Curvy is the New Skinny - Just Another Way to Make Us Feel Crap?

Hey Beauties,

Another little serious post, just to mix it up for you. You'd have to be living under a rock to not see this curvy revolution hitting the media at the moment, skinny is now out, and the it-girls are sporting boobs and bums at last, cue Scarlett Johannson and Kate Upton. However, I can't help but notice that this just seems to be another body trend that we mere mortals can only dream of. Sure, we'd all like to think that skipping the gym and eating that extra square of chocolate will give us bigger boobs and a bum, but unfortunately the tummy that comes with it is still unacceptable.

Brands such as Dove are coming out with campaigns like their 'Real Beauty' campaign, which shows 'real' women advertising their brands. However the picture still shows hourglass women, who are still clearly photoshopped!

At least when models ran the advertisements we could tell ourselves that they were models, and they were paid to workout and look good. But these are 'real women', what hope do we have if we don't live up to those images?

Okay, I know what you're going to say, surely it's better to have an ideal that is at least a healthy body type, and not a waif-like unhealthy figure, and yes that is very true. But the fact of the matter is, it is the fact that the ideal is still impossible for some people.

There's a little girl out there somewhere, with a naturally skinny frame, with no sign of a washboard tummy or a perfect waist, who is going to wonder why she still isn't a 'real' woman?

At the end of the day, it's just another goal for us to sweat and slave over, but this time, we're competing against the women around us, rather than the models.

Summer Make-up - Keep it Light Babies!

Dear the loveliest of readers,

Summer weather approaches, and I have to admit, I made a massive make-up faux pas the other day. I was at work sans make-up, and before a meeting rushed to the loos to put my face on, not thinking about the weather. After an entire day of wearing my standard make-up in the sweltering heat, I had a shock when I came home looking like the joker, eyeliner floating halfway down my face, bronzer stuck to one half of my cheek resulting in unsightly lines! Summer weather requires a whole make-up and skincare turn around, so I'm going to write a little post about the things I've found helpful in this weather.

1. Moisturise! Moisturise! Moisturise!

As I have combination skin, it seems to behave differently to everybody elses in the seasons. Most people have dry skin in the winter, but can get away with a simple bb cream in the summer. I however, find that the summer weather really dries my skin out, maybe it's just all the rushing around! So I find that getting an intensive moisturiser and alternating with your normal one keeps my skin in trim! My current favourite is the No.7 Beautiful Skin range, but do let me know in the comments any good ones, as I haven't tried many yet!

2. Highlighter is your best friend.

Nothing looks less summery than a boring boring matte face. Sorry you play-it-safers! Contouring is the new buzzword in beauty at the moment, and it couldn't be easier to highlight your good bits this summer. I've talked about the MAC Mineralise Skinfinish before, but I'll talk about it again! Powder highlighters are infinitely easier to blend for a contouring newbie, and they can take your summer skin to a whole new level. Brush it across cheekbones for glowy glowy fun! I prefer to use a liquid highlighter for the littler parts like my cupids bow and my chin, and you can't go wrong with MoonBeam by Benefit - which is more golden and summery than wintery HighBeam.

3. Stay away from heavy eyes

Summer nights are obviously excused, I won't have my smoky eye evenings taken away! But for a daytime look, a creamy eyeshadow and a good mascara can't do you wrong. Shady winter days are forgiving on dark eyes, but in the light of a summer's day you might give some people a fright. I'm absolutely loving No.7 mascaras at the moment, they have the perfect staying power, invest in a waterproof one if you're a busy bee, you might not think you sweat much, but your smudgy eyes do.

Happy summer beauties!

Abi x

SS14 Favourite Trend: Matchy Matchy Separates

Hello beauties

Do you remember being young and your mum insisting that everything you wore had to be ohso matchy, if that bow in your hair wasn't the EXACT same shade of turquoise as your sandals it just DID NOT WORK. There was always a little bit of pride exuding from me at the exactness of the hues decorating my wee self. But as I grew up, it suddenly became all a bit sad to look in ten different shops because a necklace wasn't 'quite the right colour'. Well, back off ladies, the time has come for the matchy trend to come back in a big way!

