Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Ellie Goes To Peru!

Many of those who know me or follow me on my social media accounts will know that I have luckily  been selected to volunteer in Peru for 12 months beginning August 2015. Now I'm not gonna bore you about all the details what I really wanted to do is talk about Peru's culture.

Peru is a beautiful country home to the source of the Amazon River, Machu Pichu and the Andes. My main interest within Peru is it's artistic traditions of elaborate pottery, jewelry, sculptures and, my favourite, textiles. Weaving has been part of the Peruvian culture for thousands of years. Weaving is often used for more decorative purposes now-a-days however the Incan people of Peru use the weavings as a way to pass on knowledge and skill.



Alpacas, which are the domesticated species of South American camelids, are known for their rich fibre which is used to make knitted and woven items similar to sheep's wool. These items make a wide variety of garments such as; hats, jumpers, gloves, scarves etc. However this wool wasn't just used for garments to keep warm. The fibres were dyed and woven into specific patterns that represented the families and regions where they were made. It was also a way of showing the nobility's wealth.

But what were these patterns of?
As the people of Peru lived in harmony with nature then many of the images in their designs reflect nature. Popular designs like flowers, stars, the sun and river can still be seen in more modern woven works today.

Can't see yourself in a Peruvian weaved garment this winter? No? Think again!

Now look these STUNNING Mario Testino bags, how vibrant are those colours? Beautiful, right? now you can see in these printed totes and clutch the intricate patterns within Peruvian clothing. The images you can see are photography from Testino's recent Alta Moda exhibition that depicted life in native Peru.  Teamed together with exciting pom-pom tassels and trims the images work fantastic in showing traditional Peruvian textiles in a modern and western way.

Definitely would love to get my hands on one of these beauties before I go to Peru!

For more information regarding my trip to Peru you can check out my Facebook page Ellie Goes To Peru where you can see how my fundraising is going and exactly what I'll be doing there! 

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Halloween Make Up - Part Two

Last halloween make up a bit too gory, or time consuming, for you? This one needs a few eyeshadows and a little fake blood to give a great 'beaten up' look!

What I used:
Various eyeshadow palettes (mainly my Blush Professional one pictured)
Ben NYE Fresh Scab (or any blood paste/liquid)
 I started by putting a red/pink combination around the corner of my eye.
 Slowly build up layers of purple as well. Get the darker tones in the crease of your eye socket and red tones above this to create a inflamed appearance to the eye.
 Then begin to add more yellow and green going up the side of the bridge of your nose and on your upper brow on the eyelid. I also tend to add pinky red tones on my cheek bone to add to the bruised up look.
 You can add more purples and reds around the eye until you're happy with the look of it.
Tip: have a picture of a black eye to look at whilst doing it to get realistic bruising patterns. 
 Add a few finishing touches, like a nose bleed, and you've got a realistic 'beaten up' appearance perfect for halloween!

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Halloween Make Up - Part One

Halloween is nearly with us so I'm very excited; I have Halloweentown recorded on my TV, a pumpkin garland hung in my art bay and now I'm spending my evenings making myself look spooky!

Costumes get quite difficult, especially buying one, they're either too sexy or too frumpy in my opinion. However, a black dress/outfit with some gory make up goes a long way (and often works out a lot cheaper too!)

Also; please excuse the lovely blue hair dye stains around my hair line! 

What I used:

Various Eye Shadow Palettes
Ben NYE Nose and Scar Wax/or other brand of skin/scar wax
Ben NYE Fresh Scab/or other brand of blood paste/gel
Fake Blood
Liquid Latex
Spirit Gum (and remover)

Now the list seems a little adventurous I know, however you can pick all these items up pretty cheap, I remember when I first bought some Liquid Latex and spent a fortune whereas now you can pick it up from fancy dress stores, the same for spirit gum too!

Firstly place some spirit gum upon the area you want your wound, leave it for a minute until it goes tacky. Meanwhile get a small ball of scar wax and make a flat shape for your wound. The spirit gum will be ready when the wax can easily stick on to your face by it.
         
