LOVE

Any excuse to post something Sienna Miller related. The new issue of LOVE magazine features a whopping 8 different covers.
A preview of each cover has been released on models.com featuring:



• Alessandra Ambrosio: The Angel
• Rosie Huntington Whiteley: The Siren
• Giselle Bundchen: The Bomshell
• Lauren Hutton: The Heroine
• Agyness Deyn: The Rebel
• A Freaky Looking Doll: The Mannequin
• Kelly Brook: The Sweetheart
• Sienna Miller: The Pin-Up

Oh my gosh, I can't stop STARING at the Sienna cover. Her body looks incredible, why is it that celebrities can get this amazing glowing brown shade with fake tan where as I go a lovely shade of tango no matter which product I use?
But, what really catches and holds my attention is her stunning face. She's almost unrecognizable. The glossy intense black eye make up looks striking against her grey-blue eyes. But the vampy dark red on her lips? I’m in a makeup day dream, and I love it! It looks darker at the corners compared to the rest of her mouth, I think this is just a shadow, but it reminds me of Christina Aguilera in the Lady Marmalade video.

Hers was a Marmite look, people either loved it or hated it, I loved it, and every Halloween I always attempt to re-created that shaded mouth effect with varying degrees of success. I really can’t stop looking at this image, every time I complete a sentence I flick back to it and just gaze…

SO, I love the idea of the 8 different covers. It does cause a conundrum if you want more than one, but as it’s only out twice a year it gives us plenty of time to raise funds to collect them all. My favourite cover, apart from the Sienna obviously, is Rosie Huntington Whiteley.

The first thought that popped into my head when I saw this cover was, wow, she looks like a real life Jessica Rabbit. That hourglass shape is fabulous, so amazingly exaggerated, she looks too good to be true. I’m loving the dress, I have a major thing for leopard print at the moment, I’m constantly wrapped up in my purple H&M-pretending-to-be-Louis-Vuitton scarf. That gorgeous shade of ginger looks beautiful against her skin tone, and her glossy red pout and winged eye-liner completes her stunning 1940’s look.

I’m not so fond of the Agyness Deyn and Alessandra Ambrosio covers. I don’t think I’ve ever been a big Agyness Deyn fan, I may have jumped on the band wagon for a short time a while ago, but the skin head just doesn’t do her any favours.
I normally LOVE Alessandra Ambrosio. She is really incredibly beautiful, and normally editorials that she is featured in, like this, get me really excited in a major girl-crush way:

But this cover does nothing for me and my girl-crush. It’s the bleached eyebrows, I know. They make her look angry, or sad, I can’t work out which. It’s a bit of a shock when I’m used to seeing her in full on Victoria’s Secret Angel mode.

LOVE covers pinched from models.com. Alessandra editorial image pinched from fashiongonerogue.com

Hair Prayers

I think I may have found the answer to my festival hair prayers. Drew Barrymore has had a brilliant run so far promoting Going the Distance, her new film due out co-starring her on-again off-again boyfriend Justin Long.

Her hair is A-MA-ZING! I love everything about it. The colour is stunning, I love two-tone hair. Sarah Jessica Parker is notoriously associated with this trend as she made roots fashionable as Carrie Bradshaw in series 5 and 6 (I think) of Sex and the City. I asked a hairdresser for this look once, I don’t think they fully understood what I meant. I suppose when someone comes in for their hair doing and asks for roots on purpose, a bit of confusion is to be expected. I’m pretty sure the technique is called ‘balayage’, originally inspired by the likes of Giselle and other South America Victoria’s Secret models/ goddesses who look to have naturally sun-kissed, i.e. not obviously highlighted, hair. Great for people like me who can’t afford to keep up with their roots every 6-8 weeks as this is a style that looks better as it grows, perfect!

I love the style the most though. The beachy waves are again in place, with a bit of backcombing for height and volume, but they’re accompanied by randomly placed plaits. I love plaits, they were my go to hair style when I was little, and not much has changed since. They’re so girly and cute, what's not to love really? If I’m ever bored I sit and plait my hair, it tends to annoy people as I sit and ‘faff’ but I find it relaxing and it looks pretty, so there.

What do you think? Is this style a festival saviour or just a scruffy mess?