The matching separates trend is set to be huge for  this Spring/Summer, and by matching separates I don't mean matching your shoes to your handbag (always fabulous - unless they are yellow), and I don't mean matching your nails to your dress (never - I love a good clashing nail) I mean full on, exact matches on both halves of your body, like you wore a dress that day and just got scissor happy round the waist.

This trend is set to be a massive turnaround from the recent 'awkward and mismatched' trend that's been here all winter, the hipster finally went mainstream and clashing patterns and oversized EVERYTHING suddenly became the norm. However this summer, it's all about the quirk in a slightly more feminine way. Think sixties prints, summer colours, everything high-waisted, quirky sunglasses, and a bold attitude to pull it off.

Here are some of my favourite examples of this really-shouldn't-work-but-totally-does trend:

The monochrome here is perfect for a slightly cooler, more subtle go at this look

Rock the festival vibe in a non-muddy way with a vintage print.

For the more self-conscious, go for the boxy look, gorgeously flattering and soo breezy on a hot day. I absolutely love the way this pattern goes with a tan!

And for the daring - go for a matching jacket to really pop that colour. Wear this accessory-free and with a simple make-up look, the outfit speaks for itself.


This trend is set to be huge, and here are my three golden rules for making it work in these glorious hot months ahead:

1. Fit is key - you want nothing clingy, or you'll look like a spice girl.

Think boxy and comfortable. Items in this fabric should sit against the skin, not hang onto it.

2. Super hot days only. This outfit - unless meticulously planned,

won't work with any old cardigan slung over it. Only for the most experienced of fashionistas.

3. Have fun with those prints, she who dares wins.

Lots of love,

Abi xx

The Horror! Beauty First-World Problems, And How To Solve Them

Hello darlings,

I know, I know, it's been too long, but I have been in a musical! That's a good enough excuse, right? But now I'm back and ready to gab on about the things that make our lives just that little bit more sparkly. Today, a post about something I'm sure we're all familiar with, the famous first-world problem, namely, the beauty ones, and hopefully I can also offer up some tips on how to deal with these dastardly occasions.

1. HELP! MY EYESHADOW HAS SPRINKLED ALL OVER MY CHEEKS!

We all know the feeling, you finish applying the perfect smoky eye, you're practically catwoman as you preen yourself, and yet that last swish of dark eyeshadow manages to litter a fountain of it all over your under-eye and cheekbone area, leaving you with a rather unsightly smudge. Make-up, ruined. But here's how to fix it!

If you're using a non-matte, glow foundation, try and do as much of your eye make-up befor applying any powder, bronzer or finisher. A non-matte foundation tends to be quite slippery, and this means smudges are easily wiped away with a cotton pad or just a finger, leaving you to perfect the top layer with your finishing powder etc.

If you're a matte girl from the get-go, it's a bit harder, but the secret is then within how you apply your eyeshadow. Eyeshadow is much more of a marathon, not a race, (unless you're late!) It's all about the blending and the building, so start slow, don't load up your brush, and smudges should be minimal. Secondly, a good quality brush goes a long, long way. It's easy to get caught up in cheapo brushes, but these are often the ones that drop powder everywhere. The MAC brushes and the 'Real Techniques' ones (found in Boots) are the ones that I have found best. Be warned, they are a little pricey, but look after a brush and it'll treat you well for a very long time.

If all else fails, or you're in a big hurry, a fingertip never drops powder, I won't tell if you won't!


2. NO! My lipstick always manages to disappear five minutes after leaving the house!

Lipstick, what a game-changer. You can go from boring office-worker to utter vixen in five seconds. But what do you do when the lipstick never seems to want to stay put? The golden rule of lipstick is to always provide a base. This means, when you're doing your foundation, don't miss out your lips! Foundation does just that, provides a perfect foundation for other products to build upon it, so use it!


