Tuesday 31 January 2012

Inspiration

After my mum went to Tesco and replenished my Pritt Stick supply, I was able to create the collage that I wanted to for my last post, One half short of a full moon.


It is by no means the most extensive of collages - given that it barely covers a measly A4 piece of paper, and because of this it does not hold everything that I like about fashion - but it does hold many of the things that I like.

Hats - I have a few hats, two of which are trilby's. My dad says that they make me look like an old man, and my straw trilby has brought on comments about Paulo Nutini, but I like them. Hats are brilliant, they cover up all manner of hair sins - including unwashed bedhead, but at the same time, they make a statement. It takes a fair bit of confidence, I think, to put something on your head and walk out the house in it, too many people worry that they look silly in hats, and I am here to tell you to embrace them! Put down the straighteners and stick on your beanie!
Spots, Stripes and Patterns - I do love a good bit of pattern, so last winter's Navaho trend was wonderful for me, with all the Aztec and Fairisle patterns available in so many colours and styles. I own both a Fairisle cardigan and an Aztec cardigan - which my dad told me makes me look like Starskey and Hutch, but what does he know?
Denim - I live in skinnies, and I particularly love high-waisted jeans because they both hold in your stomach and prevent any builder's-bum embarrassment! I have blue, black and dark green high-waisted skinnies, along with two pairs of ordinary blue skinnies. But when the sun starts to shine, I love pulling on my shorts and showing off my milk bottles! I have long since given up on trying to get my legs to turn any shade of brown, nowadays I simply slap on the factor 30 (yes, I need factor 30 in England) and let them blind those around me.
Knitwear - I adore knitwear - be it cardigans or jumpers or hats, I love snuggling into a bit piece of wool and feeling all wintry and cosy. I'm one of those people that wears one more layer than everyone else and is still just as cold, so the knitwear really warms me up, and it just looks so cute!

Until next time, 


Monday 30 January 2012

Dip - dyed hair!

Good evening!

I know that I have already declared my love for coloured hair, but now it is time to go into great detail. Everyone is doing at the minute, I admit, but does that make is less cool? I think not.





Dip dyed hair is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good.
I myself have done it many times, and it's one of those things that just cannot go wrong. You may think that you've put the dye to far up your hair - it still looks awesome. That you haven't left it on for long enough - it still looks awesome. That you spread it unevenly - it still looks awesome.

The dye I use (and recommend) is La Riche's Directions!
It's semi - permenant, and depending on the colour and condition of your hair, can last anything from 2/3 washes to 2/3 months! The redder colours tend to stay better, I've been told this is because they're more 'natural', whereas the blues and greens fade more quickly.

For example, my friend has light brown hair with lots of naturally blonde highlights running through it, and it takes colour really well, she used a bright red colour from Directions, (possibly Pillarbox Red or Poppy Red? Something very red anyway!) she left it on for about half an hour I believe, and it is still fading from her hair from November.

Whereas I used, both Cerise and Midnight Blue from Directions on the ends of my medium brown hair which takes colour badly, or reluctantly shall we say, I left it on for 15 minutes and it was gone within 3 or 4 washes. Which is what I wanted! I also used Tangerine allover my head, and that lasted 4 washes before completely going back to my original colour.

I think this is more an advantage than a disadvantage that the colour intensity and lasting time can be manipulated so easily, it means that you can dye your hair very specifically, if you wanted it to wash out in one wash, or last weeks, you could probably dye accordingly. Plus, Directions is a 'conditioning dye' so doesn't harm your hair at all, infact, my hair was so soft and shiny after I used it that it was difficult to do anything with. It's also really cheap, £3.99 a tub near where I live, and I've dip dyed my hair with the same tub about 5 times, as well as putting a streak underneath it atleast 5 times and dying my friend's hair underneath with it 2 times, and I'm nowhere near the bottom!

It's really good.