Growing Pains (in the ass)

I’m sorry, I just can’t hold back any longer. I’m getting really bored of Taylor ‘I’m nothing like Courtney Love’ Momsen.
First of all her media personality, if you can call it that. She must be giving hundreds of interviews in promotion for her band, The Pretty Reckless. So, by now, she should know what she should say and what she shouldn’t. If I hear her complain one more time about being ‘misquoted’ i.e. attempting to take back a bitchy comment way too late, I swear…It’s a shame, because, as I’ve said before, the band is pretty good. But, Taylor, I’m afraid it’s not rock. I mean, I’m no expert but I’m fairly sure I’m right. Pop-rock possibly.

I’m going to go down a slightly different route to everyone else who is blogging/ writing about Momsen. What she wears doesn’t bother me. Well, I mean, yeah it’s probably inappropriate. As inappropriate as dressing like a ‘high-class hooker’ (her words not mine) can be for a just turned 17 year-old. I’m just bored by the whole look, it’s always the same. Basque-type top? Check. Garter belt? Check. Hold ups? Check. Eye liner to rival a panda? Check. Ratty blonde extensions? Check. Stripper shoes? Check. We get it, you’re trying to create ‘A Look’ but it’s all a bit try hard and boring now. Just give us a bit of variety, any kind of variety, and I would be grateful.

Seriously though. Why are girls ALWAYS in such a rush to grow up? As I am about to turn 21, I’m looking back and thinking where the F did the time go? When you’re a teenager you never seem to appreciate it at the time, but I’d love to go back and live it all again. The little drama’s that seem epic at the time, the first loves, the first times, the fashion mishaps and make up mistakes are all the parts of growing up that I love.

17 year-old Miley Cyrus attempts to prove she's not a little girl anymore.

I feel slightly sorry for the young stars in the spotlight, because they will never get this time back and they will never get to experience it the way it’s meant to be experienced. Or maybe they do, and when they fall off the wagon (or the bar stool) the only difference is instead of a friend there to catch the moment on camera to post on facebook, it’s a paparazzi there to catch the moment to sell on to a gossip blog. I’m the first to admit that when I was younger I may have occasionally dressed older than my years, but it was exactly that, OCCASIONALLY. The Taylors and Mileys of this generation, however, seem to be racing each other to the finish post of 21-years-old. Then what? Oh, right, yeah, THIS is what happens…

BTW, if you see me wearing my hold up effect tights this weekend, don't call me a hypocrite as I am old enough to be wearing such an item. Also, for the record, I like Miley Cyrus as she has proved to us many times that she can look very age appropriate and beautiful. Unlike Taylor, who tends to look like a dirty prostitute.

Do you think young stars are in a rush to grow up?

All pics pinched from DailyMail.co.uk (funny right? Seeing as though this practically could have been copied and pasted from one of their prudish writers!) apart from the Miley green corset pic and the Britney head shave which are pinched from other blogs.

Brigitte Bardot

Now, I’m a bit slow off the mark with this one seeing as though Grazia first published these pictures in APRIL! But, nevertheless I am taking the time now to post them as they have just re-appeared on the Vogue Blog. French supermodel, Letitia Casta, has been perfectly cast(a) (see what I did there?) as Brigitte Bardot in a new film revolving around the life of French singer-songwriter, actor and director Serge Gainsbourg.

I love the whole Brigitte Bardot look. When I think of timeless looks I like, the BB is second only to the Audrey Hepburn.

I love the smoky cat-eye make up that became a Bardot signature in the 1950s and 60s. This is a look that is still as relevant today as it was then, everyone, from Kate Moss to Pixie Lott, frequently works the dark smoky eye. A look that I will no-doubt be channeling myself this weekend in an attempt to disguise the layers of dirt I will acquire from the muddy fields of Bramham Park.

The bead-head look with the hair is also a modern classic established by Brigitte Bardot. Today it is championed by stars such as the Olsen twins (especially Mary-Kate), Sienna Miller and Blake Lively. I love this look. Even though it does look like all you’ve done is rolled around in bed and then backcombed it a little, trust me, it takes A LOT of effort.

Sienna Miller's Bardot hair and eyes in Alfie.

