Posted by admin on Nov 29, 2009 in
beauty,
news,
style 
Not so long ago I mentioned how honoured I was to have been asked to judge a category in the UK Beauty Awards 2010. A box arrived the other day with a plethora of products for my category- Best New Hair Product, and the information about the event went live on the Clothes Show London site. At last count there were 38 judges involved in this affair, and when I realized who they were my heart went all aflutter. Though all 38 are impressive individuals, there were a few that I couldn’t believe I was working alongside, as they’d been idols of mine for many years. Amongst the judges was the lovely Eve Cameron who mentored me when I first started in beauty journalism and Sarah Vine whose columns my Mum religiously cuts out and quotes back to me.
I’m looking forward to the event, but can’t chat for long- I have hair to wash!
[from L-R: Victoria White, Editor, Company magazine, Debbie Djordjevic, Editorial Director, Handbag.com, Eve Cameron, Beauty Director, Good Housekeeping, Jane Cunningham, Beauty Editor, www.beautyandthedirt.com, Row 2: Mandie Gower, Editor Zest Magazine, Olivia Falcon, Health and Beauty Director, Tatler (looking identical to Blake Lively), Sarah Vine, Beauty Editor, The Times, Zara Rabinowicz, Beauty Expert]
Tags: Debbie Djordjevic, Eve Cameron, Jane Cunningham, Mandie Gower, Olivia Falcon, Sarah Vine, UK Beauty Awards 2010, Victoria White
Posted by admin on Nov 29, 2009 in
geekery,
lists 
Twitter’s popularity has never been higher. You can’t pick up a a paper or go to website without reading about how it’s the ‘micro blogging tool of the decade’. You can use it to catch up the latest online argument between Lily Allen and Perez Hilton hear breaking news before it reaches the paper (think the recent Tiger Woods accident), and even Obama is Tweeting messages of thanks to the populace. You can use this resource for house hunting, job searching and creating brand awareness, and there’s also an active community of Tweeters who comment on each other’s posts, driving traffic to sites via retweets and positive reviews.
Considering Twitter gives one unfettered access to millions of people, more PR people than ever are signing up. This is partly due to its popularity, and partly down to their management deciding it would be a good idea to ‘get with the times’. Sky News has created a ‘Twitter correspondent position’ and there are numerous Twitter apps to make tweeting easier, from using a plug in application such as TwitterFox to TweetDeeck on your phone.
It’s never been easier to Tweet- but are you? And what’s your type of Tweet? Read on to discover which category you fall into…
Here are the ten main Twitter types of people you’ll find online.
The Shameless Self promoter also known as the Auto Feeder/ Autobot
‘Hi I have a website isn’t it great? Everything I ever write will be sent to my Twitter account, so you can click on the links. Please, please click on the links, but I’m not going to tell you anything else about me or ever bother to update my account. But click pleeeease, go on!’
Yes, you know who you are. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with linking posts from your site to your Twitter account, but if you update 10 times day and never have any personal info on the tweets it’s essentially just internet spam now isn’t it? You might not be offering me Viagra but you’re still touting for business.
The newbie
‘Today I had breakfast and then I went to work. Oh shoot- I’m almost out of charac-’
Sound familiar? When one first joins Twitter the initial response is just to Tweet voraciously; on anything that takes their fancy, from burnt toast to travel card issues. It’s not to say the more experienced Twitter user wouldn’t mention those, but they might make them more entertaining, and better spelt.
But we love our newbies, as they remind us of our early fumbling footsteps into the brave new world of Web 2.0. If they never progress though, one has to wonder if a/ they’re under fourteen or b/they just see Twitter as one long Facebook status update. Read more…
Tags: Tweetdeck, Tweeting, Twiiter addict, Twitter types, Twitter. Twitterholic
Posted by admin on Nov 28, 2009 in
style 
What on earth is happening to the world? We’re suffering a global recession, beloved brands such as Luella are closing their doors forever and tights have been raised from M&S staples to high fashion garments. This year we’ve seen Henry Holland do a gorgeous collaboration for Pretty Polly, bright colours adorn the pins of A-listers such as Lily Allen and Cheryl Cole, and hardened fashionistas invest in hosiery and recycle their LBD’s for the December party season. However the picture isn’t completely rosy, as though many of the brands offer their merchandise for £15 and below, a select few price themselves higher. The Wolford Fringe tights are one such example. Retailing at £199 (with free shipping: bonus!) from Tights Please, they’re 100 denier nylon/elastine blend, and exquisite to look at. Five rows of fringing detail each side of the legs, which would make ankle boots completely obsolete and the overall style is incredibly chic.
