..:: Geisha Rock ::..

CHINESE NEW YEAR: DECORATE YOUR MALL

2012-01-22T08:16:00.006Z

I hope you guys are getting a really good idea of what Hong Kong is like during the Chinese New Year period :) Even as a local I am finding the experience to be exhilarating and over-the-top and it is making me fall in love with the city all over again.

Hong Kong has been pulling out all the stops with their Chinese New Year decorations:

PACIFIC PLACE

Pretty blossoms and water & bridge features dotted throughout the shopping mall

IFC

A traditional Chinese New Year bonanza with lots of hidden lucky "spots". For instance, if you stand in front of that waterfall light display, you stand directly on a lucky spot on the floor which will enrich you with Chinese New Year happiness :)

THE LANDMARK

A fully moving, over-the-top, all-moving, all-dancing Parisian themed puppet show of epic proportions. You have to see this to believe it!!!!

And this is a little corner of my favourite shopping area, tucked away in the old HMV location in Landmark :)

I hope you're not all HongKong-ed out :)

I just have so many pictures from this vibrant little city that I want to share with you all!

Love,

Geisha

xxx

Thailand - Vietnam - Indonesia - Japan

2012-01-22T08:01:00.005Z

4 OF MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANTS IN HONG KONG

1) Thailand: THAI BASIL

Shop LG 001, Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong

2. Vietnam: NHA TRANG

88-90 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong

Shop No 2, 2/F Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Shop OT G51 Ground Floor, Ocean Terminal, Harbour CITY, Kowloon

3. Indonesia: Padang

Shop 1&2, JP Plaza, 22-36 Paterson Street, Causeway Bay

4. Japan: Dojo Hakata

Shop 312-313, 3/F, World Trade Center, 280 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay

xxx

SNAPSHOTS III

2012-01-22T07:10:00.005Z

SNAPSHOTS OF HONG KONG Pt III

1. Back to the UK

I head back to London in mid-February and decided to get a little travel pouch so that I wouldn't misplace my passport the night before I fly. Not that I've done that before.

2. Juiced

Freshly squeezed carrot & apple juice from one of the many streetside juice stalls in Hong Kong.

3. Bright lights, big city

Hong Kong is all about huge buildings and spotlit signs so it was a breath of fresh air to find this little twinkling haven in the middle of our roaring city.

4. Only in Hong Kong

Love,

Geisha

xxx

Chinese New Year 2012

2012-01-22T07:09:00.006Z

SNAPSHOTS OF HONG KONG Pt II

Victoria Park Lunar New Year Night Market

維多利亞公園年宵市場

A buzzing, chaotic and utterly wonderful market in the middle of the city.

Super amused by these chicken drumstick balloons.

Traditional Chinese snacks

A stall selling "dragons beard" candy

Very apt for this year in particular as it is the Year of the Dragon 2012.

Lots and lots and lots of Chinese New Year flowers :)

Orchids

Not strictly traditional but a lovely addition to the house anyway!

Water plants

These spring onion lookalikes blossom with the cutest and beautifully fragrant white flowers.

Miniature orange trees

The kumquat is said to represent luck & prosperity

If you plan to travel to Hong Kong in the future, a visit during Chinese New Year would be a truly unforgettable experience :) I hope you're enjoying coming on this journey with me!

Love,

Geisha

xxx

Western New Year 2012

2012-01-22T06:55:00.006Z

SNAPSHOTS OF HONG KONG Pt I

1. Dai Pai Dong

The quintessential streetside cafes in Hong Kong serving noodles, fried snacks and other goodies from dawn until dusk.

2. YOPPI Fro-Yo

My favourite DIY frozen yoghurt store that lets you dispense your own combination of flavours by pulling all sorts of fun levers and tons of toppings to choose from, all served with a special Hello Kitty cup & spoon.

3. Forever 21

Opening soon! Excited.

4. Western New Year's Eve

BLURRYYY... But I swear I wasn't drunk! Spent with my darling lil sister.

Love,

Geisha

xxx

LOVE / HATE

2012-01-11T16:46:00.007Z

Shoes. The types you either love or hate.

Studded leather loafers, Steve Madden

Wedge ankle boots, Easyspirit by Nine West

I know these won't be to everyone's taste but they have been my staples for the oddly warm winter (ranging from 12-22'C, 19'C yesterday) in Hong Kong.

Back in the UK, more controversial footwear in the form of a surprise Christmas present from le boyfriend awaits me (U to the double Gs).

What has everyone been wearing on their feet during these cold winter months?

xxx

BLUE CRUSH

2012-01-02T18:26:00.003Z

New Year's Resolution 2012

7. Take up surfing lessons in the Maldives.

Reminds me of my Roxy surfer chic days in highschool. Good times.

Source: Billabong

SHADES OF MERLOT

2011-12-21T19:51:00.004Z

RECIPE FOR WINTER

Take a generous dollop of sheer feather vests and cosy wide-brimmed hats.

Garnish with chunky knuckledusters and clunky platforms.

Swirl with your favourite snuggly sweater dress.

Fold carefully into the softest of burgundy leather.

- - -

SHANGHAI TANG x MONGOLIAN YURTS

2011-12-21T07:59:00.007Z

SHANGHAI TANG

Shanghai Tang's former flagship location in Pedder Building has always been a lasting childhood memory for me: Waiting for my mum to browse the beautiful silks and traditional clothing designs with a modern flair whilst I played hide and seek in the colonial-influenced art deco interior, old fashioned bathrooms and breathed in the ever-present scent of their signature home fragrance. It saddened me greatly to hear that Abercrombie and Fitch outbid them for the rent and the landlord threw them out without so much as a farewell. That's what Hong Kong is about - business, business, business!

(In case you're interested, Abercrombie & Fitch will be paying HK$7million per month, 2.5 times more than what Shanghai Tang was paying. That's US$900,000 per month, for the 12,500 square feet location.)

Shanghai Tang is a legendary shop set up by Hong Kong businessman David Tang in 1994 with an investment of HK$120 million that recruited 12 of Shanghai’s best tailors, successfully selling China’s handmade cheongsams and Tang suits to foreigners, they were acquired in 2000 by the world’s second-largest luxury group, the Swiss Richemont group, which owns Cartier, Dunhill, Piaget and other top brands.

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"MONGOLIAN VILLAGE"

In order to maintain their presence in Central whilst they search for a new flagship location, Shanghai Tang has opened temporary 2 pop-up stores: on the 5th floor of Pedder Building and atop of Central Pier 4.

I visited Shanghai Tang's unique pop-up store on Central Pier 4 (the pier for Lamma Island) which is themed "Mongolian Village". It is definitely worth a visit for a refreshing shopping experience just a stone's throw away from the bustle of Central. This pop-up location will be open until 31st December.

There are different yurts for Women's, Men's and Home and I thoroughly enjoyed browsing each one. The products are carefully presented and every tent was playing traditional Christmas music! (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, anyone?)

I walked away with a lovely Christmas gift for mum and a spring in my step.

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INNER MONGOLIA

I actually visited Inner Mongolia earlier this year with a great group of friends and made some unforgettable memories. It was amazing to see the traditional Mongolian yurts again, especially as they didn't house a pile of scratchy blankets and a variety of dead insects this time! I've included a few photos from my trip :)

What unforgettable holiday locations have you visited?

xxx

STORE LAUNCH: TUDOR (Hong Kong)

2011-12-21T07:44:00.004Z

My lovely friend N invited me to the launch of the first Tudor store in Hong Kong.

Tudor is a subsidiary branch of Rolex and sells selected Rolex models under the "Tudor" brand in most countries around the world outside of the US, including Australia, Canada, most of Europe, India, Mexico, and in South Asia, the Middle East, South Africa and most countries in South America.

The location was Cova, the nibbles were afternoon tea canapes and the drink was champagne!

Perfect way to spend the afternoon.

SNAPSHOTS

2011-12-21T07:16:00.004Z

A few photos giving a peek into my life in Hong Kong

1. The swan-lake themed display at the IFC Repetto store.

2. A kooky art gallery above an antiques store.

3. The slightly irrelevant and OTT Barbie display in Times Square shopping mall.

4. The new Jack Wills store in Causeway Bay - just in time for Christmas!

5. Crabtree & Evelyn x Hello Kitty. I am a traitor to my kin and am not a fan of Hello Kitty at all but I LOVE this.

6. Nothing says CHRISTMAS SPIRIT like...

Christmas is coming :)

Are you excited?

#shaytards

MAKEUP HAUL & DAY IN THE LIFE HONG KONG v2

2011-12-09T15:17:00.008Z

The PIMPED OUT interior of the 1010 phone shop in Hong Kong.

All of them are done up like this:

wooden and marble flooring,

black leather seats,

vintage mirrored trunks as tables,

every new gadget on the market on display,

expensive air fresheners,

iPads for every shop assistant to use with customers,

stylish shelf decor, e.g. fashion & architecture coffee table books,

AND

a guy who stands at the door to ask you what service you need before discreetly broadcasting it to his colleagues so that by the time you get up the stairs, you can be served correctly and immediately.

To put this into perspective, this is an equivalent to the Vodafone or 02 stores in the UK, or the AT&T or T-Mobile stores in the States - you go in to pay bills, get help with your account, start up new phone contracts, etc.

Things are a little glitzier over here, huh?

Some recent purchases:

L'Oreal Superliner in Black

L'Oreal OpenEyesPro in 08 Smoky Brown

Chanel Vitalumiere in Clair 20

Sunglasses from Cotton On

Bobbi Brown Facial Oil samples

Can I skip the yadda yadda and just say that everything pictured = favourite. Cheapo sunglasses that I won't cry over if I sit on them (regular occurence) and my new favourite foundation/eye palette/waterproof gel liner/facial oil for winter.

Hong Kong is full of very blingin' Christmas lights.

What makeup have you been loving for Winter?

DO YOU WAGYU?

2011-12-04T17:08:00.006Z

Wagyu beef pizza & spicy Wagyu salad at one of my favourite Sunday brunch joints on Wyndham Street in Central. When I used to walk around this area as a child, it was rather dodgy and you would not have predicted that 15 years later, a melange of sleek clubs and bars, amazing restaurants and laid back cafes would be lining its streets.

Have you tried Wagyu beef? Isn't it the bomb dot com?

