The Beauty Drawer: inspiration

Friday, 24 July 2015

IT by Alexa Chung

Being naturally not much of a reader, I of course had to make an exception for Alexa Chung and purchase her debut book simply titled 'It'. Published in 2013 I'm about 2 years too late, but my obsession for her only recently kick-started after a late night visit to Alex Turner and Alexa Chung dedicated tumblr pages - cringe. Alexa is no doubt an It Girl of the 21st century, and the self confessed groupie has listed her somewhat strange style icons in this book, pulling inspiration from the likes of Wednesday Adams and even her own grandfather.

Even for me, I found this book to be quite a quick read. However, the lack of words is quickly made up for by the vast amount of personal photographs and doodles; a real insight into Alexa's life and musings. The top 10 best seller covers everything from heartbreak, to how to get dressed in the morning, and even tips for the perfect selfie (it helps if you have Alexa Chung's face). If you're looking for a witty read, I'd definitely recommend 'It' - also available in paperback.

LOOK BACK AT IT

LOOK BACK AT IT by thebeautydrawer featuring high heel shoes

Soap & Glory 'Supercat' is my new go-to liquid eyeliner. Read all about it in my next post! Bolder than bold.

GYPSY ROSE LEE

GYPSY ROSE LEE by thebeautydrawer featuring tassel sandals

This Bershka dress was featured on the lovely 'She Wears Fashion' blog on the same night I noticed these gorgeous tan heels from Missguided - queue instant bohemian summer vibes. I'm also in desperate need of some Alex and Ani bracelets, I love how they layer an armful on their models and I imagine this look with tons of jewellery. Give me that sun!

Alexa

Alexa by thebeautydrawer featuring a pencil eyeliner

I've been girl crushing over Alexa Chung recently, and more specifically her relationship with Arctic Monkeys front man, Alex Turner. I spotted her wearing the bands tee (in a photo from last July) and just had to pick up an identical version from eBay for a bargain at £4.99. Shipping them so hard right now.

MOTEL LOOKBOOK - 20% OFF WITH CODE 'thebeautydrawer'

Lets all just take a moment to appreciate Motel's latest lookbook featuring some hot pieces and even hotter models.

View the full lookbook here and as always, get 20% off orders by using code 'thebeautydrawer' at the checkout!

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DEPOP

In the words of Macklemore 'One man's trash, that's another man's come-up' - move over eBay there's a new app in town. Depop is an exciting new app that allows you to buy and sell straight from your pocket!

It's set-up is similar to that of Instagram - easy peasy for technophobes. Simply snap a picture of what you want to sell, add a short description and ta-dah you're good to go! If you're in more of a buying mood you'll want to check out the 'explore' page, this is where you can browse the most wanted items and find sellers to add to your newsfeed.

Depop is free to download and it costs zilch to list an item (a small charge is applied after you sell).

Follow me @thebeautydrawer

Happy depoping

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TIGER MIST

I recently came across Australian brand Tiger Mist while I was flicking through Instagram, and I'm surprised I didn't find them sooner considering their staggering 343K following. Tiger Mist was first founded by two Melbourne-born sisters (check out their story here) and reminds me of a cross between our very own Missguided and Motel Rocks. Although Tiger Mist is very much an established boutique in Australia, I'd like to consider them as a hidden gem in the UK - somewhere you can find the perfect party piece and be confident you'll not be matching 3 other girls at the party.

Tiger Mist ship worldwide and delivery is set at a flat rate of $18 AUD (roughly £10) with delivery taking usually less than 15 days. OK, so they might not be ideal for last minute buys but, knowing you're heading somewhere in advance or just needing their pieces in your wardrobe, are both ideal shopping excuses. Also, Australian clothing sizes are the same as they are in the UK so there's no need for conversion charts or having to return items that are too big/small.

Tiger Mist stock everything from dresses and shoes to swimwear, and even have their own makeup line that includes fake tan! Check out their website or ever-inspiring Instagram that's filled with the latest additions and Tumblr quotes that'll make you giggle, 343,000 girls can't be wrong!

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TATTOOLOGIST

I came across Natalie Hanks' Tattoologist by chance on Bloglovin and found myself continuously scrolling through the vast number of tattoos, from avocados and anchors to orgami shapes and meaningful quotes, there's so much to take inspiration from. I've been playing around with the idea of a tattoo for a few weeks now but I'm currently ink free. I'm the most indecisive person and I sicken myself of things very easily whether it be a song or a top I'll continuously wear, so I don't know how I would deal with something so permanent as a tattoo.

