The Postcolonial Rabbit

FOTD: New Stuffs

2012-01-14T21:34:00.001Z

High on my wedding preparation list was to get a foundation that actually matched my skin (Bobbi Brown just hasn't worked out for me alas, always just a bit out). My sister swears by NARS Sheer Glow, so I took a quick trip to Liberty. About ten minutes later I came away with what I think just might be the most perfect foundation I've found (though to be fair my search hasn't been hugely extensive.) It's beautifully light, feeling like nothing on the skin, and yet gives sufficient coverage to make skin look utterly beautiful. It's the first foundation to give a finish that truly took my breath away, rather than making me look not quite right. A**!

It looks very pale here because I was directly facing a window and noon light, but it's really perfect in terms of shade and texture. The fantastic SA also applied their concealer on me and I was seriously impressed - after seven hours there was no fading and hardly any creasing. I've loved MAC Moisturecover Select because it doesn't flake on my dry skin, but it does fade over the day. The NARS lasts and lasts!

I've paired my Armani eyeshadow with one of the two Daphne Guiness for MAC lipglosses I acquired on the same trip, Narcissus. I love the purple-plum colour, I don't have anything quite like it and it's so fresh and pretty for Spring without looking chalky and harsh like some lipstick variants of this colour. The Cremesheen Glass is the only MAC gloss formulation I love, the traditional lipglass formula is just so horribly gluey (such a shame, the colours are so lovely!)

Saturday, 7 January 2012

I see dresses and shoes and cardigans of green

Again, a bit of a bastardisation-title. But although my head's still firmly in sales-and-winter-clothing, spring collections are arriving in the shops now, and from what I can see, there's a couple of trends emerging. The most obvious being GREEN. A fresh, zingy, grass-green shade has cropped up in several places. I love these greens, so that's not a bad thing for me! (I don't follow high fashion closely enough to be able to identify the source, but I'm sure there must be one? The botanical prints remind me a bit of Erdem...)

I think this shade looks wonderfully fresh with white, and little blue, red or yellow accents. But it looks good with royal purples too, and as the black dress shows, if you're scared to go full-kermit, it pops as an accent against black. White generally looks terrible on me, so that's what I'll be pairing it with, even if I think this green looks its nicest against a bright crisp white. Like Wimbledon in outfit form. Oh, for summer!

Thursday, 5 January 2012

2012 - 20 things I'm looking forward to!

Rather than resolutions which always seem a bit grim and always end in a sense of failure, I thought I would list instead the things I'm looking forward to this year. I'm very excited about the year ahead, for one major reason in particular, that I will be marrying my soulmate and daemon-in-human-form, known to you as Bartimaeus. Nowt can really beat that. What are you looking forward to?

1. Getting married to Bartimaeus
2. 60th anniversary celebrations of the 1952 Bengali Language Movement (more on that soon)
3. The UK arrival of Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters (deeply excited about these)
4. Maintaining the creative writing I restarted after 10 years on 1 Jan this year

5. Reading lots of interesting books on my lovely new Kindle
6. Meeting and making new friends, which has been a wonderful feature of late 2011
7. Adding some flakie topcoats to my nail collection
8. Trying more pretty takes on nail art
9. The Muppets movie
10. Adding to my vintage jewels collection via Hepwrights, Southampton
11. Writing my weekly lists in my new customised Moleskine work diary (tea-themed stickers? oh yes!)

12. Spending time with my beloved friends and family
13. Filling up a fifth of this amazing thing my sister bought me for Christmas:

14. Writing more blog posts on culture and books as well as nails and dresses
15. Tom Ford Black Orchid
16. Getting hold of a star nail magnet
17. Doing more fascinating archival research on East London
18. Getting involved in lots of community events and groups in London and Southampton
19. Downton Abbey series three
20. Being married to Bartimaeus

Do comment and let me know what you're looking forward to this year!

Monday, 2 January 2012

New Year NOTD: Galactic Bathroom Tiles

Happy New Year!!!

My mum recently got her bathrooms redone, finally changing the original 1960s avocado suites (practically antique now) to something a bit more modern. We were on a tight budget and I was quite grumpily difficult when it came to decorative elements, opting for basic and minimalist over anything that might age badly or cost too much. However, one day my mum went out and bought a whole lot of tiny tiles for a border. And they were sparkly, like a little bathroom galaxy. They were way out of our budget costing more than all the floor tiles, and I did grumble at the time about the price, but I bloody love them now. They're a perfect reflection of my mum's love of all things sparkly and bejewelled (which I've inherited of course) and they make me smile every time I'm at the house because they're just so her.

So my New Year's NOTD took inspiration from the tiles and from the recent "galaxy nails" trend. I used one of my favourite winter OPIs, Siberian Nights as the base - it's a wonderful inky deep purple, much cooler toned than Lincoln In the Park After Dark, but definitely purple-black and not navy. I then added some stars with the Topshop nail art pen in Silver (I'm loving these) and a coat of China Glaze Fairy Dust on top, finishing with a coat of a new topcoat I purchased on Aysh's recommendation, No 7 Stay Perfect Top Coat. (I'll review this soon, but it's pretty good!)

Saturday, 31 December 2011

Ring In The Old, Ring Out The New

Hope you've all had a lovely Christmas - mine has been very cosy and relaxing, and wonderfully restorative. Some of the lovely gifts I received included a Flowerpot Tangle Teezer which has been a revelation, and a bottle of L de Lolita Lempicka perfume from Bartimaeus, which is utterly bewitching.

The title of this post is a bastardisation of Tennyson, but seems apt when applied to a vintage post published on New Year's Eve! Allow me to introduce you to my first piece of vintage. I've written before about my reservations about the "retro revival" and full-on 1950s nostalgia. Nevertheless, there is a romance around the 1950s for me I will never shake, which goes back to my childhood watching Douglas Sirk films with my mum (there's something very Bollywood I think about his lush sentimental melodramas), all the films of Elvis, and pretty much anything that was filmed in Technicolor. And as a result I continue to aspire to recreate a different kind of vintage in makeup and outfits from time to time, a look that is part whimsy, part 1960s Bollywood, 100% Rabbit.

But I find vintage shopping difficult - the chaos and disorder of a lot of vintage shops, the forbiddingly tiny waists of proper 1950s frocks. Still, a few weeks ago I visited Bedford Place, a little street of independent shops, salons and eateries very close to my house in Southampton, and I stopped by Hepwrights', a vintage shop that's become the heart of this charming, quirky little corner of Southampton. I left after an hour and a half, after chatting to Mama Hep and Sophie for ages about Asian fabrics and vintage, and browsing and coveting away. It's such a warm, welcoming place, and Sophie and Mama Hep know pretty much everyone who drops in. Two Year 7s stopped by to just try dresses on in their break, two students stopped by just to say they'd handed in coursework, and I just fell in love with the place (as my presence there for 90 minutes attests!)

There are some amazing dresses, coats, shoes, as well as some pieces by local craftspeople (I love the rows of little wooden cottages representing the area I live in). But the magpie in me was attracted to the jewels in particular. I was restrained, picking up a reworked silver owl bracelet for my sister for Christmas, and this necklace for me. It is strung on silver chain which gives the clear beads a greyish tinge, which I love. They look like faceted pieces of ice, and I've been wearing this necklace for all my many Christmas social engagements (all three of them) and pretty much every other day. It goes with everything, but I particularly love pairing it with my marcasite snowflake earrings from Istanbul. The combination makes me feel very glamorous and wintry.

I sometimes daydream about the woman/women who wore it before me - did she wear it for special occasions, or was she a magpie like me, happy to wear sparkly stuff during the day? Which special occasions did she wear them to? Did she have a daughter who used to play with it covetously? And that's the magic of vintage, really, the tales bound up within the pieces, the unspoken histories...

Anyway, happy New Year's Eve, everyone! I'll be spending mine at home with my mum, as it's my dad's birthday and I never feel much like doing anything else on this day. We'll be having a Downton Abbey marathon and I'll be having a mega-Chinese roast duck fest (duck pancakes and roast duck and rice, my favourites). Hope you all have a lovely time ushering 2012 in, whatever it is you're doing.

Wednesday, 21 December 2011

Big Thank You giveaway - Kiko Makeup Milano! Extended!

I am having a bit of a hectic week work-wise and things won't calm down until AFTER Christmas. Oh it sucks to be me sometimes. However, it sucks less to be you, because as I won't be able to count entries, get my cat to pick a name (nice technique, Aysh!) or post anything until after Christmas, I've decided to extend the giveaway. It'll now close at midnight on December 28th!

So get entering, if you haven't already!

http://thepostcolonialrabbit.blogspot.com/2011/12/big-thank-you-giveaway-kiko-makeup.html

Thursday, 15 December 2011

Kabir Chowdhury, RIP

On Tuesday, one of the great Bangladeshi intellectuals, Prof. Kabir Chowdhury, passed away at the age of 89.

He was a true champion of Bengali secular nationalism. He, like all proper leftist nationalists, saw nationalism as a way to internationalism, and lived his beliefs through practice, chairing the Bangladesh Afro-Asian Writers' Union, the Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Union, and the Bangladesh-Soviet Friendship Society amongst others. His loss is a profound one for all of us who share in the secular values he dedicated his life's work to preserving in Bangladesh.

I remember how warm and welcoming he was, the wide range of books, paintings and sculptures at his beautiful, modernist flat, how effusively he spoke about Bengali culture, secularism and the Language Movement. I was honoured to meet him, spend some time with him over tea, and benefit from his knowledge and wisdom. I'm so sad I will never have that chance again.

Below is a transcription of my interview with Prof. Kabir Chowdhury, in Dhaka, on 23 March 2008.

KC: The call for the recognition of Bangla was first raised in 1948, by Dhirendranath Dutt. Sometimes we forget about that and focus on 1952, which is understandable because 1952 was the major eruption of Bengali nationalist feelings. Ultimately it was a political movement firstly for autonomy and later the demand for total independence. And it grew, unlike political movements in other countries, over the question of language and culture. This is quite a difference in comparison to other liberation struggles in other countries. Because of the West Pakistan military rulers’ insensitiveness and inability to understand the Bengali people’s total commitment to language and through language, culture, because they didn’t understand this, the situation got out of hand. There was nothing revolutionary in accepting two languages as state languages. Think of Canada, Switzerland and other places. But because of their ignorance they made tensions worse, and then of course later they made things even worse by committing genocide.

From culture it became a political movement. Major highlights were 1952, then 1969, the mass movement and 1970. And then the Liberation War 1971. I’m giving a talk on 1971 the war and our literature tomorrow at the Independent University, Bangladesh. Firstly I will talk about the liberation wars of all countries leave an impact on all cultures. That manifestation one can see in all walks of life. In art, in poetry, novels, everywhere. For example in the Soviet Union: I have visited all the regions of the Soviet Union of the earlier days, and I have seen beautiful sculptures and paintings. You can recall in the European context, Delacroix’s painting of Liberty symbolised as a woman, leading the people. She is holding a flag, running and people are running behind her. In Bangladesh there are many paintings and sculptures. You will know Shahabuddin, who has exhibited in many places in Europe. He is now an expatriate living in France. He has one picture, Muktijuddha, Freedom Fighter, with a sinewy, muscled, half-clad man with a flag running. I have decided to speak about the impact of liberation war, and specifically talking about Bangladesh liberation war and literature. There has not been a complete overvew done of the cultural impact of our liberation war, so I will begin by categorising the books that reflect all of this, historical accounts, memoirs, diaries, compendiums, novels.

Then I’ll come to literatures specifically – that is the main thing. In all branches of culture we find this reflection of our liberation war – poetry, grammar, short stories, novels, sketches. By extension, films, there have been many films about the war. But poetry is especially touching – in fact all the senior major appreciated poets, young poets, and unknown poets, all have written at least on poem on the war. There are hundreds of poems. Some highlight the glories and courage, some highlight the pain and sorrow and devastation. Shamsur Rahman’s very well known poem “Liberty.” There is another remarkable poem whose words we tend to forget – Written on the night of the genocide on 25 March 1971, just before he left for India, Ghulam Mustafa wrote a stunning poem. He printed a few hundred copies for publication, and then he fled to India. The poem is astoundingly beautiful. I have translated it. It is “Bangla Charo” “Quit This is one of the earliest poems which possesses a very militarised tone.

In terms of novels, Rabeya Khatun has written quite beautiful stories upon the war, Selina Hossain has written both short stories and novels. Anwara Shamsul Haq – Syed Shamsul Haq’s wife, has also written stories.

NA: What was happening in terms of culture in the Pakistan period? I know that Kabar was performed at Dhaka Central Jail – but was it performed anywhere else during that time?

KC: In Dhaka cultural things were happening, but things were also happening all over the country during this period. In 1952, Kabar happened in Dhaka but it was also performed all around the country. There is Mumtazuddin Ahmed, at that time, his plays were performed in the large open park in Chittagong, and his plays also expressed a strong militant sense.

There was a poem by Shamshur Rahman “Na Ami Jabo Na” “No I won’t go’ - “I won’t go, I stay with them who are fated to die.” “Obishap Dicche” uses classical image of Greek mythology, the Tantalus myth.

Going back to novels, there are also Anwar Pasha’s Rifles Roti Women and Shaukat Osman’s Jahannam Hocche Bidhay and Neke Aranya. The West Pakistanis incompletely missed the meaning of Kritadaser Hasi. Missed in the sense, it was a symbolic story of the defiance of the downtrodden against the oppressor. And finally, the defeat of the oppressor in the sense of what is demanded he couldn’t get in the last chapter in the scene. But, they thought it was a novel featuring Harun ur Rashid, he was projected as a cruel sultan. That point was missed but because somebody from East Pakistan has written a novel about Harun ur Rashid, they gave it a prize.

Others who have written dramas include Abdullah al Mamun, also there is Syed Shamsul Haq’s Payer Awaz Pawa Jai. Zahir Rahain has written about 1952 but he didn’t live to write on the liberation war. He was a very talented filmmaker, but also wrote stories – Arek Phalgun, on 1952. As well as the celebrated Jibon Theke Niye. Like Osman, he wasn’t able to present facts in the direct fashion but had to use metaphoric images. Ahmed Safa’s Omkar, is similarly metaphorical - he uses an image of a dumb girl who witnesses all the repressions. She cries out at the end, finally, and then dies.

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

FOTD: Gothic Forties

This is one of my favourite looks of late. I know every blogger and their cat has blogged about Armani Eyes To Kill Intense shadows, but I love the Purpura shade I was given for my birthday (and I've pretty much decided it will be used in my bridal look! I know standard practice is to opt for a natural, fresh-faced type of look, but meh, I'm not really a neutrals kind of girl). It was a bit of an accident, this combination. I wanted to wear my new Revlon Just Bitten stain in Twilight as I was wearing this Warehouse dress, and I wanted to go for a Dita von Teese-esque frosty, cool look to match its awesome gothic Forties-ness. Yup, me, about the other side of the skin tone spectrum to Miss Teese. I initially planned on a silver shadow, but don't have a nice one, so I used Purpura instead. I love it paired with the vampy lip!


check out the stripy hair!

Impossible to capture its complex loveliness, the interplay of gold, silver, pewter and purple...

Base:
MAC Moisturecover Select concealer

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion as base
Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow in Purpura
Avon Supershock pencil in black on waterline
Maybelline Colossal Mascara

Face:
MAC Brow in Spiked
Sue Moxley Breath of Plum blush

Lips:
Daphne Guinness for MAC Cremesheen Glass in Narcissus

I see dresses and shoes and cardigans of green

2012-01-07T22:59:00.001Z

2012 - 20 things I'm looking forward to!

2012-01-05T22:42:00.000Z

12. Spending time with my beloved friends and family
13. Filling up a fifth of this amazing thing my sister bought me for Christmas:

New Year NOTD: Galactic Bathroom Tiles

2012-01-02T17:24:00.000Z

Ring In The Old, Ring Out The New

2011-12-31T12:05:00.000Z

Big Thank You giveaway - Kiko Makeup Milano! Extended!

2011-12-21T11:08:00.000Z

Kabir Chowdhury, RIP

2011-12-15T19:15:00.000Z

On Tuesday, one of the great Bangladeshi intellectuals, Prof. Kabir Chowdhury, passed away at the age of 89.

