I had a few hectic days at work, everything is so fast paced that I become a little frazzled at times.  Literally the simplest thing nowadays can make me anxious, like attempting to put down an ironing board on a shoot.  I know, ridiculous.  I just build things up in my head and put too much pressure on myself to do things right, that it totally backfires and I freak myself out.  Welcome to Panicville, population: 1.

Got to witness my first lookbook shoot on Friday.  Was a really busy day but great to see everything happen right in front of me.  However, the stunning, skinny Romanian model who nailed every single shot made me question what the hell I even am.  There I was with my gawky glasses on, my hair tied up in a messy top knot with a lack of make-up on, consistently rearranging my jeans that had shrunk and repositioning the slouch jumper that kept falling off my shoulders.  Such a catastrophe.  I tell you working around perfect people like that is enough to give you a serious complex for life.

Was strolling around work looking like a beetroot all week, managed to completely fry myself in the sun resulting in a lovely red face and chest.  I now have the worst tan-lines EVER.  Get me some fake bake.  I know I mentioned in my last post the things I have learnt whilst roaming about London, well I thought I’d mention a few more horrors I’ve witnessed on the tube.  I’m not sure what it is about people running to catch the tube when the whistle has clearly been blown and the doors are already shutting.  Why risk getting yourself trapped in them? I for one, used to have a recurring nightmare that I’d get trapped in them so maybe I’m just more cautious, but still…Anyway, I got the pleasure of witnessing a complete doughnut running for the doors of my tube.  He came sprinting out of nowhere and launched himself right towards me, to which I took a step back.  He did make it just in time before the doors shut and looked extremely smug about it.  (This is where the best bit happens.) That smile was soon wiped swiftly off his face as the doors shut on his serious fro and he let out the girliest screech I’ve ever heard.  And I knew in that moment I wasn’t going to be able to contain myself, I let out that raucous laugh that should NEVER be heard in public, caught the eye of a fellow commuter who also witnessed it and both just incessantly laughed the rest of the journey.  Poor bloke.  Serves him right though, wasn’t worth risking the fro was it?!

The other day, I took it upon myself to be a kind and generous commuter to the guy sitting on my left.  It was a pretty packed tube and he was quite a big guy so I felt a bit bad when he dropped an item on the floor.  At this point, I didn’t know what fell.  However, I saw it happen out the corner of my eye and proceeded to pick it up, which I instantly regretted.  There in my hand was his absolutely horrendous ear plug cover congealed in UTTER SHITE.  He kindly said “thank you, you’re so kind”, followed by “oh, that’s disgusting.”  Yes, it blimmin’ was you dirty bugger.  I wanted to throw it at his face in that moment and really prayed for hand sanitizer.  For those that know me well, can only imagine my contorted face and heaving reaction.  I will not be so kind next time…

♥

I am absolutely loving my internship, I can’t reveal exact details as I think it’s a breach of my contract but what I can tell you is that I’ve been involved in so many aspects.  I’ve had the chance to write designer bios, help with social media updates, other writing tasks, helping with store requests and sending jewellery out for shoots/events/celebrity styling.  I’ve also become a total pro at London transport, ‘bussing’ my way daily from Knightsbridge to the West End to hand deliver stock.  Every day is completely different, the people I work with are lovely, and being able to see the new designs come in NEVER gets boring.  In fact, unless you see the pieces in person, you really won’t understand how beautifully made they are.  Images just don’t do them justice!

As I can’t reveal much else, I can tell you what I’ve learnt about London, and well, how clumsy I seem to have become (something I wasn’t aware of before.)  Here goes…

♥ Commuters drive me crazy! – Whether you’re on a busy tube getting someone’s pit in your face, or walking casually alongside them, they will somehow manage to agitate you.  No sense of time or speed whatsoever.

♥ Trolleys – Those annoying little buggers that people insist on dragging behind them have become the bane of my life.  If I trip over one more, I swear I’m going to ram the handle where the sun don’t shine.

♥ There are rules to underground escalators- stand on one side, walk up the other.  It’s really not that difficult to comprehend.  You’d think it would be simple for people to grasp, but no, rush hour has become the time for people to congregate and stay put on both sides.  If you work in London, or are simply passing through, learn the rules.  PLEASE.

♥ Pigeons!- Who knew so many existed! They dart at you from every possible angle; left, right, centre, you name it.  I’ve seen so many near-accidents that I genuinely fear the day I get knocked out by one.