"Foie Gras of the Sea" - Luxirare™

2011-12-04T17:05:00.005Z

(Scarf & dress from Hong Kong, boots from Easyspirit/Nine West, jacket from Topshop, bag from Coccinelle)

Just a quick post to show an outfit of the day that I wore to grab some MORE sushi. Sorry about the humidity fogging up the camera! I titled the post because the lovely Luxirare described Uni (raw sea urchin) as the foie gras of the sea and I thought it was a cute description. Definitely a love-it-or-hate-it dish, the texture of the Uni is soft and smooth with an oceanic scent and the taste is a rich, buttery fish flavour.

Do you enjoy Uni? Have you tasted it before?

REVIEW: Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge (Cabo Coral)

2011-12-04T16:07:00.005Z

I couldn't resist picking this up as I walked past the Bobbi Brown counter in Harvey Nichols in the Landmark mall, which now has a twinkling Christmas tree in the lobby.

I know that it's winter and TECHNICALLY I should be wearing a rosy mulled wine stain on my cheeks but I was getting bored of my sensible "winter" powder blushes and decided to embrace the warm weather in Hong Kong (it was 25 celsius when I arrived) with a new coral cream blush.

Also, I love coral blushes :) MAC Peaches is my current favourite powder blush.

---------------------------------------------

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in Cabo Coral

PRODUCT

This is a hardened cream product that softens up with a quick swirl of a fingertip. In terms of texture, it is less sticky and gooey than the Stila Convertible Colors (love these though), more creamy than the Topshop Cream Blushes and gives a more dewy finish than the MAC Cremeblend Blushes.

Cabo Coral is a very peachy coral with much less pink in it than its sister Pot Rouge, Calypso Coral. I would go as far to say that this looks and applies like a sheer pastel orange, whereas Calypso Coral is a peachy pink which leans towards the pink spectrum.

As the name suggests, it is designed for use on both cheeks and lips for anything from subtle stain to a full-on flush. You get 11ml of product which I think is fairly generous as you need the smallest amount for great colour payoff - I don't think I'll be needing to repurchase this for years!

I paid HK$210 for this product.

APPLICATION

(a) CHEEKS

The lip balm style pot begs for a fingertip application but I have found that this applies best on CHEEKS with a regular foundation brush (i.e. the MAC 190 shape). I gently stroke the product with the brush and apply it to the whole cheek for a brightening kiss of coral on my cheeks. It is comparable to NARS Turks & Caicos Multiple Tint, but is less of a orange jelly tint and more of a sheer peach yoghurt flush.

Mmm peach yoghurt.

(b) LIPS

Contrary to my cheek method, I use my fingertips to apply this to the lips. Instead of swiping it on, I find that applying a bit of lip balm before pressing the colour onto my lips with the pad of my finger works best, otherwise it can be quite drying.

The colour on my lips is similar to MAC's Ravishing lipstick but is more of a pastel peachy orange. It is also similar to MAC's Freckletone lipstick but again is a bit more pastel and peachy.

Worn on both cheeks and lips:

VERDICT

This is a lovely cream blush in a sleek container that contains a generous amount of product. It definitely satisfied my craving for a true peachy-orange blush as there are hardly any pink, brown or rose tones in this!

Although this could be built up into a truly tropical colour, I enjoy wearing it as a sheer flush of product across my whole cheek. It is a bit drying on the lips but is a cheerful pastel peach colour which works great with a bit of lipbalm.

Staying power on my cheeks is excellent - I had class from 9am-5pm today and the colour was still there when I got home and I still looked healthy and glowing. I think this would look GORGEOUS on tanned skin but I like how it looks on my NC20-25 skin too.

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If you have any questions then please feel free to leave me a message in the comments :)

Do you have a favourite cream blush?

HONG KONG - A day in the life

2011-12-01T15:34:00.005Z

The Landmark mall in Central

A kitschy-cool musical note dress (Dolce & Gabanna)

A beautiful friend from high school starring in the latest Tod's campaign...

She's the one on the right :)

PRE-SUSHI: HUNGRY

POST-SUSHI: HAPPY

sorry for blurry sushi photos, i was too hungry to use any photography skillz. outfit is topshop hat & jeans, shoes & top from hong kong, bag from coccinelle, watch from storm watches.

STORMY WEATHER (ft. Storm Watches)

2011-11-28T12:57:00.008Z

I sent my darling sister to a Storm Watches collection preview as I know she goes GAGA for a good watch. She fell in love with the man bags and with the bubble-faced bangle watches. Personally, I'm digging the winter white models in the first image.

Thank you to the Storm Watches team for the invite :)

- - - - - - -

Ted Baker blazer, dress and blue tights from Hong Kong, patent flats from Repetto at London Fashion Weekend

bleached navaho

2011-11-28T10:23:00.004Z

Magical colour palette, a gorgeous contrast of textures and impeccable styling. But what else would you expect from Emmanuelle?

Vogue Paris November 2011

Model: Natasha Poly & Sasha Pivovarova
Photographer: Mario Sorrenti
Stylist: Emmanuelle Alt

source: studdedhearts.blogspot.com

Winter inspiration

2011-11-14T19:03:00.004Z

In the short time before I leave for Hong Kong (27 deg forecast for tomorrow), I'm dreaming of my inspirations for winter: Opulet violet and burnished auburn make up, Glittery shoes, Raw metal accessories, Fuzzy jumpers, Shearling coats and Leather, leather, leather.

What are you craving this winter?

xoxo

beaut.ie, mshelene.com, fashion-nerdic.com, fashiontoast.com

Baby, you're a firework

2011-11-05T20:35:00.004Z

Happy Guy Fawkes everyone! Just got back from an awesome fireworks show and am getting ready to dance the night away. What have we all got planned for tonight?

Although Bonfire night is about chargrilled sausages, hog roast with apple sauce and a generous glug of mulled wine to get you in a Christmassy mood, I think that a bonfire CAKE looks cool and would go down a treat at any fireworks party.

How to make it?

Simply arrange increasingly smaller red velvet or chocolate cakes on top of each other to make a bonfire shape, smother in cream cheese icing, stick chocolate fingers or flakes all over it.

Serve with a sparkler stuck in the top and a wee dram of whisky or something to warm the cockles.

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Although its bonfire night and I'm swathed in layers of chunky knitwear, I can't help but dig Kristen Stewart looking relaxed and happy at a hand/footprint ceremony in a S/S 2012 Marios Schwab dress with checkered vans (although she changed into gorgeous louboutins later).

Definitely the new party combo for next summer.

Love,
Geisha xoxo

ORGANIC MAKEUP - Lavera, Weleda & Desert Essence

2011-10-20T22:58:00.011+01:00

COMPOSED, PHOTOGRAPHED & POSTED WITH MY SAMSUNG GALAXY S2

First things first: Hello lovely readers and welcome back to Geisharock! It's been a while, non?

I'm excited because I'm in a new phase of my life, post-university & job hunting and am determined to blog much more... This will be made easier by my new iPad 2 (love) and Samsung Galaxy s2. Reviews on those will pop up soon, albeit very non-techie reviews!

I'm itching to post this as it is my first try using my SG s2 to create a whole post, from taking the photos, uploading and typing it all up.

I'm kicking off with an Organic Makeup post, inspired by the lovely Lisa Eldridge.

I was strolling through Whole Foods and one of her videos popped into my head where she used Lavera foundation so I decided to pick that up, along with 2 moisturisers.

I'll leave you with the photos and product names and will update after I have tried them out.

1. Lavera Natural foundation in Porcelain 1

2. Desert Essence Daily Essential moisturiser

3. Weleda Skin Food

LOVE GEISHA XOXO

* SWATCH & A Model Recommends *

2011-02-12T13:38:00.009Z

Firstly...

Thank you to the gorgeous Ruth of A Model Recommends for holding her Kitten Vixen Lipgloss competition and giving me (AKA Captain Unlucky) the rare (and I mean RARE) thrill of actually winning something!

The lovely people at Kitten Vixen actually sent this all the way to Hong Kong for me and I have been wearing it everyday :) I also got my first choice of colour (Ravishing Ruby)... don't you just love it when things work out your way?

This is what it looks like on the lips - a glossy pomegranate stain. J'adore!

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Secondly...

... well, they say pictures speak a thousand words:

It's Ruth!
(and my watch)

(Campaign shot by Rankin)

I'm sure that I've talked about Ruth and her wonderful blog before but I'll say it again - go and check her blog (A Model Recommends) and her youtube videos (modelrecommends) out! You won't regret it :)

I have been watching her since the days of yore when she had single digit "watched" figures on her youtube videos and reading her blog since she first started it up and they are two of my absolute favourite style and beauty resources - they are chock-full of great style and beauty advice, glimpses of her modelling career, product reviews, make up tutorials and much much more.

Thank you again Ruth for the lipgloss and for inspiring me to buy a new watch that I adore and that perfectly suits my style (it has been about 10 years since I last owned a watch!). Congratulations on your latest campaign - you look stunning and it was so exciting to see a familiar face in stores all the way over here in Hong Kong :)

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

PS. No, Ruth isn't paying me. Honest guv'nor! Hahahah.

HAUL: MORE BB CREAMS (SKIN79), CLINIQUE & THE BALM

2011-02-10T17:40:00.007Z

How I wish I was attending the upcoming London Fashion Week - I had such a great time in September and I wish I could enjoy it every season, every year for the rest of my life!

Apart from a flying visit to London (which is happening soon), I will be in Asia until at least the summer and I miss the UK awfully already! I will be spending much of the coming month in Beijing, China which may mean that I can't spend much time online. However, if I do manage to get connected then I may have more time to blog again.

I don't mean to be dreary at all, just feeling a bit nervous about everything. I'll be staying on campus at a local university doing a course and I'll be excited to be in Beijing again and to be blogging from there!

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Back to beauty...

You didn't think that I'd be content with trying just ONE BB cream, did you?!

Scroll down to a few posts below to find my review of my first BB cream purchase (the Sasatinnie Sakura BB Cream) as well as a general overview of what BB creams are.

Hong Kong is a cosmetics wonderland and when I saw these two shiny cylinders of Skin79 BB creams I HAD to pick them up. My decision was also made much easier by the fact that the gorgeous Ingrid of missglamorazzi uses the pink version on a daily basis! The two TheBalm items were impulse purchases (sucked in by that packaging again) and the Clinique sunscreen is nothing too exciting but I was on the lookout for something I could wear on my off-days that would give me some UV protection.

