Hats and Nail Polishes- A Grand Day Out

Last Wednesday me, my mum and my godmother had another day out. I don't know if you'll remember but last year we headed to The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, about an hours drive from me to see the Vivienne Westwood Shoe exhibition, well this years major fashion exhibit was by milliner to the stars Stephen Jones, so in possession of our 6 monthly passes we headed south through the beautiful Co Durham countryside.

The exhibition "Stephen Jones - From Georgiana to Boy George" features several of his ultra flamboyant and unusual  hats - I managed to take a few pictures but like the last time the items were in darkened glass cases, and you weren't really supposed to use flash photography... ;)

I really liked the way they used other items from elsewhere in the museum such as porcelain and glass to coordinate, with and show the hats off to their advantage. 

There weren't as many hats as I expected which was a bit of a disappointment but this amazing display certainly made up up for it 

This amazing swan dress is part of former Barnard Castle school pupil Giles Deacon's Spring / Summer 2012 collection. The red swan head dress was made by Stephen Jones for the catwalk show to compliment the dress. It really is stunning in real life, the swan's beak is covered in faceted black crystals. There is also a white version of the dress and head dress which you can see in this months Marie Claire.

Although I think the exhibit could have been a bit bigger, I'm still really pleased that I saw it, the workman ship and effort that goes into the pieces is painstakingly obvious. There were quite a few books on sale in the museum gift shop on fashion, and on the work of Stephen Jones, and Mummy Lou very kindly bought me this one 

Hats An Anthology By Stephen Jones, is basically a history of millinery, as you would expect it features loads of amazing pictures of Stephen Jones' work, but it also features lots of info and  pictures on the history of the hat, and the work of his contemporaries such as Philip Treacy, and on famous hat wearers such as Anna Piaggi and Isabella Blow - It's a really interesting book and it's made me see the hat in a whole new light, especially since my great, great grandmother was a milliner :)

As well as the Stephen Jones exhibit, the museum also had another couple of visiting exhibitions that I really enjoyed, including a wedding dress which was made in 1912 by famous fashion designer of the time, and Titanic survivor Lucile Duff Gordon, The dress was amazing the side seams were covered in tiny pearls, it's really hard to imagine the time and effort that went into making such a piece. 

Apart from the hats though the exhibition I really wanted to see was Complicidades - a photography exhibition featuring Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The exhibition was fascinating, it was basically a history of their lives together intertwined with the Mexican Revolution and their political leanings - I came away from it really feeling as though I'd learnt something :) 

Another exhibition that I enjoyed included Our Sporting Life, which highlighted the amazing sporting achievements of people connected to the Teesdale and Co Durham areas, on show were Olympic and Commonwealth medals, UEFA cup medals, and the Knighthood belonging to former Durham cricketer Ian Botham. 

I know some people find museums a bit dull but I love learning knew things and furthering my knowledge. Mummy Lou is always a huge fan of the paintings and Canaletto's paintings of Venice always make her well up and remember her trips there with my dad :) I personally love still life's and last year we went to see an exhibition at the museum entitled Painting Flowers - Fantin-Latour and The Impressionists which I loved, the flowers literally looked as though they had just been picked. A lot of the paintings were on loan and have gone now but there are a few remaining including this one, Flowers In A Vase - circa 1870-74 by Henri Charles Guerard, How real do the flowers look? I really loved it so my mum bought me a little postcard to frame for my room :) 

I have to say I always love a trip to The Bowes Museum the sheer natures of the building never fails to impress me, it's so imposing and grand

The grounds are beautiful too with tennis courts and a bowling green, and play areas and picnic spots.

I noticed these little totem poles at entrance to the one of the walks aren't they gorgeous :)

As well as the museum we also had a little look around the town of Barnard Castle :) 

It was market day and there were a few really nice farm shop style stalls, alongside the usual market stalls. 

My and godmother picked a few bits up but I was trying to be good and instead the lovely Mummy Lou bought me a few bits from Boyes and Superdrug including two of the Barry M Chameleon Colour Change Nail Polishes.

On the left is 332 Chameleon Lilac and on the right 331 Chameleon Blue. I've never tried a colour change polish like these before, unlike a lot of them on the market these ones don't react via temperature change instead they change colour when you apply a top coat. I tried Chameleon Lilac with some random drops of topcoat and I have to say I love the effect - it's showing more blue than purple here - sorry!