Below is a transcription of my interview with Prof. Kabir Chowdhury, in Dhaka, on 23 March 2008.

NA: What was happening in terms of culture in the Pakistan period? I know that Kabar was performed at Dhaka Central Jail – but was it performed anywhere else during that time?

FOTD: Gothic Forties

2011-12-14T12:30:00.004Z


check out the stripy hair!

Impossible to capture its complex loveliness, the interplay of gold, silver, pewter and purple...

Base:
MAC Moisturecover Select concealer

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion as base
Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow in Purpura
Avon Supershock pencil in black on waterline
Maybelline Colossal Mascara

Face:
MAC Brow in Spiked
Sue Moxley Breath of Plum blush

Lips:
Revlon Just Bitten lipstain in Twilight

Enter my giveaway for sparkly Kiko goodies!!!

NOTD: Snowflake Nails!

2011-12-13T21:54:00.001Z

After Tass's review of the Topshop nail pens I knew exactly what to spend part of my Topshop voucher on (I've only been hoarding it since last Christmas...) - nail art pens. I got the white and silver, as I usually just use a black marker for black nail art, but thought these would be useful. And they are! This was very easy to do, but so pretty and wintry. I used OPI Mermaid's Tears for the base shade, then used the white Topshop nail art pen for the snowflake, and put a silver dot in the centre. Then I topped it with China Glaze Fairy Dust (seriously, is this the prettiest top coat ever?) and a coat of Seche Vite to finish. Festive!

P.S. don't forget to enter my giveaway!

blurred, but sparkly!

please ignore the sheet marks :/

Big Thank You giveaway - Kiko Makeup Milano!

2011-12-10T13:00:00.001Z

So finally, the giveaway I've been promising. This is to thank you all for sticking with me through my long absence earlier this year, for your lovely comments, and for being wonderful people in general. I went back to Kiko Cosmetics in Stratford Westfield (the only store in the UK at present) and picked up the three items I'd picked for myself from the range on my previous visit - for you! It's a nice bit of seasonal sparkle, and a bit special as you can't really get hold of it that easily. You've heard me waffle about two of the three, but here's the lineup in full...

So what is in the purple shiny bag of shininess? Ta-da!!!

Two nail polishes, Kiko Hologram Polish no. 354 and an amazing layering polish Sparkle Touch no.270 (looks amazing over greens, blues and purples, and contains large and small hex iridescent glitter):

A reminder of the Hologram polish on the nail:

And a Double Glam liner in 05:

The rules:

1. You must follow my blog (just click on the Google Friend Connect button on the right hand side)
2. Leave a comment telling me what your "holy grail" eyeliner and nail polishes are!
3. If you RT the giveaway (my Twitter ID is nazneen372) include me in the RT to get another entry.
4. If you blog about this giveaway put a link in the comments on this post for another entry.
5. Leave your email address/blog address/some way for me to contact you!
6. This giveaway is open internationally, to everyone and will close a week today on Saturday 17th December at 22.00 GMT.

So get thinking about those HG products!!!! I look forward to reading about them (and then hunting them down, trying them, and probably buying them...)

Kiko Double Glam Liner 05 Swatches

2011-12-10T09:30:00.001Z

I thought I'd post a comparison swatch with Undercurrent and show the purple shade in all its glory for you all. Here's the pencil(s?) itself:

The two shades you get, both equally stunning:

And a comparison of the teal shade with MAC's limited edition Pearlglide Intense liner in Undercurrent, my favourite liner of all time:


L: Undercurrent, R, Kiko

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a dupe! It's not often I say that, because I'm very finicky about colour and won't say something's a dupe if it's even a tiny bit off. But it's not! It's a dupe! Any colour differentiation you see is just shadow, they're exactly the same. This might not excite you hugely if you're a)not obsessed with the MAC liner or b)not in ok travelling distance of Stratford Westfield. But for me it's a bit of a eureka moment! £9.00 is a bit much for two small eyeliners perhaps, but the quality is excellent and I would happily pay a fair bit more to have that teal-shot-with-gold shade in my life.

Friday Frock: Teacups at the End of the Rainbow

2011-12-09T21:25:00.000Z

These photographs were also taken a while ago, again, tell-tale absence of thick woolly tights - I promise I will start posting new wintry OOTDs soon, but I need to find a good location in my new house! I think we can agree from this mirror shot that this isn't it...

But, just how amazing is this Orla Kiely for People Tree dress? Green/maroon teacups on a crisp, thick cotton, 50s style with a bow at the waist, and POCKETS (which were a surprise, as they weren't even advertised on the description - why wouldn't you mention that a dress has pockets? it's a total dealmaker in my opinion).


Dress, People Tree, petticoat, Ebay, cardigan, New Look, ballet pumps, Office, earrings, Etsy.

My mind almost explodes at its perfection. I call it my "patriotic Bangladeshi teacup" dress, as the colours of the cups are so similar to the Bangladeshi flag (for this reason I wore it to see Akram Khan's Desh, I'm a bit literal with my outfits!)

Bangladesh flag!

Here it is summered up with a lovely yellow cropped cardigan, but I've worn it more recently with rust coloured tights and an oatmeal cardigan too. It reminds me of the quirky Anthropologie I used to love from afar, and this outfit reminds me a lot of some American fashion bloggers I follow.

It's for People Tree, so impeccably ethically made. And the quality and relatively affordable price has inspired me to buy their recently published book, Naked Fashion, because I'd like to know about the production chain and the process behind making ethical clothes. At this point in my life, I can't afford to shop 100% ethically, and I'm not sure if I would ever fully do so, but it's something I would like to know more about.

I accessorised this outfit with one of my favourite pairs of earrings, which I bought from Etsy a few years back. All the stones are semi-precious or precious, and just putting them on is like putting on a bit of sunshine. I'm 32 but I still love rainbows.

FOTD: Best purple liner ever! Kiko Double Glam Liner 05

2011-12-08T22:20:00.001Z

So this is a FOTD that looks like several other FOTDs I have done in the past. However, I had to post about this liner. I don't know what it is about my most beloved shade, purple, that makes it such a tricksy thing. It's tricksy to photograph purple, and it's tricksy to find decent pigmented liners and shadows anywhere. From MAC to NARS to pretty much every other brand, with only the rare exception, you'll find a stiff matte purple shade that's chalky and blue-toned, and a pinky purple shimmer that's a bit cheap and nasty looking. Purple liners are even more disappointing, either pulling blue, red or hardly showing up at all.

For ages I've been looking for a great purple glitter pencil liner, one that would be what I'd hoped MAC's Rave liner would be. For swatches of that, check Temptalia. It's pretty, but gritty and not as pigmented as I wanted.

Finally I've found it. It's actually the other end of the Kiko pencil I travelled to Stratford Westfield to purchase, the dupe for my all time favourite eyeliner, MAC's Pearlglide Intense in Undercurrent (please bring these back, please!) But not only is the teal end of the dual ended pencil a perfect dupe for Undercurrent (hallelujah!), the purple is amazing too. It's almost too soft, so this first look is a bit wobbly, but amazing colour payoff, and once set it doesn't budge or flake (so one better than even my MAC pencil). It's quite pricey at £9 for what are ostensibly 2 small pencils, but so very lovely. The only drawback is that you can only get Kiko from the Stratford store at present in the UK (but I might have a little surprise coming up shortly that might compensate!!! shhhh!)

Two other notes - I'm wearing a lipstick that everyone in beauty-blog land has raved about, namely Boots 17's Mirror Shine lipstick, mine here is Belle (though I've acquired a few others). These are indeed amazing - particularly if you don't want full on colour and want something more moisturising and glossy (like my beloved MAC Slimshines, RIP). Belle's a pretty, plummy nude pink shade, and as close as I can get to nude without looking dead, weird, or dead weird. It's a v useful nude shade for pigmented lips, hard to find on the high street.

Also hard to find on the high street, apart from at Sleek, are decent blushes for darker skins. But this Sue Moxley one is really pretty - again, plum, my favourite. I remember swatching it against a MAC plum blush and it coming close to duping it, so I opted for this one. I'd definitely recommend, the only thing I've tried from the range, but I'm really impressed. It's got a little strip of shimmer that's useful to change the look from matte to sparkly, too.

crazy eye, but check out the sparkle and pigment!

Base:
MAC Moisturecover Select concealer

Eyes:
MAC Paint in Bamboom as base
Kiko Double Glam pencil in 50 (purple end of course :) )
Avon Supershock pencil in black on waterline
Maybelline Colossal Mascara

Face:
MAC Brow in Spiked
Sue Moxley Breath of Plum blush

Lips:
17 Mirror Shine On Lipstick in Belle

Give as You Live

2011-12-07T22:26:00.000Z

The week before last I was kindly invited by the lovely Rhamnousia to an awareness event, which turned out to be for a thought-provoking and interesting project. Give As You Live is a way to give to charity simply by shopping online. Click-through advertising has been used for a while to benefit charitable causes, but with Give As You Live, the amounts donated by companies are linked to what you spend, and as a result are much more substantial. The company has raised over £2million for charitable causes to date, though Polly Gowers and her team are aiming for £120million - the amount it is predicted that will be spent online in the UK this Christmas alone.

What's really impressive is the wide range of retailers the Give As You Live team have got on board. Pretty much everyone from Amazon to Topshop and so many more, are participating and will donate to the cause of your choice if you spend money with them online. It works on the same principle as some other online points or rewards systems, but there's a neat addition in the shape of a downloadable Everyclick app that syncs with your browser, collecting money for the cause of your choice as you spend online without you having to even click through anything (I don't know about you, but I often forget to go on rewards sites before ordering stuff, only to kick myself afterwards!)

I'm just about to place a mammoth order with Amazon including the Kindle I've agonised over for so long, as well as most of my Christmas shopping, and I'm hoping it will raise a good sum for my charity of choice, which is Marie Curie Cancer Care, who offered my dad and my whole family so much support during his illness. But you can choose from any one of the many, many charities registered with the Charity Commission in the UK - including lots of smaller charities who do amazing work and would be really benefited by donations.

It's really a fantastic social business model that's really making a difference, and at this time of year, when we're all much spending so much anyway, I'd urge you to have a look, register, and pick a charity to support. The URL:

http://www.giveasyoulive.com/

The Rabbit Reviews: Johannes Cabal the Detective

2011-12-06T20:19:00.001Z

The subtitle of this second novel in the Cabal series is "a wickedly entertaining comic fantasy." Well, if the EU start developing legislation on book titles (maybe rationing colons in academic publishing would be a start?), this book may be hauled up on mis-selling charges as this book a) does not contain anything that even raises an eyebrow, let alone anything that could be considered wicked b) is in no way entertaining c) is even less comic and d) can only in the most tenuous sense be described as part of the fantasy genre.

For fans of fantasy fiction, the Harry Potter/Twilight phenomenon has been a poisoned chalice. It's great that fantasy writing is now gaining the attention of mainstream publishers and that inventive new fantasy books are now coming out all the time. On the other hand, I feel like some books are now being "fantasied" up - given a quirky veneer, a bit of magical polish to sell, rather than containing and introducing the reader to an other world that feels and reads as if real.

The Cabal books are a case in point. The novels revolve around the figure of Johannes Cabal, a necromancer creation whom his author is deeply in love with. Cabal, the narrator repeatedly informs us, is a brittle, unlikeable fellow with an absence of ethics whose main characteristic is sarcasm. The narrator has to frequently remind us of these things, because the novel is so poorly put together that it's impossible to gather them from Cabal's actions or dialogue. (Also, is Jonathon L Howard a moody pubescent, that sarcasm is such a beguiling characteristic in a protagonist? Dry Sherlockian humour, perhaps, but sarcasm, really?)

Whilst the first novel focused on a diabolical circus and a play on Faust, this second novel hardly features any actual fantasy. Here Cabal is placed at the centre of an utterly improbable locked-door political murder mystery, a situation so contrived that you can positively hear the plot cracking under its strain. Only three examples of anything remotely necromantic or fantastic takes place in the novel - and one of those is in the clumsily dashed off addendum. Were it not for being frequently informed of Cabal's profession and the horror! horror! of it, and the fact that the countries at the heart of the political saga are Made Up Places with Weird Names, this would just be a tedious addition to the crime genre. It's so overwritten I could barely breathe while reading, as if the author believed layering adjectives and clauses would maximise the humour. The Agatha Christie-parodying gets old very, very quickly. In a series ostensibly of the fantasy genre, there's simply no magic. In terms of charm, flair, or even subject matter.

At this point, let me address the matter of Cabal's necromancy. I've read my Garth Nix, whose Abhorsen trilogy really renders necromancy as a terrifying and evil thing. But here, although we're frequently told that Cabal's occupation is evil, that he could be punished in horrible, horrible ways for what he does, that his experiments are beyond ghoulish, this horror is not embodied in what actually happens in the novels. The things Cabal does do not inspire horror in the other characters, or us. They're run-of-the-mill actions of a run-of-the-mill anti-hero in a mediocre book.

Which makes me think the pitch for this series went a bit like this:

Jonathon L Howard: I've got this great idea for a character.
Editor: Oh really?
JLH: Yeah. He's a misanthrope. And sarcastic.
E: Sarcasm, you say? Well, sarcasm's cool! Really cool. But... Jonno - I can call you Jonno, right? - we need MORE.
Jonno: More? Isn't that enough for a novel series? Ok... How about - that he's... amoral.
E: Amoral, misanthropic, sarcastic. Yup, readers will lap that up. But why not Twilight it up a bit? A sorcerer or something? That shizzle sells.
Jonno: Um, a sorcerer?
E: Yeah - maybe someone who brings back the dead or something?
Jonno: Er, ok? But he brings them back misanthropically and sarcastically, right? I really care that he's misanthropic and sarcastic.
E: Absolutely. He doesn't even have to, you know, bring them back. That's just gross. We'll just say that's what he does. They'll lap it up. Awesome. So here's your 5-book contract and massive advance.
Jonno: Er, ok... Great!

What's peculiar to me are the masses of highly positive reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and elsewhere. Am I missing something, it makes me wonder? Do long tedious descriptions of slapstick situations really "witty" make nowadays? It's a hard, hard thing to write funny. But it is possible, and because I know it's possible, I know this isn't it. Mr Jonathon L Howard, may I point you to another Jonathon, Mr Stroud, and suggest you try to learn something from the master of truly comic and truly fantastic comic fantasy.

Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

NOTD: Engagement ring manicure 1, Kiko Hologram 354

2011-12-03T22:06:00.000Z

So I have this ring on my finger now, and I love it so much. As my twitter followers might have read, I've not worn a ring for over two years now, patiently awaiting this one to come along. So it's quite wonderful for me to look down and see my engagement ring, and it brings me joy every time I do. I'm one very happy Rabbit right now.

One of my dear friends, knowing my nail obsession, asked me if I'd found the perfect manicure to go with the ring yet, and though meant half in jest, it did get me thinking. What WOULD be the prettiest polish for this ring? Would it be a simple silver? A purple with silver glitter over the top? Join me on my journey of discovery...

As my first in this series, let me introduce you to one very special polish. I was very excited about the Kiko store opening at Stratford Westfield, because I'd read that Kiko does a dupe of my favourite eyeliner of all time, MAC Undercurrent Pearlglide Intense. And on that front, Kiko didn't disappoint (more on that to come). But generally it's a welcome addition to the makeup market - lots of different products and colours. Like Inglot, it's a bit overwhelming at first with so many products and ranges, but of course I gravitated to the nail polishes. I picked up two (very restrained Rabbit) and I've already worn this twice, I love it so much. It's a stunning lilac/gold duochrome foil that also has tiny red and green sparkles in it. It's mesmerising. In different lighting, it can be a metallic bronze, lilac, and a mix of both. The green sparkles are my favourite, and make this polish quite ethereal, but in a flashy kind of way. Totally Tinkerbell (who was very much ethereal in a bossy, flashy kind of way).

Wear and texture is pretty fantastic. This is two coats, and it's not too thick or too thin. It's the kind of foil that's diminished by a thick glossy topcoat, so I went without and it lasts chip-free for three days on me.

