BassBuds - the new colourful headphones, with an INCREDIBLE sound!

I received an email from Bassbuds early last week, followed by a sample of their brand new headphones. Being a DJ, and producer, I am used to companies pitching their equipment as the best in the industry using long, made up words to buy you into the product, thinking that they exude some kind of new, revolutionary technology. On this occasion, I was very wrong in thinking as such

BassBuds are a fashionable new range of in-ear headphones available in over 20 colour combinations, with a centrally placed genuine, Swarovski crystal to add a touch of glam, and individuality. Of course, you can't go wrong with a bit of Swarovski... ;)

I was sent a pair of 'platinum' BassBuds in a smart little box, complete with a built-in hands free system, several different sizes of luxury silicone & memory foam earpieces, and a dust bag to prevent your buds from turning into a tangled mess in the tardis, that is also known as your handbag

The ear buds are designed to be like plugs, they fit snugly, molding to the shape of your ear, with hardly any exterior interference even with no music playing. Boasting advanced crystaltronic technology, these headphones have an absolutely incredible sound, bringing out elements in your music that you have never noticed before!


Karis from Stooshe with her pink BassBuds

Already sold in over 20 countries, and with celebrity endorsements from the likes of; Dizzee Rascal, Stooshe, Alisha Dixon, and Tyson Beckford, BassBuds are the next accessory to take the fashion conscious by storm

Available online at an RRP of £49.95, these headphones are not cheap, but they are definitely worth it in making your staple apple iPhone headphones sound like you're residing inside a tin can

You can currently purchase your BassBuds at discount via the BassBuds website, here: www.bassbuds.co.uk

What's your colour?

L'Oreal introduce their brand new range of pastel toners!

I tried pastel shades last year, doing lilac tips on white blonde hair using Rembow Crazy Colour, and mixing it with conditioner so to make it more subtle, but recently there has been a resurgence in candy hair, with Loréal bringing out their own range of toners in Lilac, Pink, and Peach!

I immediately loved the idea of bleaching my roots (I use Loréal Preference Les Blondissimes, Extreme Platinum), and having peach on the ends, a sort of ‘fifth elements’ grown out white roots look. However, if you also prey to the light blonde curse, you will know the last thing you want is it to fade to yellow, and then having to re-bleach to get rid of it. Hair tends to leave your head if you partake in this on a regular basis

So as purple tinted toners eliminate brassiness, I decided to make a return to lilac, this time applying on my routes and combing through, to leave blonde on the ends

Katy Perry, Amelia Lily, and Ellie Goulding with their pastel shades

On opening the packet, I discovered a pair of latex gloves, being a light toner, I didn’t believe I needed these. Unfortunately, I was wrong. You do, if you want to avoid the cold, of septic hands look. The box also says to leave the toner on for 15 minutes, but everybody is different, I found it took immediately on my recently lightened hair, but didn’t take for a good 15 minutes on my human hair extensions, making me very uneven

Fortunately, being temporary, I managed to wash my hair a couple of times, and start from scratch. This time, I left the dye on my lengths for 15 minutes, and on the top for 5. Towel dry your hair, and put it on in the mirror, so that you can keep an eye on it, scrape off some of the toner with a comb after 5 minutes, to see how it has taken on different areas of your hair!

If you are interested in going a beautiful pastel shade, but don’t want to pay a ridiculous price at a mediocre salon, my friend Lara Regan of Ruby Hair Design based in St. Albans, is an absolute wizard of the trend!


Lara in rollers sporting a fabulous blue, and pink mix

Experimenting with colour is Lara’s trade-mark in the industry, she also specialises in Hair Extensions (custom dyed clip-in wefts, or individual extensions), as well as Vintage, and Avant Garde Hair Styling. Lara has worked with a variety of high profile fashion clients, models, and catwalk shows around Europe.

