Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet, The Glorious North East

Blog At The Beach with icelolly.com

Each year, the lovely humans behind holiday comparison website icelolly.com host a big bash for Bloggers and Influencers called Blog at the Beach.  It’s one of those events that I’ve heard about, but never attended, that is until now.  Yes that’s right Voyeurs, the UK’s best Bloggers, Influencers and Content Creators are hand selected by icelolly.com to attend the event which aims to educate Influencers and improve blogger networking and 2018 is my year, the year I found myself on that very list…

Obligatory lanyard shot

So, what’s it all about?

Well, Blog at the beach, despite setting out a pretty crammed agenda is actually a chilled out, fun event for people like me to learn more about the things that really make us tick.  Whether you want to up your photography game, learn how to pitch to brands (I say that through clenched teeth after White Moose-gate), or just pick up some real world tips from super successful Bloggers, Blog at the Beach and icelolly.com hold consultation in advance about which topics are the most important, and the most current it the whole wide blogosphere, then seeks out industry experts to speak about them and pass on their best tips for success.

Where the hell is it?

The event has taken place in various different locations across the super cool city of Leeds meaning that if you’re travelling from afar, there’s plenty you can do to make a day, or even a weekend of it to maximise your Insta goals.  This year’s event took place at Duke Street Studios which was super easy to travel to, and a pretty well equipped venue for 80 or so Influencers.

Blog at the Beach??  It’s bloody January!

This year’s event had a Ski Lodge theme, but seeing as the name is pretty cool and has a nifty little following, it just had to stay, for continuity.  The venue was dressed to match the theme with fairy lights, ski accessories and even mulled wine to stretch out that post Christmas hangover.  There was even a cute little moving cable car theme projected on to the wall behind the stage.  I wrapped up in my favourite faux fur coat and met up with some of my best non-North East Blogger pals and you’d be forgiven for thinking we were cosying up in a chalet somewhere up in Val d’isere for the weekend – the attention to detail was pretty damn sweet.

Blog at the Beach with icelolly.com Fashion Voyeur Blog props including ski goggles and a Charles Conrad watch

What went down?

Three awesome speakers that’s what!  First up was Kirsty Leanne who gave an impassioned talk on how to write the perfect pitch to brands with sound advice on how to lay out that all important first contact.  Her talk included tips such as letting the brand you’re pitching to know just why it is that you love them and including what made you want to work with them, but also making sure that you never over promise on what you can deliver when you make your pitch.  Looking around the room there was a 50/50 split on those frantically jotting down notes in notepads covered with inspiring quotes, and those taking screenshots of the words of wisdom displayed on screen.

KIRSTY LEANNE

Next up was Queen Beady, a Blogger you’ll no doubt recognise from my own social media as she’s my Ice Queen hair icon, sporting silvery white tresses I fawned over her hair and her awesome teadress whilst on stage.  Her talk was inspiring, the biggest thing I took away from it was learning how to translate your top five achievements into your outgoing USP and making them work as hard for you as you did for them.  Simple, but super relevant.  Bee talked about putting money back into the thing that makes you money, whether it’s your blog or your chosen social media platform, put effort into making it look as awesome as it can, after all it’s an extension of you and well, we’re all pretty damn amazing right?!

QUEEN BEADY
JUST LOOK AT THAT HAIR…

After a lunch break and a chance to network with the people we think we know but we actually only “online know”, gasp at each others outfits and just generally seek out the people we adore and admire, it was back to our seats for the final talk of the day from photographer extraordinaire, Kaye Ford.  Kaye is a great public speaker, she’s super laid back and had everyone engaged as she spoon fed us tips on both cellphone photography and DSLR photography and how to make it work for our own websites.  With tips on how to shoot snow (for reals, it’s hard), to using tourists as part of the field in our photographs, Kaye told us to travel lots and to look away from the regular tourist hotspots for show stopping images.

KAYE FORD

But what about icelolly.com?

Well, they’ve just overhauled their website to make it way more user friendly.  If you’re not familiar, it’s a comparison site for holidays; in the same way that you might use a comparison site for your car insurance, icelolly.com scrapes the web to return the best vacation deals based on the criteria you set and then refers you out to purchase from the seller direct.  You don’t pay them any money and they don’t sell you anything.

Any thing else to report?

Well yes actually!  Throughout the day we were informed that #BlogAtTheBeach was the trending at the top spot and that the icelolly.com bods had been scanning our posts to find their favourites.  At the end of the event two winners were announced and given a Charles Conrad watch from Watches 2 U and I just happened to be one of them!  I was given a pretty smart looking watch with a rose gold bezel and black leather strap which I promptly slapped on my wrist for the journey home.  Yay me!

THE CHARLES CONRAD WATCH I WON!

Was it worth it?