3. COME QUICK! My skin insists on behaving like an angry teenager!

You look in the mirror, you could have sworn you left those hideous puberty days behind, yet your skin still insists on behaving like the skin of a teenager, and the blemishes still reign strong. The solution? If your skin insists on acting like a rebellious teen, treat it like one! We all grow up and then suddenly think we must use 'grown-up' skincare, when really there is no shame on using products fit for purpose. My current favourite blemish-busting product is Visibly Clear's new pink grapefruit daily moisturiser. It works wonders, smells amazing and the pink, stylish packaging is a world away from the usual clinical look of other skincare products of its kind.


4. SOB! My hair just will not stay put on a night out!

Having straight hair (like me), can be a disaster zone of utter flatness, no matter how much primping you do in the house, a quick taxi ride turns it into something more boring than that report that's been sitting on my desk for the past five weeks....I must do that one day.

The solution? Ever wandered around the haircare section of the chemist and spied those tiny little bottles of haircare stuff, and thought, nah, I'll go for the big one? The small ones are there for a reason! While those diddy bottles are great in case you want to test a product first, they are also dinky handbag-sized solutions to all your hair needs! Pick up a baby bottle of hairspray, and as soon as you get to the bar, go into the loos, tip your head upside and let that tiny bottle work it's magic! For a more summery look, get a little bottle of salt spray, or just some root-boosting powder for a more subtle helping hand.


Just remember, at the end of it all, it's just make-up, try not to panic, and where you cannot see a solution, google! You're bound not to be the only one!

I'll write more often now, promise! See you all soon!

Abi x

Top 10 Chick Flick Fashion Lessons

Hey cutie-patooties (too much? Possibly)

You know what I love on a Monday lunchtime? A good countdown to read. So today I'm compiling the top 10 fashion lessons us 90s girls learnt from those good old fashioned chick flicks. Warning, I'm talking classics only, none of this new fangled rubbish.

10. Pretty Woman - Redheads CAN rock a red dress.

We all experienced that heart-gushing moment when Julia steps out in that GORGEOUS red number, complete with the ice round her neck courtesy of Richard Gere. We felt that princess moment along with her, as she, once and for all, stamped out the myth that it is impossible for redheads to look fantastic in a well-styled rouge number.

9. Clueless - The visible collar, always a DO.

Clueless, famous for it's fabulously 90s preppy fashion, delivers an understated look in the form of it's collared, 'grown-up school uniform' style outfits. Now, in 2014, you can't walk the street without seeing someone sporting the same look, albeit slightly updated. Clueless also cemented it's name within fashion stardom by proving that if Calvin Klein says it's a dress, it IS a dress.

8. Mean Girls - Halloween, the only night a year....you know the story.

Dressing in lingerie and animal ears on halloween. A hotly debated topic. Every year there is a rampage of women moaning about girls who dress as a 'sexy big bird' or other slightly hilarious outfit options. However I say, if halloween is the one night of the year we can dress as sexy big bird, why the hell not?! Halloween is about dressing up as something else after all, so why can't the mousy librarian from floor 23 dress as her own fantasy of herself. In Mean Girls, we were all thinking it, they look bloody fabulous.

7. Never Been Kissed - Don't be afraid to let out your inner 'nice' girl

Drew Barrymore in 'Never Been Kissed' goes through about a hundred fashion changes in under two hours. An impressive feat really. But never does she look as pretty as when she can finally be herself, in the end scene where she lets go of all the try-hard dresses and poodle coats, and wears a pretty, subtle pastel number. Even Jessica Alba, the beauty of the film, is dwarfed by her all-powerful nice-girl look. Boom.

6. 10 Things I Hate About You - Always make your friends be honest about your new hairstyle.

Oh Julia Stiles, we laughed with you, cried with you, and that's right, cringed with you at the hair disaster during the prom scene of this classic film. Julia looks amazing, and a darn sight better than her 'prettier' sister throughout the film with her tousled, messy-look blonde locks. However, this skin-tight pulled back poodle 'do is one for Fashion Room 101.



5. She's All That - Wearing glasses and your hair in a ponytail does not make you hideous.

As pointed out in 'Not Another Teen Movie' - the entire premise of Rachel Leigh Cook's makeover in 'She's All That' is ludicrous. We can all clearly see she is pretty right at the beginning of the film. However, watching it now has an entirely different meaning with the new emergence of geek chic, you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching a film in reverse.

