Just a quick outfit post today, as I have some uni work to crack on with.
Plus my dissertation is being played to my dissertation leader (the great and wonderful Martin - if any of you guys have studied radio, chances are you'll have read some of Martin's theory work at some point), and Andy, my disso supervisor for feedback tomorrow - so I'm a bit nervous!
Apologies for the picture in my skanky backyard - but the lighting in my room was really bad today.
TOP: Vintage, £Free (for working an event). SKIRT: River Island, £10 (sale). SHIRT: New Look, £18. SCARF: Ebay, £3.50. BAG: Matalan, £8. TIGHTS: Dorothy Perkins, £4. SHOES: Dorothy Perkins, £15 (sale). POINT OF FASHION: I look a bit like an art student here?
I WISH I'd remembered to wear my new watch - but when you haven't been a watch-wearer for years, you tend to forget! Bah! I love my new scarf - it looks cute worn in my hair too.
I got some last bits and peices for my holiday today as well, but I'll be showing them off at the end of the week. Thursday is OFFICIALLY my last day on campus - handing work in and filming our TV show. Bring it!
I've also been invited to an Ann Summers event in London next week and I really want to go. I hope I can get some decent train tickets - in Febuary for The Look Show I was lucky getting last-minutes ones which weren't too expensive. Fingers crossed!
People are always surprised when I tell them how much I love Barbie.
On the surface I don't really come across as a 'girly' girl, despite having a passion for clothes and makeup. I have a lot of very stereotypical male tendancies - from constant crass innuendo, to my love of a nice cold pint of lager - even my walk is manly. (My sister pointed out recently that I even walk like a guy (from the leg) instead of like a girl (from the hips))
But I've always had a soft spot for the airhead plastic California girl. No, not Paris Hilton. The other one. The small one. And the shops this season are also ALL about the Barbie love!
I liked Barbies when I was a little girl - but I didn't really play with them properly. With my plush toys (like teddy bears) I would make up elaborate stories and adventures with them.
But with my Barbies, I would really just dress them up and that was it. When I was about 8, I had an obsession of creating fashion shows, and even saved up my pocket money for cheap disposable cameras to catch them all on film.
I guess that was my first attempt at fashion journalism in a way?
And yes I know that Barbie re-enforces negative gender stereotypes yadda yadda yadda to little girls. But what I've always loved about her is that she's always re-inventing. Different hair and makeup, different clothing styles (although she's always loyal to her beloved pink) and different careers - including astronaut, teacher, doctor/midwife, vet, hairdresser, dog-walker, babysitter and pilot.
However when I went to secondary school (aged 11), I fell out with Barbie. I was the shy, goth girl who generally got made fun of by the skinny, pretty blonde girls - in one: Barbie girls. (Calling such girls 'The Plastics' has funnily enough come in vogue!)
I think that I freaked my poor mam out when she found me covering my dolls in Sharpie pen, cutting their hair off and adorning them with offensive tattoos and intimate piercings.
So how about you guys? Were you good friends with Barbie and her clique as children? Or did you think she was just a silly, brainless idiot? I'd love to hear your opinions!
I'm coming up to 300 followers, which I am so amazed by. I'm honoured that so many of you think my little ol' blog is worth reading. I'm planning another giveaway for after I reach the 300 mark - but this may have to wait until late in June, as I'm currently saving all my money for my New York trip, which is happening in just over a month.
But I'm already planning, honest!
Muchos love, MessyCarla.
PS: HOW excited are you guys for Toy Story 3?! This scene made me smile so much! "Nice ascot!"
This is the post I was telling you guys about, all about my 21st birthday.
I wanted everything to be low-key - no clubbing or massive parties, I've just been working too hard lately with finishing off my uni work, I just wanted to chillax.
I had plans with my friends on my actual birthday, so the day before my family threw me a pink tea-party!
The table was full of my favourite nibble-y food, from sushi to pizza!
And everything was pink - the tablecloth, cups, balloons, flowers, and my Italian Catholic Mother even produced a lovely bottle of pink champagne!
LOVE the home-made messages on the balloons!
