The Humble Braid

With the release of the "Hunger Games" this year I have started to see the reinvention of the braid in the fashion world. Goodbye childish plait, hello sexy up-do. If you are all fingers and thumbs like me, it might take a bit of getting used to again (especially the challenging fish tail) but it's worth it.

Scarlett Johansson

Jessica Alba

Ashley Greene

A good tip is to add a bit of texture to the hair when wet using a volumising mousse like John Freida Luxurious Volume Thickening Mousse.

Or Charles Worthington Full Volume Mussed Up Texturising Spray. This will help freshly washed hair from being too slippy and will give your braid some grip. Here are a few braid ideas to get you started.

Happy Braiding girls........

Back Is The New Front.

I have already shamefully admitted in a previous post, my addiction to watching "The Only Way Is Essex" and its upper-class  rival "Made in Chelsea". So when this picture caught my eye this morning I thought I would share it with you. Even though the cringeworthy TOWIE is amongst my weekly skyplus schedule I would never normally take fashion advice from this tangoed, flesh exposed gang, however this picture remided me of the subliminal trend that has been sneaking into my subconscious over the last few months and I kept meaning to write a post about it. The back as a a fashion focus trend!

There is something sexy about girls' backs. Especially the tanned toned kind. The trick here is the more skin showing at the back the more covered up the rest of the outfit has to be!. The first time I noticed this trend was a fabulous dress worn by Kate Hudson at the SAG awards 2010. It was so gorgeous that i was trying to wear my v-neck tops back to front to re-create the look!

Since then we have a herd of celebrities copying the trend. For example Katy Perry, Claire Danes and Rhianna.

Mmmm sexy to say the least. So off I trotted to the high street and found a few beauties that we can try out this Summer.

ASOS €37

Vero Moda €27

Hybrid €114

Lipsy €79

Aqua Parnasuss €58

So how do you stand on the backless dress? Do you Dare to Bare?

Let Your T-shirt Do The Talking

Ok so it's not a new concept but there has definitely been a new obsession into the "Slogan T-shirt" of late. In the 90's we had a string of celebrities and hangers on opting for a more obvious statement T-shirt, remember the "Team Jen" and "Team Brad" tacky t-shirts after their break up.

And good old Britney Spears could be relied on for a a weekly instalment of trailer trash tops and her famous "Mrs Federline" tracky.

Recently though, our new batch of celebs have gotten a wee bit more subtle and even cryptic in their slogan t-shirts. Some sending secret messages to the media or jilted lovers and some maybe totally oblivious to the impact they are having on us celeb watchers.

Her boyf is Dominic Purcell..... Say No More!

Lana Del Ray "rumoured to be dating Axl Rose!

Hmmm seems to be about accurate (Dating Baptiste Giabiconi)

A Subtle revenge perhaps?

So I got to thinking, why should celebs have all the fun, I wann jump on the slogan t-shirt band wagon so I have found these beauties to whet your whistle..........

Diesel €80

Zoe Karssen €71

Vero Moda €12

Wildfox €90

So next time you need to send a message to a crush or get back at an ex-boyfriend, you know just how to do it. If you cant find the right one you could always customise your own t-shirt.......just go easy on the profanities!

Tribal Gathering

One of the big trends for Spring Summer 2012 is Tribal. There is variations in the theme across high street stores right now, some leaning towards Aztec influences, some African vibes and also hints of American Indian influences. Some of the trend is a little fashion forward for my liking, a little bravery is needed to pull it off but in general  it's a pretty cool trend. As usual I have trawled around looking for my favourite pieces online and in stores and put together a small selection of my favourites.

Ralph Lauren Navajo Maxi €94

This maxi hits the nail on the head. The rich mixing of colours and stripes emphasize the Navajo influence to a T. This would be amazing for a festival, for holidays or with a denim jacket for at home.

Aztec Shorts Topshop €38

I love these cute shorts from Topshop. I would wear them with a little black tank top and wedges going out or just with a bikini on the beach.

Free People €128

This is a little bit more extravagant for a trend piece but I love it. The headband and suede shorts might be a little bit over the top as seen here but skinny jeans instead would make it a little more wearable. It is also available in a teal colour.

ASOS macrame bag €47

Acessories are the perfect way to have a taste of this trend without going they whole hog. This cute little macrame bag is perfect for a taste of tribal but jewellery this season is amazing with dramactic bangle and necklaces to finnish off even a simple outfit.