Sexy beach waves on the Gossip Girls for Rolling Stone, 2009

A modern smoky eye on Mary-Kate for W magazine, Jan 2006

From what I’ve read/ tried/ been told, it’s best to prep the hair first. Bumble & Bumble seem to have some of the best ‘beach effect’ hair products out there so I’d recommend starting with their Prep Spray for normal hair, or Thickening Spray to give fine hair extra volume. Or possibly even a mixture of both for extra ‘oomph’, just be careful not to over saturate the hair because this will have the opposite effect, and weight the hair down. Blow dry using a diffuser, keep your head tipped upside down for the most volume and to make sure you get some movement into the all important underneath layers. When hair is nearly dry, but still slightly damp to the touch (I believe they call this stage ‘towel dry’) spritz through a decent amount of salt spray. Again, one of the best on the market is Bumble & Bumble’s Surf Spray, which aims to give hair a ‘salty, sexy, sun-dried wind-styled feel’. For a cheaper option, VO5’s Surf Style seems to work pretty well. When hair is pretty much dry flip your head up and work your hands around the hair in a ‘scrunching’ motion, basically screw your hair up, like a piece of paper, towards your scalp. Finish with a blast of cold air through your diffuser to ‘set’ the style, and a mist of hairspray. At the moment I’m using a L’Oreal Professional one that my hairdresser gave me which is FAB, but Elnett or, my housemate’s favourite, John Frieda Luxurious Volume (the one in the blue can) will work just as well.

Et Voila! A perfect Bardot mussed up look. Just don’t go out in the wind/ rain. This hair deserves a taxi at the very least.

Is this a style you have tried/ will try? Or do you prefer something a little more 'done'?

Crystal Renn

Crystal Renn has landed herself yet another campaign for a major fashion house. This image above is promoting Chanel's SoHo store re-opening. Renn tells the press that she is a US size 10, that makes her a 14 over here. I am going to be controversial now. I find ultra-skinny models awful to look at, but that doesn't mean that you should replace them with a chubby bird. In the same way size zero was hyped up for certain brands' column inches, it seems that 'size chunk' is the new black. To be honest, I'm starting to get a bit sick of Crystal Renn. "I used to starve myself"..."I was near death"..."I used to spend up to eight hours a day in the gym". GIVE IT A REST WOMAN! If it was so depressing starving yourself into none-existence, why did you continue on your quest to be a model? I understand that she is now more successful than ever, but if I hear one more story about how miserable she was when she was skinny I'm going to throw something at my computer screen.

Anyway...here are some images of recent Renn projects.

Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2010. Big achievement for a big girl. Although her legs do look to have been slimmed. Wonder why she kicks off about some airbrushed pictures and not others? Guess the higher up in the fashion food chain the brand is, the more willing she is to accept her curves going astray? It'll pay to keep her mouth closed. I'm quite intrigued by the fact that the first two high-fashion houses to use Renn are both French. A country notorious for their anti-fat feelings. Which I find hilarious as they have about 12 million bakeries per square mile, how do you expect a woman to stay slim when you're tempting her with a delicious smelling patisserie on every corner?

This was V magazine's 'Size Issue'. This particular shoot was along the lines of 'fat vs thin'. Trying to prove that bigger girls can carry off high fashion too. Perhaps I've picked the least flattering photo. Or perhaps it's Renn's pose. But I think 'thin' looks edgy, quirky & cool and 'fat' looks slutty.

These are the recent photographs taken of Crystal Renn for 'Fashion for Passion'. Renn was 'absolutely shocked' by the shots as they have clearly airbrushed her back down to a size 6-8. In fact, you can't even tell it's her in these pictures...

Of course she used the incident as an excuse to go on an America talk show to whine and moan about how unfair the industry is and how 'beauty isn't a pant size'... I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm getting repetitive now, I'm starting to sound like Renn!

Do you think fashion is using Crystal's size genuinely, or do you think it's to provoke a reaction?

Haha, oh dear. Re-reading this I've realised how fat-ist I sound. Oh well, it's my blog...

Update: Grace Coddington

How could I forget this amazing shoot featuring Lady Gaga, Lily Cole and the new Spiderman (Andrew Garfield)? Totally unforgivable. It deserves it's own post to express my apologies.

Do you love this as much as I do?

All pictures from this, and the previous, post are pinched from FashionGoneRogue.com

Grace Coddington

It has been reported this morning by WWD that Vogue legend Grace Coddington will be penning a memoir. Now this, my friends, will be a MUST READ! I am a latecomer to the GC fan club. She has been working as the Creative Director of Vogue US since 1988 as Anna Wintour's right-hand woman. 2009's The September Issue, saw Grace become the breakout star as she stole every scene she was in. You will know her work as she has created some amazing spreads over the years.

I love how all of Grace's work tells a story. This recent spread with Natalia Vodianova and Ewan McGregor (Vogue US July 2010), tells the story of a husband and wife who seem perfectly happy but beneath the surface lurks a darker side to both of them. It reminds me a lot of Don and Betty Draper from Mad Men (which I am OBSESSED with FYI, so expect a few Mad Men related posts in the none too distant future).