Obviously, it's also totally impossible to photograph in its glory. In real life, it looks like this but prettier. So much prettier. It's not the perfect polish for the ring, because it's gold rather than silver-toned, but still, I think they do look pretty together.

Splurge/save - Topshop

2011-11-27T19:24:00.000Z

As you may have been able to tell by now, I love all things shiny. Glitter heels are everywhere at the moment, but I've also spied sparkly dresses appearing in time for the festive season. Topshop are offering a few different options, but these two are my favourite from two ends of their pricing spectrum. Although I'm sure magazines would advise you to keep everything plain with a sparkly dress, I think it's more fun to play with textures and colours.

Rainbow Lurex Stripe Cross Back Dress, Dress Up, Topshop, £80

Multi Lurex Flippy Dress, Topshop, £30

Though both would be amazing for a night out, I think the most fun to be had with a sparkly dress would be to wear the £30 during the day, with a long-sleeved T layered under, a big scarf, longline black cardi, and jewel coloured tights. Shiny!

Glitterama by nazneen372 featuring a black bag

Friday Frock!: Scarlet Safari

2011-11-25T11:00:00.002Z

Dress, Primark; vest, M&S; cardigan, New Look; belt, Dorothy Perkins; tan ballet flats, Primark.

The series (which I realise has been inspired by a number of bloggers who also post dresses on Fridays) is back!

And yes. It might come to your attention that these pictures were not taken that recently. The clues would be the intense, bright sun, the bare legs (it already feels like quite a while since I donned tights, despite our October heatwave) and the lush vegetation of my mum's garden.

Nevertheless, as we enter the dark days of winter proper, it's nice to remember exactly how lovely the rare real summer's day in England can be (this is totally the reason, and not the fact that one of my cameras is having lens issues and the other has a dead battery and no charger, nope). This was a work outfit - I love cotton shirtdresses in summer for work, as they look relatively smart but are also cool and comfortable. I love the deep red shade of this dress - the best kind of red on me - but I find red tricky to pair colours with, as I usually dislike pairing it with black. But I think the safari-inspired palette of creams and tans works nicely here with it. If you notice, the cardigan has black polka dots on it - I love this cardigan from New Look so much! It adds interest and quirk to any outfit.

To emphasise the explorer vibe, I opted for my beloved spinning globe pendant:

Necklace, Accessorize

And some lovely drop earrings I got years ago from Sainsburys, of all places! I like little drop earrings a lot, they frame the face very flatteringly, and aren't too much for day:

Earrings, TU at Sainsburys

Rabbit Reading

2011-11-22T19:37:00.000Z

Quentin Blake, Matilda

As you all may know, books are a huge part of my life - both in terms of work and fun. Last week, I ordered all my reading for the Christmas holidays - the time of year, apart from holidays proper, when I allow myself much more time than usual on reading for pleasure. (Last year, I finished Wicked in three days.) And they've all arrived, all crisp, pretty paperbacks. I'm not sure I can replace the feeling of stacking up shiny new books (and secondhand gems) with the immediacy but virtual nature of Kindle-books. I've been going back and forth on Kindles, and I still cannot decide! I love the physicality of books - this afternoon I was sat cross-legged on my sofa, with a cup of tea and a huge history hardback cropped on my knees. I felt a deep sense of contentment, just like Matilda (surely the best ode to reading ever, including Walter Benjamin's essay "Unpacking My Library").

I've agonised about it so much I wish I'd just been given one rather than having to commit to the purchase myself. I can't quite bring myself to buy one myself!

Anyway, this is all a bit of a tangent to what I'd intended to write about, which was a short run down of what I'm reading at the moment, and what turned up in my little Amazon order of joy.

Ranajit Guha, Dominance Without Hegemony: History and Power in Colonial India

I say currently reading, but it's actually waiting for me at the British Library to be read later in the week. And I say 'read' but I'm not sure anyone's ever read this book (or many of his Subaltern Studies colleagues' works) cover-to-cover. Still, it gives you an idea of the stuff I have to read for work.

John Marriott, Beyond the Tower: A History of East London

I'm reading this as background for a project I'm working on on diaspora, religious faith and East London - but it's so well-put together and fascinating that it scarcely feels like work!

William Goldman, The Princess Bride

Bedtime reading at my mum's when I'm staying there during the week for work. I've read this countless times, and I still laugh out loud at points, and am completely charmed by this cult novel. If you've not read it but seen the film, you MUST read the book. It's so much better, and I love the film.

Jonathon L. Howard, Johannes Cabal the Detective

Bedtime reading at my house. I'm coming to the end of this second novel in the series, and to be honest, I'm not sure I'll be ordering the third. But more of that in a proper review soon!

Awaiting me over the holidays are:

Ben Aaronovitch, Rivers of London and Moon over Soho

Deborah Harkness, A Discovery of Witches (the one I'm most excited about I think - I mean, magical academia??? written for me!)

Carol Birch, Jamrach's Menagerie (came upon a report of the real menagerie this novel is based upon in my research the other day, and had to add this to my order - it counts as research, right?)

Safia Minney, Naked Fashion: The New Sustainable Fashion Revolution - from first glance, perhaps not as text-heavy as I'd hoped but I hope it'll be an interesting introduction to People Tree and to the world of sustainable fashion, which I'm getting interested in both in terms of my buying choices and possible projects.

So, that's a few of the books in my life and the moment, and coming up. I'll do a review of the fun books as and when I finish them - the Cabal novel should hopefully be up very soon! (I really want it finished and done with!)

FOTD - 1990s

2011-11-21T18:50:00.000Z

Welcome to a retro-FOTD. I got all nostalgic when I did this look, because this is pretty much how I used to do my makeup in 1996 when I started wearing it - I had a cool-toned purple and light lilac duo shadow from Rimmel that was almost exactly this shade (I also had a matte chocolate and dark gold one, and those and a liner and Max Factor 2000 Calorie, were pretty much all the makeup I owned then). I wanted to try out my new brick-toned Max Factor lipstain, so despite the fact that it didn't go with my eye makeup, I wacked it on. The Max Factor lipstain tastes revolting and makes my lips very dry, so it's back to Revlon Just Bitten for me. The next on my list is Twilight, the really dark one - I'm in the mood for a deep, near-goth stain!

The pencil hasn't shown up very well here, but it's a very pretty new addition to the Bourjois Line - one of the Effet Smoky pencils in Sparkling Navy. It's described as navy, but I'd say it's a very cool purple, with a shot of gorgeous lilac glitter. It doesn't show up as well as I'd like on my skin tone, though, which is a shame, but I'd really recommend it to paler readers.

Base:
MAC Moisturecover Select concealer

Eyes:
MAC Paint in Bamboom as base
Bourjois Effet Smoky pencil in Sparkling Navy on top lid and lower lashline
Avon Supershock pencil in black on waterline

Face:
Estee Lauder Blushing in Port Passion
MAC Brow in Spiked

Lips:
Max Factor Lasting Lip Tint in 05 - which is apparently "Marshmallow" and a pink-nude, but weirdly brick red on me?

Now I want to go and watch Reality Bites, which I was obsessed with then, and still know all the lines to. Ahem.

NOTD: Fozzie Leopard

2011-11-20T18:00:00.000Z

I was very restrained and only ordered two polishes from the OPI Muppets collection, despite being a glitter and Muppets freak. One was Rainbow Connection, which we have seen, and the other was Warm and Fozzie, which is not the kind of polish I usually go for (glitters or dusty cremes), but which intrigued me. The dark burnished gold is a polish I thought would be useful for my Asian outfits (especially on my toes when wearing gold strappy sandals - possibly the only occasions now when gold strappy kitten heels get an outing are at Asian functions?) I find most metallic polishes yawnsville so the complex mix of shades that makes up Warm and Fozzie piqued my interest.

It is a lovely polish, and the red and green sparkles in the burnished gold shade make it quite fascinating up close. That said, on its own, I'm not sure it suits me or is quite my thing.

I said on its own. Because when I transformed into into a leopard manicure (my first major foray into nail art post-Pistachio Burfi nails) I fell totally in love. This makes for such a cool leopard mani - gold leopard's just about as trashy as you can get and it's brilliant. First, I dotted Warm and Fozzie with a caramel coloured creme Mavala polish:

And then used a marker to draw on the black "u" shaped markings, topping off with Seche Vite:

And I said just about because the red tones in this polish have given me an idea for another nail art experiment: Warm and Fozzie is the perfect base for a TIGER print manicure.

While your minds boggle at the idea, let me leave you with my favourite Muppets song (which for the longest time I thought was actually "Phenomenon," and which I thought was rather profound):

Missguided About Sizing

2011-11-18T22:24:00.000Z

I don't often rant on this blog, but I've had a disappointing shopping experience featuring a well-known online brand that's been doing the rounds of blogs and I thought I should raise this just in case some of my curvier readers were considering a purchase.

So Missguided (see what I did with the title there?) has been featuring in lots of blogs for its cute little skater dresses. But alas, despite their PR tweeting me that most dresses come in sizes "6-14," alas, "little" appears to be the word when it comes to their dresses. I bought this style (though maybe I should have not opted for a style only available in 2 sizes, never a good sign for a curvy blogger).

I ordered this dress in a M/L which according to their sizing chart is apparently a 12-14. But as a 14 in every high street store, I would say this dress is 10-12 at most.

Here it is next to a Topshop size 14 skater dress:

And here it is on me (sorry for the terrible picture, my camera battery died after this shot and my sister has my charger...)

As you can see it is SO tiny that it is an indecent length on 5ft nothing me. (Bartimaeus said it looked like a tutu. It's only marginally longer than one).

I suppose it's Missguided's choice to market their dresses to slim girls, though it's a shame because skater dresses look nice on curvy girls. And because a 14 is the UK average now, and it's surely not unreasonable to expect dresses to come in size 14 and 16 (at the very least) across the board.

But either way, this dress doesn't even conform with what I would consider a size 12-14. And my experience with this dress has been further soured by the fact that they don't do free returns, and it will cost me £3.10 to return a dress that is unhelpfully labelled and sized.

I know lots of bloggers love Missguided, but I won't be ordering again for fear of other dresses being equally as tiny. And I'll be signing up to Retro Chick's Campaign for Clearer Sizing. It would've saved me £3.10 in this case, a trip to the Post Office, and the less-than-pleasant feelings we all get when we try a dress we like but that's far too small.

Wishlist

2011-11-12T12:40:00.001Z

Looking over this list, it's clearly the time of year when my inner goth comes back to the surface - my mind's full of deep red and black, smoky fragrances, and fantasy fiction:

A cropped black fairisle cardigan

A empire line black fairisle knitted dress

Black knitted tights with grey polka dots (as my M&S ones have departed to the great tights haven in the sky after endless wears)

Lots of new fantasy books to snuggle up with over the holidays, including A Discovery of Witches, Rivers of London, and Fly By Night.

Moomin tealight holder (because surely the only things better than moomins are spinning moomins?)

Le Bunny Bleu bunny adorned ballet flats

Grey leopard flats

Patent black mary jane or T-bar flats

A haircut (well, after self-cut fringe disaster #3954874 grows out)

An oud based perfume (or some oud)

Ellis Faas lipcolour in Ellis Faas red (first high end product I've craved in a while!)

Glitter Gal holo polishes and Cult Nails Unicorn Puke polish (it's always fun to hanker after stuff that hard to get...)

A dark red (not maroon, or burgundy) dress - Dorothy Perkins has a wrap dress that's the perfect colour but wrong shape and fabric

A proper red riding hood coat (just like Jordana's from the film Submarine, please)

Warehouse black silk pansy print dress (a bit 40s, a bit goth, very pretty)

A moody winter floral dress in black with a print in deep greens, plums, purples

So, um, not much then...
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

FOTD - Super-natural

2011-11-09T18:54:00.000Z

This is a FOTD from a while back (I have been meaning to get back to the blog for a while!) when I acquired the Garnier Caffeine Roll-On concealer in its newest "Dark" shade. I'd been hankering after this for a while, but was so sad to see that only two shades were available, both far too light for me. I was a bit tentative when I bought shade "3" because I thought it would probably still be too light (I'm shade 5 in YSL Touche Eclat). But it's perfect! I often go without makeup when I'm working from home, but with this light concealer I feel just a bit more perked up (I really hate my dark circles). I wanted to try it with a natural makeup look to see just how little makeup I felt I could get away with and still look ok. (For a fully made up look, I still use my MAC Moisture Cover Select concealer as the roll-on only gives sheer coverage). I felt confident enough to wear this to work; which is great because it's a practically no-effort job.

I've always envied those girls (and my mum) who can get away with just a slick of lipstick - with the Garnier concealer, I feel I can go almost as makeup-free. (Not that I do!!! Makeup is fun for me, and when I wear it, I love to wear it, and both the application, and the effect, are enjoyable for me.) Seems a bit cheeky to post as a FOTD when there's barely any face to it, but it's a bit different for me (and not having my signature flicked liner felt a bit odd to me!)

By the way, I really do love this gloss, one of the Poppy King for No 7 glosses. I know that many bloggers didn't like the pricing, but I got mine on one of the 3for2 deals, and the texture and shades are so much nicer than any other glosses I've found on the high street (which are usually sticky and in cheap, shimmery colours). These are shiny, creamy, and totally non-sticky. I heart!

Base:
Garnier Caffeine Roll-On in "Dark"
MAC MSF in "Dark"

Eyes:
Avon Supershock gel liner in black on waterline
Maybelline Colossal mascara

Face:
MAC Brow in Spiked

Lips:
Poppy King for No 7 lipgloss in Seduction

Irrational loves

2011-11-05T16:45:00.000Z

Aldo Trejos shoes, £70

These amazing shoes, because I would never be able to walk three feet in them.

Monsoon Fusion jumper, currently reduced to £28

This jumper, because I mostly wear printed dresses and patterned kooky jumper+quirky dress is just a bit to early-Ugly Betty, even for me.

Topshop rabbit print pencil skirt, £42

And this Rabbit skirt, irrational ONLY because it's blue and white, my least favourite colours. (Topshop, why not a purple/forest green and cream version, why break my heart so!!!?)

BUT THEY ARE ALL SO LOVELY.

Sigh.

The Rabbit is Back! (and Fireworks NOTD)

2011-11-04T19:09:00.000Z

I don't know how to apologise for the ridiculously long hiatus! I moved house, and have finally become a full-time employee by getting another 50% part-time research post. Juggling the two and commuting between the new house has taken up a lot of time, and in my spare time I've been nesting like a mofo. (Cos that's what mofos do, isn't it? Nest?)

Anyway, thank you all for sticking with me. Part of my new plan of action to make my life truly fulfilling is not to feel guilty about blogging (all that time I could be writing academic stuff) but to commit to it as something I really enjoy and which I hope some of you might enjoy reading.

As part of this, I think I'll be doing more book reviews and thoughtful posts as well as keeping up the outfit and face of the days - and I'm going to be introducing you all to a small part of my jewellery collection in a non-very-elegantly alliterative series titled Charm Tuesdays. I've also added to my dress collection (a particularly Rabbit OOTD coming up shortly!)

So to start things off with a BANG!, this is a manicure that's been in my head ever since I purchased the now legendary Revlon Facets of Fuchsia. The little bright glitter pieces glinting in the dark jelly base made me think of pink fireworks in the sky, and got me thinking about a "sandwich" manicure with a multicoloured glitter. Along came the OPI Muppets Collection a couple of weeks ago, and I've finally got a decent substitute for the much-lemmed Deborah Lippmann polish, Happy Birthday, at almost half its price. I cannot wait to do some layered manicures showing Rainbow Connection in all its glory (I'm thinking over bright purple Illamasqua Jo'mina and over OPI Jade is the New Black) but I couldn't wait to try this combination out. Please excuse the poor photos, as my Panasonic Lumix has given up the ghost and is having focusing issues, and I've had to revert to my old 5MP Ixus. Most phones have more pixels! But it'll have to do for now...

So what we have here is a base coat of Nail Envy Matte, followed by one layer of Facets of Fuchsia, then one layer of Rainbow Connection, and another of Facets of Fuchsia. I love the way the bright sequins of Rainbow Connection are somewhat muted and only ping out at you at certain angles.

