The Great Gatsby - Then and Now

red lipstick all on the paper (in process)

Red lipstick all on the paper

A red obsession k

Ok, I have recently come to my sense. I like red ok, maybe even love red. I tried to explain my fascination for the colour but it just comes down to the fact that it may be my favourite in the colour wheel.  Its bright, it cheers me up and makes me feel oh so cheeky and womanly, ever since I started buying red nail polish I’ve really fallen in love with the colour, I’ve even started to match my lips aswell. One of my friends has never really been ‘red shy’, so has not been afraid to rock bright or deep scarlet pout on show while I always felt it made me look a bit...well desperate for male attention if that makes sense. But it takes a fierce spirit to proudly rock red...and I believe that I am getting there now

The other day I attempted to dye my hair using a dark and lovely product, I bought two boxes one in red hot rhythm and the other honey bronze, surprisingly I love the colour it, the red hot rhythm showed up a lot more and made my hair ends look a deep reddish, henna brown colour. It’s definitely encouraged my love for red even more!

So I’m just gonna evaluate life and what makes read such a lively, inspiring and bold brash colour and why I am simply in love with it.

One reason I have denied red is because I feel I do not have the ‘red’ personality for it, I’m not loud, very outgoing or cheeky but maybe deep down I do have those qualities and haven’t assessed them yet:

Shades of red which I love:

My top shade of red which I adore: I’m a bright red girl FO shuree

 Vermillion

 coral red 

 scarlet  red

My red lipstick:

fire cracker-topshop:

Cherry red-Revlon:

Golden rose-69:

sleek o.m.g :

kiss me coral-revlon:

People who rock red whom I love....primadonna girl 

Florence Welch

Rihanna

Marylin Monroe

What read symbolizes for me and in general

vintage obsession

A vintage obsession

For a while  I've loved off vintage style and beauty. Its femininity, its classic style and effortless appearance, like it looked so easy! and involved so little products, it made it clear that women can just use what they have and nothing too expensive

I'm not gonna ramble on because I don't have much of a motive to write, but here are some photo's which bring inspiration:

Candy coloured hair, peachy lips and a huge beauty mark- I would like you to meet my biggest beauty inspiration- Marylin Monroe

SHE IS AMAZING

SUCH A POSER

 The epitome of effortless feminism 

Thick liner with pale powdery shadow I look ive recently being trying myself 

lippy lips- the 1940s-60s featured the most cheeky, bold and girlie lip shades 

headbands add that subtle vintage casual touch to any outfit 

Audrey knew how to make the most of exaggerating natural beauty 

Rainy Milo does the modern day platinum suicide blonde, retro look rather well I would say 

EDIE SHOWED THAT YOU CAN CREATE A LOOK WHICH DEFINES YOUR CHARACTER AND STICK TO IT

THE DRAMA is really what made vintage beauty and style stand out 

halycon album reveiw

Music profile/ album review

Ok so I heard the single ‘figure 8’ a few months ago...little did I know however that this would be one of the least good songs on her new album halcyon. I’ve always been a wee bit of a fan of ellie goulding acoustics of lights and starry eyed, he voice has always intrigued me because it is so soft and youthful but yet so magical and unique. This new album however has really; really opened my eyes to her music, her thoughts, ideas and sound and I’ve become even more of an ellie fan than I was before!

Ellie goulding- halcyon album 

Date of release:  October 5^th 2012 (day before my birthday! Surprise, surprise!) Can’t believe it’s taken me till January/ February to discover how amaze-balls this album is

Genre:  Indie pop, synthpop, dream pop (according to wiki)

Out of ten:  I would give it a....8/10 (yes it is that good)

Three top favourite songs in detail:

     

Figure 8:

An obvious track I know but it’s just amazing and I can tell a lot of effort went into this song. I think of lots of dramatic elements and emotions soft and harsh when listening to this song, the colour red, flashes of white paint, ballerinas, drums and glass shattering and of course cold falling rain. It has the most ‘commercial’ sound I would definitely say which is probably why she decided to release it first and a slight dub-step undertone, not my typical taste but I think ellie does a very good job. I feel that a contrasting theme of vengeance and weakness run through this song. 

·         My blood:

This song in my eyes has the most different, most indie or acoustic feel in the album. There is this...folksy rock undertone to some parts of it and reminds me subtly of Florence. I love this song because it uses the most natural music, a piano, drums and vocal melodies which make it so vibrant and alive with a strong acoustic guitar to frame the whole song. This song has some sad element to it, it reminds me of a love which was never returned. When hearing this song I think of an isolated beach but I also think of fireworks! It really ranges in its effects and musical tones. The lyrics which speak to me most are:

‘ And God knows I'm not dying but I bleed now
And God knows it's the only way to heal now
With all the blood I lost with you
It drowns the love I thought I knew’

·         The ‘Ending’:

This is actually a bonus track on the album so it took me quite a while to actually discover it. I think the title the ‘ending’ actually defines this song a lot; it has a long musical intro with ellie repeating the lines ‘if you lock me out’, after about 2 minutes into the song  drops a heavy electro base line. The song is simple, but heavy and effective in its basic, but hard-hitting lyrics. It provides an essence of something being finished or reflected upon because of the songs composition and sense of being an afterthought. The lyrics ‘if you lock me out’ really resonated in me, when I close my eyes and hear this song I imagine myself in the evening alone walking  in heavy rain outside a dark old architectural  building like a  church or something . 