There was an offer on in Superdrug where you got a free Barry M Retro Nail Paint, with any two Barry M purchases. There were 3 shades to choose from a pink, a red and the colour I went for Retro 2 Blue 

The amazing Mummy Lou also made a tiny little  nail polish purchase for me in North East discount retailer Boyes.

I can't find a name on this polish but it's a silver holographic which is a Limited Edition by Technic. I've seen this polish on ebay going for about £5, but it was only £1.79 :) If you interested in my nail polishes here's a hint you will love my monthly haul post, which should be live next week ;)

We had a really enjoyable day, I love having the opportunity to spend some quality time with my family, and I love it when I can have a proper day out :) Have you got any days out planned? and what do you think of those fabulous hats?

Simple Everyday Nails Courtesy Of Chanel

I love my bright nail colours as much as the next person but every so often I need to step back and return to something a bit more, well neutral - delving in my substantial nail polish collection I found another shade from Chanel that fits the bill perfectly

493 Jade Rose, was released as a limited edition as part of the 2009 Jade collection. The Jade polish called simply Jade was the real star of the collection, given my love for those mint green /aqua shades I can't imagine why I didn't buy it, I can only assume that it must have been because it had sold out. Instead I picked up Jade Rose. I really don't see the relevance of either name to be honest, Jade Rose is a sort of peachy / nude shade with the merest hint of pink sparkle which is visible in sunlight. To be honest this colour was a bit of a pain to apply, coat one was streak city, coat two was fine on the majority of nails but there were still a couple of nails that needed 3 coats.

I'm not 100% sure that this colour suits me but despite the effort needed for application I do actually like it. It gives a really polished, smart look to the nails and it's something you could easily wear everyday and to any occasion. What do you think of Jade Rose?

When I'm Feeling Blue - Gorgeous Jewellery From An Amazing Lady

I have to be honest and say that being ill sucks big time, but the one positive of my various illnesses is the amazing people that I've met and talked to on the internet. Talking to people who have similar problems can be a real tonic on my worst days.Through the magically world of twitter I got talking to a lovely lady and my birthday twin Leigh. Despite her health problems Leigh takes the most amazing photographs and makes the most amazing pieces of Jewellery, which she sells under the banner FidgityDigit.

Leigh makes her jewellery from a wide variety of semi precsious stones, charms, and silver tone / silver plated, and antique silver tone chains and findings. She's even looking to incorporate sterling silver chains into her jewellery pieces. She also makes a range of jewellery items such as phone charms and bag charms featuring angels and ducks where a proportion of the profits is donated to Fibroduck Fibromyalgia research. Not only that but Leigh is also attuned to level 1 in Reiki and will be continuing her studies to reach level 2 throughout this year. This means that her pieces can be Reiki charged on request for customers who are interested in healing aspect of the stones used in her pieces.

A little while ago Leigh held a giveaway on her facebook and twitter pages to win a custom made piece of jewellery- well I was one of the lucky winners, the gemstone choices and decision on what type of piece I wanted I have to admit took a few days but I eventually decided on a bracelet made from some sort of blue stone.

After a week or so I received a gorgeous parcel through the post packaged in chiffon bag, and wrapped in tissue paper was this beautiful charm bracelet

The bracelet features a round blue goldstone (also known as blue sandstone) and blue sodalite beads on a silver tone chain with small silver tone spoons (click here to learn more about the relevance of the spoons and spoonies) and a small ribbon charm on the end which has the word Hope embossed on it.

My bracelet was Reiki charged and came with a little card telling me that it had be programmed for healing, warmth, clarity and pain relief - things that I definitely need at the moment

I am so happy with my bracelet and I'm really grateful to Leigh for the time, and work that went in to it. I haven't been asked to write this post but I thought that more people need to know about this ladies work. There are a few ready made pieces on her etsy, website and folksy store but she also takes commissions via her facebook page to suit your needs and your budget. Some of her pieces may be similar but no two pieces will ever be the same due to her use of natural materials. If your looking for a unusual, one off gift or even if you want to help a great cause I would definitely recommend you check FidgityDigit out. If you have any questions as per usual please leave me a comment xx

Sunshine and Sea Breeze - I Wish ! - Nails Of The Day

As you know I am  a huge fan of Avon nail polishes, so I was delighted to receive 2 of the new Nailwear Pro + colours from Mummy Lou for my birthday. This range of 13 colours promises a better formulation and up to 12 days wear. I haven't had the chance to test out that claim yet but I thought I'd show you one of the colours that I received.

