26 December 2011

Camp As Christmas.

Hey everyone,
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I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas if you celebrated!

Ours was lovely and low key - we opened presents, had a big lunch and spent most of the day watching my Toy Story trilogy box set.
I couldn't believe my uncle hadn't seen any of them before - the first one especially reminds me of being a little kid!
Of course, I still wept like a child at Jessie's song.

Christmas for me is all about excess.
Not necessarily about material things (though nice as those things are...sorry, I'm a Taurus!) but I love things getting dressed up in a silly, bright, glittery outfit with theatrical eye makeup - despite the fact I didn't leave the house except to take these pictures...

There is a saying in this country if something is "camp as Christmas."
I think I was a bit too inspired by that phrase this year...




DRESS: ASOS.
CARDIGAN: H&M.
BROOCH: From Bede's World Christmas fair.
BELT: ASOS Curve.
NECKLACE: River Island.
HAIRBAND: Forever 21.
RINGS: Dorothy Perkins, River Island, vintage and World Market.
TIGHTS: Dorothy Perkins.
SHOES: Office.
POINT OF FASHION: Over the top...it's Christmas!

Apologies that the dress is hanging at a bit of a funny angle - a sudden gust of wind gave me a bit of a Marilyn moment.

I was worried that my tights are a bit too "matchy matchy" and I should have gone with a magenta colour instead, but I really don't care!




For the eyeshadow on my lid I used Baked by Urban Decay with some Goldilux by Sugarpill on top for extra glitter. I then put a little of Magentric by Sugarpill in the corner. I blended a little in the crease with a brown eyeshadow from my Wet N' Wild Ultimate Brow Kit.
I then used Elf liquid eyeliner and added my regular cat's eye flick.

Due to my heavy fringe covering some of my eyes, I am enjoying playing around with makeup under my eyes lately - so I used Stila eyeliner in Bora Bora (smudging it slightly and flicking out at the end) then Urban Decay Heavy Metal glitter on top.
I also put a little more of Baked in the corner and under my cat's eye flick.

Finally I lined by waterline with Sharkskin shadestick by MAC (Shadesticks are one my desert island products - they can be used in so many ways from primers to eyeshadows and liners!), used my Big Fatty Mascara from Urban Decay and coloured in my eyebrows using the Wet N' Wild Ultimate Brow Kit.

You may have guessed from some of the brands above, but some of these were presents I treated myself to in my favourite shop...Sephora!
My friends Jessica and Jaime got me a $50 gift card for Christmas which was so kind of them.
I'll show you guys properly when I get round to taking pictures!


Anyhoo I've had a great Boxing Day (what we in the Commonwealth call December 26th!) and in some ways I prefer it to Christmas Day as there's no pressure on anyone, you don't have to cook (hello, leftovers!) and can just sit around looking at your presents - I'm personally working my way through series 4 of The Big Bang Theory which I got on dvd!

Then the rest of this week is going to be amazing as I'm hanging out with my friends. I haven't seen anyone properly since coming back from holiday as we've all been so busy doing things with our family.

So I'm meeting Hattie and Megan tomorrow for dinner and drinks (I still have to give Hattie her Christmas present though I had to leave most of it behind in America...stupid luggage allowance, thank you Delta...), then on Wednesday is the annual gathering of all my friends from school - but for the past few years I'Linkve taken Sam along as my date (so more present swapping).
Also, I hope to see Daniel for a few cheeky fizzy pops and maybe a dance - though he poppped round on Christmas Eve before mass for a hug. I've missed them all so much!


Sorry if I've rambled on, but I do love this time of year!

Finally I'll leave you with the latest DJ Earworm song. At the end of every year since 2009, he has created mash ups of the top 25 hits of the last 12 months.
I quite like this year's mix entitled: 'World Go Boom':





Muchos love,
MessyCarla.

23 December 2011

Signing off for the holidays!

Hey everyone,

Just a quick "hello and goodbye" from me as I'm signing off for the holidays.


Holly trees at The Noland Trail, Newport News, VA.

Don't worry though I'll be back soon with lots of pictures from my trip to Virginia.
I hope you enjoyed all the lovely guests posts - and you're very welcome to browse them in case you missed any, simply click the Guest Post tag to catch up.

