Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Thirty-One

It's the last day of the challenge! Today's heading is "the thing you're obsessed with at the moment".

It seems that 90s fashion is really 'in' just now, and as I love Doc Martens and all things grunge I'm getting quite into the spirit of things. I've picked up a couple of items lately that I think illustrate this:

 Admittedly, I don't like slip dresses worn on their own, à la Kate Moss here, but rather with thick tights, a cardigan and some clunky shoes (and, you know, a bra). This Topshop one is therefore perfect as it isn't too short or sheer, and I got it reduced in the sale. I like that the back is a different pattern from the front. The ASOS 'Dino' platform trainers are awesome as they are not only chunky, but velvet! I ordered these in black in my usual size (UK 6) and they were far too small, so I'd recommend sizing up. So strange – I am always a 6! They're on their way back to ASOS just now so I'm hoping they'll have them in stock. The red ones above completely sold out, but thankfully they did restock them so I quickly ordered those as well. Patiently awaiting their arrival ...

This challenge has been a really fun way to do a bit more with my blog. I've gained some new followers, which is lovely, and I've been approached by an online clothing company to possibly feature some of their stock. :) Exciting times. I've also encountered some great blogs, particularly Toothpaste Kisses which is run by the lovely Hannah. Many thanks to Selina of Flying Saucer for this great idea.

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Thirty

So, today's post – the penultimate of the 31-day May blogging challenge – is headed "pretty hair", and as luck would have it, I got my hair cut tonight!

I hadn't had my hair cut in months and it was really showing. When your hair is long, you get the worst split ends even when you don't heat style it as the hair is just old and worn out. Sexy, right? So, I decided to take the plunge and get a good few inches off my ends so that my hair would look healthier. I've had the same hair cut for three or four years now, so it's fun to go a little bit shorter – and I still intend to keep up the green. Here it's a bit wavy, which was fun while it lasted (all of half an hour).

I promise that the photos of my face will be less frequent from now on! Sorry for the rubbish photo – my mum was getting her hair done after me so I had to take it myself. It feels so short even though it is still long ... I'm already getting used to it. :)

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Twenty-Nine

Hello! With only a few days left of the May challenge to go, I'm beginning to wonder how I'll ever come up with posts of my own. Today's heading is "your face of the day". Now, I love makeup and in turn, makeup blogs. They are a great source of inspiration for nights out, and I would have loved to show you something like what I wear when I'm going out for the day or an evening ... Alas, I was at work all day today.

 

Yes, it is my face again. Here I am wearing:

Estée Lauder Doublewear foundation in 'Ecru'
MAC Studio Careblend powder - Light
Chanel Joues Contraste blush in 'Orchid Rose'
Garnier eye concealer roll-on
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Maybelline gel eyeliner
Several shadows from the Sleek palette, 'Storm'
Cargo Lash Activator mascara
MAC Powerpoint eyeliner in 'Engraved'<3
MUA eyeshadow in shade 19 (used as brow powder)
Soap and Glory Cheekmate stain

I've been trying this foundation for a couple of days now and I really like it. I'm unsure about the colour because I've been told that I'm either 'Shell' or 'Ecru', as the former is yellow-toned and the latter neutral – it seems I have even less colour about my face than I thought.

I'm excited about tomorrow's challenge! You'll see why in around 24 hours' time.

P.S. A very happy birthday to my wonderful friend Karys! She is undoubtedly one of the most awesome people I know. You can check out her blog at http://whoisgrumblebeard.blogspot.com – I strongly encourage it! :)

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Twenty-Eight

Today's heading is "something everyone has now", and I've known what I'm going to post for this for a little while now.

(Underground, Vintage, Bronx, Jeffrey Campbell, Underground, Underground.)

I believe that everyone who's into clothes and whatnot has their own little 'thing' – the items that they feel are inherent to their own personal style. Mine is probably brothel creepers. I always wanted a pair when I was a young alternative-type but couldn't afford them, and when I started leaning towards said subcultures again I purchased my first pair in the summer of 2010: the white pair, above, which are vintage ones from the creeper renaissance in the 1970's. They are a bit big for me, and they weigh a tonne, but I love them. When I wore them, I would get openly mocked in the street. I quite literally had people run up to me to ask about/make fun of them, pointing and laughing as they went. Fast forward a couple of years and everyone is wearing them because a couple of celebrities got wind and it all took off from there.

