Everyone is wearing... Vintage

Everything is remix. Those three words have been lingering around my life the last couple of years, ever since 1st year of college when we were introduced to the remix culture through media studies it has become part of my life. Once you know what remix is and how involved in our lives it is the more you start to notice it and accept it. From music to random remix videos on Youtube like Batman On Drugs or Charlie Bit Me, heck I think we all have watched a video of a cat doing something funny!

We have come to the stage in our lives where we started to remix clothes, new fashions that are influenced by 50s, 60s or even the 90s! But the wonderful thing that this culture introduced in our everyday lives is vintage clothing. Years ago nobody wore old clothes it was all about NEW NEW NEW, only the few individuals that managed to fish out vintage shops that were most likely charity shops with second hand shops... However now vintage is the new thing to be wearing, something old wether its your grans or your mams from the 80s, vintage is the cool thing to do.

We totally agree, its not only cool, its also a great way of living! Its basically recycling made cool... Also there is something about the clothes that have a history makes you feel like special or something, thinking how your mam wore this to her first date with your dad. 

Its also great because nobody will have the same items as you. Thats winning!

The idea of buying vintage is that you get this great product for the fraction of its price, also dont be caught out when buying stuff that says vintage but may just have the look of vintage clothing... 

So where to look out for vintage clothing: the first place I would look would be your local charity shop, great place to start especially if your living in a small town, people always get rid of their old stuff and give it to their charity shops, for some its junk for others its one epic find! 

Another local option are car boot sales, the original ones, I am not talking Fairy House Market kind of thing where everything is from the back of the van! 

An obvious choice would be vintage shops, and there are plenty scattered around Dublin, including Temple Bar. However...some of them may be a little expensive so shop around. I came across one very cute shop in Blackrock, Dundalk that sold amazing vintage clothing from wedding dresses to retro designer stuff. After Sybil was a little original vintage clothing shop, although the clothes were AMAZING the owner however put a damper on the experience by being rude.

There are some unreal opportunities out there that do some really cool stuff like Shutterbug Vintage (http://www.facebook.com/shutterbugshop)  and their 20euro per kilo vintage clothes sale... We have been saving and hopefully we will have a post to tell you all about our vintage buying experience! 

E. ❤

YOLO Trend

YOLO the most common hash-tag on twitter has set a sort of a trend. YOLO this and yolo that... Seems to be the new excuse to get drunk or do stupid things. There is no end to it.
If you have been living without the internet or in general hiding in the jungle YOLO stands for You Only Live Once.
The phrase itself has been around for years and was fairly common but picked up the pace in October 2011 when Drake announced it to be his new motto and sent out a tweet with the shortened version YOLO.

The internet is now filled with YOLO memes and sayings, but recently I have started to notice the trend is now become a fashion icon too! Instagram has so many examples of people who have taken the phrase to the next level, wearing t-shirsts, bracelets and other YOLO merchandise.

Here is a few things I found while wandering online... Jumpers , tshirts, iPhone cover, bracelets and even these crazy leggings!

Just like the LOL trend this one will probably linger.

E. ❤

Wink Wink, Are They Fake?

Fake eyelashes. Yay or Nay?

Four years ago I was introduced to the phenomenon of fake eyelashes, and how I have lived without them since then I don't even know! 

It all started when Girl Aloud brought out Eylure fake lashes...if no one has heard of them you must be living under a rock because now your not a celebrity if you don't have eyelashes as a merchandise. (Come on if George Salpa has them...) Back to Girls Aloud, since the first edition of their eyelashes, they have since had 4 different editions including festival wear. 

Now we have different lengths, types, full lashes and individual ones. Celebrities market theirs by showing of their good looks and professionally done make up (photoshop). However we end up falling for these advertisements and purchase them regularly...sometimes you loose them after a few too many cocktails when you come home. 

Going back in history eyelashes go way back to 1916 when the director of a film Intolerance insisted on the lead actress wearing fake lashes. “The first false eyelashes was made of human hair woven through fine gauze by a local wig maker.” 

So what are the best brands/types...

