My Dye Dilemma

I absolutely adore my bright-as-a-lobster red hair. But with this colour, comes tremendous responsibility. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind only ever using black towels and pillowcases, shunning red and white clothing (for fear of clashing or staining), or even bleaching the bath from time to time. What really annoys me though, is the DREADED regrowth!

My hair is naturally dark brown. So when my roots start coming through, despite some people saying "I like it better this way", I can't help but want to colour them in with a red texta. The roots, not the people! Sometimes, by twisting and pinning and hair spraying, I can get the two-tone effect to look intentional. Other times, I feel like it's totally out of my control. A horrible brunette patch, intent on making me look like a 11 year old who's attempted to dye her own hair, and botched it up royally.

So about 5 weeks ago, when my brown skunk stripe was really beginning to get on my nerves, I bought a couple of pots of my usual La Riche Directions hair dye in Poppy Red. This time though, instead of buying them for a small fortune from a retailer in the city, I decided to take a chance on an Ebay seller. This particular UK seller was charging a measly AUD $17.85 for both tubs to be purchased and sent to my doorstep. An amazing drop in price from the usual AUD $21.95 per tub (!!!) I pay for them retail.

So with my Ebay purchase finalised, all I had to do was wait a week... 

...plus another week...

...plus another week...

...plus ANOTHER week!!

Four long weeks, and still no hair dye!! By this stage, I was sure that Australia Post had lost it. Usually, it doesn't take any longer than ten days for a parcel to find it's way to me from the UK. But of course, I must have wanted this dye a little too much, because fate had other ideas.

I contacted the seller, who promptly reassured me that the dye had definitely been sent, and it was probably an issue with customs. Another week went by, and still - no dye. Meanwhile, I was wearing hats at every possibly opportunity to hide my...ahem...shame! After messaging the seller again, she very kindly, and at no extra cost, sent me some replacement dye. Even though I was extremely grateful for her generosity, I couldn't help but think "oh my God! ANOTHER ten days wait!!!".

So, unable to handle my hideous regrowth any longer, I made the decision to order off an Australian site called Pimp My Eyes. Even though the pots were a lot pricier (AUD $14.95 per pot), I knew that they would get to me quickly, as the site offered free Express Postage. 

Then, as luck would have it, guess what turned up on my doorstep yesterday?!  

Yep. The original package from the Ebay seller, as well as my Pimp My Eyes parcel, arrived at exactly the same time! So I now have four tubs of dye, with another two on the way!

My sweet sweet Directions Hair Dye

Oh boy. At least I know I'm not going to run out any time soon! 

Upon The Mantle - My Top 5 Style Crushes

As much as I love to invent my own style, I'm often inspired by a handful of gorgeous, brave and imaginative women. So, I've decided to dedicate this post to five of my most oohed and ahhed over ladies. The kinda' gals who never fail to make me appreciate how wonderful it is to dress up.

In no particular order...

If you have a love of burlesque, vintage glamour or gothic style - you'll have a love of Dita Von Teese. After reading her book 'The Art of the Teese' I was totally infatuated with this woman. Like your classic Hollywood starlet of the 1930's, her style is nothing less than impeccable. There's never one hair out of place, one loose thread dangling from a hem or one false eyelash curling off at the corner. "Effortless" is definitely not a word that springs to mind when I think of Dita. Each look is a form of construction. You can see the amount of thought that goes into every last detail of her marvelous ensembles. Her style is her livelihood afterall. Beyond that, she has such a huge passion for 'the art' of getting dressed up - something I can certainly relate to. She's a disciplined dresser-upperer, that's for sure!

Lucia Holm, otherwise known as 'Miss Lulu and the Teaspoon Shortage', is a freelance photographer and digital photo retoucher from New Jersey. For ages now, I have been glued to her website and flickr account, scrolling through her delightfully cute, yet unsettlingly mysterious photos. Most of which are self-portraits. I love the 'Alice In Wonderland' quirkiness of her style. Lots of lace, floral prints, coloured heels, red lippy and dolly bows. And let's not forget the amazing hair - which I'm 99% sure is a wig since it tends to fluctuate between red, brown and blonde. Regardless, it's right up my alley. If I could find where she bought it, I'd be snapping it up in an instant!

Ahhh Paloma. What I like most about this English singer/songwriter, apart from her music, is how well her playful personality is reflected in her style. She's so daring in her choices of colour, pattern and design, and pairs up her outfits with accessories, in a way you wouldn't expect. Sometimes, she almost seems to be poking fun at herself - treading the fine line between tacky and fantastical. There's a definite nod to vintage glamour in all of her outfits (which I love), however she always manages to tweak it enough to make it her own. Plus you gotta' have respect for a girl who can masterfully do her own pin-curls!   

