The Ugly UGLY Truth !!

After doing some research for my next blog post I came across this beauty!! This is a must read for all you single girlys out there… Just don’t shoot the messenger…

1. You’re needy. You met him last weekend, he texted a few times, and now you just won’t leave the guy alone. You went from 0 to 60 in a few days. You’re already planning for next weekend. This is probably the #1 behavior that gets girls labeled psycho in the early days.

2. You like players. You say you want a nice guy, but you fall for the same lines again and again. You can’t resist the bad boys, the ones who have dumped on other women. You think that you will be different, that nabbing a player will validate your feminine powers. But the player always wins, because the player always walks.

 3. You’re a princess. You want a man who will proclaim to the world that he is whipped as butter. He will worship the very ground you walk on. Trouble is, the only men who will happily inhabit a one-down position in a relationship have no balls. Do you really want a guy who will eagerly go to a bunch of chick flicks with you? Wouldn’t you rather accompany him to Transformers from time to time?

 4. You flirt too much. Flirting is an essential skill in any woman’s toolkit. It is meant to indicate to a guy that you are singling him out for special attention because you are attracted to him. If you flirt like crazy with every Y chromosome you encounter, it loses its effectiveness, and makes you seem “not very choosy.” Also, if you are spending time with a guy but can’t stand the idea of hiding your light under a bushel, he is not going to appreciate your flirting with other men. It makes him look and feel less manly, and awakens unwelcome feelings of jealousy.

 5. You’re not in the game. If you’re shy, reserved, or aloof, you are not approachable. Many beautiful women are ignored by guys because the odds of rejection are too high. You also telegraph likely rejection if you hold back. If you find a guy attractive, meet him halfway by signaling your interest with eye contact and a smile. If you know him, pay him some attention.

 6. You’re too picky. You want a guy who is well-educated, financially successful, handsome, funny, witty, generous, blah blah blah. You want a 10. Get realistic. How about well-educated, funny and generous? Or handsome and witty, but a poet, i.e. broke? Perhaps financially successful, generous and fun to be with, but never went to college? Keep an open mind when you’re sizing up men. Allow yourself to find the good.

 7. You’re a Girl Gone Wild. Stop dancing on tabletops when you’re drunk. In fact, stop getting drunk. Drunk is ugly. No one, male or female, ever became more attractive when they got drunk (beer goggles just fool you into thinking they did). When you are drunk, you say and do foolish things. Step away from the beer pong table. If you wouldn’t do it sober…then you really don’t want to do it at all.

 8. You’re ditzy. I once knew a very smart woman who exclaimed at a frat party that she thought Mt. Rushmore was a natural phenomenon. I don’t know why some women love to get all girly and giggly. I suppose it makes them feel sexier, a la Marilyn Monroe. If you’re with a guy who wants his women stupid, you need a new guy. Lose the simpering act.

 9. You’re a Mean Girl. Seriously, stop being a bitch. I’ve heard guys speak in awe (and fear) of mean girls, but Chuck Bass is the only guy I’ve ever seen who really wanted to love one, and he’s fictitious. Sometimes, guys want to get with mean girls because they’re powerful, but that relationship isn’t about love.

 10. You’re high maintenance. You always feel slighted. He’s always saying and doing the wrong thing. Your feelings are constantly hurt, and he is constantly apologizing. Fighting all the time can be rewarding in the short-term, because it amps up the sexual tension for makeup sex, but ultimately it’s a total boner-killer.

 11. You’re aggressive. You act like one of the guys. You pursue, make moves, call the shots. You say that you’re a liberated woman, so you can grab whatever cock grabs your fancy. That will get you laid, but try to remember that it’s the male of the species that got the big dose of testosterone. That male is biologically programmed to seek his complementary opposite – which includes a much larger dose of estrogen. You can be strong, independent, and very, very female.

 12. You’re self-absorbed. You talk about yourself all the time. You talk about your ex all the time. You cry on his shoulder all the time when you don’t get what you want. You’re not really giving. You’re not emotionally engaged in a caring and generous way. If you’re not curious about him; if you are not hungry for details about who he is and what he’s into, then maybe he’s the wrong guy. Or maybe you’re the wrong girl.

 13. You’re a homebody. You’re not out there meeting new people every day. You are not going through each day looking to interact with and smile at attractive and approachable people. And by the way, get off the cell phone. The adorable guy behind you in line at Starbucks can’t say hi if you’re on your phone, plus he’s hearing you sound like a complete idiot with your BFF.