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SWATCHES
(L-R)

Skin79 VIP Gold collection BB cream (Pewter packaging)
Skin79 Triple function Hot Pink BB cream (Pink packaging)
TheBalm Bahama Mama bronzing powder
TheBalm Time Balm concealer in Light/Clair

I didn't swatch the Clinique sunblock as it does not really give any coverage at all - it is just a slightly yellow/beige tinted lotion that spreads out to give the TINIEST HINT of colour and a subtle glow to the face. I have been using as a base for foundations that have no/insufficient SPF as well as just an SPF in general!

--------------------------------------------

REVIEWS

Skin79 VIP Gold collection BB cream (Pewter packaging)
& Skin79 Triple function Hot Pink BB cream (Pink packaging)

If you google these BB creams, you will undoubtedly find a plethora of information regarding all the bells and whistles that come with them including whitening and moisturising effects, sun protection, foundation-like coverage, gold and caviar extracts (VIP Gold), sunflower, rice bran and ivy extracts (Hot Pink), etc etc. In my opinion this is mainly marketing puff and I'm going to focus on my experience of using the creams themselves rather than whether they live up to all these hyped up expectations!

Skin79 is a famous brand of BB cream originating from Korea and is known as the Queen of BB Creams because of its extensive range of products and its celebrity endorsements. Not to mention an endorsement from Ingrid of MissGlamorazzi herself :)

Skin79 suggests the VIP Gold BB cream for people with dryer skins and the Hot Pink one for people with an oilier skin. Personally I find this to be correct as the Gold feels more moisturising and looks dewy whilst the Hot Pink one dries to more of a matte finish (as long as you use a non-greasy oil controlling moisturiser!).

I have included a chart issued by Skin79 to help you figure out where these two BB creams sit amongst their wide range of similar products. They both come in a cylindrical packaging and the product is dispensed by pressing the top down and pumping it out.

- Texture -

The texture of these BB creams is fairly thick, similar to the MAC Studio Tint tinted moisturiser or (more crudely) toothpaste. The cream is thick enough to hold its shape when you pump it onto your finger (i.e. doesn't slide around or plop off).

- Colour -

The 2 BB creams are actually very similar in colour but this VIP Gold one is ever-so-slightly darker. As you can see from the picture above, both of them pull VERY BEIGE, which did alarm me when I first pumped the product out! BB creams generally only come in 1 universal shade (sometimes they range to 3 shades) which is definitely something the market could improve on in general if they wanted to truly compete with the foundation market. At the moment these are equivalent to tinted moisturisers that only come in 1 tint!

- Application -

Upon application to the skin, both of the creams spread out easily and help to even out my skintone. They do not cover up all my blemishes and I need to conceal a bit further - however, you only need a small amount to give a good amount of coverage. I have a yellow-toned skin and upon initial blending, these look VERY VERY PINK on my skin, but they adapt to my skin within 30 minutes or so and are virtually undetectable - no cakeyness here!

EXTRA: I picked up a cute technique for application from a Skin79 video on youtube that would work great for combination skins - apply the more moisturising VIP Gold BB cream all over the face then use the Hot Pink BB Cream on the T-zone to mattify slightly. I have been using this technique and it works great!

- Repurchase? -

I will definitely be repurchasing these, particularly the Hot Pink one but preferably both of them as I think they work well together. I am also intruiged by the rest of the Skin79 range.

Normally, I WOULD say that I would not recommend these 2 particular creams to anyone above NC40 as it may be difficult to blend the light beige cream in successfully. HOWEVER!!! I have used both of these creams on my mum (who is around an NC37) and they blend to an imperceptible and perfect finish on her face, despite looking MUCH lighter than her skin when I first applied it. Very impressed so far!

TheBalm Bahama Mama bronzing powder

Despite how dark this looks in the pan and in the swatch, it is actually a really natural bronzer and applies smoothly to give a warmth to the face. I actually prefer light brown and slightly sparkly bronzers but I am using this to contour lightly and it works well!

TheBalm Time Balm concealer in Light/Clair

Another deceiving swatch - this looks almost salmon pink (much more pink than in my photo) on my hand when I swatch it! However, it blends in GORGEOUSLY with my skin and is creamy and moisturising but surprisingly long-lasting despite its emoillient texture. I use it both for undereye circles and blemishes and it works brilliantly on both! This won't last for hours and hours like some truly long-lasting concealers will but it will never cause flaky patches or sink into the lines under your eyes and I would personally rather top my concealer up once during the day than look flaky and crusty right from the start!

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Phew!!! I hope that was helpful :) If you have any questions then don't hesitate to ask them! I'd love to hear from you guys.

You can also email me or tweet me at http://www.twitter.com/geisharocks.

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

sunset sundays

2011-02-10T17:38:00.002Z

Hong Kong is gorgeous at sunset.

I was so absorbed with enjoying the view, I only just remembered to snap a picture!

I forgot how many free goodies you can gather at careers fairs *fist pump*

The items included in my loot: highlighters, international plug adaptors (?) lollipops, USB sticks, plenty of biros (my favourite sort of pen - I'm easy to please), a mini stationary set and some gum.

I've been overdosing on sugary and nutritionally-void-but-oh-so-satisfying foods recently - must start eating more of those things called vegetables. But who could say no to free candyfloss?

Les Schtroumpfs...

Or the Smurfs, as we know them in English ;)

Had a delicious lunch at a vegetarian restaurant with zen-inspired decor. I really appreciate it when restaurants have both great food and elegant interiors. Restaurant interiors are so easy to get wrong!

A little squidgy nublet of pandan chewy jelly dessert

PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

I'm wondering whether to cut my hair short again or keep its length and just shape it a bit. What do you guys think? What sort of style suits my face shape best?

Brutally honest opinions welcome!

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

Before you go out makeup shopping...

2011-02-10T08:20:00.001Z

Read THIS BLOG to get things into perspective.

Funny and eye-opening posts from an ex-beauty insider.

HAUL: Benefit, MAC, BB Cream & swatches

2011-01-23T09:58:00.009Z

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HAUL

(Clockwise from top left)

Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer in 2 Light Medium

MAC Chromographic pencil in NW25/NC30

Benefit Some Kinda Gorgeous foundation faker (round record compact)

Sasatinnie BB Cream Sakura fragrance SPF35+

MAC mineralize eyeshadow trio in Blue My Mind

Benefit BadGal lash

MAC lipglass in Jealous

Sephora professional brush #45

Benefit Sugarbomb blush

I'm going to include swatches and reviews of the following products

(except for the Shiseido concealer, which I only bought yesterday and want to use regularly for a little while before I review it...... OK FINE I also forgot to swatch it).

MAC mineralize eyeshadow trio in Blue My Mind

This was a Christmas present and is quite far off from the sorts of shadows that I would normally choose for myself! I'm more attracted to browns and purples but I might branch out to more crazy colours in the summer months (corals and turquoises anyone?). This came out with the Into the Groove collection.

Anyway, these mineralize eyeshadows are creamy and pigmented and there is some fallout so they are best used over an eyeshadow base. They can be used wet to intensify the colours. Temptalia has a great picture of how these shadows look when used dry HERE and foiled HERE (why do I even bother, haha).

Benefit Sugarbomb blush

Subtle, glowy, shimmery and ever so pretty. My swatches are slightly useless so I hope you can make out something on my cheek. In real life this looks like a flush of pinky, rosy, purply, peachiness (obviously! but that's honestly what it looks like). I swirl a huge eco tools powder brush into it and swish it all over my cheeks.

If you hate shimmer in your blushes then this is NOT for you as there is detectable sheen on the face but I personally am loving it as it acts as a highlight, gives the face a healthy glow and flies in the face of the typical dark berry "winter" cheeks! I don't want to look frostbitten, I want to look glowing!

MAC Chromagraphic pencil in NW25/NC30

I actually have the lighter version of this pencil back in the UK which I often use on my waterline to brighten up the eye (although I'm currently using Benefit's Eye Bright pencil). This pencil is lovely and creamy, just like the lighter colour and would work equally well on the waterline. I will also probably use this as a concealer for precision concealing.

Sasatinnie BB Cream - Sakura fragrance SPF35+

Some of you may be asking - what is a BB cream? Until very recently (ie. Christmas), I had no idea either! However, the craze for these creams is hard to avoid in Hong Kong and I was intruiged enough by these so-called "miracle" creams to purchase one to try out myself. I chose a mid-range one by SaSa's own brand sasatinnie (SaSa is the asian version of Sephora/Boots/Superdrug).

Incidentally, I usually prefer to buy a drugstore's own brand product if I am unsure about a new product with lots of choices of brands because I believe that a huge drugstore empire have more money to invest in research and development, compared to a smaller independent brand who may try to plaster their products with enlarged claims of their positive effects without actually backing up the claims with research and proper testing. Large drugstores also often come up with great products that cause huge crazes - case in point: Boots No7 Protect and Perfect serum!

BB stands for Blemish Balm and BB creams are marketed as a moisturiser, sunscreen and foundation all-in-one product. They were apparently developed to be used by patients after plastic surgery to help them to heal as well as providing some coverage but became big news in Korea (with the craze spreading throughout asia) because of korean celebrities claiming that it was what they used to achieve their flawless, porcelain skin.

This particular BB cream is one of many (I must have swatched about 40 different types) and so far, I am fairly pleased with it and enjoy using it but am not exactly singing its praises from the rooftops. It has the slightly runny texture of a thin cream and spreads easily over the skin. It is light beige in colour (BB creams often only come in 1 colour but there are so many different types within different ranges within different brands that there are quite a lot of beige and yellow and peachy undertones to choose from) and is a little bit lighter than my skin but applying a thin layer helps to brighten up my face.

The sakura fragrance that this claims to have is not very strong and the SPF35+ is definitely a bonus. I started off using this as a foundation but found it a bit too light and too shimmery!!! This is my main gripe with this product - it is just too shimmery for anyone with less than perfect skin. There are BB creams available that have a more matte finish but this particular one has a slight shimmer to it. I now use this as a base with my Benefit Some Kind-a Gorgeous.