Album inspiration: (in my own opinion)

There is a source that says that when ellie was a teenager she was a ‘rebel’ (hard to imagine I know) who: ''I guess I was made out to be like a really good role model Sensible, girly, flowery and blonde - but that wasn't me. I've always been an absolute rebel. When I was in my teen years I had piercings and wore all black. I smoked and drank and did what all my mates did around me. I was never a 'sensible one'.

 This album her new one was a reflection of that adolescent time in her life ''And my lyrics have always been dark. It's just that [with new album 'Halcyon'], the music is rawer around the edges and varies from song to song.''

 I think that explains why I relate to this album so much, the tunes and compositions of the songs define the melodies of my own life, emotions, thoughts, anxieties and fears.

I would recommend this album to...

This album on the surface sounds like some dark, at times eerie and creative piece of art work, but it has some very depressing, self reflective and poisonous tones to it. It has definitely left a strong impression on me. When I need to be reminded of myself and my reality I always listen to people like Florence and the machine and ellie goulding. The music they make always illustrate the thought or mind state I’m in. I would recommend this to people who think a similar way about life, but also if you like heavy base toned music, like electro music! And indie music. Anything weird and different I guess 

ombre hair obsession

I love blonde hair, red hair, ‘suicide blondes’, and bleached hair, anything that’s feminine and makes a bold but interesting statement. The ‘Ombre’ trend of dip-dying the hair ends to create an effect on the hair that looks as though your growing your dye or bleach out has suddenly become a huge fashion statement, on models, on the catwalk and even in the music industry. Typical or natural colours tend to be a pale honey blonde, or white blonde the typical ‘bleached out effect’, but many have been even more daring and gone for a green or aqua dip-dye or pink, sometimes a bold tangerine orange!.

It’s a very creative look, especially if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t like dying their hair from root to tip or want to experiment to see if a colour suits them. But regardless of that this look is so fearless! It’s not the first time natural or dark roots and bleached ends have been a fashion trend but the effect it creates is so beautiful it’s no wonder it keeps on re-appearing!

I have even tried the effect in my own hair, since I love blonde so much, and it still suits me, although I’m of a darker complexion. Dark root girls should definitely go for this look, coz it’s so artsy and vintage. The lighter colour at the end always highlights something in the skin tone or facial feature and the dark colour of the roots just balances everything out. So cool!

Ombre often means a frayed dip-dye effect but some people do it so only a couple inches of their roots are left natural. Any effect will work, just decide whether you want to do your tips and go subtle or do an almost complete full dye with only your roots on display. 

Ombre has become such a trend in the fashion industry; many have begun trying out the effect on clothing, nails and even with lipstick!

It really is a bohemian look that has left an impression on the modern fashion industry.

khloe kardashian, Raven Simone and lykke li have be sporting this look from different ends of the entertainment and media field: televsion, music and reality t.v 

no you give it a try!

The catcher in the rye book review...J.D Salinger 

My first impressions....

With its simple cover and interesting title, I didn’t really know what to expect from the catcher in the rye. Id briefly given up my search for books about crime and cold, callus love affairs and after reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath I decided to continue looking for books about rebels in post modern settings. I came across the title of the catcher in the rye on Amazon and for some reason was instantly drawn to it, I briefly read the plot description and new it was my type of book. From the fact it had no blurb and such a plain and interesting title I new it would be a book of the unexpected...one where alot of things had to be read between the lines. 

What I thought at the end...

The end again surprised me, the whole book had a very simplistic tone but in its simplicity it made it easier to emphasise with, more human and more downright funny. It is definitely a book for young people between the ages of maybe 17-20 years, the time in your life where you’re no longer a child but not yet a grown adult, That sensation of limbo that carries until you finally find out where you fit in with the world and who you are. Being lost and ghostlike, rebellion from conformity you’ve always known and adult decision making were the main themes in the tale.

Favourite characters...

Holden Caulfield was the main character and speaker and voice throughout all the text! It was intentionally a first person narrative, but this made it more personal and easier to emphasise with his thoughts, ideas and disposition. He is a very adventurous person, I normal teenage boy...With normal teenage boy thoughts. But there were many things about his characters that weren’t conforming of the time; he was a very inspirational character to me. His strong opinions and thoughts were very humorous. He has the edge and spontaneous character of a free spirited rebel but the genuinely and humanity of a true gentlemen. It is true when they say perfect boys can only be found in books!

Best quotes...