♥ Shoes- No matter what shoes you choose to wear, your feet will always ache- the downside to being on them all day.  Do you risk the heels to look fashionable, or opt for the unflattering trainers that date back to the 90′s? Or in my case, stick to ankle boots that don’t complement any outfit and make you overheat…

♥ The Chelsea crowd are living in another world- I will never fit in.  As much as I’d like to believe I can, I’m just not that snooty.  Everywhere I look are over-sized designer sunnies, tiny pet pooches and the latest Mulberry and Prada bags.  Then there is me, with my battered old shoulder bag that I’m desperately trying to replace.

♥ People in Chelsea don’t seem to eat- Everyone is ridiculously skinny and has either been to the gym, or heading to one.  I was clearly unaware of this fact on day 1 where I managed to draw the wrong kind of attention eating my chicken wrap.  A) I didn’t realise the salsa was blimmin’ hot (cue excruciatingly pained facial expressions).  B) Apparently I can’t fit as much in my mouth as I initially anticipated.  Result: chicken falling out of my mouth in a very unladylike fashion.  The horrified stares I received from passers-by were enough to scar me for life.  I now opt for salad and water.

♥ Don’t ever run up an escalator, especially in a hurry- You will end up missing a step and pelt face first towards metal, leaving a pretty bruised shin as a memory.  I will never live that moment down, and it was in Harvey Nichols too of all places.  Embarrassing doesn’t even begin to describe it.

♥ No matter how ‘cool’ you may feel in the moment, it will be short lived.  There I was basking in the sunlight in my Jimmy Choo sunglasses, taking in the London sights while making a delivery, feeling really good about life- you know that satisfactory feeling I’m talking about.  Then low and behold, I get back to the office only to discover dirt all across my forehead.  Dust from the road?, some kind of pollution? God knows, but it took me a good 10minutes of scrubbing my face red raw to remove it.

♥ Office furniture can be lethal.  I’ve managed to bash my elbow numerous times and run over my own foot with my twirly chair.  Only I could manage to do this, as well as tripping over my own feet when not paying attention to the paths.

There you have it, my excitement, incredibly cringe-worthy and mortifying experiences of the last four weeks.  Wannabe Chelsea girl turned complete disaster.  I’m a work in progress, put it that way…

♥

For those that know me well can imagine my distress.  My compulsive night time routine check of my keys, beloved Natwest card, ID and phone was completely thrown off.  It’s safe to say I didn’t sleep too well that night.  However, two days later by some freaking fantastic miracle, my bag was found with everything still inside.  How the holy hell this happened, I seriously don’t know.  Luck was on my side, and after these last few months it was very much needed.

Yesterday, I headed into London for an interview for a paid PR/social media & marketing internship with Annoushka Jewellery.  I loved commuting again but have to admit I didn’t expect to have a flying pigeon plummet towards my face.  A rather pissed off looking commuter kicked the poor bird and it came soaring in my direction as I entered the train door.  Jeez did I flail and scream like a little girl.  It felt like a scene from Hitchcock’s “The Birds“, not exactly something you expect to happen on the tube, let alone just before an interview you’re already fretting over.  It’s an experience I won’t forget that’s for sure.

After that, I was a complete nervous wreck, I could feel that panicky feeling washing over me in waves but managed to pull through it.  Thank God I did because I received a call this morning and got the job, yay!  I can’t believe I got it but am so blimmin’ excited to get started.  Walking into their Cadogan Gardens Boutique was like entering another world.  The jewellery in there is utterly incredible, so so beautiful.  If you haven’t heard of the brand before I suggest you check out the website, the jewellery is exquisite: Annoushka

It’s nice to finally feel like I’m getting my feet back on the ground again.  I was starting to lose myself, but having a routine back and knowing I’ll be living the London life again has really perked me up.  Here’s to 2013, finally looking up!

♥

(I will warn you, I will get carried away with this post and no doubt go slightly off topic, mainly about the idiotic species of men we’re dealing with)

So, can a leopard ever change its spots?

I am obviously not referring to the animal in this case, but of course the type of creatures we like to call “men“.

Undoubtedly a question that has passed many, many lips over the years, and sure to continue doing so in years to come.  A question I myself, have asked many a time, one that frustrates the living daylight out of me, and one that will never truly produce a solid answer.  People can speculate and debate the answer continuously and never get any closer to finding a reliable source.

As young girls we are brought up to believe in the love that exists in fairytales.  The type of love where somehow, some day, we’ll be swept off our feet by the perfect guy and live happily ever after.   A great version of love to believe in, but an astounding false representation from today’s reality.  I mean look at the men we’ve got to deal with.

I like to break them down into two categories: ‘boys’ and ‘lads’.  The term ‘men’ doesn’t even come into the picture.

Boys: The young guys who haven’t quite hit puberty yet.  Love isn’t really on their radar and their biggest worry is wondering where their first spurt of stubble is.  Then there are the middle age guys, you know the ones with the slightly receding hairlines and the dad dancing moves.  The ones that are happily married or in relationships, yet are living with the “Peter Pan Syndrome”, the ones who never want to grow up.

