Black Swan

Recently out of bordem and insomnia i decided to watch the Black Swan and see if the gruelling year full of ballet training and weight loss by Natalie Portman was actually worth it for the production.

During an interview the actress revealed "There were some nights i literally thought i was going to die".. so i decided to have a look see..

The performance from Natalie Portman was amazing and she was so believable as a dancer. Her character wins the lead role of Swan lake as the delicate white swan, but slowly begins to lose her mind as she becomes more and more like the evil twin sister of the white swan, the black swan..

The film is quite dark as we see the gentle Nina (Portman) go from a sweet girl still sleeping with stuffed animals and being tucked in by her mother at night, to corrupt and filled with jealousy and paranoia after befriending Lily (Mila Kunis) who proves to be a threat after seducing her and is secretly hungry for the lead role.

It’s an interesting watch, but is also quite disturbing, as Nina’s mind becomes more overwhelmed trying to be perfect, her reality becomes blurred and barely realises her self-harming becoming worse.. proven with a shock ending.

If your curious about the film, its definitely worth the watch. There is some attention span needed during some points however, so be warned.

Jennifer López - All I Have (feat. LL Cool J) (Video Official) HD

Fitting..

Defined Curls?

If you want to achieve frizz free tamed curls, i definitely recommend buying from the Amika range.

There are different barrel sizes to select from for whispy waves, ringlets, glam bouncy big curls and straightners for straight and sleek looks.

For natural looking smaller curls its best to go for the smallest barrel size (pictured below) and go over natural curls for a defined look and less time consuming style.

If your hair isn’t naturally curly curls will still form beautifully, merely give your hair a rough blow dry (nozzle only no comb or brush) and then gently comb after dry. (Amika also works wonderfully on hair extensions ! :D )

Once applying serum/heat protection you can get to work wrapping sections of hair around the barrel - this shouldn’t take too long as you only need to hold hair on the curler for two seconds for a defined curl. The ceramic curler causes little to no damage to hair as it needs no clips to keep the hair in place whilst curling.

I bought mine from Westfield’s where they have a stand near the UGG store on the ground floor and another stand next to Topshop on the first floor.

They're priced from approx £80 - £100 but i managed to get it down to £70 after a little while of haggling lol..

Upon buying they show you the range of appliances and style your hair for free and you can also arrange for hair appointments with these guys for free after purchasing one of their products and they'll style your hair however you like ! Worth the buy !


check it out
http://www.loveamika.com/

Norah Jones - Sunrise

Feeling Norah Jonesy today..

Le Mindu VS GaGa

Hair raising fashion

From as far back as the Egyptian era, wigs and hair pieces have been in and out of fashion throughout the centuries. In 1760 the demand for false hair in Britain peaked, with both women and men fashioning the hair additions.

Originally the wigs in fashion at this time were made of horse hair and padded wool frames with vast amounts of hair then added to the top, reaching heights of thirty inches tall. These ostentatious hair-don’ts were often topped by floral and jewel embellishments and even scenes depicting ships and farmyards.

 Consequently, women frequently had trouble getting through doors and riding carriages, and more than one head of hair went up in flames after being caught in candlelit chandeliers within St Paul’s Cathedral, which subsequently had its roof raised in 1776.

These unforgettable styles have even inspired hair designers today, with Charlie Le Mindu’s collection facing the same predicament; barely missing the hanging chandeliers, lighting the runway of his AW09 show.

French born Le Mindu, recently made headlines with his SS11 show at London Fashion Week after sending two of his models down the catwalk, sporting nothing but his wild hair creations and pink lace-up latex stilettos during his Hollywood/flamingo themed show.

With the help of hair extensions/additions, celebrities such as Cher, Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga have become famous for their outlandish hairstyles. Gaga’s most recognised and sought after hair style being her “hair bow” (a style which is very comparable to Le Mindu’s innovative “hair lips” in his SS10 collection)- leading to hundreds of tutorials online, and accessory shops even getting in on the action, selling similar hair bands by the bucket load. And as a recent one-up from her meat dress at the MTV music awards, Miss Gaga opted for a new edition to her already outrageous wardrobe; a dress made entirely of strawberry-blonde locks, worn at an intimate impromptu concert in NYC.

The days of hair extensions merely being glued on to one’s head to create length and volume haven’t been cut short just yet; simply opt for this voluptuous lengthy look for a style ceiling high.



gaga



charlie le mindu



le mindu

gaga

 

 

le mindu

gaga

gaga

Le Mindu

I mean REALLY..?!

        Shoe creations, a step too far...

Broken toes much?

"She dont believe in shootin stars, but she believe in shoes n cars.."

Feel the grass between your toes..



Not for the un-balanced..



 Fish sandels? Um.. yuck

A Few Seasonal Buys..