Hell yeah!  The great thing about the Blog at the Beach event is that despite being hosted by icelolly.com it’s impartial and non-biased.  The speakers were given free reign on their topics and on the rare occasion that a competitor came up they were never stopped from speaking about it.  The Bloggers and Influencers selected to attend the event were friendly and accommodating – something you sadly don’t always find at networking events, and the speakers made lots of time for questions afterwards to make sure that everyone in attendance took something away that they could use and apply to their work.  Icelolly.com were open in asking for feedback, or suggestions on where the next event might take place and they worked their way round the room in the recess periods chatting to everyone.  It was definitely an unexpected vibe, and in a positive way.  Given the chance I’ll be all over the next one.

So what’s next?

Well, as you know Voyeurs, I have both Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks right around the corner straight after London and I’ve got a pretty awesome idea for a Fashion Month Diary pitch formulating in my mind.  I’ll keep you posted…

As you were.

Pixie xo

 

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet

What I Wore: As a Nod to Dior’s Prairie Girls

We’re in the midst of Winter and that means cosy sweaters, faux fur tippets and baker boy hats at every turn.  Sometimes though, you find the perfect dress that just encapsulates the season.  This Voyeurs, is that dress.

Blogger Pixie Tenenbaum wearing a Prairie Girl Style Dress

The best thing about this particular dress is that I spotted it and tried it on in Topshop during a Fashion Styling Challenge I was set by Intu Eldon Square.  I planned on buying it right away but as our event ran late, we were moved on to the next part of the challenge before I had the chance.  The next time I saw it it was in the Topshop sale and was reduced from £79.99 to £35.  That’s the very definition of the best sale bargain – if it’s something you planned on buying at full price, you know for sure that you’re not acting on impulse and that you’ll definitely wear it.

Now, don’t be fooled if you’re perusing the rails of Topshop, whilst this particular dress doesn’t look much at all on the hanger, it’s a doozie when it’s on and it’s toned to perfection for Fall / Winter.  Again, a sale buy that fits the current season and beyond is a good buy.  It’s a super lightweight dress so I’ve stuck on a pair of fishnet tights for warmth as these were all I could find in my drawer, however I think black opaques would probably look better.  I’ve dressed it with these flat studded boots from Marks and Spencer (my current favourites) to give it a nod to the Amish look that stormed the runways for next season.

As far as trends go, this is very much in line with the Western theme that emerged largely from the Dior Resort 2018 show so despite this particular dress having been moved to sale, you can expect to see a lot more of this style hitting the high street over the next few months as stores and high street designers pick out key runway themes to stock as translation trends.  If you want to really pay homage to Maria Grazia Chiuri’s cowgirls then pair a prairie girl dress with cowboy boots for a look that’s straight off the runway and actually, pretty classic in terms of trends.

I’ve since worn this dress with a fine knit black polo neck sweater underneath which works equally as well and gives the whole thing a more urban vibe.  Personally, if I find something I really love that fits my personality on some level then I know I’ll wear it to death – particularly if it’s a versatile piece, and this dress is definitely that.

Blogger Pixie Tenenbaum showcasing a prairie girl style dress with flat boots

One of the best things about finding a great dress is the simplicity of it.  With just one piece, I can easily update my look and twist it up by throwing a sweater underneath or a fifties style bra on top.  This one has hint of pale pink and gold in it as well as black lace-edged hoop hemming to give it structure, meaning that even when it’s windy, this clever detailing will prevent it from blowing up around your ears.  Winning.  Now where did I put that Stetson…..?

Pixie xo

Categories: The Archives, The Beauty Cupboard, The Fashion Closet

Brow Maintenance 101: Home Products

Right, you can’t say I haven’t given you everything you need to get your natural brows looking fleeky AF.  What with How to Grow Show Stopping Brows as your baseline, giving you actual magic which will grow hairs on your face, right through to The Science of Perfect Brows which hits you square in the face with the two main trends for brow shape, and how to determine the shape for your own face – you’re pretty well looked after Voyeurs.

Assuming you’ve read and acted, here’s a guide to what’s hot, and what’s definitely not, in the world of brow maintenance.  Now as you know 2017 was the year that brows were compounded as a whole separate area of the beauty market.  From waxes and transfers to stencils and pencils, the beauty shelves were awash with products claiming to give your brows added zing.  But they aren’t cheap, and it’s a marketplace that’s difficult to navigate when every product claims to be amazing.  so, you’ve put in the work, you’re sporting a bushy set of Fashion Brows.  What now?  Well a lot of those products, you don’t actually need and you’d be better off keeping that hard earned cash where it belongs – in your wardrobe.

