ScarletPout

OOTD; The "Rare Sunny Day" Edition

2012-03-06T22:07:00.001Z

Sunday in Scotland brought beautiful sunshine and mild weather to us - which was a lovely surprise, as March in Central Scotland generally ignored the rule of 'in like a lion, out like a lamb' rule, it goes more like 'in like a lion, out like a droont angry cat'. So to wake up to pure blue skies and kids out playing was bliss, especially on my first day off in seven days!

Top; (which is actually a dress!) from Logo, about 6yr ago.

Cardigan; old faithful from Primark

High-waist jeans; Primark

Tartan pumps; Primark again, from about 5yr ago

I feel like I'm channelling 1970's bored housewife here. Also, please ignore my gammy foot-pose, I was running around trying to find where the other shoe was and had to hide my foot so I could get Andrew to take a picture before he left...Unsuccessful!

These are one of my favourite pairs of shoes ever. I bought them on one of those whirlwind Primark trips (you know, the ones where you just grab whatever's in your peripheral vision and chuck it into the basket, then hope the total comes to less than whatever's in your purse? Yup.) and I love them. They're so comfy, and the front is high enough that it hides my crazy long toes!

Excusing the crazy eyes, I had a bit of time to quickly put some make up on before Brandon burst into the living room to hide it all again...I've been finding it under the couch, under his cot, and in his drawers...he's a hoarder like his mam!

Brows: Benefit 'BabeCake' in brown

Eyes: ELF liquid eyeliner and Dior DIORSHOW mascara

Lips: Maybelline Shine Seduction lipgloss in Ruby

Brandon and I headed up the town to make the most of the sunshine. We started off all wrapped up (you never know when the weather's going to turn!) but peeled off our layers by the time we got on the bus. I decided to take him up without his buggy to see how he got on...which ended badly.

Firstly, we stopped in an M&S cafe to get a bite to eat. B refused to eat what was on his plate, and wanted what I had - the exact same. Kid's logic never fails to baffle me.

Then we wandered around to Debenhams so I could have a peek at the kids stuff (his second birthday is in a few weeks) and we ran into every tired mum's worst nightmare: the kiddy car rides. You know the ones you cried to get a shot on, only for 50p to be put into the slot and you to be bored after five seconds? Yeah, those ones. Except Brandon doesn't get bored...and he won't get off. So I tried to steer him away. Cue a massive meltdown in the middle of the shopping centre. I stood and waited patiently for him to get up, and just as he was calmed down a woman came over as I was leading him away, picked him up and plonked him in the car.

"There we go son," she said as I stood agape beside her, absolutely stunned. Did this stranger really pick up my child without my permission and do EXACTLY what I had just told him he wasn't allowed to do? Yes. Yes she did.

"Excuse me," I said, trying to keep my already frayed temper. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Aw, the wain just wants a wee shot hen," She cooed. "Nae harm done."

"Well I'm sorry, but you can't just do that! I've just spend five minutes waiting on him cooling off from a tantrum after telling him no only for you to do that? I don't think so, that's not on!"

"Calm down hen, he's only getting a wee shot," She looked at me as if I was the crazy one, and ambled off.

Which of course set the tone for the last twenty minutes we were in the shopping centre. I picked my books up from Debenhams and headed straight home, tears in my eyes. So many things were running through my head. Why was I so bothered? Why did it affect me to the point I was rude, which I never usually am? Am I being too strict with Brandon? Am I too strict? Will this affect him badly when he's older?

I did have a big thing typed out about my anxieties, worries, and fears when it comes to parenting, but this is not the place to vent them. All I'll say is, I need to figure out how to just let things go once in a while and not be so uptight. As much as I love being a mum, and I love Brandon to pieces, sometimes it can get so hard I struggle to cope and to deal with things as well as I should.

The boy in question. Who at this moment in time should be asleep, but instead is miaowing to TillyCat, who is politely replying. Loudly.

Lots of love (and promises of a much more positive post tomorrow)

Amii

xoxo

REVIEW: Dior VERNIS Incognito

2012-03-04T00:13:00.001Z

I don't review nail polish often as the majority of the shades I own are nothing to write home about. But when I get a good 'un, I make sure I write home about it.

I was at the Debenhams Spring/Summer 2012 press event on Wednesday, and had an absolute ball (post to be up tomorrow night!) - on top of this, I received a couple of cosmetic goodies to share with you all. One of these, was the new Dior Vernis polishes. These shades haven't been released yet - so lucky readers, you get a sneak peek!

The Packaging...

Sleek, shiny, and deep, iridescent blue. It reminds me of the Midnight Poison packaging slightly.

The lid is mirrored plastic, and I thought it would be a bit clunky and awkward to use when painting my nails, but it actually pops off to reveal the actual lid for the wand underneath - a dinky little ridged one, which makes for easier and more precise application.

The 10ml of polish comes in a neat oblong glass bottle - great, because it'll help with storage in even the most cluttered of cosmetic storage solutions, as well as popping in a handbag for on-the-go touch ups.

It has a chunky rounded brush that flattens out nicely as it applies, giving a nice smooth finish - something I always seem to have trouble with when I'm painting my nails, but had no bother with here!

The Polish...

The formula is smooth and creamy, just the right balance between viscous and runny. It applies nice and fluidly, although it takes a bit longer than average nail varnishes to dry! Incognito is a gorgeous taupe/nude colour, and it only took two coats to become opaque, although I applied three just to be safe.

And finally...

The Result...?

Pros: Great packaging

Lovely colour pay-off

Ridiculously shiny - the pictures above were BEFORE the topcoat!

Easy and quick application - no messing around! Although I still managed to get some on my fingers, and on my chin for some reason...

Cons: Takes quite a while to dry, even then I had to wait a little longer before applying a top-coat so it didn't smudge.

The Verdict: 4/5 - Gorgeous little polish, I've got my eye on the shade "Nirvana", a stunning peacock blue!

Shiny pretty nails, in a not-so-boring beige. I'm not one for tamer shades like this, but I think this will be a firm favourite when it comes to teaming it with understated, toned-down outfits!

Have any of you ever tried the Dior Vernis polishes? What do you think?

Love,

Amii

xoxo

Pssst...keep your peepers peeled for a new shade revealed on Monday!

DISCLAIMER: This product was supplied to me as part of a gift bag at the Dior counter whilst at the press event. Despite this product being free to me, it does not affect my opinion at all, although I will say that Martin at the counter was the most charming chap I've ever met!

It's That Time Again...

2012-02-28T23:07:00.001Z

...I go for a hairchop on Thursday evening. And like every time before it, I'm having a mini panic attack to myself about what to have it cut like. I've had a bit of a fear with hairdressers - even when I know they're good, I'm always scared I'll come out of the salon and have no idea what to do with it and end up wearing hats for the next 6 months.

source.

I've stuck to pretty much the same style for the past, oh, 8 years? From the humble beginnings of a cute full fringe as part of a pixie hair cut (to cover up my hair being burned off by a firework blowing up at the back of my head...long story!) to short Betty Bangs, I've had a blunt fringe for the better part of a decade. But I feel like it's time for a change, I need something new, and if I'm honest I've grown out my beloved fringe. I feel like although I suit it, that's the only reason I stuck to it for so long - I knew exactly how to style it for my hair, it was safe, I knew it suited me fine...but I'm 20 now, and I need something new. Something a bit different, to make me feel a bit more grown up - this is a long, on-going issue, but I always feel like I look so much younger than I actually am, and I'm a bit bored of looking 'cute' and 'little girl lost'. I would like a cut that's more adult, more grown up...but for the life of my I cannot settle on a style I want right now, it's all what I would like my hair to look like once it's long!

My hair-obsession for years. Wish I was Ariel...

So last night I spent a good hour/hour and a half on Tumblr (the place where a girl's self esteem goes to die) gazing at beautiful hair. I always ended up going for something low maintenance, that I could just tie up in the morning for work, and to straighten a bit at night, and couldn't help looking at these pictures thinking to myself, "Aw, it would take ages to do that, I'd have to get up a whole hour earlier just to do my hair!" Maybe that's the kick I need though, to start getting myself ready more and taking more care in what I look like every day, not just the odd day when I feel good...which, funnily enough, was the whole reason I started this blog. Hopefully this will be a good kick up the arse for me to realise I can feel good about myself on the inside, if I feel like I look good on the outside?

Cheesy ramblings aside, here's some hair pr0nz from the internet, which I've credited the best I can. Enjoy a peek into what I wish my hair would look like one day.

...Basically, thick, curly, long, full of volume and versatile. So I'm able to wear it straight as well as leave it curled, still able to pile it up, and for once away from my face. Ignoring all the random hair colours that are in there, and the few fringes that have crept in there too, this is an idea of the kind of thing I'd like. That picture at the end there, is IDEALLY how I'd love for my hair to sit. In the future, if I can get a hold of a few unwanted single-clip extension wefts, I'd make my own dreads to just clip in when I felt like it (I had a few before, but dreads are so difficult to dye!) as I used to make them.

Le sigh. I'll show the hairdresser these on Thursday and see if he can give me an idea of how realistic this hair-dream is.

Thanks if you've made it through this ridiculous post, apologies for the self-indulgence and 'oh my poor hair' post....

Love,
Amii
xoxo

February Wishlist; "Roses Are Red..."

2012-02-24T20:35:00.001Z

I cannot believe we're nearly finished with the second month of 2012, the Christmas pinch is just starting to abate, and we can poke our heads from our shells thinking, 'Is that it over for another year?' As for Valentine's Day, I spent it stuffing my face with two for Tuesdays pizza and scaring the crap out of myself watching Asian horror films...Not all month has been wasted though, I've decided what six things make the cut this month for my wishlist...

Holy Crap, Those Shoes.

I hate coveting things. I do, I know it's a sin, but I do it anyway. And it's always the most bloody impractical things that I'd never dare to wear outside ever, but would keep to preen over in my cupboard, like a little lipstick-covered Gollum. So these shoes would be a perfect example of the kind of things I'd be stroking while curled up inside my wardrobe, whispering "My preciousss..." Tad too far? I don't care, these ridiculous shoes are gorgeous.

Linky linky link: click me.

A Girly Hipflask

I don't drink often - in fact, probably about once a month or so, but this little beauty almost makes me want to be the kind of person who appreciates a nip of whisky in their coffee! Loving this gorgeous Damask design from the Etsy shop Brilliant Bashes (see also kryan2designs who also do custom flasks!)

More Acrylic Jewellery

Something I've always had a soft spot for is laser-cut jewellery (think along the lines of Callooh and Callay, Tatty Devine, etc) just because it's so striking and simple. For years, my favourite necklace was an acrylic tattoo-style swallow, and heart and key earrings, but when these broke, the manufacturer had gone out of business. Booo! These are stunning though - CAB Fayre makes them, and there's something about silhouettes that I'm always drawn to, and these quirky little keys are no exception.

A Pretty House

I've been living in my flat for nearly a year now, and it's high time it started properly feeling like 'my own'. I've been moving around constantly, pretty much since I was 16, never staying in the one place for more than 7 months. Finally, we ended up in our little flat, and I really want to make my stamp on it. I've never been so great with thinking up ways to decorate - I'm quite a creative person, but I've always found it difficult to figure out a room. Layout, colour scheme, decoration...So I was so glad when I found Pintrest a couple of months back - I've been pinning ideas and DIY tutorials like a madwoman, and have finally figured out what I'd like my little home to look like to make it feel more like mine.

If you'd asked me five or six years ago, I'd have answered "Black and red. Everywhere. With maybe a bit of silver." And if I'm honest, I'd happily have the whole house in those familiar colour schemes of my old room, but in reality it would already make a narrow and dark home look even darker! So I'm aiming for light and bright and cheery - with as little magnolia as possible. Those of you in rented housing can appreciate my hatred for neutral colours... My main one is the kitchen though...

Kitchen. In an ideal world, I'd have a minimalist house with as little clutter as possible, but I've long faced the fact I'm a hoarder and a collector of junk and teapots - so it'd probably look something along the lines of this! Click the picture for the credit...

HD Brows

There are a few salons popping up in my area who have done training in the HD Brow experience. If you've never heard of it before, you can read about it here - basically, it's a seven step process to achieving the perfect set of eyebrows for you - and I think we all know my obsession with them. I've been umming-and-ahhing over going for it, and I've spoken to a few people who swear by it. Honestly, your eyebrows can totally change your appearance, depending if they've been done right. I'd love to try them, but spending £25 on myself on a beauty treatment (when I've never even as much as visited a nail bar before!) seems a bit scary to me! Have any of you had them? How was your experience?

To Own ALL Of H! By Henry Holland...

My friend Rachael and I went a wander up Glasgow a wee while ago, on a day that for once had nothing to do with craft fairs, and she took me through Debenhams and opened my eyes to the wonder that is H! By Henry Holland. I'd seen some of his designs before (namely those tights that everyone is sick of seeing emulated everywhere...) but this was different somehow. Quieter, cuter, and twee but still fun. PERFECT, in other words. I think we trawled through the tiny section for about half an hour, and I almost bought a cardigan before I realised that shopping was the reason I'd deliberately left my card at home. There are so many pieces I'd love to own, but namely, this. I'll let it speak for itself.

A ladybird printed top with a peter pan collar? I think I just died and went to heaven.

So concludes my first wishlist since before Christmas. I've been a busy bee the past wee while, and have two events coming up in the next few weeks, which I'm super excited about! I also have a mini shopping trip on Sunday (le sigh, it is for practical reasons such as new jeans and some clothes for B) but I'll take pictures of things I'd like, as I'm a bit too cheap to buy ALL THE THINGS IN SIGHT. As much as I want to.

I normally post songs that the items of the wishlist remind me of, but I digress from my usual kind of music I post. I discovered this band a few weeks ago, and I've been listening to them constantly. CONSTANTLY. If I'm on the bus, even though it's a ten minute journey home, I still plug in my earphones to listen to them. If I'm going to be up in the sterilising room for any length of time, I play them on my phone. And at this moment in time, they're playing on YouTube. So ladies and gentlemen, I give you my biggest musical obsession since Biffy Clyro, The Vaccines.

Take care,

Amii

OOTD; Of Steel And Lace...

2012-02-16T00:01:00.002Z

Why yes, I AM using my old blog name as a post title! In this case though, it is very apt. I've been on a bit of an eBay surge the past few weeks, and my findings have consisted of a Rilakkuma bear phone cover, tiny gems, a 99p cardigan (99p, PEOPLE. LESS THAN A POUND.) and the blouse featured. It's one of those pieces of clothing (everyone has one) where the second you put it on, you feel amazing. It's more daring than what I'd normally wear, and it fits like a dream. So of course I chose to wear that as well as a few other favourites, both old and new.

Blouse; £5, eBay (label says 'ASOS')

Vest; Primark

Jeans; Internacionale

Bow belt; New Look

Boots; Shoe Zone

Cameo ring; New Look

Necklace; Sweet Delirium Jewellery

Scarf; Xmas present

Haunted House bag; Charity shop (label says 'Topshop')

Buckfast bracelet; Bunny's Beads

Not only did I get to wear my favourite new outfit (EVER), I tried out contouring properly for the first time. I don't own bronzer, as on my skin it appears orange and awful, so I used a deep brown/pink eyeshadow from MUA, along with a very pale blush from ELF ('Innocent'). I took the darker shadow and filled in under my cheekbones and the hollows of my temples roughly, and popped the lighter shade on top of my cheeks, my forehead and down my nose, and then blended it to within an inch of its life - I'm so pleased with the result! I'm forever paranoid about my chubby little cheeks, and it feels nice to pretend they have a bit of definition! I think next time I'll try to teach myself how to contour under my jawline too :)

As it was a day of firsts, may I also add this is the first time I've ever worn a blouse in this style - high-necked AND sleeveless. And also the first time in ages that I've worn my hair in a high messy bun, because it's actually long enough to do! Yay!

Benefit BabeCake brow kit (dry)

Collection 2000 liquid eyeliner, 'Black'

17 Va Va Va Voom Volume mascara

MUA eyeshadow shade 4

ELF eyelid primer

Black from ELF shadow compact

I know, I probably broke a whole lot of beauty rules by using the same shade I contoured with as my eyeshadow, but they look totally different combined with the other shades around them! I was kind of stumped as to what to put on my eyes. I felt like my usual cat-flick was just a bit too cutesy and girly for the look I ended up with, so I went for a thicker top lid, blunter at the ends, and a soft smokey eye, leaving the brows not as bold as normal, and a nude lip. Again, a day of firsts! :D

I'll leave you with this...today, I felt amazing. Properly confident and upbeat, and that doesn't normally happen. I felt pretty, cocky...sexy even! So I'll leave you with what must be the sexiest song in the universe to ever have been made. Trent Reznor, you depressing wee sod, we salute you for this, the sleaziest song ever.