Benefit Some Kind-a Gorgeous, the foundation faker

I've nicked a swatch off the Beauty Bite (one of my favourite make up blogs) as I forgot to swatch this too. I'm going mad! Anyway, when I first discovered Benefit & started wearing make up (around 2002), I was sucked in by the glossy kitschy packaging and tempting product descriptions and this was one of my first purchases. I remember liking it and using it all up, but after a while I thought it was a little dark for my skin and stopped buying it.

However, I decided to give this another go and have been wearing it over a thin layer of my BB cream. It is a cream to powder product and I use my Sephora #45 brush (LOVE LOVE LOVE) to apply it - it actually feels like I'm not putting anything on the skin! It is still significantly warmer than my skintone but I'm kind of into a slightly tanned (or should that be orange/tangoed) skin to warm up my complexion as I am feeling like death frozen over in this cold weather! It does get oily after a few hours so I just powder it with a little Rimmel Stay Matte powder.

Benefit BadGal Lash mascara

Just a quick scary close up to show you how one coat of this mascara looks. This product has the most scathing reviews on Makeupalley (ditto with the Some Kind-a Gorgeous) which upsets me as I regard Makeupalley as having the best advice, as long as you read enough reviews, ignore the useless ones that say "this is crap but i found my perfect shade and i'm nc25" (and what might that shade be, in case other nc25ers are reading?! like I said, USELESS!!) and keep in mind your own beauty needs.

BUT I disagree - I love the big brush, I love the formulation and how it makes my lashes look, its buildable and gives my lashes both volume AND length and doesn't irritate my eyes (I have been allergic to the last 2 mascaras I've tried - Clinique High Definition lashes and a random japanese brand that I can't read the name of). I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a mascara that gives a bit more oomph than an everyday mascara but isn't clumpy and spidery and scary (Maybelline the Falsies I'm talking about you!).

Hope that was useful :)

What products have you been loving recently?

Are you still enjoying the dark berry shades of winter or have you dug out the coral nail polish and self-tanner in preparation for the warmer months/denial of the cold?

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

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random

2011-01-18T15:40:00.003Z

-------------------------

just a few things i've been obsessing over recently, etc.

katy perry's music

harry potter

MAC

diet coke and longing for summer

abbey lee

sushi

french fries in hong kong are amazing

snape/alan rickman FTW

ahahah. this perfectly encapsulates the pain the the arse that is iphone auto-correct

a whole blog post and hardly any writing!

(from all over the internet)

-------------------

Out of the blue

2011-01-11T03:00:00.002Z

Robert Pattinson

Incidentally, I am and always have been completely underwhelmed by the idea of Twilight (never watched/read any of it), I hate the ridiculous intense fangirl worship that it has generated, I am embarrassed by the screaming crowds of girls who hunt Robert down everywhere he goes and until recently, I didn't really think much of him (having only seen him in Harry Potter).

But who would've known it - He can sing.

Absolutely spellbinding.

the Balm Cosmetics (& CHRISTMAS IN HONG KONG)

2010-12-29T00:03:00.016Z

Darlings, I'm baaack - it's been far too long since my last post and I've really missed blogging! I've been reading all of your blogs but haven't had the time to blog myself or comment regularly.

I hope that you all had the merriest of Christmases filled with mince pies, port, carolling, brandy butter and all the other lovely things that come with the festive season. I arrived on Christmas eve and therefore spent most of it in a jet-lagged stupour, waking at midnight to eat a huge Christmas dinner... midnight munchies! I also had a truly good nosh fest at a Christmas day buffet hosted by the Marina club in Hong Kong. What does everyone have planned for new years eve? I will be at a cabaret themed club night, daintily slurping and guzzling my way through the open bar & unlimited canapes that will be on offer.

Diet, me?

---------------------

EUROTRIP

My previous post gives away the main event of the last few months - my trip to Luxembourg! It was absolutely wonderful and I say this as a complete bright-lights-big-city sort of gal. Despite it being a tiny, land-locked Grand Duchy, I found that it surprised me with its quaint beauty and strong international vibe, mainly due to the mix of people who work in Luxembourg City, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (which was where I was based). It is common for people to commute in from neighbouring countries (Germany, Belgium) and it is only a short train ride away from a huge range of exciting places that are perfect for a weekend trip (Paris, anyone?).

It's the building buried in the valley greenery on the bottom right corner of the photo!

I ended up staying at the Luxembourg City Youth Hostel for most of the time due to the short nature of my stay. I haven't stayed in many youth hostels, but this far exceeded my expectations (contrary to the horror stories told by friends and family) as it was almost like a hotel with dorm rooms! I ate delicious and reasonably priced meals in the hotel restaurant EVERY DAY and was never disappointed, which is more than you could say even for most hotel food (almost always mediocre and overpriced).

The nightlife was limited in choice but always buzzing at the weekends, despite the size of the city and the nature of its residents - I have fond memories of Scott's Pub (an British themed bar with a difference... everyone working there was actually British! Including the resident jazz guitarist) and The Tube (pictured! This was loosely themed on the London Underground but the theme wasn't explored much further than a faded wall mural of the tube map)

If you happen to be road-tripping around that area of Europe or are planning a Eurotrip, I recommend that you take out a day or two (for that is all Luxembourg City really needs for a full tour) to explore this glorious little city. I haven't mentioned the great transport system, the charming eateries in the town centre, the breathtaking valleys on which the city is built on and the fascinating insight you can get of Luxembourg's fascinating history whilst admiring the beautiful stone structures dotted throughout the old town and exploring its mysterious underground cave system.

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BLOGGING FROM ABROAD

I am currently in Hong Kong for the next few months and am excited to be blogging from here. I am by no means a tourist as I am originally from HK and lived and went to school here for many years but I've been away for so long that everything has changed (shops seem to change every few months!) and I will enjoy sharing my opinions on everything from food to fashion as I re-discover Hong Kong for myself.

GLOW

I decided to have some fun with my make up today and use a few new products from theBalm Cosmetics that I recently bought from SaSa (our drugstore equivalent here in asia) to create a bronzy, shimmery look.

MAKE UP USED:

BASE:
- Maybelline Dream Satin foundation in Nude -

CHEEKS:
- Bobbi Brown blush in Desert Rose and Pale Pink (swirled together with a stippling brush) -
- theBalm cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer AKA "the Luminizer" along cheekbones -

EYES:
- theBalm cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer all over the lid up to the brow -
- theBalm cosmetics Shady Lady eyeshadow in All About Alex (swatch below) blended along the lashline and smudged upwards -
- L'oreal Contour Khol in Dark Chocolate to tightline -
- 17 Eyebrow Shaper in Natural Brown on the brows -
- Clinique High Impact Mascara in 01 Black -

LIPS:
- Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in 301 Crystal Baby -

Mugshot for detail

i.D. magazine inspired

* NEW STUFF FROM THEBALM COSMETICS*

I was really excited to find this brand in Hong Kong as its not readily available in the UK and even in London I think it is exclusively stocked at Harvey Nichols. My attention was first brought to this brand by the lovely Ruth from A Model Recommends who reviewed the Luminizer in one of her videos.

Mary-Lou Manizer AKA the Luminizer

A gorgeous shimmery champagne gold highlight and eyeshadow with buttery textured powder. This is really easy to work with and may look scary when you swipe it but blends out nicely. It is a bit glittery so not the most subtle of highlighters but a tiny bit goes a long way and the sheen it imparts is really pretty.

Shady Lady eyeshadow in All About Alex

A gilded khaki with a pewter undertone. Glimmering goodness. The texture of all the eyeshadows are similar to the Luminizer and the pay-off and buildability are fairly good too, probably even better with UDPP or TFSI as a base (I don't have either - shame on me. I'm holding out for the UDPP in its new squeeze tube packaging!)

The other two Shady Lady shadows in:

Curvy Cami

A glittery mid-toned purple that leans slightly towards cranberry when swatched. Similar to Trax from MAC but I prefer this as the texture is much easier to work with - MAC shadows can sometimes be dry and hard to get good colour pay-off from.

Luscious Lani

A light glimmery pale pink, slightly frosty - the camera has picked up champagne for some reason but its definitely pink, almost how Benefit's High Beam looks in the bottle. Looks great with Curvy Cami :)

* Other close ups *

Estee Lauder Crystal Baby

You've probably heard of this from the Pixiwoo sisters and Tanya Burr of Pixi2woo who love using this for a natural full pink lip. Smells scrummy too.

Clinique High Impact Mascara

My current favourite. The story behind this purchase was that I recently discovered my ANCIENT old tube, which was only a tester but had not dried out at all after years and years! I was so impressed considering that I have owned mascaras that dry out after a month or two or, worse still, are dry and flaky to begin with! Obviously I wasn't about to use a mascara that was about 5 years old so I popped out and bought another sample for myself.

HK sells samples of everything - perfume (cute little 5ml bottles), skincare, make up. A bit of a rip-off considering they are samples which should be provided for free BUT:

a) I'd rather pay £2 for a generous 4g sample-size tube of mascara (which is what I did) rather than have to wheedle and beg a snobby sales assistant to hand one over.

b) I doubt that, even if I did beg and plead, I would be able to get a mascara sample unless it was posted to my doorstep by PR for review as make up counter SA's make it seem like sample pots of foundation are a hugest deal already.

Hope that was useful :)

I'm planning to delve into the world of BB (Blemish Balm) creams which seem to be the new hot thing in Asia. Have you heard anything about them or used them yourself? I must admit that I first heard about them in Ingrid's youtube videos!

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

I'm off to Luxembourg!

2010-10-11T00:23:00.003+01:00

I'm off to Luxembourg tomorrow morning at 830am... Wish me luck!

Anyone have any travel tips or advice - whether they be Luxembourg-related or not? Please leave a comment :)

I will be reading blogs as much as I can but this upcoming month is going to be super busy. Keep checking my twitter @geisharocks for updates.

Will miss you all xxx

Love,
Geisha xoxo

LONDON FASHION WEEK - DAY 3

2010-09-22T01:56:00.008+01:00

Favourite show: Kinder Aggugini

- Inspired by Africa -
- Chic safari details with flashes of GORGEOUS tribal prints -

Spot the Anna Dello Russo cherries!

