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Before you begin, you will need to assemble a few items. You can pick up most of these from the pharmacy, supermarket or places like Priceline for a reasonable price. Alternatively, you could scour department stores, or online for a manicure set, or a manicure and pedicure set. Some come with just the basic tools, while others include battery powered buffing tools & even powered drying stations for nails wet with polish! They aren’t necessary of course, & you can give yourself a perfect manicure at home with just the items I have listed here. For the recipes on the other hand you might need to brave the local health food store - or try the folks at Sydney Essential Oil Co.
What you’ll be needing:
Towels
Acetone or Nail Polish Remover
Alcohol or Sanitiser
Bowls
Warm Water
Emery Board or Nail File
Buffing Board
Nail Clippers or Scissors
Orange Stick or Cuticle Pusher
Square Tipped Brush
Nail Polish
Set up your space, ideally close to basin. Place the nail clippers & orange stick in a cup or mug with a small amount of alcohol poured into the bottom to disinfect & sanitise. When you’ve finished your manicure it’s important to remember to spray the emery board & the buffing board (& any other tools) with disinfectant and give them a wipe down. You & your hands a really important so don’t expose either to nasty bacteria & risk giving yourself an infection!
1. Clean Hands
First things first, remove old nail polish with nail polish remover or acetone, & some cotton balls. Personally, I don’t buy nail polish remover any more. I go to the hardware store & buy a big bottle of acetone, which is basically the primary ingredient in nail polish remover anyway. Some people find that it can be drying, but I haven’t had any problems so far - especially since I make a point of moisturising afterwards. It works out to be so much cheaper as well & there’s less packaging to deal with. Make sure your hands are clean & wet the cotton ball with a small amount of acetone & hold over the nail for a few seconds. Then wipe away the polish with one or two firm, slow strokes and move on to the next nail. Use the pointed end of the orange stick to clean out dirt from underneath the nail.
2. Exfoliate
Mud Cake Hand Scrub
30g Organic Coco Butter
30ml Organic Almond Oil
20ml Vegetable Glycerin
30g Organic Coco Powder
60g Raw Organic Sugar
Melt the coco butter in a bowl in the microwave. As coco butter is quite hard & can be stubborn, it’s best to try microwaving it for a minute at time until it has fully melted. Once the butter has melted, add the other ingredients & give it a good stir. I find its best to use while warm, as the mixture will thicken up as it cools. To use, place about a tablespoon of the mixture in the palm of one hand & rub both hands together, scrubbing the backs of the hands, in-between fingers, & up towards the nails. Coco butter moisturises, while the sugar exfoliates meaning this scrumptious scrub makes hands soft & lovely, but even better than that, it smells divine. Just like chocolate mud cake! Délicieux! Wash away the scrub with warm water & pat hands dry with a towel.
3. Clip & File
Now it’s time to clip and file our nails. I don’t usually cut or clip my nails unless they’re really uneven & I recommend you do the same. Excessive clipping or cutting can make the free edge of the nail weak & it can sometimes cause tearing or split nails. Take the nail file and slide it along the free edge of your nail from the out corner to the centre. Don’t file in a see-saw or back & forth motion, as this will also weaken the nail. Instead file in just the one direction, from corner to centre & then start again from the other side of the nail, first with the rough edge of the nail file & then with the smooth edge. The purpose of filing your nails is to smooth over & even out the free edge of the nail. The ideal shape for filed nails is a rounded square - this shape is least likely to break, split or chip. If you like, you can go over the edged of your filed nails with the rough side of the buffing board to really smooth them out.
4. Soak
Time to soak! Soaking your hands in warm water is a lovely relaxing treat, but is only necessary if you plan to push back your cuticles.