I had a wonderful time while I was away and thank you to everyone who tweeted me!

In the meantime, please enjoy this video me and Jessica filmed of us preparing a pumpkin pie!



I'll try to sneak in another post or two before New Years, but just in case I'd like to thank you all for supporting this blog in 2011.
I have a feeling 2012 is going to be a good 'un...

IF the world doesn't end. Fingers crossed, eh?

Merry Christmas, y'all everyone!

Muchos love,
MessyCarla.

20 December 2011

Guest Post: DIY Tree Bunting

Hi everyone,

One of the things I love doing in the holidays is being making things - whether it's baking cookies and cupcakes, decorating gingerbread houses or making cards (usually with offensive little poems inside...my friends are so lucky to have me in their lives).
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However I can be a bit fingers-and-thumbs when it comes to crafting as I'm very clumsy and don't have a lot of patience.
Lauren from Fashion Looks North has created a wonderful Christmas bunting craft especially for this blog which looks so simple, yet effective - and is a brilliant way to rid yourself of all that leftover wrapping paper!

Also, I had to give space here for a fellow Northerner!
Lauren's blog was mostly street style for a few years, but she now has more of her own personal (and awesome) looks, lifestyle posts as well as beautiful photography.

So, happy crafting - if any of you make the bunting for yourself, me and Lauren would love to see your pictures!

Muchos love,
MessyCarla.



Well hello there, it's Lauren from Fashion Looks North here!

While the lovely Carla is away I thought I'd get into the Christmas spirit and share with you a really quick and simple crafty DIY, great for sprucing up your room on a budget.

I absolutely love making things look festive, from wrapping presents to decorating the tree and this is a great little 'infront of the telly' activity that takes minimal effort but looks really cute.


First of all, you'll need to get your mits on some ribbon, wrapping paper, brown paper, some scissors, a glue stick, a pencil and a hole punch.
You can use left over scraps from present wrapping if you like!


Start by making your templates. Fold over a sheet of paper and draw a small christmas tree outline on one side with your pencil.
Cut this out and then use as a rough template to draw another larger tree which will form the design for your bunting.



You then need to repeat the process and use your templates to cut out small and large trees using your two papers. You can make as few or as many of these as you like, I've just done four this time just to demonstrate.
These can then be stuck on top of each other, ready to be hole punched and threaded onto your ribbon.




Once you've threaded them on simply hang up and display!
They look really lovely around doorways, mantlepieces or even picture frames and can be made from any materials you happen to have lying around.


Merry christmas and happy crafting!

L x

18 December 2011

Guest Post: What Olivia Did

Hi everyone,

Next up from the wonderful guest bloggers is the gorgeous Olivia from What Olivia Did.

The blogosphere is a funny old place, as I've adored Olivia's blog for ages now (and is one of my favourites) but I had no idea she reads MessyCarla so was very pleasantly surprised when I she contacted me!

A mix of beauty, fashion, music, interviews and recipes - there's always something a bit different working it's way into her blog, so it is never monotonous.
And one of those blogs where I go "Eeep, you've posted!" when a new post pops up on my dashboard.

Olivia was very rightly so the winner of Best New Fashion Blog at the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards 2011, and if you don't love her already...you soon will.

Warning: girl crush imminent!

Muchos love,
MessyCarla.


When Carla said I was welcome to guest post a style post on her blog, my mind went into overdrive.
I wanted to bring something cool, interesting and preferably bright to Carla's blog, and with my somewhat conservative style I was determind to dive (ever so slightly) out of my comfort zone.

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When I think of Carla and her style I think bright, fun, ladylike and well, damn right awesome.

Now, although I wanted inject a little fun into my post today I also, wanted to stick to my signature style- something you'll probably know Carla does with ease.

After rummaging into the depths of my Narnia like wardrobe, I realised two things: one is that my wardrobe is severly lacking in leopard print, and that I don't have that many bright colours (someone throw me something red or pink purlease?)

Anyway, after rummaging through spotted trousers, chunky jumpers it hit me.
What are the two things that I could wear to inject a little ladylike fun into my style?
A classic dress and some lolz tights! Simples.

