The Winter Boho Edit

 

All I'm seeing in clothes shops at the moment is 70's inspired trends. Ethnic prints, denim, kimonos, frayed hems, fringing... I love all of these details in clothing but I've always associated boho style with summer.

I always want to wear what I see in the shops now so after picking up a cute printed blouse I put together a winter boho inspired outfit. I kept things cosy but with a nod to the 70's by teaming it up with slouchy boots, blue denim and a wide brimmed hat.

By sticking to a winter themed pantone and accessories that keep me warm in the cold I can wear this trend without looking like I'm waiting for the summer...

Blouse - New Look

Jeans - New Look

Hat - Primark, you can find similar here

Boots - Wallis from years ago but you can find similar here

Bag - Fiorelli @ ASOS

Photo credit - Helen Maycock

How are you wearing the 70's trend?

Just love

Rina xoxo

The Leather Biker Jacket

An essential wardrobe item, a leather jacket is one of the most versatile types of outerwear you can own. A good leather biker jacket can be worn with casual outfits and can also make a pretty dress look a bit more edgy if, like me, you don't like to look too overdressed or girly. My favourite way to wear a leather biker jacket though is with a distressed tee, black skinnies and converse high tops. A denim shirt would look great with it too.

I treated myself to this great find from Zara earlier this month. I love the detail on the shoulder and the way it fits my arms but mostly I love the pockets. I'm obsessed with pockets, they're fashionable and functional and this jacket doesn't have two but three pockets! All of which are deep which means I can fit my phone, keys, cash (and a spare lipstick!) in them comfortably. A rare find when it comes to women's biker jackets which usually have tiny pockets that look cool but actually quite useless.

Just love

Rina xoxo

Jacket - Zara
Shoes - Converse
Bag - Fiorelli - you can find similar here

Photo Credit - Helen Maycock

Black and cream, a perfect Autumn dream team

Autumn has to be my favourite season for fashion. I love the richer colour palette and the assortment of textures but it also means that I can wear a lot more black without looking like Morticia Adams...

 

Anybody who looks in my wardrobe will notice the majority of items are black but I tend to break it up with another colour or some print. Cream is a perfect pairing for black and my waterfall mac is great to throw over an all black outfit. I particularly love this jacket because a cream mac-style jacket or coat is a classic wardrobe staple that will always be in style.

 

I also added a mulberry coloured scarf and a tan vegan leather bag for cosiness and texture. I just love how these are the kind of colours I see when the leaves change colour in the Autumn. The bag is reversible too!

 

Just love

 

Rina xoxo

 

Bag - Urban Outfitters

Jacket - Anita & Green at New Look you can find a similar one here

Scarf - H&M from A/W 2014 but you can find a similar one here

 

Photo credit - Helen Maycock



The Italian Edit

I just got back from Italy and was inspired by how stylish all the locals were. Italian style is slick and chic. People of all ages seem to know how to dress well. Men wear suits and women are well groomed. It was all about clean lines and good tailoring. My favourite part of Italian styling was definitely the use of the colour white. Italy seems to be the only place where you can get away with wearing a white blouse, white trousers and white shoes but look good. It must be the Mediterranean weather because I'd never pull off such a combination in the UK!

Rome is such a great place for checking out street style and taking inspiration to put together the outfit above. Maybe not so fitting for the fast approach of Autumn over but it's certainly something to look forward to wearing when we get the odd spell of freak good weather or perfect for an evening out if you're visiting the Med soon. The fragrance however, is fine for any time of year. One of my current favourites smells, Bottega Veneta 'Eau Legere' is a warm, seductive fragrance and so very Italian. If you like Narciso Rodriguez  'For her' you'll love it and like the lady who sold me it said, with the eau de toilette you can spray it through your hair... for those moments... tee hee!

Blouse and jeans - Zara
Shoes - Valentino

Ciao for now!

Just love

Rina xoxo

10 ways to inspire your personal style

I'm not usually one for giving out style advice, I'm in no way a stylist nor do I present a professional opinion on fashion but my colleague was asking me for advice on how to put outfits together and as I was dishing out tips on how to find style information I realised that I had quite a few ideas on how to do this.

So here are 10 suggestions on how to update, re-inspire, refresh or re-vamp your personal style!

