Lashes of Lashes

False eyelashes are essential for any statement make-up look. I don't see the point in natural looking lashes (we shall use expensive mascara for that) these lashes are false for a reason. Feathered, neon, jewelled, grossly oversized are what we deal in. Teamed with bold eye shadow, light bronzer and a pale nude lip is a reasonable tranny proof formula.

I still haven't totally perfected the art of application. My best advice would be to get someone else to apply for you but in desperate times...

1. Let the glue dry on false lash for at least a minute before applying to eye. The more tacky the easier it is to stick on firmly

2. Don't apply too much glue to lash. Spread thinly and put an extra blob on each end to avoid it pinging off

3. Apply with tweezers. Place onto the center of the lid and then tap out to each corner with the tweezers

4. Hope for the best and open your eye

5. Flick the falsies up and out. They will dry at this angle

The most important factor is probably to allow yourself enough time to do this at leisure. I have had disastrous nights trying to apply them under pressure when late to meet people and have glue my eyes shut, made myself cry so forth. All result in a total face cleanse and starting again, which is never fun.

Play Me, I'm Yours

'Play Me, I'm Yours' is an art work by Luke Jerram 30 street pianos have been installed on streets, in public squares and parks, train stations, and markets. Like a creative blank canvas, the pianos are there for any member of the public to play and engage with. The pianos will be in place until July 13th, after which time they’ll be donated to local schools and community groups.

I read about this project awhile back and this weekend saw one of the pianos in action in Liverpool Street. I used to play the piano myself and there is something really touching about this project; the trust of leaving an instrument un-guarded, the invitation for anyone to come and express themselves...

I had taken a pilgrimage to Boots to buy a ridge filler nail polish (it was a quiet weekend!) when I heard the tinkle of keys and found an old man playing Smile by Nat King Cole to a small crowd of on lookers. He had a massive shopper at his side and shorts on, so I'm assuming a tourist and I wondered how long it had been since he had last played. When he finished everyone clapped.






The artist, Luke Jerrem asks why we do not know the people across the street from us anymore and created a project where pianos are designed as a catalyst for interaction between strangers. This certainly was the case in Liverpool St where people with busy lives all stood and listened.

It also gives the opportunity for the hidden pianists without access to instruments to emerge and re-practice their talent. I would love to hop onto that stool but the station would need to be empty for I can only play from memory my own compositions from school. One of those was a requiem- not very cheering for commuters!

The Horrors- Primary Colours

I would like to include more music on this blog...I have been opposed to for some time as I feel I don't really know much about music anymore, I'm really out of touch and have been sticking to what I know. Everyone has an opinion though.

And my first subjects shall be:

The Horrors

When the first album was released I decided I did not like The Horrors without even listening to them. They seemed to be style over substance, good style granted, but the slick jeans and bowl cuts generated a quiet loathing. I thought it strange that they were so popular when they were just London kids whom I often saw walking down a road, standing in a club, dancing in high waisted trousers underground...generally just people. Yet on the internet there was a furious crazy following?

Then I listened to the album and found I rather liked it. Nothing ground breaking, no outstanding musicianship, but it did do something a little differently. The sound was distinctly retro if raw, and I love excessive us of a synth. I put this on my iPod sometimes secretly and enjoyed it. I have just listened to the second album Primary Colours (yes ten decades after everyone else) and am impressed. This new record has lost the hyperbolic darkness of the first and emerges as something softer and more grown up. Gone are the irritating lyrics about finding a baby's glove and keeping it in a bag (?!), gone are the throat curdling whoops... we have something polished juxtaposed against more primal production, and it works.

The album starts with a wash of sound that is such a contrast to the first album that I was cursing that I had accidentally got the wrong thing! It builds with a more Horrors-eque bell tolling into some catchy riffs. Faris's voice is more drawling, more actual singing albeit with a minimal range of oh say two or three tones. It's definitely an album that works on creating 'sound' mixing the individual to create a conglomeration where it all pools? Hard to describe as all music is essentially sound. 'Sound' in a different sense of the word (great music journalism).