They surprised me with a proper birthday cake - a GIANT cupcake! (Italian Catholic Mother originally had spelled 'Happy Birthday' as 'Happ Birtday' which made me laugh)
Just before blowing out the candles. I wished for a year full of dresses marked down from their original retail price! (Damn, now it won't come true?)
On my actual birthday, I got up at the crack of dawn to open my presents, and I've put together a little video so you can see everything I got.
My family and friends were so generous!
Then I went out with my friends Sam and Hattie (who got me the kawaii lunchbox stuffed with extras!) to Stateside Diner in Newcastle for alcoholic milkshakes.
And on the night-time I went out for tapas with my family and it was delicious. It was their first time having Spanish food and I knew they'd love it!
This is what I wore to the restaurant:
DRESS: River Island sale, £10. NECKLACE: Lady Luck Rules OK sale, £3. EARRINGS: Can't remember. FLOWER: New Look, £4. CLUTCH: Vivienne Westwood, £Birthday Present. TIGHTS: Asda, £3. SHOES: Office, £40. POINT OF FASHION: Mediterranean. (I'm part-Italian, so I think this look really suits my dark features?)
Right, so now you're all up-to-date! Except I am celebrating Carla's 21st: The Sequel with Silly Old Daniel next week, because he couldn't fit my birthday around his heaving social schedule. The diva!
Regular readers will recognise Daniel as he's one of my best friends. But he also has a BRILLIANT blog which is a mix of celebrity, music, personal and general flamboyance. Be sure to check it out, I think he's hysterical! :)
UPDATED 1/12/2010: I now used a couple of different products on my red hair, so be sure to check out these videos:
And the second has lots of information on keeping red hair really bright and vibrant:
Original post:
First of all, a big HELLOOO to the hoards of newbies here, who found my little place on the interwebs via Young Fat & Fabulous. It was a complete honour to be chosen as this month's YFF Girl of the Moment, as Gabi and her blog are major inspirations for me. So thank you, thank you, I hope you enjoy reading, and thank you for all your lovely comments both on YFF and here!
Secondly, THANK YOU for your birthday wishes via comments and Twitter. I turned 21-years-old yesterday! You lot are too nice to me, sometimes! I got some wonderful gift and can't wait to share them with you soon.
Right, now onto business.
Lately I've been getting lots of emails about my hair - mostly about the colour, what dye I use, how I take care of it etc. And I've replied back as best I can, but I always think it's best to see pictures of the products so I'm going to share here what I use.
Having red hair is awesome, and I believe there's a shade of red for everyone - from neon tomato red, to deep auburn!
If you haven't dyed your hair red before and are unsure - I'd at least recommend trying a semi-permanent dye, or ask your stylist for advice (most salons offer a free consulation). Red fades very easily, but is near-impossible to completely remove from your hair if you don't like it, short of dying it a darker shade on top.
1: The Dye Job.
I've been dying my hair for nearly ten years now, and I am so loyal to Schwarzkopf's Live XXL range of hair dyes. I've tried their brown, purple, black, and black/blue and they're all incredibly beautiful.
At the moment I'm using the colour 'Real Red':
£4.79 from Boots.
It looks really intense on the box, but will only probably come out that colour if you bleach your hair beforehand. I only had blonde highlights, and with the dye on top they really shine through and give my hair a bit more texture - so I would recommend doing that.
I've had to use this dye twice. First time, my hair was quite thick and longer than it is now, so I still had some brown patches - especially in the bottom layers of my hair. So I waited a few days, then dyed it again. The instruction booklet suggests that when you first apply (ie: not just topping up) you leave the dye on for 30 minutes, but my rule of thumb is leaving it on for an extra fifteen minutes. In my personal experience, the dye has always came out a little more intense, and lasted longer.
It's always recommended to do a strand test, but if you are going for the extra fifteen minutes, this is essential!
Also, if you have long and/or thick hair, I'd reckon get two boxes as sometimes I don't think it goes very far!
2. Upkeep.
So now you have gorgeous, glossy red hair - you'll want to keep it that way, right? Red hair is famously difficult to keep as it fades so easily, so you're gonna have to invest a little extra money into caring for it. But don't let this put you off, as the products I use are to be used after shampooing - so they're very easily inserted into your regular haircare routine.