Gingerbread Nail Soak
50ml Organic Liquid Castile Soap
10ml Organic Apricot Kernel or Almond Oil
3 drops Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil
3 drops Ginger Essential Oil
Use a stirring rod or the handle of a spoon to gently stir the essential oils and apricot or almond oil into the castile soap, and store in a clean glass bottle. To use, mix between one and two tablespoons of the soak into a bowl filled with warm water & soak hands & nails for five to ten minutes to loosen cuticles. While cinnamon and ginger essential oils are good for improving circulation, they may irritate sensitive skin. However, you can easily substitute them for any other essential oils. I recommend lavender & geranium, or myrrh & vanilla, or even peppermint & lime! Got nuts and formulate your own! When your hands are done languishing in the warm water, take them out & pat dry with a towel.
5. Cuticles
Take the orange stick and use the flat end to gently push back the cuticles. This step isn’t necessary & its not something I do every time I give myself a manicure. Pushing back the cuticle gives your nail a neat & tidy look & makes nail polish application even, but if you’re not careful you run the risk of getting an infection. Especially if your cuticles are cracked, torn or bleeding. So be careful!
6. Buff
Buffing your nails smooths out the weak spots; ridges, cracks & chips. Smooth, buffed nails are less likely to break & your manicure will last longer. Take the buffing board & begin with the roughest edge. Use a little pressure & make small circular motions against the surface of the nail. Finish with a side to side motion & then use the finer edge of the board. The board I use is four sided, the sides are covered with buffing paper & each side uses a grade that is finer than the last. The first side is for removing ridges, the second for smoothing, the third for buffing & the last for polishing & adding shine. Don’t use the final side if you plan to apply nail polish as the polish tends to stick better to porous surfaces rather than glossy smooth ones.
7. Moisturise
Sweet Nut Hand Treatment
50g Honey
20ml Organic Macadamia Oil
20ml Organic Almond Oil
1 Vitamin E Capsule
Pour the honey into a bowl & warm in the microwave until runny. Gently stir in the macadamia & almond oils & then add the contents of the broken vitamin E capsule. Use while still warm by slathering the mixture all over your hands & then wrapping them up in a plastic bag followed by a hot towel. (Warm up your towels in the dryer, or by dampening them in a basin full of hot water) Then sit & relax! After five to ten minutes remove your hands & wash thoroughly in warm water. Honey is an excellent moisturiser & when mixed with the oils it is wonderful for soothing tired skin & leaving your hands soft & gorgeous!
8. Polish
Again like pushing back cuticles, applying polish is optional. Use a base coat or clear top coat first to seal the nail & prevent the coloured polish from leaving a stain. Très passé! Apply the polish in three even strokes, the first in the middle & then one either side. Stronger colours may need a second coat. Leave to dry & then apply a layer of top coat or clear nail polish for a lovely glossy look.
Keep your hands still for an hour or so to let the polish dry properly. You can use the time to read a magazine, watch your favourite film or chat with a friend.Voilà! You’re finished & your nails should look wonderful!
| How to clean makeup brushes |
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Cleaning your make-up brushes should be an important & regular part your beauty routine. If left to sit for long enough, they become the perfect environment for bacteria that can cause inflammation & infection in sensitive skin types. Gross! Because make-up brushes frequently come in contact with the skin, they also tend to accumulate a lot of oil, dirt & of course, make-up. Keeping you brushes clean ensures not only that they remain free of bacteria but also that they work just as well as they did they day you bought them. Here’s how to keep your make-up brushes squeaky clean.
First of all, you will need some equipment. Nothing expensive or complicated mind you, mostly items you can find around the house. Aside from the brushes that you’re about to clean, you will need: large bowl full of warm water, two smaller bowls (one for the detergent & one for lathering the brush) a facecloth or piece of cotton & most importantly, detergent. Any type of detergent will do; brush cleaner, shampoo, bubble bath, hand wash, body wash even dish washing detergent - they all contain the same chemicals in almost the same proportions. Lastly, be sure to cover the surface you’re working on. Newspaper, plastic wrap or an old towel work wonderfully.
