NEW VIDEO: Vlog #2: Press Days and Belly Dancing

Fashion and technology have always got along. New ideas and inventions come out so regularly, it's sometimes hard to keep up! The two cater to each other, like smartphones becoming one of the 'essentials' for bloggers and catwalks becoming more of a visual experience by using tech. I for one have never been that much of a 'techie', I able to run this blog and my channel without too much trouble, but as soon as it comes to writing codes and the like, my brain shuts down. So when I was invited to a FashTech event for London Technology Week I was intrigued and a little scared that I wouldn't be able to understand all of the complicated things but decided to go. 

I'd been at an audition beforehand,  but got caught in the 'Oxford Circus jam' as I like to call it. If any of you don't know what I'm talking about, Oxford Circus Underground Station often closes the station if it gets too crowded, resulting in a tailback of commuters going down Oxford Street. I've been in this 'jam' a couple of times before, and haven't been held up for more than 5 minutes. This time however...did I wait 5 minutes? No. 5 minutes came and went, so did 10 minutes and 20 minutes. I was stuck for 30 minutes, meaning I missed some networking time when I (finally) got to London College of Fashion for FashTech. Thankfully, I was just in time for the talks. I looked at the agenda of talks going on, and my heart sank. Would I be sitting for hours on end listening to clever people talk about clever things that would go completely in one ear and out the other? NO! As the first talk started I knew I was going to enjoy myself, regardless of that fact that I was a tech rookie. There were a variety of different companies and industry professionals including:

• Brooke Roberts A radiographer turned fashion knitwear designer who turns MRI scans into patterns for her clothes. She's worked with the Allan Institute for Brain Science with their archive of brain scans to create her work, and has collaborated with composers, choreographers and directors. 
• Cortexica An image recognition app that helps you find items that you take a picture of so you can buy them. Using the technology that the likes of macy's, Grabble and Zalando are using, it helps you source items that you love without doing long complicated web searches. 
• Bodi.me Helps you get your right clothes size for online shopping by using a 3D scanner, and is already being used at Burberry, Zara, Mango and Tommy Hilfiger. I got the chance to be scanned at FashTech (after the third attempt, my bad), however when I got home and checked the measurements they were completely off what I actually am! I even remeasured myself to check! I think this is a lovely idea but I think the accuracy needs to be improved as if I'd have bought something with the measurements they gave me, I would have been swamped in material! Not a good look. 
• EvoMODA Is like the new Pinterest or Polyvore, where you create mood boards using items on the website.
• Grasshopper Enables smaller companies to set up phone numbers so they can expand globally. Currently in beta. 
• STEM Academy A sixth form academy who had created STEM In Style and the students created a winter technology garment, with the winners showcasing their product to us.
• Fashion Teach Tech The Q&A panel made up of Francesca Bernard, Brooke Roberts, Michaela Wolf and Karinna Nobbs. 

Afterwards we were able to network some more, and it was lovely to discover some new brands, and see some old faces- the lovely Grabble people were there so it was amazing to have a catch-up with them (post about their event to come soon). 

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This is a bit of a mash up vlog so there are some clips of when I went to United Colors of Benetton press day on behalf of Naked Fashions as well as of my time at FashTech! Please excuse my quiet talking at the beginning on the train, vlogging on the train is just awks! 

The lovely Adora makes an appearance when we explore Liberty's! You can find her here. 

Give it a thumbs up if you liked it, hit that subscribe button and feel free to comment below!!!

What have you guys been up to recently?

Gx

Birthday wishlist!

So my birthday is coming up…and for once, I’m not that excited about it! Mainly because I’ll be 19. And that scares me. It scares me because a) I’ll only have one year left as a teenager and b) I really enjoy being 18! There’s just a sense of freedom being a teenager, and it means I have to grow up soon. And, as an avid fan of Peter Pan, I don’t want to grow up! But there’s no putting it off, I can’t stop time so I’m biting the bullet and am going to embrace it! So here’s what I’ve been lusting over this month!

1. Boohoo Kadie Porcelain Print Box Pleat Midi Skirt

I actually first saw this on the lovely blogger Kristiana Vasarina when we went to the Boohoo Style for Stroke event (post up on here about it soon). I’ve already bought the top she wore (stalkerish much!) but the top and skirt work perfectly together that I’ve now got my eye on the skirt! The cute ‘china cup’ print, the pleats and the high-waisted ball gown skirt shape work in perfect harmony for a perfect evening skirt!

