe that's far from over in blogland.Let me know what you think!

Next of pumpkin

Just had to share this pic of my gorgeous nephew Gabriel, sporting his new pumpkin outfit from his favourite Auntie. Doesn't he look impressed! I could just eat him up in a pumpkin pie.

Grunge glam, thank you Maam!

The Topshop Heavy Duty Limited Edition Make Up collection is right up my alley - especially the polishes. I almost left with three, but as I'd bought Chanel's Paradoxal a mere half-hour earlier, I thought this might be a bit excessive. I soul-searched for a good 20 minutes before settling for Grunge, but I can't promise I won't be back for Lead.

Grunge is a beautiful black base/gold mettalic combo which looks kind of khaki green in the right light. It goes with absolutely all my recent A/W aquisitions, including purple, nude, terracotta and especially camel.

It's totally opaque with two well-applied coats, and super glossy due to the amazing gold shimmer that adds a little understated glam to daytime. And 48 hours in with CND Stickey basecoat (review to come) and Seche Vite, it's chip-free.

Well done Topshop!

A Lita bit of a confession...

I have something to get off my chest. I've been trying to keep it quiet but my adversion to a particular garment has been brewing inside me, emitting noxious hate gas like a particularly offensive geyser. In the interest of not developing an ulcer I have to go public - I hate the Jeffrey Campbell Lita boots.
Wow. That feels better. You see, for those who have no idea what I'm talking about, these ugmeisters are the toast of blogtown, but I just can't get on board. But I fear alienating readers with my unfashionable hate... what is it about these that attracts you all? 

I think my personal aversion comes from an obsession with conventional platform-to-heel ratio... these are just too much like a corrective shoe for someone with lopsided legs than a fashion garment. I also know I would look like an utter tit in them, but that's never made me dislike a trend before, as you must have all realised by now.
In the interest of full discosure I suppose I should outline the other 2010 trends I can't abide.

The trapper hat. Come on guys; I embraced the lumberjack shirt in both the nineties and 2009, I'm on-board with the shearling in all its incarnations, but fur on your head?! This is the UK, not Cicely, Alaska! (Anyone who doesn't get that reference, get yourself to Amazon, order Northern Exposure seasons one to three and bloody well enjoy).

Jewelled/sequined/leopard knicker shorts. This is a cruel joke from the skinny bitches at Topshop right? Who the frigg is brave/thin/exhibitionist or impervious-to-the-cold enough to wear these? Ok, Jamie Winstone, but who else?
What trends do you wish would naff off?

The mane event

If my mother taught me anything, it's the importance of a blow-dry. I have incredibly straight, flat hair, so I learned young to master my brush-work to add volume, bounce and shape.

Since I moved to mid-length a couple of years back, I've been on the search for the perfect brush, and I've finally found it courtesy of the lovely people at Denman.

After trying natural bristles, aero brushes, paddle brushes, synthetic brushes and everything in-between, I was sent the Headhugger DHH3 and can't believe I didn't go with industry fave Denman sooner. Here, in pictures, is my first bash at this brilliant brush:






After a 20-minute blow-dry, hair really did have the bounce, extreme shine and shape you usually only get from a pro, and I'd say I'm only an 8/10 when it comes to amateur styling skills.

The brush is also pretty lightweight, which makes it good for beginners, and I found it's almost impossible to tangle your hair in - I'm usually a bugger for doing that!

A small note on the products I use; I have a strange hair type - a hell of a lot of very fine hair - which is prone to being greasy, flat, and any extra product tends to weigh it down. I'm, therefore, fiercely loyal to Aussie Mega shampoo, which cleans the hair and leaves a nice fresh mane.
For the same reasons, I never use conditioner in the shower, but spritz Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance through the ends for protection and added shine without weight. I then use a small amount of Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray as a styling product - when it's blow dried through your hair it adds thickness, volume and the more 'mussed up' effect I usually strive for.

What's your hair routine?
P.S - Apologies for the cheeky drying rack that creeped in the pics - I realised way too late it was still out - oops!