1) Have a 'trying on session'

Every now and then I do what I call a 'trying on session'. This probably stemmed from boredom when I was younger and didn't know what to do with my evenings after school! But it involved literally going through my wardrobe and trying everything on. It sounds lame but it's useful as it reminds you of what clothes you actually have and you'll find yourself having those 'I forgot I had this!' moments. It's also handy to do this every now and then because if you've bought clothes since your last session, you find other ways of putting old and new items together to create new outfits. I also use this opportunity to have a clear out and give clothes that I know I won't wear again to charity.

2) Archive and de-archive

This is really handy for keeping your wardrobe organised and also helps you to create space. Unfortunately, I don't have a Kim Kardashian style walk-in wardrobe the size of a master bedroom. Instead, I archive clothes according to the season. I have one of those plastic storage bags to keep under the bed by Ikea and I fill it with clothes that I know I won't wear in the current season. For example, now it's getting colder with the winter setting in, I have packed away all my summer dresses, bright coloured tops and anything else that I know I won't wear in autumn/winter.

3) Use Pinterest!

I absolutely LOVE using Pinterest for style inspiration and outfit ideas. I have a board called Fashionista and I pin all my favourite outfits on there. I don't just use it to remind me of the items I want. I also use it to figure out how to wear the clothes I already own. Last month I was daring enough to buy a pair of leather-look leggings but I didn't have a clue what to wear them with. I typed into the Pinterest search bar 'leather' 'leggings' 'outfits' and it comes up with loads of outfits that include leather leggings. I find myself looking through these outsfits and thinking 'I have a grey t-shirt like that' and 'oh my boots will look just as good as the boots in that picture'. I sometimes do it on a morning before I get out of bed! I think to myself, 'what can I wear with a white blouse today?' and then I search through all the outfits on Pinterest to get me some inspo!

4) Invest in wardrobe staples

Now I don't suggest this for everyone but for people who like clothes that can be worn for years to come and like the kind of clothes that can be worn in a variety of different ways, I suggest spending money on buying quality staple wardrobe items. Fashion shouldn't be expensive but there are certain items that I would spend more money on and these include:

- A white shirt (not too fitted or tailored)
- Good quality t-shirts in white, black and grey
- Some well fitting tailored trousers
- A blazer
- A denim jacket
- Black skinny jeans
- Black high heels (nothing too fancy)

This list will always be incomplete and I still haven't found my perfect versions of some of these items but I find with items like these I can mix them up with fast fashion and dress them up or dress them down really well. They also stand the test of time - a classic white button down tucked into some well fitting jeans with black heels will always be a great outfit to me. You can see some of my favourite versions of these items on my pinterest board.

5) Buy accessories not just clothes

If you're on a budget and you're looking to update your style, it's not always necessary to buy a whole new wardrobe full of clothes. Sometimes a chunky necklace and heels is all that's needed to make that black t-shirt and jeans combo look dressy enough for a night out. Accessories are easy to buy cheap too so if you spend five quid on a necklace from Primark, it doesn't break the bank if it goes out of fashion next season.

6) Look at what other people are wearing

If I see someone wearing something I like I ask that person where they got it from. The best thing about working in a city is that I can grab a coffee and people watch (which I love) and take inspiration from what people are wearing street style. Most people love being complimented on what they are wearing so don't be afraid to ask but don't stalk! I also read fashion blogs, one of my favourites is Sincerely Jules. She epitomises everything I love about fashion!

7) Don't buy something unless you know you'll wear it

Hands up if you've bought an item of clothing, put in in your wardrobe and you've never actually worn it? Mine is in the air right now! I am getting better at not doing this and try to avoid impulse buys by thinking if 'will I wear this item more than once?' If it's for something specific and I really need to buy it then fair enough but if I know deep down that I'll never wear it then I'll put it back. Even if I come home with it, try it on, then realise I'm not keen on it or it goes with nothing else in my cupboard, I will return it. This stops me from filling my wardrobe with absolute rubbish and keeps space for clothes I do like and will wear. 

8) Don't buy something just because it's in fashion

I find that knowing what you like and don't like is key to stress-free shopping and outfit selection. Fashion comes and goes but if you buy something just because it's in fashion and you don't actually like it, you'll end up feeling uncomfortable and putting an outfit together with these pieces will become a nightmare. If you don't like something that's in fashion then don't buy it, there will be something else that you do like. 

9) If you like something and feel good in it, wear it!