For subtle wear use individual lashes. They look nice and no one will ever notice them or question that wink. However you may not want to try these for a fake eyelashes virgin! They can be tricky to put on, one eyelash at a time. 

Individual Eyelashes

Girls Aloud eyelashes collection is a classic pick. Wont disappoint! Use Nadine or Nicola, avoid Cheryl... As lovely as Cheryl looks these eyelashes tend to make you look Asian, no joke. 

Girls Aloud

Other celebrity ones aren't bad either. I tend to buy Katy Perry because my eye shape fits nicely and I don't need to trim them to suit my eyelids. They tend to look bigger and fuller then they really are.

Katy Perry

Avoid George Salpas brand...very plasticy and fake looking!! 

All big celeb lashes are made by Eylure and are an excellent brand as itself. The glue may smell bad but it works and doesn't damage the eyelashes. Also some other glues may leave a line which not even make up remover will power through (but will come of eventually).

E. ❤

Cute T ❤

I ❤My T-Shirt.

From everyday casual wear to grunging up an outfit with a colourful T-shirt... At the end of the day its a must have and lets face it we all have!
This month I am all about the Ts, since I started back in college I find myself standing staring at my wardrobe for 10 minutes thinking of what to wear and how to wear it, and whats comfortable. So 2 weeks ago shopping in Liffey Valley I went on a mad T-Shirt hunt.

I love wearing H&Ms 4,95 cotton skirts, have them in every colour...They are so darn confortable and go with everything, so I managed to hunt down a few cheap t-shirts to go with them (as well as jeans and shorts, so versatile ;))

River Island

What I find when finding a lovely T-shirt is one, they are soooo expensive 25 euro or so for a t-shirt?!! Say what now! My advice is wait till sales! Only crazy or rich peeps by t-shirts worth 25 euro or more, all your paying for is the over priced print.. Looking at River Island and their cute Ts makes you drool and always end up flicking the tag over and walking away, but they always end up going on sales for less then half the price.. For example, this beut MTV print crop T-shirt with no sleeves! I own three of these in different colours (green, white and grey)
Super cute I know :)

I was such a sucker and bought it when it came out for 25 euro! Was I crazy or what.. Then January sales roll around (which are the day after Stephens day, 27th December  and they were all reduced to 10-12 euro.. I stool in the shop and cried. So to avoid this feeling bargain hunt that shit!

On the same note.. River Island are still releasing these and so are other shops. I highly doubt that MTV will ever go out of fashion.

So back to the purchases, its rare to find a few good buys but I managed to come across some serious gems that day. I bought two Ts in H&M for 5 euro each, one was Beatles print and the other Rolling Stones. Then in Miss Selfridge I fished out a David Bowie t-shirt with no sleeves for 10 euro!

If that wasn't enough I also managed to rummage through Pennies sales rack (dont underestimate the sales rack, it looks like its full of crap but you never know) and I got Lady Gaga t-shirt for 5 euro. Winning.

On another note if your t-shirts are getting boring and you want to do a bit of DIY on them that makes them so much more cooler. Make something your own; wether its cutting it up or tie dying!

Heres a link to a really cool DIY video tutorial to spice of your boring Ts. Scull cut out at the back :)


Definetly check it out and give the DIY stuff a go.. I'll try and do a tutorial soon

E. ❤

Pretty Face.

Ohhh hey there yee all! WANT WANT WANT! How can anyone have enough of anything?! Just like clothing ,shoes and sooo many pretty things and of course luuuuuuuuuuurve (pass me the bucket, it’s just me and my cats), my first entry writing to this blog will most likely become a “healthy obsession” (cough cough) and I will from now to the infinite (bible) will only post things that matter .Ehmm yeah,that being EVERYTHING! So first entry is going to be a short tip about makeup (how original), but I swear it’s something that encourages me to get outta bed in the morning and prepare to face the day! Hope yeee all think sooo too! :)

Having spent a year living in Berlin, all of my everyday necessities were purchased in German shops e.g. make-up, mascara, face creams etc. but most importantly after a visit from my friend from Amsterdam, I ditched the MAC makeup I normally used (MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation SPF 15 NC30) and with the advice of my friend, found a saviour who did not evaporate into thin air and leave me with smudges covering my face after I spent a couple of hours wearing it.