4. Legally Blonde - Workwear doesn't have to be void of personality.

If ever there was inspiration for fabulous workwear, it is Elle Woods. Granted, we might not want to turn up at the office in a full hot pink suit, yet the sentiment is still there, there is always room for fashion! Check out these five triumphant looks from the film, a few fully wearable even today!

3. The Devil Wears Prada - Hair changes everything. Oh, and over 40 can totally be fabulous.

I am a full supporter of the full-fringe look. Although a risk, it can turn a plain face into one that is instantly fashion forward with one quick snip of the scissors. It's not for everyone, so compare your bone structure to famous faces who are champions of the full fringe (like Zooey Deschanel) before taking the chop, however, if you get it right, it may change your life (over-dramatic? I think not). Anne Hathaway's transformation from frumpy to fab in this film classic wouldn't be complete without it. Also, Meryl Streep will never not look amazing.

2. Dirty Dancing - A hint to the 50s, a staple summer favourite.

This film is full of iconic moments. The lift, the lake, every time Patrick Swayze melted our pre-teen hearts. But I bet the costume designer for the film didn't guess that she was creating looks still wearable forty years later, with Baby's classic fifties/early sixties cuts, which have all of the feminine class and subtlely of that era, and none of the frump. She also brings out her playful side in the denim shorts, white shirt outfit, which cemented the denim and white combo as a summer favourite for every generation. I challenge thee not to see it as soon as the sun breaks through the clouds this year. Baby, soldiers of fashion everywhere, salute you.

1. Grease - Saucy and morally questionable. A winner all round.

Yes, we know Grease has a terrible moral lesson. Sweet, shy Sandy abandons everything she believes in and lives by and sexes herself up, all to bag herself a man. But who can worry about that when Olivia Newton-John looks so goddamn amazing at the end? Plus, we were all brought up on Grease, yet we don't walk around sporting skin-tight shiny trousers and red lips....oh wait.

The ultimate moral is, monochrome works. It has always worked, and will always work. Meoww.

eBay - A Bargain Hunter's Do's and Don'ts

Hello pretty people,

I'm sure you're all flooded with blog posts about the Oscars and those beautiful dresses. Alas, I fell asleep long before the cream of the crop even started arriving, so I'm going to have to wait for the highlights tonight before I can make my decisions on who I think belongs on the best-dressed list this year. I know it's naughty to hope for at least one dress disaster, but come on, these people get to be dressed by Valentino, we deserve a little fun!

However, today I'm going to go against the trend of Oscar posts, and rather than write about dresses that cost more than what most of us make in a year, I want to give you all a few tips on one of my favourite pastimes, a little bit of bargain hunting on eBay. You never know, there might be an Oscar winner hidden there somewhere.

I won't claim to be an expert or anything, but I spend an embarassing amount of time on this gem of a website, even if it is just to drool over the bags that I know I can't have! Over my time, I've learnt a few tricks of the trade, so listen up, beauties, and a bargain might be waiting for you!

Do -

Try out a search with a mispelled brand name. Sometimes proof-reading isn't someone's special skill, and if they don't look at it properly, Hollister can often become Holister, and so on and so forth. Beware, if something is mis-spelled it might mean they know less about the brand, or it could be a warning sign of a fake, so keep your eyes peeled. However, it's always worth checking that fashionista having a clear out didn't make a mistake while distracted by this month's Vogue.

careful the mis-spelling isn't actually on the item!



Don't -

Be tempted by eBay fakes. It's not worth it by any account. Personally I don't like fakes in general, as I always think anyone with an eye for fashion can tell in a heartbeat. However if you buy in person you can check out the stitching, the lining, and see if it at least is a well-made fake. On eBay, this person is already breaking the law, so you don't know what else they are doing wrong, are those pictures real? Did they just nick that off of someone elses' website?

Do -
Have a quick check in your area. By changing the location settings you can see if anything is less than ten miles away from where you live. If that pair of Louboutins is waiting in the next street, why pay for ten pounds of postage?