If you're going to see fireworks this weekend - have fun!

The Rabbit is Hopping

2011-06-16T10:44:00.000+01:00

More cute bunnies by rabbitier here

To a new burrow.

Normal service will resume when the internet is up and running at the end of June!

Friday Frock! OOTD: Knackered Candystriper

2011-06-10T11:30:00.003+01:00

My apologies for looking dishevelled, minus makeup, and generally exhausted. That'd be because I am, having had one of the busiest and most exhausting two weeks I've had for ages. But though not officially a "frock' but a skirt, this is as "frock-like" as a skirt can get I think and it has been perking me up no end. It's a new arrival in Primark, and £16. I've not tried a high waisted full skirt before (I tend to wear mine lower on the hips) but I really like this look - and it's very flattering I think!

Skirt, Primark, black top, Dorothy Perkins, cardigan, New Look, tights, M&S, red bow ballet pumps, Office, necklace, Accessorize, earrings, Accessorize.

Close up of the print - which contains pretty much all of my favourite colours:

FOTD: Peaches and Plums

2011-06-09T16:00:00.000+01:00

Here's a fairly standard FOTD, but using one of my favourite shadows of all time, MAC's Expensive Pink. Usually I tend not to use a crease shade as the shadow is so glowy but today I paired it with the plum shimmer Rockstar shadow from the Urban Decay Book of Shadows III, a favourite crease shade of mine. The two together make me think of sunsets.

I'm wearing one of the No 7 Poppy King lip glosses here in Confidence - I know some people have found the shade range a bit dull and the pricing high, but I got them in a 3for2 and I really needed some toned down glosses in my collection. The somewhat browned, muted shades I got - Seduction, Confidence and Glamour really work on my skintone as nudes that don't make me look dead. Plus they're inoffensively scented, non-sticky and glossy - a trio I think is hard to find in many high street glosses.

Base:
MAC Moisturecover Select concealer

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion on upper lids
MAC Expensive Pink mixed on lids and Urban Decay Rockstar in the crease
No. 17 liquid liner in black
Maybelline Colossal mascara in 100% Black

Face:
MAC MSF Natural in Deep
Estee Lauder Blushing in plum with NARS Albatross buffed over the top
MAC Brow in Spiked

Lips:
Poppy King for No. 7 Lip Gloss in Confidence

NOTD: OPI Stranger Tides

2011-06-08T16:00:00.004+01:00

This is a polish that I wasn't sure I would like, but was intrigued by. Turns out, I love it, and I think it works best on darker skins as it looks totally different on me than the swatches I've seen. It's a beautiful, pale sage green with a decent amount of grey in it, but not so much that it isn't green. It's stunning and elegant, and a really unique colour. I highly recommend it to everyone, but especially women of colour, on whom the green shades are the really brought out in this polish!

Friday Frock! OOTD: Sugar and Spice and... Bugs

2011-06-03T11:00:00.001+01:00

If you recall my post on my printed dresses, I have a thing about whimsical prints, and I especially love bug prints, though not being the greatest fan of insects in real life. I love the subversiveness of the dress with bugs on - feminine on one hand, a bit weird on the other. My Topshop bug dress looks like leopard print from a distance - but has created shivered responses when people realise what the print is. I love that!

Dress, Dorothy Perkins, cardigan, New Look, patent black Mary Janes, Clarks, single pink pearl choker, custom made, pink pearl earrings, Aarong Bangladesh.

This Dorothy Perkins dress has become a smart work event staple, it's a pretty pinky taupe and from a distance it looks so sweet with the discernible butterflies. It's only when you look closer that you see the bugs!

The etched print and pinky shade make me think of Prada's Fairy collection, one of my all time favourite fashion collections. It's whimsical in the same vein, I like to think...

Pistachio Burfi NOTD

2011-06-01T16:37:00.000+01:00

So I promised to try to recreate these delicious Asian sweets (one of my favourites!) on my nails after Rhamnousia commented during a Twitter convo that the OPI Silver Shatter reminded her of the silver foil that decorates them.

For a truly authentic look I'd need a much more yellow-toned green, but it's still kinda reminiscent I think!

On my other hand I tried a bit of nail art using four pieces of invisible tape stuck together to make a diamond-shaped stencil to replicate the burfi shape. I didn't lay it on evenly across my nails but quite like the haphazard effect. I'm now thinking a layered mani with a nude base, green diamond and silver diamond on top would be the most awesome burfi-mani! (I also think I'm going to try this with Stranger Tides too, for a badam burfi manicure as per the first picture).

I just adore Mermaid's Tears by the way. It's the most perfect seafoam creme polish I've ever seen. It's perfect for darker skintones, where many mint polishes can look chalky and tippexy (yes that's an adjective, that). Seafoam is my second favourite colour after aubergine and it's a joy to finally own a polish that replicates the shade I love best, murky, deeper and greener than duckegg blue, but bluer than mint. I hate chalky insipid pastels - but I love interesting, muted shades like this. Here it prior to being shattered.

Friday Frock: Plum Crumble

2011-05-27T12:00:00.000+01:00

This dress is an oldie that doesn't get enough outings. It's such good quality - swishy thick cotton, lovely puff sleeves with ribbon ties, peter pan collar, fully lined and has pockets. It's from Primark a few years ago. At the time I hesitated because it cost £15 and I thought that was a lot to spend on a Primark dress.

But now I realise the decline in Primark quality (and accompanied hikes in prices) when I wear this dress. You'd never find this in there now, and other stores would charge a hell of a lot more than £15 (especially given the rise in cotton prices). I feel like this dress is a symbol of how much life sucks in the UK right now - the quality of our lives has definitely declined, but everything costs so much more. Stupid to get philosophical about a dress, but wearing it did get me thinking.


Dress, Primark, cardigan, New Look, tan ballet flats, Primark

To make this into a bit of a Match of the Day, here's the necklace I wore. It's so very Rabbit! It had a horrid pink ribbon bow on but I removed that and I'll be putting a pearl on it when I have a moment to dig out my jewellery making kit.


Necklace, Accessorize

And my lovely leather flats from Primark (which, you might notice, are actually a bit too big for me now, but I can't stop wearing them!)

Friday Frock! OOTD: Candy Zoo

2011-05-20T12:00:00.000+01:00

So I have decided to make myself do more OOTDs by making it a regular weekly occurrence - by replacing NARS Lipgloss Fridays with Friday Frocks! And I have a newbie to start this all off. Say hello to the Candy Zoo dress!

So, sale-bargain regrets. How many of us rue passing things up, to be haunted by "the perfect dress" or the "perfect shoes" forever. I basket-danced with a dress when I saw it on Ulrika's blog last year, but missed out on my size at the sale price of £35.

Luckily, kids, there is summat now called Ebay. I'm not a major Ebayer, but go to it when I want something specific, utilising my honed search-term skills (I kid you not, I can find anything online, super-fast). This dress popped up last week - and I was lucky enough to win it! Ideally I'd have liked a 14 but at £3.26 (including P&P) I can't be too fussy, and 12 fits fine. It's a bit short and so sugar sweet I do wonder how long I'll be able to wear stuff like this for (I'll be 32 this year) but given I still look pretty young I'm just going to enjoy it for the time being. And not wear it to work!

Dress, New Look via Ebay, heart embroidered cardigan, New Look, leopard print hairband, Dorothy Perkins, flower earrings, Accessorize, woolly tights, Marks and Spencer, tan ballet flats (unseen), Primark.

Apologies for absence of feet - we're moving stuff around in the house so there's no places for pictures at the moment!

The print has: lions, birds, butterflies, deer, horses - and I just spotted an elephant - as well as the tiny polka dots. I love the dusty muted colours, which perfectly match my OPI Mermaid's Tears manicure (coming up!)

Ring out the old, ring in the new

2011-05-18T18:17:00.000+01:00

Two of my essential accessories have been in serious need of an update for some time. My faithful tan leather cross body bag, and my wallet. My bag travelled the world with me for four years but daily use and trips to India, Bangladesh, the Middle East and Europe have taken their toll - to the point that my uncle in Bangladesh even politely and somewhat reproachfully enquired "don't you have ANY other bags?"

I was considering alternatives in this post - but having tried all the Topshop bags, none were quite right. My specs, though, were quite high: good hard-wearing leather, big enough for Moleskines/thin novels but not too huge, pretty daisy cutouts if possible, a strong, comfortable strap, and two compartments at least. I felt like it was never going to happen! It did, after a long search, and from a rather unlikely source!

So here's my accessories upgrade:

My poor weary tan leather bag, Accessorize (oh the shame...)

Purple leather wallet, Urban Outfitters

New-shininess (well, nearly new, they've been in use for a few weeks:

Tan leather bag, Dickins and Jones at House of Fraser


Red leather wallet, Marks and Spencer

Close up of punch out detailing on bag:

I definitely feel less scruffy and more put together now. And I'm so chuffed with the bag, it's made of such butter-soft but structured high grade leather, unlike the Topshop versions. I got it from Dickins and Jones of all places, which I view as a label for somewhat older folks, but it's so similar to the Topshop ones in style. I know, though, that unlike those, this will last me a good few years. I got it in the House of Fraser sale (the blue is still available), and with a gift voucher I only paid £20. Cannot complain about that! The wallet was also bargainous - at £6, and has just enough compartments. It's roomy, but I can't stuff it full of crap! Which is probably a good thing. They have lots of other colours too.

Hopefully my uncle will approve of my de-tramped accessories!

Accessorize Amethyst and OPI Silver Shatter NOTDs

2011-05-16T23:08:00.002+01:00

nAbout a year ago I had the far-too-rare pleasure of meeting up with a dear friend of many years in Glasgow, the beautiful and super stylish Wonky Monky. Wonky Monky was wearing a lovely outfit (as always) accesorized with a very fetching greyed purple polish. Of course, the Rabbit's eye went straight to it and she demanded to know what it was.

It turned out to be OPI Parlez Vous OPI. A polish owned and utterly loved by the Rabbit. She' hadn't recognised it, because on her much darker skintone, it looked totally different - lighter, less purple, more lavender-grey.

Since that evening, the Rabbit's been searching for a polish that would be that lovely dusty blueberry shade on her. In Accessorize's Amethyst shade, she finally found it.

So enough of the indulgent third person narrative. I've been waiting to try this polish for a while, but patiently allowed my nails a couple of months to breathe after a whole winter of polish. Here it is, finally. A lovely dusty purple-grey creme, lighter and more purple than Models Own Purple Grey, but deeper and bluer than OPI Parlez Vous OPI? It has a fine white-silver shimmer of the Paradoxal-hidden variety, that gives it definition and makes it gleam on the nail. Lovely. I wish I had more than 4ml of it!

My OPI Pirates of the Caribbean polishes arrived the day I put this polish on, which was typical. So when it looked slightly worse for wear, I put the Silver Shatter on top. I like the combination but I think I need some practice to make the shatter shatter better. The splinters are so fine here that the colour doesn't show through as much as I'd like. Although I totally agree with Helen of Just Nice Things that matte chalky shatters look like a skin condition, I think sparkly versions are much nicer.

Stay tuned for manicure that will attempt to reproduce these colour combinations on my nails, inspired by Rhamnousia:

Some pictures from my travels pt. 1

2011-05-16T21:58:00.000+01:00

So I've been AWOL, as I mentioned previously. I'm still struggling to get back into blogging but I've got some Pirates of the Caribbean OPI swatches coming up that I hope will get me back into it.

In the meantime, here are some photographs from Bangladesh. Despite largely being known in the West for being flood ravaged and poverty-stricken, it's also very beautiful.

AWOL

2011-05-10T20:03:00.000+01:00

I have been. Oh yes. For weeks. But it's not just from the blog - I've actually been AWOL. I've been to Bangladesh for two weeks, Istanbul for a conference and Arundel for a mini-break. I'm also working on two projects, have a ton of academic writing to do and am generally very busy, and the blog has been pushed to the back of my "to do" list. Added to that, a failing Macbook hard drive means I'm currently unable to upload any photos of my adventures, acquisitions or makeup.

BUT my new hard drive is here, as are the tools I need to fit it, and I just need a spare day to tear my hair out over macrumors tutorials to get to grips with the procedure. Wish me luck!

I hope to be back with you all very shortly.

NOTD: Bourjois Rouge Diva (or the best red ever)

2011-04-14T16:00:00.000+01:00

The pictures of this didn't come out very well, but I adore this red. It's the perfect cherry red creme - and so very glossy that even Seche Vite almost dulls it. I get comments on it whenever I wear it, it's classic but striking and it's an amazing red for darker skins.

It looks a bit dull and dusty here but in real life it's amazing!

FOTD: Red lips!

2011-04-13T16:00:00.001+01:00

I don't do red lips very often, but I do love the look when I do. But it's odd, I get stared at so much when I wear red lipstick. Very weird!

I'm wearing a New Look dress here that I got for £8 in the sale, and which has satisfied my hankering for a peter pan collar. I wasn't sure the taupe would work on me but it's just different enough from my skintone to look ok. I'll try to get an OOTD featuring it soon, because it's quite lovely. But here are two of my favourite bloggers wearing it in the meantime: Afeitar and Dani Don't they both wear it beautifully? The hairband is from Primark, and is intricately beaded with pearls and grey stones. It's as close as I'll get to one of these babies, alas!

What I'm wearing:

Base:
MAC Moisturecover Select concealer

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion on upper lids
MAC Woodwinked and Urban Decay YDK mixed on lids and a shadow I can't recall in the crease
Avon Supershock Gel liner in black
Maybelline Colossal mascara in 100% Black

Face:
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation
Sleek Scandalous blush with NARS Albatross buffed over the top
MAC Brow in Spiked

Lips:
Rimmel Rouge Diva lipliner (a really fantastic red lipliner which is so pigmented and smooth it could also be used as a lipcolour)
MAC So Scarlet lipstick (LE from my beloved Cult of Cherry collection)

High End to Low End Beauty Switches

2011-04-12T16:00:00.002+01:00

Of late I have seriously curbed my high-end makeup compulsion. Partly due to necessity, but partly also due to the fact that the UK high street is offering up some fantastic alternatives to high-end products, with amazing amounts of pigment, interesting shades, and great quality.

So here are the things I've switched budget-wise (with little or no compromise on quality):

YSL Faux Cils £21 >>>> Maybelline Colossal Mascara £6.99
saving £14.00

MAC eyeshadows £12.50 >>>> Sleek Palettes £5.99
saving more than £6.50 (because you have 12 for the price of half of one MAC shadow!)

MAC blushes £17.00 >>>> Sleek Blushes £4.99
saving £12

Chanel Liquid Liner with Brush £21.45 >>> 17 Liquid Liner £3.99
saving £17.55 (I did this switch a long time ago, but still!)

MAC Eye Kohls £13.00 >>> GOSH/Avon Supershock Gel Liners £6
Saving £7.00

I'd say switching mascara has saved me the most money as it's the thing I go through quickest, but even with the shadows and blushes I don't feel I've sacrificed at all in terms of quality with these switches, which as a woman of colour I could not have said even a couple of years ago with high street colour cosmetics.

Of course, when I'm after a very specific colour sometimes only high-end brands will do: a couple of years ago I went on the most epic hunt for a shimmery spring green shadow, that didn't lean too yellow (MAC Juxt) or too blue. The hunt took me to pretty much every counter I can think of, with only Shu Uemura coming up trumps. P Green 450 cost me £15, but for that price I got one of the prettiest butteriest shadows in my collection, one that I cannot think of another dupe for, high or low-end. Though I won't give up high-end makeup altogether (and cannot seem to get on with high street lip colours at all!) there are definite savings to be made if one keeps an open mind and shops around! (I heart blog sales and Cheapsmells.com!)

It's the little things

2011-04-11T16:00:00.002+01:00

I love woolly tights. I love woolly tights in an array of patterns and colours. And I love Primark for supplying me with these.

Sparkly bow cotton tights, light grey/black polka dot cotton tights, black/grey heart print tights, £3 each, all Primark

NOTD: OPI Houston We Have A Purple

2011-04-06T16:00:00.001+01:00

I was really not sure of this once I'd got out of the murky dark Sally's Express I bought it in. It was a lot warmer toned than I'd hoped, and warm pinks don't work as well on me as plummy purply pinks do. I was considering adding a bit of navy polish to it to make it cooler but sensible Twitter friends cautioned me against.

