For those without the budget for YSL (as seen in @elleuk) try 17 Lasting Finish in Pink Grapefruit - Just £2.99 and almost identical!
I NEED these in my life.
Peter: ‘A Passionate Advocate of Literacy’
I was somewhat surprised yesterday, while perusing the Evening Standard to see Peter Andre’s described as ‘a passionate advocate of literacy’.
I know.
The article, entitled Who says reading can’t be fun? Included a comment from Peter about discipline in schools and why he thinks homework should be more strictly enforced.
Sorry, Reality TV Star Peter? Nineties Pop Star Peter? Peter who probably frequently got mistaken as a piece of furniture during the nineties when exposing his mahogany chest?
But I love Peter, and I salute him in crushing any preconception about him based on the fact that he once did (okay, he still does) look like he’s got more than a bit tan-happy with a bottle of Lauren’s Way. But I love the fact that a ‘has-been’ who had been kind of… written off forever, (or was thought by many to have been accidently sold as a piece of antique furniture) came back, and came back ten times better.
I admit it, I cracked a smile when I read the description of Peter in the Evening Standard, ‘Oh Puur-lease, that’s over-egging it a bit isn’t it?’ but on further contemplation I realised it probably is true. He is lovable and kind and anyone who has seen his show can see that he IS a big believer in education and the future of our children. Peter has taken his chance at fame and channelled it towards something ACTUALLY beneficial to the future of others, and how many other stars whose careers were boosted (or begun) from a reality TV show, can say that?
He’s produced 8 albums, he’s got his own show, (well actually, he’s had 4 of them), he’s got a range of perfumes, he’s written children’s books, he once collapsed on stage after reportedly developing potassium poisoning from eating too many bananas. This man does not do things by halves.
Well here’s to Peter: Pop Star, Perfumer, Passionate advocate of literacy.
Rare Nike Commercial - Lance Armstrong Cancer
Reduces me to tears in 30 seconds. What a man.
Beyonce: Green Light
…and another! My favourite styling on a Beyonce video EVER! (On a par with Video Phone)
Nike Inspiration Advert
“See, what every long shot, come from behind, underdog will tell ya is this: the other guy may in fact be the favorite, the odds may be stacked against you. Fair enough. But what the odds don’t know is, this isn’t a math test. This is a completely different kind of test. One where passion, has a funny way of trumping logic.”
In Times of Trouble
When I’m feeling down I have a back up of go-to videos and photos that instantly boost my mood. An unfortunate series of events have left me out of work and feeling rather down and with all this spare time on my hands - and a good reason to indulge in said video watching - I thought I’d share a few of my favourite Youtube pick me ups. Enjoy x
Fake Plastic Pizza
Forgive me if I’m wrong, Alexa, but I find this photo somewhat paradoxical. There you are, brandishing the pizza you are supposedly devouring, yet your arms are barely the width of a stuffed crust. Alexa looks incredibly frail in this photo, and I can’t help but feel that this is Ms. Chung attempting to make a (false) statement about her eating habits.
I don’t like celebrities forcing this lie that they’re stuffing their faces with pizza and managing to maintain such slenderness. I feel it’s these lies that are most damaging to young girls, because junk food is not a realistic weight loss diet, no wonder girls are struggling with body image and bulimia when their role models insist they do it without dieting. And, if for some crazy reason a girl can manage to stay trim by eating pizzas and burgers, then it must be an incredibly unhealthy way of doing so.
If you want to be a size zero Alexa, that’s fine - but don’t go parading round your pizza, it’s not fooling me.
Despite my unusual ‘phobia’ of tattoos (spawned from a recurring set of tattoo nightmares, in which I find myself with an undesirable inking which I then have to explain to my mother) I find Rick ‘Zombie Boy’ Genest incredibly mesmerising. I am not against tattoos, on some I think they look fantastic, but I must admit when I see a very prominent one I feel slightly nervous; I could never commit to such an inking. Best known for his appearance in Lady Gaga’s Born This Way video, and his stint as the face of Thierry Mugler’s A/W ‘11 campaign, Zombie Boy is rising to fame and I am following him, fixated.