Thoroughly Cleaning Your Make-up Brushes
1. Pour a small amount of detergent into one of the smaller bowls. Dip the dirty make-up brush first into the water & then into the detergent.
2. Swirl the bristles around the second small bowl to create a lather & save your hands from getting wet & covered with old make-up residue.
3. Rinse the brush in the bowl of warm water.
4. Pat dry using the facecloth or cotton.
5. Reshape the brush tip & let air dry!
You can use this method to clean any & all make-up brushes as well as flocked sponges. I find that it’s best to leave the clean brushes to dry in a place where they won’t be disturbed for eight hours or so. Most experts agree that personal make-up brushes should be cleaned at least once a week. This can be a bit much for some (myself included!) so below is a quick fix way to clean make-up brushes that doesn’t take too long & doesn’t require eight hours of drying time.
For this to work you will need to use a professional brush cleaner or brush shampoo. I use the brush cleanser developed by MAC. It costs around thirty dollars for 200ml but you only need to use a small amount of liquid each time. According to the girl who sold it to me, it’s also anti-bacterial & fast acting.
Quickly Cleaning Your Make-up Brushes
1. Pour a small amount of brush cleaner into one of your small bowls. Dip in the dirty make-up brush & give it a bit of swirl.
2. Pat dry using a tissue & viola! Done!
While on the subject of brushes, I’d like to point out the importance of good quality brushes. Cheap brushes are likely to shed & to fall apart because of the adhesives used. They’re also likely to be made out of animal hair, usually squirrel or goat. You can can never be sure that the bristles in these brushes were collected in a manner free of cruelty. In fact, it’s probably better to avoid using make-up brushes made out of animal hair altogether. Brushes form the Body Shop do not contain animal hair. Levhead & Aromaleigh also sell cute & reasonably affordable animal-friendly make-up brushes, though Aromaleigh won’t ship them to Australia. By far, my favourite animal-friendly make-up brushes are the Walk On The Wild Side brushes from The Brush Company - the bristles are the most amazing shade of electric blue!
| Marathon Shopping: 12 Survival Tips |
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1. Sales., 2. 4 bags, 3. Sales, 4. souls for sale???
Recently, I found myself lost in the shopping rush just before Christmas & like so many others, scrambling to find last minute presents. Again, in these last few days, I seem to have been compelled to join in the post-Christmas sales, waving my credit card around like a gymnast with a pretty ribbon. I’ll admit to picking up several bargains, but my sparkly new purchases come with a hidden cost. Time. Shopping is an extended activity & after wandering around a shopping center you could be left up to eight hours behind. This is what I call Marathon Shopping. It requires stamina, foresight & planning as well as the usual funds. Surviving eight hours of window shopping is an art form. So here are some tips I have picked up during my time as a Marathon Shopper.
1. Wear comfortable shoes.
Being on your feet for such a long time is very trying. Preempt tender feet by looking after them to begin with. A nice pair of comfortable flats will serve you well. Save the high heels for coffee with you friends the next day.
2. Wear sunglasses.
Shopping centers & malls can be hostile places full of short tempered people. If your the kind of person that wants to get in & out as quickly as possible you may find that an easy way to avoid unnecessary distractions & conversations is to don a pair of sunglasses. If people can’t make eye contact, they won’t usually speak to you. They’ll also stay out of your way - bonus!
3. Take regular breaks.
Be sure to take five minutes every now & then to sit down & center yourself. Don’t become a shopping center zombie! If you’re in a shopping precinct find a nice bench or a spot in a park to rest & revive.
4. Hydration.
Air conditioning is both a blessing & a curse. In the hot summer months people flock to shopping centres & malls to bask in the deliciously temperate air. However, the cool dry conditions can leave you feeling dehydrated fairly quickly. Pack a bottle of water & avoid the grumpiness, lethargy & headaches that accompany dehydration.
5. Take public transport.
Parking can be a nightmare. Avoid this by taking public transport where possible. It’s reasonably good for the environment & will save you money as well. If you end the day laden with purchases, use any money you might have saved to splurge on a taxi for the ride home.
