Eyeliner Guide

The other night I had a rather vacant mind and my thoughts actually turned to eyeliner, I'm not sure why. It is the first make-up product I ever used and the one thing that I am never without, I'll skip mascara, foundation but never the liner! Over the years I have tried a fair few, here are my favourites...



Best for flicks: Dior Style Liner

This is great for a vintage look flourishing flick – the brush is quite slim and gives a feline fine line that you can make thicker if desired. It doesn’t stay on quite as long as its MAC counterpart (that is industrial strength!) but lasts almost all day and is the safer option to remove if mistakes are made

Easiest to Use: YSL Easy Liner

A friend recommended this and it really is the easiest to apply eyeliner you can find, its a total godsend if you are trying to get to grips with the liquid look. It’s not a very pigment rich colour but can be built up; I sometimes use it to trace the shape flick I want before putting a coat of Dior on top

Best for Elaborate Looks: Bobbi Brown Gel Liner

I love the crazy eyeliner runway looks and if you are trying anything elaborate this is a must-have. It’s waterproof and stays on all through a party-ful night or a long work day. You apply with an eyeliner brush which means its very easy to control placement and experiment with lines, it can be placed on the water line too

(Thanks to Tom for helping me with the html confusing codes in this post!)

Red Ribbon

In the competitive world of horse riding, the red ribbon is a universal symbol. They are tied around the tails of ponies and horses that kick, to warn others to keep their distance.

Today has been particularly thrilling, a lost hour and journey to Argos to buy a clothing rail to replace my collapsing one. I did put on a chalky pink lipstick for the occasion though. I just realised that the rail is supposed to only take 1.5 kg of weigh so this new one will probably fall soon, I have a beaded dress that probably weighs that alone.

Tonight I shall drink wine and perhaps try to write up one of my dreams into a fairytale.

Edo Princess

I am about to settle down with an apple tea and some new rainbow stationary to write to my dear friends in Japan, and thought before I do so it would be nice to share this photo..

I stayed with my 'Japanese family' when I went to Osaka with my school aged 17. They were so kind and I have such many fond memories of shopping in massive malls, playing Jenga, struggling with chopsticks and playing their shiny black grand piano. We have kept in touch by letter ever since, and in my last letter Satako included this beautiful photo of her daughter Risa. She said it was taken at the traditional Japanese town of the Edo-period, where Risa had the oppertunity to dress up as an Edo Princess.

I think it looks like a magazine editorial. Unfortunately I don't have a scanner so had to do the whole take a photo of a photo thing which has really spoilt the colours and contrast. Try and imagine bright vivid red against porcelain skin and pink flushed lips. The make-up is really understated but perfectly pretty. The hair perhaps amazes me the most, symmetrically combed with not a strand astray. I think I might have to try a Edo inspired look soon.

I know that Satako reads this sometimes, so hello if you are! Expect a rainbow letter soon xx

I Capture the Castle

I went to visit the family over the weekend, they were in Cardiff for the Rugby, Wales v Ireland. Apparently it was an important match to do with grand slams and crowns or something? Well we lost anyway, but it was quite nice to stay with my sister in her student halls (why do they always smell of gone off milk?) and chat with Starbucks in hand and shop.

It was a soul boosting time but as I returned I found myself with tonsillitis and perhaps a House of Holland T-shirt, both without my consent...

Luckily I had bought a new book:

This is perhaps the most charming and beautiful novel I have ever read. It is the sort of book you want to live within, and linger over finishing as it will mean losing a companion. It is the sort of book that inspires me to hide away and write something myself, but also scares me that I will never write anything as good.

A family in a Castle, Jane Austen style marriage arrangements and hints of magic within the real. It only lasted me two days commute and one evening as I am a terribly fast reader. I think it is the sort of book I will read again though. Next is Wuthering Heights. I don't know how I have never read this being an ex-English Literature student but it will be nice to escape even further back in time

Wearing Your Heart on Your Hand

There is a good reason why I have taken a photo of my hand clamoring for the keys... I recently realised that I nearly always have a scribble reminder on my hand.

I remember a children's book where the protagonist tied knots in a hanky to remind them to remember- I'm not exactly sure how this works, wouldn't you forget what the knot stood for? Anyway, the ink stained skin is a pretty standard way of prompting yourself these days.

This particular day I was reminding myself about a pretty vintage gladstone bag on Ebay that was ending that evening. On the tube I suddenly became self-conscious of my hand because it was a physical representation of my mind. Oh I know this is over dramatic but its true! The strangers around me knew that I would be on Ebay that night, and it made me feel uncomfortable. Of course there is nothing sinister in it but even so I was losing my mystery.

Slightly hypocritically, I always love to crane my neck and peer at peoples pen reminders, though I haven't seen anything particularly strange, a woman with 'PILL', a man with '4.30'...One day I might write something wacky on my hand and wait for the tube reactions, it would be one way to brighten a commute.

Oh and for those wondering I won the bag in a flurry of stressful bidding!

Up Do

All too often when heading out I stick to what I know, messy hair and a black dress. This is easy and tried and tested. However, I love it when fashion assistant extraordinaire Jeanie brings a bottle around and we get ready together, its like having a personal stylist at my service and more so one who knows what I like.