I'm not insinuating that I 'started' the trend, or that I'm really cool because I got mine a couple of years ago. I'm also not trying to say that anyone who got a pair of brothel creepers in the last few months is wearing them purely because they're trendy. A lot of the time, people are unsure about something until they see it on other people and note how many different ways an item can work. That's normal. What I'm trying to say is that brothel creepers (which is their full name, by the way; so many high street shops call them 'creepers' for fear of offending anyone) were the footwear of choice for certain alternative subcultures for the longest time, and suddenly they're part of the zeitgeist. I've noticed this happen with a lot of trends: drainpipe jeans, striped trousers, Converse All Stars and Vans, ear tunnels and plugs, Doc Martens – all of these were birthed from teddy boys, punks, goths, skaters, and metalheads. They were a means of rebelling against what is deemed fashionable, and now they have become fashionable themselves. One only has to search Tumblr for tags like 'nu goth', 'pastel goth' and 'soft grunge' to see proof of that.

For now, we can stock up on certain items that we love whilst they are readily available. My brothel creeper collection has grown significantly this year, with three new additions to the family. After all, the upside to these trends is that they will die away quite quickly, and those who birthed the trends will still be wearing their favourite things. To certain sects, they were never trends to begin with.

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Twenty-Seven

Today's heading is "inspired by your style icon".

This is a bit difficult for me as I don't really think I have any style icons. There are a few people whose style I admire, but no one person that I try to channel. I suppose I just absorb images of things I like and they culminate in outfits. Hannah just posted a lovely outfit in a quite spectacular red satin skirt and cited Amy Lee from Evanescence as her style icon, which I could relate to as I often see cool outfits in films or TV programmes, or read descriptions in books, or see musicians in interesting clothes that inspire me way more than celebrities.

So, instead of posting a photo of myself here I thought I'd share some images of people I like. :) 

 

 

(Wednesday Addams; Hannah of Toothpaste Kisses; Jane Aldridge of Sea of Shoes, Rumi Neely of Fashiontoast; Dita von Teese; Cher Horowitz; vampire Willow; Mrs. Lovett; Diane Kruger; Violet Baudelaire; Amy Lee; Marie Antoinette)

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Twenty-Six

I'm posting this from my granny's house where there is but intermittent 3G – such dedication! Today's heading is the blogger classic: "what's in your bag". The bag I'm carrying today is a massive leather thing, bought from T.K. Maxx when I was seventeen. It has proved faithful to me for the last three years, and is probably the bag I carry the most (apart from my uni backpack).
I kind of threw things in my bag today. Clockwise from the top left, I've got my sunglasses (a Givenchy pair from T.K. Maxx ... I told you I shop there a lot), my ancient iPod Video in an AllSaints leather case, sweeteners, my purse (Osprey – guess where from?), Carmex, my inhaler, my makeup bag (from the sale at my work), and Mockingjay as I dislike being without a book. Not pictured are my headphones, which wouldn't fit on the tapestry stool, and my phone, which is wearing its rabbit ears today. I usually have a bottle of perfume and a hairbrush as well. Hopefully this post comes out okay as I've done it entirely on my phone!

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Twenty-Five

Today's heading, "a totally YOU outfit", comes on a strange day as we are having a surprisingly gorgeous spell of sunny weather in Scotland right now. :) Apparently we were hotter than Hawaii yesterday! Always nice. So, whilst I would normally post an outfit comprising tights, a strange T-shirt, black skirt and some form of clunky footwear, today I've gone all sunny. ^__^

It's lovely outside today, so I'm wearing a sun dress and sandals. Note my new green hair(!):

(ASOS sun dress; Dune sandals; hand-me-down necklace; bracelets and hair clip from eBay)

When you lean towards the dark side, it can be really difficult to find summer clothes that fit in with your style. More often than not I've ended up with things that are pretty, but not really 'me'. My solution? Gothic/alternative online outfitters, and sun dresses with some obscure accessories. When this challenge is over I will do a round-up of my favourite 'goth shops', but I am currently in the process of ordering a couple of alternative-style sun dresses. Here are the best ones I've seen:

 (Hell Bunny 'Lydian', 'Flamingo', 'Romy' and 'Lala' dresses; Iron Fist 'Wishbone' dress)

Aren't they cute? I love how subtle the detailing is: the little skulls, the way the stripes change directions ... They're quite perfect for sunny weather but they remain a bit evil. I am in love with the Iron Fist dress. It's steep at £50, but IT HAS A SKELETON ON IT. Must sell some more things on eBay to facilitate these purchases.

Oh, and if you're interested in any of these dresses I recommend eBay, particularly Sirens and Starlets. Their customer service is amazing, they do free shipping, and their prices are among the lowest. :) I love that they so often stock the same print in a variety of dress styles – choice is always good.