Well, my baseline is always a brow tint.  Go to a professional and ask them to use the HD Tint in a shade that’s just slightly darker than your natural brow colour.  I use The Wax Bar in Newcastle but most beauty salons are au fait in tinting brows.  When I’m done I ask them to take the excess off and leave whatever else behind which I remove myself at home.  This makes a tint last a full fortnight but on the flipside you look like a crazy person and therefore must go immediately home from the salon and never, ever look anyone in the eye on the way home.

So, home use products for brows, it’s a literal minefield but here is everything you need to keep your brows in check and one to steer well clear of…

Flatlay product shot of Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in Espresso, Nouveau Lash Serum and Maybelline Tattoo brow

NOUVEAU LASHES CONDITIONING SERUM £19.99

Product Shot of Nouveau Lashes Conditioning Serum Tube

Nouveau’s super conditioning Lash Serum is a staple beauty product.  I have two tubes on the go at all times, one for lashes and one for brows, whilst Nouveau do produce a specific Brow Serum in a purple tube, don’t bother with it and opt for this one instead.  When I’ve washed my face, toned, moisturised and my Lumigan has dried, I coat my lashes in this.  It makes them look thick, lustrous and glossy and sets them in shape ready to be pencilled in.  It’s super gentle and not at all sticky so there’s no risk of ending up with makeup stuck in your brows with this product.

TOM FORD BROW SCULPTOR £36

Product Shot of a Tom Ford Brow Sulptor pencil in shade Espresso

This cult brow shader is at the more expensive end of the scale when you consider that you can pick up a brow pencil at The Body Shop for just £7.  Stop buying other brow pencils, this is the real deal and will change your brow game forever.  Made of wax and sculpted into a blade shape, you can reach the areas under the hairs with ease and there are no tell tale signs or powdery finish like you get with some brow products.  It has a built in blade rake style sharpener and a brow brush too making it a brow powerhouse.  I’m going to make a bold statement here and say this one is even better than Anastasia Beverley Hills Voyeurs.  Yes really.  Once you try it you’ll never buy another brow pencil again, I have three; one in my car, one in my handbag and one in my bathroom.  It’s worth every penny.

MAYBELLINE TATTOO BROW

Product Shot of Maybelline Tattoo Brow box and product in shade Dark Brown

Maybelline Tattoo Brow is just awful.  The premise is that it’s a super temporary tinting product you apply at home, the reality is somewhat different.  It’s messy, difficult to remove and tears out precious brow hair with it.  That’s not even the worst part, the tint is on a red base meaning that it’s inevitable that at some point between applying the product and the tint fading some two to three days later, you will end up with ginger eyebrows and surrounding skin.  Which might be fine for red heads but for everyone else it means spending three days inside or wearing a balaclava.  This is a no go and for £12.99 it’s an expensive way of ruining your face framers.  I was horrified after using this on myself and almost resorted to a Sharpie.  Yes Voyeurs, a fucking Sharpie.  Avoid, and Maybelline if you’re reading this, do better.

Pixie xo

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet

What I Wore: One Freezing Cold Day

We all know it’s easy to pull together a simple outfit in the Summer when it’s warm, but what about Winter when we need to think about staving off the inevitable chill?  I don’t know about you, but I’m either boiling or freezing and I’m only ever the perfect temperature when I’m out of the UK.  In Winter I favour a simple denim and sweater combo.  This time I’ve gone for a pair of super skinny Abbott Kinney style jeans from John Lewis’ inhouse denim brand AND/OR – if you haven’t tried them yet, you really must.  They’re designed by the same people as Levis and the fit is incredible, they’re on the more pricey side, but they’re better quality than any other high street offering out there and there are lots of different styles and cuts available (their relaxed fit Venice Beach jeans are also worth a punt).  This look also works with a denim pinafore or long button through skirt.

When I’m layering up in Winter, I usually opt for a loose breton tee if I’m wearing boyfriend style jeans, or a short sleeved mens fit tee with skinnies.  Under here I have my faithful Stranger Things tee from Topshop but the real showpiece is the sweater.  I love wearing a ginormous sweater in Winter, particularly one with extra long sleeves and this oversized Jaded London jumper (available in Topshop) ticks both boxes.  It’s indescribably cosy and always garners admiring glances from passers by, I love that it’s super bright and that it has a higher neck, without being scratchy.  I often end up cutting holes in the cuffs of my sweaters so I can wear the sleeves low over my hands in lieu of gloves.



HOW TO WEAR IT

The trick to the sweater / denim combo is to a) get the proportions right, and b) make sure it’s not boring.  First of all decide on your jean shape, if you opt for a skinny then you can max out on the size and colour of your sweater.  Go for a ripped up looser style jean and your sweater needs to be more reserved and smaller in proportion.  Think of it as the eyes vs lips rule applied to clothes.

