Developing your own style

Hello lovelies!

So a subject that's often in my mind is style and fashion - so I wanted to blog about what inspires me, who inspires me, and how to find your own style and be fully confident in your skin! :)

The writing in this picture above really gets the essence of this blog in just one sentence,

'my beauty comes from having my own style, living my own way and knowing my own mind'

This is so true! Strong, inspiring, well dressed women are women that really know their own mind and this comes through from every pore in their body! They always looks stylish and amazing as you can tell their wearing clothes, makeup and hair that really sing to their soul. Now as celebrities, this is much easier moneywise! I am often held back from wearing things that I really love and am inspired by simply because I can't afford to buy them, and instead have to make do with dull drab clothes that I find pretty soul deadening! However, celebrities also have their confidence on the line - for example they might wear exactly what they want to, but the press might pull them down so much that they end up feeling unconfident in stuff they love! :(

So in short, what I'm trying to say is don't let others pull you down, don't let the fear of what people might say stop you wearing what you'd love to!

I always was worried about what people would say or think about me, until I took a big plunge (ie dyeing my hair pink) and then now I just don't care! People have made mean comments about it, people have said they love my hair... but what really matters is that I LOVE IT! I've done it for myself, I've empowered myself and shown myself that the times you feel at your best and at your most confident is when your styling your self and acting they way YOU want to!

So do it! If you're not ready for a big plunge try something small, maybe a ring you though was 'too out there' but you secretly loved so much, maybe some crazy socks that really speak to your soul.... just wear something that makes you feel that little bit more like you.

Don't hold back! Don't let excuses like work clothes, your too fat/too thin.... get in the way of your style update! Shock everyone and put a huge dose of your personality out there into the world via your clothes, makeup and hair! Bet you'll get THOUSANDSSSSSSSSSS of compliments! Just try it :)

Here's some examples of what makes me feel more like 'me' :)....

These red shoes, oh my, they speak directly to my heart!!!

My crazy pink decora phone case - I'm so inspired by Japanese fashion, and of course pink things, that this phone fits my personality down to a tee. Yes people might think it's childish and ridiculous, but I LOVE IT and that's all that matters.

THINGS THAT I'D LOVE TO ADD TO MY STYLE, JUST NOT CONFIDENT/RICH ENOUGH YET :)

These shorts are right up my street, I love pastel colours, as well as the pretty yet grimey effect - but at the minute I'm not overly confident about my tree trunk legs, but I'm working on getting them a little slimmer and more toned, and then hopefully some hot shorts like this will be in my wardrobe, inspiring me and making me feel like me! :)

Boy I love these leopard wedges, if I had the money and super slim legs I'd be wearing these babies too!

And now I thought I'd compile a list of women I really feel exude their own style amazingly.

WOMEN WITH INCREDIBLE STYLE ALL OF THEIR OWN...

Are you feeling style and fashion inspired?

xxxxxxxxxx

Guest Blog: Who Inspires You?

Hello my lovely readers!

Once again I have a super exciting and super inspirational post for you guys to read from Amy! One of the kindest hearted people I know! Go check her amazing blog out and read this beautiful post she's done just for you guys!

http://beautybarbiedoll.tumblr.com/

Who Inspires You?

These are my personal faves...

Raquel Reed

My alternative beauty queen. Raquel was a big inspiration for me during my dare I say it ‘scene’ stage mainly because she had a creative edge over everyone else, she saw what everyone was doing and put her twist on it. I also love Audrey Kitching but she didn’t have the same appeal as Raquel who looks like a Hollywood glamour puss with bright blue hair. She is pin up meets the 21^st century. She also is a M.A.C. make-up artist in New York and has a fantastic modelling career. ENVY!

Terry Barber

Terry is a MAC senior artist, he has the most incredible voice! He has a way of describing makeup that really engages my imagaination, and helps distinguish makeup as a whole different art form. Terry Barber is magical.

“If you think you know everything there is to know, you know very little. For inspiration look at the past and make it futuristic.”

Hes also the director of make-up artistry at MAC for the entire world. Wow.

Holly Madison

I wish I could explain how obsessed I was with The Girls Next Door series on E! I always had this fantasy of being beautiful enough to be in Playboy and live the lifestyle these girls had, I felt I could relate so much to Hollys work ethic and her personality and I wished I could be her so bad. I'd love to look like her too. I know we have to work with what we are given in life but her blonde hair and figure inspire me no end. I spent ages researching her favourite make-up (Cinema Secrets Foundation, Spice by MAC Lipliner and Holly Golightly eyeshadow by Stila, she also has Alexis Vogel do her makeup, who is an inspirational make-up artist of mine).

I have the Girls Next Door workout DVD and actually find it really good! I toned up really fast and I stuck to it really well, Hollys and Bridgets' workouts are best!

Jessie J

The new kid on the block.