Still, £200 freaking pounds? For tights? I realise that if you purchase this, you’re considering the tights as the statement piece, and could look at a purchase akin to buying a dress, but a dress will last you more than a few wears! It may be 100 denier, but all you need is a snaggly nail, and boom, your purchase is consigned to the dustbin. Read more…
Tags: fashion tights, Henry Holland tights. Bebaroque, hosiery, Luella closing, Wolford fringe tights
Posted by admin on Nov 28, 2009 in
books 
Another month, another multitude of books that have been devoured. A stranger selection than usual.
Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett
Pratchett bravely tackles the eccentricities of football in his latest book, referencing the varying views on the popular sport. You see the wizards of the Unseen University learning to master it, and the street urchins displaying unfathomable skill which seems magical to the wizards. An interesting dissection of how sport crosses all cultural divides, and how it’s perceived by those not directly involved in it.
Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett
Deeply delicious, this book follows the unlikely tale of a hostage situation, where a house full of wealthy people are captured and then held for over 3 months. The relationships and entanglements that form out of this situation are strangely dark, yet sweet; and though the end is inevitably tragic the journey is unforgettable. Read more…
Tags: books, reading, Terry Pratchett
Posted by admin on Nov 28, 2009 in
beauty,
random
The idea of the backstabbing blonde girl is hardly an original idea, as the image of the bitchy blonde has been perpetuated in literature spanning the last couple of centuries, from Jane Austen’s Emma to the teenage bitchiness seen in books like Sweet Valley High. The blonde butter-wouldn’t-melt stereotype remains nonetheless (it’s a Madonna thing), with the advent of Barbie’s 50th anniversary seeing the archetypal blonde bimbo adorned in a variety of high couture.
Perhaps it’s time to celebrate Barbie’s inner psyche, and let the world see her true colours? After all, how can you revere something that you don’t truly understand, and though Barbie may be beautiful it’s important to see she’s multi-faceted.
The Altered Barbie collective have created a selection of artworks and still life’s based around the familiar Barbie figurine, which show in her in slightly less Mattel approved positions. All images are displayed annually at the Altered Barbie Exhibit in San Francisco, which draws an eclectic crowd of artists and Barbie fanatics.
The show uses clever imagery to subvert the notion of the Barbie doll, and juxtapose different realities on the iconic figure. I find the following images intriguing,interesting, and ever so slightly disturbing, so applaud them for the creativeness/ inner rage. Either way, you’ll never look at the doll the same way again. Read more…
Tags: Barbie, Barbie goes wild, bitch
Posted by admin on Nov 17, 2009 in
geekery,
news 
Early adopters are keen to get to grips with newest, latest tech on the market, and nothing is more frustrating to these savvy gadget hunters than the object of their desire being put out of their reach. We all suffered frustration with the slow release of the Amazon Kindle into the UK, (as we’ve had to wait two years for this bit of kit) and Microsoft’s much-loved Zune player is still absent from our shores (though we’re finally getting some of its services on the XBOX).
But what strikes terror in every aspiring technology frontiersman is the idea that other people will have a chance to form opinions before they do, thus meaning the comments sections of Gizmodo and Engadget will look woefully threadbare or filled with noobs.
Invite only software is the plague of this particular crowd, with many a’cursing they didn’t download the beta version of Windows 7 when it was still available. Google Wave is the current must-have-a-play flavour of the month, but seeing as invites are as elusive as an invitation to Amazon Vine, gadgeteers are looking elsewhere to get their fix. Read more…
Tags: Amazon Vine, Get Google Wave invite, Google Wave, Spotify Invite, Zune UK
Posted by admin on Nov 16, 2009 in
geekery There’s something strangely beautiful about this man’s struggle with his machine. The time and dedication spent adjusting it would give any woman hope, and I only hope we’ll see a Round 2- putting up a shelf perhaps?
[via GWAL]
Tags: kama sutra, laptop, man
