November 22, 2013

Neptune Planet Power

Outfit details
Leather Jacket - South Korean Boutique
Plaid Dress - ASOS
Beanie - H&M
Bag - Prozena Schouler

I know I may be late on the bandwagon for colored ombre locks, but Chloe Ting's pretty colored locks stirred something in my heart. I decided to utilize my bleached ends and play with a bit of semi-permanent hair color. At first, I thought I'd go for something purple but my hair isn't a light enough blonde for it show up unless I went for a deep purple. I hummed and hawwed over pinks but then I realized the answer was in front of me all along... Michiru Kaiou a.k.a Sailor Neptune, Outer Sailor Senshi of the Deep.

Why would this fictional & flawless anime character influence me so? Well, when I first started making websites at the tender age of 11, my first big project was a "shrine" website dedicated to Sailor Neptune, called Violin Tide. Maybe it was her mature demeanor, her violin prowess, her affinity for the sea, her pink lipgloss or her wavy, teal locks, but I wanted to BE her at the height of my Sailor Moon-loving days. Despite my adoration of her, turns out that I am really nothing like her. I'm really more of a Sailor Venus-type to be honest. (Let me know your favorite senshi in the comments below, plz!) Ahhh, but I couldn't deny my childhood dreams any longer when I saw a bottle of Bleach London "Washed-Up Mermaid" in Boots -- in lieu of getting a hot, blonde girlfriend or violin lessons, it was follicles for the win.
"Bow down to my fierceness."
I applied the blue-green dye all over my tresses, because I have highlights throughout my mane (up at the temple and obviously at the ends). The dye took to most of my hair but there were some sections that it didn't, but I kind of liked this effect. The dye showed itself best at the very tips which were the lightest blonde. I left the dye in for about 2 hours, instead of the prescribed 15 minutes. It turned out to be more of a pastel, seafoam green but I was pleased with the results. 

Here is my hair hot off the presses. To check out my hair before please take a look at my Power Lip post. I really liked how the color turned out, I've found that it looks best with my hair curled a la Sailor Neptune. Merely straightened, it looks a bit drab. And curly (check out what my pre-dyed curls look like here!).... it looks downright witchy, unfortunately. Sigh! Being that I do like to wear my hair in its natural state to preserve the health of my strands, this means that my teal hair will have to be ultimately temporary. But while it's here and fades into an even more pastel shade, let's say, "Neptune Planet Power Make-up!" and embrace our inner Sailor soldiers. 
Get our own bottle of Bleach London 'Washed Up Mermaid", here!

So readers, if you were going to dye your hair an unconventional shade, what would it be? Tell us in the comments!
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November 21, 2013

Meadham Kirchoff X Topshop


Today is the day! Meadham Kirchoff for Topshop finally hits the shops and we couldn't be more excited. Based on a fictional girl band called The Cherrys, the only way that we can describe the collection is that, it looks as though a 90s grunge girl, with a fondness for Jem and The Holograms, went shopping in Harajuku. This is definitely no bad thing and below you can find our cherry picked favourite pieces! To shop for these items online, check them out here!

Which Cherry Are You? 
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November 20, 2013

I Want Candy

I WANT CANDY
Coat: ASOS
50s Style BraletTopshop
Swishy Skirt: Topshop
"Meet Me At The Alter" Nail Varnish: Essie
BraceletMiss Selfridge
Cosy Jumper: YMC
Ankle Boots& Other Stories

If it's true that you are what you eat, then subsisting on a diet composed almost entirely of sugar should mean that I am a lot sweeter than I am, but nevermind! If Percy Pig is your role model too -- as he very well ought to be -- and you don't have your heart set on a mouth full of fillings, an alternative way to channel his sweet nature is to dress in candy colours this Autumn. 


Veggie Percy spices up his look with a contrasting green ear - we approve! 
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November 18, 2013

Fashion In Motion: Kansai Yamamoto

Kansai Yamamoto has been absent from the fashion scene for over 20 years, instead turning his creative hand to show production. Consequently, this Fashion in Motion was more like a celebration of his career, with as strong an emphasis on the production as on the clothes; models didn't strut, they danced in this life affirming show.

Psychedelic colours, traditional imagery, and camouflage print all combined to create a  rainbow army of urban dancing warriors. Basara, an ideal of beauty, which means to be stylish to the point of flamboyance, differs considerably from the pared back aesthetic that we associate with Japan and it was nice to see an alternative aspect celebrated. Yamamoto's use of bright colours and patterns galore clearly recalled the spirit of basara and the show, which contained elements of kabuki, was as much of a celebration of Japanese culture as it was Yamamoto's work, with trumpet player Toshinori Kondo being afforded the same status as the designer himself.

