Stud it to me! Festival Fashion SS12 Update

Having been in search for a functional, yet obviously unbelievably bang-on trend and AHHHmazing festival outfit since I booked my V Festival tickets way back when, I am happy to say I’m sticking to my previous declaration of scouting out the best festival finds so you don’t have to; and here is a quick update people.

Having obviously popped in to Topshop for something completely unrelated (always the way isn’t it, you wily Topshop Visual Merchandisers!) my eyes scanned a table of rainbow-dyed shorts (of which I am insanely jel of anyone who can pull these hot pants off without flashing their arses) and locked my retinas on this incredible studded bag casually placed alongside (and a bargain at £38).

Now, if you are a fan of black, suede, studs and slightly watered down for main stream Goth-inspired accessories, such as those Steve Madden slip-ons I reported on a few weeks back, I’m sure you will agree on how sick this bag is.  With a long detachable strap, it’s perfect for everything from after-work drinks (as a clutch, obs) and, more to the point, due to its zip lock, will make an absolutely awesome festival bag!  Big enough for essentials (phone, money, make up, toilet paper) yet small enough that you can forget about your shiz and carry a beer in both hands.

So there you go gals and boys, and I will be road testing this beast at Field Day on 2^nd June, come rain, mud or shine.  Now just to piece together the rest of my outfit…

The Kitsch and the Cray: Diamond Jubilee gifts fit for a Queen?

Sometimes I pity the richest people on the planet.  I mean, when it comes to birthdays and festive times, special occasions and wedding anniversaries, it must be damn hard choosing your nearest and dearest presents they could otherwise just pick up for themselves on a casual Tuesday afternoon spree in Harrods.  I like to amuse myself that this must have been a constant irritation to the Royal family, and this is why they subsequently introduced the ‘novelty gifts’ idea for Christmas present buying.  I’m sure Prince Charles must have a dozen Burger king crowns by now.  Therefore, I thought it might be a tradition the Royals might extend to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this year, because lets face it, the woman owns most of the diamonds in the country anyway, she aint going to want no more.  Therefore I have scoured the internet and great British High Street to bring Charles, Philip, William and co (and obviously any one else who wants in on the action) a definitive list of th kitsch and the Cray, to amuse one’s humble Queen on her Jubilee. 

1. The Royal Oysters – Limited Edition Oyster Card:

In times of austerity, one might have to start hop-footing it on the jubilee line (geddit?!) and can thus can now do it in limited edition style.  Will also double up as a handy I.D down at the local Wetherspoons.

2. Face Off – Lydia Leith Diamond Jubilee Jelly Mould:

Nothing is more British that a good old tea party, and no doubt her Majesty will be happy to wibble wobble up to get a bowl full of jelly in the shape of her own head, despite it looking like she’s had the chop.

3. A very Vogue idea –  Our stylish Queen:

There is no denying Elizabeth II style credentials.  With the likes of Bruce Oldfield et al on speed dial, Vogue’s novel idea of charting our Monarch’s wardrobe for 1 year to discover her favourite hues paints a rather pretty picture.  And every woman, Queen of the Commonwealth or not, loves to know she is en Vogue, darling.

4. The very funny, very unofficial diary of the Queen:

We all know the numerous celebrity parody accounts on twitter, and one of mine and Katie’s favourites is @Queen_UK a.k.a The Queen Of Twitter.  having been lucky enough to actually meet her Royal Highness (ish) at her book launch last year, it would paint an amazing picture seeing the true queen reading her fictional counterpart’s work.

5. A right Royal Cuppa:

As we all know, the Queen is a very busy lady, and like the majority of her loyal subjects, can’t function in the morning before her cup of tea.  Therefore, as her schedule hots up around the Jubilee, it makes sense her face should be plastered all over these awesome travel friendly cups!  And Philip would never mistake it for his own…

7. Environmentally sound:

And last but not least, can’t you just imagine these on the Queen’s window sill?!  Actual solar-powered waving Queens!  Available from Amazon, I have a feeling Carole Middleton might already be dishing these out with her Jubilee bunting.

Is it a Bong? Is it a Sex Toy? Why, no, its the new MTherapy Beauty Pod!

Last week Katie and myself were invited to road test a new, innovative skincare system being launched by MTherapy, at the Savoy Hotel. Despite our initial reservations when we were confronted with what appeared to be something usually hidden in the back room of Coco De Mer, The ‘Beauty Pod’ as it is known, actually wasn’t as terrifying once it was explained.  

Publicised as the first of its kind, this at home device aims to ‘harness steam power to propel moisture, essential oils and compounds directly in to the skin’.  Now, you may be like me and that kind of beauty guff goes in one lug hole and out the other, so it was great to see this modern-day beauty Dalek first hand.

