Average

Today my outfit was just like my title - average. It was uniform black skinnies (Topshop), white strap top (Primark) and this cropped jumper (Superdry) I bought as a 16th Birthday present to myself... Does that make the jumper retro? After all, it's over 3 years old now, and cropped stuff has kinda been trending a smidge hasn't it?

And I even decided to mix it up a bit on pose... Just for laughs.

But why bother taking a picture of this outfit? When after all it is so painfully average. Well, it's more because I was proud of the make up I did to go with it. It may not be massively special, but usually if I try to use a pencil liner on my eyelids, rather than just rims, it looks smudgy and teenager-y and crap. Today I was rather chuffed with the results so though I'd share:

I used a green eye pencil  (Avon) to line the rims of my eyes and the lids, green eyeshadow (Avon)on just my upper lids and brown-black mascara (No.7 @ Boots) on both sets of lashes. Because the mascara is old, it meant I didn't get too much of an over the top look as well, which is what usually discourages me from putting mascara on my lower lashes - I feel I just look clownish if I do with normal mascara.

I also used a pink lip pencil (Boots) that I actually used during my more emo/neon/whatever-it-was phase to line my eyes. But this time I used it properly and stuck it loosely on my lips after applying lip balm to give a subtle pink-ish look. And this was the final result up close:

I was quite happy as a whole, and I'm surprised but pleased to report that it's mainly stayed there all day as it should have done - a rarity for me!

Renewed

Today's inspiration that is stuck in my head is 40s pin up. I'm not entirely sure why, because I can't find a picture of the exact look I was going for when I tried Googling it. So maybe I don't mean 40s pin up, but those are the words floating in my head. The image in my head is like a thin, but curvy Marilyn Monroe style woman in a loose shirt with most of her hair being held back by a rag of fabric whilst she does the house cleaning. In my head this woman does have like strawberry blonde curls, but obviously I can't do that with my hair just for a day.

So here's the outfit I ended up with. I'm also quite proud to say that the key elements of it are vintage as well.

Hair tie thing (vintage - "permanently borrowed" from friend), denim shirt (Vintage - Mum's wardrobe),  belt (Vintage - friend of a friend), leggings (H&M), white strap top (Debenhams).

Now all I need are Marilyn Monroe's curves and I'm good to go :)

Dear Diary,

Please can have my lips bedazzled like this sometime:

Found from a Google search leading me here.

This is how Jessie J wears her lips in part of the music video of "Do It Like a Dude", and I have to admit, if it wasn't going to be time consuming to do, and I wasn't guaranteed to lose majority of the stones in 5 minutes flat (cos I'm clumsy, alright!) then I would totally do this for a rocking night out. 

Ok, so it would get in the way for that sneaky kiss on the dance floor, but you just have to accept it I guess. Either have awesome looking lips and no kisses, or average every day lips and kisses. Tough choice, I think not.

But yeah, check out that music video too, I adore a lot of the outfits, and make up choices, in it. That said if you're easily offended, don't watch or listen to the explicit version on YouTube, much better to wait for it to come on a music channel on your telly.

Get On With It.

So this week, my biggest style challenge is finding things that keep me vaguely warm, yet don't touch my arm where I have 2 massive infected sores (cause unknown at present).

After a while, the whole "jeans and tshirt" combination gets a bit dull, so yesterday I decided to drag out a dress (Illustrated People @ Topshop). Shocker, I know. But how does a dress keep me warm? Well, with a pair of opaque tights (Redherring @ Debenhams) of course... chuck on a boyfriend style cardigan (New Look) that is loose enough I can get my arm through, but is able to hold itself when I roll it up to keep my arm uncovered, and you have a winning outfit.

Well, in my opinion anyway.

That's what I wore yesterday. Today's outfit isn't worth the effort of taking a picture, it's just a simple tartan mini skirt (New Look), black tshirt (M&S) and my LadyLuckRulesOk?! Necklace. I'm not keen on doing practical today, so needless to say I won't be going out of the house because I don't feel like freezing parts off!