I have also just come across these images of Lara Stone for the September 2010 issue. I love how one minute she can look sweet and subdued and the next like a full throttle vamp. Curves and boobs in Vogue US, who'd have thunk it?

I also love this shoot titled 'Call it Love' (Vogue Nippon June 2010). One of my favourite photographers (if not my absolute favourite), Ellen Von Unwerth, is behind the lens for these shots. I love how much life there is in the pictures. I know the point of fashion editorials is to advertise the clothes but pictures like this appeal to me so much more than boring overly posed shots.

Again, there is a narrative running throughout the sequence of pictures featuring Tom Ford's new IT boy, Nicolas Hoult, and supermodels Raquel Zimmermann and Caroline Trentini.

My favourite shots are the second and third above. I love the effect on the second shot, kind of blurred a bit, or like too much light has got in? I don't know, as always I'm sure there is a technical terminology for it, but it just looks hazy and pretty to me. The model (Raquel) is full of vitality and it makes the clothes look so much more appealing than the surly teenagers that are usually reserved for a new season review. Clothes on a happy looking model = ooh I'll buy that because then I'll be that happy. At least that's how I assume a customer's mind works.

The third image I love simply for the look on Caroline's face and her endless legs. Super cute.

Which is your favourite spread? Or do you have another favourite piece of Coddington's work?

Festival Fashion Crisis

So, I’m currently deciding on what items from my wardrobe are going to make my Leeds Festival edit. This poses a great problem for me, as all I tend to want to wear when I’m there is thermals, a huge chunky polo neck jumper and a quilt (I’m always freezing, this isn’t some kind of bizarre fashion statement).

How to do festival chic when sleeping/ storing all ones clothes and make up in an actual tent. Obviously we tend to look to people like Alexa Chung for festival sartorial choices, but I seriously doubt she, A) stays in an actual tent, a posh campervan at the very least seems more likely. B) Has to pack all her clothes into a rucksack that is carry-able. And C) has to cope with not washing her hair for 4 days. So, of course, people like this are always going to look fabulous.

But still, I find myself looking to celebrity’s festival outfits for ideas. I can’t help it! They always look so effortless that I assume it’s something I can carry off too. Yep, I think this every year, and every year I am disappointed.

Sienna Miller has to be my ultimate festival fashionista icon. Well, she’s in my top 3 all time style icons so that’s probably why. (I guess some of you are now thinking that this post is just an excuse to post some yummy pictures of Sienna, well… you’d be right, but ssshh!)
Most of all, I love Miss Miller’s hair. It’s just so dreamy, and after 6 years in the spotlight, she is still my number 1 hair icon. ‘The Sienna’ is this generation’s ‘Rachel’ in my opinion. I’m sure I’m not the only girl who has attempted to recreate that effortless balance between bed head and beachy waves, or asked their colourist for the EXACT shade of golden baby blonde (neither of these feats have ever been executed to perfection, but I do have quite high standards). Another one of my favourite style icons, Blake Lively, frequently names Sienna as her own style icon, so I’m in good company.

And so to the good bit, here are some of my favourite off-duty Sienna looks. Remember, if you see someone looking as chic as this at Leeds Festival, assume it’s me :)

Of course I'm sure it is a lot easier to look this casually amazing when it's warm and sunny. Two things that I can pretty much guarantee a northern festival will not be.

Blake Lively

After a few pretty posts, here’s something sexy for you. Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively is on the cover of the September issue of Interview. In the article she chats to Ben Affleck, which is available to read here. It made me chuckle. Lively recently wrapped The Town in which she stars alongside, and is directed by, Affleck.

These photographs by Craig McDean are stunning. Serena, I mean, Blake channels a Femme Fatale in her role as a stylish prison inmate. Her hair and make up are stunning. The modern Veronica Lake set waves mixed with the dark plum-red lip and feathery dark lashes are so striking on the cover (above). She has such a beautiful face.

I love all these looks. The photographs look like stills from a film noir. I think (although I keep changing my mind) my favourite image has to be the second one down in this post. Just look at those LEGS! Oh my lord, I have a huge weakness for sheer tights, especially seamed hold ups with a thick black top. I bought some seamed stockings for my Halloween outfit last year, I loved them. There is something so pleasurable about wearing hold ups, it’s a little secret that only you know underneath your clothes. Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked…

I love the blue-green colour wash that seems to be over these pictures. I’m sure there is a correct name for this colour wash (is it something to do with gels in the lighting or something?).

Images pinched from FashionGoneRogue.com