How spectacular are these flowy tribal dresses:

Swish swish

----------------------

The calm after the storm

What I Wore

Gap shirt
Zara shorts
Topshop clogs
Necklace from Egypt
Lady Danger lipstick

Sorry for the lack of captions but I think the picture speak for themselves. It was a STUNNING show and despite being about 50 centigrade in the tent, it was totally and utterly worth it.

---------------------------

I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow... I'm so nervous! Don't you find that as soon as you decide to cut your hair, it starts looking good and behaving itself?

I'm going to HQ Hair salon on New Burlington Street so I'll be reporting back on that for my next post :) I've been there a few times before a few years back so I'm interested to see how they're doing. I'm also excited to browse all the amazing products they have in store!

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

LONDON FASHION WEEK - DAY 2

2010-09-22T01:37:00.008+01:00

Hello lovelies :)

I took it easy on day 2 as I was exhausted from all the running around I did the day before! I dragged myself and my sceptical other half to his first ever catwalk show...

Simon Ekrelius

- A muted palette of soft pastels, black and white -

- Tie dye hair piled into effortless and loose buns -

- Sculptured shoulders, unexpected flashes of flesh and awe-inspiring hats -

Susie! :) (on the end of the row)

What I Wore

(How I really felt... TIRED FACE)

Dress - Topshop

Necklaces - Hong Kong

Ankle boots - Topshop

After a short browse round the exhibiting designers (more on that later), I finished off the day with a lovely lunch of sushi and a chocolate milkshake. Yay!

-----------------------

Stay tuned for day 3 :)

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

LONDON FASHION WEEK - DAY 1

2010-09-22T00:02:00.011+01:00

I headed off towards Somerset House bright and early (sort of!) on Friday morning, excited to attend my first ever season of London Fashion Week with a bona fide press pass and a few last minute invitations secured by firing off a barrage of requests a few days prior. My first taste of fashion week was the Eun Jeong presentation, which I was kindly invited to over twitter by Natalie (thank you lovely - you looked utterly chic on the day by the way!).

The mood at the presentation was ethereal and magical, with delicate draping detail and masterful tailoring interspersed with mind-blowing digital prints.

There were three separate rooms: The first was a small, all-white space with a dream-like projection and rustic furniture providing the backdrop to bejewelled shoes and gorgeous pieces from Jeong's collection.

This dress + the sparkling shoes above = perfect alternative wedding outfit....?

--------------------

The second room, which (like the first) came off the main area, contained the bulk of Jeong's collection and what a feast for the eyes it was!

I was drawn immediately to the glittering black dress with shoulder detailing and the printed dress next to it. I thought they really showed off Jeong's ability to produce a contrast of styles but with her personal touches running through the designs.

Other pieces displayed a great attention to detail, with clever draping, cut outs and mesh detail. I spent a lot of time in here because I kept spotting little details on the pieces that I hadn't noticed the first time round!

The gorgeous print detailing on some leggings

I felt as if I were walking through a fairytale! The fluidity and detailing of Jeong's designs were shown off by her models.

These delicious and beautiful little cupcakes (yes I ate one! maybe even two... ahem) really put a smile on my face as we left :)

----------------------------

Destination 2: Ashley Isham

My first ever catwalk show! This was packed to the rafters and I ended up standing in my very high heels but I managed to wiggle into a great position to see the catwalk.

Advice to newbie LFW-goers: Don't despair if you're standing - you have the second best view of the catwalk (rather than over the tops of peoples heads) after the front row!

-------------------------------

I absolutely LOVED the burst of colour that Isham injected into his collection. The garments were really showed off by the movement of the models: feathers fluttered and fabrics flowed gracefully amidst structured pieces that lent an edgy vibe to the proceedings.

The music was deliciously upbeat too - I was ready to party after the show ended!

-----------------------------------

LUNCH

WHERE: Fire & Stone, Covent Garden

I LOVE this place - I've celebrated my birthday here and it's ranks highly on my list of date destinations. They do a huge range of themed pizzas that are simply delicious - we chose a mozzarella, tomato and basil leaf starter and the "Canberra" pizza, which had chicken, mushrooms, sour cream, chives and little roast potatoes on it!

A huge thank you to Kit for taking me under her wing as I wandered around with a lost expression on my face after the Eun Jeong show :) Hope you liked the pizza (even though we could hardly move afterwards...)

----------------------------

As the day wound down, I headed back to Somerset house to snap some outfits... or rather snap some people who were snapping outfits! (Hi David)

As I was lurking around, Paloma Faith, resplendent in a glittering golden cloak and a fierce headpiece, strode past me towards the marquee, stopping to pose for some photos.

------------------------------

And that was my day 1! I also attended the Fashion TV "Ever After" party that evening at the Bloomsbury Ballroom which was a lot of fun but I'm afraid my disorganisation meant that I don't have any pictures from it... Sorry! I don't even have an outfit picture... What sort of a blogger am I?! I promise you it wasn't that interesting - just a black dress with jewelled collar detailing that I wore a striped breton top over the whole day because I couldn't be bothered to bring a change of clothing!

Pictures from my day 2 and day 3 are coming soon :)

Also coming up: A newbie guide to London Fashion Week based on my experience of it. Before LFW started I SEARCHED and SEARCHED for such a guide but I couldn't find one. So I've decided to write one myself!

Hope you enjoy :)

Love,
Geisha

xoxo

London Fashion Week 2010

2010-09-16T23:41:00.003+01:00

I will be at London Fashion Week everyday from tomorrow (Friday 17th September) through to Sunday, either in the exhibition or dashing around some last minute booked shows. I'm so excited as this is my first LFW with a press pass and I'm itching to just get there and soak up the atmosphere. I'm also going to the Fashion TV party tomorrow - is anyone else?

I would love to meet anyone else who will be there (whether or not you have a pass - we could just hang around Somerset house courtyard and people watch!) so if you are in the area with nothing to do, drop me an email on lebilletdoux (at) gmail (dot) com or send me a tweet at http://www.twitter.com/geisharocks and I will be checking those throughout the day. Or just sent me an email and a tweet anyway to say hi :)

Hope to hear from some of you!

Mwah x
Geisha

Winter inspiration

2010-09-14T17:15:00.004+01:00

I think I've given up on the weather improving now - summer is officially over!

But there's no time to despair as Autumn/Winter is the best season to dress for (in my opinion) - layers, textures and colours can all be mixed and matched with abandon - on a grey gloomy day, no one is going to stop you from draping fabrics around yourself and playing with proportions.

Exciting news: I'm going to be at London Fashion Week representing Geisha Rock and have been advised not to be boring and wear an all-black ensemble.. definitely easier said than done, I think! Will anyone else be around? I'd love to meet up and have a chat and grab some lunch somewhere :) It's my first time and I don't know what to expect! I'm only going to one show because work and uni commitments have gotten in the way of ticket requests but I'm really looking forward to just hanging around Somerset house and absorbing the electric atmosphere and people-watching.

Inspirations for my winter wardrobe include:

- Mixing matte leather and muted fur (nothing shiny or long and flashy!)
- Gold jewellery, preferably almost in an antique or costume style
- EITHER a structured satchel or a slouchy rucksack (both practical choices)
- Sensible shoes! (let's see how long this lasts for.. I'm a glutton for punishment)
- Flashes of colour on delicate fabrics
- A classic white shirt

What are your inspirations for autumn/winter?

----------------------

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

Susie Bubble Blogger Yard Sale & a VIDEO!

2010-09-03T21:49:00.008+01:00

Hello lovelies!

I know this post is long overdue but I've been busily scrawling the last few chapters of my dissertation and just didn't have the time to update properly... and I didn't want it to be half-arsed job! But my dissertation is now written, bound and handed in and I can now give you a blow-by-blow account of Susie Bubble's recent yard sale, through the eyes of Geisharock :)

---------------------------------

Here's me, busy setting up my stall.

Kit of Styleslicker and her wonderful array of SHOES!

Lots of people shopping away :)

Kit, me and Fi

Me and my guilty purchase.. I've never owned a Gucci bag and felt inexplicably drawn to this one! It's the perfect size for flinging over your shoulder everyday. Thanks Susie :)

AMAZING CHICKEN SATAY

Alice of Alice Point and her beautiful sister.

Such lovely girls :) It was so nice to meet you two!

Scrummy cakes

Shoes, glorious shoes!

Vicky sponge... Delish

I pounced on this girl who had come straight over from the night out before as soon as she turned round the corner. She looked pretty good considering!

Just look at those boots... Lust-worthy.

Shini and I

Drawings of yard sale-goers by the talented Vicky Riches

My lovely sister and partner-in-crime who took all these pictures and filmed & edited the following video for me.

Hope you enjoy!

Please leave a comment if you were there, or even if you weren't ;)

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

Sneak peek: Susie Bubble's Blogger Yard Sale

2010-08-26T19:15:00.004+01:00

Our hostess with the mostess :)

I am wearing:
Dress: Urban outfitters
Leggings: Clockwork
Boots: Dr martens
Necklace: Topshop
Sunglasses: Oxfam

--------------------------

I promise to get the rest of the pictures up when I finish my dissertation! (& an awesome video that has a short clip of Fi of Save Our Shoes doing a little dance whilst holding up her charity raffle slips... tee hee!). I'll also reply all your lovely comments individually too, but thank you to the lovely people who met me at the blog sale and have dropped by here to say hi in the past few days :) You guys rock my socks xxxx

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

Hallelujah

2010-08-25T19:02:00.003+01:00

This is completely unrelated to fashion, but allow me to introduce you to two of my guilty pleasures:

1) Finding amazing singers who do amazing covers on Youtube
2) Watching reality competition shows: X Factor, AGT, BGT, America's Best Dance Crew

Best version I've heard, hands down.

Victor Kim on the left won America's Best Dance Crew as a member of Quest Crew. Can you say multi talented? What a dreamy voice. Here's a video of a solo dance session of his:

A compilation of Quest crew's performances on ABDC

Sorry if you're not in the least bit interested :P

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

Tiger of Sweden

2010-08-24T15:59:00.002+01:00

Just wanted to quickly show you guys my new blazer that I tweeted about yesterday, I found this little gem in my local Oxfam for just under a tenner. It's from the brand Tiger of Sweden and its a gorgeous muted khaki with red detailing up the arms. And it fits like a dream!

Don't you just love that feeling of slipping on a blazer and feeling it hug your body?

