Two albums of 2013 that you must have

I've been slacking and lacking on blog posts. The first semester of uni was pretty intense for the most part, but it seems as if I've got a grip on it all now. Finally I've found some free time to blog and write.

So it's a new year 2014. I'm a month already in it but I just have to mention my favourite things of 2013.

I could talk about my favourite beauty, skin and hair products of 2013, but I've been using the same brands since time began. But I could do a post on my all-time-fav products? Maybe.

There's one thing that does change every year. Music. New artists, new albums, new sounds.

Here are two albums that I believe are slightly under-rated and are probably my favourite sounds of 2013.

The first is:

Haim - Days are Gone

After hearing Nick Grimshaw rambling on Radio 1 for his undying love for sister act Haim, I was intrigued to find out what the obsession was all about. 

The only songs I knew at first were 'Don't Save Me' and 'Falling'. The songs reminded me of something that I'd play blasting through my headphones and washes the dishes as do a lil girly 80s popping. 

Looking at the Haim girls I thought their sound would be something more grunge or rock n roll. Their long hair and leather jackets made them look like the feminine version of Kings of Leon (fun fact: they are supporting KoL in concert some time this year in Milton Keynes - wish I had tickets). 

The album consists of solemn, smooth bass and drums songs; like 'Let Me Go', 'Running If You Call My Name' and my favourite song that has a splash of r'n'b 'My Song 5'. There are also pop-rock girl power songs that you'd sing over and over and over again on a train journey; like 'The Wire', 'If I Could Change Your Mind' and 'Days are Gone'. Their harmonies are such a breath of sweet new fresh air, you would hear no contrived or over-the-top vocal belting. 

Definitely worth listening to. Especially fans of: Gwen Stefani, Kings of Leon and Arctic Monkeys.

Major Lazer - Free the Universe

When I hear this album three words come into my head, Notting Hill Carnival. Girls in shorts that seem as if they were shrunk in the wash, grimy trainers that survived the battlefield at All Saint's Road, cans of Red Stripe in a heap by the pavement and the sweet wafts of Mary-Jane that tickles your nose hairs. 

You may not understand what I'm talking about but this album is a fusion of Jamaican dancehall mixed with a lil bit of trap and electronic. 

The collaborations on here are incredible: Shaggy, Bruno Mars, Elephant Man, Santigold, Flux Pavilion, Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig and even Haim's Danielle Haim. Weird mix ain't it? 

Songs like 'Jessica' and 'Jah No Partial' have that chilled neo-Rasta vibe going on. The type of songs where you wished you had floor lengthen dreads that you sway when Ezra Koenig says 'you're the girl - I love you lots, and your locks'. 

Whereas there are other songs that make you twerk like a you had a Nicki Minaj derriere, such as 'Bubble Butt', 'Sweat' and 'Wind Up'. 

Generally all the songs on this album makes you want to dance, especially 'Mashup The Dance' and 'Watch Out For This'. I think I've overplayed this album over this winter - please bring on the summertime !


Fans of: Vybz Kartel, Ms Dynamite, Diplo (obvs cos this is his band), Skrillex and Chase & Status

The return of the Scrunchie

Whether you like it or not, scrunchies are making a come back. By the likes of Cara Delevigne, Selena Gomez and J-Lo they are bringing back the 80s vibe.

Harper's Bazaar gives five reasons to why you must step far far away from scrunchies. One reason being, it is an 'unsophisticated accessory' that should be avoided like the bandana and the bum-bag.

Sod what Bazaar thinks. Ever since I purchased my scrunchie from American Apparel, I can't see what you could dislike? They create volume, great for your hair (made with anti-breakage material), so comfortable and create more bursts of colour to an outfit. Fashion designers such as Marc Jacobs, Vivenne Westwood and Missoni are bringing the cringe from the 80s to the present. Who doesn't love a bit of tackiness?

STYLE CHEAT:

Opt for a cheaper scrunchie than Marc Jacobs £20 ones. 

These American Apparel beauties are for £4.50

 (collage maker by fotor, harpersbazaar, the guardian, dailymail, american apparel)

It's all in black and white

It's becoming difficult for me to not buy something that is either black or white. I used to love colour! My favourite colour is pink! Though you would rarely see me wearing pink. 

Looking at my wardrobe, the majority of it looks like it belongs to a Parisian drama student. Black dresses, black tops, black trousers, etc. I try so hard not to leave the house wearing all dark clothes. 

If I'm not wearing something dark, then it will be white. I love white. The white and black combo is my fav - ah, monochrome, ah, so lovely. 

If you take a look at my tumblr you'd see reoccurring outfits photos of girls wearing white and/or black. It's such an inspiration to me - also makes me wonder if I could dare to change my style completely and go monochrome. I'd wear beautiful sheer black shirts with leather white jackets, paired with Celine-like black heeled sandals... sounds heavenly. Black and white is so easy, no fuss and no need to see if you're clashing too many colours together. 