2. ASOS Homeward Heeled Sandals

Heeled sandals are hot this season, and after getting my hands on some heeled jelly shoes from River Island recently, I’m head over heels (pardon the pun) in love with them! They are perfect for running around in all day, while the height gives you a little lift for evening. I’ve seen a lot of black and white ones out there, but these are so eye-catching they are great for festivals! I’ll definitely be investing in either a black or white pair at some point, but these are just too fun to resist!

3. New Look Light Blue Denim Button Front Crochet HemCami

There are some amazing cami’s out there, and so many different styles to choose from! This crochet hem is super adorable for holidays and days out, its such a great way to update denim! I’m slowly building up my cami collection and this is a great day item to add to it!

4. ASOS Matte Classic Retro Sunglasses with BlueFlash Lens

I’m braving the mirror lens with these beauties in my favourite colour- blue! I love the shape; they are similar to my normal glasses so having them in sunglasses form is great! Also the matte lenses aren’t as garish as the full on mirrored lenses.

5. Zara Faux Leather Dress

Yes, I did hit the Zara sale. Yes, I did fall in love with a LOT of pieces. Yes, I did bookmark a lot of pieces to drool over later. And yes, I fell for this dress! I have a lot of dresses of this flit and flare shape as they are super flattering and the chocolate brown colour won’t be as heavy as the standard black, making it super wearable for this season as well as for winter.

6. Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Sweet Lilac

I’m having a bit of a love affair with lilac at the moment! Great for enhancing your tan (well the tan I’ll hopefully get anyway!), this is such a cute pastel shade that’ll look just as good on its own as well as with nail art. I do have a dull lilac Ciaté polish, but this brighter shade is a great transitional shade from spring to summer!

7. Tanya Burr Lip Glosses

So I love Tanya Burr. A lot. She is probably one of the cutest, most adorably likeable people in the world. You just can’t not like her! Her makeup tutorials are amazing and super easy to follow, so when I heard she was launching her own lip glosses and nail polishes, I was so excited! I know I’m a little late expressing my love for these, but I’ve been trying to give my bank balance a rest because, knowing me, I wouldn’t have been able to choose which colour to have and so would have bought all of them. And, as you can see from the title of this bullet point thingy, I still haven’t decided!

8. Real Techniques Blush Brush

‘A girl can never have too many makeup brushes.’ A quote from a lovely makeup artist I had the pleasure of working with on set once. Since then, I have decided to follow this quote and build up my collection. I always manage to use every single one of my brushes, and if I don’t have time to clean them + I have to use dirty brushes= very unhygienic. I have heard amazing things about this blush brush with its tapered end and narrow brush. It means that I can alternate between my big Ecotools blush brush and this one for different looks. Plus Real Techniques brushes are multi-tasking little beauties- I have a feeling you can use it for contouring but I may have heard that wrong.

9. Dr. Bronner Castile Rose LiquidSoap

The multi-tasking wonder product taking the beauty world by storm had to be on my list! Using extra virgin Coconut, Olive, Jojoba and Hemp Oils, this soap can be used for washing makeup brushes, as a cleanser, hand washing and even toothpaste to name but a few! And at just over £5, you definitely get a lot for your money!

10. Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Slink

I love a good Illamasqua product, and their eyeshadows are amazing! They are highly pigmented, but I have fallen for the more neutral shade of ‘Slink’. I’ve seen this soft champagne colour used as a highlighter as well as a shadow, and it'll will look great blended with other colours. The shimmer finish will look just as good during the day as well as at night, as I use neutral shadows as a base for liner! And you’ve got to love the packaging!

Did any of the items in my wishlist catch your eye?

Gx

Thierry Mugler Angel Tribes

My tribe from left to right: Katie, Emma and Cecilia

"I get by with a little help from my friends"

The Beatles

You can't deny it, friendship is a beautiful thing. Having like-minded people around you who have seen you laugh and cry and who you can trust is something to treasure. A bond is created between each of you that'll last a lifetime, so when you all get together, you are unstoppable! 