To check out her work, please visit:
www.rubyhairdesign.co.uk
http://rubyhairdesign.tumblr.com
www.facebook.com/rubyhair 

For price enquiries, or to arrange a consultation with Lara, contact:
rubyhair@live.co.uk 

Natacha Marro, shoe designer to the stars

Natacha Marro is a marvel within the fashion industry, one who has successfully built up her empire, without the assistance of high-street stores, commercial brands, or exhibitions such as; Mode, or Pure. To me, Natacha has almost an eccentric ‘punk’ edge to her, the Vivienne Westwood of shoe design

After 15 years, and based on her success, one would expect Natacha to have several boutiques, and a factory by now, but the reality couldn’t be more different. Natacha prefers to make every pair of shoes herself, within her tiny workshop in North East London, stating that “the thought of producing my shoes in a factory just to make more money, sounds like a nightmare more than anything else”

To be there, is simply amazing. Upon the shelves are shoes which have been worn by her extensive client list, including; Lady Gaga, David Bowie, Gwen Steffani, Bjórk, Jessie J, Daphne Guinness and many others… There are also hand drawn designs, and press cuttings spanning across the girth of her career, having made bespoke designs for; Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair, Grazia, Glamour Magazine, I.D Magazine, Harpers Bazaar, and many other publications from all over the world


Lady Gaga in Natacha Marro on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (ITV)

The pioneer of the heelless shoe, and often imitated by other designers, Natacha has also worked extensively with Madame Tussauds (most notably the red shoes worn by Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz), the BBC, Pinewood Studios (most notably Angelina Jolie’s lead character in the forthcoming film Maleficent, and Lucasfilm in Star Wars 1, and 3), and many fashion designers, such as; Ossie Clark, Charles Anastase, and Hannah Marshall, designing, and making shoes for their catwalk shows at ‘Fashion Week’ events in the world’s fashion capitals

What separates Natacha from other designers, is not just her creativity, but her ability to listen to her clients, creating something personal of which they can treasure. Priced from £250, and upwards, Natacha’s shoes are not cheap, however they are built to last, made by hand from start to finish to ensue maximum quality. On talking to Natacha a while back, she stated that it costs her around £200 to make each pair, anything on top of this, is profit (unlike Louboutin, and other premium brands who make a LOT of profit on their mass produced, factory made products)


Jessie J in Nylon Magazine by James Pearson-Howe

I received my first pair from Natacha two years ago, after they were made for a shoot I was partaking in during 2011. Having to stand on a pile of loose bricks, this was the ultimate test for these £500 glittery black Mary Janes, not only were they very stable for 6 inch heels, they were also exceedingly comfortable due to the orthopedic, memory foam soles. I lasted a total of 6 hours (whilst standing in various compromising positions), which in some other footwear brands, would have been deemed an Olympic sport!


My first pair, Glittery Black Mary Jane's

Natacha has a brand new website complete with press cuttings, celebrity pictures, and new designs to give you inspiration for your perfect pair ;) Check it out, here:

http://www.natachamarro.com

You can also follow Natacha on Twitter at @natachamarro

Isn't it about time to change our attitude towards tattoos?

Total Tattoo Magazine article written & shot by Tina Korhonen / Image shot by Marie GC / Bonkers Entertainment Shoot by Marie GC with my radio co-host Chevy B
Upon reading Simon Doonan’s article on slate.com this week, where he described tattoos as a “sick, and twisted cult,” and “an unstoppable pandemic,” I decided to write my own perception on this popular form of body modification

Being a women, and tattooed myself, I find the tattoo arguments particularly irritating. Tattooing has been in practice for centuries in many different cultures, such as; Asia, Japan, New Zealand, and spreading across tribes throughout the world, yet people still come back to the subject of ‘prison tattoos’ stating that tattooed persons appear thuggish, and of little class

In modern culture, there is a huge divide between tattooists, and professional tattoo artists. The majority of shops in the UK push the standard tribal, celtic, and flash tattoos, which are usually just picked off a wall, and tattooed on as they are, meaning that you could be one of hundreds to adorn that very same design. If you take a trip down to Brighton beach during summer, you’ll see exactly what I mean ;)

I’ve not been known to be a huge fan of the flash process, as many tattooists print the stencils off online, rather than drawing them themselves. Some, don’t even bother to research properly, hence why there are so many people with chinese symbols meaning ‘supermarket’ or ‘kitchen’ instead of that meaningful dedication