His drastic and indelible commitment is what facinates me, and I always say, if you are going to get wet, you might as well go swimming. I only wonder if on seeing himself ink-free Rick fel any kind of regret, as he tweeted ‘Check out my latest promotion with Dermablend. Can’t wait for my Grandmother to see me without Tattoos’
And for Dermablend what better way to show off your incredible products on the man we all thought was branded for life. Considering the coverage, I shall never have to sleep again, dark under-eyes don’t exist in a Demablend filled world! Astonishing work on an astonishing man.
The Stocking and the Sunflower Seed
Just found a sunflower seed between my toes at the bottom of my hold up. Feeling all modern-day Princess and the Pea now. Awaiting a fairytale outcome.
Aqua Zumba
After the drama of starting yesterday morning at work without a Nescafe Cappuccino, the entire day was stressful. So I headed down to the pool – my oasis – for some time to relax, and to process the day’s events.
Alas, I arrived at 6.15pm, just as Aqua Zumba started.
Let me tell you, there was nothing relaxing about 7 of us doing lengths crammed into one lane, while the other two thirds of the pool contained 12 young women bopping about while the (far too) energetic instructor screeches commands over the top of what I can only describe as the album they play in Nandos.
Which brings me to my next point; nothing is more likely to sabotage ones attempts at a healthy lifestyle than slogging up and down a swimming pool while listening to the soundtrack of a succulent fast food chicken joint, one that happens to sit two floors above in the very same leisure complex as the gym.
The British Climate and the Melancholy Wardrobe
Why whimsical weather = fashion dissatisfaction
I am sorry to all those Summer Lovers whom I may offend with this post, but good riddance to the sunshine. (There. I said it.)
Delightful, that we had 6 days of glorious heat. Bravo, British weather, you successfully managed to fill 1.6% of the year with a ‘Summer’. Now kindly take us back into the safe embrace of October, where we can reunite with our (overworked and underpaid) knitwear, proper shoes and excessive hot chocolate consumption. How many can say they actually enjoyed that unexpected (unwelcome) spasm of sunshine? Did you not spend more time in a state of panic, clothes strewn across the floor, trying to find suitable summer attire; cursing ones efficiency at already packing the hot weather wardrobe away?
And then this morning comes another weather-related blow. I spent a good hour and a half darting to and from the window today, trying to assess what schizophrenic persona the weather may take on today. Yes, it’s grey and foggy and drizzling and this IS October, but was that a slither of sunlight I saw? Am I going to leave the house in thermals and skinny jeans only to be smacked in the face with a tropical heat wave?
Said frequent window gazing obviously resulted in me being late, triggering even more uncertainty about my chosen outfit, causing me to forget to bring my little sachet of Nescafe Cappuccino to work (don’t judge – even as a self-confessed coffee snob they are a guilty pleasure without which I can’t function) and thus setting me up for a disastrous day.
You see British weather; your erratic behaviour can bring only displeasing wardrobe feng shui, and further, more serious repercussions. I welcome the drizzle with open arms.
Blogging
John S Lens, Kodot XGrizzled Film, No Flash, Taken with HipstamaticHow the zebra got its stripes
Giambattista Valli Ready-To-Wear, Paris Fashion Week.
My love of the collection comes as no surprise given my infactuation with just about every Italian label (I often find myself doing a small gasp of delight when arriving at a Bottega Veneta ad page in Vogue). What does surprise me is that this collection has me questioning what might be my print of choice for Spring Summer 2012. Normally, there is no choice; with the exception of a smattering of polka dots as encouraged by Stella McCartney this season, for me leopard print is the only only choice.
Bravo Gimbattisa, who turned the Leopard Print Veteran.
Sorry you can’t magnify the photos on here, but you can here :)
Current Obsession: Hobbs NW3
A/W is when the Hobbs diffusion line excels. I adore its cute jewellery range that embraces autumnal flora and fauna, from the Dennis Fox Earrings (above) to the gorgeous Conker Pendant. The knitwear swings in perfect balance with a variety of chunky knits vs. cute cardigans in peppery autumn shades.