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Twenty-Four

Today's heading is fantastic: "the item that brings all the boys to the yard". Mine is weird, as always:

I bought this after my workmate Cally convinced me that it was a good idea (she is awesome haha!). The purchase of a crucifix-laden tiara is hard to rationalise, but it came way down in the sale ... Anyway, my boyfriend loves it! I honestly thought he would endlessly mock me for such a ludicrous purchase but he thinks it's really cool. I knew there was a reason I liked him. ;)

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Twenty-Three

Today's heading is "something from your favourite store". My favourite shop is, without a doubt, T.K. Maxx!

My mum and I have been going to T.K. Maxx together for years, and I think it's a real treasure trove. I've been very lucky in the past, scoring designer sunglasses and even some AllSaints pieces at crazy prices. My latest oh-my-god bargain was a £325 AllSaints coat reduced to £39.99 – I couldn't resist. Another was a gorgeous Theyskens' Theory blouse that I got for £45, down from £260. I always recommend T.K. Maxx to people, but so many are put off by the 'messiness'. In actual fact, I find that most stores are laid out really well and there are few things I enjoy more than a rummage.

As I always post about clothes, I thought I'd show you some cool homeware I've picked up  instead:

I picked up this chest of drawers as I am moving my things into the spare bedroom next to mine. It has our Victorian furniture in it, so I thought these would be good for storing jewellery and other miscellany.

My mum bought me this awesome snow globe for Christmas last year. I honestly can't think of a more appropriate ornament for me!

If you have never been to T.K. Maxx before, I strongly suggest taking a look! It really is my favourite place to shop.

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Twenty-Two

For the heading "an item of clothing/jewellery that was a gift" I thought I'd post the watch I got for my 18th birthday. It's a men's bi-metal Seiko watch – I like watches that have large faces so I often wear watches that aren't intended for my gender. I decided to pick a gold and silver watch as I could wear it with anything.

It glows in the dark! ^__^

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Twenty-One

Today it's "something from your favourite brand", which in my case is AllSaints! I have also recently gotten into their sister brand, Bolongaro Trevor, as it's a bit more unusual and the prints are utterly gorgeous. I am not a brand-conscious person, but these two just deliver time and time again. So, for today's challenge I thought I'd show you my most recent AllSaints purchase:

Meet the 'Jagger' cropped cardigan. I have worn this thing constantly since buying it – it's so soft and versatile. It was steep, admittedly, but I'd been paid that day and I decided to just go for it. :) The reason I love AllSaints so much is the fact that the designers pay so much attention to detail, with their intricate prints and garment construction. I also like that most things are in neutral colours as it makes them infinitely wearable. My AllSaints pieces get the most wear out of everything in my wardrobe, and things get reduced quite significantly in the sale so I always get a bargain. I work near an AllSaints outlet as well ... It's dangerous.

As for Bolongaro Trevor, I have the Celestial dress from my "favourite print" post, and despite a slight sizing issue (I ordered an M and ended up needing an XS – when does that ever happen?) the staff were very helpful and sweet and the dress itself is incredible. It's nice to get a similar aesthetic with a bit more exclusivity. I strongly suggest that any AllSaints lover has a look!

I have to do this because Bloglovin doesn't trust me.

If you like, you can follow my blog with Bloglovin. If not, that's cool too.

 There.

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Twenty

Our heading today is "shoes you love but hardly wear", and it makes me sad because I do absolutely love these shoes but the persistent Scottish rain prevents me from wearing them often. WOE.

Bottle green velvet? Oh yes.

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Nineteen

Hello! This is going to be a very quick post as I am currently waiting on a taxi to take me to my friend's 21st. :) Today's heading is "an article of clothing or jewellery that instantly makes you feel great", so I thought it was an apt one for tonight.

Above I'm wearing my black velvet dress from Topshop with glittery polka dots(!), and my Jeffrey Campbell 'Busted' boots. The dress was an impulse buy that has become an occasion-wear saviour, as it's very flattering and comfortable – and it sparkles. I always enjoy getting ready for an evening out and after I've done my make-up and put on a nice dress I feel like the best version of myself.

Have a good night tonight, whatever you're doing. x

Flying Saucer Challenge: Day Eighteen

Today's heading is "your brightest lipstick", and it scared me.

My brightest lipstick is Barry M's lip paint in shade 62, 'Vibrant Pink'. I was looking for a candy pink lipstick and I ended up with something that verges on neon. It looks lovely on a multitude of beauty bloggers, but because I'm very pale and don't use bronzer or fake tan, I look like a mutant (brunette) Barbie:

It doesn't look as bright as it is here. It's really very glaring! After taking this photo I went into my mum's room, forgetting I was wearing it, and her response was: "Oh my god, that lipstick is horrendous!" Enough said, really.