Celebrity Tattoos: Cheryl Cole / Hayden Panettiere / Megan Fox

On the contrary, you have artists who spend hours drawing their flash work, sometimes working with a client for several weeks before the tattoo is applied, changing it to suit their requirements. My personal tattoos have all been my own ideas, of which an artist has adapted, and transformed into a reality, exploring my love of Tim Burton-esque fantastical characters

Yes these tattoos can be expensive, but you are left with something personal, and of a high quality, which will last for as long as you do providing it’s looked after properly, the days of black tattoos turning into identifiable blobs are long gone. Upon speaking to Jim4 (ex-Blood Brothers) about tattooing large pieces, he said “tattooing the skin, is like drawing on tracing paper with a fountain pen, it takes a lot of skill, and extreme concentration” hence the cost

The one comment I always receive is “Are you not going to regret them when you get older?” I wouldn’t have spent months researching, and designing my tattoos with my artists to ensure they are exactly what I want if I was going to regret them, I also wouldn’t have spent thousands of pounds, and sat through hours of pain at a time, if I didn’t want them. I am going to get older, grey, and wrinkly just like everybody else in the world, 40% of my generation have tattoos, so I won’t be the only one. Think I’ve ruined my body? At least I will have something interesting to look at, remember, and talk about as I get older

Despite tattoos becoming more popular nowadays, there are still some who view females with tattoos as part of an ‘alternative’ lifestyle, you don’t have to be into metal, or punk to have them, they should be an expression of interests, and memories, not fashion

Be smart with your ink, go to a reputable artist with a selection of ideas, and work together on your design. It may be tempting to get a tattoo before the legal age of 18, but in my experience, it’s better to wait. I got three tattoos at 17 years old, all three have now been covered, your tastes change as you get older. Boring, I know ;)

Here is a small selection of my favourite artists to check out in London for if you're considering going under the needle:Baron Tattoo @ A True Lovehttp://atruelovetattoo.com/ 

Steve Richardson @ Skunx Tattoohttp://skunxtattoo.com/ 

Wez4 @ Triple4 Tattoowww.facebook.com/Triple4Tattoo 

WORLDWIDE WARDROBE 2013 WITH TRAVEL SUPERMARKET

If you love Fashion, then you love to travel, and Travel Supermarket have come up with the perfect blogging competition where you have to pick an outfit for each of the five locations provided, and explain why you have made your choices. The competition closes in June, where several Fashion experts will be choosing winners from each category, and you could win a dream trip to the location you have entered, AND £200 to buy, or to go towards the outfit which you have put together 

As I already live in London, I have decided to pick outfits for 'Sightseeing in Paris,' 'Cocktails in New York,' and 'Clubbing in Ibiza'

See my choices below...

SIGHT-SEEING IN PARIS:
For a mixture or Parisian, and British 'boating' fashion, I've chosen an androgynous look of a crochet white blouse tucked into a pair of beige skinny jeans, with a slim tan belt, and a nautical style jumper with a crew neck, so that the shirt collar can sit over the top 

The look has then been completed with some gold bangles, a long gold necklace (optional), a tan satchel (satchels are ALL the rage right now, plus it's a cross shoulder bag for added comfort, and it's big enough to fit all of your sight-seeing essentials in), some staple LARGE brown sunnies, and the brand spanking new Jeffrey Campbell Daisy Lita boots in tan

Although the JC's may look daunting, the Lita boot was designed for 'the girl on the run,' made to be stable, durable, and comfortable due to the platform to heel ratio. Therefore, they won't be stopping you from climbing that Eiffel tower ;)

For chilly day on the river Seine, throw on a navy boyfriend blazer. For a more elegant look, style your hair in a large bun, or for a more relaxed demeanor, add a large floppy hat over tousled tresses   

Jumper: Jack Wills | Blouse: Topshop | Jeans: Jack Wills | Belt: New Look |  Bag: Topshop | Sunglasses: New Look |  Bangles: New Look | Necklace: New Look Boots: Jeffrey Campbell @ Office

COCKTAILS IN NEW YORK:






















For this look, I have chosen a floating sheer cream top which you would wear with a strapless 'minimal appearance' bra underneath so not to ruin the shape. This will be topped with a high fashion, sharp shoulder blazer, and paired with the Black Milk Clothing Dollar leggings (well... you are in New York! ;)) 

For accessories, I have chosen a large, Silver & Gold triangular collar necklace, with a knuckle-duster studded clutch (big enough for your phone, money, and favourite lippy), a silver skull ring (for the middle or pinky finger), and a pair of Jeffrey Campbell studded Lita boots to keep you stable, but stylish after a few too many porn-star martini's! 