Lads: The guys that can’t keep it in their pants.  “Get on, get in, get out” is probably the best way to describe their relationships with girls.  The guys that think it’s acceptable to grab your ass as you walk by, or make a crude comment.  The ones that have the lamest chat up lines possibly known and go out with one aim in mind: to “bang”.

I’d like to think at some point they eventually grow out of it, but really there isn’t a hope in hell for romance these days.  It’s all about sex and scandal.  Everywhere I turn, there is some kind of relationship deprecation or affair occurring.  Magazines are splashed with celebrity break-ups and divorces, and reality TV shows are just a one way ticket to promoting lad culture at its worst.  Is it any wonder that romance and happy relationships are becoming a thing of the past and cheating is becoming the more popular thing to do?

What I don’t understand is regardless of age or scenario, if someone intends to cheat then do the honourable thing and break it off with the person they’re with.  Why cause the heartache of bringing a third person into the picture when you can nip it in the bud right away and diminish any further pain?  Why drag it out any longer than needs be?

When someone cheats on you, how can you ever trust that person again? You gave yourself to them wholeheartedly, they were your soul-mate, your other half, your best friend and they’ve thrown that all back in your face.  And for what? A small dalliance with someone who paid them a little bit of attention and affection to their selfish ego-driven self.  Seriously? Grow up.  No matter how anyone tries to justify cheating, it CAN’T be justified, they LIED and in the process made a mockery of the person they were with.  Could you ever take that person back knowing full well that they’d lied, cheated, broke any sense of loyalty and trust that they had with you? Could you ever look that person in the eye and not feel the excruciating pain they caused you? Personally, I don’t think it’s possible.  Nor do I think someone can change.

In my eyes, a cheater will always be a cheater.  Nothing will ever change that.  It’s a mistake or a choice made that will forever cling, haunt and remain with that person.  They will never be the same person you fell in love with, at the end of the day they screwed you over and should lose the privilege of ever being with you.  They don’t deserve a second chance because they lost any right to that when they jumped into bed with someone else.

Sure some guys genuinely may have made a mistake and will forever try to make it up to you, but if the inclination was there in the first place, what’s to say it won’t creep up again at some point? If you take their “changed” self back, they will to some extent forever remain a shadow of the once perfect man you fell in love with.

♥

(For all the women that have made numerous excuses for the men that they love, if they want to be with you, and it’s meant to be, they’ll be with you.  You are worth it and deserve the very best, don’t settle for anything less.  Sometimes setting them free is the only way to save yourself.)

Thanks to a smoothie recipe my dad swore by last year during a 12 week fitness program, I’ve been supplementing a few meals for fruit smoothies.  They taste amazing.  Don’t judge one of the questionable ingredients before you’ve actually tried it…

1 whole banana

a handful of blueberries

a handful of raspberries

2 tablespoons of cubed tinned pineapple (in own juice)

1/2 cup of Tropicana apple juice

1 1/2 tablespoons of low fat cottage cheese (don’t judge it!)

BLEND

It’s not the most appealing image to look at but, blended altogether it tastes mighty fine.  And you can’t taste the cheese, promise!

The fruit acts as the carb, and the cottage cheese acts as the protein, both slowly releasing energy throughout the day.  It might not seem like the most filling of meals, but it does keep you full for a good few hours.  You can experiment with the ingredients too, sometimes I just use pineapple and no blueberries/raspberries.  Other days, I’ll add strawberries in too.  Whatever you fancy.

If you like fruit and are searching for a tasty meal supplement, give it a go! You won’t be disappointed!

♥

On second thoughts the word talon makes me shudder, so perhaps not the best word to use in this case.

Anyway, I was running around like a headless chicken yesterday fretting over a phone interview I had for a PR internship.  I therefore had no time to sit and paint my nails, as nice a distraction that would’ve been, I would’ve only stressed myself more.  (In case you hadn’t noticed, I worry and stress a lot…)

I wanted to keep things simple today so only coloured the tips of my nails in a dark purple.  I literally swear by the colour, I love it! There may be a slight smudge as I was mildly distracted by my incessant meowing cat.  Thank you Pebbles.

Tips: Maybelline “Forever Strong Pro” in Extreme Blackcurrant

Topcoat: 2true Nail Care Longwearing Topcoat

The colour stays on for ages, I’d say at least 5days and would definitely recommend it.  The topcoat also gives a lovely glossy finish and dries instantly.  Perfect for no fuss nails!