These quotes made me laugh the most, held onto me because of the simple effectiveness and depth and the most humane: 

·       “You can never find a place that’s nice and peaceful, because there isn’t any. You may think there is, but once you get there, when you’re not looking, somebody’ll sneak up and write ‘fuck you’ right under your nose”

·         “heres what he said: “the mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one”

·         “What I mean is, lots of time you don’t know what interests you most till you start talking about something that doesn’t interest you most”

·         “just because somebody’s dead, you don’t just stop liking them, for god’s sake-especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than people you know that are alive and all”

·         “It’s supposed to be physical and spiritual and artistic and all. But what I mean is, you can’t do it with everybody-every girl you neck with and make it come out that way”

·         “Guys that never read books. Guys that are very boring-but I have to be careful about that. I mean calling guys bores. I don’t understand boring guys. I really don’t”

·         “Just because they’re crazy about themself, they think you’re crazy about them too and you’re just dying to do them a favour. It’s sort of funny in a way”

music 2013

                                                       THE MUSIC I LOVE WINTER 2013....

I love music...nuff said. these folks have been around a while but i still love them currently right about now 

The lumineers, ok there’s only one song of theirs which I like, called hey ho I think...it’s not a song that I would typically like but its simplicity but deep sounding lyrics I think what held me. I really hope to discover more of their stuff this year, simple can be very beautiful and not many people appreciate that.

Lykke li

 Ok. When I heard follow you by lykke li I literally fell. In. Love. She is like my indie lady gaga, what is even more surprising is that when I discovered her other songs such as everybody but me, let it fall and Paris blue, I fell in love with those aswell. I don’t think chart shows and mainstream TV appreciate music like hers, it’s sad that so many actual talents get left in the dark for so long. I really relate to the lyrics of let it fall and everybody but me.

The weeknd

 I think I’ve given up on ‘mainstream’ hip-hop, I still listen to usher and J.T don’t get me wrong ;)...but I love this new stuff that the likes of the weeknd and frank ocean are doing. I just love them; I’m a bit of a rebelle myself, so I love people who go against the grain a bit. The thing is its still r’n’b! But I like that the lyrics resonate more meaning and that it shows a darker more melodramatic side of music.

The xx

I absolutely lurrvvvveee The xx, I think I’ve pretty much said that about everyone, ha-ha, but I think out of everyone The xx have left the strongest impression on me. I remember first seeing a picture of them on NME’s tumblr site and I found them interesting and thought it looked so dope that they wore all black. I was first expecting their music to lean more towards the punk, heavy metal indie side but everything with them is surprisingly soft! A few months later at a work experience I heard, chained I fell in love. I’ve recently discovered reconsider which unfortunately didn’t make it to their albumL. They literally get better and better.

Lana Del Rey

Its more than just music, I’ve got a secret crush on this woman. Her music is too beautiful for words and so is she! Everything is meaningful when it comes to Lana and everything is an art. When I think one of her songs is my favourite I discover another, I still love her earlier stuff like videogames and blue jeans but I’m also attached to her newer releases such as national anthem. And her unknown stuff stirs me aswell, most of her songs have some soft spot meaning to me...she never fails to leave an impression. 

Florence and the machine

Hey Florence! I’ve loved you ever since I was introduced you by my friend when I was only in year 11, 3 years later and I still do. Her newest album, spectrum is so deep, so dark, like Coldplay I feel almost spiritually cleansed when listening to her stuff. She is another beautiful artistic person like Lana, and she is such a performer aswell! He covers are amazing; one of my dreams is to see her play live at a music event or festival. 

Charli xcx

I found charli xcx on youtub randomly one day, after hearing her song nuclear seasons whilst shopping. She emulates everything I’m about, romantic lyrics, dark minor notes and a heavy sounding, highly electro sound. Valentine and stay away live are also my favourite; I hope she gets more recognition in the music industry despite her unique and creative style and sound. 

Bae ray

Well who doesn’t like rihanna eh...she’s hard not to love, even if it’s just one of her songs. I even made up a nickname for her...I’m mad I know. Bae ray...hopefully...maybe it will catch on! Anyway, id say out of all her notorious albums talk that talk has been my favourite, I love the femme fatale sexuality, the video we found love and the rock star rebel edge to talk that talk and red lipstick. Good girl gone bad is also another album I like, I think means the most to rhi rhi aswell! 

Ellie goulding

Ellie goulding so cute n quirky, her voice is so soft and at the same time so effortlessly unique. Starry eyed recorded and the live acoustic version are both awesome, lights...there is something so eerily beautiful about that song. I like her newer stuff too, hope she continues to get better and better, another one of my favourite blonde people who begin with the letter E...

The glitz, the glamour and that oh so hauntingly beautiful Smokey and deep wine lip  

 look with dole eyes and dolly glossy pout. Welcome to the 1920s everyone! With beautiful, entrancing sex symbols such as Louise brooks herself. Normally my everyday makeup look revolve around that thick winged lashed 60s looks, because it’s easier for me with a sweep of dark black liner and nude or nothing on my lips!

I thought about exploring an evening look whilst still looking vintage, the 1920s came to me instantly. It’s just so perfect to try out, especially during the winter seasons with the combination of heavily Smokey eyes with deep and glossy lips.

So...like the mad person that I am, I thought I’d use my vintage beauty guide to try out the look myself. The eyes didn’t come out as intense as id hoped but the lips were definitely very deep and beautiful and sensual.