These are also the two items I'd probably say Carla wears like a PRO.
No matter what the colour or style they suit everyone and can be worn with anything to any occassion. Versatile, huh?

Therefore, after scouring the internet I have dished out some of my favourite dresses and tights for the coming months, making a lust-wrothy list that I'd like to think would do Carla proud!

carla

Thanks for having me over Carla!
For more wish lists, lolz tights and awkward posing you can find me at 'What Olivia Did'!

x

15 December 2011

Guest Post: Frugal in Fukuoka

Hi everyone,

I've always been fascinated with Japan and if someone offered me anywhere in the world to visit free of charge, I would definitely go there!
So when my darling friend Grahame won a scholarship allowing him to live, work and study in Fukuoka, I can't deny I almost died a wee bit of jealousy.

Since moving, Grahame has started his hilarious blog Japanter - a merging of all things Japanese and banter.
It features antecdotes from his trips outside Fukoka, diary-like entries abut his day-to-day life
(my favourite being his ongoing war about where to park his bicycle), small posts about funny offbeat occurances (otherwise known as "Bite Sized Japanter") as well as some vocab thrown in for good measure.

When I called for guest posts, Grahame very kindly offered to do a peice on fashion in Fukuoka with his friend Ina, focusing especially on living on the cheap in a country with such a high cost of living.

Be sure to follow his adventures in Japan over at his blog.

Muchos love,
MessyCarla.

PS: This is a bit of a bumper post since he sent me so many wonderful pictures!



Your loving reporters, Grahame and Ina, were sent by the Messy One herself to Fukuoka in southern Japan. Our mission: to investigate all that is cool, kooky and crazy in the city that has, more than once, been called the world’s greatest retail city.


Fashion in Japan has some important social functions that are less accented in the West.
For instance, it is common to see women, young and old alike, bedecked in kimono, face painted white, shuffling elegantly. Not only is it gorgeous, but it’s a statement of Japan’s cultural identity and distinctiveness, something we in England rarely feel inclined to do.

Here are some pictures - from a fashion show we were invited to snap in central Fukuoka – of costumes designed for girls’ coming-of-age ceremonies. Pretty no?

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Uniformity is important in Japanese culture and, as the wonderful and clever and cultured and enlightened among you may have read on my Japan blog (japanter.blogspot.com), it is not uncommon for schoolchildren to wear their school uniforms every day of the week, weekend included.
This is contrasted, however, with a (probably/possibly reactionary) love of all things weird, wonderful and, as we discovered, vintage.

Tenjin, in west central Fukuoka is the city’s beating heart: the place to go out, see and be seen. At the top of “Tenjin Core” one of the bigger department stores (actually, it’s the 8th floor, the very top, the 9th floor, has a Gothic Lolita fashion mega-boutique) is a gorgeous, oldy-worldy style vintage shop with a treasure-trove of a second hand section. We discovered shirts for 300 yen (around £2.70), accessories for less and dresses for as little as 100 yen (less than £1).

The most striking thing about ‘Hanjiro’, however, is the glorious décor.
Look at those changing rooms!


Just as in the UK it is popular to adorn one’s body and skin in Chinese characters, so in Japan English writing is a popular decoration for clothes and shops: except it’s not really English.

Our next destination was the fascinating, if slightly worrying, ‘Ace in the Hole’. They had some wonderful but pricey stuff:


Vintage is a big deal in Japan, and can range from the super-expensive to, as in Hanjiro, super-cheap. In general, living is very expensive over here, so cheap quality will always be popular.

As the Messy One herself is so fond of saying:

Muchos love,
Grahame and Ina

13 December 2011

Guest Post: Burlesque

Hey everyone,

Carrying on from Jess's fabulous theatrical makeup post, we're not straying too far into the wonderful world of burlesque!

I know the most popular burlesque artists such as Diva Von Teese and Immodesty Blaize - plus I was a bit of a fangirl for the Jeepers Peepers girls when the club night was still on at The Cluny.
But personally although I think they're fabulous - I reckon I'm still a wee bit ignorant about the stunning pin-up girls who shake their tassells!