First, you'll want to buy a colour-care shampoo. I've tried a lot of non-colour specific ones, like Tresemmé and Herbal Essenses, and they all seem to do the same thing. However, I use Radiant Red by John Frieda, which (as you can probably tell by the name!) is specific for redheads - natural and faux:
£4.89 from Boots
This is the BEST shampoo I've used for colour care. This hasn't faded my hair at all, and keeps it very glossy and shiny. And a small amount goes a long way with a lovely lather.
There's also a conditioner in this range, but instead I use John Frieda's Radiant Red Colour Glaze:
£6.99 from Boots.
This is a gorgeous "shine booster and colour glosser" intended to recharge coloured hair. It conditions and also has a small amount of deep red dye mixed into the formula. It's quite an odd consistancy - very runny and you have to be careful not to spill any in your bath or shower or this stains like MAD! Basically you applied this while you're still in the shower to still-wet hair, and leave on for at least three minutes. This is great if you're in a bit of a hurry and want a quick boost for your hair.
But I love me some leave-in conditioners, so what I did was with towel-dried hair, applied a medium layer of the product through my hair, put on a shower cap and kept it on for a few hours. Afterwards my hair felt deliciously soft and shiny and the colour was definately topped-up. I was a bit put-off at first, as my hair seemed darker (the colour in the Glaze is a DEEP red, remember), but this lightened after I next washed my hair.
The only problem I have with this, is the amount you have to use. This can be fine for lots of people, but when I condition my hair, I usually only have to use a pea-sized drop for my whole head as I have very fine hair, and lots of conditioner weighs it down. But if I only used a small amount with this, I don't think I'd get the same result with the colour boost.
So every other week, I instead top up with Pillar Box Red by Manic Panic:
£7.00 - available from punk/goth shops, or online. I use BeeUnique.co.uk.
Anyone who spent their teenage years as a goth/punk/emo etc. will recognise this brand. They're famous for wild, weird and wonderful colours. If I applied this to blonde hair, I'd get a neon-red look. But this is fine for me just to top up with. So after shampooing, once a week, I put a generous amount through my hair, stick on my shower cap and leave it for a few hours when I'm pottering about the house.
(NOTE: DO NOT use these techiniques when you have company! At least company you wouldn't want to see you in an grotty old-maid shower cap!)
So yeah, that's what I do to keep my hair vibrant and healthy. I've tried to cover as much as I can think of, but please just ask away if you have any other questions!
So I hope this helped some of you redheads - and potential redheads out there.
I handed in my last Media theory essay today, and I only have a few more assignments to complete, so I'm planning lots of lovely posts for you guys. Luckily, I've been feeling very inspired lately.
I'll probably post about what I got for my birthday tomorrow! I had such a lovely day.
All my new followers may not know, but I'm also on Twitter - feel free to follow me there too. I tweet about fashion/beauty, and also personal Tweets so you can get to know me a little better!
DRESS: New Look (Exclusives range), £35. SHIRT: New Look, £18. BELT: New Look, £2. HAIRBAND: New Look, £Prize. NECKLACE: Topshop, £8. TIGHTS: ASOS, £3. SHOES:WHERE ARE YOUR SHOES, CARLA?! (They were my boots from Fenwicks)
I went with my mam and sister to pick out prom accessories. Not for me unfortunately. Me and Nadia have completely different styles - so instead of being a hindrance I went window shopping.
First stop was New Look:
I LOOVES this outfit (not with those tights of course!). I ended up buying the top and skirt. The skirt is so much cuter in real life - it looks black here, wheras it's really a rich navy. And you can hardly see the massive bow!
Because New Look currently has 20% off for all students, and my skirt was a little pricey - the top ended up coming to just £2 (Originally £8). Brill! I wanted the shrug/jacket thingy too, but it was £40. Rightly so though, as it's totally gorgeous and has so much detail to it.
Mam and Nadia were still arguing over something-or-other, so I went to River Island:
I've been wanting to check out this dress since seeing Kelly Osbourne sporting a similar one at Coachella festival:
SO cute - and I love her lilac cardigan and matching hair!