Sea Breeze is one of those gorgeous mint green, aqua shades that I love. It doesn't remind me of the sea but it screams summer to me, which is a lot more than the weather is doing at the moment hmm. The brush seems a tiny bit wider then on the normal Nailwear Pro polishes but that's the only visual difference so far. I have to say coats one and two of this polish were pretty streaky, for me it definitely needed a third coat for full coverage.

As I say I love colours like this and this one is no exception - in fact when I've compared it, it's nearly a dupe of Essie - Mint Candy Apple - what's not to love? What do you think of Sea Breeze?  let me know in the comments and I'll see you tomorrow with a post on more pretty things for a good cause xx

Fake Tanning On A Budget - Tanatomicals The Holy Grail For The Deathly Pale*

I meant to pop this post up yesterday but I had relatives over all afternoon so I never got round to it - sorry! Still nothings changed really has it, it's still dull and it's still raining, there have been some tiny sunny intervals both yesterday and today but the latest rumour is this horrid weather is going to last for at least two weeks - sob :( What does bad weather mean ? well no suntan for me  :( I know I talked about the importance of SPF the other day and I still stand by everything I said, but it is possible to get some colour safely and with protection, just not in this weather so I think I'm going to have to dig out the faux glow.

I'm not a fake tan junkie by any means but I do like a bit of extra colour especially during the summer months. I will freely admit that St Tropez Mousse is my fake tan of choice but it's pricey so I've decided to try out a few cheaper alternatives for my benefit and for yours :)

The first budget fake tan product I'm going to try out for you is by quirky brand Anatomicals' , fake tan line Tanatomicals.

Whatever your self tan preference creams, sprays and mousses Tantatomicals probably have a fake tan for you. As I said before I am a mousse girl so I was delighted to be sent the quirky named The Holy Grail For The Deathly Pale Instant + Self Tan Mousse.

Enriched with moisturisers such as Aloe Vera, this mousse is pH balanced to minimise dryness, and irritation. It's designed to give the skin an instant glow which will then develop into a natural tan.

Ahead of using the product I made sure that my skin was well exfoliated and that I'd been using a body moisturiser for a few days prior to using the product particularly on my drier areas such as my knees and my ankles. As you can see from these before pictures my legs are pretty pale :(

The mousse itself comes packaged in the traditional pump action dispenser. It is a sort of mustard / brown in colour which is quite unlike the green tinged products that I normally use.

I applied the product to clean, dry skin using my favourites method of application the tanning mitt (I have a review of my preferred mitts coming soon). The first thing you notice about the product apart from the colour is the smell - none of your hideous self tan smells here this product smells of a summery cocktail, think   coconut and pineapples yum! The next thing you notice is the colour to be honest it looked very scary after the initial application, it looked very orange on my skin, personally there is no way I would have gone out with my skin that colour - it's looking OK in this picture but it looked a lot more orange toned like irl

So the instant tan aspect was a bit of a fail for me so I left it to develop overnight. This mousse I have to say dried really quickly, and left the skin feeling matte and without any stickiness. I was able to go and sit on the sofa and dress with about 5 minutes of applying it. It left no marks or the furniture, my sheets or my clothing. I also noticed that the Pina Colada smell lingered and it never developed that horrid digestive biscuit aroma.

By the next day the colour on my legs had changed dramatically, instead of the unflattering orangey shade, my legs had developed a very subtle and natural looking tan. It's not that easy to see it in these pics but as I say the colour was very natural.

I decided to pop on another coat just to see if you could go a bit darker with this product, again I left it over night and this was the result

Again the lighting isn't the best but I did go a little bit darker so you can definitely build up the colour if you want (ignore the sock marks lol)

I have to say I really liked this fake tan, the initial colour didn't work on me at all but it developed into a super natural looking tan. It smelt great, it wasn't drying or sticky and the colour faded pretty well, without any major patching or dryness. If you like a super dark, obvious fake tan this isn't the one for you, if your a fake tan newbie and you want something natural, just ignore the instant colour and this colour be the one for you .In fact I've already bought my godmother a bottle of this tan purely based on the smell - she hates the usual fake tan smell and this one seems to be suiting her down to the ground - Look even Jasper wanted to try it out - I'm sure he's got enough of a tan already though hasn't he ;)

Tanatomicals The Holy Grail For The Deathly Pale Instant + Self Tan Mousse 150ml retails at around £6.99  from Superdrug and various other retailers. Have you tried any of the Tanatomicals products? and what's your favourite fake tan product? let me know in the comments x