Personal style is just that personal. Some of my friends and family wouldn't dream of wearing some of the pieces in my wardrobe but that doesn't mean that I won't wear them or that they don't suit me. If I feel good in something that I'm wearing and I know it suits me then it's getting worn. I do take risks sometimes and I'll buy something that I think suits me but if I have any doubt, I just ask someone 'does this suit me?' Often in store changing rooms I'll ask another customer or even the sales advisor, people that don't know you are more likely to be honest. Or, I sometimes take a picture on my phone and send it to a friend that will give me an honest opinion. 

10) Confidence

Number 9 leads perfectly on to number 10 - confidence, the best accessory to any outfit. Most outfits will instantly look better if you're stood up tall, with your shoulders back and looking straight ahead. When I'm style spotting the outfits that usually get my attention are the one's wear the person wearing it looks relaxed and confident. You can see it in the way they walk and they're most definitely not looking at the floor!

So there you go, I hope you find my advice useful and please let me know your own tips for personal style. If you would like to see my style inspiration board on Pinterest click here. 

Just love

Rina xoxo

P.S. This post is dedicated to Lauren Roberts, a fashionista in the making :) 

If you're reading this you're probably wearing the wrong bra size

 





Breasts. Also referred to as boobies, babylons, baps, bajongas, hooters and a whole host of other names. Regardless of what you call them, all women have them and they’re fab in all shapes and sizes. Just recently, however, I have discovered that I've been getting bra sizes all wrong my whole life. This revelation came to light when my sister was poking fun of my back flab and told me that my bra didn’t fit properly. I was pretty annoyed. I mean I’ve always thought I had small boobs but didn’t want to come to terms with needing a bigger band size. That’s how it works right? If I have a bit of overhang it meant I needed a bigger band size. Which would mean I’d need to go even smaller in cup size…Great! So to get to the bottom of this I decided to get measured properly at shop that specialises in underwear.

The first place that came to mind – Victoria’s Secret. I went over on my lunch break and asked to be measured for my ‘angel fit’. I walked in a 36B and walked out a 34DD! This was mind boggling! All my life I was convinced that women with double-D cups were the sort that graced the pages of magazines on the top shelf. I just couldn’t get my head around it. But the bras she suggested did fit and my boobs did look great…

So to make sure the lovely shop assistant at Victoria’s Secret wasn’t playing a cruel trick on me I went to Bravissimo the following week, just for good measure. Interestingly, they don’t measure the traditional way using a tape. The lady asked me what size bra I was wearing - a 36D (yes I still wasn’t convinced that I needed a smaller band size). So she got me several different bras in all shapes and sizes to compliment my boob shape and size as the padded one from Victoria's Secret still felt like it was standing off my boobs. My fault entirely as I went for a bigger band size - lesson learnt. So at Bravissimo my bra style of choice fit me best in a whopping 32F! Insane, I know, but I was taking her word for it this time. She was the pro and I clearly didn’t have a clue!

This whole experience was a huge learning curve for me. All my life I’ve been wearing bras in the wrong sizes and I know loads of other women will be doing exactly the same thing. So for anyone that’s reading this, here are the main things you need to know about bra sizes:

1) Cup sizes have nothing to do with how big or small someone’s boobs are. They’re relative to the band sizes. The volume contained by a 32F bra is completely different to that of a 36F. And DD doesn't always mean Pam Anderson sized boobies.

2) Most women will always overestimate their band size. I’m a dress size 12-14 so I would never dream of buying a bra with a band size of 32. But according to the professionals a well fitted bra should fit snug around the band and you should only be able to fit two fingers underneath it. Yes, it will feel tight to start with but they are made with elasticated material that stretches over time. I read this post on Fuller Focus that explains how bras are like new shoes, you're suposed to break them in before they start to feel comfortable.

3) Bra cups need to cover all of the breast tissue. When I try on one of my old bras now, I notice how all these years the cups only cover the fullest part of my breasts. A good bra should go all the way across the breast and under the middle of the armpit.

4) Bra straps need to be pulled tight enough so that you can only pull it a quarter of an inch away at the most. This way your boobs are lifted and your back gets more support. So get tightening those straps!

5) A new bra should always be worn on the loosest strap to begin with and as it stretches with more wear you then start using the tighter hooks.

6) Most importantly, all bras fit completely differently. A 34DD might fit you perfectly in a balconette style but not so great in a plunge style. It’s so important to always try before you buy and to try different sizes and styles on until it ticks all the boxes.