6. Wear headphones.
“Can I help you with anything?” was the most frequently heard phrase during my shopping escapades & quite frankly, it drives me nuts. Because I like to be left alone when shopping, I try to avoid sales representatives as much as possible. They are less likely to approach you if you’re wearing a pair of very conspicuous headphones. As an added benefit, you can listen to your favourite tunes, instead of those inane Christmas carols.
7. Take your lunch.
Save some dollars & take a packed lunch with you. Make your favourite sandwich or take a bento box. Mess free finger foods are best, especially the kind that don’t need to be heated up. A piece of fruit is a healthy & tasty snack to have on hand & will provide a little energy boost when you need it most.
8. Pay in cash.
Withdraw the exact amount you are willing to spend for the day & leave your cards at home. Overspending is not a happy habit & may leave you with buyers remorse. Cash is a tangible way to keep track of your spending. Just be sure to keep it somewhere safe!
9. Plan ahead.
You don’t need to be so particular as to plan out the exact route you will be taking, or when you will be scheduling toilet breaks, but it is good idea to start out with some sort of plan in mind. Make a mental list of the items you are after or the stores you want to visit so you don’t waste to much time or make silly purchases.
10. Bring some friends.
Shopping by yourself is a lonely business. Take a good friend who will keep you company & give you sound advice & a fashionable opinion.
11. Take your own bags.
You take reusable bags to the supermarket, so why not take them with you for the rest of your shopping? Strong bags with lots of room & wide shoulder straps or handles will make your shopping experience more comfortable as well.
12. Look after yourself.
Christmas shopping can be particularly draining, so be sure to look after yourself. A little self love never hurt to much, so treat yourself after a long day of Marathon Shopping buy getting a pedicure or buying a good book. After purchasing all those gifts for others, you deserve something as well!
| The Gossip Girl Grilled Cheese Sandwich |
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I first saw this delicious sandwich on the pilot episode of Gossip Girl. It’s a delicious twist on the traditional grilled cheese sandwich, the twist being truffle oil! The famous New York restaurant Gilt serves up their own version using fresh sliced white truffles, which sounds decadent enough, but is difficult for us everyday gourmands to put into practice. Truffles are notoriously expensive & definitely won’t keep as long in your pantry as a small bottle of truffle oil will. Besides, the Gilt grilled cheese sandwich will set you back $50! So not only is this sandwich fairly cheap by comparison, it is also easy to put together & is delicious! I think that at 3am it would make a perfect ending to a big night out!
In this recipe, I have used sliced grain bread, which is chewy & dense, is low in carbohydrates & has a low GI. I also used Nimbin Natural cheese, an Elbo style cheese that is free of animal rennet & one of the best tasting cheeses I have come across. You can find small bottles of truffle oil at most delicatessens’ but expect to pay as much as thirty dollars for 100ml.
Gossip Girl Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- half a cup of good quality freshly grated cheese
- two slices fresh grain bread
- butter
- truffle oil
- salt & pepper
Heat a small spoonful of butter in a frying pan over a medium heat & preheat your griller (broiler) or oven. Brush both sides of the bread with truffle oil using a pastry brush & then top both slices with the grated cheese. Season with salt & freshly cracked pepper & place each slice into the frying pan face up. Let the bread fry for one to two minutes & then transfer the frying pan to the grill or oven to melt the cheese. This shouldn’t take too long! Carefully remove the frying pan when done. Sandwich the two cooked slices together (cheese facing inward of course!) & cut in half. Enjoy while still warm & gooey!
| Tasty Tequila Temptations |
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Last night my beau & I went to a Herradura Tequila Mixology Master-class held by a local chain of boutique liquor stores. I was terribly excited & a little bit nervous, as I’ve always heard nasty things about drinking tequila. My experiences in the past have been the usual lip, sip & suck kind so I was interested in learning more about tequila, its origin & how to serve it. Plus, we were promised food & drink!