There was absolutely nothing po-faced  or "cool" about it and there were a couple of more unconventional elements to the show -- the child mannequins for example were delightfully odd -- but the audience were enraptured and the air was fizzing with joy. While it might not have tickled the fancy of a jaded fashion insider, by the end it was difficult to spot a face which wasn't sporting a grin to rival the Cheshire Cat’s! 

I left the V&A feeling uplifted and more than a little second-homesick.



                           

I wanted to steal Kansai Yamamoto's mermaid shoes and tiger jacket, so I stole some sneaky snaps instead. 

And it's all over..until next time V & A

Jumper: Boy London
Fur Jacket: Charity shop
Sandals: Topshop sale (similar here)

This was our second outing to Fashion in Motion, see the pictures from Fyodor Golan here.
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November 14, 2013

Hello Jebraa!

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Fashion trends come and go... and come and go.. and come and go! It's a good thing they do, because it makes vintage clothing shopping so exciting. Although honestly, sometimes trudging through rails of musty clothing to find that gem hidden in the water-stained dust can be quite trying. And even more disheartening is when you find that amazing piece only to faint at the exorbitant price tag! Fortunately, we have found an Etsy store that seeks to banish vintage shopping woes by providing affordable and chic vintage clothing selections -- say hello to Jebraa. The owner of Jebraa definitely had vintage-lovers' in mind when she formed the philosophy of her store: "Jebraa was created with the intention of sharing my wonderful vintage finds with other women, in the hopes that they would give these pieces new lives in loving homes." Isn't that sweet?! And we also find her logo of the mythical Jebraa (a cross between a unicorn and zebra) absolutely charming!

Amrita's taste for fashion is evident in the store's items and above are some of our favorite items that are now available at her store. The items in her store come from the 50s to the 90s and have a great variety of styles to cater a multitude of different fashion senses. We are also happy to share that Jebraa is now offering a Thanksgiving sale with 15% off on all purchases until November 28th, 2013. Get this discount by entering the code JEBRAAFALL13 at checkout.

You can also find out about future sales and new items by following Jebraa on their social media sites. The Jebraa Pinterest is especially to die for, with lots of great fashion inspiration collected from throughout the decades:
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November 12, 2013

The Girl Repeller

We RF girls may not be menswear fashion experts, but we do know a well-dressed man when we see one. But sometimes we see a man's style that is so upsetting that we can't help but wonder if they are a part of a league of gentlemen who have adapted Leandra Medine's Man Repelling mantra into their own Girl Repeller. Do these men know that these fashion items have the ability to extinguish all traces of female affection? We can only hope that they are aware of their sartorial choices, but as a public service announcement would like to reveal our list of Girl Repelling clothing. 


T-shirts with half-naked women in "sexy" poses
We truly find the popularity of these shirts baffling. Women do not find objectifying other women attractive. We don't think its a coincidence that every time we've seen a dude wearing this kind of shirt, there are no 3D women in sight.

Cargo Shorts
Old Navy's hottest seller is most girls' kill joy. The awkward length of these uselessly utilitarian shorts makes the wearer's legs look completely oxymoronic, both stunted and spindly. To increase female repulsion levels, just pair with ratty sneakers and a peak of white sock. We say to men, don't be afraid of wearing shorts, just go for a higher hem and ditch all the extraneous pockets. We've all moved on from 2002 and so should you. 

Turtlenecks
This incredibly hard to pull off look can only be mastered by fishermen, computer moguls, and some introverted creatives. All others should be warned of the high levels of toxic ridiculousness that they emit. 

Eyebrow Piercings
Some women are not fans of facial piercings, but we know every girl has met that dreamy boy with a cute lip piercing that may have changed their minds. However, we believe that a man's supraorbital ridge does not need any further decoration. The 90s are totally on trend but this one can stay in the past. Don't let a good face go to waste.

Do our readers have any Girl Repelling trends that they loathe? Or do you just love a man in a turtleneck? Let us know in the comments below. 
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November 7, 2013

Tattoos: The Mark of Rebellion

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Although neither of us RF girls are inked (yet?), we both have a great admiration for body art. We promise to document any ink that we do pick up, if we do! (And we promise not to get matching rainbow unicorn tattoos.) But in the meantime, check out Miriam's latest article for the newest issue of Zero Magazine. Her article is about the history of tattooing in popular culture and how now the fashion industry is at the forefront of destroying the tattoo taboo. With designers like Aminaka Willmont incorporating ink in their runway looks and the popularity of tattooed models such as Rick Genest a.k.a. Zombie Boy and Freja Beha and even Barbie getting inked up, tattoos are being aesthetically admired by mainstream society. Tattoos may be a mark of rebellion but it appears many people are looking to show their rebel yells.

