slightly oddley.

not just another fashion and beauty blog –


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A Case of the Blues

Exam time has put me in the state of the blues – literally. In celebration of my final Textiles exam EVER I decided to dye my hair BLUE! Don’t panic, it wasn’t all of it! Although I am rather tempted to do the rest at some point…
So yes, I dip-dyed my hair blue. A semi-permanent blue, but blue all the same.blue
First, I bleached the tips of my hair so the blue would show up better and brighter. I got my friend to help me do this because I probably would have messed it up. My hair does NOT like to be bleached, it took two applications to get it to turn a pale shade of orange. I used Nordic Blonde L1 by Schwarzkopf, applying it only to the bottom two inches of my hair! Once lightened, I applied the blue! I used La fiche semi-permanent hair colour in Midnight Blue <3

This stuff comes in a tub, so you literally have to paint it into your hair with an old power or paint brush.

hair
What I’m mildly (really) excited about is the concept of being able to change the colour of my tips every few weeks! The blue should wash out soon – it’s looking lighter already, then I can change between blonde/orange tips, blue tips, and purple!! (yes I also have purple, decisions aren’t my strong point…)
If only my phone had a front facing camera (rocking the old-school 3GS), I would totally instagram the crap out of this.

DSCN1508


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WINTER Wish List

It’s WIIINNNTEERRRR. Officially. Although I hate the weather, I l-l-love Winter fashion.
I’ve recently purchased my Winter coat, and life has suddenly become 10x easier. I am yet to get an umbrella – so I have resorted to studying in my room today rather than venturing outside to the library – a mere 2min walk from my flat, BUT 2mins in the rain is still not worth it.
I’m drawn to muggy femme tones (I just came up with that! why I’m not studying linguistics I’ll never know..) like dirty purples, dark greys and pale brown. What I’m wearing really does effect my mood, and wearing black in the cold makes me want to write emotional poetry and sleep, when I should be writing fun blog posts and studying for exams. No black for me! Apart from some sexy leather pants… but common, looook at them.winter wish list updated

Leather pants
$240 - oneteaspoon.com.au

Beanie hat
$7.60 - newlook.com

Jane norman
$7.62 - janenorman.co.uk

Giorgio Armani purple eye makeup
$68 - johnlewis.com

Katy perry fragrance
nordstrom.com

Butter london
nordstrom.com


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Corsetry in Vogue

Fashion has an undeniable fixation on the manipulation of the female form – one such extreme example of this is the rise of the corset. Although the corset faded out of common use in the 20th century, the fascination and beauty of the garment is ever-present in modern editorial and fashion photography.

I took burlesque classes and performed in a few shows during my early years at uni, and I must say the feeling of wearing a beautifully constructed corset is something else. Sure, it’s hard to breathe for the first few minutes, (depending on how tightly you lace it up) but once you get used to it you don’t want to take it off!

Here are some of my favourite corsetry pictorials chosen from the Vogue archives:
Photographed by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, September 1939
[ Photographed by P Horst, Vogue September-1939 ]

Photographed by David Sims, Vogue, March 2009
[ Photographed by David Sims, Vogue March-2009 ]

Photographed by Arthur Elgort, Vogue, March 1999
[ Photographed by Arthur Elgort, Vogue March-1999 ]

Photographed by Irving Penn, Vogue, October 1994
[ Photographed by Irving Penn, Vogue October-1994 ]

Photographed by Tim Walker, Vogue, January 2012
[ Photographed by Tim Walker, Vogue January-2012 ]

Photographed by Steven Meisel, Vogue, July 2005
[ Photographed by Steven Meisel, Vogue July-2005 ]

Photographed by Mario Testino, Vogue, December 2010
[ Photographed by Mario Testino, Vogue December-2010 ]


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Things I will never understand about fashion…

1. One thing I will never understand is why designers try to make their runway models look as unattractive as possible.. I understand if they are trying to make a statement about a new style of makeup or hair – but keep it for pictorials, in my honest opinion. I have too many times searched for a collection, just to find a parade of asexual man-women. I don’t want to be a man, I really enjoy being a girl, why are you styling these clothes in this way? I am so confused!

modelstyle
Modelling as a teenager, I remember dreading runway shows. Too many times I had my hair slicked back, or worse poofed up like my fork had got stuck in the toaster, using handfuls of  moose, and nothing but one coat of mascara… why?? I stopped wanting my friends and family to come watch me because I knew I would look masculine and, well, unattractive. Bad memories. If I am ever lucky enough to have my own runway show (projecting good vibes!) I would style my models to look like super-hot-beach-babe-Victoria’s secret-style-goddess-amazon-mega-babes! Now THAT would sell clothes.