I thought I'd give it a go as it was, and I love it. It's partly the jelly finish (which OPI calls "sorbet", they have to posh it up!) which makes the warm pink look so juicy, like raspberry juice on your nails. The glossiness, squishiness, the shade, it's just a lovely, uplifting shade.

Check out the glossy jelly finish. Delicious:

FOTD: Riviera

2011-03-31T16:00:00.002+01:00

This was the look I went for with my Paris print dress. I think it's late 50s/early 60s in inspiration. The lipcolour is a Gloss Stick in Ablaze, part of Topshop's new summer collection. MAC used to do a similar product called the Slimshine, which was glossy, sheer and ultra-moisturising but they stupidly discontinued them so I'm glad Topshop have taken up the idea (though there are only two and limited edition!) This looks like a red hot coral in the tube but on is such a lovely creamy pinky-coral, a colour I've never worn before but am now really taken with. (The other colour is a gorgeous creamy plummy pink colour). The packaging is a bit on the cheap side but the colours really aren't.

MOTD: Riviera

2011-03-30T16:00:00.002+01:00

Here are the accessories I paired with the Paris print dress, together with my tan ballet flats and tan belt.

These are my absolute-favourite earrings, a humble pair of studs from Topshop. I would be heartbroken if I lost one of these. I just love the delicate colours and the size is just right. They seem to go with and uplift every outfit.

I got these coral beads when I was on holiday. I usually favour little charm necklaces but every now again I love a graduated beaded necklace, they are so feminine and old-fashioned.

I had to add a brooch to stop the neckline gaping, so I picked this one my best friend bought me, which picks out the green in the print.

Paris print dress in stock at ASOS

2011-03-30T08:38:00.000+01:00

Those of you who wanted to get hold of this dress (I know there are some!), it is now back in stock in all sizes at ASOS. If you were hesitating before, don't do so again!
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

OOTD: Riviera

2011-03-28T21:27:00.000+01:00

I've been saving outing my River Island Paris print dress for a truly beautiful spring day, and Friday's glorious 18C sunshine was the day I had been waiting for (and more). I had some initial reservations about this dress - the boxy high sleeveless neckline, whether it was just too much volume and fabric for small stumpy me. Suffice to say, actually wearing this dress silenced all those concerns. I just love it.

I'm sure fashion magazines would insist that it is essential to pair heels (possibly "skyscraper" or "killer" varieties) with a dress like this, particularly for anyone not blessed with coltish model limbs. But despite being 5ft0 and with nothing "coltish" about me, I prefer this dress with my lovely tan leather Primark flats (£12! yes, £12!) It's simpler and fresher this way.

I actually love the neckline. It suits the dress and doesn't look as boxy as I feared. My narrow shoulders means it gapes a little and I have to pin it with a brooch, but though I originally thought I was going to get the neckline tailored into a scoop neck, it is now staying just as it is. The volume of the skirt is perfect too, and the length just right for the style. It helps to belt it if you're as small as me, though, and gives definition. Though it's months away I think I'll be wearing this for my birthday this year. I can't think of a dress coming along that'll better it. The print, colours, style, all are perfect. I'd never thought I'd say that about a dress from River Island (well not since I was 17!)

My delight in wearing this dress is patent from the photographs. I had to delete a lot of photographs because I just looked like such an irritatingly smug rabbit in them. I also indulged in a few ANTM-style jumping shots. If ever you queried why this blog's got the title it has, jumping definitely brings out the rabbit in my features! Though the weather's cooler now, I've overjoyed that spring has finally sprung.

Dress, River Island, pistachio cardigan, Topshop, brown belt, Dorothy Perkins, black tights, BHS, tan leather flats, Primark, red coral beads, holiday, heart enamel earrings, Topshop.

A-boinging:

In the style of the essays I have to mark, compare and contrast the above with the following:

There's a match of the day and a face of the day coming up!

NARS Lipgloss Friday: Turkish Delight

2011-03-25T10:55:00.000Z

So we've come to the end of the NARS Lipgloss Fridays. And I do believe I've saved the best until last. Turkish Delight is Kim Kardashian's favourite gloss. I've always considered her to be on the darker end of the medium skintone spectrum but I'm obviously a lot darker, and her lips must be a lot less pigmented than mine. Because this is what it looks like on me:

Epic NARS lipgloss fail. I feel like I'm wearing the glue we used to use at primary school, which is not the greatest look. I'm not sure if this is at all salvable in any way, perhaps if I went for a fancy-dress 60s look with almost bleached lips and very dark eyes. I've tried that before though, and I'm not really a fan. Anyway, it's one I got in my Crazy Heart set, and thankfully I love the other four so much I don't mind that this one's a bit of a dud on me. It's a good illustration of how lip colours can look so very different depending on your natural lipshade. Not something every sales assistant on counters bears in mind (I have a lot of dud lipsticks that attest to that!)

I've enjoyed doing a Friday series - so am trying to think up another, though I don't have as many products of any one brand as my NARS glosses. Dear readers, are there any particular Friday feature you'd like to see?

Decisions, decisions...

2011-03-24T12:09:00.000Z

Which one? by nazneen372 featuring leather handbags

Leather handbag
$110 - topshop.com

Leather handbag
65 GBP - oasis-stores.com

Leather handbag
$170 - topshop.com

Leather Bags - Tocka Aires in Tan Leather from Clarks Shoes
50 GBP - clarks.co.uk

I find tan cross body bags go with almost everything, but my present one has come to the end of its life (leather looks great as it ages, but this has gone beyond that state... it's hobo in the original sense!) Which of these do you like best?

NARS Lipgloss Friday: Orgasm

2011-03-18T09:44:00.000Z

This is the penultimate NARS Lipgloss Friday - yup, we're coming to the end of my collection (finally!) I think this needs a lipliner or dark smokey eyes or summat to look good on me, it's a bit pale for my pigmented lips. It's a pretty peach with gold shimmer that'd look lovely most people - just not me, like this!

p.s. apologies for being quiet of late - I am having a rather hectic time of it at the moment and also have a wretched cold brought on by epic commuting...

FOTD: Psychedlic Chiffon

2011-03-08T16:00:00.000Z

I just adore my Urban Decay Book of Shadows III (the packaging less so than the shadows, but I'm seeking to rectify that at some point!) And one of my favourite colours from it is the vibrant purple shade, Psychedelic Sister. As most of you may guess by now, purple is my favourite colour, but decent purple shadows are actually few and far between. They're often sheer, powdery, blue or cheap ultraviolet affairs. This most definitely is not!

It's awesome layered heavily for a smokey look, and usually I opt for vibrant over sheered out eye looks. But this colour I also love to wear ultra-sheer. It's very, very pretty this way.

I paired it this time with red cheeks and a sheer red gloss because I was wearing my bargain Oasis dress, but it looks even nicer with pink cheeks.

Base:
MAC Moisturecover Select concealer

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Urban Decay Psychedelic Sister shadow from Book of Shadows Vol. III blended out on top lid and bottom lashline
17 black liquid liner (brush style)
Maybelline Colossal mascara

Face:
MAC MSF in Dark
Shu Uemura Glow On Blush in P Red 19D
MAC Brow in Spiked

Lips:
NARS Misbehave lipgloss

NARS Lipgloss Friday: Easy Lover

2011-03-04T21:15:00.000Z

I'm sorry to post so briefly this week, but it's been another hectic one. But here's a belated NARS Lipgloss Friday (it is still Friday for another 2hrs 51 minutes!) - a very pretty sheer hot pink gloss. It is sheer but the colour is buildable - I've wacked on a couple of layers here to get a deeper pink. I love to wear these kinds of glosses with aqua eyes - a very fresh, girly look.

A short wishlist

2011-02-28T16:00:00.001Z

Summer wishlist by nazneen372 featuring prom dresses

River Island | River Island Paris '50s Prom Dress at ASOS
$78 - asos.com
Prom dresses »

Tailored Peter Pan Collar Dress at ASOS
45 GBP - asos.com
Tailored dresses »

Green chain trim pumps
25 GBP - dorothyperkins.com
Ballerina flat shoes »

Premium Tan Leather Flower Stamped Shoulder Bag
$110 - topshop.com
Flower handbags »

time for tea indie necklace
$27 - shopruche.com
Tea party jewelry »

Ochre mesh bow skinny belt
8 GBP - dorothyperkins.com
Mesh belt »

I'm on a severe spending ban, but there are a few things are on the list for spring/summer 2011:

peter pan collar dress (not too high-necked)
Prada-esque scene print dress
some burnt orange in my wardrobe (tick, thank you Primark!)
some dark green flats
gold toned necklace with charms and cream pearls (possibly a teacup one!)
very skinny belts in wine, tan and black
a new small tan cross body leather bag that's not too heavy but is sturdy

and pretty much all of these

NARS Lipgloss Friday: Misbehave

2011-02-25T11:07:00.000Z

I've been a bit quiet this week but getting back on track now. Today we have one of the glosses from my Crazy Heart set that my sister got me for Christmas. This is a stunning sheer red gloss with gold and red microglitter. It looks so glossy on the lips and is a very easy way to wear red. I think it'd look amazing over the Sleek Scandalous pout polish from their Valentine's collection.

Closeup of the shimmer;

Bet you're getting sick of my face from this one shoot!

Happy International Mother Language Day

2011-02-21T11:00:00.004Z

Today this song is in my head, hymn to the martyrs of the Language Movement, who died this day in East Pakistan in 1952. The Language Movement was formed to protest against Jinnah's declaration that Urdu alone would be the national language of Pakistan, despite the majority speaking Bengali. It was the start of resistance against the Pakistani state that would result in the formation of independent Bangladesh in 1971. I love this song, it is solemn and beautiful and declares that we will never forget the blood spilled by our brothers that day.

It's also appropriate that today I'll be reading poetry commemorating Soweto with my students, the uprising provoked by language policy in apartheid South Africa. Language is a site of political ownership and control as well as cultural and personal expression. It's a joy to speak the language you choose to, but it isn't always a given right that can be taken for granted.

For the right to speak your mother tongue, and for those who have been or are being denied that right, I wish you all happy Mother Language Day.

MOTD: Pumpkin Pie

2011-02-20T11:00:00.000Z

So yesterday I did an outfit of the day featuring my new Primark pumpkin dress. But the accessories especially pleased me, so here is a Match of the Day devoted to them!

the outfit:

the accessories:


Headband, Oasis


Earrings, Accessorize

I love this necklace, one of my favourites:


Necklace, Topshop

Tights, Gap, shoes, Clarks.

NARS Lipgloss Friday: Rose Birman

2011-02-18T11:00:00.001Z

Today we have the first NARS lipgloss I ever purchased. Suffice to say, it was love, and we have never looked back. This is a beautiful browned dark red, very easy to wear, but striking. It reminds me of a more pigmented version of Clinique's Black Honey Almost Lipstick (one of my first lipsticks ever!) To be honest, of late I haven't worn it enough (perhaps I do have too many berry glosses in my life!) but with some new warm colours in my wardrobe I think I'll be pulling this out more.

OOTD: Pumpkin Pie (Or, What Would a Geek Wear?)

2011-02-17T16:00:00.000Z

This outfit has been inspired by one of my favourite bloggers, Tania of What Would a Nerd Wear. I love her use of warm colours in her outfits, the feminine, quirky and bookish slant to her outifts, and that she reuses elements of her wardrobe creatively. I also love that she's an English lit. PhD student in the US, in some way I think our lives are parallel.

Rust and pumpkin shades have been having a resurgence recently and Tania's use of the colour has had me itching to incorporate some into my wardrobe too. I love her colour combinations!

So here is my take on pumpkin, courtesy of Primark. I do appreciate it when Primark reads my minds and supplies a dress I have in my mind for £11! The tights are not black as they look but a deep aubergine - my favourite colour of all time:

Pumpkin jersey dress, Primark, cream tee layered under, Dorothy Perkins, oatmeal heart pointelle cardigan, Primark, necklace, Topshop, earrings, Accessorize, hairband, Accessorize, plum tights, Gap, cherry shoes, Clarks.

My footwear may not be to your taste (particularly if you are a devoted heels-wearer!) These are also inspired by WWANW (I'm sound like such a stylestalker!), in particular, Tania's burgundy mary jane clogs above. I love the kookiness that a pair of clumpy sensible shoes brings to a girly outfit. I'd never have a black pair mind (they'd be ugly-ugly!) but the patent metallic cherry finish of my Clarks Unstructureds makes me very happy. They remind me of shoes I had as a kid in primary school. And they're so comfortable and springy that I can merrily boing along in them all day, as a geeky rabbit is wont.

FOTD: Scandalously Sleek

2011-02-16T11:00:00.011Z

A second FOTD this week!

This was my makeup on Valentine's Day, I didn't do anything of note (I was teaching and Bartimaeus was doing the same 130 miles away) but I wanted to use my new Sleek blush and pout polish and use my Avon silver liner more subtly!

The Sleek blush is beautiful, and I strongly encourage you to get in before the limited edition stock dwindles away (it's supposed to stop being available today, so run!) It looks a scary bright matte red in the pan and it is very pigmented (apparently a NARS Exhibit A dupe according to Wayne Goss) but when buffed into the skin it's so translucent and pretty. I used my new NARS Albatross over it and it's a beautiful combination. If you're scared of bright blush a highlighter can really soften the look.

The Pout Polish is nice too, though a bit orange for me when used full-on. I've used it more like a stain here. And it is sweet tasting as well as scented, where other Pout Polishes are not! A bit of a surprise.

The light's not great in this photo because it's 7am. Thank heavens for concealer!

I'm wearing the rose earrings my mum bought me last year for Valentine's Day, they're so pretty and are hand carved.

Scandalous Albatross (I wonder if those two words have ever been used in a sentence before?)

Rhamnousia of Desi Girl Does Makeup, one of my favourite bloggers and something of an eye makeup expert, gave me some tips on wearing silver eyeliner subtly, so I lined my eyes with the black Supershock first, then lined over it finely with the silver, and then went over the edge closest to my lashes again with the black, and smudged a bit. I think it looks ace, and really opens up my (very sleepy) eyes! Thanks my dear!

What I wore:

Base:
MAC Moisturecover Select concealer

Eyes:
MAC Paint in Bamboom on upper lids
Avon Supershock Gel liner in black
Avon Supershock Gel liner in silver
Maybelline Colossal mascara in 100% Black

Face:
MAC MSF in Dark
Sleek blush in Scandalous with NARS Albatross buffed over the top
MAC Brow in Spiked

Lips:
Sleek Pout Polish in Scandal

FOTD: Futurism

2011-02-15T19:13:00.000Z

This is a much more dramatic look than I intended for my amble around Tate Modern with one of my best friends and her beautiful daughter. But I was caught unawares by the intensity of the pigment of Sleek palettes (it's been a while since I used one) and I was determined to get some use out of my Avon Supershock gel liner in silver, which hitherto had been really stumping me by being so intensely pigmented it made me look like a drag queen. I probably still do, to some extent! There is something about thickly applied silver shadow with a dramatic crease colour that gets "I Will Survive" playing in my head. But see how pretty Downtown is with cool eye colours! (and note what happens when I take scissors to my own fringe - hint: not good things...)

And the crease shade more clearly:

Base:
MAC Moisturecover Select concealer

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Sleek i-Divine palette in Curious, purple and silver shades
Avon Supershock gel liner in silver and black
Maybelline Colossal mascara in 100% Black

Face:
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation
Shu Uemura Glow On Blush in P Wine 25
MAC Brow in Spiked

Lips:
NARS Downtown lipgloss

April in Paris

2011-02-14T16:30:00.012Z

April in Paris by nazneen372 featuring open toe shoes

brown print midi prom dress - day dresses - dresses - women - River..., 45 GBP
Swedish Hasbeens Braided Sky High Sandals, $249
Premium Tan Leather Flower Stamped Shoulder Bag, $110
Vintage 'Paris, Je t'aime' necklace, 14 GBP
Buy White Stuff Shining Light Cardigan, Gooseberry online at..., 45 GBP
Eiffel tower spring برج ايفل

If you love Valentine's Day, I hope you're having a lovely fluffy one. If you hate it, and want all the red and pink to disappear already, well this is just a Parisian springtime collage!