Thankfully we have the beautiful Georgia Honey to tell us all about the different kinds of burlesque - as well as her favourite places to shop for the beautiful peices in her shows.

Hmmm I have a lot of leopard print in my wardrobe...reckon I could pass at a cheesecake artist?
I wish.

Muchos love,
MessyCarla.

PS: Just a head's up - there's a potentially NSFW (not safe for work) picture near the botton! ;)


Hello Fashion Starlets!

I’m Georgia Honey, international burlesque performer, and I am here to help you add burlesque into your style without taking off your clothes!

Just like there are different types of girls out there, there are different styles of burlesque.

I have listed my top 3 styles of burlesque and goodies to go with to help you add a bit of that shimmy, shake and striptease into your wardrobe- emphasis on the tease!

Classic Burlesque


Picture credit: Matthew Kitchen

You’re a seductress, you know your power and the entire audience (or the town!) is at your mercy! Think voluptuous ostrich feather boas and instant glamour because you are a Classic Burlesque Starlet! Love Burlesque offers a wide range of delectable corsets from ones lathered in Swarovski crystals to others perfect for the girl on a budget!

Corsets don’t always have to be worn with a frilly pair of knickers either! They look amazing with the perfect pencil skirt or even a pair of jeans if you’re going for a low-key night out.
Love Burlesque also offer Bordello shoes which are my favorite for any on stage performance and even more so for an off stage appearance.
The Glitter Bordello Kitten Shoes, Satin Burlesque Shoes, or even the Sequin Cabaret Shoes Bordello offers are the best to complete your classic burlesque themed outfit!

Cheesecake Burlesque


Picture credit: Rachel Saunders

You are a pin up beauty, and you’re sexy and you don’t know it! Comedy and the accidental ability to make jaws drop are your super powers as you are a Cheesecake Burlesque Starlet! Collectif have a fabulous selection of retro style clothes perfect for any pin up, including a few with leopard or tiki print and even military outfits!
We can’t forget to add a lil bit of that Cheesecake “ooops!” into our outfit now can we? How about sneak a pair of pasties or tassels underneath your top? Perfect in case your top is too low or a bit see through (and perhaps you didn’t realize it!).
Try Badbiscuit for a wide range of everything including sequined cup cake pasties to leopard fur tassels! They even do made to order goods if you’re looking for something in a special shape or color.

Fetish Burlesque


Picture credit: Roy Barry

You’re a girl that’s got a bit of an edge and a wild side! Whatever your pleasure or secret desires may be, I won’t tell anyone - but here are some of my favorite goodies to help bring out the Fetish Burlesque Starlet in you without venturing to the dark side!

In a lot of the fetish burlesque performances I have seen, latex is most often worn. A latex suspender belt is a must have! Be daring and wear it on its own over a pair of hotpants (latex knickers maybe?!) or have it peak out of a short skirt- either way it’s sure to get people talking! My favorites are by Mico Couture ranging from £18-£25 and are available in many colors!
For latex accessories, I’m a sucker for Arcanum Accessories, who have decently priced hair bows, collars and more! I own a red latex rose hair clip and I love it!
Remember if you buy latex, don’t forget to read the instructions on how to care for it as latex is very delicate.

Now that you have got ideas to help your inner burlesque starlet shine through no matter what kind of girl you are, I hope to see you doing a bump’n’grind in your new threads while waiting for the bus or even a shimmy at the local take away!

Don’t forget to add in that perfect pair of tights, stockings or hold ups to complete any look no matter what your plans for the day are.
As for me, my next plan of action is to perform on New Years Eve in Newcastle for RETROspective Events. It’s a burlesque show celebrating the anniversary of the Titanic so grab your sequins and your life jackets… it’s anchors away!


Picture credit: Anne Marie Price

Shimmy, Shakes & Cup Cakes,
Georgia Honey xx

10 December 2011

Guest Post: Ice Queen

Hey everyone,
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As I've mentioned a few times in my blog I love makeup, I simply don't feature it enough here. Mostly because there are amazing professional artists on teh interwebz as opposed to a fangirly hack like myself.

So when Jess of Raffles Bazaar offered to do a creative, theatrical makeup tutorial especially for this blog, I practically bit her hand off!