2. Fashions obsession with fur. YUCK. Are you serious? Why-oh-why do you have a desire to wear a dead animal on your back?? Wool? Great! Faux fur? Awesome! Skins and fur? No way!
But what makes fur a taboo, and leather ok? There are several reasons, the way I see it leather is an animal by-product, taken from animals used in the meat processing industry in which all parts of the animal are used for something. With fur, the animals are often raised and killed solely for the purpose of obtaining fur, while the rest of the animal is often discarded. Leather also has no man-made alternative, whereas there are many fake furs, and insulation material which actually surpasses fur for warmth and handle. ALSO many animals caught for fur are killed in inhumane means, such as traps. Where do you stand on the debate?
tumblr_ljtm47cWQm1qzwowd

3. Why do some people shave off their eyebrows, only to draw them back on? There were TOO many awesome pictures on the internet to explain this, but I don’t have the heart to name and shame. Instead, here are two patrons guilty for setting a bad example… Miss J. Harlow, and P. Anderson. Cheers guys…
Pamela-Anderson-appears-to-have-overdone-her-lipstick-at-a-gallery-opening-for-Terry-Richardson-in-West-Hollywood   Harlow - eyebrlowless - front view


4. And then there are these… and I don’t have all week! idontunderstand


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Copycat: From the Runway to your Wardrobe

I fell in love with the Shakuhachi Fall 2013 line as soon as I saw it online! The soft patterns contrasted with bold silhouettes and crisp whites! Oh la la. It makes me want to strut through St Tropez with a handsomely over-tanned hunk-a-spunk, drinking tequila sunrise and laughing pretentiously. Now if only I had the dosh to dress like this little miss…
Solution? To create the look at an affordable price because unlike these girls, I wouldn’t get out of bed for $10,000… I would get out of bed for $5. All the items I have found are less than $80, lets take a look..


RUNWAY
Shakuhachi_Runway_MBFWA_2013_14_C6ry_Fb_M8rzqx


WARDROBE

Shakuhachi style

Zara sleeveless top
$73NZD zara.com

River island
$27NZD riverisland.com

RVCA knee hi socks
$15NZD swell.com

Vegan high heels
$72NZD shopruche.com

Flip up sunglasses
$49NZD nastygal.com
I can already taste the tequila sunrise… xx


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Save the Whales: Beauty against animal testing

I’ve always been strongly opposed to animal testing, but after witnessing a viral video featuring beagles being released from an animal testing laboratory (you know the one) I have taken it upon myself to research where our favourite brands stand on the animal testing debacle!

When it comes to shopping ethically, it can be difficult. So many brands throw out organic sounding buzz words in hopes of attracting customers, while distracting us from what’s happening behind the scenes with bright colours, fun words and DISCOUNTS! These can be so hard to ignore… why oh why?

While I’m not one to talk smack about brands on my blog, even those that use harmful chemicals and -gulp- animal testing… what I will do is praise a few of the brands who set the ethical standard in the beauty and cosmetics industry!

1. LUSH
lush-photo

Lush have been proudly fighting against animal testing for the last 30 years!
Not only are they against animal testing, but they buy their products from small-scale businesses across the globe, driving positive change in small communities! Read their testimonials here and here

2. Mirenesse Cosmetics
seamless-velvet-shadow-long-wear-wet-dry-minerals-25g
It’s no secret I love Mirenesse, but what’s even better than their cosmetic and beauty products, is the fact that they are proudly cruelty free, they use organic and safe ingredients AND they support a range of causes including Diabetes Foundations, and breast and ovarian cancer. Investigate for yourself here

3. Antipodes
antipodes-photo
This organic, New Zealand-based skin care line never tests on animals,
plus, all products have international vegetarian approval!

4. Australis
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I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered Australian brand Australis was 100% cruelty free!
I have used their liquid eyeliner for years and will continue to do so after seeing this.

Curious to see how your favourite brands stack up?
Have a snoop at this online cosmetics guide for ethical shopping and maybe you’ll think twice about the baby beagles before you make your next purchase.
xx


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4 Ways to Wear: High-Knee Socks

I must admit I have an extensive sock collection, with almost 1/3 of them being high-knee socks! I’ve found them to be an essential winter item for my wardrobe, as they keep me oh-so warm while looking oh-so cute! Win win.
I’ve had a few friends ask my opinion on how to wear high-knee socks, so I’ve made a visual list of my favourite ways to wear them during the Winter season. Enjoy x

1. Socks and boots – add some colour by wearing coloured socks with leather boots
socksboots

2. Socks and short-shorts – work your summer shorts during Winter and stay toasty!
shorts

3. Socks over tights with boots - my ultimate favourite as it’s extra warm!
sockstights

4. Scrunched down socks - looks good with both flats or heels!
srunchsocks

How do you wear your high-knee socks?
Give some of these looks a try! xx


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Match your mood with Mirenesse Lip Bomb

I love how doing something as small as wearing a new lip colour can instantly give you a confidence boost! I don’t know about you, but wearing a bold lip colour can really influence my mood! A deep purple will bring out my dark side! A bold red can make me feel flirty and sultry, while a bright pink feels sweet and playful.

glossykissWhat colour do you feel best wearing? Make up your own mind with Mirenesse Cosmetics Lip Bomb range – a deliciously vibrant glossy lacquer that really does stay in place!
I love Lip Bomb 1 and 7

What’s even better is it contains botanical oils and vitamin E – making lips feel oh-so plump. Plus it smells like PEPPERMINT!! It’s so good I could eat it…
This put me in a rather generous mood, SO I’m giving all slightly oddley followers something to smile about…

DSCN1359

Get a massive 20% off everything from Mirenesse.com with my slightly oddley coupon!
Lip Bomb is a feature of bloggers sale and has an added 15% off! (That’s 35% off Lip Bomb!!)
Shop the sale here

It’s crazy madness! Simply enter my unique code ODLEY at the checkout to redeem.
 ** Coupon code valid from midnight tonight until midnight Tuesday ** – so what are you waiting for??

Who knew slightly oddley could be so rewarding?? xx

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