Made Maguru necklace €99

ASOS Friendship Bracelet necklace  €54

Beetle Cuff Topshop €8

Long Spear Earrings Topshop €6

Im feeling very Tribal inspired right now. Must be time to book my tickets for Electric Picnic! Yay

The Elusive Sephora

I first discovered Sephora on a trip to Las Vegas a couple of years ago where i walked around in wonder at the array of beauty, cosmetics and body products drooling and wondering why we dont have such a shop in Ireland. Since then I have discovered Sephoras in a few locations across Europe making us the only country not to have copped on yet to supply us Sephora addicts! Very disappointing!

On my last trip to the Canaries I discovered a cute little Sephora section tucked away amongst the cosmetic counters in El Corte Ingles. I was delighted (My boyfriend not so much) I spent an hour going through all the products testing them and stocking up on my favourites to take home. (Sorry boyf!). So I thought I would share with you my top Sephora must haves.

The Sephora head to toe hydrator is basically a magic potion of moisturisers. It is a fairly recent discovery but im completely hooked. I use it on my face and dry areas of my body like hands and elbows and decollatage. It says it can be used on the ends of your hair too, I am yet to try this but sounds like a great tip.

Ahh yes the trusty Sephora atomiser. I have three of these on the go. All my perfumes are large bottles and way too heavy to cart around in my handbag or for travelling so these atomisers are fantastic. Yes you can probably get the equivalent in Irish cosmetic shops but the fact that it's Sephora makes it special in my eyes. I have a different perfume in each one so that i know which is which but actually when you are finished your perfume in one of these you can put a totally different one in the next time with out any overlap of fragrance!

My sister once brought me this back from a trip to Barcelona, it was also my birthday and i have never been so excited by a present in my life. My most favourite eyeshadow ever was an amazing galaxy brown colour that I bought in Las Vegas and has since been discontinued so she got me this giant palatte to make up for it. I am still using it today and I love it. The eyeshadows are rich deep pigments and the blushers are great as there is different colours to match your complexion as it changes all year round.

This primer was an exciting new find. I had alwasy been a huge fan of the smashbox primer followed by the Loreal studio secrets for when i was on a budget. This Primer by Sephora is a great price and feels so silk smooth when applying to the face. It seemed to fill in any wrinkles and give a younger appearence. My make up always goes on much more smoothly afterwards and lasts longer throughtout the day. A definite must have.

I have slowly been adding to my Sephora make-up brush collection throught my trips. They are fantastic quality and a really good price compared to a lot offered on the market. This was anew addition powderbrush I bought on the last trip. It is soft on the face and washes like new. One day I hope to own the whole lot..... One can but dream


Have you discovered the pull of Sephora yet? Can you reccomend any products? What is your favourite beauty brand?

Serious Body Envy!

I don't know what it is this time of year but around April I always develop a serious case of body envy. It might be because I have had my body covered up all Winter and now that the sun is starting to come out it is time to get my head around exposing myself again. Or it could be that I have just enjoyed my Birthday followed by a gluttonous Easter and am ashamed to admit to the effect that the extra thousand calories I have been consuming is having on my body. Or it could just be due to the fact that I keep seeing celebrities flaunting their perfectly toned bikini and gym bodies in magazines or online every day.

I have decided as of today to get back to the drawing board as far as my diet and exercise goes. I was getting great results from my pilates classes last year but due to lack of money and Winter laziness I had abandoned those in exchange for comfort food and cosy fires. This week I will restart my pilates and along with this I am aiming to do one yoga class a week also to help focus my mind and build strength. First yoga class is tonight and after a healthy tuna salad for lunch I am raring to go.

In the mean time I would like to share with you my current celebrity body envies. By looking upon these pictures each morning I can use them as inspiration and motivation to get back in shape. (they will also help my darts throwing arm for my evening's target practice!)

1) Miley Cyrus

I know I know. Myley Cyrus! That annoying loud mouthed teenybopper. Never in a miliion years would I have thought I would put her at the top of my list. In fact I have been oblivious to her fantastically toned anatomy until two days ago when I saw these pictures of her going for her daily run....... Darn it!

2) Leanne Rimes

This love affair with Leanne Rimes' body started after she went from being a human skeleton to being a perfectly toned bikini bunny! She definitely has the best bikini body I have ever seen. Although I can see why she has to maintain it with Eddie Cibrian to impress. Jealous? Yes I am.

3) Michelle Keegan.

Ok so I know this is a bit random. Hardly a celebrity I know. In fact I dont even watch Corronation St but I have seen many a picture of Michelle in bikinis in magazines, enough to let the green eyed monster rear its head. She has it all, tanned skin, toned abs, big boobs and on the skinnier side of athletic. With a body like that I'd go to work in a bikini!


I could go on and on but it is slightly depressing. So I will think positive, go to yoga and try my hard not to think about the other half of my malteasers easter egg in the kitchen cupboard....... arrgggghhh!