Take care!

Amii

xoxo

FEATURE: DEVINE DELINQUENTS

2012-02-14T22:44:00.001Z

I always feel like a little patch has been made over a space I didn't know was there whenever my eyes are opened to a new jewellery maker I love...something that I needed to know existed, and it makes me feel happy to know that people with such artistic talent can put their dreams into designs, and share them with the world. This of course was no exception when Devine Delinquents strutted onto my radar, and I'm in love. Victorian-style elegance, with flawless lace, soft faux fur, diamantes, cameos...it screams Old World glamour, the answer to our opulent dreams!

"Two locks, one key..." £8

"Fatal Feline" collar, £12

I had a little interview with Nikki, the creator of DD...

How long have you been making jewellery, and how did you get into it?

Devine Delinquents started in May 2011, this was due to feeling like I could produce alot of the mass marketed "alternative" jewellery that was being pumped on to the scene myself, but do it with a bit more of a handmade feel to it. I have always customised my own clothes and made bits and pieces of jewellery here and there, so it seemed like a logical step.

The whole aesthetic of Devine Delinquents was to always be innovative, to always handmake everything and to always offer items that our customers wanted. Being a one woman operation and speaking to all my customers one on one really helped this.

Devine Delinquents started out as just being handmade resin pendants and it has slowly gained speed to become so much more, I find it quite difficult to keep up with all the ideas sometimes!!

What inspires you? Who and/what are your biggest influences in your design?

So many things inspire me, be it photos, paintings, words, tv shows, films, a walk in the woods, fabrics, visiting museums, tattoos, americana, friends, relatives, dreams.....I could go on forever.

I think, as cheesy as it sounds, life is inspiring, for example, I was on holiday in Edinburgh at the end of the Summer and my partner and I visited the museum of Scotland. As one of their exhibits they had an indepth look at victorian funerals, so, big horse drawn funeral coaches, decorated with gold and skulls, another exhibit featured jet mourning jewellery.

Alot of those things, plus good old fashioned love stories influenced the Modern Romance Collection.

I wouldn't say there is any one particular person that inspires my design as such but I am a fan of strong female figures.

Would you say you have a trademark, something that flows consistently through your designs?

I wouldn't say I have a trademark as such but I everything I produce is handmade.

Faux fur hand-muff with peacock feather adornment, £25

Have you always been arty? What did you get up to before you started DD?

I have always wanted to be arty! I didn't really posses the skill at school and I didn't really develop the patience for it until a few years ago. It took me a lot of time to learn that with skill must come patience. A phrase that was always uttered by my parents but never really understood when I was younger.

I love drawing and since starting DD's, I have developed my art skills by taking drawing classes in the evening and through desinging my jewellery. I studied photography at college but once darkroom practices were slowely withdrawn from my courses, I lost all interest. Again, I think that harks back to the aesthetic of handmaking everything. I have always enjoyed sewing and everything I make with DD's that is fabric orientated is all hand stitched, I undertand sewing machines, but I don't feel that it works for me as a tool, maybe some day I'll have another go with them.

Before I started DD's, I had another business that wasn't really working out for me so I stopped it all and started DD's.

I also work full time so DD's is my other full time job. I hope one day that i can give up the day job and just concentrate full time on DD's.

"Queen of Fangs" fascinator, £10

Whats your favourite pieces/collections so far?

I will always have a fondness for resin as it's where I started my jewellery journey. However, the resin is taking a well earned rest at the moment and I am re-designing the whole process of how I work with it. Come April I will be starting work on a whole new range again, which I can't wait for. I think my favourite pieces change so regularly due to to me constantly making things all the time. However, I love making chokers, stitching on beading or anything intricate. I have to ay the the Modern Romance Collection is my first "Collection" As it were but this has been released slowly as pieces have been ready. I am just starting the journey into apothecary type products too. I have just made my first batch of fragranced body oils which all have a bit of a twist from your usual perfumes. I have used fragrances such as black cherry, almonds, marshmallow, gardenia and english roses throught out the range and I am very excited to be able to sell these soon. Developing something new is always such good fun.

What materials do you love working with?

Lace, feathers, beading, felt, resin, the list goes on and on. I am never afraid to try new materials and I always have the attitude of, try it, wear it, see how it works out. I never let any product go out of DD's without me having first worn the prototype. I think thats something that alot of designers don't do nowadays, you have to be comfortable wearing something and make sure that the product doesn't have any design faults.

Nikki's work is not only beautiful, but you can tell she has fun with it as well. It's always nice to see this in designs, especially when they obviously show through! Not only does she create these gorgeous pieces, she also makes necklaces from resin, fascinators, chokers, and "I Fucking Love Tea" earrings...! The best part? They're all ridiculously reasonably priced for such pretty pieces of jewellery that have been lovingly handcrafted.

If you order from Devine Delinquents today, you can use the following code to get 10% off your order!

WELOVEDD

Take care!

Amii

xoxo

DISCLAIMER; I was not paid for this review, nor did I receive any free endorsements or jewellery for it. I wholeheartedly believe in supporting those who take the time out of their day to create beautiful pieces of jewellery we can wear and create memories with. If you have any designers who you feel should be in the spotlight, drop me an email at scarlet_pout@hotmail.co.uk xx

Phew!

2012-02-13T23:24:00.000Z

I have been a busy busy bumble bee! It's already mid-February, how did we stumble into the second month of 2012 so quickly?! So far this year...

I turned 20, and the lovely Rai of Blargle Fargle won my giveaway (prize has been sent out! Wooo!)
I've had a few event invites, and some products to review as well (which is UNREAL, because that kind of stuff never happens to me and it's all been going on in the past three weeks!) AND I have a lovely jewellery feature coming up soon...
I'm preparing to finally start something I said I'd do a year ago...making plugs and tunnels! For all you lovelies out there with stretched ears but nothing pretty to put into them, have no fear, I'll be here! (soon...)
I'm beginning the long process of becoming a red-head...
I DONE MY FIRST PIERCING!!! It was hella scary, and on the head piercer's husband's ear, and I almost lost the jewellery in the cannula... but yay!
I realised my son turns two next month. Two years old. 24 months since he came into the world with a bemused looking expression to match mine and has caused havoc since then. No, it hasn't sunk in properly yet...
I'm starting to properly decorate the flat I've been in nearly a year. Well, better late than never to journey to make a house a home!
I saw Dropkick Murphies on Saturday at The Barrowlands in Glasgow, and they kicked arse, as usual!

I know, right? Mental. One thing I dropped by here to do before I pass out was share a wee outfit I'm planning on wearing to the International Women's Day 2012 Blogger Meet-Up in March. I'll be taking along a bunch of clothes for the swap and also donating to the cause. Hoping to see some familiar faces there!

That Iron Fist dress...I need it. Skulls, lipstick and a peter pan collar? Yes, oh yes. You will be mine by the end of the month. I already have pretty much everything else (cameo jewellery, glittery rings, gloves, the sunglasses and a pretty cardigan) so this is the outfit planned. I'm thinking team it with my red tie-up Mary Jane court shoes, a slick of lippie and my Skeleanimals bag, just to pretend I'm 16 again. Possibly dying my hair a wash-in-wash-out red, just so it's all matching! (Yes, I do go as far as to match everything.)

Like I said I'm working hard on new things for the blog, muchos excitement coming this way! But decided to quickly post this to share how amazing this outfit looks - seriously, I never put together anything this good!

Are any of you guys going?

Take care!

REVIEW & TUTORIAL: ColourB4

2012-02-06T21:39:00.000Z

I finally stopped whinging and moaning about my hair and done something about it...after a few months of research and preparing my hair, I took the first step to becoming ginger like I deliberated about here.

image source

Preparing My Hair!

First off, I did my homework on ColourB4. I didn't want to go ahead and ruin my hair after spending ages getting it back to good condition, so I read reviews on the product, experiences, suggestions and advice on HairCrazy, and even the instruction booklet online. I trawled through hair forums, student groups, YahooAnswers... and I gleaned more information from these forum posts than what I did from the instructions, if I'm honest. After a while, I felt like I knew all there was to about ColourB4, and ended up figuring out a to-do list and information list:

All permanent hair colourants contain peroxide, even black, and this damages the hair beyond repair. It stains the hair cuticles so the colour will stick, so when this is stripped out it can turn out orange/brassy where it had been dyed.
You can apply it up to three times in one sitting (although personally this seems quite brutal on your hair, even though it promises not to damage it, it must do SOMETHING to it.)
FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS TO A TEE. Nothing made me more annoyed than reading low reviews people had given when it went something like this: "Oh I used it and it was crap, my hair went orange and the rest of it didn't go any colour at all. I put it on but took it off after half an hour because it stank and it told me to rinse for ages - BOOORING." Ugh.
Don't re-colour your hair for at least a few days. Even then I'd probably leave it a few weeks, just to give your hair a rest! The reason this is advised is the product shrinks the hair colour molecules, which takes the colour out. If you were to put more dye on too soon, they'd just open right back up again and hey presto, you're back to where you started. Again, lots of people seemed to ignore this (see above point...again, ugh.)
Use a clarifying shampoo to remove build up: there are many hair products that contain silicone, and when you use straighteners or tongs that go above 230C they melt the silicates and they melt to your hair, and coat it with a shiny, plasticky molt. You know when the ends of your hair look really fake and shiny and frazzled? That's silicone damage. Eek!

The last point was the one that really caught my attention: I had no idea that there were silicone-based chemicals in hair products, and didn't know that they caused these kind of effects. So, being as curious as I am, I researched a little further. It turns out that it's just as bad as Sodium Lauryl Sulphates, which have a similar effect AND can damage your scalp - there aren't many popular brands that DON'T contain SLS or silicones - in fact, anything promising to make your hair extra shiny and add more volume are guaranteed to. So I decided to stay on the safe side, I clarified my hair...erm, by using washing up liquid. Haha! It worked though, one rise with that and then a bath of Macadamia Healing Oil left my hair incredibly soft and smooth. I done that for two weeks, and the only heat I used on it in that time was my straighteners, once, to tame the ends.

How To Use Colour B4!

After taking good care of my hair, on Sunday night I went to my Mam's to use her shower, as we've only got a bath. This is what my hair looked like before I started...

...Strangely expressive eyebrows aside, this is the colour I started with. The clarifying treatments were stripping the black slowly but surely on their own, and red was beginning to shine through on the bottom. I kept it up in a hat all day that day (while chasing Brandon around Tesco while he was dressed as a Teletubby brandishing a cheesestring, but that's a whole other story.) hence the flat hair.

And here it is! I used the Extra Strength one.

A list of everything I used, and three things I forgot to add: wear an old t-shirt, have a plastic hair clasp clipped to your top just in case, and have clingfilm at the ready with an old hat!

At this point my phone died, but I can talk through everything I did.

Pour part A into part B. Shake vigorously, and if you're using a tint brush and bowl like I did, squeeze it all into the bowl. Beware, it's really runny! And the reviews don't lie, it actually stinks like rotten eggs.
Don your plastic gloves, and part your hair. Apply it quickly and liberally - you do have to work quite rapidly, because like I said it's quite watery and drips very easily...
Concentrate more on your ends, as these are furthest from your head, so won't develop as fast in the air as your roots will.
Work upwards through your hair, using another mirror if possible to make sure you've covered the back of your head well! Once your ends are coated, you can work more on the rest of your hair. Massage into your hair (preferrably NOT your scalp, like you're rubbing in shampoo!) and be sure to have an even coverage, by using the wide-toothed comb.
Once applied, your hair will be coated, and you can comb it up onto your head. Wrap with clingfilm (or even a plastic bag, just flatten it to your head to get rid of trapped air) and secure with the clip at the nape of your neck. Then, pop on the old hat you have. This will help your head heat up and let the mixture develop better!
At this point, I pottered about for an hour: had some dinner, watched the TV, and ended up nearly going over an hour by watching The Land Before Time and getting swept up with old memories...oops!
The instructions are VERY specific on the buffering part, the bottle marked C. Rinse your hair for five minutes, then add half the bottle to your head and lather up well, then rinse for ten minutes. It doesn't seem a long time at first, until you check the timer and see that it's only been two minutes. Once you've done that, you have to do it again, for another ten minutes. Just as well it wasn't my hot water I was wasting! I found it easier just to actually get into the shower rather than hold my head over the bath.

No shampooing, no conditioning, nothing else is to be done to your hair after this. I was a bit nervous actually, my hair felt very squeaky - I know that's a strange way to explain it, but it felt a bit rubbery and odd! I couldn't see any difference in colour at that point, so I blowdried my hair... and ta-daaa!

Soft brown hair, with blonde tips from where it had been bleached before. Yay! It's not ridiculously light, only a few shades above my old colour, but significantly so that I have had to move to the brown liner in my BabeCake brow kit!

Review...

Pro's

If used properly, it gets rid of colour build up and unwanted hair-colourant

It doesn't damage the hair, unlike bleach

Reasonably priced (retails between £9-£13 depending where you buy it)

Con's

IT STINKS. So bad. But not so bad that I would consider this seriously important...

It's a bit complicated to understand, and things I felt were quite important to know weren't really covered in the instructional booklet (like the clarifying thing)

The rinsing takes ages, and the whole process can take up to two hours, from application to rinsing.

So, an even keel there, but I'm very happy with the results! I'd happily recommend it, as long as you follow the instructions exactly...I meant to mention, I only needed the one bottle, which is quite unusual as my hair is so thick I normally need two bottles of anything, but there is so much product in a pack that I only used the one.
My hair is soft, has no blotchy patches, and is one step closer to becoming GINGER. :)

Love, Amii

xoxo

DISCLAIMER; This product was sent to me for review purposes. As usual, this does not effect my opinions on the product. My reviews are always honest, whether I have bought a product myself with my own money or it has been given to me for this purpose.

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

2012-02-01T23:21:00.000Z

I know, all I seem to be talking about is this bloody giveaway!

So today, I ran a bath for Brandon before we went out, and I remembered all of a sudden, CRAP! I need to draw the names today! At that moment, he pulled through his big bag of coloured balls for his ball pit, and inspiration struck. Instead of drawing names out of a hat, why not make it a bit more fun? I wrote down every entry on a different coloured ball, and popped them in the bath with B. I got him to swish them around, and the first one he picked up would be the winner. Drumroll, please...

Congratulations, Rai! You've won the gorgeous jewellery, and nabbed yourself a make up goodie bag!

There was an adorable video filmed of the boy covered in bubbles shouting BALL! BALL! YELLOW! And chucking it at me, but it filmed without sound! :(

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Amii

People Are Strange, When You're A Stranger...

2012-01-27T22:16:00.000Z

I've had a lot on in the past few weeks, so I've not been blogging as consistently as I'd like to. But you know when life kind of takes over, and everything takes a backseat for a while? And then you come back and inspiration is hiding under the couch flicking you the bird? Yep, that!

So to rectify this, I have a couple of things to share today...

First up: a mini beauty haul!

Revlon nail polish in "Rock"

Rimmel eyeshadow pot in "Pavement"

Maybelline lipgloss, no name unfortunately as the label has been scuffed!

Sally Hansen Insta-Dry topcoat

The polish is a pastel purple-grey shade, like the colour of clouds when the sun's just set. It's lovely and thick, and only took two coats to get to full opacity, and like most Revlon polishes it dried pretty quickly. Unfortunately as the light hasn't been too great here as of late, I didn't really manage to get a good photo as it turned dark just after these were taken!

The eyeshadow is stunning - very sheer, with some shimmer through it, a soft lilac shade marbled with a glittery grey and an off-white. The colour builds up really well...but again I'll need to update this next time I can get a chance with a swatch picture as the lighting turned poor really quickly!

The Maybelline lipgloss is just lovely. A glittery blue-toned red, it doesn't feel too gritty, and lasts reasonably well for a gloss. You twist the end and it pushes the gloss up the tube, it looks awfully futuristic! Unfortunately I find it can stay quite 'sticky' for a long while after application, and because the colour is so strong, if I'm not careful and get my hair on my lips I can end up with red streaks across my face where I've swept it away!