For the sake of our (soon to be) award-winning journalism, Katie was kind enough to let me submit photos for this article whilst she was literally having hot steam blown on her face.  The small strange-looking egg type objects you can see below are known as ‘podlets’ which  contain all the magic ingredients which the Pod then blows on to your face…Just imagine a futuristic take on the age-old boiling water and flannel over your face in the sink malarkey and you can get the idea of what we were dealing with here.  Although Katie agreed she did instantly feel refreshed, with 4 ‘podlets’ retailing at £60 and the Pod itself at £269, it is definitely more of an investment than a new flannel.  But what a talking piece it could make at your next party!

The MTherapy Beauty Pod and podlets are exclusively distributed through www.mymtherapy.com.

Don’t step on my blue (spiked) shoes

 We all know the drill.  We read the same recycled, rehashed advice dished out by every fashion editor every time girly, dainty trends hit the runway. ‘Toughen up your feminine look with a masculine bag…warrior style shoes…armour-type jewellery’.  Ladies, and gents for that matter (we are never the type to discriminate) we know you know this.  And we aint idiots are we.   But sometimes, these ‘tough accessories’ cant be taken to extremes.  The ongoing jewellery trend which has bombarded the UK high street over the last few seasons sees disturbingly larger and larger knuckle duster-style rings adorning the daintiest of hands.  And I’m sure must have done some serious damage in late night cat fights up and down the country.  However, the current trend that seems to have infiltrated the market and trickled down from the upper echelons of luxury (Louboutin, I am referring to you, good sir) seems to be based on medieval torture tactics.  I am of course referring to the super spiked shoe trend which is fast taking over.  And I’m not talking stiletto here.  Everything from loafers to  ballet pumps, Mary-Janes to skyscrapers, now come adorned with a full-on smattering of spikiness.  It was Christian Louboutin’s Rollerballs back in 2009 which kicked this off (which are still available for a cool £765), and now the likes of everyone from Steve Madden to Jeffery Campbell have taken it upon themselves as self-proclaimed ambassadors of the Chokey style trend (remember the Chokey, from Matilda?).

Despite personally loving the trend and seriously contemplating blowing a week’s budget on a pair of the Steve Madden gold STUDLYY’s, I cant help wonder if anyone has been seriously injured by stepping on someone’s toes yet.  If you are also keen on this look to ‘toughen up that dainty summer dress’ or do as I would and rock your inner Kate Lanpher (grown-up grunge babe alert) good old Topshop are also jumping on the bandwagon (in a range of colours and for the bargain price of £28), albeit watering the style down slightly for those of us scared of impalement…

Fun and frolics at the Batiste Dry Shampoo launch

Last Wednesday me, Katie and our good friend Olivia (from tellusfashion.com) were lucky enough to attend a very plush affair hosted by Batiste Dry Shampoo.  To celebrate the launch of ‘Lace’, the latest edition to the ever-growing dry shampoo range, we were treated to a variety of girly treatments; think grown-up slumber party style, with mandatory champagne!

Already being a dry shampoo fanatic (I carry an emergency can of Batiste’s ‘a hint of colour’ at all times darling) this was an event I wasn’t going to pass up on.  With the venue being decked out with manicure stations, a photo shoot area, a make-up room AND a mini hair salon, it was every girl’s dream. Oh and did I mention the insane cakes on offer topped off with edible mini Batiste cans?!  Katie made a bee line to get her hair ‘did’ (and no, she didn’t choose this look for herself!) while myself and Olivia received incredible manicures.  And don’t you just love Olivia’s nail polish colour?  An unusual mix between grey and purple…grurple perhaps?

We were even lucky enough to receive amazing goodie bags, obviously with a courtesy can of ‘Lace’!  Being dubbed as the ‘grown-up’ of the range, ‘Lace’ takes inspiration from vintage embroidery and romantic elegance (two massive recurrent trends at the moment, for which we are still thanking Kate Middleton’s wedding dress a year on!).  Oh and yes before you ask, it smells DIVINE.  Lace, and the rest of the Batiste collection, is available from Superdrug and Boots stores nationwide for £2.99.  With a price tag that appealing, no wonder they have been going strong for the last 30 years.  So whether you need a refresh in-between washes, or do what I do and use it volume too, why not give ‘Lace’ a test run?

So why have the BAFTAs gone all Posh and Juicy?

When I first heard that The only Way Is Essex was nominated for a BAFTA last year, I thought it was some sort of late April Fool’s joke.  And so did everybody else it seems.  Despite being a life-long TOWIE fan (well, for the few years its been going at least), I had always associated the BAFTAs with serious film and television making.  The type of award ceremony that everyone who attended was expected to act very proper, incase the Queen made a surprise inspection.  And for the rest of TV, there was always the National Soap Awards to flash your knickers at.  So it did jar slightly when the cast of The only Way Is Essex dismayed everyone and actually won the award, voted for by the public.  Who’d have thought, hey?

