This Modern Chaos

Surf’s Up

Inspired by my own recent surfing trip to Sligo, I have decided to bring you a surfing themed blog post! It really was the most fun I have had in ages, and despite being in the Irish sea, (and not Hawaii as I had imaged my first surf session would be…), we still managed to get nice, sunny weather, which made it all the more enjoyable. I also got some pics of the beach and have decided to share a few of them with you. Check out the collage below for some pics of my surfing attempts and the beautiful beach of Strandhill -  don’t believe what you see on ‘Home and Away’, it’s harder then it looks, people.

The third photo is one of my girlfriends  and I on holiday in America - not quite surfing, but I thought the beautiful beach shot would fit in well - and add a little blue sky too.

Below are some surf inspired collages, which I hope you will enjoy!

Turquoise Love

My fave colours are green and blue - more specifically I love when these two colours come together, in the form of aqua and turquoise.  I was a pretty outdoorsy kid, and spent a lot of my time in the garden and by the sea, so maybe being surrounded by shades of these two colours all the time, has made me love them. Whatever the reason, this summer I am looking forward to brightening things up with a bit of turquoise. So on that note, here are a few things that I have been lusting after, or that inspire happiness in me, (yes, I really am that easily pleased). Enjoy! 

    

Fresh off the Runway

Last week I attended the much anticipated launch of the Rihanna for River Island collection and I have to say, it was quite an event. Bloggers, fashionistas and journos descended upon the Grafton Street flagship store to get a glimpse of the new range and snap up a few of the limited edition pieces.

Rihanna is not a personal style icon of mine, but I definitely have to admire her for being daring when it comes to fashion and working some seriously outrageous outfits. Anyone with unique style and bravery should be applauded, so snaps for Rihanna. And I was pleased to see that her new collection for River Island is not as risqué as I expected it to be. Instead, the line offers casual and wearable clothing, with the odd piece of ghetto-glam thrown in. Heavy on the denims and teeny on the tops, it is definitely directed at her troop of pre-twenties fans, but there are some comfy tees and quality dresses in the collection that can be worn by all ages. One particular item that seemed to be proving popular on the night was the canary yellow twist dress. There were also some fab boots that were more 20-something-suitable, and a very gangsta-style black leather hat which could be worn as a unisex piece. I also really liked the photo-print grey jumper, which is a really cool pop-culture piece to wear now, and then can be put away for years until deemed retro and collectable and then worn again - double points for items of clothing that have two possible life spans. 

Below are some pics from the launch and also a taster of some of the items included in the collection. 

           

           

                 Raise your glass to the new collection… Drink to that!

Eggceptional New collection from LUSH

LUSH is famous for its ever changing, exciting range of hand-made products. And with each new season comes a fresh offering of treats from the makers of all things bright and fragrant. Its latest collection for spring time is no exception and  includes rabbits, easter eggs and chick shaped bath ballistics. I’m a real sucker for anything bright and animated so its no wonder that I LOVE the latest range from LUSH. From the quirky animal shapes to the infusion of colour, I was totally charmed by the appearance of these products. And their functionality also really impressed me - the bath ballistics really do foam and  lather to a level of craziness, while the reusable bar of soap lives up to its name, allowing you to re-use it multiple times. In other words, they do exactly what it says on the tin!

My favourite thing about all LUSH products is the distinctive smell that they exude, be it spicy, fruity or sweet, there really is no other brand that can tickle the sense in such a way. Inspired by the sweet tooth of Easter,  its latest collection includes the candy infused Fluffy Egg Bath Ballistic, which smells of marshmallows, jelly beans, candy floss and all things delicious and amazing! The re-usable carrot bubble bar is another little gem, which has an fruity, citrus scent and is appropriately fresh for spring time. Another advantage of the carrot is that it is also rich in vitamins and helps rejuvenate and soften skin - all the benefits of a real vegetable!

My fave item from this new collection has to be Hoppy Easter, a cute bunny-shaped cloth which contains two delightful treats from the range. I think this is the cutest little parcel ever, and makes such a great Easter gift for someone who may not be a fan of chocolate. I’m still trying to decide whether I can actually bear to part with it though - so we’ll just have to see about the whole ‘gift’ idea…! The prices are very reasonable, and range from €3.95 to €14.95, and like all LUSH products are ethical and cruelty-free. To shop the full easter range, just pop into any LUSH store nationwide.

All white everything

Ah, the humble white shirt. How simplistic, yet essential it is.  This classic piece of clothing should feature in everyone’s wardrobe, and if you don’t have one already, then now is the time to pinch one from your boyfriend/dad/buddy. Because with the likes of Jil Sander and Victoria Beckham featuring it on their runways for Spring/Summer 2013, this season is set to be all about the oversized white shirt. So, think loose and baggy when it comes to selecting your shirt, and team with whatever you like. From jeans to leather skirts, there is nothing this key item won’t go with. Check out the images below for some inspiration on how to style yours.