Incase you want to try it after that amazing advertising right there, here's a step by step guide of how to dip dye with Directions! (so much alliteration)

1. I'd advise you either do this topless and braless, sling an old towel or sheet around your shoulders, or wear a top you don't mind being savagely dyed forever. Gloves are also a good idea but not necessary. (I never use them)
2. Take a comb (or just use your fingers) and dip it in the dye, you don't need too much a little goes a very long way!
3. Comb the dye through the ends of your hair, about 2 or 3 inches in is a good starting point, you can always dye higher if you want to!
4. Make sure there are no lumps of dye left in the ends of your hair, comb it through so it's even and seperated.
5. Leave the dye on for at least 15 minutes, depending on how intense you want your colour!
6. Wash the ends of your hair in a sink or with one of those sprayer thingys, I don't know what they're called!
7. You may or may not find that the colour of your hands now matches the colour of the dye rather exactly, (and you may or may not have to go to your Auntie's Christmas gathering in 30 minutes with 'Cerise' hands and be questioned aggressively) I have heard that nail varnish remover or vinegar have some effect, if not, just wear gloves or wash thoroughly, it doesn't sting or anything, it's just annoying and somewhat awkward to having coordinated hair and hands.
8. Voila!


If you're now DYING (get it) to dip dye, here's the Directions website, http://www.lariche.co.uk/directions-hair-colour/, '34 intense shades', that's a lot!
And also, I thought this was cool, their catchphrase for Directions is, 'celebrate your individuality', and that's awesome, do itttttttttttttttt!

P.S there's also brushes on the site for dying, and they fit into the tub perfectly, whereas you'll do well to find a comb or brush that does, the tubs are quite 'petite' but by no means not worth the money! You can also buy them in packs of four I think, which I may end up doing, it's addictive, be warned!


Sunday 29 January 2012

According to Annika

Good morning! (Just)

One of my favourite fashiony bloggers ever is Annika. (http://www.accordingtoannika.com/) She posts her Lookbook styles aswell as news and tales of her general life. She's also incredibly beautiful;


There's recently been a massive hiccup in her life, (read her blog to find out, I'm not sure if it would really be okay for me to repost something like that) and naturally, there's a lot of worry.

This post is basically just me wishing her the absolute best of luck and sending my best and most lovely wishes her way, I know she can do this!

One half short of a full moon

An introduction to Holly Are.


I like the smell of books, socks with daft patterns on them, big knitted jumpers, Converse, satchels, getting post, the smell of baking gingerbread, cooking rice and eating it out of the pan whilst sat on my kitchen counter when I'm home alone, and tea. Lots and lots of tea. With biscuits - caramel chocolate digestives are divine. 


As I said yesterday in Greetings, although I hope that this blog will become our own little contribution to the multi-billion pound fashion industry, I am not sure that my "style" fully qualifies me to discuss such matters with you, but I shall endeavour on in the hope that you at least appreciate my effort.


Since this is a fashion blog, I promise! I thought I should at least share with you the people who's style I admire (yes, I am just copying Hannah here, I wanted to do a collage of all the clothes and things which inspire me, but then I realised that I ran out of Pritt Stick in Science on Friday, boo.)


Ivy from 90210 - Gillian Amalia Zinser




Her style on set is just the pinnacle of  everything laid-back, she strolls around with unbrushed hair and cool T-Shirts with shorts or jeans, and maybe a pair of sunglasses or a trilby hat to go with it - the show is set in Beverley Hills, after all. It's the way that she doesn't really care about her appearance that makes her so cool and have such great style. She used a checked shirt as a cover-up on the beach during one episode in season 2 - a tip that I will most definitely be trying out once I get the opportunity!


Agyness Deyn




Okay, so I know she's not exactly a red-hot face of fashion any more, but to me she is still pretty cool, again because her style is just so laid back and thrown together. I adore festival fashion, a trend that is just so unique and relaxed, and she manages to send out that feeling all year round. Also, her hair is just so brilliant - I wish that I had a cute pixie face and therefore could also pull off a platinum blonde pixie crop like she does. And she was discovered as a model while she was working in a chippy - I like that.