Me, I hover somewhere between the two - I despise going out for dinner on V-Day, and I hate the commercialised rigmarole of compulsory panicked gift-buying and extortionately priced red roses. But I don't totally ignore its existence, but rather think of it as an excuse to be sweet to the one you love in a creative and original way. Not that one ought to need one, but hey. Life gets in the way.

Freedom

2011-02-12T13:00:00.000Z

My heart is with Egypt today.

When I was 12 my dad took us to Bangladesh in the middle of the coup when the dictator Ershad was deposed. We arrived during curfew, and had to be smuggled out of the airport in the back of a jeep to the barracks of my cousin's air force fiance.

I have vivid memories of how it felt to be there at that time. There was a tremendous sense of elation, a sense of freedom and possibility, but it was that nervous kind of elation, tinged with trepidation. Will things really change? Will the future that was being so passionately fought for actually come into being?

In Bangladesh, things got better (we finally got the democracy fought for in 1971, if riddled with corruption), then worse (under the military for 2 years), and better again. It's a struggle to keep your voice heard, when old, rotten power is everywhere. The Egyptians have courage and fortitude in abundance, as the last few weeks have attested, and I hope they keep hold of their bright new day, and that it flourishes into a new world of promise.

NARS Lipgloss Friday: Metis

2011-02-11T11:30:00.001Z

Perhaps not as exciting colour-wise as the previous Lipgloss Fridays, but this is a holy grail nude lipgloss for me. In fact, if you have pigmented lips and are of darker skintones, I suggest seeking it out. Unfortunately, it's only available online in the UK at NARS' website, but it's really quite perfect - enough taupe and purple in it to cool the tone of my bright pink bottom lip, but not so much I look dead. It goes with everything! There's a subtle shimmer which keeps it from looking flat, but it's not glittery, and it's totally non-sticky. It might be the first gloss I actually finish, I have only a third of a tube left!

OOTD: Bold Florals

2011-02-10T16:30:00.007Z

This dress was another Christmas sale bargain, £10 from £45 from Oasis. I wasn't sure of it when it was full price (I prefer my florals ditsy) but the print contains red, purple, green and grey so I couldn't really say no when it was marked down (as they are all my favourite accent colours!) Plus I love the Oasis jersey skater dress shape (my spirograph dress is now one of my favourite dresses ever!). I think this dress would look much nicer with a skinny belt but I do not own one! I must get me down to Primark I think...

Dress, Oasis, Cardigan, Zara, Shoes, Clarks, Necklace, Etsy

NOTD: OPI My Private Jet

2011-02-09T16:30:00.003Z

When I first got this polish, I was convinced I had a fake. Turns out it is genuine, but though I'd read about the differences between the old formula version of this colour and the new, it hadn't prepared me for the difference in real life. I've seen a lot of photos of the old version online and it's heartbreakingly lovely, a soft grey-black holographic. The new version is a deep brown-grey with silver glitter. Hmmm. I think expected a bit of holographic glitter play, if not the full on holo effect of the original, but this is only to be found when you photograph your fingers with a mighty flash. Sadly, that is not what I do for most of my day.

I don't want to post any pictures of it under a flash because they'll just get your hopes up for something you don't really see most of the time. I have to say I did grow to like this more as the week went on, and as I started to accept it on its own terms, but I join the legions of other nail bloggers wishing for the original's return.

In the mean time, I think this needs some layering up! To try to recreate some kind of idea of the original, I'll be keeping an eye out for a silver holo polish to layer over it a la Helen of Just Nice Things.

NARS Lipgloss Friday: Downtown

2011-02-04T15:00:00.000Z

It's Friday, and I have another limited edition NARS gloss for you, this time from the Holiday 2010 collection: Downtown.

Downtown is sticky for a NARS gloss - but I'm willing to compromise on that because the colour is so unusual. It's a very metallic mauve, that is shot with cool pink shimmer. It's almost futuristic in its way. Of course, my camera picks up none of that, but you can make out a bit of a sheen. It doesn't go so well with the warm colours I've used on my eyes and cheeks - but looks awesome paired with cool tones. I wore it with a deep forest green liner and it looked really pretty, and I think it would work with my almost-too intense Avon Supershock silver liner (which I haven't got to work for me yet, I'm actually a bit scared of how pigmented it is!)

The Rabbit Shopping Directory: "A"

2011-02-02T19:09:00.000Z

Accessorise

Accessorize now has its own website, as opposed to being tacked onto Monsoon's, and has a lot more stock on it (including all the new makeup range, which has so far eluded me in every Superdrug I’ve been into!)

Anthropologie

Oh Anthropologie, Anthropologie, Anthropologie, how I love thee. (I did just type that out three times by the way, when I could've copied and pasted...) Before it reached our shores last year, I loved it so much I was moved to poetry:

Oh dear Anthropologie, Your delightful femininity Does entrap my imagination And sets it ablaze With thoughts of outfits Of incomparable beauty. I gaze at your loveliness from afar. And my heart yearns for a UK store, As I do not dare order online For fear of custom charges.

(Kids will be studying this in A Level English in years to come.) Now it has arrived, I still gaze at the pretty dresses, accessories, shoes, bags and homeware from afar because the hefty price hike (practically dollar price to sterling). But it is a haven of sheer, beautiful wonderment nevertheless, and quite possibly would be the Rabbit Mothership, if that wasn't already Liberty (they have cake, ya see.) I'm a little scared of the cult-like US blogger following it has, (they even watch TV to see who's wearing "Anthro", shiver) but the website and the Regent's Street shop are loveliness indeed, and give me ample inspiration to "Anthro" up my outfits (and they have very good reductions, every Tuesday).

Asda

What, you might ask, is a supermarket doing in the Rabbit Directory? But Asda do some great basics and turn up quirky, charming pieces quite regular. I still kick myself that I didn't get my hands on this dress modelled by the gorgeous Passion for Fashion... (love her styling of it, sigh). And currently there's a collection by Barbara Hulanicki of Biba fame, featuring a cute purple butterfly print dress, so there's some fashion cred for you should you require it.

ASOS

If you're online and reading this, the chance is you've already bought something from ASOS. However, the reason it's in my directory is that I want to praise it for continually updating stock (every day, you can get a bit obsessive about checking if you're like me) and stocking lesser known brands as well as the more ubiquitous. Add to that an awesome beauty section, an outlet runs all the time (a bit like a permanent Brandalley - coming up) and recently introduced free delivery (and now returns too) on all orders (well, if you're prepared to wait a bit), and it's a demonstration on how online selling should be done.

A-Wear

There are some very cute, girly dresses on this Irish site, and the prices are very reasonable too.

The Rabbit Shopping Directory

2011-02-02T19:00:00.000Z

Once upon a time, the Rabbit used to be part of a well known women's website's fashion forum. She made some dear dear friends on there, who helped her through some very difficult times (and some of whom are "real-life" friends to this day). Then the evil Powers At Be decided everyone was having too much fun and decided to change - i.e. ruin - things, and she left, (but that's another matter). Anyway during her time there, a member and friend called Curlsaloud built a shopping directory of her favourite shops. Her directory is still up - and fairly up to date. And it's a brilliant resource.

But I wanted to a Rabbit version, of the online shops I browse most, which are all havens for things quirky and feminine. I hope to enable much purchasing! Over the coming weeks, I'll be doing an A-Z of my favourites, with a little mini review and link to each. When I'm done I'll put up a post with all the links. How's that sound? (If it sucks, sorry, because I've already written the entry for "A"!) I'm sure there are many lovely (especially independent) shops I've overlooked, so please do comment so I can add them to the final list!

Summery Shoes of Summeriness

2011-02-01T18:06:00.000Z

Shoes, Dorothy Perkins, £42

Such a practical post choice for a freezing February day! These won't appeal to everyone but I can't stop staring at them. I was a teen and discovered heels during the 1970s revival that took place in the l990s, and I don't think I'll ever stop loving massive clumpy platforms as a result. I used to totter everywhere in them!

'Allo, Vera

2011-01-31T19:01:00.000Z

As you've seen from my Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation review post, sans concealer I have fairly dark circles under my eyes. It's something that plagues a lot of us, and especially those with Asian skintones (the yellow tones of our skin emphasising the blue of veins and capillaries). And, as far as my hunt for a solution has reached, it seems that pretty much no (at least, affordable) eye cream really helps.

So the only option for a lot of us has been to conceal away. Which is counterproductive in some ways, with the heaviness of some formulations probably adding to the problem despite temporarily improving the cosmetic look of them.

I hesitate to say this, because I have no proof, but I do believe I've found something that helps. The dark circles I have now ain't nothing in comparison to the darkness I used to have. This is confirmed by Bartimaeus, who actually asked me recently what I'd done to get rid of them. And as I've changed only major one thing in my beauty routine that could explain this, I am led to believe that it is the solution.

The miracle elixir that I believe has faded them is none other than the healthfood store staple: Aloe Vera gel. For the last eighteen months, I've stopped using an eye cream at night. Instead, I've been applying Aloe Vera gel around my eyes.

This is a bit of a shaky recommendation as I can't quite prove its efficacy, and I have no before/after pics. But I have the confirmation of Bartimaeus who does look at my face a lot. And I have two theories that support my case. The first is that the lightness of the gel versus heavier eye creams. I read somewhere that you shouldn't use heavy eye creams at night, that they prevent the skin from breathing and thus renewing itself. The gel dries to a very light, slightly tacky consistency whilst creams often 'sit' on the eye. Secondly aloe vera gel contains vitamins and anti-oxidants, stuff you could pay a lot more for in creams, but in a higher concentration than many of them would. I don't know the science of these at all, but it sounds good, right?

I've been umming and ahhing over this recommendation because I can't prove it works. But it's made such a difference that I wanted to share it. A tube of aloe vera gel costs about £3-£5 depending on the size, from Holland & Barratt and Superdrug, so it might just be worth a shot if you suffer from dark circles.
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NARS Lipgloss Friday: Strawberry Fields

2011-01-28T13:00:00.000Z

I have accumulated quite a few NARS lipglosses of late (in part due to being the lucky recipient of the Crazy Hear lip gloss set from my lovely sister for Christmas). So I thought I'd feature one every week for the next few weeks and then do a side by side comparison. I took all the shots in one go (poor scrubbed lips!) so that lighting would be the same and so you can see the difference between them all. Quite a few are berry-toned (ahem) so I think it's nice to see the comparisons!

First off, I present a new addition to the family, and a limited edition from summer that's still available on the NARS website and some other places. It's a gorgeous, juicy, warm bright pink (warmer than the picture below). It's so pigmented! (this is the gloss that meant I had to get a foundation, but it's worth it! It's got that great NARS non-sticky texture, but none of the plasticky scent of older formulations (some are a bit stickier than others too, I've found, but this is very good). I'm not used to uber-bright lipstick on me, and think gloss is a nice easy way to wear brights if you're a bit hesitant about them like me. I love this shade, it makes me happy!

NOTD: OPI Pamplona Purple

2011-01-27T16:00:00.000Z

Once upon a time, the Rabbit was almost wholly uninterested in nail varnish. She had two or three bottles, mostly picked up on a whim in Superdrug, for her toes in summer.

Then one day, a nail polish knocked on the door and changed everything. It transformed the way the Rabbit viewed polish (stuff to cover ugly toes) into a way of life.

The polish, ladies and gentlemen, was OPI's Can You Dig It? from their 2009 Psychedelic Brights collection. The quality of the polish paired with the fact that it was the most perfectly achieved purple creme, ever, totally changed my view of nail polish. What that view now is, is hard to put a finger on (ha!) Perhaps it is that the right shade and texture can complete an outfit. That looking down at your hands to see that flash of the perfect colour applied well makes you feel groomed when you might not have a scrap of makeup on. That a bright shade can lift flagging spirits, a dark one make you feel like a vamp, and glitter, absurdly happy.

Sadly, my bottle of Can You Dig It has now gone to to nail polish heaven (a few mishaps with the top hastened this, weep) and it went long before I started blogging. It's proving hard to replace but you can see a swatch here:

http://clumpsofmascara.com/2008/12/amor-de-lacquer-opis-can-you-dig-it.html

Pamplona Purple isn't a dupe by any means. It's considerably warmer and a lot less unique for it (Models Own Purple Poppy is a brighter version, and I've seen similar shades in Barry M and Boots 17). But the quality is stunning and it's a much more refined a shade than the ones I've seen in its colour family, with an inner richness and depth not seen in the cheaper purples (don't get me wrong, the high street is starting to do original nail colours well, but some just aren't quite there yet). And that's the lethal combination was what got me sucked into nail polish addiction in the first place. Unusual, well-blended shades, and a lovely application. Pamplona, you'll do. You'll more than do.

Also, I've rediscovered my love of Seche Vite. I forgot how intensely glossy it makes nails, and how much time it saves me (and how many wrecked manis!)

OOTD: Neon Wilderness

2011-01-26T16:00:00.001Z

Not my favourite Verve song but still a good one nonetheless, and pretty appropriate for this bargain French Connection dress I picked up in the sales. It was reduced to £20 from £55, but because of a tiny pinhole in the back the sales assistant took another 20% off, so it was £16. I liked this when it came out last spring, but I've never bought a full price French Connection dress because their sales are too good and I waited it out. I'm not a neon girl (I prefer jewelled brights) but something about this print makes me really happy - like it was coloured in by a child with a bunch of highlighters.

Orange and pink stud earrings:

and close up of the highlightery print:

Hair (and the most basic tutorial ever!)

2011-01-25T16:30:00.002Z

A couple of you wanted to see my new hair and as I said before, I don't like to disappoint! Here are some pics taken on Mac Photo Booth (not the best but easier for hair shots) of the way I get my straight thick hair to go wavy. My fringe is a bit longer than it was, I prefer it slightly shorter than this.

Firstly, when just blowdried, I put my hair into two low bunches-type buns:

Then I leave for a couple of hours, and then undo:

It looks a bit mad at first:

But some teasing with fingers and the weight of my hair means it drops into waves in a matter of minutes. This is the way it ends up looking:

Ups and Downs

2011-01-24T19:21:00.001Z

Well, a new year brings new highs and new lows. Here's my first lot of 2011:

Hair

After a year of having no fringe or layers, I finally got my hair cut into choppy short layers with a side fringe again. I didn't realise how much having a decent cut affects my style and confidence, I assumed it was the length that defines me but it's actually the fringe just as much. Since my cut I've felt like my clothes look so much quirkier. Definitely going to try to maintain it better this time and be really clear on what I want when I go to the hairdressers.

Teaching

I love this aspect of my job more than any other. I had a wonderful class today, and it was energising and rewarding. It was difficult material but together we got to the bottom of it and thought way beyond it. Of course there are also impossible classes too that drag and drag, but the key to getting through is enough prep. And I always prep!

Cashmere Stole

I allowed myself a bit of a luxury purchase during the sale, in the form of a massive grey 100% cashmere stole from Warehouse. I think it's singlehandedly the best purchase I've ever made! I've had a successive series of colds and am travelling back and forth from Kent, Southampton and Surrey so much, and it's been a saviour: super-soft, super-warm, super-snuggly. It's rarely not around my neck, but luckily the grey looks good with everything.

New Perfume

My amazing present of Jo Malone's Rosewater and Vanilla has brought my fragrance wardrobe to a grand 4 bottles, the other three being Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb, Flowerbomb Extreme, and L'Occitane Honey and Lemon (discontinued, boo!) I do love my gourmand scents (all four above are practically edible) and this is the perfume equivalent of turkish delight, in all its fragrant, nutty and unctuous glory. It's a stunning winter scent, sweet, exotic and smoky and feels like luxury whenever I wear it. (I'd like some Turkish Delight and cocoa now please, scary wintry lady.)

Blogging

After almost a month off, my mojo has definitely returned! I'm finding ways to shorten the time it takes me to write entries, so hopefully should be posting more often (and commenting when I can!)