When it comes to footwear if I’m running around during the day then I’m always in flats.  You know I have a penchant for a cowboy boot but Marks and Spencer are coming up trumps with boots this season and these flat black rider boots are a dead ringer for a waaaaay more expensive Louboutin counterpart at a fraction of the price.  On a budget?  Primark do a tri-season shoe drop meaning that you’ll be able to pick up a pair of fast, fashion forward boots for just the right side of £20 that fit the brief.

Topped off with my trusty Marks and Spencer tifler I ‘d say this is one of my cosiest and probably favourite simple city outfits.  Simples!

Pixie xo

Categories: The Archives, The Beauty Cupboard, The Fashion Closet

The Science of Perfect Brows

If you read my recent post How to Grow Show Stopping Brows, then you’ll know that I’m big on eyebrows – both figuratively and literally.  Brows are big business these days and currently as far as trends go there seem to be two divisive camps, Fashion Brows and Beauty Brows, with one defining, overarching theme:  Bigger is better.  With this in mind, it’s no surprise that brows were the surprise leader of the makeup camp throughout 2016 and 2017 with the demand for brow maintenance and grooming products booming and it all started with the rise of Cara Delevingne.

FASHION BROWS

If you fall into the Fashion Brow camp the you probably don’t care if your brows are a little messy or overgrown, you most likely sport what’s known as a ‘flat brow’ as this is the shape which is scientifically speaking ‘most beautiful’.  The background of the theory is this, for years scientists have mapped out a living mask for beauty based on ‘ideals’ trends, shapes and symmetry amongst many other factors.  It’s been determined that the best angle for brows in terms of physical beauty is 14 degrees – this specific degree tricks the viewers eye into seeing a feline,  tilted almond shape in the eye and creates a ‘feeder line’ to the centre of the forehead effectively slimming the face and highlighting other facial features.

A 14 degree angle is pretty flat, hence the term ‘flat brow’ and if you study pictures of models in fashion editorial you’ll see that most of them fall into this bracket.  It’s my favourite shape of brow and the bracket that I sit firmly in, with no intention of moving.

BEAUTY BROWS

Beauty Brows were inspired by the HUDA Beauty movement and if one word describes them, it’s pristine.  These brows are uber dark in colour with a super high arch.  They’re the polar opposite of the Fashion Brow with an arch that tips the scale at almost 45 degrees – they require a pretty symmetrical face in order to reach their full efficacy as they’re pretty intense.

A picture of HUDA Beauty wearing the desert dusky palette

Beauty Brows are preened to perfection, you won’t find a stray, or a hair out of place and they follow they ombre trend for brows which sees a lighter powder effect on the shorter ‘sprout’ hairs closer to the nose.  With a Beauty Brow, makeup is visible and that’s the intention.

That’s the other thing, you can sit in one brow camp, and migrate to anther either intentionally or unintentionally.  Let me explain…..

If you currently sit in the Fashion Brow camp, but fancy sporting a higher arch, you can manipulate the shape of your brow through waxing and tweezing as you already know, this includes taking from the front corner to change the angle.  If you’re looking for a more prominent arch lift then botulinum toxin as an injectable can be used at specific points to ‘stretch’ not only the centre point of the brow, but also the outer tip completely changing the shape of the upper half of your face.

Not quite ready for the needle?  There are several formulas around on how you can ‘set up’ the perfect brow shape for your own face shape and they use your own facial dimensions to set the highest point of the arch.  Personally, I think they’re all bullshit.  You know me, I like to let mine grow wild and free, I don’t wax or pluck them and use a specific brow pencil to shade in areas that are sparse (see this post).  simples.  However my formula isn’t for everyone.  I’ve spent a long time growing my brows back from being tiny little apostrophes by using my hero product Lumigan, so I’m not about to put them in the hands of a trigger happy waxer any time soon.

A graphic showing how to achieve the perfect brow shape for your face

The most popular formula, and the one adopted by most UK and US Brow Bars, is to take a straight line from the outer edge of your nostril up towards your forehead, and start your brow here.  The second measure is from the same starting point out through the centre of your pupil, and demonstrates where the high point of your arch should sit, whilst the third measurement shows where your brow should end.  This can be used for waxing, plucking and shading and tends to dictate more of a Fashion brow as the arch is positioned flatter with this measurement.

Thinking about putting your brows in the hands of a professional?  I’m a huge fan of a brow tint and I visit The Wax Bar every fortnight to keep mine topped up, a tint makes brows look thicker, darker and glossier and it picks up all the fair baby hairs that you just can’t see otherwise – it can make or break your shape.  Do your research, pick a camp and decide on what you want in terms of waxing, tinting etc. and your preferred shape before you book, that way you’ll leave the salon happy rather than looking for the nearest hat shop.

Pixie xo

Pixie Tenenbaum Editor's signature with fashion illustration graphic