 Jacket H&M

Boots NEWLOOK

Boots NEWLOOK

Boots

 Purple printed jacket H&M

 Knitwear ZARA

 Waistcoat ZARA

 Boots OFFICE

Cape BERSHKA

Weird but worthy hair care tips

Once having washed your hair through twice with your regular shampoo, squeeze out excess water and add a liberal amount of conditioner to your hair and put up into a bun (no need to be neat). Leave for 2 mins whilst still in bath or shower and rinse.
Now out of the bath/shower, squeeze out excess water again and rub in a hair mask, or if not the same conditioner you used previously and place into a bun again, but this time cover with a plastic bag, (big enough to tie at the back.) This will seal in heat from your head and condition your hair more.
 After 2mins, get a hair dryer on a low heat and move around the head as if drying your hair withouth a comb/brush. Do this for 5mins then remove bag and rinse. If available, add in some leave in conditioning serum (although if you dont have any dont worry!)Gently towel dry and style as preferred :)




Finally accepting the colder months, but still not ready for coat season? Knitwear to the rescue...

Personally, I find it difficult to find the right coat for my height, shape and skin tone. Not forgetting that the right coat is paramount this season, the item of clothing people will see you most in these colder months. It should be a statement piece, and reflective of your style and personality... But its quite an effort! So, if like myself, you've procrastinated far too long on the right length, colour or style of the staple Mac coat, or are not quite sure on if you'd suit this seasons aviator jackets, knitwear is the perfect option. Great on every figure, being oversized or fitted, cashmeres and chunky knits - you’re sure to find the right option, with no dramas in the fitting rooms!

For designer budget babes, Missoni has a vast range of fabulous knitwear, with beautiful palettes of colour and cuts, that was sent stopping down the catwalk at the Milan fashion week...

Check out the full gallery !

 http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/full-length-photos/id,8907

Velvet

Velvet is a classic fabric (often made from silk, though cotton and other fibres can be used but results in a slightly less deluxe fabric.) It is considered lavish and a seal of quality. It has succeeded in maintaining its aristocratic allure for centuries from the luxurious attire of Renaissance queens, to the autumn/winter catwalks of 2010 with a modern revival from the likes of Alexander Wang and Dolce & Gabbana.

In the winter of 1932 velvet triumphed in the creations of almost every French couturier; from Paquin and Lanvin to Chanel and Mainbocher. It was this decade where the fabric was translated into something more desired and attainable from a fashion perspective.

The return of the hourglass silhouette and opulence were the current apparel of femme fatales adorning cinema screens. With the innovative invention of the bias cut in full swing, ladies were able to traverse in elegance with an allowance of swaying fabric and sensuous gait, paying homage to on-screen idols with the added intrinsic qualities of the fabric itself. One such heroine; Greta Garbo, offered an endless aspiration source, wearing a blue velvet dress in the popular film “Inspiration” playing Yvonne Valbert - thus pushing the desperation for the textile further.

In the history of fashion, velvet has never gone out of style or disappeared from the market. Velvet has been revitalised this season and has once again become a must have piece injecting romance to this season’s minimalist and conservative outfits. With designers like Ralph Lauren and Zac Posen implementing rich pallets such as burgundy wine, woodland greens, midnight blues and classic black, women will be left feeling undeniably luxurious this fall.

On a desert island the pigeon post will bring only one publication each month. Which one would you choose and why?

If whilst being stranded on a desert island I was entitled to just one publication a month I would probably opt for my old but trusty subscription Cosmopolitan. Not only would it help keep my sanity, it would ease the boredom and loneliness I would no doubt inhabit during my stay.

Cosmopolitan is typically cut down into six sections “Cosmo News”, “Celebs”, “Love Sex and Success”, “News and Real Life”, “Fashion and Beauty” and “Living”.

 The magazine takes a modern approach to addressing issues that women face today with eye catching topics on the cover such as issues in the bedroom, exposés on men and shameful confessions from both men and women with each edition.

However Cosmopolitan hasn’t always been so risqué with the subjects it covers today. The publication was first released in 1886 and started off being a family magazine mainly attracting mothers as it would give tips on cooking, cleaning and managing children.

The magazine didn’t become an exclusive women’s publication freely discussing sex, real life and celebrities until the 1970’s.

I favour Cosmo as it does not have one focal point such as real life or just celebrities it covers a wide range of female interests and focuses mainly on the reader; and with the fashion and celebrities included in the magazine I would be able to keep up to date with the latest trends and attempt to achieve the latest look with materials found on the island, so when I did finally return back to the United Kingdom I looked like I came from an exotic editorial fashion shoot rather than a desert island!

 I think that the “Fashion and Beauty” section of the magazine may be beneficial to me since the magazine usually has sections printed about being safe on holiday and may give me tips on plants and animals not to come into contact with and which fruits and vegetables I can and can’t eat.

It could also give me natural ideas for sun protection which I would be able to create with growing ingredients on the island itself and the high quality gloss paper of the magazine may just come in handy!

The health advice would also assist me as it covers such a wide range of topics which prove to be useful such as checking for new moles that may sprout up due to sun exposure and any symptoms of illnesses I would need to know about.

In the past Cosmo has printed real life stories on the survivors of many serious predicaments and so it could be possible that in one of the many issues I receive may just get a survival guide for being trapped on a desert island.

To sum up I think that not only would Cosmo keep me entertained, stop me from losing my sanity and to an extent keep me healthy. But after collecting enough issues setting them on fire would create flames high enough for rescue!