 14. You’re too hard to get. Yes, everyone likes a challenge. No one likes eager or desperate. But employing “The Rules” or some other silly tactic is just going to leave you solo. If he asks you out spontaneously for tonight, that’s a real invitation. If you are interested, accept. A guy’s suggesting a plan on the spur of the moment is not him treating you badly. It’s him expressing an interest in spending time with you. (Obviously, do the opposite of what I say here if it’s a booty call situation.)

15. Your number is too high. OK, fine, you don’t want any guy who cares about how many people you’ve slept with. Problem is….that’s most guys. You don’t have to tell anyone your personal data. Just be aware that when you’re making the rounds within a certain community or group of friends, word gets out fast. I don’t think there has ever, ever been a guy who got laid and didn’t tell anyone about it afterwards. If your number is high and that fact is well known, you have every right to find a new pack of males andreinvent yourself.

 16. You’re flaky. A plan is a commitment. Don’t blow someone off when something better comes along. Don’t ditch him because your friend “really needs you.” Don’t double book yourself. Don’t be late. Don’t get drunk and not show. Women constantly complain that men aren’t reliable, but I’ve seen plenty of women flake out on guys.

 17. You’re materialistic. You know what? The best dates are cheap dates. In fact, I think the best dates I ever had were actually free dates. Cooking together. Hanging out. Taking a long walk. I met my husband in graduate school, and he was dead broke. He was paying his own way and had very little money. We’d only been together a month or so when my birthday rolled around. He gave me very inexpensive fun earrings, but what I remember is the card he made. All it said on it was: Head Over Heels. That was the best birthday gift ever.

 18. You’re scared. You’ve been burned before. You are understandably wary. This leads you to be withholding. He puts it out there, lays it on the line, and you just can’t reciprocate. You really like him, but you just don’t want to get hurt again. This means he knows up front that he will be the one to get hurt. No guy will stick around to watch that happen. You’ve got to find a way forward. There is no love for any of us without considerable risk, so do what you need to do to work through it.

 19. You’re rigid. You have plans for Saturday night, but his buddies are going to a game that night, would Friday be OK? You say, “No, you made plans with me first. And Saturday is date night.” He picks you up and mentions that one of his friends and his gf will be joining the two of you for dinner, if that’s OK. It’s not. You’re miffed that you two won’t be having a night alone. He wants to go to the party, you don’t. You grudgingly agree to go and stay for an hour. After an hour, you want to leave, he’s having a great time. You let him know that an hour’s up and it’s time to leave RIGHT NOW. Being rigid is largely about asserting control. That’s never a winning relationship tactic.

 20. You’re a pushover. You put up with all kinds of crap. You allow yourself to be booty called and stood up. You allow him to tease you in a not-affectionate way (comments about your weight come to mind). You allow him to pick fights, and then forgive him for flirting or hooking up with another girl in the two hours you were broken up. If you do not respect yourself, he certainly isn’t going to respect you, and your value in his eyes will tank.

WOW!

Blonde Bombshell !!

Marilyn Monroe was one of the iconic sex symbols of the 1950’s  and she used this status to her advantage making men drool and leaving women wanting to be her. Not only was she a singer and a show girl but a very successful actress, one of her most famous movies being ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ and ‘How to marry a Millionaire’ she heavily influences today’s fashion market.  With her bodycon dresses and her flamboyant showgirl costumes Marilyn is still everywhere you look from Christina Aguilera’s red carpet attire to your next door neighbour’s haircut.  Now 50 years on from her death and a new film – My week with Marilyn ready for release has she proved once again why she is and always will be an eternal fashion icon.

Here Marylin in ‘The Gold Dress’ designed by William Travilla and worn in the 1953 Film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Stacy Keibler AKA George Cloony’s latest squeeze at this year’s film premier of George’s latest Film, wearing a dress influenced quite heavily by Monroes Style.

My week with Marilyn is a British drama film starring Michelle Williams who is most well known for being engaged to the late Heath Ledger, but also for her colorful acting past including Broke Back Mountain, I’m Not There or if like me you may remember her as Jen Lindley in Dawson’s creek. The film also stars Emma Watson AKA Hermione Granger – (Harry Potter) another fashion icon in the making. This film has made me think how much the way Marilyn Monroe styled herself has influenced today’s fashion. We all know Marilyn was and is a fashion legend. With her curves in all the right places and a pout that would give Caggie Dunlop a run for her money has the Icon’s fashion statements found us once again? You decide.