Plans

Some exciting times ahead for the Rabbit, fingers crossed. A little daunting, but Rabbits hop over obstacles, don't they?!

Downs

Immune System

I've had four colds in a row and a cough that's lasted six weeks. I genuinely have forgotten what it feels like to be well!

Things I Can't Control

Not a good thing for a control freak (or as I see it, someone who likes to be prepared). But I'm doing my best not to be too phased.

Trying To Make Everyone Happy

Is not always possible. But I really hate to disappoint, so this is very hard for me to come to terms with.
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Tangerine Dreams

2011-01-23T14:00:00.000Z

It seems a bit ridiculous to be even considering summer outfits right now, but these ridiculously Rabbit shoes (not just in terms of the print - but, oh my, I'm glad I resisted the Kurt Geigers! -, but shape too, I'm a sucker for a big clumpy slingback platform) are to blame. Bad, bad Mango (lots of good, good prints this season...)

I can't decide, though, whether I'd pair them with a brick red dress or a patterned dress in co-ordinating or clashing colours. I love this River Island piece of Parisian romance:

But this would be very sweet for a simpler look which is all about the shoes:

Which would you opt for? the clash or the match?

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation

2011-01-20T16:00:00.001Z

I got my first proper foundation a couple of weeks ago. I usually just wear my MAC MSF Natural which I love but I bought a very bright lipgloss (NARS Strawberry Fields) and it just wasn't up to it. On many Asian bloggers' recommendations I headed to the Bobbi Brown counter. MAC and I are just about working out in terms of concealer shades (well, I have to mix two of them to get the right shade!) but I'm not really an NC (too orange) or an NW (too cool), somewhere in between. I told a MAC SA that it seemed MAC SAs really couldn't figure out my shade group, and she took real exception to it, saying they weren't wrong choices and that I'm able to wear both. Which was pretty absurd, surely your skin colour is not two shades but one?

Anyhow, my experience at Bobbi Brown was so different. I was a bit bewildered (a rabbit in the headlights!) and a little concerned that I might be throwing more good money away. But the SA was very professional, efficient and matched me in a matter on minutes (I'm 6 Golden). I am lucky to have pretty good skin (my major problem is dark shadows under my eyes, and some variation in tone all over) but I don't need a heavy coverage foundation and hate the feeling of heavy stuff sitting on my skin. So the SA chose the Skin Foundation for me - which is sheer (too sheer for some MUA reviewers). But perfect for me. I ran outside with her mirror to check it looked right in daylight (it looked a little yellow under their shop lights but is perfect in daylight, and makes me wonder how she matched it in those light conditions!) and I love the sheer ultra-natural effect. My skin looks just like my skin but better. Result! Alas, their concealers are too drying for me, I really wish they'd bring out an equivalent of MAC's Select Moisture Cover for use under the eyes specifically.

You want to see it in action?

Voila. Here are some pictures of me, first, totally sans makeup (eek), then with concealer + MSF (a real difference - and perfect for everyday, it's a magical powder) and then with concealer + Skin foundation, and then fully made up. It's a transformation! (also check out my eyebrows, which were threaded for the first time ever last week!)

OOTD: Liberty for Gap dress

2011-01-19T16:00:00.001Z

This is what I'm wearing today. I love my Liberty for Gap dress, I've worn it before here with hot pink tights and bronze flats but I've styled it a bit differently here with a polka dot berry cardigan and pewter flats. My hair is in Minnie Mouse style double buns because this is how I get it to be wavy! (I'm rubbish with curling tongs). But I think it's quite a cute style in itself, too.

The contrast of the two prints is better seen in a pic I'm using for FOTD to come:

These pewter leather flats were an Office sale purchase. I love metallic flats, they're so useful. And check out the bows on these - my feet look like presents!

Wicked, by Gregory Maguire

2011-01-18T21:51:00.000Z

As a lover of fantasy writing I'm a little surprised that I've only read this book so very recently. I love the film of The Wizard of Oz, perhaps the most glorious example of the magical possibilities of Technicolor, and my childhood was haunted by the utterly terrifying 1980s sequel Return to Oz (not a children's film, in my opinion!) I've always been obsessed with red glitter heels (and am the proud owner of my own pair).

The truth is, I've picked up Wicked on many a bookshop-browsing trip. I could feel myself getting drawn in each time I did, but I put it down because I wanted to save it for a special occasion. I read all the time, for work and play, but rarely get the opportunity to read just one novel for pleasure from morning to evening, days in a row. That is a treat I only get when I'm on holiday or set aside time for myself.

So I picked this book to read over Christmas. I ended up being both happy and slightly rueful with my choice.

I've not read the original book of The Wizard of Oz, so I perhaps don't get all the intricacies of Maguire's rewriting. But I was truly captivated by his vision of Oz and world beyond, a raw, cruel, unjust world, yet not without its own primitive magic. The character Elphaba, the "Wicked Witch of the West" is rendered as a complex, embattled figure, both intensely sympathetic and at times incredibly frustrating as a protagonist. The story is a powerful allegory on the nature of 'wickedness' (political corruption, abuse of discrimination of Others, betrayals by loved ones) and the experience of being Other in a strictly ordered society. The novel wears its intentions on its sleeve - breaking off to ruminate at points on the possibility of redemption, of the nature of sin, and the role of religion. I sighed a bit at these points (I don't like novels that spell things out for me) but I wasn't excessively put off by it, because I was very intrigued as to where Maguire was taking his story.

There are many strands to Maguire's ambitious novel, both in terms of plot and theme. It is a disjointed, fragmented affair - the story jumps about in time and space, with only Elphaba holding the thing together. As I read further on and the pages remaining began to diminish, I started to feel increasingly uneasy. How was he going to resolve all the many stories he had started? How would everything fit in place? WHERE WAS DOROTHY?

The last tenth of this novel is frenetic. Dorothy arrives, worlds fall apart, old lost friends reappear or cannot, and Elphaba starts to find out who she is. You can almost feel Maguire's desperation to finish (perhaps for an overbearing publisher?) and of course it doesn't realise the scale of its initial ambition. Yet in many ways this is a novel about failure and disappointment, so this is strangely apt.

It's a powerful, tragic and moving novel. It goes to the painful heart of the original story of Oz (a story after all of not belonging, of feeling inadequate, of the grief and terror of losing home and family), and lays it bare. (It's partly why I was rueful about reading this over the holidays: it's not the cosiest of holiday reads!) Maguire's imagining of Elphaba is one of the best female fantasy protagonists I've read in a while: brittle, brave, vulnerable and awe-inspiringly strong and defiant.

I enjoyed this novel very much, but like its protagonist it is not without its flaws. I recommend it on that basis, for patient readers who appreciate fantasy stories for the journey as much as the final destination.

On a final note, I'm going to see the musical soon. I'm very intrigued to know how they've adapted the novel!

I'm back!

2011-01-18T20:49:00.000Z

Apologies for the hiatus, dear readers. December and January up until now have been a flurry of snow disruptures, unending sickness, present-buying madness, book proposals and research fellowship applications. And some much needed time away from the computer when I could. But happy New Year, and thanks for sticking with me.

I promise to be much more prolific and have some lovely sale and beauty acquisitions to show you - including a whole bunch of NARS glosses and my first foundation in ten years! Another feature I'm planning is a Rabbit Shopping Directory, listing some of my favourite online shops. I do love a good browse of pretty things!

But to kick things off, I have a book review for you all, of the "treat" book I read over the break - Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

MAC India .5 foundation shades coming to a counter near you!

2010-12-16T22:41:00.000Z

Well, if you aren't lucky enough to live in India and already have them at a counter near you, that is!

What am I wittering about? Mac do some .5 shades in foundation, but they're only available in India. I am very excited about this collaboration and collection by MAC and Mickey Contractor. Particularly as MAC foundation and concealer shades never look quite right on me and I've been wanting to try the .5 ones I've read about for ages.

The colours in the collection also sound fantastic. Much more excited about this than the yawnsville Tartan Tale! Oomph shadow sounds amazing as do the teal and green Fluidlines.

A Geek Until I Die

2010-12-02T16:52:00.000Z

That I shall be.

I was ridiculously pleased by this interview with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, being a diehard X-Phile who went to see the first film four times in a row, and who joined the Leicester Square Odeon audience of X Philes in clapping at the end of the second one (there was a disproportionate number of pairs of glasses, long leather coats and black clothing at that, funnily enough - and I felt right at home!) I'm currently working through the series from start (on series 5 at the moment, my favourite) simply so that I can re-watch the two films in proper sequence. But the interview, they just seem like such good friends, and that warms the cockles of an X-Phile no end (because said X Phile still refuses to acknowlege the distinction between the characters and actors). As does their enthusiasm for a third film! (please, please, please!)

You may mock, but it really was a formative TV event for me during my teens (and erm, beyond). The postmodern-lite (well, I now recognise it was lite) vision of Chris Carter captivated a pretentious Heart of Darkness-reading teen Rabbit. Anyway, its impact is evident in a TV and film legacy that was spawned of smart, philosophically-minded, epic science fiction/fantasy/crime crossovers. (There'd certainly have been no Lost without The X Files). And not to mention one of the best Simpsons spoofs ever.

I'm a massive Whedonite too, (and have just finished watching all seven series of Buffy again) but that's rather painful to be right now, with a Big Bad of epic proportions looming for the Buffyverse. (It's like another language. Great, isn't it?)

What TV series were you obsessed with as a teen?

271110

2010-12-02T11:32:00.000Z

Tomorrow I will mostly be wearing...

2010-11-26T18:55:00.001Z

This.

Isn't it hideous? And kinda wonderful.

I hope to add a little Rabbit factor with a fishtail black skirt and mary jane heels.

And also this, a graduation gift from my lovely sister.

(In silver. And yes, it clashes with the blue and the red, but I don't care.)

NOTD: Models Own Purple Grey

2010-11-25T19:39:00.000Z

Ah Purple Grey. I bought it before the whole Paradoxal shenanigans took place (smug much, me?) but it was late spring (yes there was such a time) and it didn't feel seasonally appropriate. Well it sure as hell is appropriate now.

Personally, I think I prefer it to Paradoxal (though I don't have it to compare). I think the absence of shimmer enables the complexity of the colour to shine. It's a beautiful polish in its own right, really, soft and feminine, but moody too. Wear was excellent - 4 days+ without chipping, and I think I could've got away with two coats.

I layered it a few days later with a Max Factor Mini polish in pewter. This is a shimmer (yes I'm a hypocrite I know) but when I bought it what mesmerised me was the green microglitter suspended in the grey shimmer. I layered it very thinly over Purple Grey - not because I wanted to dupe Paradoxal but because I thought the interplay of colours would be nice. It was - but did my camera capture this? Nope. Actually it makes it look pretty horrible. But it wasn't, believe me!

My Hair Routine

2010-11-24T19:06:00.000Z

So this'd be a simple, short post right? Er, nope. Sorry. Prepare for an involved list of products. My excuse? I have near-waist length thick very dry hair and not one product works on its own to manage, moisturise and make it sleek. It's also colour-treated, cut only every six months, and blow dried every time it's washed. I do like to put it through the ringer! My hair is dry at the ends, but since I have switched to SLS-free shampoo, and as I boasted yesterday, I don't have a single split end. Hairdressers sometimes don't believe me and check through it in wonder! This was definitely not the case before though - sometimes I used to get those split ends that split over and over again down the shaft. I was weirdly fascinated by those. So I can definitely attribute it to switching.

I wash my hair every third day - as I said it's very dry and doesn't need washing more than this. I don't have a very recent picture of just how long it has got at the back, but this picture, though rubbish in quality, shows how thick it is:

And this is my regimen at the moment:

Shampoo:
I am an SLS-free convert, as I've mentioned before. At the moment I am using a customised mixture of Waitrose Organic Moisurising shampoo with Naked Colour Protection shampoo. On its own, the Waitrose doesn't foam at all and is really runny but is very gentle and non-stripping (not something that can be said of all SLS-free shampoos, alas). But adding the Naked helps it clean the hair better as well as helping to preserve colour.

For those who've asked (The lovely, ultra-creative Bibbitybob!) I'm very interested to try the Liz Earle shampoo after my mix has run out. Having tested a fair few (Dr Organic: drying; Trilogy - contains AL; Lavera - drying) the best SLS-free shampoo I've tried has to be Daniel Galvin Junior: it's light, foams well, doesn't strip the hair dry, and smells lovely, and costs about £4. It's available from Waitrose, and the only reason I don't use it all the time is because I don't live near one!

Conditioner:
Here's where it starts to get complicated! My hair is at different stages of dryness at its different lengths and thus requires different conditioners.

Firstly - scalp/roots: I know a lot of people don't condition scalp and roots but I have very dry skin, my scalp flakes and itches if I don't. I also colour my hair (I have a lot of greys, thanks to both of my parents who went grey very young), so I use a basic colour save conditioner on my scalp and roots. At the moment it is Herbal Essences which I find is working well and leaves my hair shiny and my colour definitely boosted.

Secondly: mid-lengths: my mid lengths are dry, but get weighed down with super-rich conditioners so I use Aussie Luscious Long 3 Minute Miracle here. It prevents knotting and is a fantastic high street conditioner!

Finally: ends: very, very dry. I should really get them cut! In the mean time, I'm using Dark & Lovely Ultra-Rich Hair Cholesterol on them, a product for Afro hair but which beats pretty much any high street conditioning mask I've tried for softening and moisturising my dry ends. But it's too rich for all my hair so I just use it on the ends.

Styling

When my hair is towel dry, I load it with a series of products to make it look straight and sleek. I realise this is a heck of a lot of 'cones, and perhaps a little hypocritical or at least contradictory given how evangelical I am about SLS-free, but this is what works on my crazy hair!

First: a tiny amount of Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Hair Moisturising Lotion on the ends. Less than a pea-sized amount, but keeps it soft.

Secondly: a pea-sized amount of L'Oreal Liss Control Cream combed throughout hair. (This has been an HG for me for years, and is always on the Instyle Beauty Awards, rightly so I think!)

Thirdly: a spritz of heat control spray (I spray two sprays into my palm and smooth over my hair to prevent it getting sprayed in one place only): I'm using Lee Stafford stuff which is fine.

Finally: a pea-sized amount of Aussie Take the Heat Control Cream throughout my hair. This stuff is my newest discovery and has made such a difference to my hair!

Then I blow dry it when it's dried naturally a bit, and brush with my massive Denman brush and I'm good to go (ha! so low-maintenance, isn't it?) Sometimes if it's looking a little lacklustre, I'll smooth over the tiniest bit of The Body Shop Coconut Hair Shine over it, but this tends to make it greasy more quickly so I only usually do this for going out or special occasions.

I've just experimented with a minimalised version of the styling products, using just the Aussie Take the Heat cream. It looks really smooth and even thicker than usual, but it's a little dry. I wonder if it's the Liss Control Cream or the Lee Stafford spray that makes it softer? Hmmm.

So there you go.

What's your hair routine? Do you have any HG products?

SLS-free Shower Gels: Three Reviews

2010-11-23T21:41:00.000Z

I'm trying to rid my routines of all SLS and ALS products, now that I've seen the difference it's made to my scalp (no longer sore or bleeding) and split ends (I have none! none whatsoever! and I get my hair cut every six months and blowdry it every three days!) I have super itchy dry skin (oh how I love being atopic: the holy trinity of eczema, asthma and allergic rhinitus are mine for life, hooray) and so using a decent non-drying shower gel is a must for me. These are three I've tried recently.

Naked Love Me Rose Shower Gel

This is a good shower gel, if you like rose scents. I like my rose scents on the foodie, Turkish Delight side, rather than the floral, but this is a definite fresh, floral rose and really pungent. If you like that kind of thing, it's lovely. It's also not as moisturising as I'd like and leaves my skin feeling a little tight before I slather on the Aveeno Skin Relief Lotion for Extra Dry Skin. But the £4 bottle lasts an absolute age. But it's not one I'll rebuy - I've bought the Coco de Mer one to try next instead.