 Next smooth the edges of the wax onto your face to blend it into your skin well, as I'm super pale I've added a bit of foundation so there is less colour change. Using some tweezers start to play around with the wax to create peeling skin and smooth out the centre a tad.
 


Coat the wax in liquid latex and leave to dry until fully clear.



The wax will be a little easier to mould now so you can create more of a peeling effect with the wax. I then put a light coating of red eye shadow upon the wax.


Using dark purples, reds, pinks, yellows and greens create bruises surrounding the wound.
 Fill the wound with blood paste (Fresh Scab) and fake blood.
 And you've got super spooky gory make up!




Monday, October 13, 2014

Primark Haul!

Now, no matter who we are we all love a good bargain! Primark has to be to go-to place for a good deal without the need to hunt around the entire shop putting back item after item due to it's price tag.

I've recently been loving thick twill skirts with beautiful patterns or sparkly embroidery which leads me to my first items.














Top-Newlook
Skirt-Primark

My first skirt is an abstract hound-tooth pattern twill with a black twill back panel. What I love about this skirt is that it can be dressed up with a black floaty top tucked in, or it can be worn under a chunky black jumper for day-time wear adding a bit more detail to the outfit with it's bold pattern.

The second skirt is again a thick twill with a more intricate pattern. This skirt is slightly more dressy because it has some beautiful embellishment embroidered on to it (shown below) which add that little bit of glam to the skirt. 

Both skirts were £12 each-how good is that?!





















Dress-Primark
Shoes-Primark

This next item is a beautiful plaid dress with zip pockets. This little shift dress gives off a great 60s mod feel to an outfit. I've dressed it with simple red dolly shoes however thick tights and boots would also go great! This dress was only £14 as well, bargaiiiin!


Last month my favourite heels broke and I was heart broken, especially as they were no longer for sale in the store. After hunting a little I found these great chunky heeled, multi-strap heels in Primark for £18. I love these so so much, the leather look, the chunkyness and the slight platform!

Have you grabbed any great bargains recently?


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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Bargain Bags!

Flicking through the newest edition of Vogue I'm spotting bag after bag that I adore but on I flick wishing to see a price tag that doesn't make my purse whine in pain! This got me thinking, what if I can find an identical bag, or at least a very similar style, for a lot less money? So I got hunting and thought I'd share with you.

First off is the Black Chloe Clutch for Lulu Guinness, this one has to be the hardest bag to find one similar to. The bag is genuinely very unique, being made from black Perspex and being topped with a red lipstick clasp the square shaped clutch is priced £245. I decided it was more the shape of the bag that I loved most about it - I think the finger marks all over the Perspex would drive me crazy! Which led me to find the Black Quilted Square Clutch from New Look. At a price of £22.99 (and minus my student discount) this is a much nicer option and just like the Chloe Clutch you get a gold chain for an option across-the-body look.

Next up, is a Jimmy Choo beauty. Rebel is a Black Grainy Calf Leather Cross Body Bag, an absolute stunner. The bag is small but big enough for a nip around the shops or a night out, you only need your cards and a lippy, right? With a clasp embossed with Jimmy Choo everyone will know that this bag is worn by a classy lady especially as it costs a shocking £595! Already finding yourself in love with Rebel? Don't worry my ASOS find will save your pennies. The Cross Body Bag with Snake Embossed Lock is of a similar size to the Jimmy Choo bag and even comes with a mini inner compartment giving you even more for your money; at a price of £20 it's a complete must-have!

We've had a clutch and an across-the-body so it's only right my final find is a tote; a Hugo Boss one at that. Here we have the Handbag 'Maika-F' in leather , also available in dark red and brown, the elegant bag straight away shows class and sophistication and with it's detachable strap option it makes the bag 'highly convenient'; however the price is not highly convenient to many of us unless you have £450 to splash out. If not, head down to your local Monsoon's Accessorize and grab your hands on the Melissa Winged Handheld Bag for £32 instead. This bag also has a optional over-the-body strap but also has a side compartment to store items needing more easy access too. 





As you can see spending, what I class as, ridiculous amounts of money on your bags is not a necessity with a little shop around online you can find nearly identical items for a lot less money within minutes.



Do you have a favourite bag you spent a lot on? Or did you get a bargain?