Paris Hilton wearing a dress and styled very similar to the fashion icon.

Britney Spears and Drew Barrymore with similarities to the Star.

Belle of the Ball

Once upon a time young ladies from aristocratic families in the U.K. waited eagerly for their eighteenth birthday, when they would be presented to H.M. the Queen….

Well this was up until Prince Phillip described it as “bloody daft” not one to keep his opinions to him self are we Phil? Anyway, it was still the start of the season’s balls. These young ladies were known as débutantes, and this Anglo-Saxon tradition would go on to influence balls throughout Europe and from this the Debutante Ball in Paris was born. Held at the ever so chic Luxury Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, this ball has been favoured not only by today’s aristocratcity and presidents daughters but Hollywood heavy weights including Bruce Willis, Andi Mcdowell’s daughters plus many more.

What makes the Bal De Debtantes ball which takes place tomorrow evening so special is not only is it known as the ‘coming out’ into society ball but also a place for the ‘BIG DOGS’ in fashion to showcase their best fairytale attire. Each of the 24 handpicked débutantes are represented by a leading international fashion houses. Dior, Chanel, Lacroix, Vivienne Westwood to name a few… Think Carrie Bradshaw at her most fabulous best. Below is a two examples of what to expect tomorrow night from these couture clad goddesses…

Dior Couture Spring 2011

 Elie Saab Spring 2011 Couture Embellished Gown

Now, if you are anything like me (obsessed with reality TV) you will remember Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port attending The Debtantes Ball whilst being filmed for the ever so popular ‘The Hills.’ Remember when Lauren almost set fire to her dress with a curling tong and then left the ball and jumped on the back of scooter with a French Boy in a new dress? Hmmm ok destroy one couture dress then let’s jump on the back of a scooter and ruin another one?! Anyway unless Granny is the Queen or you’re the Daughter of Brad Pitt, you haven’t a chance of getting an invite! So like me you are going to have watch from a far or just wait until next month’s Harpers Bazzar is out to see the pictures. Until then we can carry on dreaming what it would be like to be a princess for the night so here are a few of my handpicked of the best affordable and not so affordable dresses that would make even Cinderella feel under dressed…

Above left – Sherri Hill – Right – myhiddenwardrobe.com and above Forever Unique. Prices Ranging between £150-£500

The ultimate Couture, belle of the ball “THE WEDDING DRESS” worn by Carrie Bradshaw. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE

My Top 5 Crushes of the Week..

With some amazing stores up in The North Including my own of course Ive decided to start my own Top 5 Northern fashion picks of the week. This will be a weekly feature of the best hand picked items of that week. I will decide what deserves a place in my Top 5. So here we go…

1. Alexander McQueen Leopard Print skull Scarf. 100% Silk and looks fab thrown over a that LBD or worn with a leather jacket this piece is so versatile it could literally be worn with anything. This is why this is straight in at my Number 1 spot this week. (Room7.co.uk) whats even better is that Room 7 have just gone to sale! Check website for details!

2. Mulberry Bayswater Handbag in Black. This has just arrived at PreLoved Boutique in Boroughbridge. Only been used a handful of times and at the bargain price of £300. Definitely worthy of 2nd place if anything just for the price – (Preloved Boutique)

3. Don’t leave your feet out in the cold get all snuggled in these fabulous boots by Kos at Room7. Mixing Glamour wth cosy these Sheepskin boots will take you right through the chilly Winter Weather, without a frost bite toe in sight. (Room7.co.uk)

4. This Faux fur Vintage Jacket will most certainly keep the glam in keeping warm this winter. Faux Fur has come so Fashionable of late. Keep up with trends and invest in one this year. You wont be disappointed as i’m sure in years to come you will still be wearing it…(preloved boutique)

5. These stud ankle boots from Daniel Footwear has steamed in at my number 5. Cant believe I almost missed these!! Beautiful pair of boots!!! wear with a pair of leather skinnys, get that Alexander McQueen (room7) wrapped around your neck and your on your way to been an ultimate fashion goddess!! LOVE LOVE LOVE (danielfootwear.com)

Xxx

Luxury fast-fashion or watered down designer?

