Mama Said There'll Be Days Like This, There'll Be Days Like This Mama Said...

So I was talking to my friend about my blog yesterday and he asked me how often I do new posts. I told him atm not that much, weekly at best. He was pretty surprised- apparently I should be posting everyday...

Don't think i'm gonna do that but he did put a good argument forward so I dunno, maybe i'll change the style of this blog a little and start rationing my material out better and meating it out by including other people's stuff more too. I've recently discovered some photographers I really love and it might be nice to stick some of their work up from time to time, share some of my inspiration etc etc- which is actually what I set out to do initially before losing my way lol. Dunno, watch this space...

Anyway here's a pic of me. With a braids bun. In lots of different colours. I know i'm wearing the same top I was wearing only a few posts ago but I didn't remember that when I took this photo so shhhhhhhhh!!...

Night night

Toodles to you bitches xx

(P.S. Title = lyrics to ' Mama Said' by The Shirelles)

Turn Down The Lights, Turn Down The Bed, Turn Down These Voices Inside My Head...

What a day yesterday was!!!... I tried to do my first studio shoot at my friend's uni and well, it just didn't go to plan...

1. Thanks to my running on Black Time, we arrived at the studios 40 minutes late. The technicians were less than impressed and had given our studio to some lanky group of guys so we ended up having to work in an inferior studio...
2.  I insisted on having a black background cos you always see studio shots with white backgrounds and I wanted to do something different. Mistake- black hair, black hold-ups and black shoes don't exactly work well against a black background.
3. We didn't have time to get the lighting right so my skin tone isn't right either (too light in these pics)...

In fact, there were so many problems i'm not even gonna continue rambling on with this list. I'm sure if you're bothering to read this you can sense my frustration. Basically in the end we had less than 30 minutes to actually shoot- against a background that was camouflaging half of my outfit...

I feel like if I had a daytime TV show, this would be the publicity shot, smh...

• Lace top- Forever 21
• Sheer skirt- Primarni & DIY
• Floral shoes- Forever 21
• Shorts- Cow & DIY
• Hold ups- Primarni
• Brogues- Primarni
• Both sets of earrings- http://www.etsy.com/shop/1menaturally - MORE ON THESE FAB EARRINGS IN A LATER POST!! 

• Lips- Illamasque lipstick in Pristine

... So yeah, working the gormless/cheesy look like a pro. The only thing I like is how my lace top photographed. Can't say i'm a fan of the studio experience but i'll probably give it another go...

The moral of the story is, whatever your racial background, leave Black Time for church events and going to the gym.

Toodles to you bitches xx

(P.S. Title = Lyrics to 'I Can't Make You Love Me' by Bonnie Raitt)

I Could've Been A Princess, You'd Be A King, Could've Had A Castle And Wore A Ring...

I don't know how many of you read i-D but it's one of my favourite magazines. They have loads of great editorials and in the Pre-Spring issue I was especially struck by the stunning portraits of Chinese models photographed by the incredible Chen Man.

They've stayed on my mind since I bought the issue last month, might have to buy another one so I can tear a few out to stick up on my wall.

Here are my favourites...

Really love them, what d'you think??

You can have a look at all 12 portraits here, i'd highly recommend it.

Toodles to you bitches xx

(P.S. Title = lyrics to 'Princess of China' by Coldplay & Rihanna)

If You Should Ever Leave Me, Though Life Would Still Go On Believe Me, The World Could Show Nothing To Me, So What Good Would Living Do Me??...

Well yesterday I said i'd do another post to show my new braids... Unfortunately by the time I got round to close-ups the sun had started to go down and the dull, artificial glare of my lights combined with the glimmers of sunlight still leaking through the window was just making everything look very shadowy and crap. S yeah, i'll try and do those head shots tomorrow or over the weekend...

For now you'll have to be satisfied with these images of me wearing knee highs for the first time EVER!!

(Please try and contain your excitement)...

• Fringed top- Forever 21
• Leather shorts- Topshop
• Floral knee highs- Primark
• Floral shoes- Forever 21
• Bag- Vintage, Oldham St
• Glasses- Primark
• Bangle- I think, but not positive, it was from Shared Earth in Manchester

• Lips- Sleek lipstick in Naked & Lancome lip gloss in Grapefruit
• Cheeks- Nars blush in Taj Mahal

Toodles to you bitches xx

(P.S. Title = Lyrics to possibly my favourite song, 'God Only Knows' by The Beach Boys)

Return Of The Mack... You Know That I'll Be Back...

So, what's the best course of action when faced with 2 essay deadlines within a week that you haven't even started properly... To slick on the most outrageous lipstick you own (a shimmery, gold Illamasque lipstick  called Trash) and sit and plait your hair for several hours... Of course...

I just can't resist the pull of braids!!... When I don't have them in I start craving them and before I know it i'm spending hours browsing enviously through pictures of people with braids on tumblr!

I've done them essentially the same as last time, 1B in colour and super long... Only difference is that now I have some of the other side of my head shaved as well.