In other news, tonight (Wednesday) on channel 4 at 9pm, Mary Portas: Secret Shopping is on. This series is one I blogged about at the beginning of the year after I saw an article on the Guardian's website. I watched last week's episode and it was rather interesting, if a little frustrating for me at time. I'm a strong believer in good customer service, and some people's attitudes to it - including managers - appal me. But ahh well, tonight's episode is about the hard sell, which should be entertaining to watch as I'm completely against the hard sale. If some one is pushing products on me, I always walk away and leave everything. Do it subtly, and I'm likely to buy more. Simple stuff people. 

New Stuff.

It's been a crazy last 12 months, and I am now living in the 4th different place in those 12 months. I've gone from my family home in Oxfordshire, to London, to a temporary flat in Wiltshire across to the newly refurbished new family home also in Wiltshire.  

And this is where I plan to stay for a little while at least. Which means I'll be getting my blogging back on track.

Starting with my girl crush on Ke$ha. She was interviewed on 4Music today around lunch time and I just fell more in love with her the more she said. She's completely crazy and obsessed with everything that has been considered a fashion faux pas in the past... Yet some how she still makes it work. She admits to having a thing for mullets, and beards, and is in love with all stuff 80s. Her general craziness just makes me happy. If you can find the interview online some where, go watch, it's intense stuff.

And as proof that I'm nowhere near as stylish as her, or crazy or anything... here was the somewhat dull outfit I wore today, but loved anyway.

Jeans (Vintage from friend of a friend), t-shirt (Tesco), cardigan (New Look) , Gold bow necklace (Vintage).
I have to be honest, I love this new tshirt as it's rather versatile. With these jeans it looks nice and casual and is deliciously comfortable. But pair it with a smart skirt or smart trousers, and it looks impeccably formal. Especially if you pop a jacket over the top. So it's rather lovely and a bit of a win-item for me. Cool.

And on a random last note. If I woke up one day and was a man, I'd totally want a handlebar moustache. Something like this methinks:

Which I borrowed from The Sartorialist

Are We Being Served?

Ok, firstly, I know I've been away for forever again. As I said in my last, brief, post; I do have my reasonings, and I am genuinely hoping that my lackings will stop soon as it looks like I'll be moving into the house soon. Which means constant internet access, and my own space as well, which thus means I can start putting pictures back up.

For now though, I want to discuss an article I read today on the Guardian's website, under their Life & Style. It's about Mary Portas, the woman who really made her fame with Mary: Queen of Shops. I have to admit I was completely absorbed with the series, as I personally am a great believer in great service, John Lewis levels of customer service, not Primark service.

In a slightly more professional sense, Portas has worked well towards making her name, originally starting in 1982 as a window dresser for Harrods. From there, she moved across to Topshop. She then finally made her name with Harvey Nichols when she moved there in 1990, turning around their image completely. And then she culminated this growth by setting her own business, Yellowstone, advising multiple stores.

This article that I read today wasn't just a run down on her achievements, or a focused look at her personal life, but instead - to me at least - it gave me an insight into why service can be important to people. There seems to be an obsessive perfectionist side to Mary, noted by the journalist in reference to the fact that when Portas finds the right phrase for what she wants to say, she repeats it multiple times. I personally can understand this, as I am much the same. And to me it reads as if Mary wants to pass on this perfection to others, and isn't afraid to vocalise it - then help rectify and perfect it, unlike many consumers who are happy enough to whinge but never really act on it.

Anyway, I don't know about others, but I really want to change the way service is provided across the country. I know I personally can't make a big change on my own, but none the less, I vow to try to only use stores where you get a service, such as John Lewis. It may cost more, but isn't it worth a few extra pennies to get some one ask if there's anything else they can help with? Or to actually get greeted with "Good morning/afternoon" or even just "Hello" when you approach the paypoint rather than just getting "NEXT!" and greeted with a moody face?

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but that's my vow for the year - to try to make use of customer service. And to be a good customer too - to say thank you when some one has been helpful. To ask to speak to the manager to compliment the staff, not only to complain.

And in case you're interested in that article about Mary Portas, it's here on the Guardian's website. And she also is a columnist for The Daily Telegraph, reviewing stores on a weekly basis, with constructive criticism being brought across in a bitchy way that does make me giggle but is also often fair. Check some of her columnist work here.

Anyway, will leave it there for now. Happy New Year everyone, things will be up for improvement here, promise.