A friendly & experienced bar tender by the name of Shay led the presentation & told us all about Herradura tequila, where it is from & how it is made. He also told us what to look for on the label of the bottle when buying tequila & the differences in taste & quality between brands. We tried three types of tequila, Herradura Anejo, Herradura Reposado & Herradura Silver. My favourite is the Silver! At the end of the night we were given a little bottle of el Jimador tequila to take home with us as well. Awesome! We also tasted a new cocktail, created by Shay. It is a variation of The Bramble, which was created by Dick Brandsell in the eighties. The original bramble is made with Gin, lemon, sugar & double crème de mure garnished with berries. I hope he doesn’t mind me sharing the recipe!
Photo by nerdling
Shay’s Herradura Bramble
- 45ml Herradura Silver Tequila
- 20ml fresh lemon juice
- 20ml simple syrup
- dash of Chambord liqueur
Pour the tequila, lemon juice & sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Shake Shake Shake! Serve in a glass filled with ice & top with a dash of Chambord. Enjoy responsibly, & hopefully with friends!
In this cocktail the bitter cherry notes found in the Herradura Silver tequila apparently marry very nicely with the modest addition of Chambord. I think its rather tasty & has sparked my new-found appreciation for tequila.
| Tasty Afternoon Treats; Tea-sandwiches & Pink Lemonade |
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Amidst the lazy spring afternoons we’ve been enjoying, not much can beat deliciously light sandwiches and refreshing lemonade.
Cucumber Sandwiches
- Cucumbers
- Sliced sandwich bread
- Vinegar or lemon juice
- Butter or margarine
- Salt & pepper
Use a vegetable peeler, or a fork, to mark the sides of the cucumber. Finely slice & arrange in layer in a container. Sprinkle with white wine vinegar (or lemon juice if you prefer) & lightly season with salt & pepper. Let the container of cucumber slices sit in the fridge for several hours.
Remove the crusts from sliced sandwich bread. Purists argue that the bread must be white & must be sliced ever so thinly. I’m not that fussed, I like my sliced organic wholemeal thank you very much! Thinly butter the inward facing side of each slice of bread - this stops the bread from becoming soggy. Arrange the cucumber slices on one slice of bread, top with another & slice into tiny triangles or fingers. Enjoy immediately!
Watercress Sandwiches
- Fresh watercress
- Spreadable cheese (cream cheese, cottage cheese, neufchâtel etc)
- Sliced sandwich bread
When buying watercress, look for a healthy green plant. The roots should still be attached & submerged in cold water.
Remove the crusts from sliced sandwich bread & spread neufchâtel, cottage cheese, or cream cheese on the inward facing sides of each slice. Because of the peppery flavour if watercress, I like to spread one side with cream cheese & the other with a mild mustard. Roughly chop the watercress & arrange on one slice of bread & top with another slice of bread. Slice into dainty tea-triangles. Eat these as soon as possible!
Home Made Pink Lemonade
Mix the juice of one lemon (about 100ml) with 50ml of simple syrup. Add no more than a teaspoon of grenadine or raspberry cordial & top up with 400ml of soda water stirring gently. Serve in tall glasses with lots of ice & a paper umbrella!
What are your favourite afternoon treats?
| Pondering Pancakes |
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My brother & I had a hankering for pancakes, so I whipped some up & we devoured every single one. Just like the Walrus & the Carpenter in Alice in Wonderland! Those poor tasty pancakes! Would you like some of your own? I’m sure you do, so here’s the recipe.
Bella’s Tasty Pancakes
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
pinch of salt
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt into a large bowl. Crack the eggs & add to the bowl with the milk & whisk vigorously! Let the mixture sit for about half an hour to let the eggs & the baking powder react. Whisk again & then cook in a frying pan (or proper pancake pan if you can afford one!) over a medium heat. Serve with all things delicious & share with a good friend. Makes about eight pancakes.