Now for the Sally Hansen topcoat...I've been looking for a new topcoat as my nameless gift-pack one has went gunky and died (not that it was good in the first place...) and came across this in Superdrug for £4. It claims to leave your nails with a smooth shine 30 seconds after application. So of course I put it to the test.

The instructions say to wait two minutes after applying your nail polish, then apply a coat of this, and to wait half a minute or so for a fast-drying, high-shine finish. I popped on my trusty RimmelLondon black, then two coats of Revlon's "Facets of Fuschia", then the topcoat, slightly apprehensive that I'd spent nearly a fiver on what could just pass as crappy clear polish. Of course, I was proved wrong.

Hurray! Shiny glittery prettiness! I touched my nail after 30 seconds and actually said 'Oh wow!" aloud. I'll clearly be investing in more SH products in the future! My problems with bad chips and tip-wear are notorious, but three days later and I still have nails that look freshly painted. One for the shopping list, lovely readers!

Now for a bit of a silly one. I always have at least a little bit of make up on, my glasses, and my hair scraped back. My piercings are never out, as I never need to take them out. But after I cleansed my hair (read in future post!) and it was brought immediately back to its original mental curliness, I thought about what I'd look like if I stripped everything else that wasn't 'naturally' mine...

No glasses. No eyebrows. No cat-flick eyeliner. Unstraightened hair. No piercings. Christ, I look strange! And I feel this song is fitting, if only for the fact it has 'strange' in the songtitle, and that I'm watching Lost Boys. Enjoy!

Amii

ALL The Colours!

2012-01-26T22:14:00.002Z

Last week, Lucy and Sarah (two of the funniest and most vile girls on the planet) came over to watch films, and we ended up laughing over pizza about sod all. Nights like those make me miss staying where I used to, when they were only just down the road - even when it was snowing they'd turn up to the door and wouldn't leave until we realised we had work in less than five hours. The whole point to this post is Lucy gave me a belated birthday gift.
She said, "The small one is from Ann Summers." I've learned not to fear those words, because she's an underwear connoisseur after having worked there (and co-managed!) for a few years, and previous gifts have included gorgeous undie sets, suspenders, seamed stockings and a vibrator, but this little package turned out to be a perfume - it smells so light and fruity, my favourite kinds!
I actually got a compliment from a woman in a lift on it, she asked "Oooh, what perfume are you wearing? Is it DKNY?" To which I replied, "Nope, Ann Summers!"
"Well," she said. "Just as well I'm on my way there - something else I can get!"
I opened the second present to find this.

I was really pleased, I love make up bags, I practically collect them! "No, open it silly!" And so I did...

Eeeee! Lots and lots of nail art pens! I'm no longer limited to black, I have it all! *evil laughter*

This means I can finally have lovely fruit-themed nails, or leopard print...oh, the possibilities!

What is your favourite nail art design?

Amii

Psssst! Don't forget to enter my giveaway before 10pm on Sunday!

Giveaway Reminder!

2012-01-24T23:41:00.001Z

Hello lovelies! Just to remind you, my giveaway is running until the 29th of January, so you will have until 10pm this Sunday to enter!

What you could win...

An Irn Bru can bracelet and a charm bracelet (made with real vintage charms!) from Bunny's Beads

SIDE A

SIDE B

Kokeshi doll earrings, green star earrings, and double-sided mixtape necklace from PunkyPins

...And a secret pamper goodie bag!

All of this in my first ever giveaway!

How you can enter...

Comment below with your name, your blog, and your email, and tell us the best birthday you ever had and why! (Mandatory) +1 entry

Tweet the following: "" I just entered @ScarletPout's birthday giveaway, and you can too! http://scarletpout.blogspot.com/2012/01/birthday-treats-and-treat-for-all-of.html"" +1 entry

Post on Facebook "" I just entered ScarletPout's birthday giveaway, and you can too! http://scarletpout.blogspot.com/2012/01/birthday-treats-and-treat-for-all-of.html"" +1 entry

RULES:

You must be a follower of the blog. I will be checking!
No blogs that have been set up solely for the purpose of giveaways/competitions, only to unfollow after winning - it's not fair on people who actually read the blog :c
One entry per valid submission, again it's only fair!

The giveaway is open until the 29th of January, and the winner will be picked from a hat by Brandon :)

And remember, as an added thankyou to all you amazing folks, PunkyPins are offering free P&P if you order with them and use the code SCARLETPOUTFPP at the checkout - plus they have an 80% sale on!

You can enter through this post, or by commenting on the original post before this! Goooood luck!

Amii

xoxo

Birthday Treats & A GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-10T23:12:00.003Z

Yesterday, I turned my back on my teenage years, and said hello to the roaring Twenties! I don't like making a massive deal out of birthdays, but it feels really nice to feel like people care when they wish me many happy returns. So I feel positively spoiled considering what I got from some amazing people!

Loving that my cards were largely booze, cake and cat themed...

Cute card and keepsake from my sisters :)

My boss gave me this cute lipgloss quad, they smell DIVINE!

A carousel themed bodycare set that Sarah gave me, everything smells amazing! And you can bet I'm keeping the mini roundabout box...

Zara gave me these adorable necklaces! A swallow watch with a lace bow, and a little strawberry locket: all of my favourite things in necklaces rolled into two :D (tiny heart courtesy of Sarah's doodling)

Modelling two gifts here! My Kreepsville 666 "Electrocutie" tee from one of our tattooists, Kev, and the AWESOME sugarskull marble cake from my friend Sophie! This got posted on the shop's Facebook and nearly 80 people liked it! Although from the way I'm sitting I look about 4" tall...haha!

I came home from work to a lovely handmade card from Brandon - it had stars, fluffy baubles and coloured feathers all over it, and a green handprint with a "B" in it. Although the tearful momma-and-son moment was abruptly popped as my little monster decided it was arts and crafts time again and proceeded to pull everything off it and try to stick it back on! I've yet to put it back together so it is in the kitchen until I buy glue tomorrow :) I had a relaxed night in, spent watching kids films (Cars. Over and over and over again. And then Toy Story because he kept yelling "WOODY! BUZZ! WOODYYYY!" Not that I begrudge watching Disney films all night at all!)

I don't feel two decades old. I still feel young and it's strange to thing ten years ago I was stunned that my amount of years alive was into the double digits. Here's to the next twenty!

To celebrate, I am holding a giveaway on the blog. I'm now at 87 followers, and that is honestly insane - I never thought I would even reach ten, let alone nearly 100! So here are my little gifts to you, and as it's a birthday giveaway, you're in for some surprises as well...

Two pairs of earrings from PunkyPins
A surprise charm bracelet from Bunny's Beads
A secret make-up goodie bag

Yep, all of this for you, in my first blog giveaway!

You can enter in the following ways:

Comment below with your name, your blog, and your email, and tell us the best birthday you ever had and why! (Mandatory) +1 entry

Tweet the following: "" I just entered @ScarletPout's birthday giveaway, and you can too! http://scarletpout.blogspot.com/2012/01/birthday-treats-and-treat-for-all-of.html"" +1 entry

Post on Facebook "" I just entered ScarletPout's birthday giveaway, and you can too! http://scarletpout.blogspot.com/2012/01/birthday-treats-and-treat-for-all-of.html"" +1 entry

There are a few rules, as per...

You must be a follower of the blog. I will be checking!
No blogs that have been set up solely for the purpose of giveaways/competitions, only to unfollow after winning - it's not fair on people who actually read the blog :c
One entry per valid submission, again it's only fair!

The giveaway is open until the 29th of January, and the winner will be picked from a hat by Brandon :)

And as an added thankyou to all you amazing folks, PunkyPins are offering free P&P if you order with them and use the code SCARLETPOUTFPP at the checkout!

Good luck lovelies, and take care!

Amii

xoxo

REVIEW; Soap & Glory Series #1

2012-01-08T02:58:00.000Z

One of my Christmas presents was the big Soap & Glory box from my lovely boss, and I've been using at least one product from it a day! It's full of fabulous goodies, some of which (i.e. Hand Food and Righteous Butter) I've used before, but most of these I never even knew existed!

I'll be reviewing them throughout January, as part of a mini S&G series of posts, while of course enjoying pampering myself...

"Calm One, Calm All" Bubble Bath

One sniff of this, and I knew it was going to be a product I enjoyed - it smells like those bags of pick'n'mix you used to get when your mum dragged you through Woolworths, like so many sweets and candy merged together, without being too sickly. I pop two or three capfuls under running water to make the bubble bath, and one good thing about this is it doesn't go too bubbly, just enough to make you feel luxurious! It promises to leave your skin lovely and smooth, which made me think, 'Great, if it doesn't have built in moisturiser I might skip that after the bath!' as it has lotion in it: it doesn't moisturise it to that extent, but it did leave my skin feel a lot softer than other bubble baths have. Judging by the size of the bottle and the tiny amount I needed, this could last me a while, so good value for money!

Rating: 4/5

Would I buy it myself? Definitely!

"Pulp Friction" Body Scrub

I'm not a massive fan of S&G's scents for their body butters, but their fruity ones are gorgeous - and Pulp Friction is no different, very light and yummy-smelling! (apologies, no other way I can describe it without sounding like a child...) I thought it was going to be a similar consistency to some clay exfoliators, but it's quite rich and creamy with a decent amount of exfoliating beads through it. I applied it and left it a few seconds to settle into my skin, and it washed off easily, no rubbing away at stubborn patches. I really like it, my skin felt baby soft and smelled delicious as well!

Rating: 5/5

Would I buy it myself? Yes, it actually works a lot better than the scrub I've been using for the past six months.

"Face Soap and Clarity" Facial Wash

Like Pulp Friction, this facial wash has a nice fruity scent. It says it's scented with fruit - it doesn't smell like any fruit I've ever smelled, if anything it's only slightly chemical-y, but it's still lovely, almost like Opal Fruits.

It's one of those water-activated gel scrubs, and it only took a small amount to lather up, and it spread nicely as well. I was worried that the pink beads would be slightly abrasive as they didn't look as though they would dissolve, but even with firm circular motions I didn't feel anything like that, even on the sensitive part of my face, on my jawline. It washes off fine, doesn't leave too heavy a perfume behind, and worked well.

It says that it's a 3 in 1 product: it scrubs, it cleanses, and acts as a soap. I wouldn't say as a cleanser that it's so great that I'd throw out my other products, but it cleanses all the same, and it's nice to skip a few steps and get them all done in the one go!

Rating: 3/5

Would I buy it myself? Possibly,my only real gripe with it is that because it was so gentle and gel-like that I couldn't really feel the beads working while I lathered, but my skin still felt great afterwards, so I know it worked!

After using these since Christmas, my skin has been left softer, smoother, and I haven't had as many breakouts on the sides of my face, which has been left with a lovely glow that wasn't there this time two weeks ago! I think these are fantastic, and I feel a bit bad having been so sceptical of Soap & Glory's products after only trying Righteous Butter, the more things I try the more I see why people love them so much!

(psst; this is also my last blogpost of being a teenager, waaaah! Cannot believe I turn twenty tomorrow...)

Amii

xoxo

FOTD; Urban Decay, Bold Brows, and Silly Faces

2012-01-05T20:13:00.000Z

First FOTD of the year, woo!

Okay, I promise to try not to do that with every post in the whole of January. I tried out my UD palette (which I swatched for you all here) in an actual look the other day. I used Deep End, Evidence for the crease, and Vanilla as a highlight, but I felt that teamed with a bold brow, it made me look too...well, like this.

(hysterically, here's the source...there really is a facebook group for everything)

So I blended away to my heart's content, and came up with a very nice, subtle eye color.

Not far too pigmented, and just enough definition so it doesn't look washed out. Yay! I'm a bit annoyed with my liquid eyeliner at the moment actually - look at the end of that flick! I've used Collection 2000's liquid eyeliner for years now, mainly for the brush - it's like a conical, pointed sponge that's firm enough to create fantastic defined strong shapes, yet soft enough that it wouldn't drag the colour away and make those annoying tram lines that you have to spend ages gently filling in. The brushes are now blunt and quite solid, which is disappointing! So I'm on the lookout for new liquid eyeliner by the looks of things. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Products Used;

Urban Decay Deep End, Vanilla & Evidence

Brows; Benefit Babe Cake in black

Liquid eyeliner; Collection 2000 (grrr...!)

Mascara; 17 Va Va Voom Volume

Foundation; Benefit Non-Fiction

Blush; MUA 004

As I was also trying out silly make up looks on the same day (post to follow, it's SO bad...) I decided I'd try out the way I used to wear my hair, aka, in a MASSIVE pomp. Turns out my fringe isn't quite long enough for me to do that, so I just had a very 'There's Something About Amii' look about me...

Heehee!

On another note, I'm quite enjoying having bolder brows and experimenting more with shapes now that I'm happy with my technique of drawing them on. Hooray!

Here's a little something to soothe ourselves with in the plight of the awesome Howard Jones leaving Killswitch Engage. SADFACE!

This band - this song, this whole album - reminds me of being 13 and rocking out in my bedroom and having the rose from the original artwork drawn on the back of my door. Of being young and obsessed with music and make up, thinking I ruled the world and no one could ever stop me.

"It won't be long, we'll meet again! Your memory is never passing!"

Amii

xox

Tatty Gidness; Completion!

2012-01-02T21:24:00.002Z

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my thigh was started a few months ago. It was a random idea; Zara (who is currently the apprentice in the studio, and is shit hot!) was looking to do a big piece, and I offered my thigh for an idea I'd been thinking of for a while. Within half an hour or so we'd sourced some lovely images of fish, lotus flowers, and lily pads, and within a few weeks I was sitting for my first session. Not only was this her first big piece to tattoo, this was also my first time being tattooed for so long! So here is a little photo post of the evolution of my thigh-piece, and how I found it.

Outline...

I don't normally get tattoos for any particular reason. My magpies and F-holes are the only ones really, they tend to be because I like the design, it's come to me in a daydream or it's something that's been a part of my life for years and a passion, or in two cases, it's for charity! I just love the look of beta fish and lotus flowers, really. I wanted it rather traditional Japanese style at first - not traditional in the tattooing sense, by that I mean like old Japanese watercolours, very soft shades with splashes of bright amongst the pastel, and also I didn't just want to settle for having a few small koi amongst lotus petals. Beta fish are pretty cute, bright and flouncy, and their tails have always reminded me of dresses, so they were a definite!

My first session was two hours, not including the ten or so minutes we spent placing the stencil carefully...although part of it would end up going round onto the back of my knee. Nevertheless, I was excited, and relaxed into it after a few minutes of the ritual that was starting to become familiar. It's hard to describe to someone who has never experienced being tattooed before: there is this massive rush of adrenaline when you sit down in the chair, it's exhillirating and terrifying at the same time that you are modifying your body permanently. And I always find, from my very first until my most recent, I get the jitters right before it - a flash of 'HOLY CRAP WHY AM I DOING THIS AGAIN?!" which vanishes as soon as it gets started. One of the things people tend to ask is, 'Does it hurt?' Of course, it's needles! It's not unbearable though. It depends on you as a person, where it is you get it and how you will find it, and your personal pain threshold.

The outline healed very quickly, although as is normal with me, my skin around the area is quite dry for a few weeks afterwards. As you can see below there are parts of the fish which appear softer, less defined, and seem to have a parallel invisible ripple going through - we decided on that for the shading, to give it a gradient 'watercolour' effect, to further the illusion of the beta fish swimming in their pond :)

Shading & colouring the fish and ripples...

After the outline had healed fully and my dry skin had abated, it was time to start the shading. The last time I got tattooed before my thigh had been the moth/clouds on my sternum which had been hand-poked, which was quite painful towards the end and before that it was a tiny poison bottle on my foot, so I was slightly nervous about this! At first it was fine, but I found it quite nippy towards the front/inside of my thigh, and that tiny little ripple that flows to the back of my thigh too. (You have no idea how hard it was to type 'ripple' and 'nippy' in the same sentence without coming out with 'nipple'!) It was quite bizarre feeling actually, some bits were quite sharp and tangy, and others (the top lotus flower, the smallest fish etc) were totally fine and all I could feel was pressure. My thigh muscles were going crazy, twitching all over the place towards the end!

I had a few moments where I literally did think I could fall asleep. But before I could, there would be a sore twinge and I'd waken properly back up again, so I dozed through maybe 15-20 minutes of it, haha!