So the long-awaited Versace collaboration with H&M has launched today. But excitement aside, it has sent my average sized head into a right twizzle… The Great British High Street has always been famous for being the best place to bag a bargain, but has the line been crossed between High Street and Designer? Have we just leaped over the barrier? Or being taken for a Choo Choo ride… Luxurious fast-fashion or just watered down designer? Dominating the collaboration charts, as always is H&M with the likes of Lanvin, Karl Lagerfeld, Comme des Garcons and Stella McCartney to a name a few. They seem to be in the winning position. But there are plenty of other stores and brands getting in on the action too, from Valentino for Gap, Barbara Hulanicki for Asda to Olivia Rubin for Dune. Every year each designer out shines the one before, and these designers’ original collections are out of most people’s price range, so it is a match made in heaven for us fashionistas. But where do we stop? Gucci for Topshop? Chanel for New Look or what about mixing and flipping it around and stocking H&M in Fendi stores, the possibilities are endless…

But this all had me thinking, shouldn’t these design houses be worrying that their main design lines will suffer? No of course they are not worrying but let’s be honest, the high street only copies the designer collections anyway so why not? It’s all a money making machine and at the end of the day, that Versace dress on the catwalk in Sept 2011 would have been ripped off to an inch of its life by the people behind the high street anyway – your most properly wearing it now. So, in a way all of these designers are doing is putting two fingers up at the people behind TopShop, H&M, New look and saying screw you and doing one better. Collaborating…and laughing all the way to the bank…

My Top 5 Collaborations -

1.Lanvin for H&M

2. Kate Moss for TopShop

3. Christopher Kane for TopShop

4. La Perla for H&M

5. Jimmy Choo for H&M

xx

A Healthy balance…

So this morning I decided to bite the bullet and let’s just say I had a massive SHOCK!! After months of avoiding the scales, I decided to dust them off and jump on! And OMG, the shock of my life! Now, usually I’d be quite prepared to accept maybe a few extra – summer, Halloween, Bonfire pounds but when I have been hammering the gym, avoiding carbs and basically being an all round goody too shoes- apart from the odd slice of cake… Nothing prepared me for what I saw! (and no I wont be sharing it with you). But let’s just say it wasn’t pretty!

So what did I do? The usual – move the scales into different rooms, take all my clothes off and run around for a while and to my shock the digital scales (stupid invention if you ask me) number moved up and down in between numbers, which I should never EVER see on the scale. So after a few tears, and a little bit of a tantrum later I’ve decided enough is enough and time to get serious!

As some of you may know next year is a massive year for my friend and I (remieluxuryblog.com) as we will be partaking in a lot of Charity work for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, a charity that’s very close to my heart (more on that on a later date). This includes one half marathon, 3 peaks and the Killer which is Killamangaro! Not only am I doing it for a great cause but it’s also a great excuse to get fit!

Being the queen of fad diets, over exercising and all round obsessed with anything that I put in my mouth, I’m kicking all kind of diets out of the window, and focusing on health. On the list that’s getting kicked out will be my love of binge drinking and my beloved Cigarettes…well after welcoming in the NewYear! It is soon to be the season to be merry after all

In the UK alone, 60.8% of Adults and 31.1% of children – that’s our future doctors, scientists, Dentists are overweight, with a quarter of adults classed as clinically obese, and with 30,000 weight-related deaths a year, it’s about time we did something. Atkins, South beach, Dukan the list is endless of faddy diets on the market today and let me tell you I’ve done them all lost 4 pounds gained 8! THEY DON’T WORK! With the permanent portrayal of these “perfect celebrities”, it is literally one end of the scale to the other. You are hammered into you looking at these “celebrity” magazines and that is what you should look like, which gives today’s children and young adults a false outlook on life! Working in the fashion world myself I am very aware what’s in these magazines. Even Kate Moss quoting “nothing tastes better than skinny” which is properly one of the most ridiculous comments I have ever heard – glamorizing being skinny is absolutely insane and coming from one of today’s icons it’s almost like saying it’s cool not to eat! Bonkers! Apparently Kate Moss aside – the majority of these people in these magazines are not real life people, they don’t have 9-5 jobs they have chefs, personal trainers and the magic of air brushing! Its not real and certainly not accessible to any dick and harry…

So what do we do, wallow in our own self despair that we will never have Gisele’s legs, or JLo’s bum whilst muching on 1kg of Dairy Milk! NO, we stop moaning throw out all these diet books, stop eating burgers the size of half a cow and get our asses to the gym!! Being skinny should not be your aim in life, being healthy and fit should be. Make sure that you do it for yourself not for anybody else.