Now all I need is

a LBD/vest & skinnies,

a weapon/ring

and

a great pair of buckled ankle boots.

I die.

Sushi Of The Day (SOTD)

2010-08-24T14:09:00.009+01:00

My first taste of Itsu!

I've always been a bit paranoid of this place since the russian spy poisoning malarkey...

(Although Itsu have since MAJORLY rebranded themselves... I suppose they had to!)

It's really delicious - I'm currently ploughing through it now. Recommended! I actually chose these two things because the businessman before me who looked like he knew what he was doing chose them. Why yes, I AM a terrible decision-maker. How did you know?

This is probably a really meaningless overshare of a post but I don't care... SUSHI!!

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

---------------------

PS. Proper blogging and a FULL post with loads of pictures of Susie Bubble's Blogger Yard Sale will resume after my dissertation deadline of 1st September. Promise!

SUSIE BUBBLE'S BLOGGER MEET UP & YARD SALE

2010-08-21T13:52:00.005+01:00

-----------------------------------------

A taster of the type of things I'll be selling at the yard sale.

(Not necessarily these exact items but in a similar style!)

Hope to see you there! Click on the flyer for details of where to go.

CLICK HERE FOR SUSIE BUBBLE'S LATEST RELATED POST.

CLICK HERE FOR KIT'S (STYLE SLICKER) POST.

CLICK HERE FOR NADIA'S (FROU FROU) POST.

CLICK HERE FOR FI'S (SAVE OUR SHOES) POST.

--------------------------

Love,
Geisha

Smudgy Sixties Make Up (Asian eyes)

2010-08-21T00:03:00.014+01:00

Hello beauties :)

Inspired by Nic of Pixiwoo:

Not sure how flattering this look is on me due to the shape of my eyes and lack of lid, but I had fun doing this!

I used quite an oily base because I've run out of my MAC paint pot and was forced to use a Maybelline mousse shadow (sparkly but greasy!). If you want lasting power with this look I recommend a good eyeshadow base - MAC paint pots, Too Faced shadow insurance, Urban Decay primer potion - you know the drill!

-----------------------------------

(Click to enlarge!)

It's Susie Bubble's Blogger Yard Sale this Sunday (22nd August) and I will be there selling my wares :) I'd love to meet any of you if you come along, it's going to be so much fun! Everything will be as affordable as possible and it's a great chance to meet the faces behinds the blogs you read.

What I will be selling:

SHOES: Dr Martens, Reebok, Office - I'm a EU 37 or UK 4.
CLOTHES: High street & lots of vintage :)

Prices will be between £1 and £20 (I think!)

(Cash only please)

Hope to see you there!

-------------------------

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

Boots haul!

2010-08-18T19:59:00.009+01:00

Hello lovelies :)

This is what I wore for a whistle-stop tour from frozen yoghurt shop > Boots > supermarket!

Sunglasses: H&M

Top: Random shop in Rotterdam

Jeggings: Next

Shoes: Minnetonkas

Love the cute shoulder detail on this top.. it's subtle enough to wear during the day.

------------------------------

Boots goodies:

I went into boots intending to get some cotton pads and out I came with this lot! How does it happen? The sweet mermaid song of the make up aisle drew me in, I swear.

Maybelline's the Falsies Volume Express mascara

I actually have about 5 mascaras on the go right now because I can never decide which one to use up - the consequences of my fickle nature is that all 5 of them are drying up and flaking :( I do have a waterproof mascara that's almost brand new (naughty me... I bought it for glastonbury and used it once!) but I don't like wearing waterproof mascara everyday because its so buggering hard to get off! Hopefully this will give me lashes like Erin Wasson's :) Has anyone tried this? Thoughts?

Maybelline Dream Creamy Foundation

My skin has suddenly started rebelling against me, with my T-zone being normal/oily and my cheeks being DRY DRY DRY! I'm using the Maybelline Dream Satin liquid in Nude most of the time at the moment which I like BUT it still shows up on dry patches no matter how much I exfoiliate and prep my skin. Also, it doesn't have enough coverage for my liking and tends to shift around on the skin a bit.

SO... I thought I'd try this after seeing this review and this foundation routine video by Tao on Youtube (I'm not sure why it has a different name "dream smooth mousse"... the Maybelline matte mousse foundation here in the UK is a completely different product in a different container). She did a great foundation application demo - I LOVE it when make up gurus start with a fresh face! It's so much more real than those who start with all their eye make up and a layer of foundation already...

Listerine

Nothing too groundbreaking! I've been getting sensitive teeth lately so I'm hoping this will help.

Garnier Nutritionist moisturisers

I am a SUCKAH for:

a) Flashy packaging

b) Different moisturisers for "day" and "night"

c) Garnier, because all their products smell amazing

My skin has been looking a little dry, pale and drab lately and I want to try and rejuvenate it! Here's hoping that these will help inject some moisture.

Boots Vitamin E eye cream

I forgot to include this in the main picture - it was so small I forgot about it. HAHA.

But anyway, ditto above - I was just looking for something simple that will hopefully perk up my eye area - stress and late nights are taking their toll :(

Boots Effervescent re-energise tablets

These are the BOMB - I honestly feel a difference after having one (or even half) of these. I don't like the Berocca ones or the plain vitamin C ones - they make me feel funny! These are the only ones that don't.

Want a review of anything? Just leave a comment :)

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

RECIPE: Posh Cheese 'n' Tomato

2010-08-18T12:14:00.005+01:00

Lunch of the Day

Roughly chop a large tomato and a slice of cooked halloumi cheese and warm in a pan.
Season with basil flakes, oregano flakes, salt and pepper.
Toast wholegrain bread and drizzle with olive oil.
Scatter the tomato & halloumi mixture over your warmed bread.
Wash and tear up baby gem cos lettuces. Add salad dressing of choice (I used honey and mustard and added a few flakes of mature cheddar).

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

SWATCHES: Foundation, Bronzer, Blusher - E.L.F, MAC, The Body Shop, Korres, Rimmel...

2010-08-16T01:13:00.003+01:00

Just a few random swatches of some of the make up I have with me at the moment whilst living near university to write my dissertation.

The Nivea/Rimmel/Collection 2000 foundation products were impulse tester purchases that I got recently because I didn't feel like I had enough make up with me and wanted a quick fix! You know how it is. I'd recommend them all though, as long as you can find your shade (difficult for me!).

FOUNDATION SWATCHES

L-R:

Maybelline dream satin liquid in 021 Nude
MAC Mineralized skinfinish in light-medium
Collection 2000 Perfecting minerals in No 4 Biscuit (not honey as the picture says, sorry!)
Benefit You Rebel lite
Nivea Visage tinted moisturising day cream in Natural
Rimmel Stay matte foundation in 200 Soft Beige
Collection 2000 Naturally Radiant foundation in Natural Beige 4
MAC Tinted Moisturizer in shade Medium
MAC Face & Body in C3

BRONZING AND BLUSHER PRODUCTS

SWATCHES:

L-R: Bottom right colour (with e.l.f. imprint), bottom left, top right, top left

You can see the pinky tone of the 3rd colour along in this picture (even though it washes out the darkest colour, sorry!):

L-R: Bottom right colour (with e.l.f. imprint), bottom left, top right, top left

Swatches:

LEFT: Golden bronzer, swirled together

RIGHT: Warm bronzer, swirled together

KORRES MONOI OIL BRONZER IN 02 SUNGLOW WARM

BODY SHOP BRONZING POWDER IN 01

N.Y.C. COLOR WHEEL MOSAIC FACE POWDER IN ROSE GLOW

Hope those were useful! :)

If you would like any individual reviews on product then just leave a comment!

love,

Geisha

xoxo

BLOGGERS YARD SALE - Hosted by Susie Bubble

2010-08-11T18:32:00.005+01:00

(Click to enlarge)

Just seen Susie's update on this and I am SO excited to be part of the line up. My offerings are likely to be the "bargain bin" items compared to the stuff that the other bloggers will bring but I hope to see a few of you there :) It'll be such a fun day! I always felt left out when I read about bloggers in the US organising similar events and thought that it would be a nice idea if we UK bloggers could have a yard sale/bloggers meet up too... And now it's really happening! :)

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

The perks of blogging - FREEBIES

2010-08-10T23:10:00.007+01:00

I just wrote the most MONSTER reply to a thought-provoking post on Jen's blog (a little bird told me) and I thought I'd post my reply up here too. It's basically my rambling response as a beauty blog/youtube addict saying what I think about bloggers receiving "freebies" from companies and generally promoting companies & their products on their blogs & youtube channels:

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"I don't mind adverts on a blog as long as they aren't getting in the way (i.e. those ads that pop up when you hover over certain words... UGH! so annoying!). They usually aren't too intrusive and I actually quite like the NARS ones as they keep me up to date with what freebies NARS are giving away with their orders! :)

Regarding "gifting"... hmmm. Sometimes I see blogs, and I have to agree with lily (who commented above) here and say that it is mostly beauty bloggers who receive TONS of products. I absolutely cannot stand it when bloggers just copy what the company website says about the product and uses a stock image and adds a little line "oh its really great, i love it". It actually angers me when I see those posts as the blogger hasn't bothered to give an in-depth analysis of how the product looks, feels, smells, works - they could write something like that without even opening the bottle! It is almost an insult to the readers who have come to their blog in hope of finding a good overview of the product. But I suppose the main point of those cookie-cutter posts is for those few selfish blogger to promote that item and remain in the good books of companies who are then more likely to send them products to gain good publicity because they know that freebie = a good word put in, whether or not the blogger believes in the product or not.

However, I do enjoy reading HONEST posts about affordable, accessible beauty items that have been sent to bloggers and have often based my purchases on some of these posts. It makes me happy to see that even though a blogger has stated that they were sent the item free, that the review is balanced and informative and not necessarily a glowing one!

It's understandable that beauty bloggers need new products to blog about (as who wants to read about the same foundation routine 30 x over?!), in fact it is kind of the lifeline of their future blog posts. This is in contrast to fashion bloggers who can technically buy their whole wardrobe from a charity shop and use 10 pieces in rotation with edgy accessories to create new, inspiring outfits everyday. Or even just DIY jeans into shorts and do something completely different! What I'm trying to say is that if a fashion blogger recycled a bin bag everyday with different shoes & accessories, it could be considered an interesting statement and quite possibly infinitely readable. Not quite so with beauty bloggers, as new products are constantly coming onto the markets and need to be tested before a general consensus can be made on its quality and the readership of a beauty blog will basically demand these reviews! The possible exception to this is make up gurus who use their existing make up to create different looks... but inevitably they end up posting "haul" videos and review videos too, as it is natural for their viewers to seek their comparatively "expert" opinion on the products that they come across and use in their capacity as beauty gurus.