Even though I quite like the chic, modern, more ladylike Gwen Stefani of today - it was the grungy 90's Gwen that really struck a style-chord with me. Her platinum blonde locks and ruby red lipstick seemed to channel Marylin Monroe (if she were in a garage pop-rock band). Then there was the shorter-than-short crop tops, exposed bra straps, hipster cargos and bindi's - which I still have a bit of a soft spot for. Call it 90's nostalgia! Regardless, she pulled the look off brilliantly. I also loved how she would blur traditional 'gendered outfits' by combining a floral dress with a pair of army boots, or an oversized man's jacket with a pair of false, fluttery lashes. Even now, I think she's got a nak for shaking up style norms. Often effortlessly combining street fashion with high-end fashion.

I know she's not everyone's cup of tea, and she has worn a few questionable outfits in her time, but I happen to love Bjork's style. Again, as seems to be the theme with my previous four style crushes, she's extremely unique and brave in how she chooses to present herself. I find it so facsinating and inspiring to go back and have a look at how her style has progressed since the 80's. She's dressed up in everything from neon Nikes, to doiley-print dresses, to silk kimono's, to war paint, to oversized puffa jackets, to faux-fur capes to beaded ball gowns. It's really quite impressive! I adore her obvious obsession with trying out different kinds of materials and styles, and her tendency to treat her appearance like a little work of art. Like her music, her style doesn't need anyone's approval. It seems to exist for her own benefit. Which of course, is such a romantic idea.

      

Well, hope that was somewhat enjoable for someone out there. Please feel free to let me know your top 5 style crushes. I'm always interested in stuff like that.

xx.

A Splattering of Everything!

This post will be a little bit all over the shop really. Part literature, part tea, part flicks and tunes and other things that have been rocking my socks of late. So forgive the firework that is this scattered post of mine. I'm sure you can all cope!

First things first I spent today shopping along Chapel St, on the lookout for some Mothers Day pressies. Drawn in by the charm of the delightfully colourful tea shop T2, not to mention the Chai Tea samples, I found myself sniffing small bowl after small bowl of teas I couldn't even pronounce the names of. I really haven't stepped foot in T2 for the longest time, but I thought I'd pay it a visit. I'm so glad I did though because I came home with something for both myself AND my stepmum! T2 currently have four little Mothers Day packs on offer for $24 which include 100g of loose leaf tea, a little infuser and an itty bitty recipe book - all very sweetly packaged and gift wrapped for free. After careful consideration (and much sampling) I picked up 'Apple Crumble' which is also known as 'Ginger Spice'. It's ginger (obviously) mixed with orange peel, cinnamon pieces and vanilla. So warming and delicious. I also liked that it contained orange rather than lemon. Much easier to drink I think! For myself, I snapped up a regular box of  'Just Cinnamon' which is pretty self explantory. I thought it might be a nice change from Chai, but still warming now that it's getting into colder weather.

I hear you T2!

Left: The Mothers Day Box All Wrapped Up. Right: My Box Of 'Just Cinnamon'

Wrapping Complete With Key And Cat. So Cute.

Next up, I recently finished reading Richard Yates'  novel 'Revolutinary Rd'. I have to be honest, I'm not incredibly 'into' literature. I want to be, but it takes a certain kind of book to really grab and hold my attention long enough for me to want to see what happens. This book definitely does that. I initially borrowed it because I loved the movie, so I was interested to see what the book was like. Wow! Even though I knew the basic premise from watching the film (which in hindsight I think did a grand old job of doing the story justice) I was still blown away.

Image Care Of whirlbooks.blogspot.com

It's an incredibly moving, honest and downright tragic depiction of a young couple in the 1950's trying to escape the humdrum normality of their suburban, conformist lives. Yep. Heavy. I think Yates himself sums it up best though: "If my work has a theme, I suspect it is a simple one: that most human beings are inescapably alone, and therein lies their tragedy." I highly highly recommend this book. And the film for that matter. Under Yates' spell I've currently got a copy of 'The Easter Parade' which I'm beginning to make my way through! I'm hoping for another hugely satisfying read.

As far as music goes, I've been revisiting a few old bits and pieces. Knowing them by nothing other than a cover of Bjork's 'Hyperballad' I thought I'd check out the The Yeah Yeah Yeahs 'It's Blitz!'. When the right mood strikes I've actually been really enjoying this album. Particularly Soft Shock, which has found itself blaring from my headphones to a maddening extent. Another album that's been floating my boat of late is Mike Patton's 'Mondo Cane'. The album is a collection of Italian pop songs from the 50's and 60's, reworked  by Mike and a massive orchestra. For some reason, this has been one of my absolute favourites at the moment. It's fun, sporadic and just a damn good listen! Join me wont you...