This is in my opinion, the best pancake recipe I have come across. I don’t like recipes that make you add melted butter, because the whole thing separates and gets messy & I don’t like recipes that make you wait a whole hour while the batter sits! I like my pancakes with raspberries & maple syrup. How do you like yours?
| Invite Inspiration |
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Found: Love Letter
I recently sent out the invitations for my twenty-first birthday party. Designing, making & mailing them was an intensive process. I’d forgotten how difficult it can be. But my mission left me thinking about how average invitations today can be. So I thought I might try my hand at writing about them.
Invitations are wonderful inventions. I used to save every single paper invite ever given to me, but in a fit of spring cleaning binned them all a long time ago. An invitation has purpose, firstly to let the reader know that you’re having a celebration or event of some kind, secondly to remind them of the time, date, place, etiquette & dress of the event & thirdly, to invite them. This last bit is important. When you read an invitation it should inspire you, you should feel invited, excited to attend & somewhat thrilled. An invitation should not give away all the details, but should whet the appetites of your potential guests, ensuring that curiosity drives them to attend. Gone are the days of drab Microsoft Publisher-inspired invites full of tawdry clip art & overzealous fonts. While publisher can be an wonderful tool for those into desktop publishing; please, stay away from the templates! There’s no one-stop formula for creating a really sensational invite, its more of an intuitive thing. But do not despair! Here are some lovely ideas that will get your imagination racing & have you reaching for the craft glue & scissors in no time!
1. Birthday Invitation 2. First Birthday Zoo Themed Invitations 3. Egg Invitation 4. Cupcake invitations 5. Birthday Invitation 6. John twardrous’ birthday invitations
1. Personalise!
Chances are, when you’re the one creating the invite, you’re also the one throwing the party. So let people know that it’s your party! Incorporate a photograph, or your signature, or something you love. There are bound to be certain, specific, things that will prompt your guests to think of you. Do you have flaming red hair for example? Are you a tennis nut? Is your favourite perfume Beautiful? Do you happen to make the best bowl of nachos this side of the hemisphere? If so, let your guests know the invite is from you by incorporating these cues into your invite.
Alternatively, if your throwing a themed party, weave your theme into the invite. This is important for creating that sense of curiosity I mentioned earlier. Get your guests excited by using the invite to suggest your theme & subtlety is nice. You don’t need your invite to list the entire itinerary or what kind of food you’ve prepared. Is your party a tea party? Could you incorporate tea into your invite? Scent (or even stain!) the paper with tea, create the invites with a tea-cup shaped die-cut, send the invite written on a packet of tea (blooming tea would be especially nice!), or send along one of these cute tea infusers. A clip art picture of teapot is just too drab - you & your guests are so much better than that!
2. Individualise!
Making one hundred invites that are all exactly the same & sending them out can be somewhat boring. Take the time to make your potential guests feel wanted! You don’t have to hand write every single one, but you could include a small handwritten note card in the envelope for example. “I hope to see you there!” or “Maybe we’ll get a chance to finally have that talk about kite-making!” Or go a bit further than that. Print copies of your favourite photos of you and your guests (assuming you know them well enough to have amassed photographs of previous fun!) and send your invites written on the back.
3. Accessorise!
Think outside the box when it comes to the construction & decoration of your invites. They needn’t be written on a bit of paper and stuffed into an envelope. Most surfaces can be written upon. Grab a pen (or brush, or printer, or stamp, or sticker) liberate your sense of creativity & go nuts! Write on cutlery, crockery, napkins, clothing, plastic or vinyl. If using paper, you’re not just limited to normal card stock either. Write on newspapers, photos, handmade paper or pages from an old book. I used to write amorous notes on the back of cheap over-sized playing cards and give them to boys at school….OK, just one boy, but you get the point! Next, consider the delivery of the actual message. Occasion, time, date & place. These are the four key things your guests need to know. You could stitch the details onto fabric (computerised sewing machines make stitching out words in thread very easy), write it backwards, upside down, in another language or in shapely text. For a murder mystery party you could write the words onto individual pieces of paper & seal them in a zip-lock bag labelled “evidence.” Make your guests work for the information!