IN SHORT...the readers of a fashion blog keep coming back for inspiration on how to throw outfits together and develop their own personal style, with a few nods to up and coming trends (but no one is ACTUALLY going to buy the £3000 burberry aviator jacket no matter how beautiful and gorgeous the blogger says it is... they'll just get the primark version). Equally, fashion bloggers do not seek primarily to "review" the quality of clothing and even less so the "style" factor of clothing - your style is made up of personal choices depending on your likes/dislikes and your character in general. No (self-respecting) fashion blogger would TELL you to wear a certain pair of shoes, they would just say whether it works with their style & whether they are comfortable, etc and leave the reader to make their own decisions on it.

Readers of beauty blogs however, return mainly for a different reason - to see new reviews of products in order to discover better makeup/cleansers/hair removal systems/whatever for themselves in the hope of going out and buying something new on the basis of these opinions. If someone was still using the SAME blusher/foundation/eyeliner/mascara/cleansing routine everyday, i don't think that they'd have many followers as they wouldn't really have much to blog about! therefore, i think that, to a certain extent, beauty bloggers NEED some gifting, in order to have access to new products which they can review and make an informed judgment on, using their experience and developed expertise from reviewing products in the past. BUT if they are just selling their (blogging) soul to get freebies and there are no swatches/good descriptions in the review then yes, that does piss me off."

------------------------------

What's your opinion on this issue?

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

These boots are made for walkin'

2010-08-10T02:47:00.004+01:00

This video is totally irrelevant except for the song at the beginning. I love Sienna's style as well as her brand Twenty 8 Twelve... However, she reminds me a little of the horrible girls that I went to boarding school with. I think she'd be nicer than those girls though. It's funny how school bullies AKA the "popular" crowd think they are SUPAH FLY but when it comes to school finishing and uni beginning, they're always the ones that end up with trashy facebook photos of them smoking and wearing "gap year clothing" (i.e. oversized rags) and tons of shoddily applied make up. I digress.

-------------------------

My Dr Marten Darla boots arrived today and I ADORE them. (Incidentally, my Topshop daisy jeans arrived too but they are basically made out of cardboard and feel nothing like the supple denim shorts in the same pattern that I loved. Returning!).

They are so gawd dang comfortable because the heel isn't too high and the stretchy panels on the side keep the boot securely in place. I kinda get a vibe of those Topshop ankle booties that everyone and their momma had except that these are a little bit longer. They have a padded insole and a rubbery sole and they are just generally kick-ass.

Speaking of kick-ass,

Found in the men's section of a charity shop on Goodge Street.

Do men have size 4 feet? I guess men includes boys.

-----------------------

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

GLOW (Tanya Burr does a gorgeous Jennifer Aniston look)

2010-08-08T21:57:00.009+01:00

I am literally running out and buying:

+ NARS Turks & Caicos blush stick +

+ MAC Lipstick in Shy Girl +

+ NARS Sheer Glow* +

+ MAC Vanilla pigment +

+ Benefit Hoola +

+ Dior Amber Diamond powder +

Why? Because of this video :)

* I can NEVER find my shade in NARS Sheer Glow and it is so frustrating :( I want it so badly but everytime I go to get colour matched, I get matched with a different colour. I've been matched to all the following colours on different occasions: Mont blanc, Fiji, Ceylan, Santa Fe and most recently, Punjab (which looked really orange in the mirror but could be something to do with the fact that the lady slapped it on very heavily). Space NK do not have any testers of the foundation and when I've asked in department stores they just look at me in disgust and say that they're out of everything in "my" colour. Uh, thanks.

Can anyone help me out?

I am around a NC20-25 in winter, NC30ish in summer BUT I've tried quite a few MAC foundations in these colours and none of them have quite matched me - they always end up looking pinkish or ashy on my skin. Even the "very sheer" MAC Face & Body goes ashy on me (I've tried C2 & C3)!
The skin on my body has very yellow, almost brown undertones. Maybe that means I have olive skin? BUT my face has pinky undertones and is lighter than my body. I usually try to find foundations with a yellow undertone to balance out my face and bring it to the same shade as the rest of my body - foundations with a cooler/pinkier base or even just a HINT of a peachy/pinky-beige colour do NOT suit my skin as they just make my face look even pinkier and ashier than usual.
In general, I have never found a correct colour match in any foundation as they just all turn odd colours on my skin. It's very frustrating for a make up addict like me that I can never seem to find the EXACT shade for my make up base!
Saying that, the only foundation which has a shade that comes close to my colouring is Chanel Vitalumiere in 20 (for my wintertime skin), but the high price and shabby lasting power of this foundation put me off using it regularly - not to mention the TERRIBLE sales girls (I cannot call them make up artists) who usually have no idea of what is going on with their brand and just stand around looking snotty and giving you "are you sure you can afford that?" glances. In the Debenhams in Oxford, the girl at the counter told me that the Chanel teint innocence in the pot was the same as Chanel vitalumiere, just that they were in different containers........ I mean, seriously?!?

I have combination skin (very dry cheeks, very oily t-zone) and if you have any favourite products or foundations that you think would suit me, I would ADORE it if you left a comment :)

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

INDOORSY

2010-08-06T13:07:00.006+01:00

What to wear whilst:

sitting around by myself
air-drying my hair into a wavy mess, and
stressing about my dissertation?

Top - Cotton On, Skirt - River Island

I still look quite tanned! I doubt that it will last much longer but it's good to know that the 2 days of sunbathing on a sunny English (!) beach actually had some effect on my usually pallid self.

---------------------

My newest obsession: Swedish Krisprolls. They're like crispy bits of ready made toast that come in a bag. I'm about to have some for lunch with ham and philadelphia and a salad on the side. They're basically weirdly insanely moreishly good little wholegrain crispy things.

---------------------

I almost forgot about the stuff I'd ordered online yesterday until I saw my blog post below hahaha... At least I don't regret anything. Can't wait for it to come already, thats the problem with buying online, there isn't the instant gratification that you get from real life shopping. Sigh.

Grunge, nude and beaten silver by geisharock

The Alexander McQueen clutches are SUBLIME.. especially that studded nude piece.

-------------------

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

DAISY PRINT & DR MARTENS

2010-08-06T03:04:00.005+01:00

Hello lovelies,

Exactly what it says on the tin/blog title.

A large percentage of my online shopping happens when I'm stressed, late at night. I'm not alone here, am I? It's so therapeutic! As summer is fast disappearing from London, I'm yearning for winter staples - skinny jeans and ankle boots... But I don't own any like this already, honest! (She says, thinking fondly of her extensive collection of skinny jeans and ankle boots)

I think I'll skip the whole "what will this go with?" dilemma and just wear these together.

Topshop & Amazon

---------------------

What will you be buying for your A/W 2010 wardrobe?

-----------------------

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

AZURE POP

2010-07-29T13:41:00.007+01:00

Hi beauties!

This is my gold & bronze eye make up for today, as inspired by the gorgeous Dara of Belle Du Jour NYC - check her videos out, they are some of my favourites on youtube.

I used the Sleek Safari palette that I got at their recent event:

Picture A

Picture B

GOLD colour (Picture A, centre of bottom row) all over my lid.
DARK CHOCOLATE colour (Picture A, right of bottom row) in the outer corner,
MATTE SANDY BROWN (Picture B, bottom row on the left) in the crease.
DARK TURQUOISE (Picture A, top row on the left) smudged along the outer half of bottom lashes.
LIGHT TURQUOISE (Picture A, bottom row on the left) smudged along the inner half of bottom lashes.
Black eyeliner to tightline my upper lashline.
Mascara on the outer half of my lashes.

---------------------------

Lunch today: This awesome pre-packed caesar salad which comes with all the extras! This is when you appreciate the laziness of human nature & the developments that result.

And a cold coffee to go with it :)

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

::::: HALLEY'S COMET :::::

2010-07-28T23:10:00.007+01:00

The most beautiful skirt in the world.

DAY: Slouchy grey tee, NARS Belle du jour or EL Crystal Baby, classic white converse

NIGHT: White tank, NARS shadows, Vivienne Westwood jelly shoes & a leather jacket

Halley's Comet by geisharock featuring T by Alexander Wang

--------------------------

And whilst we're at it, a few favourite shots of my girl Gemma:

ADORE.

--------------------------

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

o n e s i e

2010-07-28T01:26:00.002+01:00

Hello lovelies :)

I think the word "onesie" sounds so much cuter than "jumpsuit" or "romper", don't you? This one is the comfiest thing in the world... I could literally sleep in it.

Nothing beats a good old-fashioned outfit post.

Onesie - Urban Outfitters
Belt - Gap
Wedges - Office

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

Sleek Makeup Foundation Matching Event

2010-07-26T16:57:00.006+01:00

This event is still going on until 8pm today so make haste and you could still get there in time!

-----------------------------

My highlight of the day was dropping by the Sleek Make up Foundation matching event on Judd Street - I actually used to live on this street for my final year of university so it brought back good memories!

The actual venue was just a room on the ground floor with a Sleek Make up banner out the front - very easy to spot and lots of friendly faces from the Sleek staff inside. The idea of this event was for Sleek to gather information on how their new foundation (a creme-to-powder foundation it seems, which would be lovely for a slightly heavier but not drying autumn/winter coverage) and how it suited various skin tones. You filled in a questionnaire and had some one-on-one time with the make up consultant to find your perfect match - mine was Barley!

Girls trying on some of the foundation

The yummy cupcake tower and other welcoming bits of food and drink

The webmaster checking their facebook page! And you can see the pink goodie bags in the background :)

zooming in on the cupcake tower... i obviously had to dive in and ruin its perfectness

the icing was almost as thick as the cupcake! just the sugar boost that i needed

skipping away happily with my goodie bag!