 

                   

                      (above image from www.stockholm-streetstyle.com)

Best of the Oscar dresses

Whether you love or hate the Oscars, there really is no avoiding this awards night, so it’s a good thing it comes with a nice dose of style. The men scrub up well, but it’s undeniable that it’s the Oscar ladies who put in a serious effort for the night. And for that, I think they all deserve some credit.  Some ladies, however, stood out just a little more than others. From Solange Knowles’ striking splash of colour to Jennifer Lawrence’s stunning Dior gown, here are a few of the dresses I thought deserved a mention.

       

        

                

                      

Rock ‘n’ roll kids

Georgia May Jagger is set to showcase the Rock‘n’Roll Mansion collection at H&M this February. The model and famed daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall encapsulates the mix of music and fashion found in the collection and is the perfect choice to represent the collection. From Lana Del Rey for woman, to Beckham for men, H&M have impeccable choice when it comes to choosing celebs to market their clothes.

With this line you can expect studded biker jackets and tie-dye jeans, so it’s all very rockstar indeed. Check out some of the pics below for a quick look at what you will find in this collection.

Dying for more Dye

            I’m very excited and happy to hear that one of my fave trends is going to be making a reappearance again in 2013. I’ve been a big dip-dye fan for a long time now. And I don’t mean since the Summer, I’m talking about before it was even cool. Back in 2006. Way back when…

 I spent time in Africa working as a volunteer. And while most of my time there was spent visiting schools and orphanages, I did get to see some other places too. Most memorable of these were the bustling market places, where haggling and bartering was at its best. The stalls were so bursting with texture, colour and patterns that it was literally like falling into a colouring book.  When it came to the artfully dyed material, it was love at first sight. And like any hip white girl, I swiftly invested in some tie-dye pants and have never looked back. Since then I’ve been experimenting with dying various materials, and even dipped my own hair at one point. So as you can see, I’m a Dye hard fan of this trend, (see what I did there.)

So a big welcome to 2013, where we’ll be seeing plenty more of this craze, and not just in clothing and hairstyles, they’ve even started to dip-dye entire rooms too. YAY.

          

                             

Love this jumper, dyeing is such a great way to transform an otherwise ordinary piece of clothing.

               

           

Star Quality

It’s no secret that Kate Bosworth is one of my fave style icons, which is why I am so excited about Topshop’s new idea to release a short Christmas movie starring the very beautiful and fabulously dressed, Ms.Bosworth. Like a fashion-show-meets-music-video, this wonderful short film features the actress performing ‘Winter Wonderland’ in a dazzling sequinned dress. The cinematic production has been directed by critically acclaimed Hollywood film director Michael Polish and is inspired by the famous piano scene with Michelle Pffeifer in ‘’The Fabulous Baker Boys.’’ Kate appears wearing a custom-made Topshop evening dress that she designed in partnership with the Topshop Design Team.  And lucky for us, the dress and shoes featured in the video will be available to order on topshop.com - YAYYY. The make-up used to create Kate’s look in the film is also available on Topshop.com, and would be the perfect Christmas present for any fashion savvy girl.

       

Speaking about Ms.Bosworth’s performance and style, the creative director of Topshop, Katie Phelan, has said that she thinks, ” Kate looks effortlessly cool in this film, her voice is spellbinding and I can imagine every girl will want to be wearing Topshop this Christmas when they see her performance.” 
Topshop are hoping climb the charts and make it to #1 with the song, which is available to buy through i.tunes, Shazam and Spotify. Personally, I’m sick of the Xfactor winners stealing the top spot so it’d be nice to see someone else get it - go Kate!

           

           

Styled to go

I’m really excited to be finally able to show you the fashion photo shoot I recently worked on for the new issue of Prudence magazine, and to tell you a little bit about it. Working alongside the brilliant Liam Power, I assisted in styling the shoot and managed to take a few snaps on the day to give you a sneak-peek at what went on behind the scenes. The entire shoot took place on location in the picturesque setting of the Japanese Gardens in Co.Kildare and despite the fact that the weather wasn’t great on the day, we still got some fabulous photos. I think the rain actually brought out the colour and lusciousness of the grounds, in all its autumnal glory!

        

These stone bee-hive huts also doubled as a make-shift dressing room during some of the shots. (A more versatile side to the monastic cell!)

         

Our stunning model Clara McSweeney, of Andrea Roche Model Agency (who has been hailed to be the next Kate Moss), braved the cold weather and showed each outfit off fantastically. The talented Ellie Murphy did the make-up on the day, while hairdresser Joe Hayes worked his magic to create runway fit hair, from fabulous curls to a strikingly straight pony tail.