Favourite Song

New Ice Age - I love a good chromatic sequence and 'build up'. Lovely minor chord progression (sure I recognise it actually though can't say from where) and a catchy melody that speeds up towards the end and gets 'angry'. I am easily pleased.

Bravo The Horrors. And of course they are oh so stylish.

Irregular Choice's Night of Irregular Soles

The past week or so has been quite busy events wise, but one of the parties I was most looking forward to was the Irregular Choice bash at their Carnaby Street store.

I'm sure that most people are familiar with the brand, but for those that are not, it it a shoe brand that basically does what it says on the tin- offers people something a little more unusual than the regular, trend inspired high street offering. Whilst we can expect walls of gladiators, platform toes and nautical wedges across the board in every retailer, Irregular Choice manages to avoid the fashions of the season whilst also remaining current.

I have a personal affinity with the brand after seeing some of their cleft toe heels in an Elle Girl street style piece years ago and being generally amazed at their appearance; I had certainly seen nothing like that in Wales before! I love the idea of making a statement with your shoes, because as much as I love fashion, I believe that all you really need to look good is polished make-up and amazing shoes- all that's in between that can be irrelevant if you follow this ethos, and as a girl who does enjoy a cake or five, this is a comforting notion! Goodbye body-con and hello lipstick and shoes!

The event on Tuesday gave us the chance to wonder around store with sparkly pink plastic flutes and eat sweets whilst admiring shoes. The shelves were littered with Jelly Beans, lollipops, Raindow Drops (a forgotten confectionery gem), Love Hearts and Um Bongo amongst the shoes and there were performances at the back from 'Dockers MC’ and Polly Scattergood. Jelly Pong Pong were there giving make overs, I love this brand but already had a face full of cosmetics freshly applied on the tube on the way (classy) so did not indulge.

I was lucky enough to be introduced to Irregular Choice designer Danny Sullivan and had a very interesting chat with him. He explained that he had no formal training in shoe making but had left school at 15 to start his business! As for the name?

'I was thinking about what I wanted to do and the word 'Irregular' kept cropping up'

The brand is certainly still synonymous with this original concept as every single shoe in the shop has some quirky detail and attention to design that is absent elsewhere on the high street. Danny explained that he sometimes starts working with a fabric in mind, or sometimes the shoe itself will be the platform for design. There is a linearity between some of the line but each style is basically unique.

The brand already has a New York boutique alongside the London Carnaby store and there are plans for a store in Tokyo. Danny seems keen on the concept of dotting singular stores as far and wide as possible rather than setting up 3 in the same city. Irregular Choice also has a concession in high street retailer Schuch, but Danny explained that they are often only keen in stocking heels, which is a shame as they also have a lot of great flats to offer.

Looking around the store this is definitely true, and it made me question my own shoe choices. I often use flat shoes as mere transport methods to get me around London without falling over or being crippled in pain, where as heels are more of an accessory? However these flats below could be as much of a statement as the 6 inch heels?

I really do urge anyone in London or NY to take a look around the shop, every wall is such a visual delight! I took some pictures of my favourite shoes and would have taken more but the party was really busy. I have already spotted a pair of heel boots that I think I need, they would be so at home on my feet!

Designer Danny Sullivan and myself

B tucking into some Rainbow Drops

Love the heel and cherry toe decoration on these!

These were such beautiful summer shoes- from the front

From the side - look at the heel!

Personal favourite- love love love

And if I ever meet a man, he is required to wear these blue ones. It will be like part of the deal

YSL False Lash

YSL False Lash is one of my favourite mascaras that I rotate between. After using exceptionnel De Chanel I returned to YSL and was a little disappointed initially; for me I want the most OTT lashes possible, and YSL didn't seem to measure up length or volume wise to my old Chanel.