Waitrose Organic Reviving Body Wash, £3.90

I love the scent of this stuff! Like chocolate orange with a hint of spice - a milk chocolate version of Green & Black's Maya Gold, if you will (it's very sweet rather than bitter, hence milk rather than dark chocolate). So few SLS-free products smell sweet and edible - generally scents seem to be of the lavender, geranium or citrus varieties (I imagine these essential oils are most intensely perfumed). But this - it's delicious! It's really comforting, and I used it up really quickly because I loved it so much. It's rather runny and doesn't foam well but I don't care. The next time I'm at a Waitrose, I'm picking myself up 3 of these babies. It's going to make my 6am starts in winter a lot more pleasant.

Cowshed Lazy Cow Shower Gel, £16

No, I didn't spend £16 on a SHOWER GEL. I got it free with Marie Claire and used it on holiday in Turin. As you can tell by now, I'm not a fan of floral or musky scents: I like mind sugary sweet, so I wasn't looking forward to using this jasmine and sandalwood scented gel. But I actually really liked it -it was heady and exotic and somehow very soothing and relaxing. I do really love jasmine flowers and it's a true representation. It left my skin moisturised too. If Cowshed shower gels had about £10 knocked off their price, I might consider purchasing but at £16, I'm not going to. Shame, as the scent will always remind me of one of the best holidays of my life.

Anyone else out there converted to the ways of SLS-free? I would really love a vanilla or gourmand scented showergel that is SLS-free, can anyone suggest one?

Autumn/Winter 2010 Fashion

2010-11-21T16:58:00.000Z

So here's me getting back on the blogging horse proper.

I've loved this season's fashion. It's been a breath of ladylike and work-appropriate air after years of tacky 1980s reruns. For a while I was getting a bit worried about where I might source replacements for some of my worn out clothes from a few years' back, as everything in the shops looked so hideous! But thankfully, this year thanks to Mad Men, Louis Vuitton and Prada's influence on the high street, I've managed to replenish a tired and worn wardrobe with simple, grownup dresses, decent quality cardigans, and some cute accessories. Here are my highlights:

Zara has been a great friend with these brilliantly-priced £23 dresses, of which I now have three in black, leopard, and plum rose print. They are jersey (so comfortable and easy to wear) but the tulip shape is a great one for curvy girls (as evidenced by Joan Holloway in practically every episode of Mad Men!)

New Look have refreshed my extensive (but now bobbly) cardigan collection with great colours, thick

pure cotton, and reasonably-priced offerings like this one:

http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/knitwear/flock-spot-cardigan_203108603

And Clarks have provided me shiny "school" shoes that are comfortable and yet click like heels.

Finally, it's a little silly how much joy this necklace has given me. The globe, it spins! One side is burgundy enamel and the other is dark green, two of my favourite winter colours. The land masses do correspond vaguely to a proper globe (I'm geeky like this!) And it makes me think of the time turner in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (except that I fancy my pendant is more of a geographical transporter than a time machine...). I was wishing I had a globetrotter friend I could buy it for, but then reasoned that as I work in world literature it should be mine - and more importantly, the globe, it spins!

http://www.accessorize.com/globe-pendant-necklace/invt/78273436/?bklist=icat,4,shop,jewelleryshop,jewelleryshopnecklaces

Apologies

2010-11-21T16:54:00.000Z

From time to time I just get out of writing this blog - and I realise with a shock that I've only posted once in over a month. It's occasionally hard to manage when I have a job that involves a lot of writing on my laptop and long hours at it. Sometimes I just can't justify the time on something (I see) as so indulgent (for me!) - especially when the choice is between writing the blog and spending time with friends or Bartimaeus. But I will endeavour to be better - and thank you all for your patience in the mean time.

Eerie

2010-11-17T22:38:00.000Z

It seems some product developers have been in my head.

Firstly, I've been dreaming up trio and quatro-chrome nail polishes that mimic the iridescence of beetle wings and petrol in water. And lo and behold, along come Orly's Space Cadet and Out of this World.

Secondly, I loved a rabbit print scarf in Oasis but disliked the pale pink base and wished it would come in a more wearable colour. Lo and behold, it is now available in cream:

Rabbit Scarf by nazneen372 featuring print scarves

Thirdly, I've been dreaming of a loukhoum ("turkish delight") scented fragrance that is more attainable than Serge Lutyen's exclusive Rahat Loukhoum (only available from his Paris boutique). Lo and behold, Jo Malone produces Rose Water and Vanilla.

Jo Malone Rose Water Vanilla Intense Cologne by nazneen372 on Polyvore.com

Fourthly, I was impatient for the 80s fashion trend to be over and for a return to feminine fashion. Lo and behold, a season dedicated to all things Mad Men.

Finally, I conceived of an ever-replenishing wallet that immediately replaces the notes taken out of it. Still waiting on that one...

NOTD: M&S Essentials Emerald

2010-10-30T13:20:00.000+01:00

I'm not a shimmer gal when it comes to nail polish. I like the simplicity of cremes, and think they look more expensive.

However, this polish has inspired a bit of a rethink. I've been searching for a decent deep forest green polish, and in cremes I'm not sure the kind I'm looking for exists. Green tends to go flat in creme formulations whereas I want one that's shiny shiny.

Cue M&S Essentials Emerald. This polish is very subtly shimmery - in some lights it almost looks like a creme, but it has a gloss and depth you wouldn't get with a creme. It's gorgeous! (and if you can't afford/find the recent MAC Fall Trend polish Jade Dragon, it's a very very good alternative - it has a teensy bit less of the teal microglitter but it's still there).

Closeup of microglitter (pic isn't great but I hope it gives an idea):

It's big 3-free and £2.50. In terms of consistency, it's runny and requires 3 coats, but dries fairly fast. It has an amazing gloss on its own, even without topcoat. Wear is not too bad - 3 days without chipping. Love!

Ups and Downs

2010-10-28T19:11:00.000+01:00

Ups

My iPod shuffle.
My iPod nano's battery is dead and and I lost my shuffle charger so haven't been listening to music on my commute for over a year. Sounds bizarre I know! But I didn't realise how much I missed it until I found my charger and rejigged my playlists. My commute is so much less stressful now. Today I've listened to Hindi pop, Gaslight Anthem, and Zoe and Idris Rahman's beautiful Bengali-jazz collaboration. Eclectic's the word for my little shuffle.

Polka dot woolly tights
Thank you, Primark and M&S, for finally making these available in adult sizes and colours! I've always coveted the kids' ones in Monsoon and I now have my very own pairs in grey and black. So much more fun than plain black!

Graduation
After finishing in March 2009, I finally graduate with my doctorate at the end of November! I'm so excited, it'll finally feel real that 5 years' work paid off. I only wish the Oxford D. Phil. gown wasn't a hideous combination of royal blue and scarlet - I mean, how are you supposed to accessorise that?

Down

Trains
I'm taking a lot of them at the moment, which is a bit exhausting. And my experience has been patchy at best. Perhaps a quarter of them have been on time? I feel so cross that prices are going to rise with the support of this government. I must also invest in some hand sanitiser as I keep getting colds from my travels.

End of BST
I hate it when the clocks go back. The days feel so much shorter. I definitely notice a drop in my energy levels and just want to hibernate.

Cuts
Amongst all the cuts that are going to make life so much harder for people thanks to this government are cuts to higher education funding that basically mean the privatisation of my field, humanities. I worked so hard to get my qualification from one of the best universities in the world, and I'm really not sure what the future holds. It's such a grim time for so many, and I keep feeling angry with every person who voted for these ideologues to take power. I'll be talking with my feet at the UCU protest on November 10th.

Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

Return of the Quirk Factor

2010-10-19T18:33:00.000+01:00

My style's always been a bit offbeat: at uni I was a goth, but with an Asian fusion edge: bright embellished dresses and skirts, over massively wide jeans with clumpy Acupuncture trainers, lots of heavy dark eyemakeup but with a big smattering of glitter and stacks of bangles on both wrists. Then kooky librarian-chic during my PhD in chilly soggy Oxford: big bright beads, bold colours, tweed and cord full skirts, cute mary janes and T-bar flats.

Recently I've got a bit boring though, lapsing into a endless cycle of floral empire line dresses and cardigans. Much as I love my dresses, I've started to look like pretty much everyone else out there. Not a bad thing in itself, I suppose, but not very me.

However, over the last two weeks I've become much more inspired by accessories again. And it has made all the difference to what remains a fashion-diet that consists mostly of floral empire line dresses. In particular, I've made the following discoveries and rediscoveries:

*Knitted headbands - more comfortable than Alice bands and a little cooler too (though I still love bow hairbands!)
*Woolly polka dot and brightly coloured tights - (especially polka dot tights worn with printed dresses)
*Unusual handmade necklaces and earrings - Etsy has been my friend
*Coloured kooky flats
*My burgundy DM 8 hole boots that are now older than I was when I got them ("embellished" with gold paint from my GCSE art exam) worn with floral dresses
*Leopard print - especially my headband and new furry cropped jacket from Primark - worn with ditsy floral dresses
*Printed/jersey scarves (great and snuggly way to liven up a black outfit or even a printed one - on the lookout for a soft fairisle print one)
*Beanies - I have a teal one but would really like a cream chunky knit one too.
*Printed/embroidered cardigans - lovely way to up the kook in a vintage inspired style with colour block outfits and simple patterns

Looking at the list I'm not quite sure how I'd label my current style apart from being "me". It's now a combination of all the things I love: secretary chic, gothic/grunge, girly floral prints, whimsy, Indian jewellery, soft tactile fabrics, a dark jewel colour palette, a bit more whimsy.

Have you ever got out of a style rut? How did you do it?
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

Match of the Day: Black Forest Florals

2010-10-17T09:02:00.000+01:00

My second MOTD!

The outfit (dress, cardigan, tights and vest come to a princely £13)! I ummed over this dress (no idea why, it was £5 in the sale!) but I'm loving it more and more. It has pockets and a zip front and is very A-line in shape. I adore the print. It has thick straps so I'm wearing it with cardigans now, and then when it's colder I'll put a long sleeved T under. Perfect all-seasons dress!

Dress: Strawberry Bunny, cardigan: Primark, tights: Primark, vest: Primark, pumps: Hush Puppies.

Closeup of print:

And the matches:

Earrings: Bina Geyer, Etsy

Necklace: Puffluna, Etsy

Knitted headband: made by me! from an old Urban Outfitters hat

Orly Cosmic FX layering experiments, or, She Wore Nails of Many Colours

2010-10-09T15:00:00.000+01:00

There have been many blog posts about the Orly Cosmic FX nail polishes and their MAC Venomous Villains dupes. Posts from applications pros, with awesome cameras, managing to capture all (or at least most) of the multichrome wonder of them.

So when mine came through and I swatched them, I thought I'd do something different and use different colours under them. They're sheer so perfect for layering. And the results were pretty awesome. I feel like for 3 polishes I'm actually getting so many more! My experiments have also informed me that the FX polishes are also amazing layered with each other. Please excuse the terrible application and smudges, I wasn't going to post them but the results were too cool not to. Check out my findings below:

Thumb - pinky: Orly Space Cadet over Orly Galaxy Girl, Orly Galaxy Girl over OPI Lincoln Park After Dark, Orly Out of This World over OPI Lincoln Park After Dark, Orly Galaxy Girl over Boots No. 7 Totally Teal, Orly Out of This World over Chanel Black Satin

Pinky - thumb: Orly Space Cadet over OPI Parlez Vous OPI?, Orly Space Cadet over Boots No. 7 Totally Teal, Orly Space Cadet over Chanel Black Satin, Orly Space Cadet over Orly Out of This World, Orly Out of This World over Orly Space Cadet

My favourites of the bunch?

Orly Galaxy Girl over No. 7 Totally Teal: this totally transformed GG. I do love it on its own, but layered like this it has so much more depth and intrigue. The photo doesn't do it justice, it looks like a plain dark teal shimmer but if you look at the very edge of the nail you can see the glint of plum. That's how the whole nail looks - teal shimmer suspended murkily in plum (whereas in GG on its on the teal shimmer sits on top of the plum, if you see what I mean?) And it changes a lot in different lighting - utterly fascinating.

Orly Space Cadet over Parlez Vous OPI?: using a greyed purple base makes the mauve and pink tones of Space Cadet ping, and the warm pink/ cool purple duochrome is very pretty, somewhat ethereal.

Orly Space Cadet over Orly Galaxy Girl: woah this is a sparklefest! I think the sheerness of the polishes is really a positive for me because I love to layer. Here Galaxy Girl's teal and blue sparkles shine through the warm pink, gold and copper sparkles of Space Cadet. It looks like a sunset on a nail. If the sunset was on Jupiter.

If you own any of the MAC or Orly polishes (and especially if you're a bit peeved at their sheerness), I strongly encourage you to have a play with different base shades with these.

The alternative title of this post is derived from a song I was fascinated by as a super-daggy child. Anyone guess what it is yet?

MAC Fabulous Felines Inspired FOTD: Burmese Beauty (but without any of the products...)

2010-10-08T15:49:00.001+01:00

Although I tend to refrain from MAC limited collection hype, I really thought the Burmese Beauty look was stunning.

As I have recently bought MAC's Club shadow on a whim, and read that it's a better-pigmented dupe for the brown/green shadow that features in the BB quad, I thought I'd have a play at my own take on the look.

Club is a gorgeous green/brown duochrome shadow, but on the lids it needs a sticky dark base to really shine. I used a MAC Greasepaint Stick in Dirty, and blended, and blended. I also added Urban Decay's Money shadow from Book of Shadows 3 in the inner corners - this is fast becoming one of my favourites in the palette, on my skintone the green in this grey/green shadow comes to the fore (it's a brilliantly appropriately named colour!) and it's both muted and unusual. UD should really consider bringing out solo versions of most of the shades! It goes really well with Club.

So here's my take (together with smug, self-satisfied and very cat-like smile):

Closeup of duochromey goodness:

Base:
MAC Moisturecover Select concealer

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Greasepaint Stick in Dirty as base over lid
MAC Club shadow over lid
Urban Decay Money shadow in inner corners of lids (BOS 3)
Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Black to line top lid and waterline
No 7 Metallic Pencil in Green on bottom lid
Maybelline Colossal mascara in 100% Black

Face:
MAC MSF in Dark
Estee Lauder Blushing in Port Passion
MAC Brow in Spiked

Lips:

MAC Slimshine in Prudeaux

OOTD: Rainy Day Florals

2010-10-03T12:31:00.000+01:00

For once, a proper outfit photo! I've been experimenting with self-timers and ladders. (Note to self: stand up straight!) This would have been a Match of the Day, except that my ears are suffering at the moment and all I can wear are a pair of tiny silver and pearl studs. Boo.

The miserable autumnal weather has warranted the bringing out of my beloved burgundy M&S boots, which is a bit of a consolation. I love these so much - I hate most black and brown leather boots (boring! unimaginative! mumsy!) but other colours are hard to find, especially when one has hillwalking calves. These go with pretty much everything in my autumn wardrobe, have biker-y straps that add a bit of an edge to my girlie dresses and remind me of my beloved burgundy DMs (NOT cherry red - these were darker and I never saw another person in them!) that I lived in from ages 15-20 (and which I still have!) Yes, reader, I was a grungy goth - and - proud I am of it too.

Though not one for pinks usually, I'm taken with the print of this dress. I'm very pleased that that the print contains burgundy, as well as teal, hot pink and cream. It makes for a very versatile dress, and it goes beautifully with the boots. Also doing a bit of print-mixing here - if you look closely you'll see the cardigan has polka dots on it. This cardigan was originally my sister's, until she got sick of my constant pawing and cooing and sorrowful cat-from-Shrek eyes and gave it to me.

Dress: Oasis, tights: Superdrug, cardigan: H&M Divided, boots: Autograph at M&S.

close of up boots - the scuffing looks worse with the flash, but seriously, I am so clumsy I don't think I have one pair of unscuffed shoes!

NOTD: Beauty UK Smokey Violet

2010-10-01T12:51:00.000+01:00

I was inspired to purchase this £1.79 polish by Helen Nice Things, who also has a lot of love for the grey-purple colour spectrum of polish. I don't have a pale grurple, and am considering doing a gradient manicure at some point, so it was a perfect choice. I tried it out for my interview nails to go with the pale plum look I did.

It's such a pretty, delicate polish. Thanks Helen for the fantastic recommendation!