 This being L'Oréal Paris True Match Roll-On Foundation - W3 Golden Beige. Once I found my shade, it matched my skin beautifully and I then felt great sorrows for a male who didnot have as great companion as I had just found.  BUT. After I landed in Eire for good, and my make-up ran out I discovered to my horror that no longer could I purchase the one thing I loved more than sliced bread. Thinking caps were put on and I solved the catastrophe. (I did not, however, go back to live in Berlin.) 

What I did is I purchased the same foundation being L'Oréal Paris True Match and the same shade W3 Golden Beige just in liquid form.Just like the Roll' on it comes in many different shades to suit all types of skin.Different shades of True Match Liquid Foundation .

Cheap and cheerful- something that I would label my make-up brush that I use to apply this foundation with.REAL TECHNIQUES by Samantha Chapman-Stippling brush. Its great for coverage and completes the job like any MAC brush.Also used in many make-up tutorials on youtube. Both of the items are just under 20euro each.

Happy purchasing! xoxo

P.S Not just a pretty face?Watch this space.

I. ~~*

Graduation Outfit

This year I am graduating from college... All I can think about are my outfits for the big day/evening ball! Here are my purchased outfits. Day time and night time ball.

Day Time

The hardest bit was finding something that would look nice and be not over too dressy but formal at the same time. Walking around shops and not knowing what you want is a drag. Today I got a dress on sale in Miss Selfridge, I must say the best 15 euro I have spent in a long time. Miss Selfridge, Liffey Valley Shopping Center in Dublin now stocks only sale items, the whole shop is buy one and get another free. The shop is packed full of dresses (a lot of maxis), skirts, t-shirts...etc.

This is a skirt/top dress, if someone doesn't really know what that consists of its basically a dress that looks like a two piece (skirt and a top) here it is:

My lighting isn't great, I think the collar is so pretty. With a bit of home styling it could look even better... I'm gonna eventually do a blog on DIY.

I will be wearing black tights as its freeeeezzzzzing! For a student its hard to be able to afford everything, this leads to compromising  In my case I am referring to my shoe situation. I had to find shoes that would suit my day time outfit as well as the evening. A decision was made that I will not be wearing high heels this year, the full banter can only be achieved with flats.

Here are the shoes I got for both of the occasions:

These are from New Look, sparkly silver flats with jeweled bows. They will go nicely with the two dresses!

Night Time

The night time event of the graduation is the Grad Ball. Not many wear full length gowns to it but it seems more and more acceptable to wear maxi dresses on nights out.

I found a creamy/peachy maxi dress in Warehouse. Its Grecian style, with a see through long layer. I had my mind set on a full length dress because I wanted to wear flats and be comfortable.

I found it online on Asos and then went onto the actual warehouse.com to have a look at it, originally it was priced at 130 euro!! Which was madness, for a second I was prepared to pay that much. Madness. Then I thought I would go into the shop and try it on first before buying. Thank god I did as it was on sale. Reduced to 72 euro (with the 20% student discount went down to 6o something).

Although there was none my size I bought size 16 and got it altered to 12, it was only 20 euro extra and it was worth it I may add.

This is the dress on my hanger, doesn't look as good there so I added one from the site.

Sales

Always remember to check clothes for rips and tears. Sometimes sales items can be dirty with make up and stuff, dont hesitate to ask the sales assistant for money of the clothing item as the stain shouldn't be there even though its a sales item.

Dont forget to try items in different sizes, some shops stock odd sizes for different shapes. This also ties in with the altering, if the dress is cheap and worth tailoring get a bigger size! Its easier to trim around the dress and make it smaller then having to add material to a smaller size.

Also regarding stains dont buy items with oily stains they make not come out, that kind of stain usually looks like grease.

Never forget to check for student discounts!