Overall, this session was 1 1/2 hours long, and my leg was quite hot and swollen the next day, entirely different to just having linework! Again, after the scabs disappeared it was dry, for a little while longer this time. (Apologies for the shocking 'grey background, colour forepiece' editing, wanted to make the tat stand out like in the above picture but Zara is a photoshop wizard, and I'm content with badly shopping willy's onto people's faces rather than learn proper skillz.) You can also see my swelling kicking in bigtime, and what I meant about the shading/ripples with the fish. The whole piece is beginning to come to life!

Final session on shading...

So Thursday the 29th of December was my final sitting. We had a couple of gorgeous reference pictures for colours for the lilies, and battered into it. We started with greyshade which was fine, but before long it was time to move onto the dreaded back-of-knee lily...which had a fair few twinges, but was a bit better than I'd anticipated. Chattering through the tattoo, I looked up every so often to see how it was coming on and was delighted each time. Zara tried out a few techniques, like dappling on the leaf, green and yellow streaks (it's almost as if it's Autumn and the colours are beginning to turn across the pond, and you all know it's my favourite season!) and splashes of colour on the tips of the petals. I think that's what was just so great about the whole process - because we're both friends and workmates, she knows me well, knows what I'd like, and I'm happy to give her artistic licence over whatever she feels would look best and compliment it as a whole. And I think that's one thing a lot of people take for granted with their tattooists these days - you may have very specific ideas about what you want, and that miniscule butterfly with a halo with three pin-sized initials may look lovely now but it may not translate well to a tattoo, and if your artist tells you this, you have to trust that. They're not refusing to tattoo it that small, or put a pale pink daisy on your ass or tattoo ACAB across your knuckles just to be dickheads - it's their job to advise you on what would work best, wouldn't be a blob in 20 years time, and won't leave you unemployable. You are putting your body in their hands, and a decent artist won't just take your money and put any old crap on you then let your arse hit you on the way out (unlike this unprofessional asshat here), so keep that in mind when you begin to argue with someone about getting a lover's name on your neck; it's their profession, so they might just know what they're talking about.

Diversion and cynicism aside, as I said I just let Z do her thing. 2 hours after needle first touched skin, we realised there was only a tiny amount left to do: a few highlights on the petals, details on the lily pads, and some depth added to the centre of the flowers. She just blasted through it, and I was left with this beautiful piece of art on skin...

Roughly six hours worth of prettiness right there. I always feel like a little part of me feels lighter after getting tattooed, like I'm closer to discovering who I am and feeling good about myself. I love how I can wear one of my usual circle skirts, have a peter pan collared top on and a cardigan and black pumps, look as twee as can be, and this peeps out the hem of my skirt as if to say, 'Hello, I'm here too, and there's more to me than meets the eye...'

So thankyou to Zara, I'm so pleased with my little fish pond!

Amii

xox

pssst...I'm experimenting with adding watermarks to my photos, I didn't want them to be just plain grey and boring, what do you think?

OOTD; Bringin' In The Bells

2012-01-02T01:58:00.001Z

Today was spent very lazily, stuffing my face with New Years lunch (why is it Granny's always make food so much better and fantastic?!) watching films until I got home, and realised I'd ran out of milk, bread and eggs, and had an insane craving for french toast thanks to my friend Emma, so headed out to Asda which is thankfully just up the road. I took the opportunity to wear my lovely new boots - my Mam had a similar pair, and they're really comfy, not the kind of style I'd ever imagine her (or me, for that matter!) wearing, she knew I liked them and thoughtfully bought me a pair for my Christmas. Aww!

Houndstooth woolen dress; TK Maxx

Cardigan; George by Asda

Velour corduroy jeans; Internacionale

Boots; Santa! (They're from Priceless, haha)

Hat; George by Asda

I'm trying out a new photo editing technique, bear with me these next few blog posts until I decide if I like it or not...

The boots are so lovely though, and they make my feet look tiny! They lace up and have little hooks on the side of the turned over top for lacing up fully, or you can pull that up and have a mid-calf boot, versatility is always a pro in my books! And they kept my feet snug on the walk up to Asda, where I ended up picking up a cheeky wee tiramisu pudding as well as my groceries...

Hogmanay is a big thing up here in Scotland, and it can get a bit teary and emotional as we bring the bells in - there's nothing like it, everyone in eachother's arms, hugging and wishing a Happy New Year with a drink in their hand and the other raised in the air, waving as Auld Lang Syne plays with the Edinburgh Castle guns going off in the background with fireworks and dancing and laughs - it's just amazing, following the traditions (such as first footers etc) that our parents and theirs before them have enjoyed feels so overwhelming, and for some reason like I said it can get quite emotional. Another year passed, another to come, with more in store than the one before. 2011 has been an eye opener for me, for myself, my abilities as a mother and as a person, and it's showed me that I can become stronger and more confident if I just stop holding myself back. I don't make resolutions any more- if I decide I'm going to do something I just do it, setting a day to start it on will surely mean it will fail! - but I have been making myself promise to do more. For me, for my friends, and for Brandon. To be all that I can be, and more. To give myself more self-worth. To focus, to concentrate, and achieve any goal I have to work towards.

So to all of you, I hope you get what you wish for in 2012. I hope you get that bit closer to your dream that you're working towards. And I wish you all the best for what the year ahead may bring you!

Take care,

Amii

xoxo

SWATCHES: Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette

2011-12-28T00:39:00.001Z

Hello, lovelies! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year, I've been spending all my spare time with friends and family so haven't had a chance to get much done, but took the time to photograph my presents, and once they're all done I'll pop up a little post. I've loved reading all of your Christmas posts, I'm so glad you were all spoiled rotten!

Here's one of my beauty-related gifts I received, the much-coveted Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette...

I properly squealed when I opened it! I know how hard these were to get a hold of when they first came out, and even though I'm not a massive palette fan, I'm still a Urban Decay fangirl at heart. I've just been looking at it in its lovely velvet-lined box, trying to put off taking it out and doing swatches, because it's just too damn pretty. But curiosity took over adoration, and I just had to go swatch-crazy and review each shade as I've found it.

I love the packaging, first of all. Classic Urban Decay, with jewel decal and purple and dark shades - and this brocade pattern down the sides of the lids reminds me of HIM's album artwork from the earlier years (please tell me I'm not the only HIM fan still kicking about over the age of 12 and under the age of 45?) The inside of the lid is actually a mirror (quite handy for someone like me who doesn't have a small mirror to do eye make up on!), and the tray holding the shadows actually pops out to make a mini, pretty keepsake box. Very smooth, shiny, and surprisingly weighty.

Please excuse the awful background - I used two sketch books slotted together to make a 'mini light box' and failed miserably as of course there are the ringbinders in shot...Damn you, winter, giving us shorter days!

There's a decent variety of shades, including the infamous M.I.A., Tainted, and Blackout. Omen looks really interested in pan, and I was really excited to see Deep End - a lovely, rich shimmery blue-teal colour, a shade I'm really starting to love and experiment with.

Onto some swatches now, working in vertical columns from left to right...

L-R; Midnight Rodeo, Midnight 15, Vanilla, Flow, Chase.

There isn't not a lot of pigment in these, they're very neutral and subtle. More shimmer than substance. I feel like that although Flow is a lot warmer than Vanilla, it's almost exactly the same shade, and as you can see, you can barely see them on the skin - but they make fab highlights, depending on the shades you're wearing. Midnight Rodeo is the most pigmented of these, it's a lovely coffee hue, and goes on so smoothly!

L-R: Tainted, Junkshow, Omen, Evidence, Deep End.

Lovely shimmers! So much sparkliness, incredibly difficult to wipe off in one swipe, but SO PRETTY. Very soft, but easy to build up, and I imagine mixing these with some of the shades above could make a really subtle yet colourful day-time look. It's a bit strange that Deep End isn't as peacock green as it was in pan, and Evidence is quite chalky at first but builds up nicely, and look at Junkshow, so bright! The only way I can describe it is Barbie Pink, and Omen is a lovely lilac with blue holo through it, look at how it catches the light - very nice, thumbs up from me!

L-R; Deeper, M.I.A., Ace, Blackout, Half-Truth.

These are the shades I could see myself wearing a lot. Deeper is a stunning brown with gold shimmer, it's so heavily pigmented - that's from one swipe of the shade, and it goes on like a dream. I really like Ace as well, it's like a gun-metal grey with subtle blue and white shimmer through it...the only one I'm not so keen on is Blackout. It doesn't spread as nicely as the others, and takes a bit more layers to become thick and properly dark and smoky - I heard great things about it as well, but I'll make it work somehow! With a slightly wet brush it's practically like liquid eyeliner in how thick and black it goes, but I pat on a touch more with a dry brush to make it easier to blend.

Hopefully I'll be able to get over my fear of using expensive makeup, and use these to their full potential - absolutely stunning palette, really happy with it :)

Have you tried this palette before? What are your thoughts on it?

Take care,

Amii

xox

'Twas The Night Before Christmas...

2011-12-25T01:09:00.002Z

A lot of people view Christmas as a very stressful period. I have to admit, I'm a major stress-head, but I manage the festive period with minimal freak-outs. I've snapped some pictures that haven't made it into outfit/FOTD/haul posts, so I've made them into a little peek into what December 2011 has been like for me...

[pic heavy and a bit long...!]

We had ridiculous amounts of fun decorating the studio for Christmas this year. The downstairs floor (reception area) is full of tinsel, stars, giant glittery baubles, with a tree in the window, and this amazing big star light from Ikea (loving the little hanging skeleton in the background!) Upstairs, we have Gordon the Gimp Mask wearing reindeer ears and nose, and some bulbous lights across the outside of the tattoo room which REFUSE to stay on the window...

Falkirk's continental market isn't this massive extortionate affair like Edinburgh's German market (which I still get sad when I miss it...) but it's fab in its own way. There was a dreadlocked Russian boy selling monkey and kitty hats, German jewellery makers, and then a little stand up from our shop, run by two French men who sang away in loud voices to themselves while they cooked. They made crepes, chicken paella (I know, they're not Spanish, but it was delicious!) and this potato-cheese-bacon bake thing. I can't remember the name, but a tiny pot like that lasted me from lunch until the next day - SO filling!

So Scotland's first snow came yet again before the rest of the UK...and went within a week! Last year we had snow November-February, and it brought everything to a standstill. But as B was still teeny, he can't remember it - so waking up to it that morning was like seeing it for the first time, all over again. His chubby little face was full of amazement - this was the street he knew so well, yet it was transformed. This is one of my favourite pictures this year, let alone this month. :)

I tried out some new nail art - Christmas puddings! These are so easy to do: after your base coat, add one coat of brown polish, then a second coat half way up your nail from the cuticle. Then paint your tips with a thick white polish, and gently draw down 'drips' of icing sugar. Take a bright red polish, wipe excess on the edge of the bottle neck, and paint three tiny little dots beside eachother for holly berries, and then dip an old, clean eyeliner brush into a deep green and paint on the holly leaves. Festive, non?

Mini EOTD for you here! (Or should that be Eye Of The Month?!) I've been trying for over a year now to try to achieve the perfect dark, dramatic brow. I have watched tutorial upon tutorial for inspiration, but all of them were about achieving 'realistic' brows. And I don't do well with realistic, I'd prefer it that little bit more exaggerated! I found any I tried were too thick, uneven-looking, didn't suit my face, too masculine, too aggressive...until I accidentally drew my outer arch above where my natural brows should be. And it's transformed my face, it's opened up so much more and makes me look more alert. Does this make sense? I don't care, I LOVE it!

Products:

ELF primer in Champagne

ELF mini eyeshadow quads in Dark

Collection 2000 liquid eyeliner

Benefit Babe Cake in black for brows

As I've mentioned many times before, my lovely friend Rachael makes stunning jewellery. I popped up to Glasgow to see her about bracelets for my friends, and while I was there I may have ended up picking up a new ring, a new pair of earrings and this AMAZING flamingo cameo... Here's a link to her site, GO WILD! pssst, she also does custom jewellery... I'm now also very, very aware of how many times my microdermal makes an appearance in photos of me. (In case you've been wondering, that little black gem there isn't just ingrained dirt on my throat or a weird mole, it's a dermal implant!)

Santa came to town! You sometimes hear horror stories of bad Santa's (take this hilarious site here for instance), but this guy was Saint Nick incarnate. He was sweet, funny, cuddling everyone - his beard was even real! And he rolled down the high street to park outside the studio with reindeer pulling him all the way, inside a little pen so everyone could have a go petting the reindeer and getting to see Santa Clause. I took this picture from the piercing room - we were all way too excited over this than is acceptable for people our age...

Is it bad I wanted to buy the sewing machine and the pudding teapot for myself...? No. Not bad at all. Even though I know the sewing machine will probably be terrible as it's just clearly been made for the polkadots and that BHS aren't really famous for their fantastic clothes-altering products, it hasn't stopped me from wanting it... Good news is though a shop in the high street do a 30-stitch sewing machine for £50 down from £99! 20th birthday present, hrmmm....?

I was delighted when I found out I won Ree from Rockalily's Christmas giveaway, and even more so when I discovered I'd won a gorgeous necklace by Pip Jolley - looook, it's a pink hair curler! It's beautiful, and I'm wearing it on Christmas day :) The cute packaging and Christmas card from Pip made an already great prize fantastic, so thoughtful!

I've been out on a fair few nights out this month, in fact, the last three weekends in a row. Exhausted! And this is one of the only pictures I have from them. It's from Sarah's 21st, not the one where I wore the red dress, this one we hit the pubs on her actual birthday...well, if you're going to turn 21, do it properly, ae? I wore my lacy shorts, super amazing thick tights (THEY'RE LIKE FEETIE LEGGINGS!), my £5 red waytoohighheeled shoes, and this maternity dress I altered. I cut lace from the back when I was making my failed Queen of Hearts/Ex-Wife Hallowe'en outfit, and gathered the rest of the lace to the front, pulled it up, and pinned it at the back of my neck and rolled it under to make a high-necked top! I've had no time before I leave for these nights as I finish rather late, so no face/outfit posts from them - I can sure you they were amazing though :)

Which brings us to today, the 24th of December, and possibly the most anticipation-filled night for children everywhere: Christmas Eve.

Today was the Xmas Eve shop party, where everyone joined in after work downstairs for munchies and gift-swapping. B was running around, showing off, stuffing his face, giggling and dancing, it was so much fun! We ended up leaving early as he was getting tired, but he stayed up till 8.30pm, when he almost passed out on top of the cat. Brandon is now beginning to understand the concept of 'Santa', that a jolly roly-poly man in a red suit with a big beard will bring him gifts at the end of the year. He's now old enough to be able to enjoy presents, AND to unwrap them himself! When he's older I'll be able to teach him more about giving to others rather than just receiving them, but until then I'm going to enjoy watching him going mental over wrapping paper and boxes rather than the toys. So here is my final picture before I head off to bed for a well-deserved lie in: what my son is going to wake up to tomorrow morning (and Tilly's crazy kitty-laser eyes...) :D

Have a merry Christmas, everyone!

Amii

xoxoxo

FEATURE: The Accessory Stand!

2011-12-20T16:23:00.000Z

As all of you can probably tell, I like my jewellery. And as is also obvious, I like it quirky. So when a more demure and feminine shop pops onto my radar, I tend to flick past the tweet or skim through the post and carry on.

But "The Accessory Stand" caught my eye: bronzed/antiqued metals, cute retro prints, and nods to eras gone by is the main theme of TAS, which makes it stand out from the run-of-the-mill jewellery shops that seem to have popped up in the last few years or so. Very cute, very vintage-style without being too twee as it has a bit of a rock-chick twist, which very few stores can carry off so well!

Leopard ring, £2.99

It was started early this year by the lovely Eleanor, who has been running it as a side project while she's been at uni. But with graduation just peeping round the corner, we can expect to see great things of The Accessory Stand, which is already blossoming into a successful wee shop! She stocks mainly jewellery, but is starting to bring out bags and purses, and is producing more of her own designs such as ruse bud rings and earstuds, and Taylor Momsen-style charm bracelets.

Antique-style brooches, £3.79

The prices are fantastic for such pretty designs - and there really is something for everyone....

Cat Ear ring and Angel Wing rings, both £2.99. Masquerade mask ring, £2.79.

