Birthday Hair

To celebrate the birthday of one of my best friends, I felt a blog post was in order.  I have always been her go-to for makeup, manicures, hair and personal shopping.  She is a nurse so in return I get round the clock free medical advice whenever I should need it - priceless.

So come the day of her birthday party she visited me for a full on pamper.  When it came to hair we wanted to do something a little special.

The inspiration

The final look

The method

Part your hair in the centre for this look - At the font Pippa's parting was dead straight but I wish I had paid more attention to the back, as you can see it's a little wonky.  Use a comb and start at the forehead all the way round to the nape of the neck for a more precise line.

Then I started French plaiting the hair, quite tightly so it would hold. Eventually you have two french plait pig tails.  Wrap the plaits round the bottom of the head, tuck in the ends and pin, pin, pin!! 

Happy Birthday Pips xxx

Costume Contest

Halloween is everywhere.  Fashion blogs are full of it, Facebook is a great place for an array of costumes and my god, don't the people across the pond know how to celebrate this holiday?!  The US celebs and civilians go - to - TOWN. 

My celebrations come next weekend at my fashionista friend Lucy's bash in her a-mazing flat in Shoreditch.  The theme is 50 Shades of Graves, which I think is genius.  Whilst I'm getting inspired and conjuring up my costume, my friend Rosanna wins the prize for the best 'fashion-y' Halloween pic I've seen:

Spoiler Alert - but one you'll want to read!!

News from Agent Provocateur HQ!  Not just one tit bit, but two!  Firstly, Queen of the shoe Charlotte Olympia has created a capsule collection 'Charlotte Olympia x AP' for the brand.  The two brands famously celebrate femininity and consequently merge seamlessly together, producing two pairs of irresistibly perfect shoes.  With a nod to the 50's - Olympia's signature style - one shoe is flouncy whilst the other is fierce.  Whilst the dusky pink Candice are topped with tulle pom poms, the patent black Bellatrix are sporting sharp zips.  Both have pale pink soles featuring Olympia's famous gold spiderweb.  Keep checking the site for the arrival of the collection.

Secondly, and perhaps more heart-stoppingly exciting, is the announcement that come Autumn Winter 13 the label will debut a diffusion line.  L'Agent will be more accessible to the masses, yet will still remain true to Agent Provocateur's celebrated DNA.  The line is being worked on by Penelope and Monica Cruz, under the watchful eye of Creative Director Sarah Shotton.  Whilst I'm not particularly bothered by the Cruz sisters, it is the idea that a set of AP lingerie with all it's intricate detail, decadent styling and HAVE TO HAVE IT appeal, will no longer cost the equivalent of two weeks rent.

Imagery - net-a-porter, Daily Mail

Photo Diary

That's it.  My backberry has reached full photo capacity so I have had to
cull them all.  My phone photo album is basically my visual diary.  Anything I see that I love I take a quick snap to make one hell of a moodboard.  And so here it is. 
Friends, family, magazine tears, food and lots of clothes.

Macaroons from Laduree on a trip with my lovely sister Sophie.

  

A particularly hungover day at work - the only solution to perk Lizzie 

up was to throw on the office emergency Playboy bunny ears.

My old house on Mimosa Street

My birthday card from the office and a delicious amount of studs

  

  

Pedicures with Pippa

SS12 Siwy samples arrival

My brother in law and my neices being serenaded in Covent Garden

My sister Kate (mother of Tabitha and Clemmie, above) being forced into a Topshop jumper. new Russell & Bromley patent pumps

More office antics - Rae, Jen and Simon playing Scalextrics, 

and Rae and Abby playing Playboy bunnies

My beloved Mulberry when it was new

A new favourite coat and hair experiments

 

Amelia, Clemmie, Tabitha and Max - my gorgeous little neices and nephew

The first day of red cups

Dreamy shots from various issues of Red magazine, 

some of my favourite styling in magazine land

My castle cake for Pippa's birthday cake, 

and the best EVER Siwy jeans, covered in tiger faces 

My glitter eye mood board...

for New Year's Eve inspiration

Trying to choose in Agent Provocateur

  

A Diptyque candle presented to me on a 2nd date.  Nice touch.  We're still friends now.

   

Rae showing off her baking for a Brandnation birthday,

Amelia having a riding lesson

Poppy, the occasional office dog

The Kangol AW12 press day at Shoreditch House

An amazingly skinny building in Kensington, amazing underwear from H&M

Amelia in Portugal

The result of a dinner for eight

Highlights from the AW12 GlamorousUK.com collection