Update

Just decided to add a picture of the dress at the Grad.. Not the best photo but you get the gist :)

E. ❤

Halloween 2012 - Skull Face

I have posted a blog about best tutorials on easy costume ideas/make up previously you can check it out here: http://everyprettydesire.blogspot.ie/2012/09/halloween-is-upon-us-be-afraid.html

Since Halloween is only a few sleeps away and people are already dressing up and heading out to fancy dress parties and events I practiced the Lady Gaga Skull make up from the Born This Way video a few days ago...

Here I have taken pictures step by step actions of a skull face :)

Step 1.
Best to get a page and two different coloured pens and draw out a face. Like I have done here use one colour to draw out the face no major facial characteristics are necessary but the eyes, nose and mouth should be there.

Step 2.
With the red pen draw out the lines and shapes that you will eventually transfere onto your face with a brown or black eyeliner, preferably black so you can follow the lines better. Try and follow your actual bone structure by feeling around where the bones on your face are.

Step 3.
Fill in the eye sockets and other "empty" bone areas like cheeks and nose with black paint. The rest white... Better to do the white first, several layers of white make up may be needed as some brands are watery. You will feel your face getting tighter due to the make up but dont worry that normal and wont harm your skin. At this point you should colour in the teeth and shade them into shape a bit.
Add shading to the eyeliner lines using black or grey eyeshadow and a soft brus. Do the same with the teeth outline.

Step 4.
When your face is dry draw out the neck with the same eyeliner pencil, by this time it may be blunt so dont forget your parer ;) Make sure you remember which section should be black and which white! It may be hard to reverse...

Step 5.
Fill in the black first! Unlike your face there is more black then white and this in general is one messy affair so better of waiting till the black dries then applying several coats of white.
Dont forget to colour underneath your chin.

Step 6.
Is the last step which is shading of the neck. By this time your mouth will be as dry as the Sahara do apply more white make up on your teeth area.

TADA!!

Tips.

When your applying the black make up do not freak out if it stings a little. If its very wet and wont dry quick enough apply black eyeshadow, dont rub just gently dab it on. 

For costume ideas just put your hair in a pony tail add a white shirt, dicky bow, black trousers and a blazer. The Lady Gaga look :) 

Bring white make up and a small brush in your hand bag with you to the party, the teeth area may fade when drinking or eating or kissing :-P 

E. ❤

Autumn Accessories and Jewellery

Shopping for accessories and jewellery is one of my favourite kind of shopping expierences! Today I went to River Island to check out their newer collection from the cheapy section..

These are my purchases. Once again the light isn't great but I have put together a set of my purchased from the site which are taken by a photographer and can be seen more clearly :)

1. Silver Tone Ear Cuff - 4 euro

Big trend setter this year, have come out of nowhere but seem to be the influence of Grunge and Rock Style. It was very popular back in 2000 so its no surprise they are making an appearance now that fashion seems to be coming around full circle. Great for people who dont have their ears pierced and look super cool when the hair is put up or have a side of your hair shaved of.

2. Multi Pack Ear Cuffs - 2 euro

This beauties are amazing. They aren't one of them irritating accessories, also look really cool without the pain of having the side of your ear pierced. One of the more exciting trends this year.

3. Gold Tone Cross Necklace - 4 euro

This necklace doesn't look as chunky in real life. Its actually very delicate and tiny looking. Perfect for layering jewellery.

4. Gold Tone Pear Multi Finger Ring - 8 euro

Love love love these multi finger rings! There is nothing uncomfortable about these rings and they look great. I believe we first saw them years ago on the Hills, when Lauren Conrad flaunted hers in season 1. Epic.

E. ❤

October Wants ♥

Seen as it is the start of October I thought I would share some of the things I wish I could get my hands on ;) 

Colour block Pointelle Sweater €23.75 Forever 21 
I love knitwear and I haven't seen anything around like this. Definitely could be worn in any season.
Light brown studded heel court shoes €37 New Look
I only have one pair of nude shoes (shock!) so these would be a great purchase. The studs are all in this season and I just heart these. 
Nars blush 'Orgasm' €30
I have heard so much about this brand of makeup and this product seems to be it's best seller. Not sure though if I would spend that just on a blusher. A girl can dream.
Dark green smart belted playsuit €50 River Island 
This playsuit is so me, i love long sleeves. Would be great to wear with or without black tights.
Light brown stud suede tote €125 River Island 
I'm not too sure if this is the correct price but yes it's crazy expensive but another purchase I'll be dreaming about. I love the colour and it would just go with everything.
Pale orange tiered collar dress €23.75 Forever 21 
This dress is so cute, I'm looking for little dresses I can wear with tights and boots. 

