A LOT has happened!

So, yet again we find ourselves here, with me making my apologies for not updating as much as I used to and making grand promises that I won't stay away this long again.

Well since we last spoke, a lot has happened! I'm currently nearing the end of an eight week holiday from work, (the perks of working in a private school!) I've been to Lake Garda in Italy, which was incredible and i've spent the past month getting over the post holiday blues, I got a new tattoo, i'm six hours in, think i've got another three to go, it's amazing, it's a honeycomb dotwork design, dotwork is a method of tattooing which doesn't use a machine, the artist plucks the ink under the skin with a needle attached to a bamboo stick. Mine was done by Neko who works at Ink Studios on Ashley Road in Parkstone. I've also been writing for super cool Bournemouth magazine Upraw, which has meant I've eaten some incredible food at Urban Reef in Boscombe and Mandarin in Bournemouth, and had the most amazing hot stone massage at new salon Hush, also in Bournemouth.

Oh and I turned 25! Hello quarter century!

But soon it will be time to go back to work, which i'm really looking forward to, there is only so much time off you can have before you go a little crazy and I think this is it!

So as a last treat, and because I have a slight (read: massive) nail polish addiction, I bought myself two of the new Barry M gelly hi-shine nail paints. I'm wearing blueberry on my fingers and prickly pear on my toes. This stuff is amazing, not only is it super shiny, but it dries in seconds so none of the awful not being able to do anything for an hour after painting your nails!

So I thought i'd share with you some photographs from the past couple of months and I WILL be back very soon with an outfit post!

Dare to Bare

I've been thinking recently, why are women so obsessed with make-up? There are women out there, maybe even reading this right now, who will not let anyone (especially their significant other) see then without a face full.

Where did it come from? We know it's not a recent thing, think classic hollywood, ever seen a photograph of Elizabeth Taylor or Greta Garbo looking less than perfectly made up?? Didn't think so.

Think even further back, how do you picture Cleopatra? I'm imagining black lined eyes? There is archaeological evidence that make-up dates at least from ancient Egypt and Greece!

There are hundreds of photographs of modern 'celebrities' (in the loosest sense of the word) pictured bare faced, either in a purposeful shoot (with excellent lighting naturally!) Or on the street, buying a pint of milk or picking up after little Boofles the Chihuahua, not exactly flattering or confidence building for the rest of us.

But I have decided to bare all. I am usually (note: usually!) Comfortable going out fresh faced, but rarely will I not wear mascara, just a little something to enhance my looks and give me a bit of confidence, but for you dear readers, i'm baring all, the make-up brushes are firmly put down, the mascara wand, safely back in the tube, here I am Cameos and Espadrilles, before and after!

Vogue's S/S13 Make-Up Trends

I like to read my e-mails as i'm laying in bed contemplating getting up which I should, even though it feels like it's still the middle of the night. This morning an e-mail pinged into my inbox from Vogue which I thought i'd share with you. It's subject: Spring/Summer 2013 Make-Up Trends, and here they are:

1. Attention Grabbing Eyes
This image is from Chanel where the models wore space age silver with bold, black liner. Attention grabbing eyes were also seen with a splash of colour from Topshop Unique and Clements Ribeiro. (below)














2. Enhanced Minimalism
Balmain shows us how to do flawless skin, this natural look has been given a bit of an edge with the help of subtle blush and lash curling giving added definition to natural beauty.

3. Colour Pop
Giles perhaps shows this best with natural faces brought to life with a blast of fuchsia on the lips. Other designers showing this trend this season are Dries Van Noten, also with bright lips, and Donna Karan with magenta eyes. (Below respectively)

4. The Sixties

This one is so common these days that it's almost like it's never left us. Marc Jacobs shows us how to do eyes just like Twiggy. Remember the key to the sixties look is that it's all about the eyes, go easy on the rest of the face, a touch (if any) of blush and a sweep of nude lipstick is all that's needed to offset the lashes and defined lids.

The Beckhams. The Ultimate Brand

Now I have to admit it's taken me until today to look at the Burberry S/S13 campaign, I get a little cringey around the brand Beckham, although I did fall in love with Vicky B's fashion line i'm not a massive fan of them in general, it's all just a bit much.

For some women every billboard being full to busting with David Beckham's pants may be like all their Christmases have come at once but personally I like my men a little less "perfect" and he can have all the muscles he wants it's not going to change the fact that if you close your eyes he still sounds like an 11 year old schoolboy.

So with this in mind when I heard that Romeo(!) Beckham was going to star in the new Burberry ad campaign I did roll my eyes and vow to stay away as long as possible, well, let's just say curiosity got the better of me and when I came across the video on Vogue.co.uk I just couldn't resist having a sneaky peak, well prepared to cringe myself into oblivion!

That didn't happen. I actually smiled. And was on the verge of a laugh. Yes, I was wonderfully surprised, the little guy is perfect! At ten years old he is the star, and not because he's a Beckham, he could have been anyone's kid and would still have been perfect, jumping about while two Mannequin like models stand perfectly still. (Well until she can't help herself and cracks a grin too!) Oh and the clothes are pretty special too!

But don't take my word for it...

The Permanent Fashion Accessory

It has a long history, wa,s at a time a sign of being a certain type of person but now, getting a tattoo seems to be the thing to do, the ultimate commitment, the permanent fashion accessory.

December 16th 2012 saw the first tattoo convention held at the Lighthouse in Poole, Dorset, and the Jurassic Coast Tattoo Convention was the first of its kind that i'd been to.

The day itself was dull and rainy, perfect for an indoor event, so off I went, ticket in hand, camera hung around my neck thinking I was about to see some amazing tattoos, and to be honest, I didn't even notice the majority of the tattoos that were being done, I was far more interested in the people involved, from the older lady decked out in Heyday style, to the tattooist with a face full and everyone in between.

Here are a selection of what I took that day, see what you think...

  

I'm no stranger to ink myself, I now have five, ranging in size, from a small dove on my wrist (the one that got me hooked) to a beautiful 1920's style woman's face complete with Cloche hat and a spray of traditional roses on my thigh. My latest addition is the most beautiful, an anatomically correct Honey Bee in between my shoulder blades, beautifully and skillfully done by Craig at Adorned Tattoo in Ashley Cross, Poole.