They're out there somewhere, find me, pretty red soles!

Don't -

Be willy nilly when getting anything cosmetic related. I wouldn't risk it unless I was ABSOLUTELY sure that it was a genuine product. Be warned, people are sneaky and use pictures of receipts etc. to trick. There have been a lot of stories of people buying fake cosmetics on eBay hoping for the real deal and getting some nasty chemicals, or just a cheap product put in a fake designer bottle. Don't risk your money!

Some subtle differences between a real and fake perfume, it's almost impossible to spot! You have to get your clues from other parts of the listing.

Do -

Check the feedback on that seller from other buyers. If a lot of other people have had problems, it's likely you will too. Don't get me wrong, there are people out there who will moan about anything, but learn from other's mistakes and don't go near a seller who messes people around.

Probably best not to trust someone with the username 'iaintpayinyou'

Don't -

Bid straight away. eBay is a game just as much as anything else. No-one else can see if you are watching someone but they know you're interested if you bid 4 days before it ends. Watch in the background like a little fashion tiger waiting to pounce. Timing is everything, so catch the other bidders out in the last hour, minute, or second, just keep them guessing! You never know, they might be busy and forget and you can nab it! Naughty!

This is how I like to imagine a fabulous fashion tiger. Has this blog gone a little loopy?

Do -

Check in-season items haven't gone on sale. Often, eBay sellers sell off in season items that they have been given, or cannot take back to the shop, at a small reduction of the shop price. This is a great way to get a new item that you have seen in the shops for a bit cheaper. However, I once went to buy an asos jumpsuit from eBay, at 25 pounds when it was 35 online. I thought I would just give it one quick check online and saw that it had suddenly been put in the asos sale at 15 pounds! It's a rare occurrence but always best to check when sales change so fast.

Don't -

Trust anyone who asks you to make payment outside of eBay. They are trying to scam you. Always use PayPal, as it's the safest way to pay on eBay.

Do -

Know your buzzwords. Words like 'vintage' often bring up a lot of rubbish someone has found at the back of their wardrobe. However searching for a specific era, like '1960s' or using words associated with that era (e.g. hippie) will come up with more specific and fashion-friendly items. My favourite current buzzword is 'blogger' as people tend to tag this onto items that have been popular in the blog world, meaning they have often already been reviewed and approved by the hallowed halls of blogger fashiondom. Also, remember searching for specific brands is is pretty fail-safe - but be wary of people who cut out the label and still insist it is a certain brand, I spy a crook on the horizon!

Score a beauty like this party dress with the right vintage buzzwords.

Don't -

Search in the 'lowest price' option. Unless going for 'Buy it Now' items, the 'lowest price' search often will usually lead to false hope and disappointment. Of course that mulberry bag is going to be fifty pounds if someone uploaded it an hour ago, however when it gets closer to the end of sale, the price will rocket up. I find it is better to go for the 'ending soonest' option. You get a much more realistic idea of price, and you get the excitement of knowing it's ending soon.

Do -

Try out different wording options. Looking for something in particular? Maybe your perfect dressing table stool might not come up when you type in 'dressing table stool'. But type in 'bedroom stool', and BAM! Shabby chic galore. Looking for that perfect fifties skirt? 'Fifties skirt' might churn out lots of fancy dress items, but 'A-line skirt' brings you a fabulous swishy skirt to bring out your inner Marilyn!

Speaking of which, midi A-line skirts are going to be huge this year, I love this little tulle number from Topshop, what a pretty summer colour!

http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/clothing-427/skirts-449/maxi-midi-skirts-593/blush-midi-tulle-skirt-2659581?refinements=category~%5b209775%7c208530%5d&bi=1&ps=20

And lastly...

DO -

Remember. If it is too good to be true, it probably is. eBay is a community full of thousands and thousands of people. If no-one else is bidding on that once in a life time, stop the press, jaw-dropping bargain, it is probably because they have spotted something you haven't. Look again, do some research, you'll probably save yourself a big headache later.