Here's to saving 

x x 

C 

Playing iPhone Dress Up

Since the iPhone 5 came out this week I decided to write a related fashion post. Ever since the iPhone came out in 2007 everyone is gone on a iPhone craze, this craze not only included large variety of apps to dress up your phone on the inside but also on the outside with all kind of covers. From jelly to hard covers we have seen them all, priced from 100 euros to 1.49...

Everyone who has an iPhone wants to keep it safe, although you may think insuring your precious is enough it kind of isn't so this is where the cover craze comes in.

Now accessorizing doesn't only mean matching a necklace or a bracelet to your outfit but an iPhone cover. We are gone iCrazy for them... Pinterest and Instagram have brought the craze to a new level, people posting new and funky covers to show of to the iFans.

I have an iPhone myself and have gone through 3 covers in a year, yes that might seem like a lot to people who dont dress up their phone in pretty covers but its actually very little. Many people now have a variety of covers to choose from and change them weekly even daily!

Its mad what people pay to put a cover on their phones. Reading online about these expensive covers I found a blog about the most expensive iCovers exceeding price up to 100,000!!!! http://www.mostexpensiveofthings.com/most-expensive-iphone-case.html  iCrazy. 

If your a more simple person that wants your phone to look great for cheap I suggest shopping around markets where they are usually a tenner and have nice variation of designs. The cheaper covers in the Pound Shops or Value Land stores are usually unreliable and will brake, but then again better the cover then the phone. I have found the best places for cheap covers are either the Chinese shops which repair phones, Penneys and H&M...

I went for a stroll around the shops the other day and have found a few new cool covers in Penneys which might tickle your fancy and are only 5 euro!

E. ❤

The Moustache Trend - 'Tash On

Moustache is defined as facial hair grown on the upper lip.

So where did this trend start? Who cares! I love it. Girls wearing accessories and apparel hailing the almighty moustache...

The trend started with hipsters and the way of mocking them, but has become silly and fun. There is so much merchandise out there with the mustache print its not even funny, it has cough on like wildfire.. From nail stickers to stationery.
Movember is an anual month long event which involves growing a mustache for charity... It came to Ireland in 2007 and has become even more popular every year. Movember madness has spread this trend even further, with charity events and organizers like the 'Stache Bash by the American Mustache Institute!

The moustache trend is bringing smiles and fun everywhere you bring one. If you dont have a fakey' to bring with you the Fingerstache will do, just draw a moustache on your finger and your ready to go! There is also the option of the Stache On A Stick, which is pretty self explanatory, its a moustache on a stick.
For my 22nd Birthday I got the mustache straws which where pretty epic!

If your not on the trend I suggest get on it.. Heres some of my favorite merchandise. Moustache your life.

1. Moustache Shopper - Topshop

A mustache totes bag. Totes want. Priced at around 12 euros.

2. Miso Moustache Lace Sleeved T-Shirt - Republic

Priced around 20 euros.

3. Moustache Print Ankle Socks - Forever 21

One of the more random mustache print items I have seen. Love these socks. Priced at 1,60.

4. Black Moustache Stud Earrings - River Island
Priced at 3 euros, loving the new cheaper River Island accessory range.

5. Moustache Straws - Urban Outfitters
Tash-tastic mustaches for parties and boring evenings. Yet still kinda pricey for straws, 8 euro.

6. Moustache Mug - Urban Outfitters
Putting a stach on your coffee each day, 12 euro.

7. Emergency Moustaches - River Island
For all emergencies, hiding from exes etc. Around 7 euro.


E. ❤