However, despite TOWIE unfortunately not receiving any nominations this year, ripples from the splash they created have managed to still trickle down in to the nominations pool.  With Made in Chelsea, TOWIE’s biggest and poshest rivals being given a nod in the Reality and Constructed Factual category, as well as my personal favorite, Celebrity Juice, being nominated for two awards (including Best Entertainment Programme I’ll have you know), I am starting to wonder if the BAFTAs are finally getting off their high horses and finally taking note of what the majority of the Great British population actually enjoy.  And rewarding it rightly so.

Despite my toes curling at the very thought of an episode of Made in Chelsea, I can comprehend, unlike Jan Moir who ripped in to Caggie & Co courtesy of the Daily mail recently, that this form of ‘is it’ ‘isn’t it’ reality TV has in fact captured the attention of the nation, and there are few channels left who haven’t spawned their own docu-soap drama for your viewing pleasure.

And with regards to Celebrity Juice, I for one honestly relish clocking in with Keith, Holly Willobooby and Fearne once a week and laugh my head off after a hard day’s work.  Surely this deserves just as much credit as some serious crime drama blah blah blah.  Leigh Francis’ cult character Keith Lemon has even managed to land a spin-off, prime time Saturday show in the form of Lemonaid.  Even my Gran loves him now because of this, despite being strictly banned from watching any of his post watershed shows.

So all that remains now is to see if Hugo, Spencer and the rest of the Chelsea set follow in the footsteps of their BAFTA award-winning Essex counterparts and bring home the gong on May 27^th.  Not that Spencer needs his ego inflating anymore…

Flash or Trash? The opinion dividing ‘White manicure’

I’m not one of these super groomed women who can keep their nails chip-free until their next salon appointment.  Hell, I actually tend to repaint mine on the train, shock horror.  And I believe I’ve only had my nails done professionally once in my life.  But, for some inexplicable reason, my inner Barbie is becoming increasingly drawn to what appears to be the new micro-trend of  an all-over white manicure. 

After last winter’s black on black French mani, seen all over the runways of Balmain and Jen Kao, are our nails destined for, dare I say it, a goth-free Summer? An oh so fresh, oh so clean inspired lacquer?  Please Gods of beauty, let it be true!  With major celebrities such as Scarlett Johansson, Kim Kardashian (and also her mum Chris Jenner) already rocking the look, I must point out this trend holds a fine line between flash and utter trash.  So, if you are as intrigued by this new micro trend, here are some pointers to keep you looking a white delight:

1. Matte is back.  Glossed over talons are a no-go.  Try OPI in Alpine Snow  or Nars Ecume Opaque shade for best results.
2. This look is perfect for high summer, against a golden tan.
3. Accessorise with gold.  Chunky gold jewellery will help accentuate the polish.
4. Dark denims e.g. cute denim dresses, skinny or flared jeans etc look great against the white and help it pop.  Stone washed denim is a massive no no as always (if only SamCam could persuade David to pass this law…).
5.   Tanned leather goods, e.g. bags and sandals will complement the look further.

Despite the more imminent nail trend brewing at the moment, of which I thoroughly blame the likes of Rihanna and Lana Del Rey, I believe the white manicure looks a damn sight better than the super pointed talons these women are popularising.  Imagine getting in a catfight with one of these ladies…ouch.

Trendabl or Trendadon’t? The new Fashion & Style App

Being fairly new to the iworld (a previous Blackberry bitch, and clearly, like the rest of the Universe, swapping alligance) I am now always open to trying out any fashion and style related apps I can get my mitts on.  My esteemed colleague, Sophie Cha, actually outlined many of these in a previous article for Style & then Some which I am currently working my way through.  But I have come across another, Trendabl, which I wanted to share with you, dear readers. 

Having first heard about Trendabl on E! News (please don’t judge me) I assumed this was quite an established style app, seeing as it was being plugged on international TV.  Yet once I downloaded it, to be fair, it does seem rather new and glitchy (apparently the app was only launched last month).  Despite the basic premise of the app following the instagram suit (think of it as an instagram for girls and their shoes), e.g. upload a stylish pic and people can ‘Like’ and comment on your photo, you can also go one step further and easily tag the brand, the store you bought the items your photographing, and even give a price indication.  Something I find very handy.  However, I felt rather torn by this app.  I want to love it, as its easy to use and basically pocket inspiration, (how stylists ever lived without iphones and style apps is beyond me), but at the same time I am yet to find anyone else I know using the app.  Is it because it’s still quite new?  Or is it because it’s just not good enough?  For some reason also, some of my uploaded photos were deleted, and also many of the pics I had ‘liked’ to save for future reference were wiped.  Now, I am willing to stick by trendabl in the vain hope it will level itself out, but in the harsh and competitive world of fashion and technology, they may want to deglitch pronto.

