Livin' La Viva Glam Loca

So a few months ago the dissapointing and unlikely partnership of le Minge and Martin to replace Lady Gaga as the MAC Aids Fund Viva Glam ambassadors was announced to the world.

I'm going to be honest I wasn't exactly jumping for joy.... I was holding out for Katy Perry and instead got a poor man's Rihanna and a... well, a Ricky Martin.

The campaign is exactly what I expecting.

le Minge looking like a douche, wearing a pink lipstick that is 

a) Almost exactly the same colour as Gaga's original Viva Glam (But since when has le Minge ever done anything original anyway?)

b) A horrendous colour on darker skin tones ie/ hers

c) Almost the same colour as Pink Friday which refers us back to points a) and b)

On the plus side Ricky Martin is tattooed and camping it up to the max

Thoughts?

The Ballad Of Petra Doe

A few months ago I collaborated with one of my favourite teams:

Photographer Leoni Blue, Stylist Sophie Monro-Pruett and Hairstylist Kasia Fortuna on a shoot we like to call "The Bird Story"

We were over the moon when one of our favourite magazines Ballad Of loved it and picked it up to use as an editorial in their new issue The Ballad Of Petra Doe!

As you can imagine we were super excited... And even more excited when we were then invited to the Old Blue Last on friday night for the launch party/Wake ;)

As well as finally meeting Katie & Lindsey the brains and beauty behind Ballad Of we were also mingling with tons of other young creatives who contributed to the issue.

It was an awesome night and we are so greatful to have been invited...  even more so when we discovered our amazing goodie bags!

Any one who knows me will know that I am a huge fan of the tote bag.... as someone who insists on carrying her own body weight in "You never know when it might need it" stuff about London on a daily basis, a handy neighbourhood tote bag has come to my rescue on many an occasion.

I am also never one to pass up a freebie or two, Janet Jackson taught me well.

The moral of the story is we were spoilt rotten with our absolutely gorgeous Boudoir Prive Tote bags packed to the rafters with goodies. 

• My absolute favourite things in the whole wide world were:
• The amazing vampire teeth necklace by Scarlett Hearts (Which by the way I have fallen so madly in love with that there will be a follow up post devoted to them) 
• The super cute Monster Mash necklace by Jaymie 

• The incredible How the Get That Boy guide by Rebecca Strickson

• Nail Tattoos by Big Ruby 

• A cute little geisha girl key ring & love hearts from Bex Belle
• An eye pencil from Illamasqua, Face Mask & Bath Bubbles from I Love...  & Crackle Polish from W7

Also definately worth a mention are the following talented illustrators Cathy Hookey, Mollybee* Doddle Day, Harriet Gray, Faye West, Jo Want, Anna Gwenllian and photographers Cat Lane and Flora Deborah

PS. Will be designer of the "Everything sucks and we're going to die" Poster please stand up, because it is amazing and is currently adorning the doorway to our kitchen. Mystery Solved Thanks to the wonder that is t'internet/twitter. Thanks everyone! Alexander Walker 

Thankyou so much Ballad Of and everyone else who made the party, big love to Yuya & Thomas :) xxx

Champagne & Caviar

I discovered Nails Inc Kensington Caviar base coat a few months back when I was in Nails Inc buying a birthday present for a friend
(Sidebar: I consider Nails Inc polishes as individuals quite expensive in comparison to the high st brands I usually buy, however in their salon Nails Inc do absolutely brilliant hatboxes as gifts which are incredible value for money, around £15/£20 for 4 polishes, top & base coat AND other goodies such as files/hand creams etc)

I have extremely bendy nails and since the first time I used Kensington Caviar base coat back in the summer it is the only base coat I will use.
You use it as a treatment, applying it to bare nails and then adding a coat each day for a week until on the 7th day you can remove it, apply it as a base coat and then start using colour again.


Now, here's the funny thing... Kensington Caviar is £12 if you buy it direct from Nails Inc. I am definately my mothers child and I never buy something without first doing a little price comparison! So I hopped off to Boots where I discovered that you can buy the Kensington Caviar base coat WITH the Kensington Caviar Top Coat for £10!

The funny thing is, Boots also sells the base coat and top coat as inviduals for £12 each.... eh?

Yeah, I didn't understand either, and before you ask, I'm not stupid, the bottles in the combi pack are the exact same sizes as the individuals! So basically, look out for the Duo, use it and say goodbye to brittle nails and hello to an extra £14 in your pocket!

Versace for H & M

On thursday evening I went down to Carnaby Street for a bit of retail therapy (read: window shopping & free drink searching) at the Grazia Christmas Shopping event.

Highlights:
Ben Sherman had the Bombay Bicycle Club DJ'ing in store as well as a Pop Up Bar from Background Bars
I discovered a Street Band called the Luminites. They were fab, you definately have to check them out if you can and despite the fact I can probably be arrested for saying this the keyboard player was ridiculously cute!

And finally, on my way home I couldn't resist a cheeky peek inside H&M to see what the damage was on the Versace range. I am always a sucker for the make up on mannequins, and I have to say the super simple (or budget?) look on these ones was a winner. ONE EYELASH. Yep, One strip of false eyelashes on one eye. Amazing.

And how awesome is this... the nails I painted last night in anticipation of the launch, every single one of the designs which inspired me for that nail look was featured in the window display! 

Ace. x

How to kill a guy in ten days

My nails from this week:

Continuing my obsession with tips I am having a play with textures.
Illamasqua Scorn (Matte Black) with Boosh (Glossy Black) tips.
So pleased my nails are finally a shape and length I love. Rounded nails are the way forward ladies, and the matte/glossy tip situation is all the rage this season, see YSL for proof.

Also there is no need to buy matte nail polishes in order to create this look, you can simply use a matte topcoat over any polish and then re-paint the tip with a glossy topcoat or with the orginal polish!

The best matte topcoat on the market the moment is Rimmel Pro Matte Topcoat xx