Faux Eyelashes Made Simple!
If, like me, your meamorphsis from a Day Look to Night Look consists of refreshing your eye liner, glossing your lips and vamping your hair then I beg you to try something new . With party season in full swing and as New Years Eve is just days away, there is no better excuse to make more of a statement and I promise you, it takes far less time than I ever imagined.
Your eyes are the key to adding that night time glamour and no mascara accentuates the eyes like faux eyelashes! I used to hate them, I thought they looked too false and heavy, but over time, the creators of faux lashes have perfected their design and now they look far more natural and the biggest bonus of all, application has become easier and quicker than ever before.
I tried out Eylure Naturalites Evening Wear - available from Boots, Very and John Lewis. It took me less than two mins for each eye to apply the thin layer of glue and get the lashes in place on the eyelid. I then finished the look off with some smokey-eye make-up, which takes no time at all and adds a touch of drama! Very quickly I had a complete, glamorous night-time look and I felt sexier and more “vampy” than I normally do!
Give it ago and let me know how you get on!
Top Ten Party Tips…
It is party season once more and many of us have several events to juggle which means we also have several outfits to plan. It can be expensive to keep getting new hot, on trend dresses to dazzle the crowd in so I’ve come up with a few tips to help make an old outfit look fresh, to make the same outfit look different and to generally just rock the party season like a pro!
1. Switch up your Shoes! To give your outfit the edge, team it with some really bright heels. That simple change can make the most casual of ensembles a little more glam. Wearing the same Little Black Dress you wore last year? Bright red heels or cute detailed shoes like these from Kurt Geiger will really make you stand out!
2. Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize! Bright, bold, over-sized jewelry can dress up a simple dress and give it some added flare. However, you might rather just accessorize with an embellished bag as it gives the same results.
3. Don’t Crash Diet! Instead make it all about the outfit and find a dress that flatters your body. Crash dieting only makes your first drink go straight to your head and you feel low on energy all day.
4. Dressing for your Body! It is probably the most important factor of them all. If you have legs to die for or a cleavage to make Christina Hentricks envious, make sure you find a dress that shows off your very best feature. This will give you a confidence you’ll radiate all night and you’ll turn heads wherever you go.
6. Remember Facebook! A dress can be see-through or underwear shows through and you don’t notice until it is too late. Snap a picture of yourself before you go out to prevent any regrets later!
7. Always have a Back-up! You can never be too careful. A zip might break, you might feel bloated or a sequin could come loose. Having a plan B is always a good idea and saves a big panic on the day.
8. Pick a drink and stick to it! There is nothing worse than feeling like you made a fool of yourself the night before. Pick a drink at the beginning of the night and keep drinking it. Mixing just gets you more drunk quicker and makes you feel like hell the next day!
9. Hot Hair! There is a saying that your hair is your biggest accessory so make the most of it. Practice before the event so you don’t stress out on the night and play around with different styles. Also pick a hair-do that will best show off your dress. For instance, a strapless number often works best with a chic up-do.
10. Most importantly, have fun! Mingle with friends and strangers alike. Keep conversation light and relaxed. If you look and feel fantastic, your confidence will run through to every aspect of the night!
Do you have any hot tips?? Let me know!
Round One, Week Four: Shoreditch, Songs and Sundresses
Well first off, today I quit my job in Mayfair. The whole thing happened in a rather peculiar way and I start the night off feeling a little uneasy. Its the final four acts in our shortlist of 16 so I’m hoping for a good turnout and for a few drinks! The Music League kicks off its first of two nights at The Hoxton Pony in Shoreditch, a popular after-work watering-hole for under 25s so it’s already heaving. I track down Sophie and our TML Photographer (and my good friend Matt) and tell them about my day…they congratulate me and get me a beer…the peculiar feeling starts to lift! Jonathan arrives and we all relax as the bands sound-check and do a little more people watching!
Tonight I’ve gone for a white and black summery dress as London’s turned up the heat. Its one of the first things I bought from Dahlia and one of the dresses I’ve had the least chances to wear. What I really love about it is the detail on the back, it has a horseshoe shape cut out with black thread going round it. To cinch in the waist it has a back velvet band under the bust and the underlining stops just above the bust allowing for skin to show through the lace at the top. All these little details are delicious and make the dress really special and alone, it is a standout piece.
The night was crackin’ and I’m sad to say goodbye to 8 of our 16 bands. However, next week we have Round Two to see which of our bands makes it through to Winterwell Festival. Come on down to The Hoxton Pony to party like its 1999!!
Round One, Week Three: Oh so On Trend
My goodness, is it that time of the week already?! The Music League finds itself at the, Oh So Chic, Queen of Hoxton in Shoreditch this week and the competition has stepped up a gear it seems… and I’m talking about the clothes here not the bands! Jonathan has rocked up in a simple yet very on trend colour-blocked ensemble , whilst Sophie is showing off her mile long legs in cute denim shorts. I have gone for a simple yet very cute beige Dahlia dress (yes another one!) with pearl shoulder detail and a brown belt with a pearl bow.