However I think I look a little bit like a granny in her nightie in it. Our next-door neighbour used to make us these nighties as a kid and it's got exactly the same texture of the material!
Close-up of the belt is neccessary however:
It's just so detailed - but unfortunately at the moment, I can't afford £30+ for a belt! There's also a similar black one that I've been lusting after for months now!
So that's that.
Oh, and if you're interested - my sister ended up picking out a £50 clutch bag. WHAAA-?!
It was quite a snooty shop, and I think I offended the owner when I tried on a sparkly cocktail ring I lied and told her I love diamanté when she came nosing over. And she replied rather stiffly "Those are Swarovski Crystals!"
As much as I love my high street clothes, I also love supporting independent designers and boutiques. So I'm going to try as do a Spotlights series, for some of my absolute favourites!
I've been a MASSIVE Heidi Seeker fan since I was about 16 now. I was going through my electro phase, and loved everything glittery, neon and in-your-face. And that's pretty much Heidi Seeker to a tee.
I've absolutely loved personalised items ever since I was a little kid, and everyone had those hairbands with their names on them from the market (remember them?). But a lot of indie boutiques' personalised items are sky-high prices (some even charge per letter!). But Heidi Seeker's stuff is very reasonable, with necklaces starting at just £5.
And I have got a good few Heidi Seeker items from over the years, but they were kind enough to send me some things from their latest ranges which was incredibly kind of them!
Apple glitter necklace (£10), also available in neon. Star mini-clip (£5). Also available in red/white and silver/pink. I love how the pin especially brightens up an ordinary denim jacket - I feel like a character from Jem! And it can also be worn in your hair!
Mini-bolt hairclip (£3.50). A larger one is also available for £5.50. I've had this for nearly five years now, and it's still bright as ever!
AMAZING Boombox bag. This is what I use for my overnight bag. It's strong, sturdy and has lasted me for years now. This one isn't available anymore, however they have a similar design on shopper-style bags, with in-built SPEAKERS! (Prices £18-£25)
Personalised Heart necklace (£10) This necklace was made popular by the girlband The Pipettes who wore them in some promotional pictures! Also available in blue/silver and pink/yellow.
MASSIVE Personalised Handwriting neclace (£10). This is just TOO cute, and the biggest necklace I own, so people never miss it. It matches my pencil case! (below) Also available in gold, green and red.
Going back to school = NEVER dull with Heidi Seeker. The Fawn ipod case was a present from my friend Hattie and is now unavailable (but drop the guys a line if you like it - they're always bringing back retired items if there's demand!). The Personalised Pencil Case (£6) comes with a Heidi Seeker felt bow, paper clip and a badge. VERY cute and unique item for school - though since I'm a big girl now, I use mine as a makeup bag! Also available in yellow, orange and pink.
And if that wasn't enough, I've also compiled a wishlist of items I'm saving up my pocket money for:
PONY SWEATER: £38. ICE-CREAM PIN: £4. CAT BERET: £9. CAMERA NECKLACE: £7. CAT-EYE GLASSES: £8. APPLE BAG: £13. (+£2 for personalisation)
So everyone, go check out http://www.heidiseeker.com/. (They've also recently re-launched Heidi's Jukebox - which I've discovered a lot of my favourite bands from). They also have testimonials from happy customers in their High 5 section, which is always sweet to how other people are wearing their goodies!
Blogspot just ATE my last attempt at this - second time lucky!!
I was out shopping with my mam today, and just realised that my local Fenwicks (department store) has started selling Illamsqua makeup on a stand. I've heard about this brand from various bloggers, many of whom have converted over from MAC.
I was so excited to try it, the lovely girl at the counter must have seen my face, so sat me down and tried some of the products on me. I was already wearing eyeliner, eyebrow pencil and foundation, so she just wiped the foundation off me, and popped on some RF140 which have a beautiful even coverage. It was a little more yellow than what I usually have, but it seemed to give me a more glowing colour.