Since I have realised the error of my ways I googled this topic and found loads of useful information on blogs and forums. Jen at Epbot wrote a funny and insightful post on Everything You Never Knew You Needed To Know About Bras. It discusses things like ‘sister sizes’ and breast shapes in more detail and really helped me to debunk some myths about bra sizes. I also found some really handy instruction guides on the Bravissimo website. Things like ‘how to put a bra on’ and a fitting video. Sounds like a no brainer but honestly, you’ll be surprised by how most of us aren’t even wearing a bra properly!

So there you have it. How I got bigger boobs without going under the knife! The impact that this experience has had on me psychologically is pretty amazing. Being told by a professional that I’m smaller in the band and bigger in the cup has literally made me feel like I’ve had a boob job and I wanted to share this with other women so they can get a bra that fits right. Please share with your friends and spread the word! And remember to 'swoop and scoop'!

Thank you to the wonderful shop assistants at Victoria’s Secret and Bravissimo in Leeds. I received a fantastic and personalised service at both places and would definitely recommend them to other women looking for their perfect bra.

I would love to know about your thoughts, suggestions and experiences on this subject so please leave a comment.

Just love

Rina xoxo

Just need to figure out what to do with all my old bras now. Bra burning session anyone...?

Berry Beautiful Test Shoot

In February this year I collaborated on a test shoot with photographer Nicole Jopek and model Lanie Wilson from Boss Model Management. The look was quite editorial and I wanted to make the most of Lanie's amazing bone structure so I opted for a bold, berry lip, kept the cheeks strong and left the eyes subtle. When doing beauty looks I love clean looking make up, sharp lines and flawless skin. The kind of make up that people look at and think 'I could wear that'.

This look is timeless and really easy to wear in the day by not going as strong on the cheeks and adding a bit of clear or brown mascara to the lashes. Or add a flick of black gel liner and and build up your lashes with black, volumising mascara and you have a great look for a night out.

I created this look using the following key products:

Mac Face and Body foundation
Illamasqua Translucent Loose Powder
Nars Blusher in Ninotchka
Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in 01 Highlight
Mac lipstick in Media


Just love

Rina xoxo

http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/
http://www.illamasqua.com/
http://www.narscosmetics.co.uk/
http://www.lauramercier.com/store/

Big love for Big Hair

My last shoot of 2013 was with photographer Emily Bailey. She arranging a shoot to advertise a range of extensions for beauty company, Stylelux. The brief was 14 models, great hair, fresh make up and a 'fun' vibe. So with me on board for make up and Tony Waterhouse doing hair, this was bound to be a brilliant collaboration.

I wanted the make up to look really natural but fun and fresh at the same time so I prepared the skin first with an illuminating moisturiser before applying the base. I added colour to the whole look with a pink flush on the cheeks and a translucent pink gloss on the lips. I finished the look off with a flick of black liner on the upper lid to open up the eyes and keep the models looking bright-eyed and flirty.

My backstage posts on Instagram saw me getting asked loads of questions about what make up I used to get the models looking so natural but flawless so here are all the products I used for all the models on the shoot:

The Body Shop Vitamin E Illumiating Moisturiser
Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation
Bobbi Brown Brightening Nudes Finishing Powder
The Body Shop Blush in Macaroon
Bobbi Brown Black Gel Liner
L'Oreal False Lash Flutter Mascara
Bobbi Brown Lipgloss in Pink Lily

Hope you like the look!

Just love

Rina xoxo

  

Photography - Emily Bailey

Hair - Tony Waterhouse @ Rebel Pin Up

Models - Alana Elliot at Face Model Management and Pippa Perkins

My time at LFW S/S '14

For the third consecutive season I had the opportunity to be part of The Body Shop backstage make up team at London Fashion Week S/S '14 headed by one of my favourite make up artists, Lan Nguyen-Grealis. I assisted on four shows this season; Kiev Fashion Days, House of Evolution, Ong-Oaj Pairam and FAD.

Backstage is pretty hectic. You have a call time that is usually four hours ahead of the show, but this can sometimes change at the last minute. Once you arrive at the venue it usually goes like this: The head make up artist for the show has already designed a look at a test before the week starts, she then demonstrates this look on a model talking you through what products are being used and how she wants them applied, you make notes, take pictures etc and pay attention as they only do it once. Once the look is approved by the designer and head artist the assistant can then crack on with recreating the look on a model. This isn't always as easy as it sounds though. There's a team of make up artists, stylists, hair stylists, all wanting to get their mits on a model first! So it's often a waiting game of clocking a model when she's free and staking your claim! Sometimes it's handy to get friendly with one of the hair team or stylists so they send a model over to you when they're done. Depending on how many models there are on the show you could potentially have up to three models to work on. On one of my show's my model got stuck in her dress! FFS! All of a sudden 4 hours doesn't seem like a very long time... 