Channel your inner Gwen Stefani with a slick ponytail, large quiff, big lashes, and bright red lips. My favourite red lippy being 'Lady Danger' by MAC.

Top: New Look | Jacket: Zara | Leggings: Black Milk Clothing | Necklace: Topshop | Ring: Topshop | Clutch: Vanity Row Boutique | Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell @ Office 

CLUBBING IN IBIZA: 

Although we all love to dress up to the nines when going out clubbing, in Ibiza during summer it rarely falls below 30 degrees, cue heatstroke in Amnesia, or more makeup on your clothes than face in Pacha

I have chosen this dress of jersey goodness from All Saints, as although it's fitted, the material is very light. The cut makes the dress long & floaty at the back, but hitched up to show a bit of leg at the front. It comes up to about knee-length, so if you want to show a little more, you can hitch it up a bit further with a well hidden safety pin to make it more of a 'mini' at the front

I have teamed this with statement long necklaces, and bangles from River Island to jazz it up a bit, with a square clutch, large enough to contain makeup supplies, money, and a compact camera. It also has a 'over the shoulder' chain hidden inside, which your friends can attach to you once you're a little bit worse for wear

I have completed the look with these gorgeous, embellished gladiator sandals from Topshop, so that you can dance all night, AND still look glam! To escape the sweaty Betty look, throw your hair up into a chic, over-sized bun, and rock the 'dark eyes, pale lips' look!

Dress: All Saints | Necklace: River Island | Bracelets: River Island | Sandals: Topshop | Bag: New Look

Have a blog of your own, and would like to enter? See what you can come up with. Visit: http://www.travelsupermarket.com/c/holidays/worldwide-wardrobe/#sthash.jWIn2KTh.dpuf for details

D.I.Y Punk Fashion returns with Studs & Spikes!

Customising clothing with studs and spikes is something that has been around on the underground fashion & music scenes, since the birth of punk rock in the early 1970’s. One pioneer in particular of punk rock fashion, is Dame Vivienne Westwood. Then, a flame haired young designer with a passion for Latex, and chains, something deemed far too outrageous, for the commercial market

In 1974, Westwood opened a small boutique on the Kings Road called ‘Sex’ with her boyfriend Malcolm McLaren, who would soon become the manager of The Sex Pistols, together, they would define the look, and sound of the punk rock movement. Other patrons of the boutique, which helped to launch Westwood into notability, were; Chrissie Hynde, Adam Ant, Siouxie Sioux, and the rest of the Bromley contingent. The store re-opened in 1980 under the name ‘The Worlds End’ and still remains today at number 430 Kings Road, as a part of Westwood’s global empire

Although ‘custom style’ clothing has always been a part of our fashion history, it now has now taken our catwalks, high-street stores, and magazines by storm, there are studs on everything from vintage style shorts, to shoes, headbands, and bags - even the humble cardigan isn't safe!!

With the credit crunch still rife, we can’t all afford to purchase Jeffrey Campbell Lita Boots for £120, or a pair of studded shorts for £50, so why not buy a cheaper pair which fit well, and stud them yourself? 

You can bulk buy studs or spikes in either Silver, Gold, or Bronze online for as little as £3.50 for 150 studs, you make a small incision in the item, insert the bottom ‘screw’ part of the stud through sed hole, and screw on the top. Simple!! You don’t even have to buy a new item to stud, why not bring life back into an old pair of converse, shorts, or toughen up a pretty cardigan? Here are some examples of what you can do to get that high fashion look, for less...