Now I am aware that anything with the word diet in a sentence is like Simon Cowell not causing controversy on Saturday night TV it’s all part of a billion dollar industry, but we can try to take this view on life, be healthy, eat right, and stay active…

The greatest wealth is health. ~Virgil

Xx

p.s  Details of our charity mission will be coming soon…

A Love Confession of the Fashion Variety!

If you’re anything like me when it comes to clothing boutiques and stores, I’m literally like a kid in a candy shop! I’m obsessed with all things fashion. I have a serious thing (some would say problem) for shoes and handbags (well they are the only thing that will not let you down when that extra stone is sitting on your arse) and anyone who knows me, will know I have a special bond with a blazer! Whether worn over dresses or with jeans…and what the hell I’ve even been known to wear it with nothing but my birthday suit… well almost

But what is it with girls and shopping, I mean some men i.e my brother would definitely give me a run for my money in the shopping stakes but girls and shopping it’s two things that go so beautifully together. We just do it so well…

With the likes of Zara and Topshop providing us with such beautiful affordable on trend fashion and even prelovednewlove.co.uk offering second hand designer clothing at a fraction of the price, I can see myself heading into a an extreme fashion coma… All I have to say on the matter is hand me the leopard print…

Xx

Quote of the Day

Carrie Bradshaw – When it comes to relationships, maybe we’re all in glass houses, and shouldn’t throw stones. Because you can never really know. Some people are settling down, some are settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than Butterflies..

I know what category I sit in… do you?!

Xx

TOWIE V MIC The fashion verdict…

V

So, with my obsession with reality TV at the moment been mainly TOWIE and MIC this is all getting a little ridiculous. The list is never ending, my social life is practically non existent and even my Sky Plus is exhausted. So I thought I’d do a little piece on the The Only Way is Essex and Made in Chelsea fashion stakes…

Don’t get me wrong, many times have I’ve experimented with the TOWIE look, the false eyelashes, tangoed tan and sky scraper heals and let me tell you it wasn’t a great experience for anybody involved. Once that unpredictable northern weather gets hold of you and the eyelashes slide off your face and the tan gets wet… I looked more like something from the Rocky Horror Show than a TOWIE glamour puss…

Being a massive fan of both TOWIE and MIC, I’m left in a little bit of a what seems a fashion volcano with what category I sit in?! I mean I’m a rock chick at heart, give me a pair of leather skinny’s and t-shirt over a mini skirt any day of the week. But with Former TOWIE star Amy Childs launching a dress collection from her own personal style and It crashing within 5 minutes of launching from over 22,000 hits and Sam and Billie Faiers already owning a the very successful Minnies Boutique on bentwood high street, they have just launched ‘Graci Eve’ a ready-to-wear girl about town fashion label, with it already having 14 concessions in house of Fraser it’s one to watch. Which brings me to MIC. I hate to say it but with Caggies constant fashion faux pas ( The denim all in one boiler suit need I say more…) and Millie’s body con dresses (yes we know you have a great body but really? Do we need to see it all the time, I’m sure my ex boyfriend would disagree). This makes me wonder? Are we losing what seems to be a winning game with towie?! You decide?!

In the words of porky pig “that’s all folks’ xx

Bonfire Night Fashions…

If you are in a last-minute panic over what to wear for this coming Saturday bonfire night celebrations, panic not I’m here to rescue you…

Well what a pickle us girls are going to be in. With the chilly autumn weather setting in faster than I can polish off a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (with equally fast drinking friends that’s pretty damn quick) so where does this leave us? FASHION LIMBO!! Not a good place to be trust me, I’m there pretty much every day!!

So here are some bonfire night ideas from your fairy fashion style godmother.

People only want to see fireworks in the sky and you certainly do not want to be mistaken for a Catherine wheel so please leave the sequins to a bare minimum, even better left at home, don’t get me wrong I’m a massive fan of sequins but most of the time they should be left on the strictly dance floor. In other words your sequins may look pretty hot before 11pm but a few glasses of vino and a muddy field later your sequins wont be so sparkly. Stick to holding the sparkler not being the sparkler. Fur, leather trousers, cashmere, Barbour jackets and wellies are a definite must for bonfire night. Tuck your skinny’s into your wellies, pull your socks over your knees, that fur gillet out of your wardrobe and rock that bonfire night look like you’ve never rocked anything before.

So that pretty much rounds it off. If you do one thing this bonfire night let it be have FUN, dance like no one is watching, take to many pictures and laugh until your face hurts!! Hope you all have an absolutely banging bonfire night, and please drink responsible. I no I wont remember the 5th of November