Last night after picking out my clothes for me Jeanie said that I should put my hair in a high bun a la fall/winter 09... Tap tap on my mac and she drew up a photo reference:




So I tried it. It's a really easy style to do, I just used a hair band and my hands (no brushes involved, I don't believe in them), a spritz of spray and there it was! A Louis Vuitton on my head. It was a nice change, I don't usually wear my hair up as it seems a bit revealing? People always say I hide behind my hair and its true..






We went to a bash in Elephant and Castle with Modular DJs and danced to music that I don't know the genre definition of. By the end of the evening my hair was back down like a lions mane but kudos to Jeanie for managing to remove the black beanie from my head for one evening. I really love my beanie hat and its perhaps the first night we have spent apart for quite some time

I LOVE...

Patrick Wolf..





Because

• Great use of props, notibly the long plaited blonde hair extension he proceed to rip out and throw into the crowd - people actually reached to catch it..

• He can combine a string led Irish jig with a dirty bass line and make it sound good

• That boy knows how to layer! Cape then porcupine jacket then waistcoat then simply a leather harness with all his electronics sellotaped to the back

• His Dad is in the audience, he says 'hi Dad' and waves. Next song he is tantalisingly pulling down his leather trousers during a particular passionate moment

• He is the only musician I've seen who can actually play an instrument (actually about 5) yet still wears a Britney style headset for the freedom to cavort around the stage

• Costume change for encore involves smearing glitter over his entire face so that it reflects and he looks like a singing void

• Whilst other artists become moody about levels of sound and yell at the technicians for more bass, Patricks request was rather more showbiz and he ended up shouting for 'more strobe light!!'

• Kids dress up to go to his shows. Coloured tights, glittered eyes and boys in shirts.. a well dressed crowd

So last night I went to see Patrick Wolf at Heaven. I used to be absolutely obsessed with his music and mooched around with him plugged into my ears to find meaning for a good year or so. I have listened to him less lately but last night reminded me exactly of why I love him so, someone totally hyperbolic and overbearingly OTT on stage but with the talent to back it up. And the next album looks to be even better than the last, those basslines get me everytime.

My camera was exhausted (it told me) so I raided his Myspace for photos of sorts... my friend Bianca has some cracking ones though. Thanks to her for taking me too, kisses to B!


Oh and my dear Pretty Face gave me this blog award, I am forever in awe of her beautiful writing

Double Trouble

I always sit on the top deck of the bus and aim for a seat on the left hand side, towards the middle, by the window. I am quite fussy about my bus seat. The main reason for my precision in placement is because I like to look down onto the pavement, at the places and especially at the people.

Bus stops are a mecca for observation as all sorts of people push and mill around the bus trying to squeeze on in rush hour. Today I saw some fantastic fashion, and strangely it was doubled into couples. There were interesting two couples where each saw both partners dressed in a similar style.

There was one vintage duo; the girl had red curls with blushed cheeks, and A-line skirt and mary-janes, the boy had a tweed hat and coloured tie with an old fashion jacket. They looked amazing stood together amongst the black suits of business.

To their left stood another couple, these Japanese two were both head to toe in black drapey layers with clumpy booted feet.

It reminded me of some posts on Style Scout awhile back; Robert and Lusia shot a few couples who were style coordinated..







The examples at the bus stop were even more extreme than these, and made me wonder how these people find each other. Were they attracted to each other's style or did the style emerge as they became a couple? Is it desirable to look the same as your partner?

As much as I love clothes, I dont believe they define me. Yes, they are a reflection but not a aesthetic display of my personnality. Therefore I don't think I would ever be attracted to someone simply because they dress the same. Style of course is a plus, but comes in many different forms, and itself is an arbitary term.

What do you think? Are clothes really a factor in considering relationships?

Sea

I haven't written for awhile on here, that's not to say I haven't been writing, but internet friendly posts have not come naturally this past week, and I never like to force it.

I think that London and the daily life with all its commuting fun has become a little oppressive, I hate the idea of 'living for the weekend' but I find myself doing just that. Really looking forward to going to Wales for Easter and visiting three things I miss terribly, the beach, my lovely Labrador and my sister. It's sometimes even more inspiring than London, and wonderful when I feel like pretending to be a Romantic poet.

Until then I shall compensate by taking my Macbook for a coffee and perhaps buying some MAC Hello Kitty make-up...details on this to follow

EDIT: Does anyone know how I can get rid of the twitter link??

The Magic Wand

My eye essential used to be smudgy black eyeliner, but in more recent times I have become attached to mascara and rarely venture out without it. In fact I actually feel uncomfortable without it; once I did a full face of make-up for a night out but forgot mascara somehow, cue me running around asking everyone and anyone if they had mascara. I think I ended up borrowing one for the toilet lady attendant, even though its grossly unhygienic to share mascaras..

So I have many brands under my belt by now and firm favourites in the mascara world are YSL False Lash and Diorshow Blackout; I think that it is worth spending £20 on mascara as indulgent as it seems.

Recently I found a new brilliant mascara to add to the list, Exceptionnel De Chanel. This brush combines a plastic comb and usual bristles which gives an amazing false lash effect.



I tried to take a photo of my eye but it didn't really show just how good this mascara is... It's quite difficult to take a photo of ones own eye, and the flash makes you see stars.



Someone downstairs is playing Jose Gonzales on the guitar and singing along, its quite relaxing. I wish that I had a piano to vent my thoughts onto but London is too small for such things, or at least my flat and room are.