 

Studs available from:
http://studsandspikes.com/http://www.studsandpunks.co.uk/http://www.love-craft.co.uk/studs-spikes-1.html

STYLE FOR STROKE @ The Painted Lady, Shorditch

Invited by one of my beautiful friends Charlotte De Mercur, I made my way down to pretty vintage salon The Painted Lady in Shordtich last month, for an event in aid of Style For Stroke. The campaign is fronted by guru Nick Ede, who aims to gather every 'somebody' in the world of Celebrity & Fashion, to help raise money, and awareness for the Stroke Association

In attendance aside from a few known faces, was 22 year old Sarah Scott, a model for the campaign who suffered from a stroke in 2009. Although she has no paralysis like other sufferers, Sarah has Aphasia, a condition which makes it difficult to read, write, express her feelings, and make basic calculations. On one hand, Sarah is extremely lucky, on the other, as discovered via the Channel 4 show The Updateable’s, Sarah will never be able to connect with a loved one, or even say those three simple words 'I Love You' which is sadly proving difficult for many to accept

The event was also in celebration of well-known cosmetic brand Lipcote joining the Style for Stroke partnership, and donating 10% of all sales to the Stroke Association as of Valentines Day 2013. Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh also donated a generous supply of false lashes from her new range, for the evening. I am not usually a fan of celebrity lashes, but I suppose being from Chelsea, she's spent a bit more money on hers ;) they're amazingly good quality! 

Despite efforts from the NHS, many still believe that Strokes only strike during old age, but all three models for the Style for Stroke campaign had their's between the ages of 17, and 21, and for no apparent reason. To find out more about Style for Stroke, and how you can get involved, please visit the Stroke Association website: http://www.stroke.org.uk/Styleforstroke

You can also help to raise money by purchasing a bottle of Lipcote, it's the only reliable way to keep your lipstick put all evening. Share love not Lipstick:
www.lipcote.com

To purchase Millie Mackintosh's eyelash range, visit the Nouveau website. There are 8 styles all named after a different part of London, ranging from dainty & natural, to those with show-stopping volume! My favourites are; Shorditch, and Carnaby:http://shop.nouveaubeautygroup.com/brands/millie-mackintosh/

THE ONLY WAY IS GLOSS: I get the Cinderella treatment!

I was asked by one of my employers to review Cinderella Hair extensions, and what better place to have them fitted, other than the chosen salon of TOWIE stars Billi Mucklow, Cara Kilbey, and Chloe Simms, Gloss, in Essex. With the way that the media portray it, I was expecting to arrive into Buckhurst Hill surrounded by an army of overly tanned girls with their hair in rollers, and wearing ten pairs of false eyelashes, but I was pleasantly surprised. Also home to Lauren Goodgers shop ‘Laurens Way’ Buckhurst Hill is a sleepy, rural village, a peaceful alternative to the bustling nearby town of Brentwood

The salon looks rather small from the front, but inside it’s a busy little haven for women to socialise, and be preened for the night ahead. The salon offers cuts, colours (unisex), hair extensions, and styling at an affordable cost, and offers you the full VIP treatment. Having only been in the door five minutes, I was already having a head massage at the basin, and being offered a variety of beverages (I chose wine. Obviously.)

Not only are the staff lovely, but the salon is clean, fresh, and has a very local feel to it, with several locals including TOWIE's very own Billi Mucklow, coming over to have a chat whilst salon owner Gina started on my extensions, I felt like I had been coming to Gloss for years

Having styled the TOWIE girls for a long time, I asked Gina whether she would consider traveling with the girls for promotional shoots, and filming, the answer, unexpectedly, was no. Gina explained that whilst some hairdressers do travel with celebrities, the salon is her career, and that’s where she feels most at home. It’s this dedication to her business, which has turned it into the success it is today

I went into the salon with a broken (due to excessive bleaching) brassy blonde bob. I emerged with a perfectly blended, 18 inch, glossy, ombré style, going from platinum blonde, to dark, ash blonde. Two weeks later, the hair is looking as good as the day I left the salon, with hardly any shedding, and a wealth of compliments. Cinderella may be a little pricier than your normal Remy extensions, but you really do get what you pay for