And for those of you who aren't massive fans of finger adornments like myself, she also sells adorable bags, jewellery stands, and door hangings. As well as these cute little earrings...

...which are available in a wide range of colours, at only £1 each!

If you want to have a look for yourself, here's some links for The Accessory Stand:

STORE: http://www.store.ebay.co.uk/The-Accessory-Stand
TWITTER: @accessorystand
BLOG: http://theaccessorystand.blogspot.com/

Just a little note to say, that Eleanor is hopefully doing a mini-January sale next month (at the start of the year, christ, where did 2011 go?!), watch this space for what reductions pop up...!

DISCLAIMER: I was not paid for this feature, and nor do I accept any payments as stated in my Contact Me page. I just like to share lovely shops with you all, and hope you enjoy this one :)

Take care guys,
Amii
xoxo

Tips&Tricks To Keep Those Winter Blues Away!

2011-12-16T00:19:00.000Z

Everyone reaches that point in winter where they feel run down, tired, and can't be bothered with anything, when the best solution seems to be curling up into a little ball under the duvet wishing you could hibernate. The stresses of the holiday season take their toll, and we suffer the dreaded 'Winter Blues'. So here's my fail-safe recipe for dusting away those cobwebs to make you feel like a more relaxed, happier chappy for the New Year!

The cold can be really harsh for your skin, leaving it dry, sore, and chapped. Keeping your skin in tip top shape will leave you looking healthier, it feeling softer, and you'll feel so much better for it - not only this, but our skin is with us for the rest of our lives, so we need to take care of it! Even if you don't feel like you're glowing on the inside, your skin will be, and it may end up making you feel that little bit chirpier!

Top Tips;

After a long day, a soak in a warm bath with your favourite bubblebath will relax you and soothe your skin - or even treat yourself to a scented bathbomb to wash away a stressful day!
Moisturise while your skin is still slightly damp - towel yourself dry, and slather on some moisturiser as your skin will absorb it better than when it's dry. It'll be left feeling soft and baby-smooth, and less prone to dry patches from the cold and wind. I love Vaseline's Intensive Care, Dr. Palmer's CocoaButter Formula and Dove products, as well as BodyShop's body butters.
Exfoliating is great for your skin, it gently rubs away any excess dirt and oil leaving you with a freshly scrubbed body and face! Scrub in gentle but firm circular motions, and don't go too hard! I'm loving Asda's Hot Butter Fudge and Lush's Ultra Bland at the moment.
Your hands are particularly vulnerable to winter weather - carry around a small tube of hand cream so you can keep them soft and happy on the go!
Everyone has suffered from chapped lips at some point, so popping on a little lip salve will keep the dreaded chaps at bay. Sally Hansen's formula is my favourite!
If your skin problems run a little deeper eg. eczema, psoriasis etc, then it may be worth getting an appointment with your GP to seek a medicated cream if you haven't done so, as these tend to be more aggravated in winter. I have a condition called Keratosis Pilaris which leaves me with sore bumpy and broken skin - getting a specific cream for it has been the best thing I have ever done!

Not only does our skin become barraged with the horrible weather, our hair does too. So to keep it looking its best for Christmas parties and for New Year, it'll be worth it to invest in a deep conditioner for your hair. The cold can leave it dry, and prone to breakages and split ends, so indulge yourself with lovely products - your hair will seriously thank you for all the pampering!

Top Tips;

Try to use as little heat as possible - your hair will seriously suffer from going from being blowdried etc to being out in icy winds then back inside warm shopping centres and the cosy office! Why not try an alternative to straighteners and curling irons? Use an opportunity such as having a 'No Heat Week' once a month, to try out new things to style your hair, like rag-rolling, pin-curls, or even bundling your hair into a cute hat? Trying something new will give you a mini-confidence boost!
Hot oil treatments are fantastic for dry, unhappy hair, like Moroccan oil - I personally adore Macadamia Healing Oil, never has my hair felt so smooth and shiny! What I do is pop the bottle in a jug of hot water, and after shampooing I drop a small amount on my hands, spread it between my fingers like conditioner, and apply it through my hair, focusing on my ends, then wrap my head with clingfilm and leave it for 5-7 minutes, and read, exfoliate or set a skin mask on until I wash it out. Ta-daa, happy hair!
Deep conditioning treatments penetrate the hair folicles, and help to mask any problems. Leaving these in and pampering yourself whilst they work their magic will truly help your hair, and let it become easier to manage and style. My top three brands that I've tried and tested are Lee Stafford, Tresseme, and of course, the glorious Aussie! I'm currently trying out Loreal products, and so far so good :)
Use products that match your hair type, that way they will work a lot better - and don't be afraid to search online for reviews, go ahead, see how people have found it and how it worked for them! Switching brands every once in a while helps too, even buying something different once you need to stock up will give you a better idea of the kind of thing you like, and you never know, you might come across your dream product!

Remember, not only our oustides are important - we need to take care of what's inside as well. Eating healthily will prevent you from feeling as sluggish and bogged down as we sometimes feel in the festive season - the excuse of 'Well...it IS Christmas after all...' is normally what makes us feel exhausted, from cheeky chocolates on the bus, or ordering in a takeaway because it's just that bit easier. Making time in your day to have a piece of fruit, or drinking water instead of fizzy juice, or any other little changes will give you a positive boost, and give you some energy.

Your mind is also important - we seem to be hit with the blues at the end of the year more than any other time, so cheer yourself up by doing activities that make you happy, such as watching your favourite film, taking the dog out for a walk somewhere new, paint a Christmas picture with the little ones, paint your nails a new colour, or even taking 5 and just relaxing with a cuppa. It's amazing what the little things do to brighten your day, and give your morale a boost!

Top Tips;

It's okay to say NO sometimes - we can't always run around after people! If you feel like you're starting to run yourself into the ground, think about what you have to do. The dishes can get done in half an hour, any silly little things can wait while you chill out for a while and collect yourself. It's not selfish or lazy, it's not breaking good spirit, it's keeping yourself well, healthy, and sane!
Like I said above, drinking water is great for you. Experts recommend at least 2l a day, which may seem like a lot, but that's like four bottles of Oasis, or six cans of Coke. Keeping a litre bottle beside your desk and sipping away at that instead of a latte or fizzy juice will keep you hydrated, and it's also fantastic for your skin...and better for your teeth than sugary drinks!
Getting up in the morning and going to work can seem like an utter chore sometimes, so why not get up that little bit earlier to get yourself ready? Slicking on some lippie and a flick of mascara can do wonders, and will give you a major boost and a wiggle in your walk, feeling good!
Trying new things will break the monotony and let you get away from the rabble for a while. Even silly things like reading a new book, playing a new game, going somewhere different on your day off, or doing your make-up differently will shed new light and distract you for a little while! Something I used to love doing was dressing as a 'character' and going to Glasgow - the French student, the English tourist, etc, and keeping in character the whole time, sometimes even changing accents for it... Glasgow is a massive, beautiful city - and every time I did this, I would see it from a whole other perspective, which is amazing, because it allowed me to appreciate things I never would have noticed before. The people, the architecture, new shops, new food...I know it sounds so silly and childish but I loved doing it, because it got me out there trying things I otherwise wouldn't have done while I was 'Amii' - if it weren't for that, I'd never have tried Starbucks, or worked up the courage to wear new things! I'm sorry, the melodramatic actress in me adored it, it was so much fun!

I hope this little list is received in good humour and happiness to everyone who reads it. I hope you're all well and healthy, and if even one of these tips helps someone to feel good about themselves, then I'm one happy lass :)

Take Care,

Amii

xoxo

Oh, to dream of pearls and ruffles...

2011-12-14T01:49:00.001Z

Been absent on the blogging front, I've been awfully busy! You'd have thought with Hurricane Bawbag turning the Central Belt upside down resulting in a half-day at work I'd have squeezed in some blogging...instead, I curled up with B in bed scoffing our faces watching Disney movies. So productive! But I've been taking some pictures to show you all what I've been up to :) Mainly shopping for the upcoming Christmas/Birthday parties! I'd mentioned we were all going shopping for them, and I ended up treating myself to a few things that I, em, 'needed' desperately...

I saw this dress on the New Look website and knew I had to have it. It was only £20, has these heart-shaped ruffles on the chest, and a decent-length pleated skirt with netting underneath, AND it has removable straps in case I want to do something a little different! Perfect for parties, and best of all? I know I'll wear it again and again and again :)

'The' Amii party dress in all its glory. And how cute is that silky sash? Complements the chiffon-y material, the only thing that would have made it better was if it gathered in a big bow at the back. Something I may add to it anyway. It's ruffly, puffy, fits fantastically (why thankyou, elasticated backs, my boobies are grateful!) and I knew it would swirl around when I danced about like a little girl - and it did...

Right about here is where I should post a picture of me from the party, posing against a pretty backdrop, with my lovely shoes (FIVE QUID SHOES. FIVE.) and my new dress, looking sophisticated and adult and sensible, and all dolled up and glamorous - but no one has any photographs of them looking like that at a successful 21st birthday party. And good lord, was it successful. Care for me to share an example?

Drunky McDrunkerson! Still annoyed at myself that I rushed myself so I never got the chance to take a picture of my awesome eye make-up. Smoky black with shimmery red inner corners!

All alcohol aside, it was an awesome night, spent with some of my favourite people in the world - happy birthday to my beautiful friend, Sarah!

Onto the next outfit! I scouted this little gem in H&M (enjoy the rhyming? I did, more than I probably should have) and nabbed it.

It's fabby for so many reasons - it fits nicely, it has a high-neck yet the pearl detail keeps it interesting, it's a perfect length, and - shock horror - it's sleeveless as well. So a bitty out the comfort zone, but still demure enough to keep me happy! It's rather Audrey Hepburn, although I highly doubt I'll look as classy as her in it, seeing as this is for the second night out, the infamous Shoap Pairty at Pierre's, which is filled with good food, great friends, and copious amounts of booze...And it was £25!

Teal shorts; £7.50 from Primark. Silver shorts; £19.99 from H&M.

Next up, some clearly essential winter clothing...shorts! I love high-waisted shorts, and snapped these up within ten minutes of eachother. I'm going to see if I can find some black shiny heart-shaped buttons for the turquoise ones, as I'm really not a gold person! The silver ones are a different variety of high-waisted altogether, as instead of fitted from hip to waist, it's smooth and rounded all the way to the waist, similar to the Lady Gaga-style disco pants that were around a couple of years ago. It gives my hips a curvier shape without giving me a beer-belly, and they cover my bum as well! I love the silver lacy pattern as well, another winner from H&M!

...Yes, this hat was totally necessary. Yes, it hurt a little to pay £13 for it. No, I do not regret it. And yes, it is a FREAKING STRAWBERRY BEANIE. If you watched my YouTube vid you'd have seen my excitement for it. And also those cute little bow clips! Seriously disliking my ridiculous gappy fringe right now though.

And finally, I got a few goodies from Lush on my travels through Stirling shopping centres. This, ladies and gentlemen, is my recipe to the perfect bathtime. And make note; don't be a silly cookie like I was and forget to lay a towel ready for said perfect bathtime, because running to the cupboard nekkid and frozen isn't the perfect end to the perfect bathtime...

How have you all been? :)

Amii

xoxo

VIDEO REVIEW; Top 10 Winter Products!

2011-12-08T15:06:00.001Z

Hello my lovelies, just to say I've posted another video, this time with speech (you'll get to hear my 'awesome' accent...!) and I'm reviewing my favourite products this December. :)

...And yet again they've given me another dippit thumbnail. Woohoo!

Enjoy!

ps; if you have any criticism or input at all, let me know, I'm always looking to improve :)

What are your favourite winter products?

Amii
xoxo

OOTD; The 'Fabulous Faux Fur' Edition

2011-12-01T20:05:00.003Z

It's been getting pretty nippy up here in the past few weeks - there was apparantly snow in the Stirling and Perthshire areas this week, which means having to cosy up! Our local newspaper has actually issued a hypothermia information article, advising us girls to remember to keep warm this winter. Last year, a fair few women were taken to hospital with symptoms, because alcohol makes you feel fuzzy warm and invincible to the cold - I won't lie, a few times I thought, 'Psssht, it's only snow, I'll be outside for all of ten minutes!' But the taxi queue can leave you waiting for up to an hour, so tiny dress + heels = no toes or fingers. So remember, ladies, wrap up warm, we don't want to lose our tooties just because of a night out!

Okay, all mothering aside, here's my [badly photographed] OOTD;

Faux fur coat; New Look

Polkadot dress; New Look

Shoes; New Look

Ring; New Look

Necklace; Primark

Bag; Primark

Velour corduroy jeans; Internacionale

((...Note to self; Bookcases aren't great props for your camera...))

...Are we starting to see a pattern emerging? Black and white, occaisionally grey, peter pan collars, leopard print etc...? Yep, I tend to wear the same colour schemes all the times. Sometimes I throw in a splash of red or teal, but that's generally it. I wear the same kind of things, the same items of clothing, over, and over, and over again. I have no specific look really, nothing outrageous or that I feel really shows my personality. So when it comes time to dress shopping for big events, it's a bit of a nightmare...it normally goes a little something like this;

Enter shop. See about a million dresses (okay, maybe more like twelve) in nice colours. Get excited because I might find one I love.
Categorically go to each dress armed with a basket, and decide I don't like the colour and elminate all of them except black, spotty, red, or the occaisional green or purple one. Patterned ones with cute motifs will stay in the basket for a while, but I'll wimp out and put them back.
Check the collars, the arms, and the length. If it isn't fitted, has no sleeves, is strapless or one-shouldered, it goes back. If it looks more like a top, it gets dumped immediately.
Take remaining few to the changing rooms. Try each of them on, decide each one is way too small, too clingy, cleavage is too low, or makes me look like a sack of tatties. They all end up going back.
Leave shop feeling dejected, silly, and like I've wasted my time, and a bit annoyed at myself.

This happens EVERY TIME I shop by myself. If I do make it to the checkout it's normally with a pair of dolly shoes or a new scarf or even sometimes a necklace. Not fun!

Which is why I love shopping with my girls. We all know what suits eachother and what doesn't, and we're honest enough to say when a dress is a winner and one which should be burned on the hanger. They'll sometimes pick things up, and throw them at me and tell me I NEED to try this on, as if my life depends on it (like the awesome cameo shorts I almost missed out on) and the odd little accessory that would have gone unnoticed (like the pink bunny hat!). They're not afraid to try to push me out of my comfort zone...which is exactly what we all need when we go shopping. Sometimes you need that second opinion, or that little push in the right direction to get something you'd never have dared to buy before.

So I'm really excited to go shopping with them on Sunday! We have Sarah's birthday party next week, the shop Christmas party the week after, and then the week after that we have a night out in Glasgow, so a gorgeous dress is on the agenda! The lass herself, Sarah, is taking charge and has put a ban on what I'm buying; no peter pan collars, nothing black, nothing polkadot, nothing long, and nothing that makes me look like a nine year old. Pretty fair I'd say! Although it means this gorgeous dress from Debenhams is out of the picture...

...But it's made of a really strange fabric that gets static really easily, so I could imagine getting up to go out for a ciggie or to get a drink and having my pants on show. Erm, not happening. Haha!

Sorry about the long post, but to finish and to thank you for reading laboriously through this and snorting at my sillyness, here's a video to cheer you up! I know it makes my day anyway :)

Have you got Christmas nights out coming up soon? What are you wearing? :)

Amii

xoxo

Decorations!

2011-12-01T00:35:00.001Z

Not a beauty or fashion related post, but I'm really excited about getting my wee living room all ready for Christmas! After Brandon went to sleep I couldn't resist putting the tree up and popping a few decorations around my living room. I'm not one to put things in the window or 'Santa Stop Here!' signs up (simply because I value being able to concentrate without madly blinking lights and my sanity) so a little bit of sparkly-ness does it for me. I bought a bumper pack of decorations from Wilkinson's, as well as a few extra bits and pieces a few weeks ago, and have been itching to get them out!

Ta daaaa!

Yaaaay! My living room has a theme of teal, brown and silver, so my decorations match...except my tree, which is a black pre-lit one from Asda. It runs on batteries as well so it doesn't drain my electricity - hooray for cost-effectiveness! It's only small as our flat isn't very big, so it's on one side of my desk in the living room with a lovely turquoise throw on top. Instead of the typical star or angel, for the top I've went for a glittery star and a teal butterfly clipped onto it. For some reason, half the lights aren't showing here...