Jonathan and I have almost perfected our comparing skills now so enjoy some people watching whilst waiting for the bands to sound-check. The indie crowd often gets called “pretentious” for the way they dress but I have to say, from where I’m sat, everyone looks very cool and very comfortable in what they’ve got on.
The bands rocked it this week and I really enjoyed the free drinks the venue offered me! I can’t believe there is only one week left of round one. I have the perfect outfit all lined up!
Round One, Week Two: A little more polished!
This week, The Music League hosted its competition at The Rhythm Factory in Shoreditch. After all of us struggling to find the little black door along the epic highstreet, we made it and we ordered wine whilst our acts sound-checked. This week we heard Matt Mure, Analectra, The Mouth of Ghosts and The Promenade. Jonathan and I were much more on form this week…I thank the wine for that! We also had a bigger crowd to “Wow” so we just upped our game and enjoyed the atmosphere of the night.
This dress makes me feel a little saucy but I also think it looks classy and sweet. The Peter Pan collar, which I seem to be favouring lately, gives it a relaxed, playful feel which I adore. I also think the beige and black combination keep it the right side of “too sexy”. If it was all black the dress would suit a totally different night out
Jonathan looked chic as ever in his Graphic Tee and dirty-blue skinny jeans. He probably won’t thank me for this photo of him but I just loved his Couture Pose and had to share it with you!!
Sophie, the founder of The Music League is always discreetly fashionable. She puts her outfits together in her own way and owns it. I love the way she pulls off looks most of us would only dream of wearing. She has a rockin’ body and height I envy and I enjoy seeing what she’s wearing each time I meet up with her.
Bring on next week and the next outfit…I mean the next bands!! 
Round One: Night One – My Comparing Antics and Outfit!
This week I was thrilled to be presenting for The Music League at the The Shoreditch in…erm Shoreditch! The first round of the competitions has 16 acts taking part and the first night delighted us to the musical stylings of the Greenwich Tea Party, Dan Shears, Will Robert and Tape. Never heard of them?? That’s OK…you’re not supposed to as this competition is all about unsigned up-and -coming talent.
Sophie asked me to compare alongside the wonderful Jonathan Rodden who I’d had the pleasure of spending three years of drama school with. We’d figured that our improvisational skills would kick in and all would be brilliant but perhaps we should have prepared more than just our outfits as our presenting left a lot to be desired! It was a hell of a lot of fun though and I got to hear some cool music and hang out with some very nice people in the process.
I also got to debut in my new Dahlia dress which I’m madly in love with. The orange is a really playful colour and certainly reflected that side of me here! I teamed it with a cute little black cropped jacked I got in Nordstrom when I was in Florida last year and black heels to sexy it up a little. I also cinched in my waist with a black belt covered in silver studs just to show off my figure a little more. I kept accessories down to a minimum as I love the Peter Pan collar with its sweet bow detail and didn’t want to take away from it. I felt really good in this outfit and I think Jonny and I look like a great team (even if we didn’t perform like one!)
Now, what to wear next week………?!
Valentines Day Dresses
This year, I find myself alone for the first time in years on Valentines day. My good friend and even better actor buddie, Jofre, was taking part in The Secret Cinema and invited me to come along as a way to take my mind off it all. He drops in a few days before that it is fancy dress 1950′s style and I start to panic…What the hell am I going to wear?
In last minute situations such as these, I turn to another good friend… ASOS. First off, I knew I wanted to wear red. I absolutely HAD to wear red. I filtered down my search and trawled through the hundreds of dresses the site has to offer. With limited funds, time and choice, I went for a simple Vera Moda dress which was 1950′s style and wondered what to do…
When it arrived I grabbed my black Tutu, slipped it underneath and just like that, it started to come together! I teamed it with Nude heels to make my legs appear longer and finished the outfit off with a black belt to tie in the black Tutu and went off for my night of interactive theatre (which by the way, is fantastic and you must go!)!
I then went again a couple of nights later, this time wearing a simple black dress I forgot I owned and a long fur coat I had just been given. I still think I prefer the red dress but both looks made me feel and look the part. Which one do you prefer??
Adventures on Brick Lane!
Being fairly new to London, I’ve only just discovered the wonder that is, Brick Lane. First off, the vintage shopping possibilities are endless! I bought myself a gorgeous white vintage lace sundress for a mere £20 and a whole ton of quirky broaches and hairbands that will help me stand out!
Secondly, it seems everyone who is there has their own unique sense of style and unlike the judgmental eyes of most high-streets, no one bats an eyelid at the weird and wonderful. This alone gives it a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere which attracts the more indie folk of London who spend all weekend just soaking up the markets and street entertainment.
Some of the vintage stores are over priced, and some of the market stalls make clothing that I question the quality of. However, a lot of up and coming designers start out here and I found a great stall, more for men at this stage, called And Now Wee who sell a fantastic range of graphic t-shirts and lovely soft knitwear for a fraction of most retail stores. They also have a brilliant eye for detail and don’t cut corners to save costs so the clothes should last longer.
It was so much more my “scene” and I lost myself walking round. It is also famous for its curry and after tasting one, I see why! If you can, go down and check it out. Share with me any of your awesome finds too!
SPOTLIGHT CV