Alexa Chung




Quite a cliche, I know, but she's a Brit girl and she also has really cool hair that I wish I could emulate. She just throws things together (including high-heels, which I love but never have a place to wear them to) and simply looks awesome. Sometimes, as all style icons do, she gets it wrong and I think "What the Hell" but with my love of Peter Pan collars (that I'm yet to purchase) how could I not love Alexa?


So there you are, I hope you've enjoyed this post, and I shall see you next time!





Friday 27 January 2012

A short introduction (of Hannah one half of the full moon)

Hey! So I am the 'prawny friend' described below, Hannah!
I thought it would be polite if firstly I introduced my favourite 'fashiony celebrity' people and a little about myself.
I love reading, writing and music, but I'm also fascinated by clothes. I'm shy and apparently sarcastic, but I try very hard to be a good person! And as you will soon find out, I'd love to be ginger.
The first person who inspires me and my choices of garmentation etc is;
Hayley Williams
Paramore is my very favourite band, and Hayley is the coolest person ever. Her hair is just woah, and her style is so casual and easy to imitate but at the same time powerful and full to bursting of her personality. She's probably my 'idol'.

Secondly, Florence Welch!
I love indie and vintage clothing, and Florence wears nothing but, I adore the colours she uses and how everything is so floaty and feminine, it mirrors her music perfectly.

And lastly, the model, Charlotte Free!
Her style is perfect. Patterned tights, shorts, collared shirts, jumpers and band tees, what could be better? As you may well have noticed, I love bright hair, and hers is no exception!
Other fashion - related trends that I am fond of include; red lips, nerdy glasses, flicky eyeliner, leather belts, brogues, scarves and knee high socks.


Greetings

It was our science exam yesterday, and although exam season may seem like a gloomy time for many, for me there is one silver lining, one thing to lighten my mood and keep me entertained throughout the end of my exam when I've checked my paper and I'm too paranoid to check it again, and that thing, is the invigilator that wears two pairs of glasses. At the same time.
She wears one pair on her face and one pair on her head. I don't know if she is aware of this, and if she is, I don't know if she is fully aware of how much of a tit she looks. But, she does keep me entertained with her bossing us around and telling us when to open our papers and when we can leave. But then, she is also everyone's bitch when we drop our pens or require a tissue. 
We have to sit our exams in a freezing sports hall with awful acoustics, and I swear the invigilators drag out their loudest high heeled shoes from the backs of their wardrobes, just to wear in our exams and then piss us all off when they walk down the sports hall and all we can hear is a clip-clop, clip-clop of bloody stilettos. Once, earlier this month during an English exam, one invigilator had BELLS on her shoes. I didn't know you could buy shoes with bells on, unless she fancy's herself as a bit of a Gok Wan and hit the haberdashery to customise her own shoes. Who knows? I am not one to pry into the wardrobes, shoe boxes and private lives of the people that tell us we need a black pen.


Anyway, that science episode marked the final exam for us until May, and so, it is with great pleasure that I introduce myself and my new blogging partner-in-crime. I am Holly Are, and my prawny friend is to be known as Hannah Doubleyou. This blog is a joint effort, with some combined posts and some solo endeavours. We aim to blog about fashion as much as possible, however I do not consider myself fully qualified to discuss such matters, so we may just chat on about our daily lives now and then. We'll just see what happens, 'kay?


Oh and in case you were wondering, the blog title 'Moonkissed' refers to a discussion that we shared one evening about the distinct paleness of our bare legs, we both decided that 'Moonkissed' was a more elegant and somewhat beautiful word to describe those of us apparently 'cursed' with milk bottles, we beg to differ, pale is cool too.


This is going to be good.