Karl Lagerfeld was quoted saying "I think tattoos are horrible. It's like living in a Pucci dress full-time", but my friend ironically pointed out that his current protege Cara Delevigne is slowly becoming covered in them. I absolutely love seeing tattoos on people, especially ones that make you stop and think, or is something different that you don't see everyday. Here are a few of my favourite from Tattoologist - personally I favour black and grey pieces that are small and easy to hide.

What's your thoughts on tattoos?

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Pin Me

My lovely housemate Emma introduced me to the world of Pinterest after being somewhat addicted to it herself. I didn't realise how inspiring Pinterest can be, there are literally millions of images. I raced to find beauty boards and came across some stunning images. Here are the images that I found to be the most inspiring.

Happy pinning!

Have you got Pinterest? Follow me here.

BLOG • INSTAGRAM • BLOGLOVIN • LOOKBOOK

Temporary Tatts - Love/Hate?

I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only child who covered myself in temporary tattoos much to the dismay of my mum. Who else remembers the little comic book tattoos that would come free with candy sticks or chewing gum? - 90s nostalgia at it's finest. Well... I was doing the usual Saturday night online window shopping when I came across a transfer tattoo pack on Regal Rose. Forget the tacky childhood tattoos and think small simplistic designs. I also happened to find photos from a 2010 Chanel show which featured temporary tattoos, which I had no idea existed!

Chanel Temporary Tattoos from 2010

I don't have any tattoos myself, not that I don't like them but I'd be afraid I'd hate them years down the line. I'm the most indecisive person so when it comes to putting something permanent on my body, it's a no-no. Temporary tattoos are the perfect substitute and great for summer when we're all bearing a little bit more skin that usual!Tattly.com is a great site that offers a huge range of temporary tatts from various artists. They're made in the US but ship worldwide, the prices are reasonable and the pictures suggest high quality results! They even have glow in the dark ones. Clockwise from Top Left:

'Just Smile', $5 for 2 | Tangy Lemon, $5 for 2 | Triangle, $5 for 2 | 'X', $5 for 2 | 'Live Today', $5 for 2

Similar to Tattly other temporary tattoos can be found from sellers on Etsy at great prices. Other stockists of temporary tatts include Boots, Topshop and Regal Rose.

Love it or leave it?

Hannah x

♥

Blog | Twitter | Instagram

"Get Your Apples and Pears" - ASOS Marketplace

I've been a huge fan of ASOS since forever but shamefully I've only discovered how great their Marketplace section is recently. Personally I thought it was only for people selling one off items of clothing, but I've discovered so many boutiques with great collections. I love falling in love with something that I know not many people have, it makes it feel extra special! Here are my favourite boutiques and some hot picks from their collections...

#1. House Of Jam
"On trend reworked vintage and handcrafted designs, for divas on a budget"

1. Handcrafted Flicked Paint Effect Fringed Kimono, £48 | 2. 80s Vintage Tea Dress, £36 | 3. 90s Grunge Oversized Denim Shirt, £24 | 4. Vintage 90s Shirt in Purple Animal and Floral Print, £24

This is by far my favourite boutique on ASOS Marketplace - I love the model, the styling and most importantly the clothes! P.S that 1st kimono needs to be in my wardrobe, like now.

House of Jam Blog | House of Jam Twitter | House of Jam Facebook | House of Jam Pinterest

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#2. Cats Got The Cream
"Imperfection is beautiful. Re-use, restore, stand out"

1. 80s 'Saved By The Bell' Oversized Tshirt, £22 | 2. 90s Vintage Wrangler Mom Jeans | 3. 90s Vintage Grunge Skater Tshirt, £25 | 4. 90s Oversized Hawiian Shirt, £22.50

This boutique has given me a bad case of nostalgia - if only we could go back to the days of 'Saved By The Bell', mom jeans and tacky graphic tees. I never want to buy clothes made after 1999 again.