Image Care Of elstinkeyes.blogspot.com

Lastnight saw me curled up on the couch watching a recently released doco called 'Bill Cunningham New York'. If you haven't heard about this documentary - where have been hiding!? And if you haven't seen it yet - why the hell not?! For anyone who doesn't know who Bill Cunnningham is, he's  a street style photographer for the New York Times. I have to admit, having never read the New York Times I didn't know who Bill Cunningham was until this doco surfaced. But I loved it all the same. Unlike the doco 'The September Issue' about Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, I found 'Bill Cunningham New York' to be very uplifting and inspiring. While the former seemed to be an albeit intriguing attempt at justifying elitist fashion for 'the cool kids', the latter was a celebration of unique style. Whether it be couture or Kmart. Of course, as an amateur beauty and style blogger on a somewhat modest salary, this gave me solace and inspiration! Plus the man himself is just such an eccentric character. After seeing this film I have so much respect for his work ethic and unyielding passion for clothes and style. Sigh. If only I could be so focused! But really, check it out if you think it'd be up your alley. Even if you're not into fashion, there's enough footage of New York to have you drooling at the mouth! I'll link the trailer here.

Image Care Of redmeetsblue.com.au

Last but not least are a couple of TV shows I've tucked under my wing for safe keeping. First is 'The Model Agency' a doco series on ABC2 about an English modelling agency. This is by no means a new idea or groundbreaking show, but it's worth a watch if you can look past (or enjoy) the bitching and crying. The second is, dare I say it, one of the greatest doco series' ever in the history of the world! Ok, that may be going a tad overboard, but it is funny. And that's 'Whisker Wars'. Nope. Not about cats. It's about Beard and Moustache Championships, and the men who compete in them! Amazing right?! Another ABC2 gem! The whole time I was watching I just kept thinking "is this for real?" Christopher Guest, eat your heart out! Oh and if you think you've missed out - think again! In Aus, these are both also available for watching online, thanks to the trusty ABC iview.

Photo Care Of vimeo.com

End scene.

Girl About Melbourne

The other day I was lucky enough to experience the rarity that is a day off with my boyfriend. Shock horror! I know. So we made the most of the freedom, company and sunshine and headed into the city with intentions to visit ACMI That's the 'Australian Centre for the Moving Image' for all my international readers! We planned on seeing an interview with Melbourne director Amiel Courtin-Wilson: the genius behind the soon to be released feature film 'Hail' (keep your eyes peeled!) After what was a terrifically interesting talk we spent the rest of the day being creatures of leisure. Lots of milling about the city, drinking, people watching and window shopping. I took a few photos on my phone (hence the somewhat poor quality) that I thought I'd share with you. Onward!

Lipstick: 'Hot Stuff'' by Chi Chi
Blush: 'Frankly Scarlet' by Mac
Eyebrow Pencil: 'Hazel' by Rimmel & 'Frankly Scarlet' Blush by Mac

Head Scarf and Jacket: Op Shop
Skirt: Topshop London
Tights: River Island
Boots: Wittner
Bag: Topshop London

By the Yarra

Flowers and Dappled Sunlight. Ahhh!

A Slice of Iconic Melbourne



From the Bathroom in 'The Workshop'

I had to include this last photo because I thought it was just too pretty not to. It's looking out the window of the ladies bathroom in a bar on Elizabeth St called 'The Workshop'. I realise I'm probably a little late on the bandwagon as far as this venue goes but I really liked it. Such a nice, relaxed bar to have an afternoon beer or two. I wish I'd taken more photos of the actual bar but to be honest, I was too busy drinking and blathering on!

Wrapped Up and Pinned

Just a quick little post today. I went out for drinks last night to the Carlton Club. Yesterday was just too warm and lovely not to make the most of the weather by sharing a jug of delicious fruity cocktail at a tiki-esque rooftop bar. For a while now I've been avoiding this particular bar on the basis that their weekend security is simply awful. The apparent 'dress code' they have seems to be as changeable as the weather. I've had friends (mostly male) that have been rejected for being too under dressed and too overdressed! Anyway, I figured that as this was a weeknight it'd be much more relaxed. And it was.

More on topic, I went on an op-shop (thrift store) scarf buying spree during the day and decided to sport this wonderful floral print scarf out for the night.

Diolen 100% Polyester Scarf. $5 from my local Op-Shop.

I've been loving wearing scarves in my hair of late. They can completely transform any look and are easy to bobby pin any way that you'd like. Plus op-shops generally have such a huge selection in all different colours and patterns for around $5 or under. These aren't the kinds of colours I'd usually go for (I'm not a huge fan of wearing brown) but I thought the design was really pretty and the flowers matched my hair quite nicely.

Anyone else found any op-shop treasures recently?

Let's Kick This Baby Off!

Ok, the title may have been a little too much, too soon.

My first post is merely a heads up for the next few weeks during which, like most bloggers, I will be attempting to use my far-from-technically-apt brain to tweak my page. There will be swearing. There will be items propelled across the room. There will be bribes for my computer savvy friends. Hopefully though, I will come out the other side with a nice, simple, easy to navigate page of delight.

On a side note I am thrilled to be starting this blog! Only a small collection of people in my life share my enthusiasm for getting dolled up, trying new products and playing around with diffrent looks. So this will be a nice little way of sharing my thoughts and possibly hearing what you guys think also.

Right on!