The big pack of decorations has a ridiculous amount of decorations, and I didn't want to bog the tree down with them, so some of them are placed underneath. How cute are the tiny presents?!

A peacock! There's two of these, and two of the sparkly peacock feathers pictured above dotted around. I was going to see if I could find any feather accessories from charity shops to carry on the theme, but the cat is tempted to destroy the tree enough...

I remember getting the tree ready when I was younger; my mum is a massive kid when it comes to Christmas, and it would take stupid amounts of self control for her to resist putting decorations up before December 1st. Every St. Andrew's day (which is today! I hope you all had some shortbread and Irn Bru...) we would get everything down from the loft, and at night we would spend hours putting everything out. We had a white tree with silver and blue tinsel, baubles, and our own decorations we had made through the years. One of them was an awful baked clay mess by my sister Emma, it was a red and green squashed shape with silver paint on it and a massive letter 'E' on it, and it made us all giggle when we took it out. One of mine was a paper star with yellowing bits of cotton stuck to it and one googly eye, it was all stained last time I seen it but it still goes up! The cats would have made a wee nest in the tree before the night was out and we had this naff wee angel that perched on the top, with a gold dress and yellow wool for hair that Sarah put in a ponytail when we were really young. We had spray fights with the cans of fake snow, and my Gran would groan whenever she came into the house, saying it was like 'some kind of psycho Santa's Grotto'. Mum would have Christmas songs on all the way through December, and would belt them out at the top of her lungs in the morning or when she was hoovering. We watched nothing but Christmas-themed films the whole month, but our top two choices to watch on the day aren't really festive at all - The Wizard of Oz and Jurassic Park!

It's silly, fun memories like this I want to make for Brandon. I remember being really annoyed and thinking, 'What's the point? It's only Christmas!' when I was younger, but now I know my mum made the build up to it almost as good as the day itself. I can't wait to see his face when he gets up tomorrow and sees the room!

What's your favourite Christmas memory?

Amii
xoxo

NOTD; Revlon "Facets of Fuschia"

2011-11-29T23:44:00.001Z

A while ago, the gorgeous Wendy of Cydonian Make Up held a Twitter giveaway and lucky little me won a new nail polish! It's the stunning limited edition shade by Revlon, "Facets of Fuschia".

The polish basically consists of a smoky, sheer black formula with various sizes of pinky-purple glitter. How amazing is it? And that's only with one coat! It went on pretty smoothly with no streaking, even the glitter settled really well, whereas you can find with multi-glittered polishes can take a little while to 'flatten', if at all. I think the chunky glitter mixed with the micro makes it look like it has incredible depth, it's so pretty, almost like a mini pink universe on your fingertips :)

I think this is definitely a festive polish. I can see me rocking this with a coat of Seche Vite on top to make it super-sleek, an LBD, smoky deep purple eyes, killer heels and big hair!

Amii
xoxo

REVIEW; 17 Va Va Voom Volume Mascara

2011-11-29T21:38:00.001Z

I'm really picky of my mascaras. Out of the many (many, many, many...) I've tried, there are only a handful of those I'd ever buy again that didn't require eyelash maintenance before hand - some mornings, yeah, I don't really mind going through the process of curling my eyelashes, combing them, applying a few coats while waiting on the product getting slightly tacky in between, etc...but most of the time I can't be bothered with the whole rigmarole and would prefer to slick some mascara on my lashes, ready to go and to look fab first time. So when Lydia of Cut-Throat Beauty sent me "Va Va Voom Volume" mascara by 17 cosmetics as part of a giveaway prize (post to follow soon, I promise this time!) I was rearing to put it to the test.

PACKAGING

As is usually the case with 17's cosmetics, the packaging is modern, pretty and glimmery; it's almost disco-themed, with the logo looking like it's a dancefloor. It's a good size too, not one of the ridiculously small ones that you can barely grip the handle of, and not overly large that it feels like you're using a hairbrush (I can hear some of your brains whirring away, you dirty so and so's!). The brush is quite good as well, it's one of the fuller, thicker bristle kinds, and it's quite sturdy as well (aka it doesn't look like it would clump together badly and render itself useless within a few applications), and the wand is a decent length. I like larger brushes, as they tend to define lashes pretty well, so this is right up my street!

APPLICATION

Upon opening it, there's not the normal satisfying 'sssslooook' noise that you get with other mascaras, and it comes out a little too smoothly, despite the larger brush. I'm not too sure if there isn't that little nozzle on the inside that helps take off excess product, or if there is and it isn't as good, because I found I had to try to scrape off a big clump of product off the end of the wand when I removed it from the tube. Never the less, there wasn't an excess of mascara on the brush, and it went on nice and easily, and separated my lashes really well while distributing product on. I could even apply it to those fiddly lower lashes really easily without blackening the underside of my eye too badly! I moved onto the other eye, and when I went to give my first a second coat, it really made my eyes pop - it gave volume, definition, and depth in a mere two coats, no eyelash combs, no curles - fantastic!

Here's my eye with two coats (please excuse the ridiculous surprised expression...)

OPINION

I'd give this mascara a 3 out of 5. Great packaging, lovely formula and I love the brush, but the excess product is an issue for me, and it did take quite a while to dry - I ended up with those annoying little black dots on my brow bone even after five minutes haha! It could be a bit better if you were to fiddle around with tools while using it, but I'm just reviewing it on its own :)

My first review! What do you guys think? Have you tried this mascara? If you have any tips for my reviews in the future I'd love to know :)

Amii xoxo

Eye Make Up;

ELF Eye Primer in Champagne

Brows; Benefit Babe Cake in black, applied wet

Mascara; 17 Va Va Voom Volume (hello, captain obvious...)

DISCLAIMER: I was not paid to review this product - any that are featured are paid for by my own money unless otherwise stated. Anything written on my blog at all is written with complete honesty (and with a mug of coffee in one hand, and a kitty sleeping on my lap)

Glittery Matte Nails!

2011-11-24T21:43:00.001Z

I've never actively hunted out matte nail varnish; when I was new to blogging, I got caught up in the hype of matte topcoats, and lusted after some for a while before I realised I don't often wear nail polish long enough to justify it! Then when I was in Bodycare yesterday, two little polishes caught my eye. Now, I'm a lover of Technic's polishes, and already have two glitter ones and a creme on by them that I swear by, and couldn't resist buying my second red glitter polish by them, called Christmas Cracker (how festive!) And I then saw Body Collection (a brand I haven't used before) had a small stand there too, and it was a pretty, dark polish with subtle holo-micro glitter scattered through it called Little Black Dress, and of course in that went to the basket too.

Little did I know until I painted it across my (now sadly cut short - boooo!) nails, it was in fact a glittery matte! I've never heard of one of these, and maybe I should have read the label, as it's apparently part of the 'Crystal Suede Collection'. That's probably the best way to describe it to be honest!

I thought it was quite pretty and unusual, almost like sparkly gun-metal. And I have to say, it is true to the label - my thumb was dry by the time I'd finished painting my little fingernail. But I felt like it was slightly boring on it's own...and then I ended up reaching for the new red glitter, and thought, 'Sod it, splash this on!'

...

So I did.

Meh, not really a fan. On thinking back on it, I liked it better on it's own - plus it's lovely and quite unusual (for me, anyway). So I think after going through the nightmare to get this off my nails, I'll repaint with a couple of coats of the BC one :)

I've got a nail polish post still to be posted in my drafts, which should be up after this weekend - as well as an OOTD and a few FOTDs :) and FINALLY my competition haul!

How have you all been? Have you used any BC polishes before?

ps; my song for today, as it appeared on a car advert and reminded me why I love the Cramps so much!

Take care,

Amii xoxox

SET; "A Steal In Teal" & Seasonal Natterings

2011-11-16T20:36:00.001Z

I really am loving teal more this year, and I have similar things to these in my wardrobe...that bag and those shoes though are gorgeous! They're on my September Wishlist and they're stunning :(

I'm resolving to treat myself and buy at least one nice thing for myself before Christmas (I'm too old for Santa now!) And speaking of Christmas, Brandon's is all done! He has a wee kitchen, an In The Night Garden play set, a sailor jammies set from H&M, some books, and I'm going to buy him new shoes this week in Stirling :) It doesn't look like a lot when it's laid out, but he doesn't need a lot, and I don't think he really will - we were spoiled rotten when we were kiddies (the whole dad-working-away-for-months-at-a-time-and-felt-guilty thing kind of worked in our favour) and sure enough, come summer time, our toys were broken, pieces had been lost, or we were plain bored and whinged through the whole summer. I want Brandon to be able to appreciate everything he has, because there's lot of families out there who struggle to put food on the table, never mind buy Christmas presents. I know we're hardly rich, but we get by okay, and I really don't want him to take that for granted.

I'm going to try to persuade my mum not to go mental this year, because last year she bought him a ridiculous amount of things (including a bloody QUAD BIKE - he was 9 months old!) and to at least mainly get him his cutlery and stuff for the kitchen. I also have stuff for my friends to sort out - was planning on making them all this year, but most of them are nigh on impossible for me, my budget, and my serious lack of hours to do them in!

I'll close with this song: I discovered Creepshow a year or so ago, THEY MAKE ME SO HAPPY.

Take care guys xoxo

SET; Sleek.

2011-11-16T20:34:00.001Z

I haven't posted a set in a while, so here's a quick cheeky one about the kind of style I'm considering wearing to some parties lined up in the next few months :)

OOTD&FOTD; Sophisticated Aristocat mrraow

2011-11-11T23:59:00.000Z

(Yes, that was a crappy Disney reference. I LOVE DISNEY.)

I've long since accepted the fact that on a day to day basis, I am not chic, I am not stylish, and I'm most certainly not one to turn heads walking down the street - in fact, if I do, it's for all the wrong reasons... Admittedly, I do tend to dress as a bit of a slob at work, because put simply, it's much easier to run around and get things done if I'm wearing comfy clothes. I don't want to imagine trying to totter around a busy studio in heels and a small skirt...

But on Sunday when I met up with my friend Amy, I decided to actually get ready for once...and here's what I pulled together.

Tank top; Primark

Cardigan; Primark

Skirt; Internacionale

Bag; Internacionale

EXTRA EXTRA THICK TIGHTS THAT LOOK LIKE TROUSERS!!!; New Look (THANKYOU.)

Adorable brogue-like lace up shoes; New Look

Necklaces; Hello Kitty from a small store that's now closed, and the scissors necklace was from Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair when it came to Glasgow in October

Everything I'm wearing, I bought with the usual intentions of 'I WILL WEAR THESE EVERY DAY AND LOOK SO SOPHISTICATED' and as usual I never had anything lovely to wear with each thing. Now all together...I feel so pretty. I feel proud to show off what I'm wearing. And I feel like...well, a blogger!

And also, it's another FOTD...two in one week, jeezo! So, here's a picture of my gub:

No foundation, pressed powder, OR concealer...oh christ.

Eyes:

KBG sample 'Antique Silver' (part of my prize from Katie at Katie's Make Up Obsession!)

120 Palette in the darkest matte black in the crease

17 Va Va Voom mascara

Benefit Cake Bake caked eyeshadow in black

Eyebrows are not my usual eyebrow pencil, but a gorgeous deep plum by Rimmel London...

Lips are a gorgeous frosted pink shade by Barry M (no idea why my lip is all puffy at one side...crazy reaction to the sudden freezing weather?!)

My hair is in a bit of a mess at the moment, I got it cut and lopped all the dead ends off and got it thinned out more (it was so thick it wasn't even drying over night) and it was just so damaged that I'm just leaving it to dry, I'm hardly even straightening the front of it any more. So thankfully I've gotten myself some cute berets (some from years gone past) and I've got my eyes on a few more, which'll be mentioned in my October Wishlist post.

I'm still a bit shit with this whole blogging-after-a-break-up thing, but surprisingly it's been a lot smoother than I thought it would have been. And to make things much easier, I'm almost done my Christmas shopping for B-Boy, so it's really only my friends I need to get for. Awesome! I love being organised. And I plan on being ultra-creative this year, making most of my presents and my cards to be sent for the Vintage Ladies card swap this year too!

What are you loving this Autumn (although admittedly it's more like Winter right now...!)

Amii

xoxo

Darkly Sparkling; a FOTD and Tatty Gidness

2011-11-07T21:14:00.001Z

So it seems my hometown has turned into Silent Hill today.

Honestly, half expecting a few nurses to shuffle up the street with Pyramid Head stalking after them... *shudder* It's so foggy and chilly now, which means time for cosy warm clothes! Yay!
I've also decided to start adding a 'read more' option, because my posts tend to be pretty long, it will hopefully make my blog a bit quicker to load and easier to flow through, although it's a trial just now. Fingers crossed it's alright though!

Here's my FOTD:

Benefit Non-Fiction foundation in Porcelain

MUA lipstick in shade 001

Collection 2000 pressed powder in Porcelain

MUA blush in shade 004

Eyes: done with my 120 palette, the sparkly grey and the matte black on the crease

Benefit Cake Bake caked eyeliner in black (for eyebrows too, they are a little harsh for me...)

Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara

I love the sparkly grey in my 120 palette (my amazingly cheap-yet-amazing score off Amazon I posted about here)....it's got whites, greys and a splash of emerald as well - I took a blurry one so you could see how awesome the glitteryness is!

This wee I got a bit of colour added to my thigh tattoo, have a wee swatch:

Wooo! I love the little purply pink one, he's like a disco fish. We called him Guetta the Beta (even though that's not how you say Beta. Oh well!)

I have been a bit of a crap blogger recently. Life has taken over and is a wee bitty unsettled at the moment, but I'm looking forward to it all calming down again in time for Christmas. :)

Hopefully as well, I'll be able to upload a couple of new posts this week as I got a new phone (but I'm still trying to figure out how to work the damn thing...)

How have you all been doing?

xoxox

Update & Up-And-Coming

2011-10-25T22:56:00.001+01:00

Hey guys, I've been a bit absent on the blogging front. I haven't really been checking it and relying on posts I'd scheduled a few weeks before to keep the blog at least slightly updated. I haven't really felt up for it because my nearly 7-year relationship ended two weeks ago. It's been hard, but onwards and upwards as they say.

I had a whole host of things planned - for example, I was looking to do a Halloween special for the whole of this week leading up to Halloween next Monday, and had planned out lots of creepy freaky looks for you all, and costume ideas, and tips and tricks to complete your look (like how to recreate the Silent Hill nurse's uniforms, how to make vampire bites with liquid latex, etc etc)...but my camera lead has decided to go bye bye. The more likely explanation for this is that Brandon has spied the lead, pinched it and hidden it someplace!

I also wanted to tell you all about my stroke of luck with Giveaways this month!

Lydia from Cut-Throat Beauty hosted an amazing giveaaway, which I actually ended up winning (I didn't even think I had a chance!) and I've used at least two of the cosmetics I received every day since I got the lovely parcel :)
Wendy from Cydonian Make Up held a twitter competition, where I won Revlon's Facets of Fuschia nail polish (which is stunning by the way, expect a wee NOTD soon once my lead is unearthed from the junkyard that is my flat)
Lily from Beauty's Bad Habit was giving away two cute necklaces from the wonderfully quirky Raffles Bizarre and I got them in the post this weekend (you can read my feature and interview with RB's very own Jess here)
And the most recent, Katie from Katie's Make Up Obsession had a celebratory giveaway, where I've won a whole host of goody goods, and I'm picking them up from the death trap known as my local post office tomorrow :D

I really want to be able to do a big haul post of the prizes I've won, and keep your eyes out for a giveaway coming your way soon...

As a final and INCREDIBLY exciting note, I'll be piercing in 3 weeks time. SO. FREAKIN'. EXCITED. I've loved my apprenticeship so far, and now it's boiling up to another milestone, a real big one as well!

Take care my lovelies, and be sure to check out the sugar skull candy on my previous post...

*word play with Halloween and Dia El Los Muerte intentional. Drooling, optional.

xxx

A Little Bit Of Zombie Lovin'...

2011-10-24T17:00:00.000+01:00

This isn't simply in the spirit of Halloween, this is my pin-up. Where most people would like Ryan Gosling, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt etc as their phone background (although I personally wouldn't kick Mr Depp out the bed for leaving crumbs...), this guy's mine.