If I have time i'll do a better post of my new 'do tomorrow.

Toodles to you bitches xx

(P.S. Title = lyrics to 'Return of The Mack' by Mark Morrison)

She's A Twentieth Century Girl, With Her Hands On The Wheel, Trying Not To Be Sick Again, Seeing What She Can Borrow...

When I was younger I hated Doc Marten's... Really hated them. While all the other girls in school got to wear their chunky high heels, my mum forced me to wear my sensible, below ankle, black Docs. Comfortable though they were, they were not in any way stylish and did very little to improve the grey pinafore dress I wore as school uniform. My mum's argument that 'little girls should be running around the playground not clomping around in heels' only seemed to make my shoe situation even more tragic...

Fast forward about 12 years and here I am, still unable to walk confidently in heels and all nostalgic for the '90s... Obsessed with baggy denim, shaved heads and chunky English footwear, wishing I could find those old Docs and cripple my toes squeezing them on  now that the '90s is so much cooler than it was in the '90s!!...

I recently scored these excellent Doc specimens from a friend. Luckily they're my size, so no crippling involved. They've really become my default footwear these past few weeks...

• Straw hat- Cow
• Levi's Denim jacket- from a friend
• Hawaiian shirt- Cow
• Knitted shorts- Topshop
• Doc Martens- from a friend

What's your take on Doc's? Do you own any yourself??

Toodles to you bitches xx

 (P.S. Lyrics = to 'For Tommorrow' by the '90s-tastic Blur)

People Call Me Rude, I Wish We Were All Nude, I Wish There Was No Black And White, I Wish There Were No Rules...

These are by no means my favourite photos and we didn't manage to get the light settings quite right, but in the interest of regular posting...

Not sure what i'm doing here... Looks like a jazz hands robot

• Blouse with black tie attached- Retro Rehab, Manchester
• Skirt- boohoo.com
• Brogue style heels- New Look

I'm really irritated about this skirt- I saw it one day while I was browsing through boohoo and decided i'd buy it as soon as I had some money- which I did, only problem was my size had sold out so I had to buy the next size up hoping it'd fit... Wrong. Even with safety pins at the back it still manages to slouch down past where it's supposed to sit. Any ideas that don't involve anything complicated or time consuming would be much appreciated.

Toodles to you bitches xx

(P.S. Title = Lyrics to 'Controversy' by Prince)

Live Fast, Die Young, Bad Girls Do It Well...

Finally, after years of searching, I have a proper blue, blue lip pencil!!!!

Was messing around trying it on and ended up styling myself up like this... I've loved M.I.A. for years and have had the video for her new single Bad Girls on repeat since it came out- (if you haven't seen it it's at the bottom of the post- watch it!)- think that was my inspo today. 

 I'm liking the look so much I might actually redo this as a better shoot with my photography student friend in the studio next week, but for now you can have a look at these pics I snapped quickly in my bedroom...

• Gold scarf- borrowed, friend's
• Black headband- Primark
• Floral crop top- Forever 21
• Necklace- Forever 21

• Cheeks- MAC mineralize blush in Gentle
• Eyes- Maybelline gel eyeliner
• Lips- Illamasque medium pencil in Debonair

Hooray for blue lips- may the Avatar comments on the streets of East London commence!!

Thought??

That's all i've got for ya today, don't forget to leave your blog links!!

Toodles to you bitches xx

(P.S. Title = Lyrics to 'Bad Girls' by M.I.A.)

If I Should Die This Very Day Don't Cry Cos On Earth We Wasn't Meant To Stay And No Matter What People Say I'll Be Waiting For You After Judgement Day...

Every so often you hear a piece of news that shocks you right to your core- I genuinely can't believe Whitney Houston has passed away- Who wasn't brought up on her music?? You couldn't escape it. Musical legend. One of my favourite singers Etta James also passed away recently. My prayers go out to their family and friends- two beautiful, talented and very influential women in the music industry.

I'm becoming hopelessly sporadic at this blogging business for various reasons but here are some pics I snapped today cos I felt guilty about my ongoing neglect of this Secret Wardrobe of mine. As you can see Zizzi Scissorhands just can't stop shaving her hair off!!! In addition to the cut I had recently, i've re-shaved the side and also shaved some off the other side cos the length of the hair there was getting on my nerves. So I guess I have a bit of a mohawk going on now...

• Vest top- mystery storage item!!
• Hold-ups- Primark
• Ring- my friend's, from Topshop I think

• Lips- Illamasque lipstick in Pristine
• Eyes- Maybelline Gel eyeliner & Maxfactor Masterpiece Mascara

So yeah, that's what i'm looking like atm. What d'ya reckon??

And out of interest what's your favourite Whitney Houston and/or Etta James song/s?? Mine are probably It's Not Right But It's Ok on the Whitney front and I'd Rather Go Blind for Etta, though it's pretty hard to pick just one for either.

Have a laid back Sunday everyone!!

Toodles to you bitches xx

(P.S. Title = lyrics to 'My Love Is Your Love' by Whitney Houston)