She is like Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry and Lily Allen rolled into one. All people I love individually and even as one package Jessie J isn’t cheesy shes pure cool. I think shes going to be huge this year! I love her attitude and style. It's all about being expressive and sexy but in a tough way. I like how she shuns this ‘slutty pop princess’ stereotype but doesn’t go as full out wacky as GaGa, who I actually don’t like, Gaga really isn’t original in her style at all. And I don’t rate her music after the Fame album, she has the underground magic but soon as she went mainstream she just lost it. And plus Jessie J is a better role model, no drugs, no eating disorders and amazing songwriting ability . Big appreciation from me!

Nicki Minaj

I first got into when Young Moneys' 'Bedrock' was released and my boyfriend said he found her fit. So I researched her musical career so far. She has come such a long way but it’s the last year that has catapulted her into the starlight.

I love her attitude, and her style is amazing. The wigs she wears I drool over every time, the dip dying is immense and I love the cut how it short at the back and super long at the front.

Nicki’s Barbie image is something that really appeals to me, shes the alternative feisty Barbie heroine, to me she is representing all the curvy women out there and showing how feminine and sweet can also be sexy and stand out. Personally I've never been into female rappers but Nickis' lyrics have changed my mind, I really enjoy listening to her. Few female artists really show their true passion for music , focusing more on their image, so I'm so glad as Nicki is a breath of fresh air.

Vivienne Westwood

I wish Vivienne was my great aunt. She is the exact invisionment of how I want to be when im older.

Her designs speak for theirselves…

Vivienne inspires so many of my fashion choices and art work with her quirky mix of punk anarchy, storybook and regal influences. I love her use of everything in the colour palette, the way she drapes a fabric, this women is extraordinary she is more than just a fashion designer.

As odd as it sounds I think Vivienne Westwood label oozes sex appeal, it think it's how she carries herself, how she has a young heart and is such a strong character and it reflects in her designs. And the makeup to accompany the shows! Omgod I love it!

Her bright orange hair is so amazing! She definitely has je nais sais qoi (did I spell that right?haha )

Dita Von Teese

I cant help but love Dita! She was my first serious role model when I used to waist train with corsets. I used to get called Dita at college which is the biggest compliment ever, someone thinking I look like her! I even won a competition twice in first place when dressed like her. I think her signature style is one that will always be copied. Her liner and lips especially. Ditas favourite shade of MAC lipstick is Russian Red. She is also a Viva Glam spokesperson, and you can't get any cooler then that :P.

She is the Queen of Burlesque and her classy yet provocative style makes me envious!

Evan Rachel Wood

This woman is beautiful. I chose to accompany this paragraph with a picture of her as Queen Sophie Anne in True Blood because I think the styling here is stunning. Her eyes are magnetic, she has the most perfect skin… something about her, I'm hooked! Please can I wake up and look like this?

Helena Bonham Carter

Helena inspires me because she is so kooky, she is so unlike every Hollywood starlet in that she really does her own thing, her style is erratic, she literally looks like a walking clothes horse or that she fell into a charity shop covered in glue and she always looks amazing in a way that she fascinates me. She doesn’t take herself to seriously…and her acting roles further prove this.

I think she is one of the most iconic actresses of our time, known for talent more than looks but still shocking and enticing us all with her amazing style.

I feel so inspired after reading this blog, I may well write one like this myself as it's truly lightened my day! Girl power! :)

xoxoxo

overcoming obstacles

Hello everyone,

So today I don't want to write my typical makeup blog - I want to focus on something a lot more meaningful - that of overcoming big obstacles in your life.

Now I might be only 19, but I feel I'm more than enough experienced to speak about such things.

Everyone has their own story - everyone has memories of the time they've been most down and sad, and memories of the time they've been on top of the world. We might think of these a lot, but most people don't think a lot about times when they've been strong. When they've pulled through things they never thought they could, and proved to themselves that they can 'do it'. Now people don't usually speak about any of these times, the good, bad or the strong parts - but WHY?! These are the bits that highlight a personality most, the bits of a persons life we should admire about them, but people are just too embarrassed to admit these kinds of things.

I've had all of those times, and my spirit and soul is so strong because of them. I've cried and cried till I could cry no more, I've wished I wasn't here so many times - even tried to not be here, I've pushed everyone around me away and tried to just hibernate in my own sadness alone, I've had my heart torn and felt like I was no good to anyone, suffered with depression and Bipolar disorder... and I've had times of feeling amazing and brilliant, I travelled to another country alone for a month, I moved to Scotland alone to follow my dreams of studying marine biology, I set up my own business and blog about makeup...

And I know there are people all around me, people I know and people I don't, that are suffering lives battles, but should scream and shout about how amazing they are, and what journey they've been on!

For example, *I hope the people I speak about don't mind me talking about them!*

I've recently been in contact with a photographer called Lynn who after reading this blog told me she's also suffered for a long time with Bipolar Disorder, and that she's been down and in some bad places - but now she's stable and at university studying what she's always wanted to, and is finally doing what she wanted to in life :)

My boyfriend Dan had awful troubles with his past partner and she knocked him down and hurt him and his confidence so much until he took an overdose, but now me and Dan are living together and we are both so happy :)

In life I guess we all have to realise that there will be people that are just mean, horrible and want to pull you down.. but we can't let them!