If I do dare to do this, this will be my inspiration, my go-to when I'm clueless on outfit ideas:

BLACK

WHITE

WHITE & BLACK

(photos and source from tumblr, collage made by fotor)

"It's a celebration of the elegant woman; she's becoming an endangered species," - Prabal Gurung - NYFW S/S 2013

I'm trying to stay up-to-date with all these Fashion Weeks ahead. So firstly, we start of with New York Fashion Week. I've been spying on some Tommy Ton candid street style, and all I can say, these fashionistas are taking sophisticated sportswear to the max. I can tell that the trends for spring/summer next year we will still be sporting the athletic attire.

However, Prabal Gurung is showing a different story. He wants to bring back elegance. And I don't blame him! His collection blends an opulent Marilyn Monroe-esque 50s woman with the 21st futuristic female. Patterns of beautifully sketched roses are screen-printed onto plastics creating a high-tech effect and modernising elegance.

His influence, I'd say, is Gaga meets Marilyn. Fluorescent meets pastel. Harshness and daring meets beauty and grace. The grace is shown by the perfectly draped dreamy satin of pastels. The bold cuts and structures of the garments enhances the futuristic element.

This is the first collection of Prabal Gurung that I've seen - yes, I admit it. And I will confess that I have already fallen in lurveee.

I wonder what is next to see for the rest NYFW... I'm way too excited.

(all images taken from Style.com)

Aussie Girls Do It Better

Street style snapshots taken by TommyTom on Style.com

The sun is shining, the girls are smiling.

Australian girls are the ones to watch. Their style is seriously the best thing out there.  

Must Watch: The Power of Pussy

I said to myself, "tonight will be an early night". I'm getting fed up of not having enough sleeping hours. So I said to myself, 11pm I'll be asleep.

But I couldn't get to sleep.

I found myself on Facebook, something that I never go on any more. And when I do it's only for the occasionally stalking or to contact friends/family abroad. So when I heard that lil "pop" of a notification at 11.31pm I hesitated to consider either reading the message, which will keep me up for probably another 30mins or so, or, to pretend I heard nothing and 'by accident' sign off.

It turned out to be my friend sending me a link of a YouTube video. She asked "have you seen the power of pussy yet???"

The Power of Pussy? What in the hell was that? I instantly thought it'd be about some scientific feminists proclaiming how the vagina possess some magical powers.

I told her, "no". She replied,  "I'm going to bed but if u haven't watched it, you'll love it".

So this left me in a dilemma. So, struggle going to sleep whilst pondering what this video could be about? Or watch it, be happy, then moan about my little sleep in the morning?

The second one sounded much much better.

An hour and a bit later. I was buzzing. I didn't care if I had 7 hours sleep left... My life was complete.

You may be wondering now what was this video about????

One word. Strippers.

Yes, strippers. The Power of Pussy is a online documentary, four part series of strippers working in Atlanta, Magic City - Premier Adult Entertainment.

Initially I thought it would be glamourising stripping and boost about how much they make and all they do is dance. But this doc ain't glamourising nothing. It showed how difficult and frustrating it can be. Not only do they fear of being semi-naked (and fully) in front of a room of people, but they also fear if this job would turn into a life-long career. Being labelled as as stripper leads to many negative opinions... Could they ever find a serious job, despite their past?

'Strippers' is the incorrect word, 'adult entertainer' fits their features. They. Are. Fit. Girls. They climb up the pole, then to drop back down, then spin their whole body around the pole, just using one arm - and don't forget they are wearing stilettos whilst making themselves look effortlessly sexy throughout without showing a spec of tiredness or pain... and this, ladies and gentleman, is the sport of pole dancing.

Although they know it's not the ideal job, but these girls interviewed didn't seem unhappy in their jobs. They get to be with other girls that have been through the same rough past that has led them to working at Magic City. Like a sense of community within the club. But the best thing is, they also learn how to 'twerk' and shake their derriere in a 'classy way' in front of a 'gentleman'.
All the girls have a nickname, like the name of their alter-ego. Once they get up on stage their ultra provocative ego can be unleashed to a room of the unknown drowsy men. 

The Power of Pussy neither glamourised nor demoralise these women. It was a doc that made me totally respect strippers adult entertainers even more. I always have, especially because it's amusing to think that us women can get paid for flaunting our assets - the things our mama gave us.


WAAAATTCHH ITTTT!

(youtube)

NIKKI S LEE : The Chameleon

I remember seeing this picture a few months ago. I don't know why I fell in love with this photograph, but I just did.

Just seemed like a casual picture of Latinas in America. The halter neck and high waisted denim jeans, tacky and fake gold jewellery, dagger nails and tightly slicked back hair. 

But one of them is a fake Latina. 

You may pick the one that sitting down as she has Asian features, but at first I bet you just assumed she was a Latin girl? Probably half Latin and half Asian? 