Palaver-doxal

Non-nail-fans turn away now, things are about to get serious. I purchased Chanel's Paradoxal, but not before some serious umm-ing and ah-ing.
You see, I'd popped along to Selfridges to give it a whirl, fell in love instantly, and wasted no time in buying that baby before it had chance to sell out.
I continued on my shopping way, fully intending this to be my only splurge while helping your friend and mine Beth buy a new wardrobe for the brand-new job of her dreams. We all know how that worked out.
But, imagine my surprise upon venturing into Topshop Oxford Circus that Barry M has a new shade also - Dusky Mauve. How did I not know about this? It's an absolute blatant rip-off of Paradoxal and the most accurate polish dupe I've ever seen. I was in turmoil. Do I keep my wonderful Chanel or return it unopened and plump for the purse-friendly polish by Bargainistas' fave Barry?

 In the end I couldn't face the no-doubt haughty reaction of the Chanel girls upon my trying to explain why I would buy a nail polish one day and return it the next - I image their regular customers don't have to worry about such minor burdens as buyers' remorse.
But Beth picked up the Barry M and we set about seeing just how accurate the pair are on the nail by wearing one each. First, the Paradoxal - two coats plus Seche Vite.

Look at the gleam; look at the glisten; look at that amazing shade of mauve that goes with everything from nudes to rust, blues to pinks, black brown and white. I adore it.
Now for the Barry M, two coats, again with Seche Vite.

Look at the gleam; look at the glisten; look at that amazing shade of mauve that goes with everything from nudes to rust, blues to pinks, black brown and white.Yep, the difference is imperceptable. I'd say the Chanel is easier to apply, and a little more robust with only two coats, but the shade is exactly the same, and they both have that fabulous glisten that's seen best in natural daylight. With the naked eye, they look less sparkly than the above flash pics suggest.
When I didn't use the flash you couldn't see the glisten at all. Here are those for comparison. The naked eye sees something in between the above and below images. (Sorry, this polish is famously hard to capture on camera!) Chanel first, then Barry M:

So. Do I wish I'd gone for Barry M? My bank balance would say yes. But actually, it's so rare I ever own a designer original, I feel justified in going to the source for this shade. It truly is an innovative colour in the nails market, developed with care, research, experience and attention by Chanel. So it feels right to pay more for their dedication to creating new trends in nail colour.
Does that mean I won't recommend the Barry M to everyone I meet? Hell no! This almost exact dupe is a mere fifth of the Chanel Paradoxal price, and let's face it, Chanel probably doesn't need your £16.50. But for me, it's nice to know I have something a little special in my beauty repertoire, and for that reason Chanel's Paradoxal will be my go-to shade for Autumn.
If you managed to get to the end of this essay, well done! You get to find out early that I'll be giving away a bottle of the Barry M version in an up-coming comp, so stay tuned!

Get cape, wear cape, die happy

 

Apologies for my looking incredibly smug, but I am just so chuffing chuffed with my amazing, could-not-afford-it, Topshop cape. 

Camel trend, check. Cape trend, check. Miltary trend, check. Shearling boots, check. I'm a total fashion victim this month and I couldn't care less. 

Cape - Topshop// Scarf - AW/09 Topshop// Boots - ASOS

Short it out

T shirt + Shorts + Shoes - Topshop// Necklace - Craft Market in New York

This entire outfit is kind of crumpled, creating a terrifying camel-toe illusion, but that's because I wore it for work all day before taking pics. These shorts are my new favourite thing in the world, and gave me a rare opportunity to wear these rip-off brogues I bought more than a year ago.

THe furry friend in the first pic is sadly not mine. He slipped in when I arrived home and decided he wanted to be Hackney's Next Top Model. Very sweet.

Hell for leather

Dress - Topshop// Jacket - Topshop// Satchel - ASOS// Necklace - Primark// Boots - ASOS

Snapped a very quick OOTD before throwing the PJs on and catching up with Glee this evening... apologies for the rather ridiculous boob flare - I did not realise until it was far too late that the bra was quite so shiny... oh well!

This is my leather jacket from a Topshop sale about four years ago - the zip's broken, so it doesn't fasten, leaving my pretty chilly past October, but I love it because it will forever be my 'Ashley Olsen circa 2006'  biker.

Pic courtesy of Olsens Anonymous.

All that jazz

Last night the ladies hit the town in the torrential rain. I wore the outfit I'm probably the most happy with out of everything I've worn in years! Unfortunately my five-day-old iPhone was stolen, which kind of spoiled an ace night - thank god I took outfit pics on my mate's camera before I went out!

Necklace - Primark// Shirt - Topshop// shorts - Topshop//  Boots - ASOS