Yup, Rick Genest, otherwise known as Zombie Boy.
He popped onto my radar a few years ago. Was casually flicking through Bizarre on my break at work. "Boobs...latex...monkey with a gun...games....HOLY CRAP WHO IS THAT I AM IN LOVE." He's become much more popular since he started modelling for Thierry Mugler, and you may recognise him here...

Yup, he was the tuxed-up skeleton fella from Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" video! I squealed when I saw him. I love that she is promoting we are who we are, despite our appearances and our lifestyles.

Whenever I mention him, I seem to get looked at funny. I think he's brave (maybe a little stupid, but a lot of self-worth acts involve a little risk and stupidity in my opinion) for dedicating his body to look like this. He is quite young as well, and I may be paraphrasing here but I remember reading an interview with him a while back where he mentioned telling his mother. "I remember my mom's face when I first told her I was getting my face inked. She said, 'Oh Rick, PLEASE don't do that, please!' She was a little mad when I turned up with a skull tattooed on my face, but she loves me and accepts me for who I am."
I think that's something that is still missing in today's society. There is a wider acceptance for body modification, but there does seem to be a cut off where most people consider it disgusting (other people I've spoken to's words, definitely not my own!) Where I would consider something to be an amazing experience and to have a memory afterwards ie the hook holes from suspension, the welts from branding, the surgical cuts from implants etc, most people would consider disfiguring.

I'm not going to turn this into a debate on who should find what acceptable, blah blah blah, but I will say that we all have our own ideas of what is beautiful to us, what is attractive. We all have our own traits, our own style, our own unique appearance. We are each our own person, and we will always have people who'll want to bring us down, or make us feel bad, but it's the people who love us for ourselves that count, and it's so important that WE love ourselves too!

I'll finish on this last note; he's recently been in the news for a new make-up brand that covers tattoos...it is SO weird to see him without any, but I still think he looks amazing!

So, yes, he is not only gorgeous, but he's kind of a lesson to us all. To never judge someone on their appearance, because it's what's inside that matters...even if like Rick you have your insides tattooed outside...

AUTUMN SERIES: DanniTheGirl

2011-10-22T13:00:00.000+01:00

Next in our Autumn Series is Danni from dannithegirl, and she's reeeeeally excited about the coming season...

Autumn...When I get To Wear Things I've Waited To Wear All Year...

Autumn is lovely. The smell of bonfires, firework night, crisp clear (cold!) mornings, beautiful colours...

And a time when you can get out those clothes that have been put away all year! Those clothes that are too dark for Autumn, but don't always carry through to Winter. I've taken a few pictures of my favourite of these clothes, which should be seen on me - and my blog - soon!

Firstly, a charity shop favourite. This used to be long but I chopped it up and hemmed it (badly).

I could wear this with these cute red Mary-Janes, from Primark via a charity shop.

Secondly, this cosy but casual outfit. Denim skirt and a red jumper from George. Accessorised with my gorgeous new dog brooch.

I love wearing a denim skirt and thick tights with these cute brown ankle boots from New Look. They make my legs look skinny(er)!

Lastly, I can't wait to wear this lovely purple dress, from LK Bennett via TKMaxx. It's tie-waist, so very flattering. Worn with my favourite hat, from Velvet.

Toughened up with these awesome grey boots from Missguided.

Now to wait for Winter and the very cold weather so I can bring out my beloved faux furs...

Halloween InspirationBoard

2011-10-18T15:41:00.001+01:00

Scheduled posts always scare me, I never know if they're going to post or not :( so fingers crossed on this one!

Halloween is fast approaching (and as per usual my grand plans of flamboyant outfits have fallen through so I have no idea what I want to go as...) and I've spied a few things to get you all in the mood!

This artifical pumpkin was filled and brought to life by Crafty member PhilenAnn47926 - she makes these every year, as well as silhouette diorama's and giant Christmas houses!

I don't know the photographer's name but I stumbled across this on Tumblr (the worst place for providing credit for photos) and it's lost of pictures of lost, abandoned amusement parks...

I'll admit, I still have a major soft spot for the Victorian era...so these pictures of Halloween apothecary 'poison' bottle displays just melt my heart and take me away to another century.

I would have included pictures of the Death Star one, the R2-D2 one, the Shining one, and the (for some reason) ever popular, puking Pumpkin....but these are some of the more unusual ones, ones that I'd never seen before and fell in love with. Especially the Predator one - look at the detail!!

That's all for my first InspirationBoard for Halloween, don't miss the next one which is next week :)

Take care

AUTUMN SERIES: Daisy Gin

2011-10-15T13:00:00.000+01:00

Hello! Charging on with the Autumn Series of guest bloggers, I present you Zoey, a lovely lass who blogs over on Daisy Gin. Here, she talks about her favourite Autumn nails!

Hey my name is Zoey and I blog over at Daisy Gin. The lovely Amii asked for some guest bloggers and here I am! Leopard print is always something I will be obsessed with. My boyfriend hates it but I love it. Decided to try a more "real" leopard print than my usual WAH Nails inspired nails.

1. WAH Nails made leopard nails oh so popular, a wonderful tutorial on Gem Fatale's blog made it look oh so easy. I literally will never tire of them. For these nails I used Models Own: Nude Beige and Gold Rush, Natural Collection: Nail Tip Whitener and in a Coral (can't remember the actual nail and it is now packed away somewhere!), my trusty Seche Vite and a Claire's Nail Art Pen

2. After painting my nails white I used an old makeup applicator to sponge on the nude, coral and gold nail polishes. Using the nail art pen I drew on the good old leopard print, with a coat of Seche Vite and you are done!

3. The eyes are also just as easy. I used Boots 17 Trio Eye Shadows in enraged then using Rimmel's Glam Eyes Liquid Eyeliner to draw on the leopard as you would when doing your nails. Easy!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this leopard print fun. And thank you to Amii for having me!

Zoey xox

Laaaavly Bracelets!

2011-10-14T13:00:00.002+01:00

It's happening; I'm slowly becoming a jewellery fiend. I've always been a fan of charm bracelets, but have never seen any I like or could see myself being able to wear on a day to day basis. Then Lyssa from Arcobaleno Jewellery offered to send me a free bracelet on Twitter! You can imagine how excited I was - my own custom bracelet! I was curious to see how creative she could be, so I just told her what colours I liked and let her go wild...And it's like she picked a jewellery design straight from my head!

Even the packaging was adorable, with a little handwritten note. Of course, Brandon discovered the pretty sequins and I'm still hoovering them up...

The charms are: (clockwise from top) rose, key, perfume bottle, hat, wing, heart

Sterling silver bracelet which is made up of teeny tiny hearts, with a heart gem charm

These beads are so, so sparkly! I was afraid that the mirrored beads would scratch, and that the delicate little bracelet would maybe snap, but they've put up with me running around 8 hours a day and being dumped on the desk while I pop upstairs to set up piercings/sterilise/change jewellery however many times a day, and then coming home to feed B and get him ready for bed...So they don't exactly have an easy life but still look brand new.

Look how great they look together! So pretty, and it all feels incredibly personalised. Alyssa offers a custom bracelet service called Beautifully Bespoke from the webpage, and you can see some of her previous designs there too :)

All in all, I'm really happy with her service and how much of a personal touch she puts into her jewellery. I'm definitely going to be ordering from her again!

Who's your favourite 'indie' jewellery company?

Decisions, decisions...

2011-10-12T17:01:00.002+01:00

Throughout my teenage years (and a little before) I have been many colours: purple, blue, green, varying shades of oranges and yellows (bad encounters with bleach...) and brown. The two I seem to flit between the most though, are red and black.

Aged 14; first foray into raven hair. It was pretty long, past my shoulders, and I had huge layers and used to wear it in a massive beehive with a thick cut blunt fringe. You can barely see it here, but I also had it shaved under all that hair (yes, that's how much there is with half a head of it!)

pin-curls with hair-clips...how much I still had to learn...

Aged 16; as part of a hair-modelling experience, I got leopard print shaved into my shaved parts, dyed red, and thinned out majorly. It was a lovely effect, and I kind of miss it.

17; Chopped it shorter, dyed it dark again, after a reeeeaaaally bad bleaching experience (wanted it Ariel red, it went pumpkin orange and fell off)

18; Tried to go red again when I was pregnant with some stupid non-bleach stuff. It didn't work, so I tried to dye bright red on top of it....and it went a muddy colour. And good god, I was massive!

18; By this point, I'd had it dyed black again again before I had B, and had grown out my undercut and let it become healthy. But, it still was a flat boring browny black.....

Tipsy in my jammies with my friends, watching crappy Poundland horror films... shows how red it is!

...So of course I dyed it again. And decided, why not make my eyebrows match?

Why the hell not?

...I'll tell you, because lip liner is more expensive than eyeliner...hahaha!

So after it faded (very slowly might I add, great hair dye!) I went black again, and I'm now considering the red again. But maybe something a little more wearable... I'm thinking a soft strawberry blonde, or a dark auburn?

Like this? (I actually love her, she's hilarious!)

Or a lighter, fruitier colour like ERW's?

So confused. Maybe I should just keep it black to keep it healthy....

Warm Parisian Evenings; OUTFITSET.

2011-10-12T11:19:00.001+01:00

One of my first sets on Polyvore...Even though it's not colours I'd normally go for, it's fun to imagine up ensembles you know you'd never wear :)

Girlie Day Out

2011-10-09T00:36:00.000+01:00

I aspire to own those shoes by the end of the year.

AUTUMN SERIES: Cupcake Couture

2011-10-08T13:00:00.003+01:00

So for my Autumn favourites, I thought I’d post, my favourite day in Edinburgh in Autumn…

Firstly I’d wake up and go to Moo Cafeteria for a egg sarnie, gotta fuel up for what I’ve got ahead!!

Next I’d hit Cramond for a walk along the river watching the tree’s turn, ending at the beach and maybe I would walk across to the Island depending on whether I was feeling brave!

I head back into town and grab lunch at The City Cafe, a 50’s style diner where I recently ate 4 days in a row( I was so ashamed it was the same waitress everyday!) They do a great mix of lunch, brunch, main meals and veggie stuff. After I was stuffed from there… I’d head round to the Museum of Scotland and check out which animal I weigh the same as ( a small porpoise I’ll have you know, which is NOT a whale…. thank you very much)

I’d finish my epic autumn adventure with some shopping on my way past Princes St. if I had any energy left and end up at Eteaket for some coffee and cake. As you can tell… Autumn to me means food and walks!

Autumn, O How I Love Thee.

2011-10-06T20:44:00.000+01:00

WARNING!!! POST CONTAINS SCARY ARACHNIDS WITHIN GLASSES!

As is probably obvious from my Autumn series, it's truly my favourite season. The air seems to take on a crisp, sweet smell, and the air seems deep burnt orange. I don't quite know how to describe it, but everything seems to have a scent, taste and colour at this time of year and it lasts through out my memories of seasons past. Synesthesia, I think it's called? (eg the sound of a whistle blowing makes me taste sugar for some reason? I don't know. I've always been like that!)

Anyway! Here's a little photo-heavy post of the past couple of Autumns and how utterly awesome they've been :)

It was Brandon's first Halloween last year, and we spent it eating the sweets that the trick-or-treaters never turned up for, dressing B up and watching The Nightmare Before Christmas...he still giggles whenever Oogie comes on screen!

A bad picture, but this is what the outside of my old house used to look like at about 4.30pm in mid-October :)

We made TNBC jack-o-lanterns last year!

Nothing better about the start of October than new issues of magazines are out, a hazelnut latte, and a gingerbread skeleton!

An Asda mask...

IT'S FINALLY COLD ENOUGH FOR ONESIES!!!

Hallowe'en 2009, I dressed up as a spooky Victorian doll. That corset cost me £160, and I didn't get to wear it again until April '10 because I found out after this I was pregnant!

Celebrating a rare sunny day with an Alice in Wonderland tea party! L-R; Me as Alice (nice wig!), Soph as the March Hare, Lucy as the Dormouse, and Rach as the Mad Hatter (complete with a scientist coat!)

2010; Zombie Pin-Up! There was also a pirate, Zorro, two Day of the Dead girls, a hippy, Alice in Wonderland, an Army dude, the Digimon guy and a Spam at the party...

2008, walking along the canal! From the back: Andrew, me, Connor, and Tara, Andrew's little sister :)

And now for one of the only downsides of the colder weather...

Yeah...I deliberately made these pics a little smaller because they freaked me out a bit. But that beast at the bottom was eating ANOTHER spider the same size as the one in the glass!!!!

So there's my Autumn collage :) What's your typical Autumn like? :)

Love,

Typical Work Outfit

2011-10-03T20:24:00.002+01:00

What I wear on a typical day to work. They say comfort over style every time, but mine is a kind of style in its own...? Well, a girl can dream. But it includes my favourite cardigan in the world, my charity-shop-scored Docs (they're now about 7 years old, awww) and my glasses with trusty beanie hat.

ps; I could not for the life of me find a decent picture of 18-holer Doc Martens all old, crumpled and unlaced. I hate the look of laced Docs with jeans...!

Ooooh, and new signature...

AUTUMN SERIES: To Blush Or Not To Blush?

2011-10-01T13:00:00.000+01:00

Hello, my fantabulous ghouls and gals, I present you the very first guest poster in our Autumn Series, Erin from To Blush Or Not To Blush! She's reviewing her favourite Autumn products :) And here, I leave you in her very capable virtual hands....

My very favorite season has arrived :). Fall. I dig this time of year; it’s cool, it’s sexy, it’s dark. It’s love. Not to mention, the makeup is rocking. I figured I would share some of my personal fall favorite beauty staples so you can go get them immediately.

#1. MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot

I bought this last fall and it is a definite love. It seems that a lot of people view this as a summer color because of the peachy/corally-ness of the gold, but this screams straight up fall for me. I used this every day last fall and winter and completely ignored it during the warmer months. I wear this baby from my lid up to the brow bone. I layer my powder shadows over it and it just warms up my look overall. I think adding warmth to my look in general is a fall favorite.

#2. Urban Decay Naked Palette

How original, Erin. I know, I know…but my favorite shadows for fall are champagnes, golds, and plumy browns so this is perfect. Sin, Half Baked, and Toasted are definitely fall staples for me. Gorgeous. I truly enjoy hating extremely hyped up things, but sometimes I give in and soak up the awesomeness I’ve been missing out on. Examples include: Harry Potter series, Glee, and the UD Naked Palette.

#3. MAC Rich Ground Fluidline

Last eye product, I swear! I think this may be the most underrated MAC product ever. When most people think Fluidline, Blacktrack is what comes to mind. Oh no, my friend. Rich Ground is definitely where it’s at. It is a frosted cocoa color and it does not get the attention it deserves. Obviously from the swatch you can tell it’s beautiful but applied to the eye it’s just beyond amazing. It would work well as a base also. Go get it. Please and thank you.

#4. Benefit Hoola Bronzer

During the spring/summer, I reach for NARS Laguna to apply all over the face. But Hoola is great for contouring in the fall. It is matte and doesn’t look muddy, even on my transparent skin. Plus the packaging is cute and let’s face it, that’s half of what matters anyways. It adds that warmth that I crave during fall and sculpts your face nicely.

#5. Burt’s Bees Lip Balm

As the weather gets cooler, our lips decide to make us as unkissable as humanly possible. “Look how dry and cracked I am! Find your make out buddy elsewhere!” Stupid lips. If I could only use one beauty item for the rest of my life (not including products necessary for hygiene) it would be lip balm. Burt’s Bees is my newest balm and has quickly become my favorite. Digging the minty tingles and the smoothness that keep my lips kissable all fall and all winter long. Pucker up ;).

For more makeup musings, check out my blog To Blush, or not to Blush? Seriously. Go there now. Hit the little follow button. You’ll get a cookie.* Thank you to the fabulous Miss Amii for letting me fill in today. Have a wonderful fall :).

Erin <3

*You will not actually receive a cookie.

Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse

2011-09-29T22:58:00.003+01:00

Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse

Come on, who doesn't love Mickey?

Stargazer Shake 'n' Bling Entry!

2011-09-29T21:46:00.001+01:00

I've been a fan of Stargazer's make up line for years - I first discovered them in a shop called Hellfire in Glasgow , where I found a white compressed powder. Being insanely pale and going through a SuperGoaff (and wishing I could marry Dani from Cradle of Filth...) I decided, 'Why the heck not?'