I also picked up my new Rayban glasses today, it slightly worries me how crap my eyesight has become.  You know the girl in the Specsavers ad running up to the wrong guy? Well, that’s pretty much me.  I can’t see things in the distance and peoples faces have become a blur.  So, if you do so happen to see me and wave, I’m not being rude and ignoring you, chances are I just haven’t seen you.  I was channelling “geek chic”,  however I just look a bit like the crazy frog in them:

Just call me Speccy McGee

♥

]]> http://fashionmagezine.com/2013/03/a-belated-manicure-monday/feed/ 0 http://fashionmagezine.com/2013/03/bad-luck/ http://fashionmagezine.com/2013/03/bad-luck/#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:24:21 +0000 Lexie http://fashionmagezine.com/?p=1168

It’s official, I’m living in the house that Jack built.  Literally everything in the house has been going wrong for the last week or so.  Currently having a new en-suite fitted which is pretty much finished and it looks SO good, but it seems to have caused calamity and chaos in the process (maybe a slight exaggeration).

Problemo no 1: The door bell was ringing non-stop, neighbours washing machines had stopped-thanks to the wonders of an old system that links our water tanks with theirs.  We’d turned the water off you see, to fix the shower to the wall not realising the knock-on effect it had with everyone else.  The bath was filled with 4 saucepans and a kettle that night…

Problemo no 2: Discovered the toilets weren’t flushing, and there was no hot water running.  The one day I had organised plans for and BOOM I’m a greasy haired state with a serious desire to wash my hair and a bladder so full, I looked pregnant.  I figured I’d go for the next best option and settle for my dry shampoo, the ultimate saviour.  But oh no, cue problemo no 3…

Problemo no 3: The dry shampoo had been laid down on its side and felt oddly light when I picked it up.  Didn’t realise that if the canister isn’t upright the shampoo inside pretty much disintegrates.  Thought I’d give it a go only to discover that it came out like spray paint.  Not only did I have ridiculously white hair, I was channelling Cruella Deville, 2013 edition.  By this point, I wanted to cry.

Problemo no 4: The shower wasn’t even turning on, no water, no immersion noise, no nothing.  Great.

Problemo no 5: My flippin’ hair-dryer blew, mid hair-dry.  To say I was pissed was an understatement!  It may have got thrown across the room…

Problemo no 6: The icing on the cake- the water pump has blown which would explain the non-existent shower water.

It’s okay though, my poor dad got the brunt of it- a cross between hysterical crying and laughter down the phone.  At the time when it all happened, it felt like the end of the world.  When re-iterating it out loud to someone else, it was actually quite comical.  Has anyone else had a day like that where it just gets too much for you and you breakdown? Then looking back, it sounds so ridiculous you have to laugh at yourself.

I always knew that annoying 13 at the end of 2013 was going to bite me in the ass.

♥

Tuxedo Nails

Two Tone Tips

Red Nails & Floral Nail Wrap- Primark

Purple & Blue Polka Dot Tips

Multi-coloured Leopard Print Nail Wraps- Walmart

Blue Zebra Print Nail Wraps- New Look

Multi-coloured Caviar Nails- Beads from Primark

I’m definitely no nail expert and I have a seriously shaky hand but I’ll give anything a go! Hope you find them useful!

As you’re aware, I’m powering through the 30day squat challenge and although I haven’t quite got buns of steel yet, I am starting to feel a difference.  Day 7, 390 squats down and a whole lot more to go!  Seriously starting to feel the burn though…

I also had my horrendous roots re-hi-lighted and now have slightly shorter and blonder hair! The upkeep of staying blonde is a complete nightmare sometimes, a pricey one at that!

Hope you had a lovely weekend.

♥

I like big butts and I cannot lie…  It’s true, I do.  Not in a pervy “oioi” way, but in a “oh my god, I want mine to look like that” kinda way.  It’s undeniable that a good butt is hard to go unnoticed by anyone.  Look at J-lo, Beyonce and Kim K for example, other than their talents (although I’m still not quite sure what Kim is actually famous for, someone please enlighten me), what are they all known for?

BIG BOOTAY.

I rest my case.  Guys want to be with a girl with some serious junk in her trunk, and girls well, just want to have a killer body that’ll give Kelly Brook a run for her money.  Don’t get me wrong, I know a butt isn’t the be all and end all, but surely it’s a pretty good asset to aim for?

I hereby challenge myself to the 30 day squat challenge, can’t be too hard right? Although looking at day 30 does makes me die a bit inside.  250 squats?! I’ll be lucky if I can bust out the first 10.  I’d say I’ll post my progress on here, but I’m not really feeling uploading pictures of my derrière.  I’ll just give you a heads up if it actually works! Then again, I may be so impressed with the results I’ll be booty tooching all over the place!

Anyway, here’s to a bodacious, bootilicious, badonkadonk.

♥