Then recently when doing my make-up I noticed something. The YSL False Lash actually gives the same lash shape as physical false eyelashes; the mascara brush really cleverly separates the lashes into clumps of 2 to give that spidery look. Basically, this mascara 100% recreates the look of the more 'natural' style false eyelashes!

Nice to know! And the effect is magnified when worn over a more thickening mascara. Here I am wearing YSL mascara with Bobbi Brown eyeliner and Bobbi Brown Foundation. The lipstick is MAC Way To Love from the Romance collection; I love the colour, and it combines rich pigment with a really moisturisng formula. A pleasant change from my usual Myth nude.

G-shock and Fenchurch is 10!

I always feel a pressure to do something fun on Saturdays and make the most of the short lived freedom. Yet mostly I spend it sleeping and sometimes writing. At least in our new flat I can sit out of the window with a cuppa and watch folk eating from the expensive roof restaurant opposite, human contact of sorts..

Anyway.

This Thursday I went to 2 interesting events. The first was for G-shock watches in Carnaby St...

I used to have a 'Baby-G' when I was about 10, it was chalk blue and I do believe very cool at the time. However, I did not realise the technology behind these watches (obviously). At the party in 24 Kingly Road, we walked in to find a presentation in full swing, power point projections adorned the walls and the creator was doing a very charming voice over explaining how he invented the shock resistant watch.

Amazingly he captured the attention of the wine handed fashion crowd and we all listened to the charming story of how he watched a little girl bounce a ball and imagined a watch in it?! I can't remember the technicalities but the basic message of the story was that he didn't give up and kept trying new things to design the watch, eventually selling 33 million worldwide!

We didn't stay long and annoyingly I forgot to take photos. Even more annoyingly, when I googled the event I found out JLS and Mark Ronson were there later on bah! I would have liked to look at Mark. Here is a token G Shock watch though...



B and I left and caught the 55 to Shoreditch all inspired by the BUT I DID NOT GIVE UP mantra of the G-Shock director's talk. Drunkenly inspired I will admit but there are some exciting things in the pipeline! 'Stay tuned' and all that.

Our next flying visit was to the Fenchurch event. The brand have been around for 10 years and threw a warehouse bash to celebrate the occasion. We followed the birthday balloons to the venue where the party was in full swing.

I think earlier there was a catwalk presentation (the derelict runway gave it away) but we were too late so sipped some potent gin and tonics and left at a very modest hour. All I can say is that I am glad my flat was near opposite the party. Handy indeed.

I managed to take some blurry photos here, stunning.

Tea with B

After a very downtrodden week I was really looking forward to the Sunday tea party at B's house. What could be better than eating a lot of cakes off posh china and dressing up? Probably nothing.

Discoveries of the day

• B is capable of a 'lovely spread', she will make someone a wonderful wife!
  

• 5 growing girls can eat a LOT of cakes and sandwiches

• Tea tastes better from bone china teacups

• Gin tastes even better from bone china teacups

• Even a tramp likes a good floral headpiece- a Church Street drunken tramp dedicated a line in his song to B and the 'thingy-ma bob on her head'

• White tights don't make my legs look as fat as I had imagined
  

(a small portion of what we consumed)

(B with the pretty 'thingy ma bob' on her head)

(Some white tights with not-as-fat-as-imagined legs)

Beauty Is Pain

How can something so beautiful be so evil? Ten minutes in these glossy cages of goodness and I had a volcano blister on each heel that sent me running to the supermarket (yes really) to buy some £5 flip flops to ease the pain and enable movement once more.

Now, £100 poorer I have goblin feet and must calculate how I am going to master shodding myself without popping the monstrous blisters. Such a tragic tale, especially as I could not really afford the shoes in the first place but thought they would redeem their value as a 'summer staple'. I really want to return them but do stores accept shredded feet as a legitimate reason? Maybe showing them the blisters would make them take pity?

Has anyone else had these troubles? Hot weather makes for very sad feet