Products:

- eye dust in Ooh Baby (light blue)

- eye dust in Glory (gold)

- Safari i-divine palette (my choice)

- Chaos i-divine palette

this is the chaos palette

and this is the safari palette

The eyeshadows are lovely, smooth and pigmented as usual.
I'm a bit confused at the duplicate gold colour on the top row of the safari palette though...
The Chaos palette is completely matte - you won't find any sparkly shadows here!

It was such a hard choice for me because i wanted both the graphite and the safari palettes (greedy little me!) but in the end i decided to go with safari because it had some nice greens, blues, golds and that luminous white highlight colour.

BUT... now i'm lusting after the graphite too! oh well, you can't have it all.

Scoot on down to 94 judd street before 8pm today and you can try out the creme-to-powder foundation that will be released in the next few months and get a goody bag too :)

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

Thrifty Summer Challenge!

2010-07-14T00:34:00.023+01:00

Hello lovelies :)

I recently received a lovely email from VoucherCodes.co.uk asking me to participate in their “Thrifty Summer Blogger Challenge”. As a serial online browser and extremely impulsive online shopper, this challenge was right up my alley!

I am personally a huge fan of VoucherCodes.co.uk and have always used it in the past – it’s always worth checking to see if the purchase you’re about to make could be made cheaper. I honestly think that VoucherCodes.co.uk has the clearest and best selection of voucher codes AND printable vouchers (for restaurants, gyms – you name it!) and am subscribed to their newsletter which delivers their latest and most popular offers right into your inbox. Not only do they comprehensively update their website with the newest deals and offers but they also have exclusive offers, codes and vouchers that are only available through them. I’ve just discovered a new exclusive Oasis free delivery code and am very tempted to treat myself to something nice...

ANYWAY :)

Without further ado, here are my top 10 thrifty and versatile summer picks, all under £40!

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10. A cag-in-a-bag

Perhaps the most versatile and useful item you could have in your summer canvas bag (see below) - these two (Blue and Cherry) are £25 from Cath Kidston.

9. A canvas bag

To throw everything into - much more summery (and much lighter!) than your normal handbag. This canvas satchel is bang on trend and available from Oasis at £35.

8. A fun pair of shorts

A definite must-have for summer, Miss Selfridge has a great range in florals, hearts (pictured, £30) or just plain and simple denim - wear with bare legs and flip flops and try to convince summer to last! (And if it doesn't, wear 'em with tights).

7. A quirky pair of sunglasses

Both of these pairs are from Topshop and will definitely help you stand out from the crowd. Wear the nude pair to tone down bright colours (£18) and pair the palm trees with neutrals (£16).

6. A pair of espadrilles

Sandals would be the obvious choice for summer but they can only be worn during the REALLY summery periods of the year and if you've ever lived in Britain then you'll know that they are far and few between! Espadrilles can be worn right into autumn with tights or leggings. Either go with TOMS for the feel good factor (£30) - every pair bought by you results in the company giving a pair to a child in need - or try out Havaiana's take on the trend with their bright colours and that famous ultra-comfy rubber sole (£22). Both available at Office.

5. A go-with-everything hat

This sleek white fedora from ASOS will keep the sun out of your eyes and go with all outfits, whether you're on the beach, strolling along the high street or making a statement on a night out.

4. A sporty bikini

Both of these scuba-inspired numbers are from Topshop at £28 (Mint and Coral) and I'm just in love with their simple lines and striking colours. These suits will last you through the years and look interesting and fashion-forward at the same time. They'll also stay on when you dive into the pool (which is more than I can say for most of my "pretty" bikinis!).

3. A delicate headband

Get in touch with your inner greek goddess with this Lipsy headpiece at ASOS.com. Need I say anything more? This is such a gorgeous gold accessory with an intricate leaf and flower design which would brighten up any outfit. Pixie Lott actually owns this exact headband - don't believe me, google it! (£12)

2. A khaki dress

Khaki is definitely huge this summer and I predict that this colour will remain popular as we go into A/W 2010. It's sexy and sophisticated and not as obvious as florals ("Florals? For summer? Groundbreaking." - Miranda Priestly, The Devil Wears Prada). This zip up dress by H by Henry Holland at Debenhams hits all the right buttons with adorable buckle details at the shoulder and would be perfect with gladiator sandals or ballet pumps for the day or a pair of peep toe ankle boots for a night out. (£35)

............. and my number ONE thrifty summer item?

1. A classic pair of converse

For day and night, barbeques and dancing the night away - these old favourites handle it all. Try them in classic white or be daring with red. Available from Office, amongst many other websites.

------------------------------------

Hope you enjoyed! Leave a comment if you have any other suggestions for key summer items :)

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

Where have I been lately?!

2010-07-13T23:59:00.003+01:00

Hello lovely readers :)

Life has been a whirlwind lately with my whole family flying over to the UK and descending on my house at once. I'm sorry for being the worst blogger ever and NEVER updating!

Recent activities have included:

+ Lots and lots of delicious barbeques (saves washing up loads of pots and pans)! My favourite way to do chicken is to marinate it in soy sauce, honey and mustard, then baste generously with a thicker version of the marinade about 5 minutes before it finishes cooking on the barbeque. Really simple, no fiddling around with chopping and blending of herbs and spices and the sticky glaze you end up with is mouth-watering.

+ Cashing in my Wahanda Mobdeal and going for the highly hyped Fish Pedicure at Aqua Sheko on Holland street (just off Kensington Church street). I have lots of pictures and will be doing a separate post on this with photos (and maybe even a video) but I’ll give you a short breakdown: The staff were friendly and provided free green tea and water as well as a selection of purchasable Japanese themed drinks, although they seemed a bit TOO efficient for a place that is supposed to be offering a “spa” experience. I felt a little bit like I was on a production line, waiting to go through the water tanks! They definitely need some mood music – jazz, bossa nova, anything! - to ease the tension of strangers waiting to get their feet nibbled watching other strangers sitting opposite them on raised chairs with their feet being nibbled (and to cover up the *blub blub* noise from the fish tanks). The actual experience was very weird, definitely a novelty which eventually became more relaxing, and felt like painless pins-and-needles/a firm buzzing sensation and slightly ticklish (but I have ticklish feet!). Although there are a mixture of cute baby and more adult fish, the majority of my tank of fish were fairly mature, around 4-5cm long, so this is not for those who have a secret fish phobia… in case that wasn’t obvious already :)

+ Being unimpressed with the high street sales as well as some of the “new” trends for A/W 2010. Shearling aviator jackets and capes? That’s not new, ya’ll just did those last winter!! I am, however, liking the idea of demi/kitten heels – my poor feet need a rest from all my unforgiving high heels!

+ Taking a relaxing holiday in sunny Swanage, chilling out in a darling beach hut and managing to get a tan in 2 days flat! Swanage is an English seaside town near Dorset and a short steam train ride away from Corfe Castle. I visited Corfe Castle, shamefully not mainly to see its namesake but to take a peek at the village’s local newsagents featured in Mary Queen of Shops. It was given the Mary Magic and transformed into Cleall’s – a charming village store (with an adorable arts n crafts room at the back!) selling local produce. A vast improvement, although the only thing I bought was some ginger beer!

How has everyone been lately? Enjoying their summers? I have another post coming right up after this to make up for the huge gap in posting :)

Love,

Geisha xoxo

Victoria Beckham CAN look good

2010-06-21T12:57:00.005+01:00

Thank you guys for your sweet comments on your last post :) I have been a bad blogger recently - not putting any effort into my very sporadic posts and generally being uninspirational & never replying to comments (shoot me!!). I'm definitely going to make more of an effort to re-immerse myself into the blogging world and check out all your lovely blogs and reply to your comments. I've just been sooo lazy recently, sorry! I call it post-exam CHILL OUT & REFRESH time :)

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I wish I had the courage to work a strong eyebrow but I always end up looking like an overdone geisha girl. Which, despite my blog's name, is not the look I generally go for! I think they work best with soft eye make up and a strong lip (or at least a flushed tint) to balance out the face. Strong eyebrows and a nude lip would look a little strange!

Here is the gorgeous Sam of Pixiwoo fame demonstrating how a strong brow and lip work perfectly together.

The title of my post refers to Mrs Beckham looking rather sultry and interesting in the May 2010 edition of Vogue Germany... Very surprising! (Not sure about the styling though - what the hell is going on with her hair. And her earrings?! And that fascinator Ascot-style hat? In the middle of a desert? HMMM.)

I've just realised that it's also surprising to see her in an editorial like this because I hardly see her without her sunglasses so it's nice to see that she CAN rock a gentle smoky eye.

Other great eyebrows:

Tallulah Morton

Hilary Rhoda

Brooke Shields in The Blue Lagoon

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

BOATING CHIC

2010-06-17T20:43:00.010+01:00

I'm a little too tired to elaborate much further. My arms are burning from their colossal annual workout of punting non-stop for 1.5 hours and my eyelids feel heavy from too much sunshine and a long cool glass of Pimms! And yes, that is a bona fide boating hat. Isn't it pretty? I'm going to be wearing it a LOT during these summer months.

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

PS. This is punting:

Selfridges sale frenzy!

2010-06-15T12:46:00.006+01:00

The Selfridges sale opened yesterday in London at 8am and obviously I had to take a little look around :) I tried to focus on brands that I couldn't find easily online or in other stores and came out with a nice little purchase.

The brands I avoided were all high street brands: FCUK, Topshop, Kurt Geiger, Carvela, Nine West, River Island, Whistles, COS, etc - What's the point when they all have standalone stores with a better selection of stock & which will hold their own sales in due course?

The best floors by far were the 2nd and 3rd floors, housing the womens contemporary and designer items. I made a beeline for brands such as T by Alexander Wang, Maje (LOVED THIS BRAND... so impressed), Zadig and Voltaire (I know they have their own store but they have a great range of stock in Selfridges), all the higher end denim brands (7 for all Mankind, Siwy), James Perse, McQ by Alexander McQueen, See by Chloe, etc.

What did I come out of the fray with? This little summery top from Alice by Temperley:

Super soft jersey, lovely gold buttons and a flattering gather at the waist.

(Pictures from Net-a-Porter)

I'm really feeling Parisian chic for this summer - what trends are you all going to be channeling?

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

PS. Check out my blog sale below! Lots of items still available :)

I've also posted it on my "What Would Geisha Wear" blog.

PPS. Follow me on TWITTER @geisharocks for constant updates!