I hope this gives you some useful strategies when you're hunting for that perfect spring outfit on a budget, or trying to find that out of stock item you've wanted for weeks! eBay is great for finding labels while keeping the purse strings tight, but you just have to keep your wits about you.

I hope you are all having a happy Monday, and if you haven't watched the Oscars yet, I hope you enjoy it tonight! Let me know in the comments if you have any good eBay tips of your own!

Abi x

Pretty AND Funny, An Impossible Goal Or An Age-Old Prejudice?

Hi my beauties,

Right, let me start by saying the daily thing last week definitely didn't work, I'm just too busy to committ to a daily post, but I hoped you liked it anyway! Today, a thought post, which I do enjoy writing just as much as my beauty ones, as this means I just get to speak my mind without the distraction of making sure I'm covering all the angles of reviewing a product and making sure I'm representing it properly to you!

I've read a few articles recently about the idea that there are too few female comedians on panel shows, which has eventually led to the BBC banning all male panel shows, which will certainly have an effect on all the major comedy shows such as '8 Out Of 10 Cats' and 'Mock The Week'.

The statistics certainly show there to be a large difference between male contestants and female ones, with often only one or no women appearing on each show, while all of the main recurring panelists are all men, for the large network shows. So what problems does this cause? Are we overreacting to a natural tendency in the sexes, or does this reveal the innate sexism within our society? (Note: neither of which I'm stating as my opinion, rhetorical!)

The move from the BBC has certainly had a rather large backlash, but mainly from women, rather than men. The majority of comments are from females, and all the top rated ones say things like:

"The problem is women just aren't funny!"

"Oh god, this is so embarassing, I apologise on behalf of women!"

"There are just fewer female comedians, for good reason!"

Personally I think this is the worst thing about this whole situation. There seems to be this inherent 'embarassment' from some women when anyone even analyses a clear statistic of inequality. I'm not saying we should all hold hands and burn our bras, but I don't think anyone, male or female, should disregard anyone when there are clear figures supporting their opinion. I also feel there is often an ulterior motive behind comments like this, which is that I often find people think that pointing out any inequality between the sexes, is somehow unattractive, especially with things like "I apologise on behalf of women!"

Or is it that we think funny women just aren't attractive. Is it actually possible to be both? I remember watching a program once, a sort of X Factor for stand-up comedians, but without all the corruption and annoying crying. There was one woman who was quite funny, but every week, there seemed to be some comment about how she needed to make herself 'less pretty', coming straight from the female judges' mouth! However, we have to admit, it does seem like a trend with women in comedy to relentlessly make fun of the way they look. Jo Brand is a great example of this, and often Sarah Millican, but on a slightly smaller scale. But then, I stop and think, is this just the girls? How many times have you seen a male comedian in a shirtless advert, or in a cologne tv ad donning a suit and preening in the mirror? Not often I bet. It seems that it's a similar situation for both sexes, but we focus much harder on the girls, because it's somehow much more strange for us to not want to be pretty? The truth is, self-deprecation is funny. It's funnier when it's obvious.

Let's talk about the central issue here, inequality. Yes it is there. There is no denying it really. But, is it a negative thing? I suppose the word 'inequality' might be the wrong word to use, but I just mean 'difference'. The fact is we see it everywhere. If you walk down the high street there are ten times more clothes shops for women, rather than men. But I've never heard someone saying it's a particularly negative thing. The shops aren't saying 'WOMEN ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT SHOP, YOU BIG SHOPAHOLICS!'. It's just something that is there, and I won't complain!

The big question is, do we, as viewers, feel that these shows are oppressing us/girls? I have never watched an episode of Mock The Week and felt angered by their misrepresentation of women. I've never watched a stand-up comedy show and groaned when the one female comedian came out. I suppose it's because, at this point, I'm not looking at them as female and male comedians, but simply, comedians.

I suppose that we might not have all the facts here. If female comedians themselves feel that they are constantly being judged for what's in their knickers, not in their heads, and feel they are denied work simply because of their gender, then we have a problem. But unless that is the case, I'm not sure a problem should be created where there isn't one. Can we not look at these people, as just funny people?