Click here to read the full article!
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November 6, 2013

Style Substitute: Benefit 'They're Real' Dupe


mascara03 
Living in Japan as a foreign lady, your appearance is often commented on. It was a little disconcerting hearing some of my former elementary school students call me fat when I wore a chunky sweater to class or all of my female co-workers stroking the back of my head and saying how round it was. But perhaps the most interesting compliment was when my "charm point" was designated as being my eyelashes. A "charm point" can be best described as well... that thing about you that is charming or attractive to others! It could a beaming smile, a pretty beauty mark, or even a nice laugh.

In fact, my charm point must have been so beguiling to those around me that even my middle school aged students could not believe that my eyelashes were real and would sometimes tug on my eyelids to see whether or not I was lying to them. Abuse of teachers aside, what they didn't know is that my eyelashes are thin and stubby things with only the gift of being naturally curled. I am just fiend for mascaras and I have probably tested out every single type in order to achieve the pretty, long lashes I lust for.
mascara01
About a year ago, I discovered Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara and I was absolutely amazed by its effectiveness in giving long, thick lashes. They never smudged or ran throughout the day and I thought well... here it is...THE HOLY GRAIL OF MASCARA. According to the Benefit website, I am not the only 'They're Real' lover, as one is sold every 10 seconds. Quite amazing!
mascara04
But after so many years of bouncing from wand to wand, I still had a wondering eye for mascara. A couple weeks ago, my Benefit mascara was drying up rapidly and I was wringing my hands, not really wanting to spend almost 20 pounds on the next tube. I searched through Boots, examining all the display brushes for a similar style to the Benefit brush until I got to the most unlikely of sections -- Collection 2000! The Collection 2000 'Does It All' Mascara had a very similar to brush to that of Benefit 'They're Real'. I had to try it out!

mascara02

My findings: I found that both mascaras performed very well at providing for my thickness for my thin lashes. 'They're Real' gave a better curl, but had more clumps than the 'Does It All' Mascara. I also found it slightly easier to catch my little eyelashes with the Benefit mascara, because the tip of Benefit mascara has more defined spiked at the tip of the brush. Nevertheless, I believe they are comparable and with such a difference in price point (Benefit: £19.50 vs. Collection 2000: £4.99), Collection 2000 is the winner of this style substitute challenge!

I haven't been able to find a dupe for 'They're Real' that is from a U.S. brand, so if any of our dear readers know of some options, let us know in the comments below! 
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November 5, 2013

Check Mates


Friday evening was spent at the V&A for Fashion in Motion, which this time was celebrating the work of Kansai Yamamoto (shiny, explosion of colour blog post to follow). Before the show even had a chance to begin, socks were being knocked off feet by the exciting ensembles of the audience. Everything about the outfits sported by the gentlemen above was awesome, but my pupils were turned to hearts by the oversized gingham jacket and the tartan baseball cap ~ double dreamy!

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November 1, 2013

Grenson x Liberty


This is the story of our genesis and the shoes that sparked an international friendship.

Back in the hallowed days of yore, we were ambling around Japan, all wide eyed and carefree, each with no idea that the other was alive in the world. That is until Tyche herself invited us to the same picnic and there, alongside the banks of the river Motoyasu, after being formally introduced, we looked each other up and down in what can only be described as mutual outfit appreciation and just like that, a friendship was born.

We mainly talked [shrieked] at great length about the patent brogues that were at the bottom of Siobhan's legs and where on earth she had managed to find them - England of course - because at that time the ladies of Hiroshima were sporting heels more akin to stilts, which do certainly have their place but aren't really the ideal choice of footwear for two clinically clumsy girls. 

And so, because we owe our friendship to a pair of brogues, we are stupendously excited about the arrival of the Grenson Lab in Liberty, London's most iconic department store. English heritage brand Grenson, have been making their archetypal brogues since the 1800s and now, until November 14th, you get to customise your own and bring the shoes of your dreams to life - pick the design and they will be handmade in the colours and with the sole of your choice! You can even have a note penned on the lining, we would opt for "Unicorns rule", or something equally cerebral.

 
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