Indeed, the girl sitting down is the fake one. Her name is Nikki S Lee and she is a Korean artist. 

Look back and the picture again. Doesn't it just look like the girls are both good friends, posing outside their home after putting up the clothes on the washing line? Nikki S Lee is so talented at posing casually. I wish I could too, without my hands getting clammy and my face turning hot when a camera is pointed at me. 

I call her 'The Chameleon' because she is able to be immersed into any subculture group in New York, pushing the boundaries of identity. I wouldn't say she's an actress dressed up in costumes to fit the role of different identities, think of her more as a method actress, going through extraordinary transformations whilst become a member of her new community. She would not only know how to imitate the ethnic and social group characteristics and style; but finding out their true values in life. 

Lee poses in every one of her photographs for this project, as if they are self portraits of the various identities she can become. It's not about her showing off and beautifully posing in every picture; it is to show her audience of her investigations if identity can be self-defined or classified by society?

She has investigations in many ethnic and social groups; drag queens, punks, swing dancers, senior citizens, Latinos, hip-hop musicians and fans, skateboarders, lesbians, young urban professionals, exotic dancers, tourists and Korean schoolgirls.

Lana @ Versace - sorry, yet another Lana post

Whoever styled Lana for this event, please can you style her some more, pwetty pweeaase?

I used to prefer Lana's style back when she was first on the scene. You know, that look of flowery head bands resting on her Hollywood waves in her brown hair, as she twists her locks with her red talons and a gold' n 'tacky knuckleduster. She definitely had that exact 'gangster Nancy Sinatra' vibe that caught all the attention. But maybe that was the initial thought behind it all, because she didn't look anything like the norm.

So from the contrasting Hollywood look - glamorous and tacky - she sort of ditched that and run into plaid shirts and blue jeans whenever she hit the stage. A VERY relaxed look that made me miss her old style. But now, after seeing pics from Versace F/W 2013 at Milan Fashion Week I can see she's brought back a lil 'umph' to her style.

A huddle group photo of Lana rubbing shoulders with Donatella Versace herself and also... Janet Jackson?!! I think Lana is liking this high-end fashion scene. Even though she admitted that she's not that much into fashion and leaves it to her stylist, I will give ALL my thanks to the stylist. Whoever this stylist is, she has transformed the little Lolita into a sultry gothic siren.

*aahhh i'm jittering in fashion happiness*

DOESN'T SHE LOOK SO FIIIIINE???

Lana talking to Franca Sozzani, editor in chief of Vogue Italia. I think a magazine editorial is in the air??

Janet Jackson, Donatella Versace, Lana Del Rey and Melissa George

I can see a Versace and Lana collab coming onnnn...

(lizzydelgrant.tumblr.com)

Les Miserables (2012)

Yes.  The fantastic classic is coming to the cinema.  As I sat in the cinema watching the trailer, all I heard was "I dreamed a dream time gone by" and I knew what it would be about.  I must admit I haven't seen Les Mis in at the theatre, but I basically know must of the songs. Thanks to Glee, Susan Boyle and weird primary school choir lessons.

This film looks so empowering;  the cast, the singing.. definitely an Oscar nominee. I forget how much I love "I Dreamed a  Dream" ; the context of the song is so depressing but they way how the singer must sing it has to have a tone of hope within because they believed that life would be better.  Anne Hathaway does a beautiful adaptation of the song - impossible to know it's her.

youtube.com

Chanel's Little Black Jacket

A while back I remember reading about Karl Lagerfield and Carine Roitfeld producing a book with celebrities doing different poses wearing the iconic black tweed Chanel jacket.  I knew it would be a must read, but I didn't know later in the year there would be an exhibition in London.

Friday night, reading the latest edition of Elle, I found that at a photographic exhibition of the Chanel's Little Black Jacket is at the Saatchi Gallery, in Chelsea.  I could not miss out on this chance, so I told my mum that we HAVE to take a trip to Chelsea.

A normal 20min drive took us 40min as Saturday is the busiest day in London. But eventually, we got there.  I've never been to the Saatchi Gallery before, but I followed where the people clutching tubes of posters that read LITTLE BLACK JACKET were leaving from.

The room was cramped with people glazing at the rows of star studded black and white photos. I strolled around the entire room whilst my mum, thankfully, stood in line for a free poster of a photograph of Georgia May Jagger.  The elite A-list celebs wore the jacket in their very own style.  An excellent way to show its versatility!  Some wore it quirky, some wore it casually, some wore it gracefully.  It really made my mum and I want to have our own a little Chanel black jacket; but we took it back when we realised what the price of one was.

One of my favourite of the photographs would be seeing (well the back of) Anna Wintour. My mum and I both agreed that she, out of all the celebs, can only do this because anyone would know who she is by just looking at the back of her head.

Ahhh, looking at these well known and successful stars inspired me to one day be among them, posing in a little black jacket for all to drool over  see.

AN OLD BUS!!

(taken with Nikon D3100)