From there, it became an obsession to won as much as possible. The amazing eyelashes, the brighter-than-bright nail colours, and the neon eyeshadows - I used to wear the red to school and I'd get asked if I'd been punched! It was glorious, being introduced to all these amazing colours I'd never be able to find at my local Boots store. So when on Twitter they announced they were doing a nail-art challenge, I bravely accepted, even though my nail art has never really been up to scratch.

They sent me "Teal" from their Chrome range, a little box of diamantes in different sizes, a bright blue glitter pot, and a black nail art pen. And after experimenting (unsuccessfully) with a Cityscape style with building silhouettes and a weird-looking combination with a fleur-di-lys and some spades/hearts, I ended up with this... a "Starry Night" style!

...I have wrinkly hands. Enjoy!

Amii

xoxo

1950's Pin Up Tutorial!

2011-09-26T23:46:00.001+01:00

So I bit the bullet (I say that quite a lot don't I? Bullets aren't tasty kids, even in sandwiches) and made that tutorial video. Not as half as scary as I thought, and it was really fun making it! Of course during filming I had an altercation with Tilly Kitty and Andrew phoned me to blabber about some game...but this was my third film of it and the only one I felt really comfortable about uploading. I figured, why not just be honest and myself? I'm not a cosmetics guru, I'm not some perfect plastic doll, I'm just some lass who likes playing around with make-up, and it makes me happy.

And the end product of editing, flapping about because the upload didn't contain my subtitles I spent ages applying, and then finally YouTube's own subtitling service used, here is my video.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think. :)

Followers on both this and twitter, and of course my lovely friends, you really have given my the courage and metaphorical balls to do this. My friends don't really know about the tutorial but they give me unfalteringly amazing advice and fill me to the brim with confidence. Thankyou for helping me beat that barrier down. :)

OOTD: The "Drunken Mess" Edition

2011-09-23T16:37:00.000+01:00

Bolero; Topshop

Shorts; Primark

24" brocade corset; a present from the gorgeous Natasha from Madam Salami!

As I'm terrible and forget to take outfit photos all the time. So here's my most recent post-worthy (at a push) one, from our night out on Saturday. We went out as it was Jamie, Lucy and Lam's birthdays last week so it was a joint birthday. I was stuck for what to wear and found these in my cupboard (that Andrew obsessively rearranged last week. Silly boy!) and just decided, sod it, I'm with my friends, I don't care about anyone else right now, I'm wearing this....of course it hit how little I was wearing by the time we hit the pub! It was a good night though, and everyone enjoyed themselves :)

A few wee updates coming your way on the blog:

After only half an hour on E.L.F. Zara and I ordered £40 worth of stuff...Eeeek! So expect a haul post soon, and a look created by the products I bought :)
The Autumn Series is coming along, and there's still openings for who ever wants in on it :)

This is kind of a biggie...I've been thinking about this for months and months, and finally, last week, I filmed a make-up tutorial. Nothing fantastic, just a basic pin-up look, how I wear it when I'm out etc...And if I'm honest, I've been in two minds over uploading it.

Me, at 15 years old. Barely any piercngs, still in my school uniform, and copying make-up I'd saw on retro-devoted websites, and on girls I'd seen in tattoo magazines.

Now, the last time I posted a tutorial was when I was 15, and it was how I wore my hair on a daily basis (big, long, curled and backcombed out of this world!) Some girls at school found the video on youtube, posted lots of nasty comments on it, spread it around and I was made fun of for it. I already had very low self-esteem, and zero confidence, and this horrible incident only knocked me further down. Now, I've always loved make up, always jumped at the chance to get all glammed up...something normally stops me taking it as far as I want to though. Something in the back of my mind has always said, 'But it's not good enough! You look like an idiot!' and stopped me from getting a chance to shake my tail-feathers and make a song and dance about it when I feel good about myself. So, as stupid as it sounds, I've been properly freaking out about this. I know I'm not in high school anymore, and that the internet isn't exactly a civil place, but the thing I had been worrying over the most was not people's reactions to it (because let's face it, if they watch it, then fine, if it helps then great and if they don't then so what?) but was if it turns out I've gone and made myself look like an utter idiot again.

But at the end of the day, as some lovely people on twitter pointed out, it's a video. And if I don't like it, I can delete it. Simple as. So the video has been filmed (and edited, then refilmed and re-edited....and finally filmed for a third time, and it's in the middle of being edited. I'm a perfectionist, okay?!) and will be uploaded by the Sunday afternoon.... Eeeek!

How has everyone been? What's new with you and coming up on your blogs soon?

Amii

xoxo

September Wishlist: All That Glitters!

2011-09-16T15:56:00.001+01:00

I totally forgot to do an August wishlist; reason being, I moved back to my job in the piercing studio full time so I couldn't pinch the computer's I was (meant to be) concentrating on at my old job...in reality, I spent most of the time there blogging and looking at clothes. Oops.

That means that the things that should have been on the August one are on this, the sparkly new September Wishlist :)

"Black Rose" bracelet by Daisy Does Jewellery, £8

1. Some sparkly new jewellery

I've been a bit of a magpie recently, and have started hoarding jewellery like no-ones business. I'm going to blog about my newly-acquired ring collection in a week or so, but not only them, I've started collecting necklaces as well. And still at the back of my mind is that wee idea of making my own plugs...I made Kirsty a wee pretty tunnel, and forgot to send it in her last parcel. Doh! I discovered a few lovely jewellery designers via twitter, such as Daisy Does (featuring their gorgeous bracelet above!), Punky Pins, Raffles Bizarre (Who I done a feature on a few months back), Thirteen Jewellery and Dolly Dagger...so this really isn't helping my growing obsession!

Best film in the world...

2. Halloween!

I make no secret of the fact I freakin' LOVE Halloween. I'm more excited for it than Christmas! I'm already desperate to decorate my house, ready for trick or treaters! Or, if it ends up like last year and only 4 kids turned up for the £20 worth of goodies we bought, decorated for meeee! I love decorating for it, and this year will be even better because TK Maxx have started stocking up early - I honestly spent an hour in there last time looking at all the snowglobes with bats in them, trick or treat signs...and a big massive glittery owl! And every year, I make a damn good effort on my costume... Last year I was a zombie pin-up girl, this year I'm thinking of going as a gentleman, with awesome accessories aka a monocle and a top hat. Possible a cane too...

Bullboxer button-up boots (£40) and Steve Madden ruffled brocade coat (£60)

3. A lovely cosy outfit...

It's nearing the end of September, the days are getting shorter and colder, and A/W11 trends are appearing in stores up and down the nation. Again, in one of my lengthy trips to TK Maxx, I saw the perfect coat and shoes. I was actually so upset I didn't win their £100 voucher competition because I wanted to buy them if I'd one it! They're pictured above, and they are perfect. :(

Never mind! I have my trusty leopard print grey faux-fur coat (that's a mouthful...) that I got from New Look last winter, and my Docs can handle the mushy leaves! I just need to find me a cosy hat and scarf now. I've been eyeing up Accessorize and their cute armwarmers, and Claire's are stocking some seriously adorable Owl and Kitty hats which I've decided I need in my life and on my head. It would be cheaper to just learn to knit and make stuff on my own, which brings me to the next item on my wishlist...

4. I wish the Crafty Fairy would visit me :(

I'm a bit down about not being as creative these days as I used to be. I tried to make a peter pan collar for my friend and it ended up looking like a giant furry albino worm from all the stitches that came loose. I know it would have looked much better if I had machine-sewn it, but I don't own one, andI'm unwilling to splash out the cash on one to find I have no time whatsoever to give it the love and stiching-use it deserves. I had great plans for making Brandon a tee-shirt quilt, and realised how difficult it was going to be as I've lost any sewing knowledge I did have, and didn't have any about quilting in the first place. I need my wee Granny up here to come and help me :(

But I'm taking it slowly, and getting back into customising tee's and dresses. I'm going to start making high-waisted shorts out of an old pair of jeans I have and see if I can even make little braces for them as well. If I make any progress, I'll blog about it (big massive capital IF right there,) and I'm finding that crafty sites such as Cut Out & Keep are seriously helping feed my inspiration :)

Underbust 'panty' girdle, £37.50

5. Retro-tastic lingerie!

I confess to be one of those people who spends ages looking through lingerie shops, sifting through masses of rails of pants, bras, and naughty outfits, never thinking I'll suit any of them. A bra's a bra, it's basic function is to hold your boobies in place, who cares what it looks like, right? Well, I do. I love lingerie, I just don't own any that fits me because I measure differently all the time, which stops me from ordering online from my favourite site for it, What Katie Did. Wearing their gorgeous underwear beneath the plainest of clothes would make any woman feel like the most glamorous lady alive...I'm determined to figure out my size (I'm in denial at being a 32H, no way am I that size, I'll need to pinch Lucy [who's been working in Ann Summers for a couple of years] next time I see her and throw a measuring tape at her!) and go wild...

What's on your wishlist this month? Have you ever ordered from these jewellery sites? If so, what's your favourite from them? :)

Take care folks, and thanks again for reading

Amii

Exciting things going on...

2011-09-13T13:56:00.000+01:00

So as I have mentioned in previous posts, there are a few new things coming up on the blog in the next month or two...

The fabulous Jessie at Notamakeupsnob and I have a collaboration series on the go, expect the first one around mid-week next week! Included will be tutorials, music, and just general awesomeness.
I have a guest post coming up on my favourite slutface Kirsty's blog all about my corsets, and with a brand new lacey tip to be added! And her gorgeous wee face will pop up on here soon too...
I'm starting a new series about Autumn, my favourite season! I'm not even lying, I get so ridiculously excited over it. I already have a few girls lined up; you can write about whatever you want: any exciting events coming up for you in the coming months, what you're looking forward to most, Nails/Outfits/Faces/Hauls of the Day, your staple Autumnal outfits....anything you like! Fancy joining some other bloggers and being a part of this series? All you have to do is email amiifitblr@hotmail.co.uk to get in on it!
And finally, my internet is getting sorted soon (only been two years without having permanent internet connection! Woo!) and I found our webcam, so this means I'm going to have to bite the bullet and do what I've been planning on for a while... yes, that's right, tutorials! I already have a few filmed as well, one for basic pin-up style make up, and one which is for one of my guest posts I'm doing. Do you have any requests for tutorials/vlogs? Give me a shout at the email address, or you can even catch me on twitter on @ScarletPout .. or do it the normal way and drop a comment below :)

Sorry for the big long boring picture-less post; although I've not ran out of ridiculous looking photos of me (believe me, they're part of one big bottomless pit...) they're not on this computer, so you'll have to make do with a virtual cuddle :) *squeeze*

Hope to hear from some of you soon!
Love
Amii
xoxo

OOTD; Legs Ahoy! and a gabber about BodyMods.

2011-09-12T15:55:00.000+01:00

Top; very very, old shirt I got from an old record shop called "Europa Music" - if you're ever in Stirling, check it out, it's in Baker Street!

Shorts; My trusty old Internacionale ones, except I unclipped the cameo from them and they're so well-loved they're all holey and the velour's worn away...

Tights; crappy ones from New Look, supposedly suspender effect and they started below the knee and ripped before I'd even left the house. Hrm, thankfully I only paid 50p for them...

Unseen; charm bracelet from Claire's, and 26-hole Doc Martens I found in a charity shop 6yrs ago for £4!

If possible, I'd like to be a bit serious...*sniggers*

This photo was taken less than a month ago. My friend Sarah did my hair and I was persuaded to wear what I was wearing, sans tights. I'm not comfortable showing my legs - I never have been. The skin on them is so dotty, spotty, and rough that they look awful, and I very rarely if ever get them out.

In the space of a month, this has all changed.

I got my first large piece of tattooing done by one of my friends, fellow work-mate/slash/person who I'm apprenticing under, Zara. She's the tattoo apprentice at the studio we work at, and she wanted the chance to do a decent size piece on someone...so of course I volunteered!

And here it is...

Of course you all wanted a mahoosive picture of my swollen thigh!

It's a few lotus flowers on lily pads, with some fantailed goldfish. When it's coloured (next session will be in a week or two) it will be in soft greys, pinks, golds and blues, like a watercolour :)

As you can see from the picture, my skin isn't all that pretty looking. And again, in the last month that is now beginning to change...as I may have mentioned in my last post, I've discovered the skin condition I've been living with all my life and battled with: Keratosis Pilaris

I was finally, after 19 years, prescribed a cream to help settle this. "Just to make you aware," warned the doctor, "This isn't a cure. It's incurable. But it does make it a little more bearable." A LITTLE?! My skin feels so incredible compared to what it was before! Where it used to be rough it was now silky soft, the little pustules under my skin are only half as noticeable as before, and there are no more scabs! I could cry when I run my hands down my legs and arms, they just don't feel like my own, they feel like what normal arms and legs should! I may sound like I'm being over dramatic, but when you've lived your life basing outfit decisions on how bad your scaly arms are that day and how thick your tights have to be to hide your red, sore legs, this feels amazing. Honestly.

With that combined with my lengthening hair and my slowly-growing collection of ink, whenever I'm even just getting changed in the morning, I look in the mirror and do a funny little *squee* inside. I'm starting to feel so much better about myself, and that's what I love about modification - you see all these little parts of you that you love, and it makes you ignore the parts you hate. For example, I got a hand-poked moth at the top of my ribcage/bottom of my breastbone in June, and I still can't get over how gorgeous it is. It makes me forget about my awful scarred stomach and just appreciate the simple beauty of the tattoo. In fact, you can see it on Tabitha's blog over on ScaredToast.com!

This is one of the many reasons I choose to modify myself in any way I like - changing my hair, getting pierced/tattooed, stretching various things, training my waist smaller...it's all toward changing my perception of myself in a more positive way. And I'm aware of the fact that this may be changing other's view on my negatively, but at the end of the day I'm not doing this for anyone else. Not for my parents, not for Andrew, not for anyone - for me. It makes me feel good in myself, and each little change feels like one step closer towards becoming who I really am inside.

And I have to say as well, this growing self-confidence has a lot owed to my amazing friends as well. They know who they are, and they should know that without them I wouldn't be who I am today. They are such a positive and happy group of people, and are always there for one another. Always up for a giggle and a chatter, a group of shoulders to cry one, I love each and every one of them, and want them to know how much I appreciate them and what they do for me, and for eachother.

Have a nice week, guys

Amii

xoxoxo

ScarletPout

OOTD; The "Rare Sunny Day" Edition

REVIEW: Dior VERNIS Incognito

It's That Time Again...

February Wishlist; "Roses Are Red..."

OOTD; Of Steel And Lace...

FEATURE: DEVINE DELINQUENTS

Phew!

REVIEW & TUTORIAL: ColourB4

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

People Are Strange, When You're A Stranger...

ALL The Colours!

Giveaway Reminder!

Birthday Treats & A GIVEAWAY!

REVIEW; Soap & Glory Series #1

FOTD; Urban Decay, Bold Brows, and Silly Faces

Tatty Gidness; Completion!

OOTD; Bringin' In The Bells

SWATCHES: Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette

'Twas The Night Before Christmas...

FEATURE: The Accessory Stand!

Tips&Tricks To Keep Those Winter Blues Away!

Oh, to dream of pearls and ruffles...

VIDEO REVIEW; Top 10 Winter Products!

OOTD; The 'Fabulous Faux Fur' Edition

Decorations!

NOTD; Revlon "Facets of Fuschia"

REVIEW; 17 Va Va Voom Volume Mascara

Glittery Matte Nails!

SET; "A Steal In Teal" & Seasonal Natterings

SET; Sleek.

OOTD&FOTD; Sophisticated Aristocat *mrraow*

Darkly Sparkling; a FOTD and Tatty Gidness

Update & Up-And-Coming

A Little Bit Of Zombie Lovin'...

AUTUMN SERIES: DanniTheGirl

Halloween InspirationBoard

AUTUMN SERIES: Daisy Gin

Laaaavly Bracelets!

Decisions, decisions...

Warm Parisian Evenings; OUTFITSET.

Girlie Day Out

AUTUMN SERIES: Cupcake Couture

Autumn, O How I Love Thee.

Typical Work Outfit

AUTUMN SERIES: To Blush Or Not To Blush?

Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse

Stargazer Shake 'n' Bling Entry!

1950's Pin Up Tutorial!

OOTD: The "Drunken Mess" Edition

September Wishlist: All That Glitters!

Exciting things going on...

OOTD; Legs Ahoy! and a gabber about BodyMods.

OOTD&FOTD; Sophisticated Aristocat mrraow