I guess what I’m trying to point out is that into today’s world of text messages & e-mail & general computer based chatter; we rarely take the effort to communicate with the written word in a tactile manner. Invitations are a wonderful opportunity to communicate with people in creative ways. Receiving invites in the mail inspires childlike excitement & curiosity in us & you can capitalise on this. You have all the inspiration & the creativity you need - now go!
| Black: is the new Black |
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One trend seen on the runway recently was black. Somewhat Victorian, Lolita & neogoth, it seems black is back. Unless you have a clothing budget proportionate to price of a new home (you lucky girl if you do!), most of the lovely clothes on the runway will not make it into your closet. You can however borrow from these designs and use them as inspiration. Dammit, I know I am - these photos from the Alexander McQueen show just make me swoon! Here’s a rundown of the basic elements seen so far.
The Inspiration
Chanel
Lanvin & YSL
Balenciaga, Givenchy & Collette Dinnigan
Alexander McQueen
Andrew Gn
Images courtesy of Style.com
The Look
Several elements are recurring here, first up, the blouse & it’s all in the details. These Victorian inspired blouses begin with fabric covered buttons leading all the way up to a high collar, accented with simple & dainty lace, ribbon or ruffles all in black or white. That word again; simple. The look is somewhat androgynous & the feminine ribbon, ruffles & lace are merely accents. They shouldn’t shouldn’t steal the show! The blouses are accented with decorative cuffs, both the frilly kind & the simple over sized button-up kind.
Trousers are long, lean & high waisted. Also black, they taper at the ankles or are worn with a small boot-cut. A lot of emphasis is placed on the high waistline, so draw attention there with modest belts or buttons.
The coat. Military-esque styling lends these coats a structured style. Only the YLS coat is worn loosely or over sized, while the rest are tailored and fitted. The cuffs on the coat are designed so the the details on the sleeves of the blouse can show though, which lends everything a slightly Victorian look. Even if patterned, these coats are again, all black.
Skirts & dresses are high waisted & embellished with soft ruffles & pleats. Chanel opts for long, loose & flowing full-length skirts, whilst Alexander McQueen creates doll-like skirts ending just above, or just below the knee. Underskirts or pleats at the side provide volume & the whole thing is yes, you guessed it, black.
Make-up is pale & somewhat neutral (which I must confess is a blessing for little o’l anglo me!) The colour is of course black, but as for the placement, you have two options. Opt for black smokey, even batwing, eyes a la Lanvin & Balenciaga. Both Evan Rachel Wood & Amy Winehouse have been bringing black rimmed eyes back lately. The other option is to paint your lips with lashings of blood red, purple, or even black lipstick, the glossier the better. Their lips may be lovely, but don’t wear your bangs like the alien & eyeless YSL models or you’ll bump into things!
Make it yours
So you want it on a budget? I’d suggest investing in some good quality accessories & trying some DIY restructuring. A good place to start might be a pair of black tight-fitting gloves in satin, rubber, PVC (oh my!) or leather. Purchase some lengths of soft white linnen or silk & use them to make a cravat or wrist ties. You could replace the buttons on an old blouse with some fabric covered ones & add a bit Victorian flair by stitching on some premade ruffles or lace. For something more simple, wear a plain black skirt with black pumps or mary janes & a pair of white tights. Thrift stores are great places to pick a bargains. Keep a look out for useful items & remember, if the clothes you find are not black already, it’s very easy to dye them.
Extra Credit
- Check out these sets on Polyvore for more inspiration.
- Read Gala Darling’s article on Neogoth.
- Celebrate with Miss K of Aromaleigh & read about the recent catwalk trend.
- Peruse what Popsugar has to say about black lips & dark eyes.
- As well as what Claire Coleman wrote at Mail Online.