Next I tried some blusher. I love pink dolly cheeks, but have also wanted to experiment with peachy shades, so she brought over some 'Unrequited' (a soft baby pink) and 'Lover' (a warm apricot). They both gave a gorgeous matte finish, but I still prefered the pink look.
And finally I tried a lipstick - pink again with 'Filth'. It was a bright, pigmented Barbie-pink, but I wasn't too keen on the consistency. It seemed very chalky and drying, although I didn't have any lip moisturiser or lip gloss.
However, this was the finished look:
Apologies for the vest top/bra strap combo - I'm a disgrace to fashion bloggers everywhere.
My bedroom was also pretty bright so you can't see the blush very well. But you can see the smooth, even coverage of the foundation.
And the packaging - it's pretty and simple. (I also got Vivienne Westwood's 'Boudoir' perfume for my 21st from my Uncle Paul - but I'm not opening it until my actual birthday on the 12th!)
Also, want to hear something silly? Until I heard the correct pronounciation of Illamasqua (Ill-a-mask-a), I thought the 'Ill' part was an 'Ll' - maing it LLAMA-ESQUE!
FAIL!
But thank you to the lovely girl in Fenwicks for suggesting some lovely products without being pushy at all - I wish I'd caught her name to give her a proper shout-out.
I also had some good news this week. I am in the What & Wear section of this month's The Crack. If you haven't heard of it, it's a culture magazine printed and distributed in the North East. It features music, film, art, theatre, dance and LGBT along with fashion features:
It was just the pick-me-up I needed, as the past few weeks I've felt a bit disheartened with the blogosphere as I mentioned on my Twitter last night.
It's just the little things that have been niggling me - from bloggers bragging about how many followers they have, and lesser-known bloggers whinging abut not having "enough", while bugging others for links or mentions.
Followers aren't just a number. I am of course overjoyed that lots of people enjoy reading what I have to say - but I definately don't worry if I lose a follower, or tell everyone I know when I get a new one.
Just the same way I only follow blogs that I think are original, inspiring and have interesting content. I certainly would never follow a blog in the hope that I'd be followed back!
And as much as I love my sister, she really did kick me when I was down last night. She's not too familiar with blogging (although she does read this from time-to-time) and asked me:
"Is it not just a bunch of girls talking about themselves?"
Which I suppose it is in a way. One of the reasons we all have this blogging community is that we all have one thing in common - that we want to share something that we are passionate about, and presenting ourselves on a public forum.
But it got me worrying that I'm coming off as arrogant and self-obsessed to non-blogging folk. However when I asked my mam her opinion over lunch today, she told me to stop being an idiot. As mother's do.
So yeah, I'm back on the wagon. I just need to concentrate on what I do, and what I love. But what about you guys - has anyone in the non-immediate blogosphere ever thought what you did was self-indulgent? I'd love to hear your experiences.
I'm out tonight for my friend Faye's 21st party, and the theme is Hollywood Films and TV Shows. So I'm going as Kathy from Singin' In The Rain:
DRESS: Matalan, £16. RAINCOAT (PONCHO): Ebay, £3. UMBRELLA: Ebay, £7. NECKLACE: Primark, £2. BELT: New Look, £2. TIGHTS: Primark, £1.50. SOCKS: Borrowed from my mam. TAP SHOES: Ebay, £5. POINT OF FASHION: Kathy Seldon.
So yeah, a cheap as chips outfit. I love home-made costumes, they just seem more loved and you have a chance to be creative.
Singin' In The Rain is one of my favourite films, but I've been really inspired by dance numbers in general lately. Here are some of my favourites:
Jan Penchan Ho from Gumnaam.
That's How You Know from Enchanted.
You Make My Dreams from (500) Days Of Summer.
And my favourite number from Singin' In The Rain is All I Do Is Dream Of You, but YouTube won't let me embed it - boo!
In other news, Craig (he is no longer 'The Boy' since we've now broken up, but still very good friends) told me that I'm in this month's issue of The Crack, which is a free magazine in the North East about arts, culture, music and the like. I love it, so that's rather amazing. If anything goes up on the website, I'll of course link you guys too.
Right, I'm off to the party. I'm going to look a right plonker on the metro.