We have our own stories, we're all amazing, no matter how low we get, we can get through it, no matter how long it takes, we'll get to be what we want to be, we just have to be patient.

WE CAN GET THROUGH ANYTHING

Strong thoughts :)

Emily

xoxo

kandees glaminar

Me & Kandee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need to tell you all about my wonderful day at Kandees Glaminar in London, it was AMAZING! She is so beautiful, such an inspirational woman, such a strong person, just incredible, I still can't believe I was lucky enough to be in the same room as her!

So me and my boyfriend Dan travelled down on the Friday (6 hours on the train!!) and stayed in a youth hostel thing like 30 seconds from Picadilly!

The hostel was just down the side where those big glowy signs are, and they stay on all night!

After we'd popped our bags down we went for a walk round Soho, and I got to see the MAC Pro store, the Illamasqua store and The Makeup Store - but they were all closed, I was so sad, it would have been amazing to just wander round and marvel in their amazingness! But I guess it's a blessing they were closed, as otherwise I would have spent some pennies! We walked round Chinatown to, up to Oxford Street and round Leicester Square! It was amazing, so pretty at night, but oh so busy! I don't think I could handle the busyness of it all the time!

And we saw street magic, a man turned a tissue into a live mouse! Seriously, I'm not kidding, it was unbelievable, me and Dan and the rest of the crowd just stood in awe for like ten minutes after! We couldn't believe our eyes! So then we went off to sleep in our bunk bed (LOL our first holiday away and we had a bunk each! hahaha).

And then the next morning I did my makeup as best as I could and popped on my best clothes, cos I was guna go meet my idol Kandee! Dan walked me there, it was at the Meridien Hotel on Picadilly, so it was so close to the hostel. When I went in a suited man opened the door for me! And then directed me to Kandees room up the stairs with this beautiful thick deep red carpet and white marble and gold gilds on the bannisters, it was like royalty! Then I got into the Glaminar opening room, and was greeted by two wonderful ladies who gave me my gift bag! We had a list of stuff Kandee would recommend for a makeup artist, a list of places we could get makeup discounts on cos we'd been to a glaminar, a bridal contract for us to use when we went out on jobs, and makeup stuff - i got some eyelure lashes, some beauty so clean cosmetic sanitiser wipes, a pink handeled brush, some urban decay shadows, and other stuff too!

And then all us girls were summoned to the main Glaminar room, and I managed to get a seat on the front row! Can you believe it?! Me, at the front, to see KANDEE! I almost fainted in my chair, hahaha.

Her lovely Mom told us all about the day and what to expect and where to eat lunch, she was so lovely, a little bottle of sunshine!

And then Kandee came out, she was so beautiful, so radiant, so perfect, and she had her little cupcake tummy too! Her brightness and lovleliness filled the room to bursting, everyone was smiling and soaking up her wonderfulness!

We spent the morning learning all about how to be confident, how to be the best you can be and follow your dreams, how to be a better person, how to be an amazing makeup artist, basically how to be Kandee! And at the end of her speaking my eyes were welled up, I had a fire in my tummy to succeed, to be a strong woman, and to spread wonderfulness into the world. She'd done something no book or film could ever do, I just can't put into words how wonderful she made me feel. And looking round the room, I knew every other girl felt that way, even the guys at the back doing lighting and her microphone felt it, it was amazing to be part of that.

These are some of the cupcakes we had at breaks, they were DELICIOUS! Vanilla cakes with buttercream icing :) Some had strawberries on top, some little oreos, some had hello kitty icing, they were just lovely!

After lunch Kandee spent the afternoon teaching us her top tips on makeup! She applied makeup to one lucky girl, Debra. Her's Debra before - she never usually wears makeup even though she's a makeup artist! And she's never worn false lashes! So we were all so excited when Kandee popped her some on for the first time ever! :)

Here's Debra after! Doesn't she lok wonderful!

After the Glaminar you could queue up for a meet and greet with Kandee! I decided to wait at the back of the queue cos I wasn't in a rush, and there I met two lovely girls, Debra (who'd had her makeup done, I got to inspect it closely!) and Charlie. They were both so nice and really inspired me! I hope we keep in touch!

While I was in the queue I got to meet Kandee's Mom properly and have a photo with her, and at the end just before I was leaving her Mom asked me to do a promo vid for Kandee's blog and channel - I nearly weeed my pants! I was so nervous though and kinda minced my words, as well as nearly burst into tears with joy, so not sure we'll be seeing that on her blog anytime soon!

When I met Kandee it was just amazing, she gave the loveliest most special and warm hugs, and she even said she loved my nail varnish! She signed my notebook and was so lovely and calming when I said I feel like I'm going to faint cos I'm so excited! Hahaha! And I gave her a present, a heart with little pearls decorating it, and inside it said 'Love', and you can hang it up! I thought it would be perfect for her little babies nursery! And when I gave it to her, she said 'Aaaw, you've given me your heart, so I'll give you mine' and touched her chest then passed her 'heart' over to mine and pressed it onto my heart. She's so sweet and amazing, and I'll cherish the little part of her heart I have forever.

Love you Kandee!

xoxo