                      

On the day we had literally a room full of clothes, accessories and outfits to work with, so as you can imagine I was in heaven! We worked with a great variety of shops and designers, from Karen Millen to Penneys, to Irish designer Fiona Managan. I loved this mix of designer and high street brand as it meant a real range in style and price. Encapsulating some of the key winter trends - fur, sequins, brocade - we created some really glam and festive looks.

              

Below is a snap of some of the team in action, with photographer Maciej Pestka capturing another striking pose.

                     

I only included a few pics of the outfits to give a glimpse of some of the clothes used to style the shoot, but in order to really see how great the clothes looked you have to see the entire spread in all its glory. Maciej’s photos are truly amazing and its well worth taking a look at the new issue of Prudence to see how wonderful it all turned out in the end. And sher, while you’re at it, you can have a read of the beauty and travel features I wrote for it too.. *shameless self promo* :-P

The new issue of Prudence is out this week and is set to be a real gem, I know I’m super excited to see it anyway!

Air Brushed

Every now and then a beauty product catches my eye that I feel deserves mentioning, and on this occasion it is the new Japonesque HD Brushes that have impressed me. Make-up brushes tend to be one of the more expensive tools in your cosmetic bag , with some costing €30 or €40 each. Which is why I always like to research a brand if I am going to invest in it. Over the years two brands of brushes have really stood out for me, MAC or Bobbi Brown, they last ages and are great for coverage.But I’m always keen to try new beauty brands, so while I was researching and sampling various products for a feature I was working on this month, I came across Japonesque. A lesser known brand in Ireland, Japonesque is favoured by make-up artists and professionals worldwide, and have been creating distinctive make-up brushes and beauty accessories for over 20 years. And after trying them out for myself, I can really see what all the fuss is about. 

                                                                                                                          

          

 Each brush is made up of soft, flexible bristles making the application of make-up smooth and flawless looking. They are definitely on par with MAC brushes and even better than some of the other (more expensive) brands that I have tested. Lots of brushes can look expensive and professional in their box, but these ones actually live up to their appearance.  I tested out the blush brush, foundation blender, powder brush and eye shadow blender. Each one is tailored in such a way that there are two sides to the brush; use the synthetic side to apply the make up, and the natural side to buff and diffuse.          

         

I sometimes find that eye brushes can cause eye shadow powders to flake off around your eye when applying, leaving a residue of smudgey dust, so I was delighted to find that the eye shadow brush in this collection didn’t do this. I was also really impressed by the reasonable pricing of the product, (which is what us recessionistas are all about). Ranging from €10 to €18 each, these brushes guarantee a good quality product with an affordable price tag. They are available to buy online from ULTA.COM and are well worth checking out!

           

Dello Fabulous

H&M  is no stranger to designer collaborations; in the past some of their fashion alliances have included Versace, Lanvin and  Jimmy Choo. And with the likes of Lana Del Rey modelling their clothes, the Swedish label is striving in the style stakes.

Their most recent collaboration is with Japanese Vogue editor, Anna Dello Russo, who will launch an accessories collection at H&M as Paris Fashion Week draws to a close.

       

Speaking about her new range, Dello Russo has said, “Accessories are vital. Not only do they allow you to play with fashion however you like, marking your outfits with a personal touch, they are also an essential tool to give new life to what you already have in your wardrobe: wear a necklace, a bracelet and earrings, hold a clutch and top it all off with a hat, and everything becomes new. Accessories are like vitamins to fashion: you should use them liberally as such”.

     

The collection features shoes, jewellery,  bags, sunglasses  and a tantalising  turquoise trolley with gilt motifs  - perfect for any travelling fashionista.

              

The collection will be available in Dublin at the South King Street H&M store on October 4^th. Will you be queing outside to get your paws on these bejewelled accessories?

PHOTOGRAPHS: MAGNUS MAGNUSSON

My Fashion Week Faves

               Rainbow handbags, capes and metallics - Burberry at LFW s/s 2012

        

     

              

              Eye popping colour and 50’s style hair wraps - Marc by Marc Jacobs.

                  

           

              Baroque and oriental designs with some 1920’s swing  - Marchesa

            

                 

Electric Picnic

It’s not often that I post photo diaries, but I think in this case, pictures illustrate the art and fun of this festival so much better than words could! As you may know, I am a bit of a festival junkie, so I am well accustomed to slumming it in muck and rain, which is what made last weekend so nice - for once the sun was SHINING! 

Got to see some great acts - Hot Chip, Ben Howard, Elbow, Crystal Castles, The Killers - just to name a few! Mushroom seats, tarantula’s made out of wood, umberellas hiding in trees - you name it, Stradbally had it! Check out the pics below for some of my fave moments from the festival.