Going Underground

purple rain

2011-06-14T07:47:00.000+01:00

sorry about my cuticles, they're gross i know, i can't stop picking at them, it's an anxiety thing.

opi "glitzerland"

rimmel "blue me away"

topcoat lashings of essie "good to go"

recent nails

2011-06-14T07:19:00.000+01:00

i bought some nail pens on ebay recently. one of those cheap and cheerful packages with about 20 colours that work out for less than a dollar. still, if you're a newbie wanting to practice it's pretty good value!

now i really wanna get some nail stamp plates!

essie watermelon with a (not perfect) slick of matte about you. ugh i have never had nice hands and since stopping chewing my nails i've taken to chewing my cuticles. bad, i know

a cheapy purchase from witchery clearence store. i was thinking about chanel's riva plus this sort of pastel minty green has always really suited me. i found it looks a bit cheap though.

popping a slick of barry m crackle to see if it can endear itself to me anymore. nope

and this was the point i jumped the shark and put sally hansen xtreme wear disco ball over the top.

went to watch melbourne storm with my cousins last night. i may know bugger all about rugby but i know how to do ghetto nails!!

and finally, yours truly. you can't be chola without co-ordinating your nails to your cardie.

leopard tutorial via models inc & wah nails

fred perry summer 2011

2011-04-19T01:59:00.001+01:00

i love me some skinhead. always have. drainpipe jeans, dm's and a fred perry - what's not to like?

see 'this is england' for inspiration.

all photos © gavin watson

bizarrely i'm not really obsessing over anything in the current fred perry collection, it's all a bit average for my liking. but i am LOVING their special designer collections! yes loving it so much i used capitals!

firstly, the amy winehouse collection. gorgeous spring/summer colours of coral, red and yellow, lovely and bright and the reoccurance of a signature hawaiian print. stunning!

stuff i want:

flip shorts £77
amy straw clutch bag £77
knitted cardigan with embroidery detail £92
shirt with piping and back vent detail £67
amy hawaiian scarf £31
colour block shirt £62

stuff i love but would never have the guts to wear:

body con fred perry dress £130

gingham playsuit £105

gorgeous arm candy in their limited edition range:

leather satchel handbag £175

woven embossed handbag £95

limited edition richard nicoll collection.

pastels, colour blocking and lurex. perfect.

intarsia design sweater £175

short sleeve knitted pointelle top £125

lurex pencil skirt £125

colour blocked dress £110

trapeze smock with peter pan collar £125

long sleeve printed easy fit shirt £125

for more photos skins photos and stories my recommendations are:

skins by gavin watson

skins & punks by gavin watson

skinhead by nick knight

yes, that's right. nick knight. the nick knight. responsible for iconic work such as this:

don't you just love a hidden past?!

ghetto nasty

2011-04-18T07:26:00.001+01:00

feeling a little ghetto today. inspiration via mutya buena. big hair, big curls and even bigger hoops.

attitude compulsory diy.

i love the smell of fresh manicures in the morning!

2011-04-16T04:28:00.004+01:00

opi malaga wine

opi glitzerland

golden days

2011-04-15T22:47:00.000+01:00

it's funny because i am a winter girl. i have never liked the stinking hot heat of melbourne where we get train tracks buckling but due to lack of tropical weather little rain and even less relief.

but this years summer was a complete damp squib. i am relieved there was only a handful of days over 35C but otherwise it was cold. and i'm not ready to stop wearing pastels and bright colours!!

coral-pink jumper: review

nails: opi gliterzland

gold pegasus wings nacklace: tatty devine

jealousy is such an ugly colour

2011-04-09T02:11:00.009+01:00

i hate eliza doolittle. ok i don't hate her, i don't particularly care for her music but damn i am jealous watching her (with perfect long pins) strut about in the beautiful moschino s/s 10 collection. damn yooooooooou!

moschino are definitely one of my favourite labels - ironic since i don't actually own any - but i love taking inspiration from them. the stunning hue of colours, the range of cuts and styles for all body shapes and their ability to pick the perfect materials for the perfect fit and drape.

mecca haul

2011-04-07T06:12:00.013+01:00

i'm a mac devotee, i'll put it out there right now. having been blessed to live with a mac make-up artist who showered me with brushes, palettes and everything in between it's only natural i'd stay loyal to the label.

but for my recent birthday i was given a beautiful diptyque candle and a voucher. personally as much as i may love candles, spending over $100 for one seems frivolous and wasteful. so i did what any good recycler does - i took it back and got a voucher to spend!

and then i came home with this beautiful bounty:

firstly, nars lipstick in dolce vita, a gorgeous neutral dusty pink. doesn't have much colour or staying power but i love it with heavy eye makeup. apparently it's "frequently voted the most “universally flattering” lipstick shade by industry professionals” but that’s nars saying that so I’ll take it with a pinch of salt.

i also excitingly got the hourglass veil primer. i’ve heard a lot of good things about this one and was really keen to try it out. the girl in the shop put some on my hand and it felt sublime, it becomes like a mineral powder, silky and smooth.

i have to say i am really disappointed by this. having european skin i am prone to oily t-zone and breakouts and whilst it feels lovely and makes foundation last a little longer, for $79 i was expecting longer than a few hours! up until now I’ve been using face of australia primer (which is apparently a good dupe for napoleon’s which is also 4x the price!) frankly i’ll stick with my target cheapy.

lastly (and most pleasing of all) was managing to nab one of the last mecca colour my world polished perfection set. i cannot explain how much i LOVE mecca nail polishes! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

they’re not cheap (well, they’re not chanel but nor are they rimmel!) but the formulas are fantastic, great brushes that glide on with ease, lovely textures that are not too thin or gloopy and fantastic pigmentation that won’t chip for a few days (usually i get a week out of them with a top coat) and the colours! oh the colours! how I wish we weren’t heading into winter…

maria – beige-grey, it turned an almost light purple after a few days?! i’m still not sold on beige nail polishes as a whole but still a nice neutral

katharina – a stunning pastel-pink-coral. probably my favourite of the lot, makes my pale yellow skin look really tanned!

me avec bed hair (hence hiding)

cassandra – a beautiful bright red with just a hint of orange

margaret - a lovely bright-yet-pastel magenta (how do they manage the bright pastel thing?!)

mistress quickly – gorgeous bright pink

juno – vampy dark red. not too dissimilar to one of my fave staples o.p.i. malaga wine!

i want to put some swatches up and shall take them with a proper camera not iphone-in-bedroom at 11pm!

so all in all a good days work, even better when I didn’t have to put my hand in my pocket!