I asked if she could possibly create a winter look as we're into December now, and it's absolutely fabulous.
It reminds me of a look in a winter ballet or burlesque show - as always, I have theatre on the brain!

As well as the links below, be sure to check out her amazing ventriloquist's dummy makeup tutorial - so simple yet effective!!

Muchos love,
MessyCarla.



When Carla said she was looking for guest bloggers I jumped at the chance, and figured this would be the perfect opportunity for another makeup tutorial. I wanted to do something perfect for this time of year, so here is my Ice Queen makeup tutorial.

STEP 1 - Base



- I started by using a white full coverage all over my face and sealing it with a white pressed powder. You can use a white greasepaint or foundation, even regular face paints will be sufficient but you may need to apply more than one coat. The powder evens it all out and stops the makeup smudging.

- Then I used silver to add some depth in the eyes, down the sides of the nose and to define my cheek bones and lips. You can used any silver eye shadow, I used a Mac pigment for this.


STEP 2 - Adding colour




- I've used a blue pigment here to add some colour to the areas I have already shaded, and a metallic, blue eye liner under the eyes. I wanted to create a frozen, fantasy style look so blue and silver worked perfectly together.


STEP 3 - Eyes




- First I used a silver mascara, with white mascara over the top on my lashes, I also used the white mascara on my eyebrows to make them more bushy and give the illusion of them being frozen.

- I used a white eyeliner and this brilliant stuff I discovered a few years back called Lash Jewels by Revlon. It comes out of the tube like a clear glue and you drip it onto your lashes where it dries. I think it works brilliantly for this kind of makeup when you want to create what looks like lumps of ice or water.


STEP 4 - Detailling




- Lastly I added lots of detail. I used mixing liquid to turn some glitter powder into a paste which I used on my cheek bones. Then I used plastic gems and mirrors in varying sizes and liquid and glitter eye liners for detail around my eyes, brows and the sides of my face.

FINISHED LOOK



Ta da! This is the end result. Obviously with a look like this you can go to town with gems and sequins and glitter.

If this was a makeup to go with a costume for an event I would do my hair in a dramatic style, maybe plaiting sections and adding crystals. I would probably spray it white first as well.

Also, I would extend the makeup down to my neck and chest and any other exposed body part, just to give the full effect.


I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial and am in the process of planning more for my own blog Raffles Bizarre.

Links

Blog: http://www.rafflesbizarre.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rafflesbizarre
Jewellery: www.rafflesbizarre.co.uk

8 December 2011

A.W.O.L

Hey everyone,

Just a reminder that I'm going to be away for a while as I'm headed back to Virginia to visit my friend Jessica - so I am leaving you in the very capable hands of some wonderful guest bloggers!

There's a lovely mixed bag of posts coming up, so please do keep checking back every few days.

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(T-shirt from SleeveCandy.com)

BRB, lovers. Be good!

Muchos love,
MessyCarla.

3 December 2011

Etsy Treats 003

Hey everyone,

This is my final Etsy Treats post for the time being - I hope you've all started getting bits and peices together. But there's always SOMEONE who is a bit ridiculously hard to buy for...

Onwards and upwards:


Pink owl - from £3.95


Anatomical heart cameo necklace: £11.85


Raptor t-shirt from Ghost World: £23.04


Bow scarf: £9.88 (currently half price!)


Snowflake earrings: £7.00
(this store belongs to the wonderful Sarah of Essbeevee - so yes, I am a little biased here.
She has very kindly offered a 10% discount code to all readers -
messycarla - valid until Christmas!)

Happy shopping!
I'll say it again - don't forget if you've seen anything you like and it sells out by the time you go to buy, simply ask the seller politely and they will usually be more than happy to make you another, or something very similar. Link
Make sure to get requests in quick however, as it's getting close to the cut off point for many international sellers.

Kudos to EvieTees (featured in Etsy Treats 001) who very kindly especially made me a shirt in a larger size than what she had on her shop.
She didn't charge anything extra, and even threw in a free gift - thank you, Elena!

However, Italian Catholic Mother has already swooped in before I could have a proper look and has put it under the tree until the 25th!


Muchos love,
MessyCarla.