And if you think that's the most hectic part, it's not! Come rehearsal time and the stern lady who's in charge of making sure everything runs in time starts shouting out the model's names for run through. And you still need to apply some mascara... When all the models get back it's literally lip gloss here, hairspray there, models getting naked and everyone is just in a frenzy to make sure all the looks are complete. Make up artists need to group up and arrange who takes care of what touch ups, which models need finishing off and you can't forget the body. Any models with skin exposed need their arms, legs, backs etc moisturising much to the envy of my male friends :)

And then it's backstage last minute touch ups. Anything that doesn't get done in the dressing rooms has to be done behind the catwalk. It's pretty cramped, there's up to 20 odd models in heels towering above you plus a whole host of other people including photographers and bloggers. There's no point being here if you can't handle pressure or maybe being shouted at. If you find yourself back here you end up weaving in and out of people and clothes making sure that make up looks fresh and done according to the original design literally seconds before the models hit the catwalk. And that's it! 4 hours of preparation for a 10 minute show. It's pretty bonkers but you have to love your job to have the energy and patience to handle the atmosphere backstage and lucky for me I do. Yes it's tiring but it's fun and it's the best way to learn and get better at your trade. Watching make up artists like Lan Grealis and Jo Sugar work is pretty awesome and I just take it all in and let it inspire and refresh my artistry. That's what assisting is all about. That and feeling very, very short. 

Just love

Rina xoxo 

NB. I do not claim that any of the make up looks in these images have been designed by me. Credit lies with the head artists for the relevant shows. 

Skincare shoot for Stylelux

In July I got involved in a project that was commissioned by a Danish health and beauty company called Stylelux. My friend and photographer, Emily Bailey called me in to do make up for an editorial style beauty shoot for one of their face masks. Which was black!

So with close up beauty photography in mind, we needed a great model with excellent skin. Emily I have have worked together on shoots lots of times before and what I love about collaborating with her is the fact that we both gel our ideas effortlessly and come out with some wonderful images. It truly is a collaboration when I work with Emily so there was no doubt that it was the right choice when we invited friend, model and muse Pippa Perkins to be the face of our shoot.

Before we cracked on with the face mask I wanted to get a few beauty shots in given my love of natural looking make up. Pippa's look is perfect for beauty photography and I really wanted to create a soft, sensual beauty look with natural looking contours and highlights.

I created this look by keeping the skin looking fresh and dewy with MAC Face & Body foundation. This is one of my favourite formulas for natural, beauty photography as it photographs really well and doesn't look like the model is wearing make up at all. When a model already has great skin, I don't see the need to put on heavy coverage foundation. I like to let the model's features speak for themselves. And as Pippa already has great skin, I didn't cover it up too much.

I simply used a touch of Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Uber Beige to contour her fantastic cheekbones but sticking to a cream formula, it kept the texture of the skin nice and supple rather than powdery and matte. And then for highlighting which was my main focus for this look, I used MAC Strobe Cream on the top of her cheekbones, down the bridge of her nose and on her cupid's bow and I punched the highlighter out even more by going over this with an almost white coloured, shimmer eyeshadow by The Body Shop in Moonstone.
I finished off the look with Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colour in shade WT901 on the eyes and Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lipgloss in Star on the lips.

The final images are stunning. I loved the lighting that Emily used as they make Pippa look really dreamy, soft and romantic. These are definitely some of my favourite beauty images to date.

I then had to switch the look up for a more editorial look. The face mask was a black gel texture so with Emily's monochromatic theme in mind I started by completely blanking out Pippa's face. I wanted full coverage so I built up over what base Pippa already had on using Illamasqua Rich Liquid foundation in white covering the lips as well. I slicked her hair back into a tight, clean ponytail and for a it of variation on some of the images I used Kryolan cream pigment in an orange tone on the eyes. These are some of my favourite edits from the shoot.

 



Just love

Rina xoxo

All photography by Emily Bailey click here for her facebook page.
Model - Pippa Perkins
Images commissioned for Stylelux.co.uk