To book your appointment at Gloss, call them on 0208 504 2585. You can also find them on www.facebook.com/GlossUnisexHairSalon and on twitter @SalonGloss

Fancy a bit of V.I.P treatment before the weekend? Gloss have MAC trained make-up artist Jeyanney in Salon every Friday, and Saturday. Why not book an appointment to have your make-up done after your hair? Her current clients include the TOWIE girls, and Katie Piper!To enquire about Cinderella Hair Extensions in a salon near you, please contact them using the information, below: Website: www.cinderellahair.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Cinderella-HairTwitter: www.twitter.com/CinderellaHairX

Are Juice Diet's really safe? I team up with SOULMATEFOOD to find out

I'd been interested in these so-called miracle Juice Diets for some time, and it wasn't until I was just about to embark on one, that I suddenly thought, is it really a good idea to consume only fruit juice, and no solid food for an entire week? Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely up for a stab at losing the added Christmas poundage, but unless there’s a mixture of both vegetables, AND fruit, is it not going to be chock full of sugar? 

In comes award winning, health food delivery consultancy SOULMATEFOOD, a renowned distributor of the Juice Detox, to help me put it to the test. The company was founded by Nutritionist, and personal trainer Christian Coates, and was designed to offer hassle free, nutritionally balanced, gourmet style meals delivered to your door

SOULMATEFOOD promise to deliver your order between 12am, and 8am so that you can start your cleanse, the following working day. For this particular 5 day juice detox, you sip 6 juices throughout the day, with an advised 8 glasses of water, but no other foods or drinks. And YES, this includes caffeine. Something which seems much harder to cut out, once you've acknowledged the word 'detox'

At first glance, the juices seem very small, but they are surprisingly deceiving as they are thick smoothies, and actually rather difficult to consume all in one day, so initial “how I am going to survive on those” thoughts, are immediately banished

THE MENU:
JUICE 1 - Carrot, Orange, Ginger & Superfoods 
JUICE 2- Pineapple, Banana & Coconut 
JUICE 3- Antioxidant Blend, Cherries & Mixed Berries
JUICE 4 - Raspberry & Pomegranate
JUICE 5 - Orange, Mango, Passion Fruit & Goji Berry
JUICE 6 -Strawberry & Banana

I was feeling a little unwell on the first day if my cleanse, so I was hoping for some sort of miraculous recovery. Juice 1, the detox breakfast juice was definitely not my favourite, it was rather tangy, and I have not been known to be a fan of ginger, however by day 3, I had settled my differences with it, and actually began to enjoy its zingy, energising blend

The other juices, felt like something I'd grab on the way to work if I'd skipped breakfast, several of them tasted pretty similar, and with no vegetable content, after day 3, I began to crash, badly. I felt unbalanced, moody, and was craving some sort of 'carb' related matter 

On the other hand, I felt less bloated, more energized (perhaps through hunger), and my skin appeared to be much clearer. After a little cheeky snack to perk my energy levels up (brown rice to be specific), I felt much better, and by day 5 began to feel the benefits 

The Good:Health fighting antioxidants give your immune system a boost, and cleanse your liver, and kidneys. SOULMATEFOOD do all of the blending, so all you need to do is pluck a juice from the fridge, SIMPLE! The juices are thick, and more filling than you may think, so you don’t miss food as much as you think you will. In total I lost 5lbs over 5 days without ANY exercise, and by the end of the detox I did feel a lot more energised, and less bloated with clearer skin

The Bad:The idea of a juice detox is great, and I love the principal of SOULMATEFOOD, however, I feel that the ingredients do not balance your sugar levels correctly, leaving me wanting to commit murder by day 3. If the juices contained a variety of sweet, and savory ingredients, I would be doing this every 6 weeks!!

If your juice detox plan contains mainly fruit, I would suggest consuming one or two fist sized portion's of rice (or other grains) per day, to keep your sugar levels within a safe level

The followers: Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore are all said to be fans of the juice diet. Katie Price, aka Jordan

The soulmatefood juice cleanse is available at www.soulmatefood.com from £120, they also offer a selection of delicious meals, and weight loss plans. Follow @Soulmatefood