So, if you do use Trendabl, let me know your thoughts and whether you have had any problems using the app, or if I am just an unlucky first timer!  

Alexa Chung’s ‘thinstagram’ controversy

I swear, Instagram has never had so much publicity as its had in the last week.  The photo-sharing app for mobiles (in case you’ve been living under a rock) has not only been acquired by Facebook’s greedy Zuckerberg  for a rumoured $1 billion, but it also appears to have got MTV presenter Alexa Chung embroiled in yet another ‘weight debate’.  When Chung posted a snap of herself on her Instagram account wearing a denim dress, shades and trademark ballet flats the ex-model was inundated with negative comments about her tiny frame.  After commenting on the photo that she wasn’t ‘trying to be thinspo for anyone’ she then made her account private, and is now dealing with the Instagram fall out in the press.

Having  only joined Instagram a few weeks ago (insert shameless self promotion here: @helencoakley, Chung was actually one of the first ‘shlebs’ I followed.  Now, I know she can be considered Marmite, but I genuinely admire her sense of style and from the few images I managed to see on her account, it was rather nice having a direct window in to her wardrobe!  But no.  Haters gotta hate, haven’t they?  And now my fabulous pocket inspiration in the form of Chung is set to private.  So unless I befriend her sharpish that’s game over for us.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying this photo didn’t have the shock factor.  Alexa’s legs do look very thin, but at the end of the day, and to my dying day, I will not understand people’s obsession with abusing celebrities because of their weight.  I admire the way she styles herself and don’t judge her on her on the aforementioned issues.  And what is even the point in following someone you are just gagging to abuse on a social network?  Let’s have a social media cleanse people.  Anyone nowadays in the public eye is automatically considered a ‘role model’ whether they like it or not, and unfortunately they cannot post a tweet or a picture without over-analysis and hoards of abuse.  Everyone has a photo or a tweet they aren’t proud of, but unlike us, celebs can’t get away with quickly hitting the delete button and hoping nobody saw.  Now defending Alexa’s weight isn’t my point here.  But I would like to point out through all the abuse she has received over this one picture and being accused of said ‘thinspo’ she is one of the few celebrities who isn’t posting half scantily-clad twitpics and dressing like a stripper.  Swings and roundabouts people. Actress Ashley Judd recently wrote an incredibly eloquent and accurate essay for the Daily Beast about just this subject, the objectification of women in the media, when she was criticised  in the press not for being too skinny but for her ‘puffy face’. If you find yourself drawn to the side bar of shame on the Daily Mail more than you’d like, it’s highly recommended reading.

Now I know some of this may provoke different opinions, and I would love to hear your thoughts, as ever, so please do feel free to pipe up…although any thoroughly negative comments may result in this article being deleted.  Method acting and all that…

Getty while it’s hot…Marilyn Monroe For Free

Ever since the Getty Images Gallery opened up down my road at work I have constantly found myself, on the way to the tube after a long day, being beckoned in by the glitzy champagne receptions and wondering what celeb-studded bash was taking place to celebrate some iconic retrospective this Monday…or Tuesday, or Wednesday.  Once I even caught a glimpse of Jenson Button at the gallery, being celebrated for his and Lewis Hamilton’s photographic skills…yeah I never knew they did pictures either.  But when the Marilyn Monroe exhibition took up residency, it was the final straw.

The retrospective, which includes iconic photography, as well as rarer images of the Hollywood siren, from her early days as a budding starlet to stills of the actress at her peak, also includes original costumes and garments worn by the megastar.  And we are talking some serious fashion here.  Plunging necklines, skimpy showgirl costumes, and a whole host of beadwork.  Despite the more iconic, highly duplicated images of Monroe being on display, for me the more candid and less universally exposed shots were fascinating.  Many photographs of Marilyn and Laurence Olivier feature in the exhibition, and depict various scenes when the two were in London to promote ‘The Prince and The Showgirl’.  By all accounts Olivier actually found Marilyn very hard to work with, due to tardiness on her part.

The gallery, located at 46 Eastcastle Street (just round the corner from Oxford Circus) is also absolutely free to visit.  Perfect if you want to escape the hoards of shoppers on the main street!  ‘Marilyn’, as the exhibition is known, has in fact been laid on to mark the 50^th anniversary of Ms. Monroe’s death (She passed in August 1962), and runs until 23^rd May.

Images courtesy of Getty Images.