Cats Got The Cream Blog | Cats Got The Cream Tumblr | Cats Got The Cream Facebook

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#3. Yatt
"Graphic Tees"

1. Kiss Tshirt, £21 | 2. Carpe Diem Tshirt, £18 | 3. Dangerous Tshirt, £21 | 4. Los Angeles Tshirt, £21

I'm a lover of graphic tees and this Spanish boutique definitely seems to have it sorted! Plus all the lighting effects are making me feel warm and sunny - sigh.

Yatt Blog | Yatt Twitter | Yatt Facebook | Yatt Tumblr | Yatt Pinterest

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#4. Gone Retro
"Selling silk to buy the milk"

1. Nike Crop Top, £20 | 2. Vintage Levi's Fur Lined Denim Jacket, £50 | 3. Vintage Blue Ibiza Festival Shirt Dress, £20 | 4. 90's Navy Baseball Jersey Tee, £28

You just can't beat vintage - everything about this boutique makes me think of 'This Is England' in the nicest possible way.

Gone Retro Blog | Gone Retro Twitter | Gone Retro Facebook

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#5. Goldie

"Picked and styled by Goldie on the streets of East London"

1. Lydia Skirt in Black, £20 | 2. Cassia Jumper, £44 | 3. Serena Dress, £15 | 4. Aryia Skirt, £20

This girl can put a mean outfit together! Goldie boutique doesn't have a huge collection, but you know what they say - quality over quantity.

Goldie Twitter | Goldie Facebook | Goldie Tumblr | Goldie Pinterest

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Have you ever used ASOS Marketplace? What's your favourite boutique?

Hannah x

♥

Blog | Twitter | Instagram

Riri For River Island

As one of many million Rihanna fans I'm using this blog as a perfectly good excuse to talk about her. Over the years Rihanna's style has changed dramatically and she's come far from her 'Pon De Replay' days transforming into a style icon. I regularly stalk her Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, just to see what's look she's rocking next. From her latest Terry Richardson shoot to those pictures, the woman just oozes sex appeal and boasts the confidence we all wish we had. I'm not saying we should all go about flashing our nipple rings but I just love her 'I don't give a phuck' attitude and how she's comfortable with her own body (which anyone in their right mind would kill for).

Picture tweeted by @ElleUK

This years London Fashion Week saw Rihanna debut her own 120 piece Spring collection for River Island which unsurprisingly received great reviews from anxiously awaiting critics. Crop tops, varsity jackets and thigh-high splits were among some of the styles that reflected Riri perfectly. I also spotted most of the models wearing body chains similar to the Jacquie Aiche one that Rihanna never seems to take off.

The models wore barely there makeup minus MAC 's Ruby Woo lipstick, very Rihanna-esque. Elle tweeted a picture of the models getting prepped backstage (left) which just added to the anticipation.

Also, am I the only one lusting over Rihanna's hair right now, long ombre waves, what's not to love? It's seriously making me want to reach for the hair dye. I went for a DIY ombre look before Christmas and although it turned out well, I got bored of it quickly. The dye I used to cover it is no doubt wearing off and you can notice the dip dye look peeking through in my first outfit post.

Below are a few of my favourite looks from the collection that reaches River Island stores on March 5th - definitely a shopping day to mark on the calendar! What did you think of her Spring pieces? Will you be rushing out to buy them?

Shirts tied at the waist, crops tops and caps? Rihanna's 90's grunge style needs to be in my wardrobe.

Pictures taken from fashion.telegraph.co.uk

Someone get me a pair of Manolo Blahnik 'Chaos' sandals ASAP.

Pictures taken from fashion.telegraph.co.uk

If, like me you weren't invited to sit front row at River Island's show then you can catch up with the video below:

Oh, you're welcome.

Hannah x

♥

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Friday, 24 July 2015

IT by Alexa Chung

Thursday, 26 March 2015

LOOK BACK AT IT

Sunday, 8 March 2015

GYPSY ROSE LEE

Monday, 2 March 2015

Alexa

Wednesday, 12 November 2014

MOTEL LOOKBOOK - 20% OFF WITH CODE 'thebeautydrawer'

Sunday, 7 September 2014

DEPOP

Tuesday, 12 August 2014

TIGER MIST

Saturday, 19 April 2014

TATTOOLOGIST

Tuesday, 21 January 2014

Pin Me

Sunday, 14 July 2013

Temporary Tatts - Love/Hate?

Sunday, 23 June 2013

"Get Your Apples and Pears" - ASOS Marketplace

Monday, 18 February 2013

Riri For River Island