So when I was asked by Thierry Mugler if I wanted to be part of their #AngelTribes campaign celebrating female strength and friendship, I couldn't say no! The campaign was born from the announcement that Georgia May Jagger is to become the new face of their iconic Angel perfume, following in the footsteps of Eva Mendes and Naomi Watts. As an appointed Tribe Chieftess, I was asked to gather my 'tribe' together to show off our own individual style and personalities. So, I introduce to you, my girls!

My girls are everything to me. Whenever I need help, advice, a shoulder to cry on or to just laugh for 3 hours straight, they are the people I go to. They are all so individual in their own way and there are some incredible memories that I share with them. We all went to the same school and regardless of the fact that we were in different school years, we all got on so well instantly! 

I think the other great thing about these girls is that they're really supportive. I could not thank them enough for the support they've given me for this blog and my channel; they are always willing to muck in and help! Cecilia is such a talented photographer, Katie has such amazing fashion sense and Emma will happily pose for photos for me (she's just so adorable it's ridiculous!) and keep me smiling (and laughing) when I'm taking pictures of me. The blogging community is such an open, friendly and exciting one, and its so nice to share it with my friends. 

We are a creative bunch of people, and we definitely don't hold that back when it comes to fashion! I switch my style up daily, but I always keep true to my retro/vintage roots.  I love how we all have our own personal styles yet we frequently raid each others wardrobes too! 

It's an amazing thing to be a strong female in this day and age. With so many pressures from society I think it is important to stand up for what you want and love. My role models are my mum, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Judi Dench and Taylor Swift as they have never been afraid to speak up and get their voice heard. 

Thank you Cecilia and Katie for taking photos!

If you want to be part of the #AngelTribes campaign, head over to Thierry Mugler's Facebook  and Twitter. 

What do your friends mean to you? Who inspires you?

Gx

NEW VIDEO: Drama School

The first of my opinion/debate videos! Let me know if you like it and whether I should do more!

So being in the world of acting can be confusing. Especially about things like drama school; do you go or should you jump straight into work? What a conundrum. So here's me trying to make up my mind. If any of you are in the same boat as me, hopefully it'll help you in some way too!

Give it a thumbs up if you liked it, hit that subscribe button and feel free to comment below!!!

What are your opinions on drama school?

Gx

River Island High Summer Preview

Summer and clothes are always a good combination. Bright colours, crazy patterns, floaty material…so when River Island has a preview day celebrating all things summery, you don’t want to miss out!

To get us in the summer vibe, we were greeted with the perfect picnic experience; grass, Pimms (lots of it), manicures, Cath Kidston inspired napkins and an authentic Texan barbeque (thanks to the awesome people at Howard's Meat Co.)

The yummy food from Howard's Meat Co.

The collections on show for us were all stunning in their own unique way. White sheer, denim and lace screamed for a Miami getaway with big 3D flowers and stripes, while the loud tribal prints and beading on crop tops and kaftans made sure you wouldn’t blend into the crowd! Jeans were updated with shiny stripes and fringing accompanied big blooms for a boho vibe. Mules made an appearance, hinting they were the next shoe of the season. The men’s collection (as always in River Island) was just as appealing, with palm tree printed shirts, statement tops and board shorts. Don’t be too surprised if you find me in the men’s section this season! The Chelsea Girl range was made up of collar dresses, Clueless inspired checks and neon cutesy prints. 

The cute menswear collection

Chelsea Girl collection

My particular faves were an embellished mesh twosie from the Pacha range and a navy and white fringe kimono that I’ll be looking out for when they hit store! 

What were your favourites? Are you excited for the new pieces coming in to River Island?

Gx

NEW VIDEO: May Favourites

Here's what I've been loving in the month of May! I've added a new feature of my fave song to my favourites videos, so look out for that! And a big shoutout to my friend Reisha for getting me into the EOS lip balms! 

Give it a thumbs up if you liked it, hit that subscribe button and feel free to comment below!!!

P.S. If you enjoy my blog, please vote for me in the Cosmo blog awards for Next Newcomer Blog Award! It would mean the world! Just click here!

What have you been loving this month?

Gx

NEW VIDEO: Updates! Skin Problems and Frequencies

I have been a busy bee. So much so, that my posts and videos have been a bit erratic. Here’s a chatty video to explain why!

Give it a thumbs up if you liked it, hit that subscribe button and feel free to comment below!!!

Have you been busy spring bees too?

Gx