*Sample

Brightening Up A Dull Day With A Bit Of Chanel

Looking out of the window today you would definitely think it was January not June. Despite the enthusiasm of yesterday's posts I really think that summer is over at least for the time being! The weather forecast today predicted that this dull, drizzly weather could last for a fortnight argh. Anyway I've done what every good beauty blogger does in times of mediocre weather - I've tried to cheer myself up with a super bright nail polish

Chanel 212 Biarritz was released as a limited edition as part of their 2006 summer collection, not only does the name make you think of sunnier places, but the colour itself will also make your day just a little bit brighter :) It's a lovely peach / orange shade with a teeny tiny bit of gold shimmer. Surprisingly for Chanel this actually went on pretty well, it still needed two coats but the coverage really wasn't bad.

I wasn't sure about this colour at first hence it's sat in the drawer unloved for a while but I have to say it's really growing on me - It looks really nice with a tan (out of a bottle obviously see tomorrows post ;) and I think it's a really pretty colour  for Spring and Summer x What do you think of Biarritz?

Be Safe In The Sun and Get Super Soft Lips All Year Round With Ultrasun

You may not think when you look out the window today, but it is technically summer. Yes despite the return to grey skies, wind and rain summer is officially here. We've only had a couple of days of proper summer up till now but here's hoping there is more to come. One thing we always need to think about at this time of year though is SPF, it's so important that we protect our skin when we're out in the sun. It's ridiculous and quite frankly scary how many people are still blase about using SPF, you only had to look out of my window the other week to see people walking around looking like lobsters.

I have to admit I've got burnt in the past, I always used to think that you needed to burn in order to get a tan - how dumb was I as a teenager? As I've grown up though I've realised the importance of SPF, not just for it's anti-ageing benefits but also more importantly for it's health benefits.

Putting SPF on every half hour or so though can be a bind, especially when your on the beach with all that sand sticking to you yuck! so that's why so many people are turning towards sun care products that you apply once a day. Swiss company Ultrasun are sun care specialists, they don't produce make up or nail polish, sun care is all they do and they do it very well indeed, all of there SPF products bar the one I'm going to talk about need just one application a day, no matter how many times you jump in and out the pool, you protected against the suns rays. There products are available on prescription for people with certain health conditions and they are also supplied to employers of councils, the police force, and building contractors, where employers have a duty of care to protect there employees who work outside, high praise indeed for a simple suncare product.

I'm not going to talk about any of the sunscreen products as I haven't tried them yet, I have tried the after sun though which I would thoroughly recommend. What I am going to talk about here is the Ultrasun Ultralip SPF 15.

I was very kindly send this product a couple of months ago and since then it's been a constant in my daily routine. The skin on our lips is probably one of the most delicate areas of our body, our lips have no oil glands so extremes of temperature both hot and cold can damage this delicate area and leave the lips sore and chapped. The lip balm is described as Care and Protection and is designed to do exactly that as well as the SPF it contains moisturising ingredients such as shea butter, beeswax, and blackcurrant seed oil.

At first glance it doesn't look like the most different or exciting product, it's in a small white twist up tube - exactly the same style of packaging as 90% of lip balms on the market.

It has a slightly yellow appearance but it actually goes on clear, and it doesn't have much a smell or a taste- still not very interesting but what sets this lip product apart from a lot of similar high street products, is the texture, so many of these balms feel greasy and slimy on the lips not this one. Just one small application leaves the lips soft and moisturised but with no greasy or oily residue. The creamy but none greasy texture also means that this is a fabulous base for lipstick or gloss, it's especially good for those lipsticks which can look bitty or patchy on less than perfect lips. You can also use this stick around the outside of your lip line and your upper lip for extra protection from the sun.

Yes unlike the rest of the Ultrasun line you do need to keep applying this but that's no great hardship for us ladies who are constantly applying our lippy ;) Don't think this is just for ladies though the neutral packaging means this product will be great for men and children too. Oh and don't think this product is just for the summer, I can imagine it will be great in the colder weather too and I can definitely see myself using this product all year round - it really is one of the best lip care products I've used. Ultrasun Ultralip Care and Protection SPF 15 4.8g retails at around £5.00 from various retailers including John Lewis, and Waitrose, I would definitely shop around though before you buy I've found it for £3.99 from Fragrance Direct and of course QVC always do some great priced bundles. For more information on the Ultrasun line please check out their website. If you have any questions please leave me a comment, and I'd also love to know if you've tried Ultrasun x

(Ultrasun Ultralip Care and Protection SPF 15 4.8g Was Provided By PR For Review Purposes)